Day Of The Woman

MAC ELDRIDGE'S BLOOD ON THE PLAIN IS FINALLY AVAILABLE

2012-01-30T19:14:00.000-06:00

You may remember hearing about Water Cooler productions and up and coming filmmaker Mac Eldridge a few years back when their hit zombie short "Chemical 12-D" made its festival round. With a keen eye for the aesthetics and a strong grasp on spinning the genre, Mac Eldridge and his crew easily took the horror short world by storm. After a highly successful and international run, Mac was on a mission to create something very, very different. Joining his efforts (along with his amazing production team) this time around was author/screenwriter Angel Esparza. While 12-D was merely an unique look at the zombie genre, Water Cooler Production's newest horror flick is an animal of an entirely different breed. I submit for your approval, Blood on the Plain. Now, I say that this is an entirely different breed for more than just stylistic reasons. You see, Mac and the gang are trying to achieve what every filmmaker would like to do. The short film Blood on the Plain is (hopefully) a stepping stone into creating a feature film. It is for this reason that the short is left VERY open ended. You know when you watch a film and your reaction is "THAT'S IT?! I WANT TO SEE MORE!" Well, that is entirely the intention of the filmmakers, and they have manged to instil that sensation with ease. If you like the short and crave more, have hopes that someday they'll be able to turn this into a feature film.

The filmmakers themselves seem to to describe this best. "Part western. Part horror. Blood on the Plain is a self-aware pulp exploration of a town in the wake of tragedy. Following a savage massacre at the Wadsworth High School Homecoming Dance, the townspeople take up arms and—under the guidance of four seasoned trackers—set out in search of justice. It’s the marriage of fear and anger which fuels these efforts and ultimately signals their failure. Those who remain will be forced to square off with the assailants; a breed of man never before seen and born of a previous generation’s offense." They managed to create a very delicate balance of the world of Westerns and pair it elegantly with all the things that create a great horror film. Unlike 12-D, there's a hearty pile of gore smack dab in the middle and some well executed creatures sure to give you the heebie jeebies. Cinematographer David Wagenaar has also improved dramatically since the last time we visited him and it only continues to prove that the minds behind Water Cooler productions are a force to be reckoned with.

My only complaint about the film is the ending, but the reaction I had was exactly what the filmmakers wanted their audience to have. It's not a "full story" the way their first big short was, but the film making and cinematography has grown exponentially over the past few years. At the very least, it's a beautifully shot film, and it keeps me wanting more. This really isn't a short film per se, it's just the epitome of a teaser. This gives just enough insight to the story we aren't able to see due to time and budget restraints. If you're able to watch the film with all of this in mind, you'll find yourself highly entertained and like myself, wanting more. If you aren't able to separate yourself from its unconventional feel, you may feel a bit disappointed. I won't lie to you, it feels a bit disjointed, but it is SUPPOSED to feel that way. Either way, they've got a gorgeous creation on their hands and something entirely new in the horror genre. Instead of whining about the latest remake, support indie filmmakers with, I don't know, AN ORIGINAL IDEA. :)

"But BJ-C, how ever will we see this film you've been talking up for the past few paragraphs?" Well my darlings, I will tell you. For the low, low price of $3.99 you can download the short for yourself and enjoy twelve minutes of the future of horror film making by purchasing it from The Blood On The Plain Web Store. Not into downloads? No worry. You can totally buy a DVD at the same website for only $10.00. What may be the most interesting of the merchandise up for sale is the selling of movie frames. This film was brought to life by Cinematographer David Wagenaar, and to showcase the cinematic beauty that Blood on the Plain has to offer, they have decided to capture each moment frame by frame, and make these frames available to YOU! By purchasing these frames, (at only a dollar, mind you) you are helping fund their future projects like, a feature of this film mayhaps?

Blood On The Plain will hopefully be starting a festival run in the near future, and you should really be a part of it! Support up and coming horror and indie filmmakers, or the terrorists win.

Watch the official trailer below!

FINAL DESTINATION 5: FROM GREEN SCREEN TO GRUESOME

2012-01-25T01:49:00.000-06:00

Sorry I've been so MIA. I went back to school and classes are quite hectic. Add that to the fever I've been battling the last four days and we have an explanation.

SINCE WHEN DID BEING A HORROR FAN BECOME SUCH A PISSING CONTEST?

2012-01-12T21:38:00.000-06:00

MEGAN IS MISSING: THE REAL LIFE HORROR OF INTERNET INTERACTIONS

2012-01-12T02:45:00.000-06:00

THIS CONTAINS MILD SPOILERS.

There are few moments when a horror film possesses the ability to completely and utterly shake me to the core. These films don't necessarily have to be of the caliber to win an Academy Award, they just need to deliver a message. Michael Goi's indie, found footage film Megan Is Missing is one of the most unsettling films I've seen in years. Now, let me elaborate on this premise. When I say the film is "unsettling" I mean that in the sincerest sense of the word. Given my young age, I do have frequent interactions with early teenage girls through pageantry, baton twirling, and baby sitting. The fact of the matter is, today's teenage girls are trying to imitate the lives of college girls and early twenty year olds. Girls as young as twelve are losing their virginity at birthday parties and drinking with high school students. They're wearing makeup earlier and experimenting with drugs and alcohol barely after their first period. The teenage girl of today...is a complete and total idiot with complete disregard for common sense based on the principle that "everyone else is doing it". Talking to strangers on the internet is no exception. It is for that reason alone that Megan is Missing completely took me aback.

I'm not going to analyze this film on a technical level, because it would be a waste of my time. The acting isn't great, it's "found footage", and yes, there is a ten minute scene of a man digging a hole. There you go, there's your "technical" review. What needs to be dissected is the horrifying truth the film holds. The parents of generation dotcom have lost their ability to parent. Children have far too much freedom and aren't monitored to the extent that they need to be. I've seen ten year old girls SEXTING boys in their classes. I didn't get a cell phone until the summer before high school and the only calls I was able to make were to my parents and the police. Hell, I couldn't text until my junior year of high school. Parents today don't know how to tell their children "no" and this is why so many of our kids are at risk. Children are sexualized at a very young age and when you combine that with social networking and smart phones, they're destined for destruction. This is the unfortunate truth of the way the world works and Megan is Missing helps to showcase that with the epitome of a worst case scenario.

The film follows the story of fourteen year old Megan Stewart and thirteen year old Amy Herman. The two girls live the typical life of fourteen year olds in new millennium America. The girls go out to parties they shouldn't be attending, they're popular with the boys at school, and they spend their nights getting their kicks by flirting with strangers from the Internet. I'll be honest, at that age, I did the exact same thing. Amy was abused as a child and it definitely set her on the path for self destruction. While many criticize the acting of this film. These girls did a pretty decent job showcasing the false sense of immortality that the modern teenager believes they have. A little campy at times, but not to the point where it broke me out of the film. Regardless, Megan and Amy soon meet a boy who calls himself "Josh" on the Internet and Megan makes plans to meet with him.

While anyone with any common sense would be screaming "you idiot, you never meet people you've met in online chatrooms" you need to remember something...TEENAGERS ARE MORONS. Megan seems to fulfill her plans to meet "Josh" and as the title says, she goes missing. Amy becomes ridiculously upset and sets out on a campaign to find her. Unfortunately for Amy, she finds "Josh" or rather, "Josh" finds her. The aftermath of this discovery is incredibly gruesome and grievously triggering.

Michael Goi clearly did his homework on this one. Although there are moments when it becomes a little obvious that the girls aren't actually fourteen, but if you can show me a set of parents who would sign off on their children to participate in this film (without being total stage parents), they'd probably lose their paternal rights. There were moments in this film that honestly made me turn my head and close my eyes. This film didn't scare me so much as completely break my heart. It sickens me to know that the unfortunate truth of this film, is that this actually happens. Michael Goi isn't some sadistic freak who fantasized this all up, he based his film off of seven different cases involving internet related kidnappings. The script may not be the strongest ox on the cart, but it doesn't have to be. The message of this film could be understood if the entire film was on mute.

We've gotten too comfortable on the internet and have forgotten the dangers that lurk within. Trolling has made it cool to be anonymous again and this is just presenting a watering hole filled with underage snatch with daddy issues just waiting to be picked off. That may come off as insensitive, but it's the truth. A huge issue many are having with the film is the fact Amy's parents allowed her to still use the internet and roam the streets with her camera unsupervised even after Megan's disappearance. I'd kindly like you all to revisit the case of Jessi Slaughter who even after receiving death threats from trolls on 4chan, her parents never once watched any of her asinine videos or took away her online privileges. Wanna know what got her offline? A COURT ORDER. Parents today just don't understand. They don't know how to PARENT. This film is realistic in EVERY sense of the word. Maybe it's because I'm only twenty one years old, but I see this shit every day. I always fear opening the paper because I'm awaiting the day when one of the girls I've watched grow up is under the missing persons.

Now, this film isn't without its problems. It's in no way a perfect film, but the last 22 minutes were so earth shattering, it completely overshadowed any of the film's pitfalls. The film manages to creep under your skin and shows us the events the news never talks about. It may seem a bit exploitative at times, but I honestly think that we've gotten to the point where we as a society NEED it to be. Teenagers think they're invincible and are often times never held accountable for their actions. They don't understand the risk they are putting themselves in. The film does such a good job at making me never want to talk to anyone from the internet ever again that it was even endorsed by Marc Klass, founder of the KlaasKids Foundation to prevent crimes on children, and the father of Polly Hannah Klaas who was kidnapped and murdered. This film isn't meant for everyone, and it's not a film that anyone should "enjoy". I do, however, fully stand behind the filmmaker and his message for this film.

WOMAN OF THE WEEK: CHLOE GRACE MORETZ

2012-01-11T23:48:00.000-06:00

To the right of this text is the face of a girl that has been proving herself time and time again across numerous genres, but she got her start like most great actresses, in the world of horror. At only fourteen years old, Chloë Grace Moretz has 39 acting roles to her name and was recently voted the "Favorite Movie Star Under 25" over the four main castmates of the Harry Potter films at the People's Choice Awards. With her should be trademarked buxom lips and expressive eyes, Moretz has taken on (and completely owned) a vast majority of roles and showed her acting chops each and every time. Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the new face of a screen starlet. The difference between Moretz and most of the child actors in her age range, is that she possesses the acting talent to pass the puberty funk and transcend into a highly respected adult actress. Not many child stars can make the leap, but Chloë is well on her way to doing so. She is highly respected for her decisions to play unconventional and challenging roles and even more so for portraying them with such prowess and elegance. However, we mustn't forget her roots. Let us take a journey back to where she got her start.

At only eight years old, Chloë Grace Moretz held her own alongside powerhouse performers Melissa George and Ryan Reynolds as the youngest of the Lutz children, Chelsea. She may have won over audiences with her adorable little voice and big blue eyes, but it was her innate ability to convey innocence in the most horrific of circumstances that proved she was far more than a cute little girl. Moretz's character was a beacon of supernatural activity and the sole individual able to see the ghostly little girl, Jodie. She did her own stunts, her own screams, and easily gave the most believable of all of the performances in the remake. Yes, Ryan Reynold's abs were shown up by an eight year old.

Fast forward a few years, and you can spot Moretz in the horror films Room 6, Wicked Little Things, Hallowed Ground, and The Eye. It was in 2010 that Moretz earned herself a spot in the geeky fankid's hall of fame with her performance as "Hit-Girl" in the superhero flick, Kick-Ass. Adorable, mouthy, heavily armed, and highly combative, Moretz blew audiences away with her insane action moves and line delivery. I'm sorry, but not every 11 year old can pull off the line "Show's over motherfuckers" while retaining some badassery. Moretz did it with strength and conviction. I've yet to see a superhero movie since the release of Kick-Ass showcase even a fraction of the impressive factor of Hit-Girl.

As one of the biggest self proclaimed fangirls of Let The Right One In, my heart broke when they announced the American remake in the works. The only thing that kept me somewhat sane was knowing they had cast Moretz as my beloved Eli. A good friend of mine said it best, "the only problem with Let Me In is that Let The Right One In exists." I have to agree. Moretz may have been far too female and conventionally beautiful for Eli, but she acted the hell out of the role. She gave a beautifully executed performance and deserves any and all praise given to her. She kept the heart of a character fans the world over cherish, and I admire her for staying true to something I hold so near and dear to my heart.

Ladies and Germs, this is what staying power looks like. Now, I'm not about to be the one who says that many child stars rest solely on their cute looks and tiny voices, (I'm looking at you Fanning Sisters) but this is the real deal. My only hope is that Chloë Grace Moretz never forgets what helped skyrocket her to the fame she has and keeps a loving relationship with the horror genre. One of my biggest complaints about modern horror is the inability for anyone to cast an actress for something more than her face and body, and Chloë is the total package. We as horror fans should be encouraging more casting decisions like this and maintain some clout within the film community by producing films with quality performances instead of relying on FX and jump scares. She's got a bright future ahead of her and I cannot wait to see what else she comes up with. Her next role in "our realm" will be in the Tim Burton gothic/myster film Dark Shadows out May of 2012.

THE WORST HORROR MOVIE ENDINGS...EVER.

2012-01-11T02:17:00.002-06:00

It's one thing for someone to make a bad horror movie, it's another thing for them to completely insult the intelligence of the audience member and wait to suck until the final moments. Bad endings are the equivalent to being left at the alter, or only having nine chicken nuggets in the box. I understand that some films are screwed at the end due to time restraints or what have you...but bad endings are just the WORST. If a film is bad from the get go, it's easy to just write the film off as a bad film and call it a day. It seems that nothing strikes more anger into the hearts of film goers everywhere than when they've wasted the last two hours of their life only to be completely let down. I hate to admit it, but I was one of those individuals who were recently struck by the tragic abduction by an overly hyped exorcism movie. After being proverbially robbed by The Devil Inside, it has gotten me thinking of other times when horror films had me excited only to slap me across the face, knock the wind out of me, and steal my lunch money. Surprisingly enough, there are a lot more than there should have been.

OBVIOUSLY. SPOILER ALERT.

OKAY? GOT IT?

YO, SHE-BITCH...LET'S GO.

STEPHEN KING'S: IT

Stephen King, the master of horror, has developed characters and stories that have haunted our dreams (as well as realities) for decades. One of his most famous creature features, is the infamous Pennywise the Clown from IT. This character is arguably what triggered the "clown phobia" epidemic that seems to have stricken people everywhere, and he gave children something far worse than possible molestation to fear when it comes to face painted creepy men at birthday parties twisting inflatable phalli. The four hour long mini-series kept audiences compelled and horrified until...he turned into a giant five dollar puppet spider with a kryptonite of an earring in a slingshot and the clown's downfall is the smoke from a rescue inhaler. Yes. The kid with ASTHMA saves the day. Oh, and don't forget. If your wife is catatonic, pedal your bike REALLY fast. She'll come back. Promise.

THE DESCENT 2

The sequel to the highly regarded film, The Descent, held a lot of promise. While the initial storyline of how they got the main character back into the cave was a little wonky, the action really picked up and the twist in the middle was unexpected but very welcomed. It was the ending, however that forced me to locate a spatula to flip my angered jaw off of the floor. The bumblefucking redneck that took our protagonist to the hospital in the beginning of the film has suddenly made a drastic character change and is now bludgeoning our sole survivor and throwing her back down the cave to be eaten by the dwellers within. Wow. Unless he was some psychic who knew they were going to send her back into the cave with a new crew, he should have just thrown the bloody blonde back in and saved us the two hour disappointment.

INVADERS FROM MARS

Tobe Hooper...you should have known better. This film is such a mess to begin with. Miscast actors, poor performances, lackluster plot points, and a terrible ending almost destroyed Tobe Hooper for me. You'd think that the man behind The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was more than a one trick pony, but hot damn...this film was a nightmare. I'm just going to spoil the hell out of it. IT WAS ALL A DREAM. Yep. You just sat through a child's fucking dream. You're welcome. I just saved you a few hours of an illegal download (since you schmucks don't pay for your movies anymore).

FRIDAY THE 13TH VIII: JASON TAKES MANHATTAN

I am probably going to have to turn in my fangirl card when I admit that this is one of my favorite sequels. I'm not a huge fan of the hockey clad killer to begin with, but this film just makes me giggle. There are fewer things in this world that bring me greater joy than watching Kane Hodder tear apart the Big Apple. Sue me. However. Comma. The toxic sewer sludge of NYC has the power to turn adult Jason into drowned child Jason? Give me a break. What are you going to tell me next, he goes to space? Yeah right. Oh wait...

THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT

I fully endorse people to remake films that were problematic. It's remaking classics that I have an issue with. Wes Craven may be a household name in the horror world, but I'll be honest when I say that the original Last House On The Left wasn't really that great. I appreciate the film for what it is and what it stands for, but if upon reviews...it's just a little hokey. The music playing for the "bad guys" when they aren't doing bad things sounds like something out of a Three Stooges episode and I never really see the villains as a threat until they're actually killin' and rapin'. I digress. I really, really enjoyed the remake. I found it to be a solid film and the story progressed quite nicely. The last minute though...what the fuck? I mean. what the actual fuck was that? When they start driving off in the boat, TURN THE MOVIE OFF. You'll thank me later.

THE VILLAGE

M. Night Shyamalan made his money off of twist endings and desperately tried to milk that cash cow dry with the rest of his films. Too bad he couldn't ever recapture the magic he did with The Sixth Sense. His obsession with Ron Howard's babygirl and his desire to "shock" audiences did nothing more than force audiences to try to figure out the big "twist". Unfortunately for him, they figured them all out...about twenty minutes into the films.

SPECIAL MENTIONS:

From Dusk Til Dawn

SCREAM 2&3

Priest

High Tension

LILY COLLINS TO REPLACE THE KING OF THE DEADITES IN THE EVIL DEAD REMAKE?

2012-01-09T18:04:00.000-06:00

I hate Genesis. A lot. And I really, really, REALLY hate Phil Collins. However, his daughter Lily Collins seems to be a force to be reckoned with. Armed with eyebrows as prominent as Bruce Campbell's chin, Lily Collins has been in talks to replace our beloved chainsaw arm deadite slayer in the upcoming Evil Dead remake. Surprisingly, I'm a huge advocate for the whole "anything men can do, women can do too" mantra, and I've even written posts about how horror films would have been different had a woman played the starring role. I'm going to get a lot of slack for this and my inner Ashley J. Williams fangirl is probably pricking a voodoo doll of me with poisoned pine needles for saying this...but I sort of want to see how this pans out. South American Director, Fede Alvarez will be taking over for Sam Raimi, who will be producing the film along with the king himself, Bruce Campbell. Diablo Cody is said to be assisting in penning the piece, so expect some dialogue to induce some eyebrow raising. They're looking to release sometime around April of 2013 and it has been said that they're trying to avoid the punchlines and over-the-top comedy of the sequels and instead focus on the heart of the original..and truly scare us. Lily would play Mia, who heads to the cabin to detox after a recent overdose. Struggling with her new-found sobriety, strange things begin to occur and those around her cannot figure out where reality is sitting amongst her withdrawl. The Necronomicon will play a part, and she won't be visiting the cabin alone. Quite a different take on the original, but still seems to have the same heart as the one we first fell in love with.

Now, there are reasons that I'm okay with this and I believe clarification is in order if only so I can maintain some of my horror street cred. First of all, I would like everyone to take a step back and think about the iconic horror films that have been remade in the past few years. Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, and Freddy Krueger have all gone under the remake knife and the consensus has been somewhat universal. "It's just not the same...you can't remake something we hold so near and dear to our horror hearts". THAT is the main reason that I'm okay with there not being an Ash and having a female protagonist instead. The Evil Dead is what it is because of Bruce Campbell. Plain and simple. If they were to remake the film and keep Ashley J. Williams as a character, the comparisons to him would be instantaneous and there is NO ONE who can embody the persona of the character the way the Bruce Campbell did. Anyone trying to tackle the role would either fall short of our expectations, or turn him into a caricature. Ash is such an unique character and if not executed properly, he will come off as campy or the attempt would lean more towards parody. That's just the nature of the character. By wiping out Ash but still allowing the story to take place within the world of The Evil Dead, it gives us a brand new set of characters to fall in love with and new ways for characters to try to escape.

Since Sam Raimi is producing it, we can be sure that there will be plenty of throwbacks to the diehard fans regardless of who plays the leading role. If Drag Me To Hell proved anything, it's that Sam Raimi knows his audience and he especially knows how to throw us a bone every now and again. Instead of getting the same story we've all got memorized at this point, we'll get a different take on how to defeat the deadites with some homages sprinkled in nicely. One of the biggest complaints people have about remakes are the rehashes of iconic kills and fans often cry "if you're going to do it shot for shot, why even bother?" No Ash Williams means no Ash kills. It'll be new, and honestly...that's sort of something this film franchise needs. Do I wish Bruce would come back and play Ash old and bloated to defeat the evil that lurks within the woods? Absolutely. Is that going to happen? No. It's not, and it's unfair as a fan to demand an actor to return to a role that made him famous when he is in no way physically capable of performing the way he once did. I hate to break it to you all, but actors get old. They age. It's a way of life. From what it sounds like, we're getting an entirely new flavor of the franchise, not just a new film. I hate to say it, but I'm sort of excited to see what they're doing with this. I am not expecting this to come even close to the original films, but I'm ecstatic to see a group of people remaking a film and actually giving it an entirely different spin. This is what a remake should resemble. Keeping the heart and soul of the film, but painting it an entirely different shade. Does this make me a traitor as a horror fan? Maybe. But I stand by my opinion. I really want to see what they've got up their sleeve for this one. Who knows, maybe we'll be hailing to the queen at the end of it all.

TI WEST: A GOD AMONG MEN

2012-01-07T14:32:00.000-06:00

This is about to turn into an extremely eloquent fangirl rant, and I have absolutely no shame in admitting that. Let me get the carnal responses out of the way so I can really divulge into why I'm so obsessed with him at the moment. I would have Ti West's babies and gladly enjoy the process of making them. Now that I've gotten that out of my system. LET US BEGIN.

A few years ago, I got my grubby little paws on a film called The Roost. I found it to be not without its problems, but a fantastic throwback to the horror films of yesteryear. It was shot on a low budget, but gave off a delightful indie feeling and in all honesty, was a damn entertaining movie. For a young director, I'd have to say I was rather impressed. It was 2009, however that put Ti West on the map as a horror director that is a force to be reckoned with. The House of the Devil is a near perfect film. Now before anyone tries to shout about the slow pacing or how nothing crazy happens until the ending, I'd kindly like you to take a step back and go watch films from the early eighties and bite me. Ti West completely encompassed the look, feel, and probably even the taste of how truly terrifying horror movies were meant to be made. He has a keen eye for style and I find him to be an expert at pacing. While the payoff wasn't until the ending, the film was always entertaining, thrilling, and interesting to watch. He has a unique writing style and developed characters that were always authentic and easy to relate to. The film took the underground horror film by storm and it has every right to. It's a gorgeous film and a great thrill ride. He created a film at the age of 31 with a quality that most directors twice his age have failed to produce.

Last night, I finally saw The Innkeepers. Ti West has truly done it again. This isn't going to be a review, so I'll hold my tongue about plot points. I swear to Cthulhu, this man can make a damn movie. The thing I appreciate the most about his film making, is his grasp of aesthetics. His films are all remarkably appealing to the eye and if there's ever a moment that feels "dull" or "slow" there is always something beautiful about the setting to distract you. I honestly didn't find a single moment of this film to be dull or slow, but I am also a person who craves "slow-burn" horror films. Ti West is a master at pacing, and this film was no exception. To enforce even more about his eye for beauty, his one-sheets for his films are incredible. Both The House of the Devil and The Innkeepers were placed #1 on "best posters of the year" on countless horror websites. Why? Because they're perfect. They all look the way posters are supposed to look. They're intriguing, but they're works of art. You know you've created a quality advertisement piece when someone would be willing to put it on the wall in a frame without ever seeing the film. That's how I felt with both of his recent films, and I know I'm not the only one in thinking that.

Most importantly, Ti West is an incredible person because of the way his mind works. Recently, he released an open letter to the world explaining why we shouldn't pirate movies. It reads as follows:

Dear Internet,

This Friday (Dec 30th) my film THE INNKEEPERS will be released on VOD an entire month before it's released in theaters (Feb 3rd). This means it will likely hit the Internet torrent sites within 24 hours and seed thousands of downloads in the coming days.

WHY I THINK YOU SHOULD PAY FOR INDEPENDENT MOVIES. It's not the money. Personally I don't care about the money. As sad as it is to admit it's very unlikely I will make a dime off of the release of the film. My previous film, "The House of the Devil," had a similar release and was very successful - That was in 2009, and to this day I have made ZERO dollars off of its success. I do not own the films, and by the time any profits would trickle down to little old me (writer/director/editor/producer) they would all have been mysteriously soaked up into vague expenses, random fees and outrageous overages. This is the nature of the business and I have come to accept it. As long as I don't own my films - something I give up in exchange for someone with much deeper pockets affording me the budgets to make them - this is how it goes. It's a trade off and I'm fine with it. I don't really care. What I do care about, however, is your support. I care very much about that.

Every time you purchase something you are making a statement. You are creating physical evidence that something has value. If something has a high value, then it becomes in high demand. So if you make a concerted effort to support lesser-known, interesting and esoteric things (Art?) then you are helping make those lesser-known things more popular. I'm sure we can all agree that there are incredible movies made every year that never get the attention they deserve - That's not the movies' fault. That is our collective fault for not being proactive enough to GO OUT OF OUR WAY to support them.

So yes, I want you to go out of your way and pay for my movie. Not because I'm greedy, but because if the movie makes money (whomever for) that's tangible evidence of a paying audience out there for movies like mine. For independent films. For something different. Not just bland remakes/sequels or live action versions of comic books/cartoons/boardgames. This is a powerful time for the consumer. With a small platform release like ours (VOD/Theatrical), it's been made incredibly easy for you to support the film...You don't even have to get out of bed.

I do personally benefit from you paying for my film. So do my friends and collaborators. Maybe not in a direct, financial way; but in the gaining of support from consumer/fans whose collective interest convinces rich people to keep giving us budgets (hopefully bigger ones) for the types of movies we make. These investors only do this based on the accountable value of a movie. Not the content. Hopefully everyone knows that by now, but maybe there are still a few ideological people out there reading this who think movies get financed because they are simply great stories worth being told no matter what their commercial appeal. Unfortunately, with very few exceptions...They don't.

How about this: If you went into a store and there were two similar products - one made by hand by someone local who you knew (perhaps a small business in the USA?) and the other just churned out by a machine (perhaps not in the USA?) - wouldn't you pay a tiny bit more for the one made by the person you knew? Especially if you knew it was actually benefitting that person? Wouldn't that be better than supporting the machine-made, impersonal, uninspired version? Wouldn't you want to support them?

Where we choose to spend our money should reflect what matters to us and what we want to support. If independent film matters to you, then do me a solid and pay for the film instead of downloading it. It's not a huge financial commitment, but it has a huge financial impact. I am not a corporation, I am not independently wealthy, I don't come from a family of the industry...I'm just a regular dude who made a movie and wants to keep on making them. I can't do that without your help, and it would be very much appreciated.

Lastly, if you live in a city where the film is being released theatrically, please go see it in the theater. It took over a year to meticulously craft the film with the intent of it being seen projected on 35mm on a big screen with loud surround sound. This was all done for your benefit. It is meant to be seen in a theater - It is after all...A movie.

Sincerely,

Ti

I'm sorry. What the hell is there not to like about the guy? Ti West, get down with your bad self. Continue making movies for the rest of your life, because you are one of the few directors out there that actually understands how to make not just a movie, but a piece of art that will stand the test of time and CGI.

YOU HAVE TWO DAYS: SIX DESIGNS FROM THE FRIGHT-RAGS GRAVEYARD AT 15% OFF

2012-01-06T16:28:00.002-06:00

Unless you've been living under a perpetual horror rock, you should know that Fright-Rags is your source for the ass kickingest horror shirts in the history of everything. Over the years, Fright-Rags has presented us with shirts showcasing every horror film from May, The Shining, Thriller, Blood Diner, City of the Living Dead, Night of The Creeps, They Live, Hobo With A Shotgun, and my personal favorite, the Anti-Cullen "Team David" shirt just to name a few. After a certain point, some designs sell out and are sent into retirement. However, they've brought back six designs from the dead and if you pre-order them sometime in the next two days, you'll receive 15% off. You can get this once in a lifetime deal by clicking the image below, or visiting their website at www.fright-rags.com

Oh, and while we're on the topic of how awesome Fright-Rags is, check out this teaser image released TODAY.

Get excited. This shirt will be available this January...on Friday the 13th.

CHICAGO FEAR FEST: THE SECOND CITY'S NEWEST HORROR EXTRAVAGANZA

2012-01-05T14:44:00.001-06:00

WHAT: CHICAGO’s newest indie horror film fest announces a call for entries! CHICAGO FEAR FEST

WHEN: APRIL 13-14, 2012

WHERE: MUVICO THEATERS ROSEMONT 18 ROSEMONT, IL
www.chicagofearfest.com

If there is one thing I've learned from my short time dabbling in the horror blogosphere, it's that Chicago is slowly but surely climbing up the ranks to becoming one of the strongest epicenters for all things horror. Chicago may be known as the “Second City”, but Chicago-based Horror Enterprises Flashback Weekend (Horror Conventions & Drive-In Film Fests), Horror Society (web based horror news & Horror film fests), Sinister Visions (horror website & graphic design), and Zombie Army Productions (Haunted House design & film production), are working to establish Chicago as the 1st city of Horror!

April 13th and 14th 2012, the four premiere Chicago horror groups and the Muvico Theaters are presenting us with CHICAGO FEAR FEST. It will be a two day indie horror film festival with selections screened at quite possibly the most beautiful theater in the Chicagoland area, The Muvico Theaters Rosemont 18 in Rosemont, IL.

CHICAGO FEAR FEST will showcase the very best in cutting edge independent horror films. The lineup will include short films, feature films, celebrity guests, panel discussions, and Q & A’s. Festival after-parties will be held in Bogart’s, a full service bar and grill located on the second floor of the Muvico Theaters Rosemont 18.

Films will be judged based in 3 different categories: Best Feature, Best Short and Audience Favorite. The winning director of each category will be invited to appear as a featured celebrity guest at the Flashback Weekend Chicago Horror Convention to be held August 10-12, 2012 in Rosemont, IL.

CHICAGO FEAR FEST will be a celebration of the art of indie horror film making by encouraging and supporting independent filmmakers from around the world. CHICAGO FEAR FEST and Muvico Theaters are committed to promoting excellence in independent filmmaking by fostering a community of filmmakers and encouraging an appreciation of independent film.

They accepting film submissions from horror filmmakers NOW! This is your chance to get your film screened in Chicago in front of an audience of high profile media, film critics, film-making industry professionals, and horror fans! This is going to be an experience unlike any other and you can bet your ass that I will be hauling myself from school to attend this. No doubt about it.

If you're interested in submitting a film, you can submit by visiting

http://chicagofearfest.com/submissions/

Your film submission must be received no later than March 30th, 2012. No late entries.

For more information about the festival and for film submission, please visit their website at WWW.CHICAGOFEARFEST.COM and follow them on facebook and twitter!!

WOULD YOU LIKE TO PLAY A GAME?

2012-01-04T18:08:00.000-06:00

I'm bored, you're pretty, and tumblr brought me pretty pictures. Let's have some fun, shall we? I'm posting a series of gifs and screencaps, and you tell me what film they're from. Ready? Steady? GO!

All of the images were shamelessly jacked from ATTACK OF THE GIANT ANTS

TERRIBLE POSTER TUESDAY: PIRANHA 3DD

2012-01-03T14:46:00.000-06:00

It's actually with a bit of hesitation that I choose the teaser poster for Piranha 3DD as the bring back for TpT. You see, Piranha 3DD is penned by Marcus Dunstan...a man who inspires me more than words can encompass. You may know Dunstan as the man who wrote the Feast films as well as the last four SAW films, and The Collector. You may be saying to yourselves, "Oh, big deal...he wrote some mixed reviewed horror films." Let me be the one to tell you that the fact this man was able to survive living in Macomb, IL (the town my college is located) for his formative years and managed to not only come out alive, but VERY well in a genre I have such passion for...blows my freaking mind. This man proves to me that I will not be leaving this cultural wasteland of a two screen movie theatre completely without any glimmer of hope. Seriously. Macomb sucks. I digress. With all of that being said, I can't be approving of everything Dunstan touches simply because he's a fellow Macombie Homie, that's just unfair. When it comes down to it, this teaser poster isn't necessarily bad...it's just lazy as hell.

I included the poster for Piranha 3D on a Terrible Poster Tuesday once before on the grounds that it was unoriginal. It has sense grown on me and I actually rather enjoy the JAWS homage and the bright colors. However, this poster doesn't do it for me. It doesn't do it for one reason and one reason only...IT'S LAZY. The bottom image of the piranhas in the water is the EXACT same image they used for the original poster. Someone literally cropped out the girl laying on the raft from the original poster and photoshopped in a picture of a kick-ass water slide. It's a sequel poster and I understand it wanting to fit within the same realm as the original, but this is ridiculous. It's literally the same freaking poster from the waist down.

It might be a little bit better if the water slide wasn't so far away and if it didn't look like a photograph. The piranhas are clearly animated/cgi/something and the water slide is clearly resembling an ad cut out of a brochure for a water park. Cutting corners is one thing, blatant disregard for lighting is another. I'm glad that this is simply a teaser poster and I'm VERY excited for the sequel to come out, but this is just a mess in a dress. I may not have to take the movie seriously to enjoy it, but this poster is an eyesore and not exactly something I'd ever want to hang on my wall. Back to the drawing board, boys.

2012: THE YEAR OF THE VIDEO GAME

2012-01-02T16:46:00.000-06:00

As part of BJ-C's personal list of resolutions for the New Year, I am going to be updating every single day for 2012. You heard me right. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. You may be saying to yourself "but, BJ-C, it's the 2nd, and you missed yesterday." Well, I spent my first of the year the same way the rest of you did, hungover. As far as I'm concerned, the new year doesn't start until the 2nd because we're all too dead to the world to function the day of the first. ANNNNNYWAY.

As a college student, I'm not ashamed to admit that I surely know my way around a video came controller. As much as I love horror films, I have gone on record before saying that horror video games scare me more than movies ever could. There's just something about the interaction that just makes my mind lose all sense of control. If 2011 was the year of the horror TV show, 2012 is destined to be the year of the video game.

If I ever needed another reason to invest in a 3DS, this is just putting the nail in the coffin. Ladies and Germs, the eighth installment of the Resident Evil franchise is coming to our fingertips...in 3-D. I don't know if you've had a chance to play a 3DS, but the visuals are brilliant and the graphics are clear as a whistle. I've been creeping on the previews for this game, and I'm mighty impressed. The game is beautiful. BEAUTIFUL. The game play looks very reminiscent of the fifth game and the creators have promised that Resident Evil: Revelations will have a return to the fear and puzzles of games past. I'm down. Also coming out this year is Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City which doesn't seem to have been generating nearly the same buzz as Revelations. This one will be released for XBOX 360, Playstation 3, and Windows, meaning it's not going to require an investment into a ridiculously expensive gameboy. The plot is from the perspective of a security service member of Umbrella corp and your job is to destroy evidence. A bit of a different play on the usual perspectives of the game, but I won't be waiting outside Gamestop at midnight for this one.

Resident Evil might be bringing us two game, but Silent Hill is bringing the bitch slappery by delivering THREE games. We'll figure out what the world would be like in a multiplayer setting with Book of Memories. A lot of people are really hesitant about it being a multiplayer game, but I'm weirdly excited about it. Horror games don't really work that well in a multiplayer setting, but I'm not going to write them off. Silent Hill is notorious for blowing my mind, so we shall see. Konami is finally giving Silent Hill 2 & 3 the HD treatment and they're given a hell of a facelift with The Remastered Collection. The one I'm really excited for is Silent Hill: Downpour. Goodbye fog, hello rain. Yes, please. I've gotten so used to the fog that I can predict where the monsters are coming from and it takes the fear factor out. It'll be a nice change of pace and the gameplay looks BEAUTIFUL.

Alright, Alan Wake is the shit. There, I said it. Alan Wake was beautiful, interesting, eerie, and a hell of a lot of fun. The game was seriously the Arrested Development of horror games. Don't know what you've got, 'til it's gone. Anyway, the creator obviously knows that despite sales, he's got a gem and we are lucky to have Alan Wake's American Nightmare. The game seems to take place in the nightmare version of Pee Wee's Playhouse. I say that in the sense where as Pee Wee's Playhouse was filled with talking and laughing objects, Alan Wake is overrun with objects of EEEEEVIIILLL. Birds, satellites, and even your own soul is an evil entity hell bent on destroying you. Grab your flannel, it's go time.

Have you ever seen a film that you thought to yourself "Yep. I could totally make sweet, sweet love to a video game". Well, that's how I feel about Lollipop Chainsaw. This game is seriously a giant wet dream for any fanboy or fangirl. You play Juliet Starling, a bad ass cheerleader from Sam Romero High school armed with a chainsaw and gymnastics skills. The game is filled with bright lights and giggling laughter to contrast the groaning zombies and blood splatters. Zombie jocks and undead faculty, and a bigger challenge, zombie rock lords. ZOMBIE. ROCK. LORDS. This game looks perfect.

Two other games I'm pretty stoked about are AMY and The Secret World. Amy is a survival-horror game where players escort a strange 8-year old autistic girl named Amy as they try to get her out of a city overrun with wild creatures and enemies. The player can control Lana, the woman escorting Amy, and protecting her. In the attempt to escape, they have to fight monsters, the military, and other crazed creatures. Extra points for Amy having supernatural abilities. The Secret World looks like what could very well be the start of the next franchise of horror video games. This game has been in production for what seems like forever. It's an MMO which means we could very well be looking at a game that could attempt to turn horror fans into the realm of WoW. The game is set in modern times but incorporates history (both real and fake), urban legends, ancient mythology, and extinct civilizations. I'm all for this game. I don't care if I have to become a hermit addicted to the computer in order to pl-oh wait.

AMERICAN HORROR STORY'S TATE LANGDON: THE REPLACEMENT FOR EDWARD CULLEN?

2011-12-22T11:39:00.000-06:00

This is my first and final warning. This article will contain mild spoilers about the show American Horror Story and it's intriguing character "Tate". I will do my very best not to spoil plot lines in the show, but I will be spoiling some of the despicable things that his character has committed over the course of this show. So please. If you don't want to know, don't continue reading this article. ~BJ-C

Last night wrapped up the first season of Ryan Murphy's newest addiction worthy show, American Horror Story. A few articles ago, I spoke very highly of the new series and marked it as the show that may have saved horror themed television series. The Golden Globe nominated series has been a thrill ride every week and deserves all of the praise it has been receiving. The character that seems to have taken the world by storm, however, is Evan Peters' portrayal of every teenager's heartthrob ghost, Tate. Now, I'll be honest with you when I say I was totally a Tate fan-girl at the beginning. Evan Peters is a total babe and his character was so evil and yet remarkably charming. He has the surfer hair with the "boy next door" looks encompassed by a sense of danger. Although a total bad ass, he's extremely romantic and seems to know exactly what to say at all the right moments. What girl under the age of 25 wouldn't be cast under his spell?

The relationship between Tate and living girl, Violet became the newest fictional couple to be "shipped" all over the internet and was given the name "Violate". If you just type "violate" or "tate langdon" on the tumblr search bar, you'll be bombarded with hundreds of thousands of images of the two that have been created by fans of the show. Okay, so he had a couple of selfless acts, he got her a flower, told her he loved her, and protected her a bit. That's really endearing and I will not take that away from him. He really did genuinely care about the girl and it was actually sort of nice to see a character trying so hard to make someone else happy. But...

This is a huge but here, let's be honest when I say this...he's a fucking psychopath. To quote the character directly "In 1994 I set my mom's boyfriend on fire and then I shot fifteen kids at Westfield High. I murdered the gay couple who lived here before you and I raped your wife". Wow. Let's add that up to the fact he's a compulsive liar, manipulative, let the demon in the basement tear apart a girl's face, almost killed a kid who had been there for one night because Violet made eyes at him, and talks shit to his mother? Wow. This is marriage material right here. Yet all it takes is for him to let the water works flow and to stammer out an "I love you" and girls everywhere are dropping their panties.

Are you fucking kidding me? This kid is a psychotic nut job and yet he just needs to pout his lips and suddenly all is forgiven. I have been doing a bit of trolling on the fandom message boards just to find out what the hell these girls are thinking, and the results are quite horrifying. "He’s twisted, he’s an imbecile for what he has done. But are we perfect? You are hiding yourself behind a grey face [this means posted anonymously]. I can easily say that you are a coward. I can say that I had my ”fucked up” boyfriends. And I haven’t said that “if treats me ok I’ll love him” No. I said that I love his way of loving Violet. There is difference." But are we perfect?! I'm sorry. I'm not perfect in the slightest but I'm also not running around raping my girlfriend's mother or shooting up the school. You can love someone as much as you want, but if you're a bad person...you're a bad person. No amount of compassion you show towards another person will ever change that. Oh! Oh! But he loves her sooo much and he protects her! Yeah, so does the police department, but I'm not writing fanfics about that, now am I?

"I think you can tell Tate has changed though, because he asks Gabe not to look at him when he was about to kill him, and he wasn’t killing him to hurt anyone, he was doing it to make Violet happy. Which is sick and twisted, but so adorable and cute. Idk man, I just hope that Violet in the next series gets to see the difference in Tate, and that her Dad tells her that he accepts what he has done." Wait, what? Does this girl realize that she's essentially saying that she would accept people like The Columbine Shooters, or The men who killed Matthew Shepard or I don't know, PEOPLE WHO RAPE THEIR GIRLFRIEND'S MOMS because "they've changed?" This is just demented. Sick. And. Demented.

I blame Edward Cullen for this. That god damn franchise made it okay for girls to "fall in love" with complete lunatics and society made it cool for women to worship the grounds of men who deserve prison time. At least Violet had the mind to leave his crazy ass, even in the afterlife.

/endrant.

THE HAMMER VAULT: MARCUS HEARN RELEASES THE THIRD HAMMER HORROR MASTERPIECE

2011-12-21T10:54:00.000-06:00

As a self professed book nerd with a penchant for one day transforming my living quarters into the poor man's horror version of Urban Outfitters, I LOVE coffee table books. Over the past few years, I've been privileged enough to get my carny sized hands on plenty of horror goodies, but absolutely NOTHING compares to the beauty and sophistication of Marcus Hearn's series of books centered around The Hammer Horror franchise. The first book, Hammer Glamour acted as a bit of an encyclopedia for the ladies of Hammer Horror films. The second book, The Art of Hammer was a portfolio of all of the iconic poster art throughout the years of Hammer films. Now we are presented with The Hammer Vault, 176 stunning pages of history surrounding the legacy of Hammer Horror films, then and now. We are given an inside view of some of our most cherished and favored films of yesteryear, as well as some little known favorites that may have left our brains. To say that this book is breathtaking is an understatement. I should expect no less from this series, but my God, this book is gorgeous.

This isn't to act as a definitive encyclopedia on Hammer Horror, but it was written by the official Hammer Films Historian, Marcus Hearn. This book showcases hundreds of posters, props, scripts, publicity materials, never-used poster art, photographs, letters, and production images from more than 80 films. Hearn includes historical text along with all of the images giving the reader a little insight to what the production was like on the film, and attempts to shed some light on the groundbreaking and memorable films. While many may not particularly enjoy hearing the trials and tribulations of how the production went, I find that information to be fascinating. We often overlook what goes on behind the camera, and having a better knowledge of the production can help us appreciate the final product so much more. If that doesn't sell you, maybe the pages from Peter Cushing's scrapbook will do the trick...

What I find myself most impressed by is the variety of the films included in the book. Hearn didn't focus primarily on the years of using Playboy models as their actresses, but they focused on the transgression of the company as a whole. Let Me In is even included as well as the Daniel Radcliffe starring remake of The Woman in Black. When I say that this book covers it all, I mean it. The book is truly a one of a kind gem and perfect for any horror lover. If you enjoy Hammer films, this book is a must have.

The book can be purchased on Amazon from Titan Books

by clicking this link.

BLACK CHRISTMAS: KEEPING THE FEAR DURING THE CHEERIEST TIME OF THE YEAR

2011-12-17T20:04:00.001-06:00

I'm definitely going out on a limb when I make this confession, but I didn't see the original Black Christmas until about three years ago. In my defense, I was only eighteen years old...and not Canadian. Black Christmas isn't exactly a film that is just sitting around suburban video rental stores screaming "WATCH ME!". I was only able to finally experience the film that ignited the flame of the horror movie fanatic's obsession with slasher films when I was given a copy of the DVD as a gift. As the holiday season begins to rear it's ugly, LED blinking head, Day of the Woman is going to shine a divine light on a film that often goes overlooked.

What first attracted me to the film was the simple, yet believable storyline. In typical horror fashion, the story is centered around some drunk and horny college kids disobeying Mom & Dad. Things are only a little strange when the kids start receiving calls from a deranged caller making graphic, sexually inappropriate statements. Now, what we tend to forget is that this film took place in the 1970's, a time when caller ID and *67 didn't exist. They were still using rotary phones for God's sake. Bart Simpson would have had a field day back in the 70's. Since there was no way for anyone to tell who was calling, it made it even more horrifying to discover the calls were coming from inside the house. Caller ID or not, knowing someone is in the house and screwing with you...is scarier than one would think.

Maybe it was just the filming styles of the 1970's, but the coloring of the film really added to the irk of it all. I mean that literally. Horror films in the 1970's didn't have these bright and vibrant CGI colorings the way horror films do now. It had a very bleak and depressing feel even when the scary moments weren't happening. Bob Clark used a hell of a lot of interesting camera angles including the "point of view" shot which allowed audiences to see the world from the view of the psychopath, and added an element of danger towards the unsuspecting victims. This concept was relatively new for slasher films and gave a claustrophobic feel. To put it simply, this film created some of the horror staples that are executed in all horror subgenres today.

The ballsiest move was perhaps having the film take place around the holiday season. When we think of films like Halloween, we expect to be scared. It's the night of monsters and ghouls, if we're not scared, we're not doing it right. However, Christmas is intended to be the polar opposite. We're supposed to be cheerful, and covered in snow, and opening presents, and getting drunk because our parents ridicule us over family dinners, and watching 24 hour marathons of Bob Clark's other film. We're not supposed to be hacked off one by one. Throwing the audience completely out of their comfort zone only added to horror the audience would sit through. This "fish out of water" concept helped pave the way for other slasher staples. Putting gruesome occurrences in seemingly happy environments (babysitting, summer camps, school dances etc. etc.) became the most demanded situations for slasher films, and Black Christmas is what started it all.

The most obvious of the slasher staple, is the female power shot. While Halloween and Nightmare on Elm Street may have brought us the "final girls", Black Christmas is gushing with feminist overtones. The film takes place in a sorority house and exposes the status struggle between sorority sisters. Each of the characters represent a different type of woman in the 1970's and the film showcases these women that were often seen as rebellious during their time. Olivia Hussey's portrayal of Jessica followed the VERY controversial topic of having an abortion. Showing a woman making such a strong decision based on what was right for her body was almost unheard of at the time. The undertones of Jessica's abortion along with religious subtexts dealing with abortion vs. immaculate conception could take an entire novel's worth of analysis, but make sure the next time you watch the film, you look out for it. Okay, okay. Moving on. Margot Kidder's Barbie, is the overtly sexual party girl that represented the women of the 1970's that were finally liberating themselves sexually and taking control of their sex life. Women were actually enjoying sex and enjoying it for themselves, rather than for male satisfaction only. Barbie was essentially one of the first "party girls" and she was one of the first female characters to be proud of her sexuality and paved the way for the horror archetype. Clare, the "powerslut" to say the least, was the first one to admit about her sexual conquests and also the first one to bite the dust. Thus ushering in the "sluts die first" rule that horror films have taken such a liking to. To contrast, Andrea Martin's Phyllis was the innocent intellectual who inspired much of the characteristics of the modern "final girl". Female archetypes in horror films are almost as prevalent as the racial archetypes and Black Christmas was one of the first films to blatantly expose them.

This is definitely a must-see for any horror fan, and is (in my opinion) the grandmother of the slasher subgenre. While it may get complaints for being a tad bit predictable (sans the twist ending), the film is only predictable because we've seen the format copied so many times before. This film is the root of the basis for a good percentage of the modern horror films that we know and cherish today. Instead of sitting through 24 hours of Bob Clark's most famed Christmas film, take a trip down memory lane and dig deep into the foundations of what makes a quality horror film.

...and if this isn't enough to convince you, John Saxon is in it. You're welcome.

100 GREATEST HORROR MOVIE QUOTES OF ALL TIME

2011-12-16T21:25:00.000-06:00

Since I had finals week, auditions, hell week, and driving home from University, I've totally neglected you.

BUT.

I found this and I'm giving it as a present to you.

For the purposes of the video, all intentionally funny quotes (like Bruce Campbell's Army of Darkness quips, or Chuckys various one-liners) have been left out. And yes, I know there is quite a few lines in the video that can be construed as humorous, but in my opinion all of these lines were never intended to be amusing, unlike say "Hail to the king baby". Oh, and these quotes are not ranked, nor is there any order or countdown.
-message from the creator

2011: THE YEAR HORROR WENT TO TELEVISION?

2011-11-28T11:46:00.000-06:00

As the changing seasonal winds begin to blow throughout my Midwestern campus, I find myself reflecting about the year 2011. As a proud survivor of TWO raptures and someone who managed to choose a school other than Penn State, I was lucky enough to ultimately deem this year as satisfying. While my personal life has been decently satisfying, I fear that the world of the horror genre may be signaling a drastic change. 2011 was undoubtedly the year of unoriginality. A whopping amount of the horror films that were released this year were sequels, remakes, reboots, or films heavily inspired by already beloved ones. Obviously there were some "little indie films that could", (Hobo with a Shotgun, anyone? Anyone? Bueller?) but as a whole, this year was a little more than lackluster for quality horror films. To contrast to this, television shows within the horror genre EXPLODED with creativity and entertaining themes.

Previously mentioned on this blog, Ryan Murphy's sensational hit American Horror Story has completely taken the horror television genre by the collar and threatened it for its lunch money. AHS is the combined effort of every staple within the genre and shaken all together like a bottle of glitter at a Ke$ha concert. As a horror fanatic (and I huge Ryan Murphy fangirl) I feel it is my duty as a genre fan to try and expose everyone I know to this masterpiece, and pray that it continues on to earn the viewership it deserves.

Back for its fourth season is everyone's favorite Vampire series, True Blood. I'll admit...I stopped watching the show halfway through the train wreck that was season three. My hopes were crushed and I found myself unable to pay attention any longer to the ridiculous storylines and unbelievable character arcs. A friend of mine is a complete and total diehard fan of the series and assured me that season four was more than making up for season three. Against my better judgement, I gave the show another chance. You know something, I'm so very glad that I did. Season four packs a hell of a punch and Anna Paquin is as cute as ever. Luckily for fangbangers everywhere, season four was powerful enough for HBO to renew the show for a fifth season to come out this summer.

Earlier this October, AMC finally brought back the most talked about show of 2010, The Walking Dead. Even after the very public firing of Frank Darabount, the season premiere, "What Lies Ahead" broke the record for the most watched cable drama in basic cable history, attaining 7.3 million viewers. Not too shabby for a season opener, eh? What excites me even more is that the episode was directed by Gwyneth Horder-Payton...A WOMAN. Holla. Anyway, TWD has been bringing in the audiences with record numbers and although hitting a bit of a low spot throughout the middle of the season, last nights' mid-finale (directed by another woman, Michelle MacLaren) more than made up for it. I am thirsting for it to be February just to find out how the rest of the season is going to go. Last night really hit me in the gut, but it's exactly the jump start the season needed. Is it a shock that the best two episodes of the season were directed by women? Not. One. Bit.

To put it bluntly, horror movies this year were less than stellar and horror television shows seem to be paving the way for genre fanatics everywhere. Horror filmmakers everywhere should take a page from the book of these shows. Remakes and sequels don't have to be the status quo, your audiences are THIRSTING for originality and characters they actually care about. Quit slacking off and relying on jump scares and CGI and focus on what they teach you the first day of film school...the storyline matters.

THINGS I'D RATHER DO THAN SEE THE NEWEST TWILIGHT MOVIE

2011-11-17T23:47:00.001-06:00

In a little less than an hour, twi-hards across the world will be shoveling their sparkly vampire loving bodies into movie theatres to sit through the latest installment of The Twatlight Saga. Now, I am obviously not going to be one of those individuals. Instead, I find myself writing a paper for class and allowing myself to be distracted by tumblr and wonderful conversation with Zach Shildwachter formally of Z For Zombies and currently a contributor to The Blood Sprayer and brains behind Awkward Creations. Since Zach and I are both self proclaimed rock stars and far too cool for Twatlight, we compiled a list of things we would much rather do than sit through that crap.

JUMP IN FRONT OF A TRAIN

STEP IN FRONT OF A BUS

PUKE MY GUTS OUT

STAB MY EYES OUT

EAT A LIVE ANIMAL

HANG MYSELF

BLEND A BABY

WATCH NASCAR

LAY ON A PUBLIC BATHROOM FLOOR

KISS AN OLD WOMAN

HAVE MY SKIN RIPPED OFF

BE EATEN ALIVE

SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUST

BE ATTACKED BY CATS

POUR ACID IN MY EYES

See, there you have it, a list of things that would totally be better than shelling out the money to see if a constipated teenager decides to go for necrophilia or inter-species erotica. I just saved you nine bucks.

Think you're cool? Try to guess all of the films featured above. Show off your horror gusto and leave your guesses in the comments section.

AMERICAN HORROR STORY: THE MOST ADDICTIVE SHOW ON TELEVISION

2011-11-11T13:44:00.001-06:00

I did an article for The Blood Sprayer eons ago in which I discussed how horror themed television series are often times some of the most poorly constructed shows on T.V. The horror genre is an acquired taste to start with and trying to implant the spooky sensations anytime other than Halloween is often under appreciated or watered down in hopes to appease the cable lineup. However, tv mogul Ryan Murphy has once again brought a series to light that has injected an addictive substance through my veins and driving me to the brink of insanity trying to figure out just what the hell is going on. I first found myself a "RIB" fangirl with his show Nip/Tuck. The captivating story lines and the fact he actually gave a shit about character development had me hooked from start to finish. As a theatre student, I'm also a total gleek and have followed the Glee series since the beginning. While the two shows are ridiculously different in structure and content, I will admit that I am obsessed with both of them. When it was announced that American Horror Story was going to be hitting homes across America, and penned by Ryan Murphy, I will admit I did quite the little fangirl dance. FINALLY, RIB back to his roots of Nip/Tuck with something edgy, sexy, scary, and crazy.

Let me be frank, here. What in the name of Hell have I gotten myself into? Jesus Fucking Christ, man. The show follows The Harmon family who moves into this gorgeous mansion for dirt cheap. Even with this economy, any good horror fanatic knows that is just SCREAMING that it's haunted, a murder site, plagued with death, near bad neighbors, or there's something living underneath it. Despite it all, the Harmon's purchase the house using it as a home and also as an office for Ben, the patriarch of the family to use for his psychiatric appointments. The family is trying to get a new lease on life after Ben was caught bonking a young girl by his wife. The Harmon family consists of Ben, his wife Vivien, and their daughter Violet. Immediately upon moving into the home, strange things start to happen and they are visited by their peculiar neighbor, Constance. Now, let me stress the word "peculiar" In the world of this show, many of the characters are left ambiguous as to whether they are dead or alive. Constance is one of these characters.

There isn't much known about the house other than the fact there were some really strange events that took place on its grounds, and it seems that anyone who dies on the property is stuck there forever. Well, that, and there's some crazy shit living in the basement. Quite possibly the scariest thing about this show, is that many of the ghosts don't appear to be ghosts at all. They don't float, they aren't transparent, and you can interact with them the same way you could interact with any of the living. Leaving the viewer in complete confusion as to which characters are actually alive. Wise move, Murphy. This isn't to say that there aren't plenty of ghosties that are very obviously, well, dead. There are plenty of people haunting the property that are rotting, decaying, bleeding, ripped apart, or demonic in appearance. Murphy has found a fantastic balance of gore as well as story. All of the gore has its purpose and it never once feels too over zealous.

The show manages to pay homage to plenty of horror staples both from the cinematic world as well as the real world. There are scenes inspired by things ranging from Psycho, SAW, Candyman, Rosemary's Baby, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and a more obvious reference to the Columbine tragedy. Many people seem to be complaining about the obvious shot-for-shot references to things we're already familiar with, but I always find it as a sweet surprise and a clever way to remind the horror fans that the writers are developing this show with us in mind.

It's the character development that is easily the most redeeming factor of the show. Like I said before, most horror television series have a tendency to suffer from a lack of good storyline and likable characters. While Jessica Lange shines as Constance and the rest of the adult cast give absolutely compelling performances, it is in Evan Peters' portrayal as Tate Langdon that seems to have overtaken AHS fans by the throat. Who would have thought the kid screaming "I think I'm in love with her dude" about Hit-Girl from Kick-Ass would transcend into such a heartwarmingly horrifying character. If there's one thing I will never deny Ryan Murphy, it's that he creates some damn interesting characters. Without giving too much away, Tate has the qualities of a person that would be universally hated and disgusted...and yet it's next to impossible not to love everything about him. To quote Tate himself, "How sick is that?". The relationship that he has spawned with Violet Harmon is one of the most realistic relationships I've seen on television in a very long time, and the twist to it is heartbreaking to say the least. I won't tell you what the twist is, you'll have to watch for yourself.

All and all, this is a damn good show. If you like anything remotely close to anything even accidentally resembling horror, you need to be watching this.

Special thanks to

ahorrorstory.tumblr.com

for posting all of these images,

and helping support my habit.

BJ-C RETURNS TO THE BLOOD SPRAYER!

2011-11-09T18:51:00.000-06:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM DAY OF THE WOMAN

2011-10-31T14:07:00.000-05:00

peace, love, and braaaaains

~bj-c

BJ-C'S HALLOWEEN PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

2011-10-27T01:04:00.000-05:00

POST 666: THE DEVIL THAT WALKS AMONG US-A LIFELONG LOVE AFFAIR WITH MICHAEL MYERS

2011-10-25T22:36:00.000-05:00

Six more days til Halloween, Halloween, Halloween. Six more days til Halloween, SILVER SHAMROCK! Today embarks on a cliche horror day, as this will be the six hundred and sixty sixth post on Day of the Woman. Rather than go the predictable route and write about something religious (since I've already covered it), I chose a more personal topic: The devil that walks among us. Michael Myers is hands down my favorite of the main slashers. Despite the recent reboot of the franchise, my heart has always remained in the sleepy town of Haddonfield, Illinois. As the holiday of his namesake peeks its head around the hedges, it's only fitting that I finally fess up and admit my love for the Shatner faced shape.

My earliest recollection embarking the emotionless maniac was after my fifth Halloween, the first trick or treating experience I can consciously remember. I had spent the evening running around the neighborhood dressed as the Wicked Witch of the West and cackling at children in the street. Even as a kindergartner, I was a big crusader for remaining in character. After the night was overtaken with hooligans intent on smashing pumpkins and stealing children from unsupervised toddlers, I managed my way back into the front door with my pillowcase filled with sugar dragging behind me. The living room was dim and my mother sat with a wine glass in hand with her face glued to the television. Exhausted, my dad picked up my (at the time) two year old sister and retired for the remainder of the night. I poured out my conquests into the middle of the living room and began organizing the horde (something I would do every year following). After the chocolates were separated from the sour, my mother extended a makeup remover wipe to me and simply said "Come here, I want to show you something".

I climbed on top of the couch and snuggled into my mother's embrace. The film began to roll, and I don't think I blinked the entire duration of the film. It was as if some sort of supernatural force had taken a hold of my psyche and forced my eyes wide A Clockwork Orange style without any contraption to hold them open. I sat on the couch paralyzed and my mother just looked down at me and said "So, what'd you think?" I turned to look back up at her and at full conviction exclaimed "THAT WAS THE COOLEST MOVIE I'VE EVER SEEN!"

Years would go by and my infatuation with The Shape grew to an almost unhealthy level. I found myself renting the films as much as humanly possible and shutting down my entire evening if AMC were to play it on television. There was an instance one Halloween where a teenager wore a Michael Myers costume and just stood silently in the middle of the street. I couldn't walk down the block if I saw him there. For as scared as I was, I couldn't help but hope that I'd see him at the end of the road whenever I turned a corner.

Maybe it is the preference he has for murdering people in the comfort of their own home, or the fact he shows absolutely no signs of struggle or weakness while he does it. Michael is the embodiment of pure evil and he makes it his goal to assure that you're aware of it. He doesn't need one-liners or a slew of imaginative means of torture to destroy his victims. He slashes, and he dashes...and yet makes sure his victims feel every single second slip away. He's not just a serial killer, he's a cruel personification of malevolence. To top it all off...he can't die. It doesn't matter what anyone does to him, he can not die. If anything, that's the scariest part of him all. Michael Myers is the epitome of a horror icon and has been a staple in my little horror pumping heart. Here's to you, Michael Myers for your successful career causing nightmares, surviving any and every challenger, and making a name for yourself as the perfect example of a Halloween slasher.

THIS WILL BE MY FUTURE HOME

2011-10-23T16:37:00.001-05:00

I LOVE LMFAO
there, I said it.
Sue me.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD HORROR MOVIE?

2011-10-19T21:15:00.000-05:00

A number of horror movies have been released as of late to panned reviews from critics and low box office numbers. It has been suggested that mainstream horror has lost its way and it seems as if we're only another remake away from destroying any cinematic credibility we once had. This is focusing solely on mainstream horror for simplicity's sake. If I were to open the can of worms and include indie/underground films/films with limited releases, we'd be splitting hairs. Regardless, mainstream horror has been perpetually insulting not only genre fans, but audiences for far too long and it's gotten a little out of control. So, I pose this question-what makes a good horror movie? We sit here and talk about how horror films are going downhill, and yet we aren't making any arguments as to how to fix something. If you are going to complain about a problem, make sure you have an answer to fix the dilemma. With help from those that gave input through the Day of the Woman facebook page, here's a base on what it is that makes a good horror film.

ATMOSPHERE

Within five minutes of posing the question on facebook, I was overwhelmed with requests that a good horror film contain "atmosphere". When a horror film rests on the instant gratification of a jump scare, it doesn't allow the audience member to slip themselves into the world of the film. Bertolt Brecht made a name for himself creating performances that were made specifically to distance the audience from what was on stage. While this practice may work for certain art forms, horror films are not one of them. If you want a horror film to truly invade the consciousness of an audience and show its strength through standing hairs and goosebumps, the atmosphere is going to play a pivotal role in the success of creating fear.

PLOT

One of the main attributes that horror films appear to be omitting is a strong plot. It appears that most horror films are being created with the sole purpose to shock or frighten, and the storyline holding the film together seems to receive the least amount of focus. While a killer, monster, madman, or event can be terrifying, it will be hindered dramatically if there isn't a plot to support the actions. Thanks to M. Night Shyamalan, horror films have also been placing a greater emphasis on developing an impacting ending, rather than a concise vision throughout the entire duration. This is leaving the audience without a feeling of fulfillment and irritation caused by the holes left behind.

ACTORS THAT CAN ACT

As a student finishing up a degree in theatre performance, there is nothing more disappointing than sitting through a horror film and knowing an actor/actress was cast purely on their appearance or their reputation rather than their talent. Horror films are notorious for giving many well known performers their "big break" or their first chance at a feature film, and yet it has only been as of late that we've been seeing more and more people pop up in horror films that shouldn't have ever made it past an audition reel. We've focused so much of our energy into their physical appearance which only works in the realm of one-sheets and promotional material. If you want a successful film, you need talented performers. I hate to say it, but sometimes...people really are just a pretty face.

SCORE

Underscoring has been proven to either make or break an experience. The sounds of screaming violins and breathing in the darkness have haunted the nightmares of movie goers for as long as sound has been implemented into film. The score of a horror film is one of the most fundamental components of a production and yet one of the most overlooked. Mainstream horror films have seemed to make it their goal to incorporate popular music into their scenes in order to create a more identifiable experience for audience members seeing it directly after the release, but that unfortunately goes out the window once the film is no longer the flavor of the week. There have been far too many instances in which I've watched a mainstream film from the 1990's and was completely thrown off by the music choices. However, the score for a film like Suspiria or Psycho will remain timeless and will continue to frighten audiences regardless of generation.

PACING

If I have to be the one to say it, I will. Horror films today are moving far too fast. There's a popular theory that drama moves slowly, comedy moves quickly, and horror movies slowly but finishes quickly. Insert "that's what she said" jokes as you please. We has humans have been forced into this hustle and bustle way of life and our horror films have begun to follow suit. If anything, we need to slow the films down if only to contrast to the way that we function. If we slow the films down, it will help to create an unusual experience for the audience as it will be a way of moving that we aren't used to. Filmmakers are often times unsure on how to pace a film and then the payoff hasn't been worth the ride. You have to pace yourself with everything in this world, (running, relationships, sex, eating) and this includes films.

A BALANCE OF BLOOD AND GORE

For the love of all things holy, can we PLEASE stop making films with gore for gore's sake? Seriously. Just because a filmmaker decides to blow half of the budget on buckets of blood or gets a little trigger happy with CGI, that doesn't mean a good horror film is going to come from it. Eli Roth and the SAW franchise are perfect examples of how concentrating too hard on gore can cause the overall film quality to suffer. Seriously. I'll take a bloodless film over a sixty-five person human centipede any day.

BELIEVABILITY

Now, listen to me with care when I say that believability doesn't necessarily mean realistic. Many classic horror films with fantastic (meaning fantasy, not "cool") aspects of the world around that are still able to remain believable are frequently the films that appear to be the most chilling. If an audience member is equipped with the tools to subject themselves to the world of the film, the experience will then become all the more horrifying. If the film isn't believable, the audience member will no longer be able to relate to the situation at hand, and therefore will more than likely find a way to avoid the intended fear.

NOTE: I am in no way all knowing, this is purely opinion based. Feel free to add your suggestions in the comment section of this article

Grzegorz Domaradzki's Night of the Living Dead

2011-10-12T13:11:00.000-05:00

For the past six months, Grzegorz Domaradzki has been slaving away at creating one of the most breathtaking images paying homage to George A. Romero's masterpiece.

Limited to only 250 prints, this original screen print can be yours if your heart so desires it.

Maybe you're not big on color, he also has a silver/glow-in-the-dark variant that is limited to only 100 prints.

If you're interested, you can purchase this beautifully crafted poster by visiting:

Color Version: http://www.shopkrypton.com/product/night-of-the-living-dead

Silver/Glow Version: http://www.shopkrypton.com/product/notld-b-w-glow-variant

As a special bonus, if you type in

"DAYOFWOMAN"

upon check-out,

you will receive 15% off!

BJ-C'S BIGGEST HORROR GUILTY PLEASURES

2011-10-10T15:28:00.000-05:00

The always fabulous Christine Hadden over at Fascination With Fear is spending her October putting her compulsive list-making to good use. Every day in October, she's putting up a list. Seriously. Every. Freaking. Day. Welp, yesterday she posted a list dedicated to nine of her biggest guilty pleasures. She's inspired me to analyze my own guilty pleasures, and I'm going to pass the savings on to you! Without further ado, here's my personal list of my biggest guilty pleasures.

THE HAPPENING

The movie with killer plants, the movie where Mark E. Mark talks to a fake tree, the movie where Zooey Deschanel does nothing but STARE for 2 hours ~~wait, that's every thing she's ever done~~, and the movie that put the nail in the coffin on M. Night Shamalahymen's credibility. On paper, this is quite possibly one of the worst films of the last ten years. The premise had so much promise, but the ill-timed comic relief, poor casting choices, and misguided vision of the director bit everyone involved in the ass. It just didn't work. Well, for most people. I happen to find this film hilarious and I could watch it all day, every day if only to watch Abigail Breslin's less talented brother try to go gangster on a door. Sue me. I like what I like and I like this movie.

MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE

So, remember that time Stephen King tried to direct the film version of one of his films and made the soundtrack comprised of nothing but AC/DC music and gave the guy from Mighty Ducks a huge romantic/heroic lead role? Yeah...me too. This film is ridiculous, pure and utter chaos, and I can't get enough of it. I mean, THERE'S A VENDING MACHINE THAT TRIES TO KILL YOU! How can you not get behind a film like that? Oh yeah, because the voice of Lisa Simpson spends 90% of the film screaming "Curtis" while wearing an outfit she stole from Blossom's closet.

BRUISER

You know what? I don't care that George A. Romero tried to make films that weren't about zombies. I freaking love this film. I love it so much, I wrote a love letter to the protagonist for Romero Week over at Freddy In Space. Get off me, I like it.

RAWHEAD REX

Clive Barker characters are usually very hit or miss for most people. The general consensus seems to be that Rawhead Rex was a miss. A pagan God gets a little cranky and destroys everything in its path, and it looks...like that. There's ridiculous gore. It's Irish. I like the accents. Deal with it.

MONSTER MAN

What could possibly be worse than waking up in the middle of a sexual fantasy only to find out you're actually eating out the wound of road kill? Nothing, except the fact that I proudly own this monstrosity on DVD. I guess this is cheating considered I have a hell of a lot of sentimental value tied to this film. This film is ridiculous in every sense of the word, and the music sounds like something left over from a failed Disney Channel series. Despite all of its glaring issues, I could watch this film anytime, anywhere.

Okay, I'm going to cut myself off at 5 before I destroy any more of my credibility.

Peace, Love, & Brains <3

CTHULHU SHIRTS, COSTUMES, AND VLOGGING, OH MY!

2011-10-07T15:28:00.000-05:00

CAESAR AND OTTO'S SUMMER CAMP MASSACRE IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE

2011-10-06T15:12:00.000-05:00

It was nearly two years ago when I first introduced Day of the Woman readers to the gospel of Caesar and Otto brought to you by Fourth Horizon Cinema and the mind of Dave Campfield. This B-Movie to end all B-Movies has since spawned its own youtube channel and quite a stir amongst cult horror fans everywhere. Not only was this film the return of Felissa Rose in another summer camp film, but it also delivered us a hilarious look at the acting/directing chops of Dave Campfield. I am now pleased to announce that Caesar and Otto's Summer Camp Massacre can now be yours! You too can enjoy the blood and fun by purchasing your own copy of the DVD, which is now available on both the film's official website, and Amazon. If you're into silly horror films with absurd situations and buddy-style tag team friendships, then this is the film for you.

IF YOU LIKED YOU'LL LOVE

2011-10-05T20:18:00.000-05:00

Now that Halloween has been peeking its little head around the corner, it's also become the time where I find myself bombarded with friends asking for movie recommendations for the frightful nights to come. If I'm being completely honest, I've discovered something ridiculous. My friends are cowards. Seriously! Instead of trusting my judgement and recommendations, I'm stuck listening to "Well...I really liked ________ do you know anything like that?" Most of the ________ films are usually some mainstream garbage cranked out by Anchor Bay and I am left shaking my head and trying to plead with them to watch something else. So now...I present you SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

If you liked PROM NIGHT, you'll love THE LOVED ONES

I still haven't been able to wrap my finger around it, but there's an overwhelming amount of the collegiate population that found themselves scared by the remake of Prom Night. Apparently, they can easily identify with how teenagers treat Senior Prom like some monumental event in their lives that they believe will actually matter in ten years. Oh well. Australians have been really picking up their game when it comes to horror, and they further proved it in 2009 with The Loved Ones. While not as much of a party filled prom as the Brittany Snow edition, this film shows what happens when you turn down an invitation from the quiet girl at school. Spoiler Alert: Don't decline invitations from the quiet girls at school. They don't take it well...

If you liked TWILIGHT, you'll love NEAR DARK

Okay, I'm sort of stretching it on this one considering most Twi-hards have some sort of brain damage. If I'm going to rat on how much Twatlight blows, I should at least be able to combat their obsession with a proper horror equivalent. Near Dark is exactly what Twilight would be if Stephenie Meyer understood vampire folklore, wasn't Mormon, and had the talent to write a decent storyline. A vampire love story of epic proportions, this film is jam packed with fabulous one-liners, vampires BURNING in the sunlight, and a test to see how far someone is willing to go for love.

If you liked THE RING, you'll love A TALE OF TWO SISTERS

I don't know why, but Americans really have some sort of issue with creepy dark haired women. While vastly different from The Ring, this South Korean import deals with tragic deaths within a family and the horrifying events that take place shortly after. The film has beautiful imagery, some unsettling nightmare scenes, and a pretty decent amount of spookiness paired with an eerily wonderful score. Seriously, trust me on this one.

If you liked CABIN FEVER, you'll love SPLINTER

Eli Roth did to shaving your legs what JAWS did to swimming in the ocean. I see his flesh eating bacteria and raise him a "Thing-esque" plague. Overlooked gross-out film Splinter has moments that genuinely made me squeal out of my seat. Ladies and Germs, that doesn't happen very often. Without spoiling it, there is one in particular that got an audible reaction out of me. Watch it, and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.

If you liked SAW, you'll love DREAD

Okay, there's no madman hell-bent on teaching lessons and there's no unnecessary gore. The torture in this film is far more cruel than anything Jigsaw could concoct. Think of what you're most afraid of. I mean, really REALLY afraid of. Now think about someone using that against you to the nth degree for no other reason than to ruin your life. Add that to the uber sexy Jason Rathbone, and you've got yourself a movie.

Like these lists? Let me know and I'll be sure to create more of them for you. Comment with suggestions and I'll be sure to crank out more through the month of October!

GPOY

2011-10-04T19:50:00.000-05:00

For all of you n00bs out there, GPOY stands for "gratuitous picture of yourself". In tumblr world, you put GPOY under anything that remotely reminds you of yourself. For example, if I saw a picture of a small rodent shoving acorns into its cheeks while I was shoveling Ben & Jerry's Schweddy Balls into my mouth, I would reblog the photo and tag it "GPOY". It also can be used literally, when you post an actual picture of yourself. Why the hell am I rambling on about this? Because I want you to be my friend on tumblr! I've had a couple of people ask if I have one, and I do!

Follow me on tumblr!

On another note, one of my professors was selling his collection of nearly 2000 titles for only $4.50 a pop. Needless to say, I scooped up some of the good ones. He had a ton more that I would love to add to my collection, but these four seemed like a necessity. Don't shoot me, but I really didn't own my own copy of any of these films. Now that I have them, I am a much much happier person.

THINGS I LOVE ABOUT HALLOWEEN!

2011-10-03T15:36:00.000-05:00

Oh darlings, hello. I've been away from a computer for a while and have been surviving off of mobile devices for a bit. Long story short, I'm back. As October has reared its beautiful little noggin, it's time to bring back an old favorite. Image lists! A while ago I would post "things I like to do" and use an image from a horror movie to describe it. I'm going to (attempt to) post every day for the rest of October just to keep everyone in the festive mood. I once posted a video blog about the things I hated about Halloween, and it was so well received, I made a sequel to it. To combat those video blogs, I would like to present to you an image list of the things I LOVE about Halloween.

THE FACT SHOVELING MY FACE WITH CANDY WILL BE SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE

DOGS IN COSTUMES

SCARING THE CRAP OUT OF MY BABY SISTER

PUTTING ON COSTUME MAKEUP

THE FREAKS THAT COME OUT AT NIGHT

NIGHTMARES

SEEING THE EXORCIST PLAYED ABOUT A HUNDRED AND SIXTY SEVEN TIMES

HAUNTED HOUSES

COSTUME PARTIES

JACK-O-LANTERNS

THE RETURN OF THE WALKING DEAD!!!

SCRE4M COMING TO DVD & BLU-RAY ON OCTOBER 4TH

2011-09-28T11:08:00.001-05:00

As someone who has gone on record more than a few times to express resentment towards this series, I was actually quite pleased with the fourth installment of the franchise. While the 2nd and 3rd installments left little to be excited over, the fourth one seemed to reach back into its roots and completely revitalized the series. I had already seen the movie when this DVD arrived in my mailbox, so this will not be a film review. However, there are some pretty neat special features that come along with the DVD that deserve mention. Included:

The Making of Scream 4 featurette
Alternate Opening
Extended Ending
Deleted and Extended Scenes
The Gag Reel

The Gag Reel is everything you could expect in a Gag Reel and the Alternate Opening/Extended Endings weren't bad by any means. Depending on my mood, I could actually prefer the alternate opening. For a fan of the series, it's definitely a must have. I'd give a bit more opinion on the rest of the extras, but I'm not one for spoilers ;)

Scream 4 will be available on DVD and as a Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack on October 4th, 2011 – just in time for Halloween! You can click here to pre-order it on Amazon.com. More information about the film is available on Scream-4.com

THE HUMAN CEPTIPEDE (FULL SEQUENCE) TRAILER SEEMS...MEH.

2011-09-19T11:20:00.000-05:00

Unless you've been living under a rock for the last couple of years, you've heard SOMETHING about The Human Centipede. The Human Centipede was a "shocking" look at what happens when a doctor obsessed with the idea of centipede people decides to connect three unsuspecting people through their gastric tracts. You know...ass to mouth. Promising to be one of the grossest and shocking films of the decade, we were given a film with minor gross outs, a strong leading character, and nothing more than a couple of decent scenes. Sorry, but I was a little disappointed by the first film. I was promised horror so gross I would vomit, and I didn't. I didn't even cringe. The most graphic scenes of the entire movie were leaked months in advance and it left absolutely nothing else redeeming for the film. Hell, I've seen more graphic episodes of Law & Order: SVU. I mean, if Matt Stone and Trey Parker can parody your film and make it more entertaining...there's a problem. I digress...

Tom Six, apparently a little butt hurt from critics like myself, decided to step up his game and make a sequel. Instead of having three people connected...he's connecting twelve. While this sounds "oh-so disgusting", I think this idea is going to have the same effect as watching a twelve person porno. It's a really good idea on paper, but when you try to execute it, it's nothing more than a bunch of squirming bodies and obnoxious screaming. Nothing satisfying will come out of this. At all. Instead of continuing with the storyline from the original (whatever story surgically attaching people ass to mouth possesses) we are given a brand new villain. Resembling something like "gluttony" from Se7en, Martin is a young man utterly obsessed with the film of The Human Centipede. A self-aware sequel? Oh joy. He's so obsessed, he's decided to make a centipede of his own. Hm. Well. That's one way to continue the concept.

All I'm saying is that I think this is going to be pretty pointless. Maybe they'll change my mind and I'll puke or something. I'm just not going to hold my breath. Watch the trailer for yourself, make your own opinion.

THE HOUR OF TWATLIGHT IS UPON US

2011-09-12T11:40:00.000-05:00

DAY OF THE WOMAN PRESENTS: THE SEXIEST ZOMBIE WOMEN

2011-09-07T14:53:00.000-05:00

It was nearly two and a half years ago when Day of the Woman unveiled the most visited list on this blog. Now that years have gone by, there has been an outbreak (no pun intended) of zombie films, books, genre obsessions, and adaptations. When we think of a zombie, the easiest image is that of a rotting male corpse with a jaw missing and skin melting off of the bones. Female zombies, are of a breed entirely their own. For some reason or another, regardless of the decrepit stage, female zombies have always managed to withhold even the slightest bit of sex appeal. Leave it to a woman to find a way to manage to make a brain hungry savage somewhat attractive. While the first list was simply the "top zombie women", this list is of a bit of a different caliber. While little Karen Cooper may have been the top female zombie, calling a child "sexy" is just a little too gross. These women are the zombies that manage to keep your blood flowing even while they're stumbling after you. These are the women that can instill both a nightmare, and a gloriously realistic fantasy. Ladies and Germs, I now submit for your approval, the sexiest zombie women in horror.

BLONDE ZOMBIE from DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978)

The infamous blonde ghoul terrorizing the mall in George A. Romero's masterpiece Dawn of the Dead was played by Jeannie Jefferies. Not only is she credited as being the girl who attacked Roger, but she was also one of Savini's make-up girls on set. Not too shabby as far as zombie credentials go, eh?

#9 from LAND OF THE DEAD

Albeit the jaw falling completely off of her face, Jennifer Baxter as #9 in Land of the Dead is pretty cute. Maybe it's her tattered "beach wave" hair, or her always curious expression, or the tomboy feel you get when she's running around with the baseball bat...but she's so cute. I mean, I guess you'd have to be in order to hang out with the likes of Big Daddy. I will say this, google her without the zombie makeup. Goodness Gracious, she's a total babe.

THE WOMEN from THE ZOMBIE WOMEN OF SATAN

The U.K. really caused quite the stir in the loins of horror geeks everywhere with this little indie film. Let's just say that gore wasn't the only thing gratuitous about this film. There are so many boobs in this film you'd think you were watching HBO after hours. The film itself is trying ridiculously too hard to impress, but this list isn't about quality films...it's about sexy zombie women. I commend this film not only for having half naked women covered in blood, but for also having CURVY women. Most film producers wouldn't dare have someone naked that isn't a size two, so I commend the filmmakers for showing that zombie or not, curvy women have got it going on.

NAKED ZOMBIE from NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD

Although we never see much of her other than from behind, this woman managed to take a walk on role and turn it into one of the most iconic images from the granddaddy of all things zombie. This famous booty has plastered itself on VHS and DVD covers, collage posters, and even tattoos of the most diehard fans. Eat your heart out, Kim Kardashian.

MONA HARRISON from ZOMBIES OF MORA TAU

Before Romero completely changed the zombie film as we know it, the film industry was cranking out zombie films left and right. Wearing quite possibly the greatest push-up bra in the history of film, the fifty foot woman herself, Allison Hayes, was one of the most classically beautiful zombies to ever grace the screen. So she isn't falling apart at the seams and isn't trying to eat anyone, so what? She's still a zombie. A sexy, sexy zombie.

TAMMY from FIDO

Thanks to the quick acting Zom-Com, Tammy is quite possibly the most composed of all of the zombies in the film Fido. One of the few that sports an outfit that doesn't resemble that of a garbage man, Tammy is kept less as a servant, and more as a companion. What she is accompanying is up for debate. Tammy is played by the angelic Sonja Bennett.

THE LIVING DEAD GIRLZ

If the Pussycat Dolls and George A. Romero had a baby, it would probably resemble something like Amber Steele and The Living Dead Girlz. These girls aren't just sexy, they're also talented. With choreographed dance routines set with horrifying backgrounds, The Living Dead Girlz are a horror geek's ultimate fantasy. If you're ever around San Fransico, CA...try to track them down and catch a performance.

JENNA JAMESON from ZOMBIE STRIPPERS

Seriously? This needs a description? While Jenna Jameson's best acting contributions to the world were done lying on her back, she managed to get cozy with Robert Englund in genre guilty pleasure Zombie Strippers. This film was nothing more than a role she was born to play, and horror fanatics around the globe are eternally grateful for it.

TRASH from RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD

And on the third day, God said "Let There Be Linnea Quigley". Am I going to get crap for not saving her for last? Yes. Do I care? no. Linnea Quigley's performance as Trash in ROTLD is quite possibly the zombie female performance to end all zombie female performances. She was mouthy, scary, sexy, and horror fans couldn't get enough of her. She could very well be responsible for setting an entire generation of horror geeks through puberty, and I don't think there's a single person out there who would complain about it. She was the first, she's one of the best, and she's easily the inspiration for most of (if not the entire) sexy zombie movement.

JULIE WALKER from RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD III

Trash may have been the original sexy zombie, but Melinda Clarke's portrayal of Julie Walker in ROTLD3 is easily the Holy Grail. A combination of sex, undead, metal, and prowess, Julie Walker is easily the end all be all of all things sexy zombie. She's easily the only redeeming quality about the film, and her sex appeal has made quite the splash in the libidos of horror fans the world over.

Can't get enough undead women? Apparently the zombies in the new video game Dead Island are pretty sexy and they've composed a list of the seven sexiest zombies from the game over HERE.

TERRIBLE POSTER TUESDAY: FRIGHT NIGHT (2011)

2011-09-06T20:50:00.000-05:00

Don't adjust your monitors, you are seeing perfectly fine. This is another edition of Day of the Woman's beloved TERRIBLE POSTER TUESDAY!! I haven't done a TPT in a long while, moreso because I haven't had the time to really dig deep and find a poster shiteous enough for a bashing. I've been holding off on this one for a while because I didn't want to hop on the OMG REMAKES SUCK!!!!1!!ONEONE!!!1! bandwagon. HOWEVER, I think that enough time has passed as to where I can deliver a famous BJ-C style rant about the poster that bastardized a film I love so dearly.

First of all, you can't have Fright Night without the vampire teeth behind the house. I'm just going to say that now. That image is so ridiculously iconic, that it needs to have been there. If they weren't going to try to replicate that poster, they should have created one that was nowhere NEAR similar to the original. This one has a face in the background in front of some houses. Modern twist, yes, but a little too far from the original. They should have gone for something completely different, because now they've put us in a position where it's next to impossible NOT to compare it to the original one. It's too similar not to be compared, but too different to be appreciated.

Second, CAN WE PLEASE STOP WITH THE RED CULLEN EYE CONTACTS. Holy mother of Lovecraft, I'm so tired of films playing with the red/gold contact obsession of the Twatlight franchise and slapping them on everything vampire that has come since. Just because you throw a pair of contacts and some fangs on a person, does NOT make them a vampire. With that in mind, if you're going to throw contacts on someone, at least take the promotional picture with the contacts in instead of photoshopping the color onto his eyes. While you're at it, get rid of the shine off of his face. It looks as if Jerry Dandridge 2.0 has been wearing far too much makeup to make him look pale.

I'm not even going to touch on the sunrise neighborhood. It's too easy. The houses are on repeat. Enough said.

I'll finish off this rant by whining about posters the way I always do. This is just another prime example of how art is slowly dying. There are beautiful posters that will forever remain in memories and books rather than on billboards because we're too obsessed with cranking out over shopped works of garbage. Le Sigh. Can someone please redeem themselves soon?

EXPOSING FRIENDS TO HORROR FILMS: THE ART OF MAKING CHRISTMAS GIFT GIVING FEEL LIKE A CHUMP

2011-09-04T19:55:00.000-05:00

One of the worst parts about the dreaded summer vacation away from college life is the fact that I'm stuck at home living with my parents again. An even worse aspect about leaving college life is no longer having someone with hours to sit around and do absolutely nothing with. While exposing my mother and my sister's comrades to horror films once in a blue moon helps me get my rocks off, spending weekends in the living room of my dearest companions with instant-watch Netflix holds the undisputed crown of joy in my life. Thanks to the holiday laws of 'Merican state schools, my university is on a three day weekend. Instead of solely spending my free weekend in an alcohol induced coma (if you follow me on twitter, you'll know that I save that for the evenings) most of my hours have been spent in front of a television screen. In the past 36 hours, we've been witness to Trick 'R Treat, Lake Mungo, Daybreakers, Ghostbusters, Poltergeist, Little Shop of Horrors, and The Exorcist. It's up for debate whether or not some of these are "horror" movies, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm finally reuinted with people who share the same lust for horror as I do.

The first film was put on out of pure curiosity by my friends, although there were a few who had their doubts based on the cover. It brought me great pleasure to witness their faces light-up at lines like "Charlie Brown's an asshole!", and watch them jump and down in delight when the stories all began to intertwine. And yes, as college kids, we all get quite the kick out of the werewolf transition scenes. It was nice to see the skeptics turn into believers, and the die-hard fans looked as though I had dropped the Holy Grail in their laps. It's not very often that I've seen a film have such an overwhelming effect on those I've exposed it to, and it makes me feel like I'm watching my children ride a bike with two wheels for the first time.

As the afternoon brought a thunderstorm that shook the windows and cooled the air, they requested a film that would make their skin crawl. I felt that their appetite could only be suppressed with Australian paranormal nightmares. As the storm grew quieter, the only sounds that could be heard was the light flicking of nervous fingernail biting and cell phone buttons being tapped purely out of distraction from their fears. The strangest thing, was how you could feel the frightened energy bouncing around the room as people spent half their time staring at the television screen in disbelief, and the other half of their time scanning the room from some sort of distraction to help ease their fears into submission. The credits rolled, the big "twist" was revealed and there was...silence. I presumed at first that the silence was due to the awe of how they all missed the reveal from the beginning, but the silence was directly inspired by fear. It was at this point that my friend exclaimed "I'm really, really creeped out right now". Which was shortly follwed by another friend claiming "I really need to go to the bathroom, but I'm way too scared to go". I firmly believe that a film has truly done its job if it has scared you enough to make peeing your pants seem like a better option than closing a door.

Little Shop and The Exorcist are a bit of a blur (thanks to special rootbeer floats and whipped cream flavored vodka), but I can say that watching the latter long after the possibility of passing a field sobriety test was a new experience. I don't think I've ever noticed how much Father Karras looks like the poor man's Sly Stallone until last night. Just Sayin'. Anyway...after sleeping and consuming a ridiculous amount of greasy food, things resumed with a classic view of Ghostbusters. Bill Fucking Murry and the rest of the crew made the morning survivable, but we were craving a creepier classic for the afternoon. Enter Poltergeist. Most of the room had already seen the flick, but there were the few who hadn't. It had been a couple of years since my last viewing, so it was a more than warm welcome. Just a side thought, have any of you noticed how unbelievably depressing the burial preparation for Tweety the bird is? Christ. She put a blanket and a family photo in that cigar box. The film only reminded me how much I love Tobe Hooper and how desperately we need to return to giving horror films actual scores instead of playing shitty metal music.

As I type this, we're nearing the end of Daybreakers. While it may be a film that most found lackluster, the ending soldier frenzy is doing more than satisfying the needs of my co-eds. It's days like today that remind me why I do what I do. If it wasn't for this blog and those I've met from the horror community, I wouldn't know where to find horror gems and I wouldn't be able to expose those around me to them. We as horror fans are constantly ridiculed for liking the films that we like, and it is our duty as fans to spread quality horror films to those who are willing to watch them. Horror is not dead, my friends. Horror is alive, but it is our job to make sure it isn't left behind.

SWEDISH SENSATIONSFILMS:A CLANDESTINE HISTORY OF SEX, THRILLERS, AND KICKER CINEMA

2011-08-31T14:37:00.000-05:00

This is my attempt at writing an introduction to this review without finding myself single-woman circle jerking about the glory that is Let The Right One In. While we were all completely blown away by the innovative vampire novel/film, we often times forget that there was once a time when the Swedes kicked major, major ass in the film department. Swedish born author Daniel Ekeroth, has given us an innovative new look on a highly overlooked and underrated movement in genre films with Swedish Sensationsfilms: A Clandestine History of Sex, Thrillers, and Kicker Cinema. Let me be one to say that homeboy did his homework. Ekeroth's book is a highly detailed and accurate look into quite possibly one of the most influential and yet under-appreciated underground film movements.

While this may be an informative read, it is anything but boring. Ekeroth has a remarkable sense of humor and has a writing style that makes it difficult to put down. Ekeroth analyzes over 200 banned films from this movement and complies them all into one comprehensive book of epic proportions. And for all of you fanboys out there, yes, there are pictures. This is easily one of the top books written on a specific film style set in a certain setting. It's hard to exactly pinpoint what to call Swedish Sensationsfilms other than exactly that. Sensationsfilms. There hasn't been anything like them, and there wasn't anything like them to compare. He also gives us a personal peek into the career of Christina Lindberg. Oh yeah, it's from the actress herself. Thought I might mention that one. Ekeroth more than exposed his writing chops and passion for the genre, he has proven himself to be a Sensationsfilms master. If you're even somewhat curious to know even the slightest information about this film movement, consider this your bible.

AND GOD SAID, LET THERE BE TWI-HARDS.

2011-08-29T15:32:00.000-05:00

It was a chilly evening in August when I found myself towel bound and compelled to throw out the trash accumulating in the back of my dorm room. Groggily, I stumbled down the hallway amidst the echoes of one night stands and those paying their respects to the porcelain God. I stood in front of the garbage chute and disposed of the empty Cheez-It boxes and spaghetti-o cans. Suddenly, it was silent. I stretched my body upward as I let out a yawn and out of my peripheral ...I saw it. It stood calmly and almost appeared to let out an ominous glow from the end of the hallway. I found myself caught in its grasp and was uncontrollably drawn to it. "This...this can't be real. Only out of my darkest nightmares have I been burdened with something this horrific." I thought to myself. As the fog from my eyes cleared and my mind allowed me to focus on the terror at hand, I saw it.

Your eyes are not deceiving you. What stands before you is the door of a twenty two year old twi-hard. I firmly believe that this is karma biting me in the ass for constantly ridiculing Twatlight fanatics. My punishment for having a passion for intellectually destroying anyone obsessed with this shitstorm of a franchise is that for the rest of this year, I have a jarring omen to ruin my whole day.

I hate college.

I'm in college, leave me alone.

2011-08-27T18:26:00.000-05:00

Zomb

Dance crazes traveling like a Zombie Outbreak.
Hell. Yes.

Whoever made this is an asshole...

2011-08-24T15:20:00.002-05:00

BJ-C'S HORROR MOVIE RECOMMENDATION LIST FOR THE INEXPERIENCED COLLEGE STUDENT V.2

2011-08-22T12:54:00.001-05:00

Ah, the collegiate environment. As the stale odor of Keystone lingers over the air, the sound of bustling backpacks and shuffling feet can be heard above the chatter on campuses all across the country. I spent most of my morning sitting amongst sleepy eyed co-eds and trying to figure out "something interesting about myself" to recite in front of my fellow peers rather than attempting to slit my wrists with my syllabus out of pure boredom. Like most first days, my "interesting" fact is a shameless plug for this blog. I've made plenty of pals and at the very least, intrigued most of my professors with Day of the Woman. With a new year brings new opportunities for BJ-C to enlighten the horror challenged youth of Illinois. With that being said, sharpen your pencils and be sure to pay attention. This is the annual (and updated) list of horror films geared towards the inexperienced college kid.

CLASSICS

If there's anything I've learned from being in the collegiate environment, it's that anyone born after 1985 seems to have absolutely zero knowledge whatsoever on horror films made before their time. It's weird to comprehend this, but yes, there are people out there who haven't ever seen a horror film in black in white or without computer effects. Like any History professor will teach you, it's important to know where you came from in order to figure out where you're going.

Psycho (1960)
Rosemary's Baby (1968)
Carnival of Souls (1962)
The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)
Nosferatu (1922)
Faust (1926)
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
FREAKS! (1932)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
The Birds (1963)

FOREIGN LANGUAGE

One of the more depressing facts of the horror genre is coming to terms with the fact that some of the greatest horror films in existence aren't in English. Honestly, a good percent of College Americans are just too damn lazy to read freaking subtitles. However, there are some films too spectacular to look past and deserve their recommendations. It's very common to require a foreign language course as a graduation requirement, and for that reason alone, it's important for us to integrate foreign horror into our horror required viewings.

Let The Right One In (2008)
Audition (1999/2000)
The Orphanage (2007)
Inside (2007)
[REC] (2007)
Man Bites Dog (1992)
Eyes Without A Face (1959)
A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)
Les Diaboliques (1954)
The Devil's Backbone (2001)

GHOSTS

It doesn't matter how many horror movies I sit through, there's always something much more frightening about the thought of something actually happening. Even if people claim not to believe in them, everyone at some point, has been afraid of ghosts. Whether it be the illustrations from the Alvin Schwartz children's books or the tales told around a campfire, ghosts are a commonplace occurance for fear. There's something about the possibility of what goes bump in the night to be someone...something else. The mystery of what becomes of us after we leave this life is a seemingly universal fear for everyone, and ghost movies exploit that fear better than anything.

Lady in White (1988)
The Changeling (1980)
Paranormal Activity (2009)
The Shining (1980)
Lake Mungo (2010)
The Haunting (1963)
The Orphanage (2007)
Poltergeist (1982)
Session 9 (2001)
The Amityville Horror (1979)

ZOMBIES

Alright, let's face it. There is absolutely nothing greater in the world of horror movie monsters, than zombies. Zombies are the kings of the horror world and I don't see them losing their crown anytime soon. (Suck it, Edward) Even people who hate horror movies understand the workings and the concept behind our undead favorites. The plus side of the zombie being such a popular creature is the plethora of zombie films being cranked out every year. The downside...they're not all good. It's important to make sure that our inexperienced college brethren are picking up the RIGHT zombie films from Family Video, we wouldn't want them taking home a dud. NOTE: Some of these films are arguably not "zombie" films, but "virus" films. Screw it, this isn't comic-con. They don't care. They just want hordes.

Romero's Night/Dawn/Day of the Dead (1968/1977/1985)
Zombi 2 (1979)
...28 Days Later (2002)
Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Return of the Living Dead (1985)
Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things (1972)
Versus (2000)
Deadgirl (2008)
Pontypool (2009)
Dellamorte, Dellamore (1994)

COMEDY

Believe it or not, there is a huge following for horror comedies. The combination of laughing and screaming seem to entertain the masses. While most horror comedies tend to be run by the zombie genre, there are plenty of other comedy horror flicks to tickle your fancy. Horror comedies seem to be like the zombie, in that just about everyone loves them. Horror comedies also come in handy when dealing with someone who isn't all that familiar with horror films or tends to scare easily. It's a nice gateway into the realm we all love so dearly.

An American Werewolf In London (1981)
Fright Night (1985)
Evil Dead II (1987)
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Zombieland (2009)
Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)
Night of the Creeps (1986)
Young Frankenstein (1974)
Slither (2006)
The Burbs (1989)

SLASHER

Probably the most well-known of the horror genres, college kids seem to eat up slasher films. With unique kills, sassy dialogue, and the ever entrancing final girls seem to drive straight up young adult alleys. The sad thing is that most people my age recognize slashers as something concocted by Rob Zombie (or an absolutely dreadful remake company), and all of the great ones go unnoticed.

Candyman (1992)
Black Christmas (1974)
Halloween (1978)
Scream (1996)
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
The House on Sorority Row (1983)
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2007)
Alice, Sweet Alice (1976)
American Psycho (2000)
Friday The 13th (Screw it, just pick one)

SCI-FI

Everyone knows that college is filled with more than its fair share of nerds. After the countless unnecessary GenEd's of the biologies and the computer sciences, it's nice to see the sci-fi work in a more entertaining fashion. And what do nerds love more than science fiction? Horror of course! You add a little horror to the mix, and you've got something that appeals to more than just the protractor posse! No offense of course, most of my best friends are nerds....Anyway, sci-fi and horror seem to go hand and hand. It is by combining these two forces that we are given some of the best horror films in existence.

Videodrome (1983)
The Thing (1982)
Alien (1979)
Event Horizon (1997)
Lifeforce(1985)
They Live (1987)
It Came From Outer Space (1953)
The Blob (1988)
Scanners (1981)
The Fly (1986)

GORE

There really isn't much that needs to be said. College kids are a simple breed with simple expectations and simple amusements. There's no easier way to amuse the sick and twisted little minds of the future's best and brightest than to smother the screen in blood and guts. It seems that college kids have all been struck by the Saw & Hostel bugs but haven't really seen anything gorier than that. There are some films like Cannibal Holocaust that I'd never recommend to a college crowd, but that isn't to say there aren't gory gems that need to be seen by the masses!

Re-Animator (1985)
Dead Alive (1994)
House of 1000 Corpses (2003)
The Beyond (1981)
City of the Living Dead (1980)
Tokyo Gore Police (2008)
Cannibal Holocaust (1980)
Ichi The Killer (2001)
The Beyond (1981)
Tenebre (1982)

CLASS IS DISMISSED!

SPOILER ALERTS: 100 HORROR MOVIE SPOILERS IN 5 MINUTES

2011-08-13T00:22:00.001-05:00

Hilar

WIU FEATURES BJ-C AND DAY OF THE WOMAN!

2011-08-11T19:27:00.000-05:00

WARNING: THIS IS AN EXTREMELY GRATUITOUS POST

I've had this since about April, but I've finally gotten around to showing the hard copy of it. My school (Western Illinois University) has a literary magazine every semester and last semester, yours truly was one of the featured topics. Sophomore journalism student, Alyse Thompson, thought I was cool enough for an interview and I was given a two page spread.

Just thought I'd share :)

VAMPIRES I'D LET BITE ME

2011-08-04T02:35:00.000-05:00

Now that Harry Potter has finished their film series, my news feed seems to have been taken over with statuses similar to (and possibly directly quoting) "NOW THAT HARRY IS OVER, IT'S TIME TO RBING BACK EDWARD CULLEN!!!" I wish I was kidding, but I'm not. I'm really, really not. I don't know who had the bright idea to compare Harry Potter to Edward Cullen, because they're nowhere near on the same wavelength. I digress. I've been wanting to show these tween idiots what a REAL sexy vampire man looks like, and I think now is the perfect opportunity.


Eric Northman can draw my blood, any day. TRUE BLOOD

I don't even need to be one of the children of the night to make music with Bela Lugosi
DRACULA

David: The only person who ever made a mullet sexy.
THE LOST BOYS


I would do terrible things in the name of Jerry Dandridge FRIGHT NIGHT

I remember when you started the fire in Chicago, Severen...it was between my loins.
NEAR DARK


Do...Want....I'll even let Lestat join the party. I'm feeling generous today. INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE

but the motherload...

Yeah...this should just be a crime. I need to go now.
QUEEN OF THE DAMNED

Now, everyone knows that BJ-C is a zombie lover before a vampire lover. However, I'd be a lying fool if I didn't admit that the vampire genre has the sex appeal the zombie genre just can't capture in the same right. There's something so attractive about the soft skin, strong cheekbones, pearly whites, and danger that come associated with a vampire. I can't exactly pin-point why it is so intriguing, I'm a little distracted by the above picture. How about you? What vampires would you let bite you?

WHY AM I WATCHING GHOST ADVENTURES?

2011-07-30T19:30:00.000-05:00

PENNING THE PAGES WITH ZOMBIES: AN INTERVIEW WITH SCOTT KENEMORE

2011-07-30T00:05:00.000-05:00

Let's get the fact that I'm a total Scott Kenemore fangirl out of the way. Scott Kenemore is the author of the Zen of Zombie-series of humor/satire books, and the novel Zombie, Ohio. He is a graduate of Kenyon College and Columbia University. A member of the Zombie Research Society and the Horror Writers Association, Scott is a Chicago Drummer and is the drummer for the musical band The Blissters. Scott has discussed zombies on the Fox News Channel, National Public Radio, Martha Stewart Living Radio, The Alan Colmes Show and other esteemed news outlets. His books have been written about in the Chicago Tribune, Huffington Post, Hartford Courant, Indianapolis Star, Cleveland Plain Dealer, USA TODAY, Rue Morgue Magazine, Fangoria, Gawker.com, BoingBoing.net, AOL News, and the New York Times “City Room” blog. He's even such the zombie expert that he's been been asked to discuss zombies and horror-writing at conventions like Comic-Con International, Spooky Empire, and ZomBcon. For lack of a better word, he's perfection incarnate. Now that the formalities are over, LET'S DIVE INTO THE INTERVIEW!

BJ-C: Your most recent book "Zombies vs. Nazis" comes out next month, I gotta ask...are you actually interested in the concept or is this just schtick?

SK: I'm actually interested in the concept. I get approached about doing many zombie-related writing projects that I eventually turn down because they just don't feel right. But when my publisher came to me with a very open ended request ("Could you do something for us with Nazis and zombies?") I instantly knew that, yes, this was a book that I could and should write. Also, I grew excited by the challenge of doing a book where there are NO GOOD GUYS. It's something you don't see a lot. The narrative structure of my book is taken in large part from "The Pardoner's Tale" by Chaucer because that's my favorite story that has no redeemable characters. (I've had a negative reaction from agents who sell film-rights for this very reason. They're all like: "I can't sell THIS to a movie studio. There's no good guy for the audience to cheer for. This is just a bunch of racists Nazis encountering horror and depravity and zombies." And I'm like: "Yeah, exactly.")

BJ-C: Okay, let's make the obvious comparison. What's your opinion of the film Dead Snow?

SK: I thought the Nazi zombies in Dead Snow were wonderful, but I wished they could have been used to tell a more coherent, nuanced story. I hope Dead Snow inspires future horror directors to make new, even better zombie Nazi movies. (I wrote a review of Dead Snow on my blog last year, if you want a more in-depth version of my thoughts.)

BJ-C: Of course the author would want a coherent, nuanced story. You are a very gifted writer, but out of all of your books, which one was your favorite to write?

SK: Zombie, Ohio was my favorite. Satire and humor are fun, but I like novel writing the best. It's more difficult, but more satisfying in the end. I'd written four novels prior to Zombie, Ohio. Some of them had come very close (I think) to being published, but, in the end, never were. I remember once going smoking in a hookah bar in Manhattan with an editor from Random House who was interested in a novel I wrote back in 2002. I was thinking: "Random House can't take EVERY writer out hookah-barring. They totally must be interested in me!" But then, for one of a million reasons, it fell through. Getting a novel published is about tenacity. You've got to keep trying. I'm proud, also, that I stuck to my guns in terms of content. I never tried to write a novel that would fit a current trend-- I just wrote the kind of horror/mystery novels that I liked and would want to read myself.

BJ-C: The book itself is vastly different from your satire books. How did you transition from writing your zomcom books into your more serious book Zombie, Ohio?

SK: I had always been writing novels all the time-- alongside the satire-- I just hadn't yet convinced a publisher to print one of them.

BJ-C: You recently had a kickstarter campaign for your next book, what can we expect from Zombie, Illinois?

SK: I don't want to give too much away. The novel has three narrators-- a twenty-something female rock drummer, a thirty-something male news reporter, and a sixty-something African American pastor. Zombie, Illinois follows these three characters as they interact with one another, fight zombies, and negotiate the difficulties of a zombie outbreak in Chicago, Chicagoland, and larger Illinois. Many of the themes and locales are drawn from my own experiences-- being a drummer in Chicago bands, working in the media, and working for six years with community-improvement organizations in African American neighborhoods on Chicago's South Side.

BJ-C: That's going to be incredible. Speaking of incredible, how was it speaking at comic-con?

SK: Great fun! Our panel was a marvelous exchange of ideas (about zombies), and I got to catch up with many of my friends from the "horror/zombie circuit."

BJ-C: I can only imagine the amount of nerdgasms. While I'm on the subject, what is your nerdiest obsession other than zombies?

SK: Hmm. Things my friends make fun of me for liking include Rush, Phil Collins/Genesis, and Sherlock Holmes.

BJ-C: Phil Collins?! Oh no. We can't be friends. We'd be perpetual enemies. I hate Phil Collins with a fiery passion. Rush, that we can share but not Phil Collins. Sorry, I digress. What do you want to see come from the modern zombie film?

SK: I would like to see zombies used for great storytelling!

BJ-C: I think we're still too new into the zombie psyche to figure out a way to do that just yet. Do you think that zombies will ever get the disgusting facelift that the vampires have (aka-will there be a twilight style zombie)?

SK: Honestly, yes--I think at some point, unfortunately, some out-of-touch Hollywood producer will greenlight something like that. And it will fail utterly, and lose a bunch of people a bunch of money.

BJ-C: That's depressing, yet inevitable. I agree with you on that one. Maybe it's the Chicagoan side of us. We're lucky that way. So, I gotta know. How has Chicago shaped your zombie obsession?

Chicago is a great, dynamic, exciting town. It's unique. It has guilds and trusts and racial-clusters like Ankh-Morpork. It also has a tradition of beloved writers who don't always get the national attention they deserve (Mike Royko, Studs Terkel, Roger Ebert, Timuel Black, just to name a few). What I want to do with Zombie, Illinois is to write a horror novel about Chicago and Illinois that people FROM Chicago and Illinois will actually like. Too many "important Chicago books" get named as being so by book critics in New York City, and not because actual readers in Chicago are like: "Yes, this guy/gal got it right!" I will have succeeded with Zombie, Illinois if local readers feel like I captured something real.

A ZOMBIE PANEL OF EPIC PROPORTIONS

2011-07-26T12:07:00.003-05:00

For all of us who missed comic-con (raises hand in shame) we not only missed the plethora of cosplay brilliance, but some of the best panels and debates. Everyone knows that I'm a straight up Scott Kenemore fangirl, so I'll watch just about anything where he's talking. Unfortunately this is sort of overtaken by Max Brooks (who's a total windbag, as it seems) but this panel of Zombie Authors has brought some interesting arguments to the table. Thoughts?

Oh Scott Kenemore...you fox.

THE TOP FIVE REASONS HORROR MOVIES HAVE RUINED THE HOTEL EXPERIENCE

2011-07-19T02:18:00.000-05:00

In the darkest hours I reside on the interwebs as BJ-C, but during the daytime, I am Brittney-Jade: Front Desk Extraordinaire at a hotel in my hometown. I absolutely love working in the hospitality business, but my little fears established from years of watching horror movies seem to rear their ugly heads whenever I'm at work. In the same way that JAWS ruined swimming in the ocean for most people, horror movies have completely ruined the hotel experience. Maybe it has something to do with the hundred other people sleeping in the same building as you or the eerily quiet hallways, but something about hotels are extremely chilling and horror films have done a great job at exploiting that factor.

First of all, thanks to The Shining, it is IMPOSSIBLE to look down a hotel hallway and not instinctively fear a pair of Grady sisters awaiting you at the other end. If you've seen this film and don't experience that whenever you stay at a hotel, you're either insane or a liar. Tonight I had to bring up towels to a room at the very end of the hallway. The second I got the room number, I immediately had a pit in my stomach because I knew I was going to have to walk to the complete end of the hall to deliver it all. I could almost hear them asking "Come Play With Me" as I stepped off the elevator. Thanks, King/Kubrick. Thanks.

Second, I've become extremely paranoid that I'm being watched. I'll be the first to admit that sometimes I wish there were cameras in the rooms just to prove if people really are just trying to scam there way into a free night, but that's super illegal. However, I can't help but wonder that there is a camera hidden in the room and there's someone watching my every move. This paranoid has been brought to you by the film Vacancy.

You know something? I'm really bad with things out of my control. I'm the kid that gets nervous on an escalator when wearing shoes with laces. Do you know what every hotel has? An elevator. Do you know what every hotel elevator does? Creaks like a mofo, moves unbelievably slow, and makes loud beeping noises when you try to hold the door open for someone. I don't know about you, but these all sound like warning signs for an elevator to come crashing down and demolishing all of those inside of it. Tower of Terror may be based off of a Disney World ride, but it doesn't change the fact that falling to your death in a giant metal box isn't one of the most horrifying thoughts in the world.

I'm going to be really obvious here. I'm always afraid the place is haunted. While my hotel is less than a month old and no one has died in it, I can't help but feel that every hotel has a little bit of haunting going on. There seems to always be this lingering sense of despair in every hotel. Maybe it's the forced silence mixing with the murmurs of television sets attempting to muffle adultery and prom night virginity loss, but I can't help but always feel extremely uncomfortable with hotel rooms. The Lakeview Hotel from the Silent Hill games has easily made me weary of every strange occurrence, and has made it almost impossible to stay a night in a hotel without having the creeps.

Most importantly, I'm horrified to shower at hotels for obvious reasoning (note the infamous shower scene from Psycho above). Not only does it gross me out to think of how many people have used the shower before me, but damn it if Hitchcock didn't ruin showers for me forever. He didn't just ruin hotel showers, he ruined all showers together. There's a reason I only shower at school during awkward times of the afternoon/evening is to prevent this sort of anxiety. Hotels are easily the worst. They're small, unfamiliar spaces, and there are workers who could create keys and barge in and stab me whenever the felt necessary. Thanks, but I think I'll stay home.

THE THING: A PREQUEL RECIPE FOR SALVATION

2011-07-15T21:21:00.002-05:00

Okay, first of all, watch this.

You done yet? Now? Now?! Okay. Let us begin.

Today the Gods of all things horror released to the public the trailer for the prequel to John Carpenter's masterpiece of the same name, The Thing. While many have been up in arms since the announcement of the prequel about anyone going anywhere near his film, there are those (like myself) who have remained somewhat optimistic. My opinion on perfection is that it's pretty hard to screw it up. The best remakes/prequels usually pertain to films that were downright perfect to begin with. For example: last year's dreaded remake of Let The Right One In was seen mostly favorably by horror fanatics and the infamous quote by THEoDEAD from Bloody-Disgusting that "the only problem with Let Me In is that LTROI exists," does nothing more than further drive the point I'm about to make about this prequel. Based on the trailer alone, there are some key elements that are beginning to make me think that this film could be something we've needed in a very long time.

The thing that initially drew me in was the even balance of something old, and something new. Hardcore horror audiences will enjoy the familiar feeling of the pool tables, poker games, and "mom's basement walls" in the setting of the sanctuary in the tundra. We must remember that this movie is intending to take place right before Kurt Russell and Diabeetus sans stache accidentally let the ThingDog into their safety zone. However, thanks to advancements in technology and just about everything James Cameron has touched, we now have the ability to create some mind-bending creatures that can be scary enough for the new millennium. We'd be lying to ourselves if we didn't admit that twenty-something years later, the actual "thing" can at times look a bit amateur. Today's audiences don't have the proper appreciation for that sort of thing, and our updated special effects may be what it takes to instill a few nightmares.

While this film is meant to scare us, the original also brought us some of the most bad-ass uses of flame throwers and sci-fi action sequences. They've kept the flame throwers in tact and this will appeal not only to die-hard fans of the original, but to today's violence obsessed audiences. It isn't every day that films use a flame thrower for anything but ironic 1980's hair-metal concerts...or fighting Asian drug lords while filming a movie. Regardless, the film looks pretty bad ass. Where they could have taken it a traditional modern horror route and had most of the cast just run away in fear while scantily clad, they are keeping the snow suits and flame throwers and (hopefully) the Jive Talkin' arguments.

To add the icing on top of this cupcake, this film is delivering something I've been BEGGING for for the last three years. It seems that we may very well have a strong, powerful, clothed, leading lady. It's not every day that we're able to see a strong leading lady that isn't also melting with sexuality. While Alice in Resident Evil is quite the bad-ass, she's also half naked and oh yeah, a fucking supermodel. Mary Elizabeth Winstead has the capability to be extremely sexy, but this trailer showed her more than fully clothed the entire time. Thank. God. It is with that very decision alone that I feel this film will retain the true heart of the original because it is failing to conform to the modern horror film. Long live the long sleeves and puffy coats.

Oh. And to those that think it looks too much like a remake, shut up. It's in ANTARCTICA. What were you expecting, sand castles? It's what happened before they got there, I highly doubt the circumstances could be any more similar without it being a remake. Let it be.

SHOCK VALUE: THE HORROR FAN'S GUIDE TO SOME OF THE GREATEST FILMS EVER MADE

2011-07-14T23:48:00.001-05:00

After mother nature gave me a perverbial bitch slap by not only destroying the homes of those I love but also taking away my power AGAIN (check out the northern suburbs of Chicago online. It's what M. Night Shamalahymen wishes The Happening was like) It's BJ-C, bitch. I'm back and after a horror high from the PJ Soles blogathon, I'm about ready to take on the world.

While I was without the use of the internet or basic lighting, I was finally able to use my time to do something productive rather than stalk people on a certain bookfaced social networking site for hours on end. Yes, I finally had time to read a damn book. Let me tell you, I finished this one in a single sitting. Jason Zinoman's book SHOCK VALUE is like reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy for horror fanatics. As one of the babies of the horror blogosphere, I was born in a time of bad teenage slashers and was only able to access the glory of the 70's from whatever my mother deemed worthy for my eyes to see. A book like this isn't something I can reminisce over nostalgic distances, it's something I NEED to fully grasp what I missed by being conceived nearly two decades too late. While Universal and the black and white films of yesteryear were the originals and the classics, it was the horror of this era that truly established the proper canon of horror films.

Zinoman isn't concentrating solely on the films themselves, but digs deep to deliver us the true inner workings of films that we cherish so intensely. He discusses not only the creative process, but also the underlying meanings of the films that are often overlooked due to the gore, scares, or killers. This product of the Penguin Press doesn't just analyze what it is about these films that helped define an entire golden genre of film, it gives us as horror fans an entirely new level to appreciate when watching these films.

I find it remarkably difficult to try to describe what this book is truly all about without 1) completely ruining it for you and 2) going into an extreme fangirl mode and writing a novel of sorts on this page. All I have to say is trust me when I say this book is by a true horror connoisseur, for horror connoisseurs. Zinoman has managed to bring out the heart as well as the brain that went into changing not only the horror genre, but the world of film as a whole.

SHOCK VALUE is now on sale
and you'll be doing yourself a grave disservice
if you do not find a way to pick it up.

THE VAULT OF HORROR GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR THE PJ SOLES BLOGATHON

2011-07-05T11:29:00.000-05:00

I've said on here a few times that without B-Sol and The Vault of Horror, this blog and my entire horror blogging lifestyle wouldn't exist. Sometimes, you've really just got to give credit where credit is do. And so, it was no surprise to me when B-Sol did not just one, but three articles for my PJ Soles Blogathon. I was truly blown away to see his commitment, and you will be too. Enjoy :)

First on the list, he took his regular TRAILER TRASH series and featured the trailers from all of PJ Soles' major roles, non-horror included.

The following day he allowed PJ Soles to take over his weekly Top 10 list with "The Top 10 Favorite Lines by PJ Soles"

And with full conviction, he finished his week off with an excellent article on how PJ Soles starred as the slasher victim prototype in Halloween.

I want to take this time to thank everyone involved with the PJ Soles blogathon. Here at Day of the Woman, I'm always willing to showcase the underdog in any situation. I feel that PJ Soles is an icon and an extremely underrated one at that. Here's hoping this blogathon was able to shed some light on one of the most looked-over scream queens in horror movie history.

CINEMA GONZO TAKES A STAB AT THE PJ SOLES BLOGATHON

2011-07-03T13:21:00.000-05:00

I was recently contacted by the mind behind Cinema Gonzo who was just tickled to help participate in the PJ Soles blogathon. Rather than focus on the films that made her famous, he decided to showcase one of her more underrated ditties, Innocent Prey.

Enjoy his post

HERE!

TO: PJ SOLES-FROM MIDNIGHT, WITH LOVE

2011-07-02T18:11:00.000-05:00

Every once in a while, an actor comes into our lives and completely changes us for the better. Ahead is a submission from The Mike of the blog From Midnight, With Love on how

PJ Soles (Totally) Changed His Life

And Your Little Blog, Too...

2011-07-01T00:05:00.002-05:00

* PLEASE STAND BY *

This is B-Sol of The Vault of Horror, dropping by to let you know that our poor BJ-C has been struck powerless by a tornado, and thus the continuation of the P.J. Soles Blogathon may be slightly delayed. Only the brute force of Mother Nature herself could hold back BJ-C's awesomeness, but stay tuned, for DotW will soon return to its regularly scheduled shenanigans.

In the meantime, check out what's been done thus far in the Blogathon...

FASCINATION WITH FEAR'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE PJ SOLES BLOGATHON

2011-06-30T15:34:00.000-05:00

Alright, I LOVE me some Christine Hadden. Not only is she another firm fisted female horror buff, but she's the brains behind one of the best horror blogs (and easily the one with the best soundtrack) Fascination with Fear. She's also a dear friend of mine and a proud sister of the MGC. She's a fellow LoTT-D member and one of the best writers I know. Now that I've ended my rant on her awesomeness, let's get down to why I'm talking about her.

Christine has put together not just one, but TWO lists dedicated to Ms. PJ Soles. Just to get an idea, here's a small excerpt of what you can expect.

You know the sign of a great actor? When they can make you love and hate them on equal grounds. While I love her over-sexed, cheerleading obnoxiousness in Halloween, I have equal amounts of hate for her catty, bullying tomboy character in Carrie. For an actress to gain my eternal respect they have to show layers of talent, and be able to both piss me off and make me laugh. P.J. absolutely does this.

Want more? Of course you do. Read the rest of the article

HERE!

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO PJ SOLES?

2011-06-28T23:44:00.000-05:00

Rock 'N Roll band Local H have an entire album named after the woman overtaking the blogosphere this week. So I present to you, Local H's song "P.J. Soles"

FACT: BJ-C was born and raised in the same town the band Local H (the band performing the song P.J. Soles) is from. Clearly, we have great taste.

THE PJ SOLES BLOGATHON : DAY 2

2011-06-27T23:53:00.000-05:00

So the PJ Soles blogathon is going off with a bang, and I must ask..."see anything you like"?

Today we have

The [Totally Awesome!] Life of Lynda Van der Klok: a Love Letter to P.J. Soles

brought to you by the brilliant minds behind Pussy Goes GRRR. Clicking this link will satisfy your appetite for all things Lynda Van der Klock by spoon-feeding some of the best screen caps of her sad and very, very sexy demise.

AND!

Acidemic has gone out of the horror realm to bring us the greatest combination of cult classic and rock 'n' roll for the punk generation by showcasing PJ Soles in Rock 'N Roll High School with

COLUMBINE QUEEN: PJ Soles in Rock 'N Roll High School

I mean really, can you really top PJ Soles and the Ramones in one sitting?

The answer is no, you can not.

IT'S THE PJ SOLES BLOGATHON!!!

2011-06-26T11:55:00.000-05:00

Today launches what I hope to be a fantastic week dedicated to the highly underrated but always appreciated, PJ Soles. We're going to start things off on Day of the Woman by showcasing the article that started it all, the very first Woman of the Week ever written on DotW.

This week, we are featuring P.J. Soles. While she has quite a resume ranging from television to the silver screen, she is being glorified for her two most recognizable roles in the horror genre. [Not to say Rock 'N' Roll High School wasn't awesome]. P.J. Soles got her BIG moment in horror as most memorable playing red hat wearing bitch Norma Watson in the adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie. Norma was a wonderful little toadie to the queen bee of bitchery Chris Hargensen. Norma is infamous for being the first person to laugh at the pig's blood covered Carrie White at the prom (all while still wearing that damn red hat). That first laugh is what sparked the haunting reprise of Margaret White pleading "They're All Going To Laugh AT You". P.J. really kept herself in character, as she received an actual injury on set. When Carrie starts to kill off all those who tormented and laughed at her, a firehouse begins spraying wickedly around the gym. Norma is infamously hit in the face with the hose and drops down on the floor (still wearing that damn hat). The scene we have all witnessed on film was P.J. Stoles actually having her eardrum burst by the water and passing out on the floor. Talk about commitment to a role!

On the night of October 31st, 1978, one Lynda Van Der Klock had planned to meet up with her friends [Annie Blackett and her boyfriend Paul] at the Wallace resident for some "fun". Little does Lynda know, Annie has been murdered by Michael Myers. Thus, sets us up for one of the most iconic scenes from Halloween ever.

Lynda has sex with her boyfriend Bob when he goes downstairs for a beer. While he is downstairs Michael pins him to the wall with a knife. He then disguises himself as Bob by wearing a white sheet over his head and Bob's glasses. Lynda of course believes it to be Bob and begins to flash him her breasts. Now, as a completely heterosexual female, P.J. Soles looks pretty decent naked, especially for the 70's. She gets up to call her buddy Laurie Strode to see if she knows where Annie and Paul are. The second that Laurie picks up, Michael Myers grabs the phone cord and strangles Lynda with it. Of course Laurie assumes its a prank call and just hangs up the phone. Lynda falls dead and Laurie finds them later on. Now for those who are thinking I'm a complete moron for describing one of the most infamous scenes that "everybody" knows about; there is a method to my madness. People don't realize how iconic P.J. Soles helped make that scene. Go check your local Hot Topic or Spencer's gift store to discover that you yourself can have your very own Michael Myers [wearing bed sheet and glasses] figurine. Now, this scene may not have been as wonderful without Soles. The role of Lynda was specifically written for Soles after John Carpenter had seen her in Carrie, and because of the way she said "totally". Without P.J. Soles, or the character of Lynda, this scene may never have even taken place.

A band originating from my hometown even has an album dedicated to her. Check out Local H's album "What Ever Happened to P.J. Soles?"

P.J. Soles will forever live in infamy as one of the most treasured women in horror. Everyone recognized her as dying in all of the horror films, but it is my goal to put a name to a face. Thank-you P.J. Soles for being wonderful, and making such classic films all the more memorable.

REGULAR SHOW'S TRIBUTE TO THE EVIL DEAD AKA WHY I'M HAVING JG QUINTEL'S BABY.

2011-06-20T23:56:00.000-05:00

RANDOM RAMBLINGS FROM BJ-C

2011-06-15T12:26:00.001-05:00

As always, this feature is stolen from Day of the Woman's big brother blog, The Vault of Horror.

Ladies and Gentlemen, BJ-C has finally entered the work force. Hold your applause, I know. I'm working at a hotel, expect a list of horror hotels/motels very soon. If you have any you'd like to contribute, leave it in the comments!

So, I've become a tumblr addict. It's really bad. If you'd like, let's reblog crazy gifs from horror movies that no one has ever seen and be all pretentious and stuff...That's what you do on tumblr, right? You can follow me here.

I had an epiphany yesterday, Silent Hill is probably the best horror video game franchise. I know people get rock hard over Milla as Alice in Resident Evil, and there's only been one SH movie...but it's all about quality over quantity. The games are far superior to RE IMO and I don't think I'll ever get sick of the film. Even when it's crappily edited on SyFy, it still tickles my fancy. Not that I'm biased due to my epic Halloween costume or anything.

My mother, who is undoubtedly the biggest Halloween fanatic I know, was finally introduced to Zombieween I and II. Her response? "Wait...so he changed the entire movie? That's stupid". Thanks Mom :D

Anyone out there with any sort of apple product capable of downloading Army of Darkness Defense, needs to. I hate to admit that I have spent an ungodly amount of time beating that game. Once I made it to the "neverending level" I restarted the whole thing and I'm doing it all over again. It's just the gift that keeps on giving.

Big thanks to Douglas Gallagher for sending me an incredible horror care package of DVD's and shirts. I will be reconstructing the shirts for a more "girly" fit and posting the results on here!

REMEMBER:

THE PJ SOLES BLOGATHON

IS ONLY A FEW WEEKS AWAY!

SUPPORT THE FUTURE OF CHICAGO FILMMAKING: 'THE OCTOBER CRISIS' BY MARC WILKINSON

2011-06-05T19:34:00.000-05:00

Hailing from the Illinois River Valley, Marc Wilkinson is a film student at Columbia College, beginning his senior year. With a lifelong love affair with filmmaking, Marc has been making his own dramatic shorts since 2006, along with viral videos, music videos and commercials. His short film Sardines premiered at the Illinois International Film Festival last year, but the last several years have been spent directing shorts, writing features, and crewing on advanced project. Marc's next project is a short film entitled The October Crisis. Once completed, he will be taking the short with him to L.A. in hopes of turning it into a feature film. While Marc isn't creating a horror film, he has shown promise in his film making and is more than deserving to earn a featured spot here at Day of the Woman. I was able to find out first hand what this film is hoping to convey, and I must admit...I'm excited for it.

"The October Crisis" was created first by deciding on a theme, as all my work is. While listening to the song "The Last Lost Continent" by La Dispute, I began wondering what drives a person to want to kill, and not only kill, but kill passionately. From my observation of the world, I often see the root of this to be differences in personal belief - belief without logic or reason. But I didn't see religion as the problem - I saw people taking their beliefs to the extreme as the issue. So I started crafting this film about what happens when you let what you believe about a situation convince you to act violently, with religion as the setting. This turned into my feature screenplay, "The October Crisis". From there, I decided the best way to eventually get the feature made would be to shoot a part of it to show - but I didn't jsut want a scene or an opening. So I retailer ed some of the films core moments into a 12 page short that gives us the characters, the messege, and the tone in a self contained story that doesn't give away the overall plot or climax of its feature counterpart.-Marc Wilkinson

Help support Marc Wilkinson and The October Crisis by visiting their indiegogo page

HERE

HANDLING THE UNDEAD: MORE PROOF THAT LINDQVIST IS A GOD

2011-06-05T02:02:00.000-05:00

This review does contain mild spoilers, but will not ruin the novel for you. Read at your own discretion.

What can I say about John Ajvide Lindqvist that hasn't already been said? To put it simply, the man is a genius. Lindqvist delivered us Let The Right One In which was later turned into one of (if not the) greatest vampire film since Dracula, a film that I will personally admit saved my sanity and my life. Let's just say that not reading this book just wasn't a possibility. Handling the Undead is a book that explores the zombie mythos in a direction that I personally have never experienced. From the other reviews I had been skimming before I opened the cover, it seems that one of my favorite attributes was the one that killed it (no pun intended) for them. Lindqvist's zombies don't eat flesh nor brains. We must remember that before Romero, zombies weren't hell bent on eating the living, they just existed. These are the zombies that Lindqvist is bringing us back to. A butterfly beats its wings somewhere in the universe - and an electrical field lowers itself over Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, and causes a piercing headache in everyone as well as making it impossible to turn of any electrical appliances or machines. When the field lifts, something has changed - the recently deceased have come back to life... - and they want to come home. The recently deceased is the best way to put it. The zombies in this novel are somewhat fresh as anything dead longer than two months is unable to rise. These zombies have one main function, using what little impulse memory they still possess and allowing it to guide them home. In my opinion, Lindqvist's lack of feeding frenzies or shots to the head made it quite possibly the most realistic interpretation of an actual zombie outbreak. If you are intending to pick up a book and find yourself engulfed in a world of headshots, blood, screams, and cries of "brains", then you should consider picking a different book. What you will find within the 300 something pages is a story that will force you to reflect on your own life and evaluate the people you cherish the most.

The book follows three different and yet somehow intertwined families. David and his son Magnus lose the mother of the family, Eva when she died in a car accident only a few hours before the dead have risen. This makes Eva the less decomposed of all the zombies and it is because of this that she is seen as a special case for the authorities...especially when she speaks. The second family is athiest/anarchist Flora and her devoutly religious grandmother Elvy, who are visited by Elvy's husband when he returns home after walking out of the morgue. The most painful of the families is that of 6 year old Elias, his mother Anna, grandfather Mahler. Elias died barely two months earlier and Mahler took it upon himself to dig Elias out.

The focus of this story is not of the zombies themselves, but those who are forced to take care of them. If they're not eating people or causing any harm, how can you justify destroying them? The novel explores the different obstacles we are willing to overcome in order to take care of those we love. Much like jellyfish though, they adapt to their surroundings....through thought. This is where I put my foot down and stop spoiling the book, because it's something that needs to be read to understand.

While Handling the Undead is in no way as powerful as Let the Right One In, I almost find it a bit unfair to compare the two, as they are vastly different novels. This book was incredibly interesting and if you have the ability to read it, do so. It's a quick read, but a very different one at that.

“I believe…there is a place where happiness exists. A place, and a time.”

ALMA: THE CUTEST VIDEO TO GIVE YOU THE CREEPS

2011-06-02T14:16:00.001-05:00

Thanks to my friend Justin for sending me the link to this.
Creeeepyy

JUNE 26TH-JULY 2ND: THE PJ SOLES BLOGATHON!

2011-06-02T00:38:00.000-05:00

Yes! An entire week dedicated to you!

It was back in February of 2009 that Day of the Woman started the popular "Woman of the Week" feature, and I started things off with the showcase of my personal favorite Scream Queen, PJ Soles. It hit me a while back that I wanted to do a blogathon and after consulting with a handful of womanizers and my trusty comrades in the MGC, that I have made the executive decision to host Day of the Woman's very first blogathon-an entire week dedicated to PJ Soles.

During the last week of June and the start of July, Day of the Woman will be the home base for all things PJ Soles. Anything and everything written for the blogathon will be showcased HERE on Day of the Woman and there will be gratuitous publicity for your site. If you want to take part in the festivities, just pop up one of these handy dandy banners somewhere on your blog and link it back to Day of the Woman. It's that simple!

If you want to join in, drop me an email at

BRITTNAHJADE@gmail.com

just so I can get an idea of how many articles we'll be linking to for the week.

LET'S DO A BLOGATHON!

2011-06-01T02:20:00.000-05:00

IT'S SUMMERTIME!

I cannot handle my excitement, and it is for this reason that I came up with an idea...

LET'S DO A BLOGATHON.

Don't know what a blogathon is? Have no fear.

A blogathon is when a blog hosts a week completely dedicated to a topic/person and that blog, along with many others all submit posts having to do with that topic/person.

Got it?

Well, since this is Day of the Woman, let's see if we can brainstorm some ideas for a female centered blogathon. How about a week dedicated to one of the original Scream Queens, or female director week, or, or, or, or the possibilities are endless.

So...

LEAVE ME COMMENTS AND TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT!

NEAR DARK REMAKE CANCELLED...FOR BEING TOO SIMILAR TO TWILIGHT?!

2011-05-25T22:26:00.000-05:00

Alright Edward, it's time to nut up or shut up.

I'm a few years late to the party on this one (what else is new?) but my blind fury cannot be contained when it comes to this discussion. After the success of Twatlight, Platinum Dunes (the company responsible for nearly every horrible horror remake) thought it would be a great idea to ride the wave and remake Kathryn Bigelow's slice of perfection, Near Dark. First of all, Near Dark is quite possibly one of the most bad ass vampire films of all time, OF ALL TIME, so remaking it would be a huge slap in the face the only woman to score an Oscar for Best Director. Not to mention, it was made LONG before Stephenie Meyer ever set on her crusade to destroy the vampire mythos and push back feminism, so if anything, TWATLIGHT is too much like Near Dark. For fear of sounding redundant, let's not even talk about the whole 'remake' nonsense. The horror genre is obsessed with remakes blah blah blah, we get it. The matter it hand is that the reason they're pulling the plug on the remake isn't because someone finally wised up and thought "Hmm...this movie is pretty fantastic, let's not get our grubby paws in it and leave it as it" but rather "Hmm...this is liek totes mcgotes like Twilight and like, Bella and Edward are the true vampire/human love story and liek, people totally won't want to see this". Fuck me gently with a chainsaw, are you serious? ARE YOU SERIOUS?!

Basically, he's the horror equivalent to Michael Bay

What I'm posting is a direct quote from producer Brad Fuller, and I janked it off of THIS website. "I think that Twilight was the same type of thing. Were going for although ‘Near Dark’ was a much darker, sexier, rated R version of that. But I'm concerned that, conceptually, that ‘Near Dark’ and Twilight are too similar in terms of a vampire movie. For now, that movie is on hold...with the success of that film [Twilight], it would not measure up. It’s not the right time to make that". What mighty words coming from the man who helped bring travesties like the The Unborn, The Hitcher, and let us not forget the Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th remakes. As far as I'm concerned, this man has absolutely no leg to stand on when it comes to the success of a remake. Then again, this bastard measures success by decimals and dollars rather than providing art that is not only aesthetically pleasing to the fans, but also retains the heart of the original work. Lest us not forget that Twatlight and Near Dark are two entirely different entities. The teen vampire love story follows a girl who abandons everything about her life in order to be with a vampire who stalks her at night and who's family is super nice to her unless she bleeds all the while still going to school, being a bratty teenager to her loving father, and cheating on him with a shape-shifting, homoerotic, Native American wolf-man. Near Dark is a vampire/western about a guy who falls in love with a girl who turns out to be from a vampire family that he only discovers after another family member previously attacked him and turned him into a vampire that travels the highways in stolen cars from people they brutally massacre and who randomly breaks into places and kills everyone witness in order to feed. I'm sorry, but what?! The only thing they have in common is that someone outside the vampire clan falls in love with someone in a vampire clan. As far as Twatlight is concerned, I'm using the word "love" very lightly.

Now, this whole hoopla went down in 2008 and Platinum Dunes has put out an asinine amount of terrible films since then. I just don't understand what is going through the minds of people like Brad Fuller anymore. It makes me sad all day. At least we can rest easy knowing that if Twatlight did anything right...it was saving the Near Dark remake.

THE HORROR FILM INDUSTRY HAS LOST ITS DAMN MIND: MEGAN FOX WANTS CARRIE WHITE?!

2011-05-25T02:20:00.000-05:00

HER NAME WAS BJ-C, AND TODAY IS HER BIRTHDAY

2011-05-22T22:52:00.001-05:00

My darling womanizers, I am officially 21 years old!!!

This is quite the accomplishment for me, as horror movie rules would have wiped me out by 19.

I will most likely be inebriated today (I don't care that it's a Monday) , and I've set this as an automatic post at midnight. I may be late to the party, but I'm in good company!

EEEEEEEEEE! I'll probably be experiencing a Horror Hangover for the next few days, but I'll be back with a TpT on Tuesday!

MY BABY SISTER WON THE PAGEANT!

2011-05-22T11:29:00.000-05:00

i guess it runs in the family :)