The First Horror Movie - Part Two

Edison's Frankenstein - Part Two
(Begin with Part One below.)


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The First Horror Movie - Part One

Edison's Frankenstein - Part One

With new score by Life Toward Twilight (a group I recently discovered - such good stuff!)

More info about the movie here.


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Fragile

I love the horror genre, obviously. Gore's fine. Jump scares - whatever...but what I love more than anything is atmosphere. Preferably haunted. And a slow story that builds and relies on character development and location for its backbone and flesh. Subtly. Slow, creepy realizations that turn your blood a tad cooler. That to me is horror.

This evening I watched FRAGILE by writer/director Jaume Balagueró, who is best known for REC and REC 2. It wasn't a perfect film (Really, how many of those are there? You can probably count them on one hand), but I thoroughly enjoyed it. A story that took its time, characters that were imperfect, and an atmosphere right up my alley. I liked it. It's not for everyone, but it did nicely for this horror loving girl.


Click on the pic below for the trailer.

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Here There Be Monsters

A fantastic looking low budget film. Can't wait to see this one. Click to watch the trailer:


View a clip from the movie here.


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Super 8

Don't know how long this will be up on YouTube, so check it out while you can. JJ Abrams next film. Looks like loads of fun. :)


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Dawning...Best Horror Film Poster of 2010? Yes.

I definitely want to see this.

Official Movie Site

LOVE the poster.


UPDATE: Looks like there will be a screening of the film Feb. 20th and 21st at the 2010 Nevermore Film Festival in Durham, NC. If you're anywhere near there, I'd suggest you check it out. (Thanks for the info Gregg!)
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The Horror The Horror

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INK

INK
Watched this movie yesterday and I really, really enjoyed it. Quite fantastical, visually stunning, and though a bit sentimental at times, I think it's more than worth the watch. It was done with no studio backing or financing. The director also scored the film. The score is fantastic (I bought it on iTunes).

I hope someone gives this guy a shitload of money to do his next film. I can't wait.



And a track from the score:




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October 1

60 degrees outside today. Windows cracked. Watched The Thing, Suspiria, & Halloween. It has begun.


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Haunted

I'm a huge fan of the short lived series Dead Like Me. I loved the concept and grew to adore the quirky, troubled characters. I've seen every episode at least a few times, and was delighted when the straight to DVD movie came out. (While I wasn't too happy about the new Daisy, I was more than happy to be back in their world.)

The episode "Haunted" takes place on Halloween night. I'm particularly fond of it because you get to see all the houses decorated for Halloween - something that doesn't happen all that often in TV shows or movies. Kids are running about in costumes, candy is flowing, and pumpkins and jack o'lanterns abound. There are spider webs stretched across doors and windows, giant spiders, skeletons hanging from trees and even a yard haunt or two. Also, the story of the episode is pretty damn cool.


You can watch the episode here. I hope you do.

Also, look for Emily Perkins from Ginger Snaps. She has a brief part.


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Nostromo, Up Close

Found this very, very cool site that has behind the scenes photos and reminiscences from the crew of Alien. The good ol' days when people made models and monsters for movies. What a cool job that must have been.

There's all kinds of interesting stuff on the site, so be sure to explore.


Image source and site.


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Schooling

Spent the last few days visiting friends in my hometown of Memphis, Tn. While there I hung out with my good friend Bryan who owns Black Lodge Video - the coolest, most awesome video store that ever was. If you want it chances are they got it. Their VHS collection is strong, and they don't shy away from adding to it. They've everything from the latest titles to the incredibly obscure thought-you'd-never-find films. This is where I learned horror. This is where all the movies came from. (And because I know the owner, all the rentals were free.) Thanks, Bryan, for my education.


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Bad Day At The Beach

This looks like it has promise.






Salvage


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The Dead Zone

We recently watched The Dead Zone. It's been a few years since I've seen it and I'd forgotten how much I dig it. I think it doesn't get enough attention - it's very well done. The final scene is heartbreaking. Also, I love the score.



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Do & Don't

A Must See:

The Burrowers is an elegant & intelligent horror movie. Great script, cinematography, character development, score & less-is-more on the creatures. Thank you, J.T. Petty.

Avoid at all costs:

Laid To Rest

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Blood Red Earth & The Burrowers

I watched Blood Red Earth by J.T. Petty on Fearnet On Demand recently and was wonderfully & completely blown away. It's been awhile since I've come across a contemporary horror filmmaker who isn't afraid to take things slow. His respect for the genre and for its fans is evident - he trusts us to be intelligent and patient, and to not need lots of boobs and blood to be entertained. The look, story, and pace of the film are all graceful - traits rarely seen in horror.

Blood Red Earth is a short film & prequel to his upcoming feature film that I am excited about - The Burrowers (starring Clancy Brown who I love). You can watch the short at the link below the photo. Be sure to watch all the behind-the-scene interviews. J.T. Petty says a lot of very cool stuff - he's the kind of filmmaker I've been waiting for. I loved his first film Soft For Digging. Even though it contained hardly any dialogue at all, it managed to be thick with narrative and mystery. I can't wait to see the movies he'll be making. (I've wanted to see his S&Man, but haven't been able to find a copy.) Also it's pretty groovy that Larry Fessenden is in the short, though briefly. He's another director I am a big fan of - he directed The Last Winter.

Blood Red Earth short & interviews


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The Hand

We watched The Hand with Michael Cane this afternoon. I remember watching it as a little girl and being absolutely terrified. For days after I checked every nook, every dark corner for the hand...I just knew it'd be up on all five digits, ready to pounce. It's still scary to me, but in a different way now. The tension level in several scenes is unnerving, and the chilling score by James Horner (the opening song is to die for) made this film a very pleasant way to spend Valentine's Day.

Screencap by me.

By the way, Pumpkinrot has the bootlegged score. I think it will be playing as we cook dinner tonight. How sweet.
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Best Movie Poster of 2009? So Far...Yes.

I so dig this poster for the upcoming Ti West film The House of the Devil. Unfortunately I couldn't find a larger pic.


Ti West also wrote and directed The Roost.

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

Pumpkinrot and I spend alot of time talking about and watching horror movies. One of the most enjoyable things we do is revisit movies that scared us when we were kids - the movies that, later that night when it was time to go to bed, transformed the closet door cracked open in the dark to a chasm filled with horrible monsters and the 2 feet on the floor next to the bed a "no foot" zone. It's often a challenge to find these movies (and sometimes hard to remember the titles), but once in a while we track them down. Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark was a made for TV movie that Pumpkinrot remembers. We managed to find it on YouTube.

I'm into any movie whose description begins, "A couple moves into an old mansion..."

It was so much fun to watch.

Screencap from the film.


I'm totally going hide a little demon doll in the medicine cabinet for Rot to find.


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The Night No One Came Home

Sure wish I owned these beauties.



From here.
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