In the Mouth of Madness (1995)

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this classic John Carpenter film and end up watching it about twice a year.

Sam Neill plays John Trent - a jaded insurance inspector type who doesn't trust people or their stories. He tracks insurance scams and pay outs and he's very good at his job. When horror writer Sutter Cane (played by the great Jürgen Prochnow from Das Boot) goes missing and the publisher is looking for money, Trent thinks something fishy is going on and starts searching for Cane.

That's when everything goes to hell. :)

This is a mystery wrapped in a horror movie and both of these aspects work really well. I'm really into the mystery side of things and, as things unfold and get more and more horrific, I'm giddy as a kid in a candy shop!

Neill is "Neill-riffic" as usual. He plays things up for giggles and noir goodness to a perfect pitch while Prochnow is creepy and intense as usual.

And the visuals. Yikes. I think about them late at night sometimes when I'm on the road or taking the trash out and...yikes.

Check it out for sure. It'll make your Halloween a little more special!


IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS

Session 9 (2001)

There was something about this sleeper that hit me when I was watching it. A sense of dread was present in the whole thing. The writing was grand and the actors turned in some good performances. The whole film-space seemed to grow heavier and heavier as it went along.

Brad Anderson turns in another grand directing effort here. I think this was one of his major debut efforts before he rolled into directing THE MACHINIST in 2004 with Christian Bale and the lesser known (but good) TRANSSIBERIAN in 2008 with Sir Ben Kingsley and Woody Harrelson. He knows how to get a vibe out of a movie and it's actors and actresses for sure.

If you like watching a group of characters in a really bad situation and love seeing them fall to shreds before your eyes, you'll love this gothic, ghostly, and ghastly little film.

Cemetery Man

A zombie lover MUST SEE!
CEMETERY MAN (Dellamorte Dellamore) from 1994 is a grand film. Based on the story concepts in DYLAN DOG , this trippy little nugget is a lot of fun to watch. It's almost like watching someone's dream...or nightmare...unfold on the screen. Another Halloween favorite, zombie lovers need to make sure they see this as well.

I'm not going to try to sum up the plot too much - it's too damn strange. Suffice it to say that Francesco Dellamorte (Rupert Everett) oversees the goings on at the cemetery an makes sure the dead stay dead. Along the way he falls in love with the beautiful Anna Falchi who plays several roles in the film, but it looks like he's doomed to spend his days dealing with the dead and his mute co-worker Gnaghi.

A wild ride for sure!

(Sorry - all I have is the Italian Trailer. The film is in English)

The Man Who Laughs

This is one of my favorites for sure.

THE MAN WHO LAUGHS is a fantastic silent film from 1928 filled with lovely visuals and touching story. Those "in the know" will be aware that the lead was the model for The Joker, but the film goes deeper than that.

I was lucky enough to see this film at the Castro Theater in San Francisco with live organ accompaniment and an even livelier audience. At the end, we were cheering - filled with a mutual love for this film and it's exciting set pieces.

It's available for viewing online - WELL worth checking out.

THE MAN WHO LAUGHS - PART ONE

Galaxy of Terror

Halloween Fun: Galaxy of Terror
"ALIEN was the beginning ... Hell Has Just Been Relocated!"

What do you get when you put Erin Moran (Happy Days), Robert Englund (Nightmare on Elm Street), Sid Haig (Devils Rejects) and Ray Walston (My Favorite Martian) together in the same film. The Roger Corman classic GALAXY OF TERROR.

Riding the coat tails of ALIEN, the gem is well worth snagging. I have not seen it in ages, but I remember laughing and cringing all the way through it. If you're looking for a film to rent for Halloween that goes really well with pizza and beer, this is it!

Check it out!


Trailer does contain scenes of a graphic nature.

High School of the Dead

As both a zombie and anime fan, HIGH SCHOOL OF THE DEAD hits the mark on several levels. Being a fan of panties helps as well. :)
Some very smart zombie fiction here with some top notch zombie action. Go figure. It's some of the best zombie action I've seen, really. Mix in the anime fantasy elements and it works really well. The pantie action is just silly, but it doesn't distract from the horror...too much.
Well worth checking it. It's a fun blend of horror, action and...panty flashing goofiness.

Check it! Episodes are available via the internet...for FREE. You're welcome. :)

http://www.animekuro.com/airing-anime/highschool-of-the-dead/highschool-of-the-dead-episode-1/

Zombie Playground

This has to be one of my most favorite zombie art pieces. Yikes.
San Francisco artist, too!

Artist's site: http://www.jasonchanart.com/

THE THING theme music

Not sure why this came to me the this morning. I was walking into work. There was no one around. I used my badge to get into the building and this music popped into my head and played as I walked through the dim hall to the stairwell.

Needless to say, I was a little creeped out by it. :)

A fantastic score to be sure.

DAYWALT: Haunted Queen Mary

Drew Daywalt knocks it out of the park with this creepy Queen Mary footage.
So full of atmosphere. So creepy. So good. :)