Creepy Doll

"Creepy Doll" by Jonathan Coulton

A fantastic find by our man in the field, Drake GJ!

MADHOUSE

I finally made time to see the 1974 classic MADHOUSE recently. I tossed it one while working on a project thinking that it was going to be some fluffy, empty horror comedy. I'm not sure where I got that idea - it was far from comedy.

In this tale, we meet Paul Toombes (Vincent Price) - the actor behind the famous movie madman Dr. Death. Toombes created the character with his dear friend Herbert Flay (Peter Cushing) and movie after movie was made. However, after tragedy strikes Toombes, we're not sure if Dr. Death will return.

Enough said about the plot. We have PRICE and CUSHING together here! It's a fantastic pairing. Like wine and cheese or cookies and ice cream! :) The performances are fantastic and well worth a watch. The 70s film making could be tough for those who love today's BOURNE bouncing camera and rocket edits, but the charm and grace of this film made it for me. What we really have here is a who-done-it in a classic giallo style. We know something is amiss, but we're not sure what it is exactly.

The film does run off the rails a bit at the end. I found myself blinking at the screen and wondering what it was I just saw. However, I was so invested in the film and it's characters that this small plot swerve merely got a raised eyebrow and a audible "Huh?" out of me before I slipped right back into it's delicious, Hammer Horror-style glory.

If you're a Price fan, you'll love the use of many of his previous films as the films of Dr. Death. FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM and clips from many more Price classics are  shown and it turns into a lovely homage to Price and his work.

The film is also Directed by Jim Clark. While this seems to be his biggest Director outing, he's been an editor on some major titles - The World is Not Enough, Marathon Man, Charade and The Killing Fields just to name a few. Nothing to shake a stick at, as they say.

All in all, you can't go wrong with MADHOUSE. Put it on one dark and rainy night, pour yourself a glass of wine, sit back and enjoy!

Available on NETFLIX streaming at the time of this post.

The Cottage

Andy Serkis (Golum "LORD OF THE RINGS") stars in this strange, sick little horror comedy from 2008 about a simple kidnapping gone wrong and a bad man doing some bad things around...a cottage.

Written and Directed by Paul Andrew Williams who also wrote THE CHILDREN (2008).

Fun, fluffy little film with some really nasty bits. This one is well worth a rental or stream over a pint with some friends. :)

Spiral

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0491162/

Ok...I'm going to say it.

“Modern day Norman Bates-like nutter” movie.

Joel Moore plays the disturbed Mason. He has some real issues. Nuff said.
Adam Green has a certain flair for the...well...frucked up! He knows how to make horror. He know how to shoot it and Joel Moore knows how to help write and direct as well. The film has a somewhat low budget feel, but was fun and creepy to watch. One of those films that you giggle at because it's smart.

No, there are no traps.
No torture.
No wicked villains with master plans or scary foreigners out to get ya.

These people are people you work with. People you know. (Hell, YOU may even BE one of them yourself!) That's what brings the horror home.
Check this film out. You'll dig it, I think.
For added fun: Watch it on a first date!

Samurai Princess

Ah...Samurai Princess.

No need to dwell on this TOO much.

Basically, we can laundry list this 2009 oddness by saying that it deals with the creation of cybrg-like humans, is packed with blood spraying, tongue wiggling, overacting, crimes against women, body parts laying around in piles, AWESOME dubbing (horrid), and has a foot tossed at a nun who starts preaching...which was rather funny.

And, WHEN the hell is this supposed to be happening time wise?? They are like strange, harajuku people in some strange, alternate universe. The clothing is bizarre. But...I kinda liked it.


For a movie staring a porn starlet Yû Aiba , there is little nekkidness. Though, there is a silly love making scene in the middle.

See also: MACHINE GIRL, TOKYO GORE POLICE

You can watch the whole thing here...until they yank it down! :)

Daemonium

DAEMONIUM is a web series short format film - a science fiction/horror blend out of Argentina from Director Pablo Pares and Producer Simon Ratziel.

The film is in five parts and tells the story of a dystopian, alternate universe packed with demons of both the monster and human variety.

Episode One has some fun elements in it for sure. Cool costumes, cute Argentine ladies and a grand assortment of demons looking to cause trouble. A girl dressed in a schoolgirl outfit (ok, a bit played out, but...you know...you still like it...) wanders into a bio-hazard warehouse area. She slinks through the environment and sucks on a sucker. Enter demons. Enter action.



I know. I know. But hey, it's still good stuff once the butt kicking starts. :)

There's a nice mix of CG effects and practical effects as well. They are blended into a cool, comic style that will appeal to fans of films like SUCKER PUNCH or SKY CAPTAIN.

I'm all in - bring on the next four episodes!