Some grand art from Robert Sammelin.
While not all of his illustrations are horror related, he does have some horror gems among the awesome illustrations he has going.
I love his style and the depth he has. From painterly to comic style illustration, he has COOL dialed in for sure!
"If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all."
This phrase came to mind when I thought about writing something about THE HAUNTING OF WHALEY HOUSE. It's somewhat straight forward, low budget ghosty horror. The lifeboat plot has a group gathered by various ways and means, then locks them in the haunted Whaley House where they are systematically released from life. You could do far worse on Netflix streaming, that's for sure. The film had it's moments.
It did get me thinking - it's really easy to sit back, watch and shred the HELL outta something. I do it often. ::::grin::: However, when I see how hard friends of mine work on films and see the effort it takes to not only complete a film, but to put it out for the world to see (...and, in some cases, shred...) it makes me take a step back and give films like these a bit of a wider range of acceptance. I don't have a film, book or even a short story out there in the world on this level, so why am I bashing things?
WORLD WAR Z was panned by many, but it has still made $198,854,941 as of Aug 25, 2013. Not a bad haul and even at a cost of $190mill to make, it'll do just fine. None of my work projects cost as much to make. :)
So, if you are looking for a little light ghost horror with some gore and more than a thimble full of plot, you might want to make up some popcorn and toss on The Haunting Of Whaley House on Netflix streaming to support the efforts of Jose Prendes, his actors and his crew. It's ghosts, it has some nice PRACTICAL effects work and it's not a friggin' found footage film! It should be viewed based on that alone.
And, you'll get to see one of the most...random...breast exposure shots ever filmed. hehehehe Money well spent, Ms. Mindy Robinson. •ahem• I had to re-watch her scene (yeah yeah...I know) just now because after writing this, I realized that I had looked away for a moment and had NO idea how her and her screen boyfriend got into the mix in the film and what happened to her after her big...uh...her flashing thing. It turns out I missed a rather good line. (Spoiler?)
After she flashes her man to get him to take her to dinner instead of frucking around in the garden of a haunted house (what he was trying to do is still unclear), she delivers the line, "Fine. Well, I'm getting out of here before I get killed." And, SHE DOES! She just walks away and that's the last we see of her! LOL!
Another fun nugget is being able to see a little of the still utterly striking Lynn Lowry (The Crazies 1973) - a personal Horror Crush that a swoon over. :) She's slotted for ten films in 2013! TEN! And she already has another four coming for 2014. I really need to catch up! :)
"Brandon Cronenberg's award winning, horror, sci-fi ANTIVIRAL, starring Caleb Landy Jones (X-MEN: FIRST CLASS), Malcolm McDowell (CLOCKWORK ORANGE), Lisa Berry (SAW V), and Sarah Gadon (COSMOPOLIS), will be released by IFC on April 12, but if you've not seen it yet, it's screening at HorrorHound Weekend at 6:45pm Friday night, March 22nd. As advertised, expect limited seating, so get in line early if you want to catch ANTIVIRAL on the silver screen! ANTIVIRAL has a limited theatrical release and hits VOD on April 12, 2013."
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Yes, old Brandon is a chip off the old block. Body horror, secret societies and hidden horrors are all in here and it looks like it will be a scream. There's a grand style here as well. Slick and clean - this is a strange new world that's been created and it all seems to work together really well. I love sci fi horror. There's so much to pull from that straight horror doesn't have. Things like EVENT HORIZON come to mind. Like a Reece's candy, the blend of chocolate and peanut butter...or in this case mad science and disgusting body horror...look like they'll be a delicious combination I can't wait to devour!
As with THE ABC's of DEATH, old Daddy Malco will be checking this out via download come April 12th. (Right on the heels of seeing EVIL DEAD on April 5th!) Review to follow.
NOTE: Do yourself a favor if you are interested in this film, but no nothing about it - avoid a Google image search for it. There are major spoilers that pop up.
Well, The Brood didn't wow me like Shivers and Rabid did.
A man comes to grips with his failing marriage as his wife works with a psychotherapist (Oliver Reed) to overcome deep emotional scars. Their child sees the mother one weekends, but otherwise, the wife is under strict seclusion as she works with her doctor. So, if that's the case, who's killing people she gets angry with during therapy and what is the true "Shape of Rage"?
As Rabid and Shivers seem to deal with themes like sexuality, science gone wrong and sexually transmitted diseases, The Brood seems to deal with the dangers of therapy and the trauma divorce has one the family unit - especially the children involved. I'm just happy my divorce wasn't as traumatic as the relationship in this film is!
Oliver Reed is grand, as usual, as he chews the scenery and delivers his lines under his sleepy eyelids and Shakespearean cadence. :::grin::: So much fun to see him in these therapy sessions. Art "The Jaw" Hindle does well with his role as the Father trying to hold everything together, juggling being a single father, keeping his construction company going and dealing with his wife. And, I have to say that I COULD NOT STAND Samantha Eggar as the wife with baggage, drama and a mild bout of insanity. Not to mention other items that make her very unappealing. Her acting is great, mind you - that's not the issue I had. I think it just hit a bit too close to home for me personally, which I took as a sign that the film managed to hit that particular nail on the head. It seems very real.
While I enjoyed the film, it's pace and story didn't really do it for me. It has a sort of
set 'em up and knock 'em down" quality that didn't sit well with me. Eggar goes through her sessions and Reed makes her angry about someone, then that person is attacked by something really nasty and they are dispatched violently. After a while, there wasn't anything super new about the situation. I was just waiting for things to happen. This was partially because it was a slightly simpler film and I remembered most of the main points from seeing it years ago.
And the main plot point of the story wasn't as interesting to me. I think that that was due to it being more psychology based and "magical" rather than the science based (yes, albeit fantasy science! :) ) plot lines of Rabid and Shivers. I find it amazing that these films from the 70s (Brood - 1979) still kick the arses of many films made today. This is largely due to the talents of Cronenberg, obviously. It's fun to watch a Director's work like I've been doing - movie to movie in the order in which they were made. You start seeing common themes and Director styles from film to film.
THE BROOD is still fun and interesting and very Cronenberg and I still say that it's well worth watching.
Check it.
Dear Mr. David Cronenberg, You are one sick puppy. I love that about you. Signed, Malco
Wow.
Cronenberg has this way of making films that make your skin crawl. They Came From Within - aka Shivers (...and originally written as The Parasite Murders. Whew) - is one of those films. A few scientists are trying to grow parasites that can do the work of human body organs. This will take organ transplants to the next level. Genius, right? Well, one of the scientists happens to be a bit of a madman and pervert. He thinks people do a bit too much thinking, so he tweaks the parasites so they make people randy and so that they can be transferred like a sexually transmitted disease. So, you have a bunch of horny crazy folks with parasites in their bellies chasing after people. And, how the parasites get into the bodies is a whole other matter. Any port in a storm comes to mind. In a word - awesome. Not bad for a first, feature film with a 15 day shooting schedule and "inexpensive" and often first time actors, Mr. Cronenberg!
There are some really nasty, Cronenberg body horror scenes in here. Nasty business all around. The creatures are gross and the visuals are nutty as usual. He handles the location well, too. It's this sort of lone apartment complex, so the parasites and crazies are all in one spot. It has the usual psycho-sexual element as well. The sexual component of the film can be a bit much for "shy" viewers. The parasite makes people go into fits of orgy madness. Be aware - it gets pretty....well...Cronenberg. Lot's of people being forced into bad situations - some involving children or young ladies acting as "teens".
Allan Kolman is are major "bad guy" in the film, but his menace was lost a bit due to the fact that he reminded me of David Schwimmer on Friends. Joe Silver is back from dealing with Rabid folks and now he's dealing with parasites with his great, New York accent and great character face. Barbara Steele graces us with some fantastic and odd screen time. Paul Hampton is our hero, but he's rather wooden and seems lost in thought most of the time. And Lynn Lowry.....:::sigh::::....Lynn Lowry.....uh...is in it, too as the heroine of the story. *ahem*. Ok...she's kinda beautiful. It's like watching an elf on screen. :::sigh::: :)
Unlike Rabid, the pace gets a little strange at the halfway mark. We're in the building and all madness is breaking loose. We move from scene to scene waiting for things to happen to people. We know the crazies are rapidly out numbering the sane, but it takes a while to build to the third act. Of course, it's a hell-of-a-third act and well worth slogging around the complex a bit. Just when you think you know what to expect from these creatures, things get ramped up to new levels of Cronenbergian madness. The numbed and parasited masses are hard to fight.
This is a great piece of 70s goodness that puts many of today's genre films to shame. They can't hold a candle to this film. If you like creepy horror, you need to check this out for sure! While the sexual stuff is rampant, it's not gratuitous. It's a definite statement being made here. STDs and human nature. Science gone wrong. It's great stuff.
I tossed Rabid on recently thinking that I'd half watch while doing other tasks. I remembered it being somewhat slow and very "70s" in it's pace. The fact that it was David Cronenberg didn't sway me - I was thinking that it was one of his early works and was just ok. I was wrong. It's really rather good.
We have the yummy, "porn actress gone straight" Marilyn Chambers playing Rose, a girl who is badly injured in a motorcycle accident with her boyfriend. She's trapped under the cycle and suffers some major injuries. The accident happens next to the Keloid Clinic - a plastic surgery clinic that is trying some new skin graft treatments. Needless to say, something goes really wrong with the procedure and the outcome and Rose is turned into a vampire-like creature with a need to feed. Her feeding - unique in and of itself - transfers a rabies-like disease into it's victims. Chaos ensues.
The great thing about Rabid is the build. We have a bad situation with Rose that causes an even worse situation that builds to a wild climax. Throughout we're treated to a great story that plays out well, interesting characters and acting that carries everything expertly. We also get to see some of that grand, David Cronenberg body horror madness. Medical creepiness and sickly body horrors that I found myself shuddering about from time to time.
Rabid isn't your typical 70s schlock. If you have not sen it or have not viewed it in a long while, you may want to check it out. It's bound to please.
Another fun nugget is being able to see a little of the still utterly striking Lynn Lowry (The Crazies 1973) - a personal Horror Crush that a swoon over. :) She's slotted for ten films in 2013! TEN! And she already has another four coming for 2014. I really need to catch up! :)
From one of my new favorite blogs DOLLS OF DESPAIR 
Yes, old Brandon is a chip off the old block. Body horror, secret societies and hidden horrors are all in here and it looks like it will be a scream. There's a grand style here as well. Slick and clean - this is a strange new world that's been created and it all seems to work together really well. I love sci fi horror. There's so much to pull from that straight horror doesn't have. Things like EVENT HORIZON come to mind. Like a Reece's candy, the blend of chocolate and peanut butter...or in this case mad science and disgusting body horror...look like they'll be a delicious combination I can't wait to devour! 
Oliver Reed is grand, as usual, as he chews the scenery and delivers his lines under his sleepy eyelids and Shakespearean cadence. :::grin::: So much fun to see him in these therapy sessions. Art "The Jaw" Hindle does well with his role as the Father trying to hold everything together, juggling being a single father, keeping his construction company going and dealing with his wife. And, I have to say that I COULD NOT STAND Samantha Eggar as the wife with baggage, drama and a mild bout of insanity. Not to mention other items that make her very unappealing. Her acting is great, mind you - that's not the issue I had. I think it just hit a bit too close to home for me personally, which I took as a sign that the film managed to hit that particular nail on the head. It seems very real.
Cronenberg has this way of making films that make your skin crawl. They Came From Within - aka Shivers (...and originally written as The Parasite Murders. Whew) - is one of those films. A few scientists are trying to grow parasites that can do the work of human body organs. This will take organ transplants to the next level. Genius, right? Well, one of the scientists happens to be a bit of a madman and pervert. He thinks people do a bit too much thinking, so he tweaks the parasites so they make people randy and so that they can be transferred like a sexually transmitted disease. So, you have a bunch of horny crazy folks with parasites in their bellies chasing after people. And, how the parasites get into the bodies is a whole other matter. Any port in a storm comes to mind. In a word - awesome. Not bad for a first, feature film with a 15 day shooting schedule and "inexpensive" and often first time actors, Mr. Cronenberg! 
Allan Kolman is are major "bad guy" in the film, but his menace was lost a bit due to the fact that he reminded me of David Schwimmer on Friends. Joe Silver is back from dealing with Rabid folks and now he's dealing with parasites with his great, New York accent and great character face. Barbara Steele graces us with some fantastic and odd screen time. Paul Hampton is our hero, but he's rather wooden and seems lost in thought most of the time. And Lynn Lowry.....:::sigh::::....Lynn Lowry.....uh...is in it, too as the heroine of the story. *ahem*. Ok...she's kinda beautiful. It's like watching an elf on screen. :::sigh::: :)
Unlike Rabid, the pace gets a little strange at the halfway mark. We're in the building and all madness is breaking loose. We move from scene to scene waiting for things to happen to people. We know the crazies are rapidly out numbering the sane, but it takes a while to build to the third act. Of course, it's a hell-of-a-third act and well worth slogging around the complex a bit. Just when you think you know what to expect from these creatures, things get ramped up to new levels of Cronenbergian madness. The numbed and parasited masses are hard to fight. 
We have the yummy, "porn actress gone straight" Marilyn Chambers playing Rose, a girl who is badly injured in a motorcycle accident with her boyfriend. She's trapped under the cycle and suffers some major injuries. The accident happens next to the Keloid Clinic - a plastic surgery clinic that is trying some new skin graft treatments. Needless to say, something goes really wrong with the procedure and the outcome and Rose is turned into a vampire-like creature with a need to feed. Her feeding - unique in and of itself - transfers a rabies-like disease into it's victims. Chaos ensues. 
The great thing about Rabid is the build. We have a bad situation with Rose that causes an even worse situation that builds to a wild climax. Throughout we're treated to a great story that plays out well, interesting characters and acting that carries everything expertly. We also get to see some of that grand, David Cronenberg body horror madness. Medical creepiness and sickly body horrors that I found myself shuddering about from time to time.
