Blogcritics The critical lens on today's culture & entertainment
Must be the Season of the Witch – the season of Halloween now stretches across October in stores, decor, and entertainment with everything from the most abstract children's commercial tie-ins to horror to genuine intimations of the beyond stirring in the chill dead of night.
As usual we will survey the scene and report on the doings of the undead, the unnatural, and candy corn across the culture as the season progresses:
Halloween: Where Have We Gone Wrong?
I walk through the halls of my high school, watching people in costume go by. The general conversation is about the big Halloween party after school, or trick or treating with friends. The occasional comment is made about it being…
Posted to Culture by Hannah Yanega on October 31, 2006 10:49 PM
Blogcritics Goodie Bag: The Nativity Story, Speed Racer, Wrestling With Angels, Tales of the Rat Fink Soundtrack, Borat Soundtrack, and AOL Halloween Videos
From humble beginnings, great things can emerge. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen, Lords of Dogtown) from a screenplay by Mike Rich (The Rookie, Finding Forrester), The Nativity Story tells the extraordinary tale of two common people, Mary and Joseph, a…
Posted to Video by Anna Creech on October 31, 2006 09:44 PM
DVD Review: A Halloween Treat in Heroes of Horror
The Grand Finale (part 3) When last we left Iloz Zoc, Steve Brown, and Glenor Glenda, they were waiting for a chance to rescue Zombos from the Shudderites, those dastardly invaders from the Eighth Dimension. With Halloween fast approaching, the…
Posted to Video by Iloz Zoc on October 31, 2006 03:58 PM
You Think That's Scary? Try This!
Halloween, the night spirits walk the earth. Death and evil surround me as bloodcurdling screams echo from far too close. Horror, trembling hands, the bile rising in my throat as footsteps approach from behind, naked fear grips my chest. Halloween? No,…
Posted to Culture by Donnie Marler on October 31, 2006 03:52 PM
Which Witch Is Which?
Well darn it all, I went and missed it and I was so looking forward to it. Yesterday the Globe and Mail was featuring an online interview with someone claiming to be a Wicca priestess and I was dying…
Posted to Culture by Richard Marcus on October 31, 2006 03:45 PM
Movie Review: Saw III
One advertisement for Saw III declared, “If it’s Halloween, it has to be Saw!” This self-proclaimed statement from Lions Gate Films and Twisted Pictures is difficult to refute. For the third time in three years, a film from…
Posted to Video by Brandon Valentine on October 31, 2006 10:16 AM
Scary Movies of 2006
"Spine-tingling!" "Toe-curling!" "Keeps you on the edge of your seat!" Apparently, watching a scary movie, as opposed to any other genre, is a very physical spectator sport. In the spirit of Halloween and with only a few more…
Posted to Video by Don Baiocchi on October 31, 2006 09:48 AM
DVD Pick of the Week: Cannibal Ferox
This Halloween is not offering up much in the way of killer releases. I can't say that anything looks like an absolute must have, but every week offers up something that will be worth looking into. I was a little…
Posted to Video by Chris Beaumont on October 31, 2006 09:44 AM
How I Learned To Love Being Scared
In August 1975, BBC2 started showing late night horror movie double bills; these ran for a couple of months every year until 1981. Some of the fondest memories of my childhood are watching these with my Dad. He wasn’t a…
Posted to Video by Ian Woolstencroft on October 31, 2006 07:45 AM
A Satanic Photo Gallery
In the spirit of the Halloween season, I was hunting and gathering images of the devil aka Satan aka Lucifer aka Scratch. I don't know that I have any amazing fresh insights on Our Dark Lord. My main…
Posted to Culture by Al Barger on October 31, 2006 06:58 AM
Masters of Horror Interview: Jeff Baham of DoomBuggies
This is a series of interviews with the people who make Haunted House/Horror Movies and more what they are today. Today we interview Mr. Haunted Mansion Jeff Baham. He is the Web guru behind Doom Buggies4, the ultimate Disney Haunted…
Posted to Culture by hauntedreport on October 31, 2006 05:34 AM
Movie Review: Sneak Peek at Sin-Jin Smyth
Zombos Closet friend (and odd relative on Zimba's side, I believe) Bruce Murray was recently invited to take a first look at Sin-Jin Smyth. Sure, he gets invited. Lucky for us, he graciously sent along the review in time for…
Posted to Video by Iloz Zoc on October 30, 2006 11:19 PM
ESPN Halloween Derby Championship – A Monday Night Football Highlight
Sports: not something I usually dip into when looking for writing inspiration. But, when something as silly as the ESPN Halloween Derby appears as part of the Monday Night Football halftime show, how can I pass on the opportunity to…
Posted to Sports by Joan Hunt on October 30, 2006 10:44 PM
DVD Review: Masters Of Horror – Incident On And Off A Mountain Road
Some horror directors seem to become associated with a particular writer's work during their careers. Maybe they feel a certain affinity with an author, or understand and admire their work to such a degree that they are compelled to bring…
Posted to Video by Daniel Woolstencroft on October 30, 2006 09:27
Movie Review: The Mummy's Hand
Bill Sherman digs a vintage Mummy movie.
Posted to Video by Bill Sherman on October 30, 2006 01:03 PM
Movie Review: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre – The Beginning
Sullied. That's how I felt as I left the screening of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning. I felt unclean. Not because of the film's desperate attempts at shocking gore and violence – and it's not as grotesque as it…
Posted to Video by Daniel Woolstencroft on October 30, 2006 07:34 AM
The Not-Quite-Sunday Funnies
Halloween 2006 edition!
Posted to Culture by Annie on October 29, 2006 10:28 PM
TV Review: Hex
I was excited the first time I saw ads for BBC America’s Hex. Truth is, I’m in perpetual mourning for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and may be ‘til the day I die, or Joss Whedon finally directs Wonder…
Posted to Video by Kati Irons on October 29, 2006 08:57 PM (Relevance: 1)
DVD Review: Slither
A dumb, fun little near-parody of the horror genre, Slither is an easily recommendable summer movie. Director James Gunn knows the genre, and proves it by naming everything in the town, from the characters to the storefronts, after people responsible…
Posted to Video by Matt Paprocki on October 29, 2006 06:06 PM
Theater Review: Ray Bradbury's Autumn People Has a Thoughtful Halloween at the Fremont Centre Theater
Ray Bradbury's Autumn People is a slight commentary on people in an old-fashioned science fiction framwork.
Posted to Culture by Purple Tigress on October 29, 2006 01:16 PM
TV Review: Sci-Fi Channel Original Movie – Kraken
It's cleavage, a giant squid, gore, cleavage. It's a workable combo.
Posted to Video by Matt Paprocki on October 29, 2006 10:00 AM
No Trick Or Treat: Trying to Survive Halloween After Losing Someone
This Halloween season has been distinctly different for me. I am having a difficult time because I lost my mother and aunt earlier this year.
Posted to Culture by Victor Lana on October 29, 2006 05:28 AM
Movie Review: Saw III
As soon as the first one was a hit, a sequel was fast tracked. A year later the sequel opened and was an even bigger hit, and a third was immediately set into motion. Here we are, three years, three…
Posted to Video by Chris Beaumont on October 28, 2006 10:02 AM
Friday Flash: De-Animator, Stickman Madness, and Whack-A-Ghoul
It's the Halloween edition, with thrills and chills, blood and guts, and creepy, creepy sounds.
Posted to Gaming by Phillip Winn on October 27, 2006 06:15 PM
New Movies and Box Office Predictions: Saw III, Catch a Fire, Death of a President
Halloween is nearly upon us, which means it is Hollywood's last chance to get a scary movie into theaters before the big day. This weekend brings what may be, arguably, the biggest scary movie of the year. Hopefully it will…
Posted to Video by Chris Beaumont on October 27, 2006 07:16 AM
DVD Review: Frankenstein – 75th Anniversary Edition
What is an acceptable time frame for a movie to be re-released on DVD? Apparently a year and a half according to Universal. Frankenstein is definitely a film worth buying twice, but there's a problem on the consumer level when…
Posted to Video by Matt Paprocki on October 27, 2006 07:09 AM (Relevance: 5)
DVD Review: Feast
The aftermath of the TV show Project Greenlight, Feast is a wickedly funny creature feature, with all the blood and gore you can handle… or in some cases, not handle. Everything here is done in one of two ways: completely…
Posted to Video by Matt Paprocki on October 25, 2006 05:15 PM
Brewster's Halloween Pumpkin Carving Bash
As a middle-aged couple with no children it often becomes difficult for me and my wife to take part in the childish things we love. My wife and I have a collection of children’s books – from Dr. Seuss…
Posted to Culture by Mat Brewster on October 25, 2006 05:19 PM
DVD Review: Spooks Gone Wild
As a comedy franchise, the Bowery Boys (a.k.a. the Dead End Kids a.k.a. the East Side Kids) haven't received much respect over the years. From the group's debut in the 1937 Academy Award-nominated social drama Dead End to their years…
Posted to Video by Bill Sherman on October 25, 2006 09:01 AM
Movie Review: The Nightmare Before Christmas 3-D
Way back in the early 1990s, Tim Burton was working on an animated film populated with the denizens of his dark imagination. He took a love for Halloween and turned it into an animated musical for the big screen. It…
Posted to Video by Chris Beaumont on October 25, 2006 08:37 AM
TV Movie Review: Return to Halloweentown
In 1998, the Disney Channel introduced original movie Halloweentown. It was about a girl, Marnie Piper, who discovers she's a witch. Her grandma (Debbie Reynolds) is a great witch, while her mom, who has chosen to live the mortal life,…
Posted to Video by CallmeMaddy on October 25, 2006 08:12 AM
Halloween Movie Showcase: What To Watch When You Want To Be Scared
When you’re looking for that perfect Halloween movie, consider more psychological shock than senseless schlock for scares, like the quintessential classics — Psycho, (skip the 1998 shot-for-shot remake), The Shining, and the sci-fi classic Alien, where "no one can hear…
Posted to Video by Tall Writer on October 24, 2006 01:33 PM
DVD Pick of the Week: Slither
This week brings a number of releases that could have taken the top slot, but, like always, there is one that stands above the rest. The choice was made exceedingly simple by the time of year. It is October and…
Posted to Video by Chris Beaumont on October 24, 2006 12:18 PM
Monster House, Nacho Libre, Slither: Region 1 DVD Releases for October 24th, 2006
This week, your dream of owning every episode of MacGyver is finally within reach. Monster House Many reviews compared this favorably to The Goonies, so my curiosity is piqued. A somewhat less creepy application of the motion capture…
Posted to Video by David Dylan Thomas on October 24, 2006 10:08 AM
DVD Review: The Omen
When the original version of this film was first released back in the seventies, it was all about the apocalypse. For whatever reason, religious fueled end-times mania was at something of a fever pitch in America. Hal Lindsey had…
Posted to Video by Glen Boyd on October 22, 2006 10:31 AM
Blogcritics Goodie Bag: Hot Fuzz, Halloween Horror Nights, The Looking Glass Wars and Bully
The eagerly anticipated second feature from the co-creators of 2004's award-winning sleeper hit Shaun of the Dead is a contemporary action comedy. Police officer Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) is London's top cop. This tough law enforcer is good at…
Posted to Video by Anna Creech on October 21, 2006 07:17 PM
Movie Review: The Monster of Camp Sunshine
When it comes to outdoor living, I'm not even one for going around barefoot (stub my toes on the damnedest things), so I've never quite caught the full allure of the nudist lifestyle. It's given us some memorable movie moments…
Posted to Video by Bill Sherman on October 21, 2006 03:58 PM
DVD Review: Spaced Invaders, My Favorite Halloween Treat
There are very few movies that will make me repeatedly laugh out loud no matter how many times I've seen them, but this is one of them. With any good comedy, you absolutely have to have three things: 1) characters…
Posted to Video by Jet in Columbus on October 21, 2006 02:57
Interview: Angel's Blade Actor Jeb Toms
In the upcoming film, Angel's Blade, a young girl is possessed by Mayan spirits. When she dies, the spirits live on, haunting a lonely stretch of road. A man finds that the spirits are responsible for the death of his…
Posted to Video by Iloz Zoc on October 20, 2006 03:00 PM
Interview: John McCarty Talks About His Documentary Fearmakers
I met author John McCarty (Splatter Movies) at the recent Fangoria Weekend of Horrors Convention in New Jersey, where he showed clips from his documentary, Fearmakers.I was fascinated by his determination in chronicling the notable creative people that have made…
Posted to Video by Iloz Zoc on October 19, 2006 10:42 PM
Interview with Closet Space Director Mel House
Indie horror filmmaker Mel House talks about his upcoming movie filmed in a closet. A nasty inter-dimensional closet, that is.
Posted to Video by Iloz Zoc on October 17, 2006 10:33 PM
The Simpsons Launches a "Treehouse of Horror" Create-Your-Own Promo Contest
Slice, dice, and win your way to The Simpsons' 400th episode party in Los Angeles.
Posted to Video by TV and Film Guy on October 17, 2006 04:00 PM
DVD Review: Dust Devil – The Final Cut Five-Disc Collector's Edition
Winter of 2003, I'm sat on the edge of the mattress in my room with Ryan Adams singing about his Sweet Carolina from out the speakers behind me and with a cigarette 'tween my yap-flaps and with a lass from…
Posted to Video by Duke De Mondo on October 17, 2006 03:38 PM
DVD Pick of the Week: Feast
This week's pick is not only a winner in my book, but it was the winner of the third season of Project Greenlight. The movie was directed by John Gulager and received a very limited theatrical run. It was so…
Posted to Video by Chris Beaumont on October 17, 2006 09:06 AM
Book Review: The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Do you believe in ghosts? If not, you might change your mind after reading The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. This wonderful debut novel's rich language and clever, enveloping plot will make you think twice about hauntings and keep you…
Posted to Books by nanfont on October 16, 2006 07:50 PM
My Annual Weekend Horror-Fest: Part One
October tradition is watching horror movies every weekend. This weekend was the first part.
Posted to Video by Brad Schader on October 16, 2006 08:57 AM
Universal's Halloween Horror Nights Finally Opens
After a long wait, Universal's Halloween Horror Nights terrorizes many once again.
Posted to Culture by CallmeMaddy on October 15, 2006 04:57 PM
Movie Review: Takashi Miike's Imprint
An unaired entry from Showtime's Masters of Horror series is released on DVD.
Posted to Video by Bill Sherman on October 15, 2006 11:13 AM
Masters of Horror: An Interview with Phillip Torrone, Senior Editor of Make Magazine
Learn about what Make magazine is doing for Halloween!
Posted to Culture by hauntedreport on October 14, 2006 04:11 PM
Movie Review: The Grudge 2
Okay, I think I've got it. The vengeful ghost in The Grudge 2 is a yūrei — definitely. Telltale signs are the long black hair that hangs disheveled, and the dangling; you know, the twisting, floating, sort of lopsided walk…
Posted to Video by Iloz Zoc on October 13, 2006 06:19 PM
Halloweentrade.com: Buy and Sell Your Halloween Goods
Very cool. Not a lot of people are on this yet but it's looking really good. HalloweenTrade is a newly launched concept dedicated to Halloween Industry merchants and consumers. Halloweentrade is a concept that is geared completely toward the…
Posted to Culture by hauntedreport on October 13, 2006 04:01 AM
DVD Review: Ghost of Mae Nak
In this Thai horror film, writer and director Mark Duffield updates the legend of Mae Nak — which many Thai people reverentially believe in — adds a bit of J-Horror styled makeup and shock-cuts, and then ups the ante with…
Posted to Video by Iloz Zoc on October 12, 2006 02:37 PM
DVD Review: The Booth
What a strange little movie. The Booth is another J-horror import, seeking stardom on new shores. It's not a great film, but it is definitely intriguing, and a nice change of pace from the seemingly endless stream of ghostly fright…
Posted to Video by Chris Beaumont on October 12, 2006 08:59 AM
Movie Review: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
Tell me again while this called The Beginning? I'm not quite sure I get the logic behind it. It seems to me that they couldn't come up some sort of tagline for it, so they slapped on a little pre-credit…
Posted to Video by Chris Beaumont on October 12, 2006 07:21 AM
DVD Review: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)
Like many fans in the west, my interest in anime really started with Akira. But the anime that followed were sold primarily on the basis of sex and violence. For a short time, this strategy worked but the marketing had…
Posted to Video by Maximillian on October 11, 2006 10:38 PM
Interview: Mark Duffield Director of Ghost of Mae Nak
The Grand Finale (part 2) Our intrepid heroes are nearing the end of their 8th Dimension rescue mission to save Zombos from the clutches of the vile — and utterly rude — Shudderites. Finally gaining entrance to the dark castle of…
Posted to Video by Iloz Zoc on October 11, 2006 04:22 PM
Friday The Thirteenth: Why So Unlucky?
Superstition is the stuff of ignorance and fear which gives rise to hatred and intolerance.
Posted to Culture by Richard Marcus on October 10, 2006 08:22 AM
Blogcritics Goodie Bag: Halloween Horror Nights webisode, Bob Seger, Five.Bolt.Main, Sister Hazel, and Q.Rock639
Halloween Horror Nights opens this Friday the 13th. Horror movie producers must make a killing on those Friday the 13th releases. Check out the Director's final webisode.
Posted to Music by Anna Creech on October 9, 2006 10:04 PM
Masters of Horror Interview : Baron Von Goolo
This is part of an ongoing series of interviews with the people who make the horror/haunted house business work. We have been explaining haunted houses, the music that goes into them and what makes them tick. This week we talk…
Posted to Culture by hauntedreport on October 9, 2006 08:57 AM
TV Preview: Haunted Prison on the Sci-Fi Channel
The Sci-Fi Channel will be premiering a new low budget horror film this weekend. It's called Haunted Prison, formerly known as Death Row. The film stars Jake Busey, Stacey Keach, Danny Trejo, and Jamie Mann. It could prove to be…
Posted to Video by Chris Beaumont on October 9, 2006 08:07 AM
Show Review: Charles Band's Full Moon Horror Road Show 2006
The Road Show goes great, but not without a few snags.
Posted to Video by Chris Beaumont on October 9, 2006 08:00 AM
Movie Review: The Night Caller From Outer Space (1965)
The Night Caller, as it was known in the UK, (and its onscreen title on the DVD) is a low-budget British B movie that I repeatedly revisit. That’s partly due to the nostalgia factor. I first saw this as a…
Posted to Video by Maximillian on October 8, 2006 12:07 PM
Fat Harvest Moon In Your Face Tonight
Shine on, shine on harvest moon Up in the sky, I ain't had no lovin' Since January, February, June or July Snow time ain't no time to stay Outdoors and spoon, So shine on, shine on harvest moon, For me and…
Posted to Sci/Tech by Eric Olsen on October 6, 2006 05:57 PM
DVD Review: Cabin Fever
It's things like this that keep me goin' to the discount stores: picked up a copy of Eli Roth's Cabin Fever (2003) recently for cheap, and, after watching it, I definitely consider it five bucks well spent. I'd read about…
Posted to Video by Bill Sherman on October 6, 2006 01:10 PM
I'm Turning Into A Monster For Halloween
I realized what was happening. My body was turning tricks, but not in a good way.
Posted to Culture by Scott Butki on October 6, 2006 07:20 AM
Movie Review: Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
And what a beginning it is. In the Cinema of the Helpless, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning reaches a new benchmark in unrelenting, stinking-bloody-abattoir-of-pain, horror. I winced at the slimy grimy blood-soaked chaos in Speak No Evil; and I squirmed in…
Posted to Video by Iloz Zoc on October 5, 2006 10:24 PM
Book Review: It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown: The Making of a Television Classic by Lee Mendelson, Bill Melendez, and Charles M. Schulz
A loving, lavishly illustrated 40th anniversary commemoration.
Posted to Books by Eric Olsen on October 4, 2006 03:00 PM
DVD Review: Premonition
Japanese horror film about a family man who gets glimpses of future tragedies from his daily newspaper.
Posted to Video by Maximillian on October 1, 2006 01:23 PM
Halloween Havoc at Grandpa's House
Grandpa Lindsey had an outhouse, and every Halloween it would get tipped over as a prank. Grandpa saw nothing funny about it and was ready to cut loose with a load of rock salt into the kids' behinds if he ever caught them.
Posted to Culture by Donnie Marler on October 1, 2006 12:23 PM
Masters of Horror Interview: Gavin Goszka of Midnight Syndicate
This is one of a series of interviews with the masters of horror. Composer Edward Douglas created Midnight Syndicate in 1996. In 1998, fellow composer Gavin Goszka joined the group and they have since released several critically acclaimed and highly…
Posted to Culture by hauntedreport on September 30, 2006 10:38 AM
Movie Review: Whispering Corridors
Korean horror with social commentary.
Posted to Video by Mat Brewster on September 29, 2006 10:24 PM
The Month of Halloween
"Halloween" is a month now – haven't you seen it on your calendar? It begins the weekend before October 1 and runs until, um, Halloween, October 31. The orangy month of Halloween, with its haunted houses, spooky decorations, pumpkin carving, scary…
Posted to Culture by Eric Olsen on September 29, 2006 05:28 PM
How Haunted Attractions Work: A Peek Inside
Scott A. Johnson is classic American horror writer. His first novel, An American Haunting, is a classic haunted house story in the vein of Richard Matheson's The Legend of Hell House and Stephen King's The Shining. His second book, Deadlands,…
Posted to Culture by hauntedreport on September 29, 2006 05:27 PM
Movie Review: Jigoku
A film for the more committed fans of film horror due to its imagery because the incoherent plot will lose everyone else.
Posted to Video by El Bicho on September 29, 2006 07:27 AM
Movie Review: The Red Shoes
It's like they took a blender to all of the big Asian horror films and came out with this.
Posted to Video by Mat Brewster on September 27, 2006 04:30 PM
Book Review: The Drifting Classroom – Volume One by Kazuo Umezu
Volume One of Kazuo Umezu’s violent and hyperactive horror manga series.
Posted to Books by Bill Sherman on September 27, 2006 02:15 PM
DVD Review: Left In Darkness
This horror film leaves its theological implications in darkness, too.
Posted to Video by Iloz Zoc on September 25, 2006 02:07 PM
Universal's Halloween Horror Comes Closer
Starting Friday the 13th, Universal Studios starts its annual Halloween Horror Nights. What exactly is Halloween Horror Nights? They have actors walking around to scare the guests throughout the night. They have the best rides open such as…
Posted to Culture by CallmeMaddy on September 25, 2006 06:46 AM
Movie Preview: Incubus and Direct-to-Download Premiere
Incubus is an upcoming film about six teenagers who break into what they believe is an abandoned factory for shelter. A little late, they discover they are mistaken and aren’t alone in this trap. Unfortunately, the only one with the…
Posted to Video by Erin McMaster on September 22, 2006 08:44 AM
Interview with Virgil Franklin, Master of Horror Music
This week we are interviewing Virgil Franklin, a mainstay of the horror film and haunted attraction music industry.
Posted to Culture by hauntedreport on September 18, 2006 09:24 PM
DVD Review: The World's Most Famous Haunted House Attraction: A Tribute to Britannia Manor
Now that Halloween is just around the corner, those wonderfully scary and entertaining attractions known as Haunted Houses are opening their creaky doors once more. When was the last time you had a really good scare — for fun, I…
Posted to Video by Iloz Zoc on September 18, 2006 05:25 PM
There's A Full Moon Out: Charles Band Prepares 2006 Horror Road Show
The king of low budget horror, science fiction, and fantasy films is taking his show on the road.
Posted to Video by Chris Beaumont on September 10, 2006 10:41 AM
DVD Review: Glenn O'Brien's TV Party – The Halloween Show, October 30th, 1979
There are some people out there in this wide, wild world who don't believe in surrealism. They believe (or at least attempt to believe) that everything is logical, rational, and sensible. All events are related, and everything happens for a…
Posted to Video by Modern Pea Pod on August 27, 2006 02:03 AM
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios
Ever since I was little, I always went to haunted houses. In first grade, I went to all the hardcore ones that freaked out adults. I loved them. I am lucky to live in the Los Angeles area, as the major…
Posted to Culture by CallmeMaddy on August 25, 2006 06:22 AM
Blogcritics Halloween '03
