[home]
[news]
[reviews]
[features]
|
 |
| MAY 25, 2008: NEW REVIEW SHOCKER! |
|
Yes, wonders will never cease: a new review on Slasherama! This site is still very much an ongoing concern for me - it's just that I don't have as much time to post new content as I used to, or would like. As a result, all future reviews will be in the new, drastically cut-down format. Put simply, I'd rather write simpler, less time-consuming reviews than none at all! So I've just posted my verdict on the blood-drenched French shocker Inside. Take a look!
|
| JANUARY 1, 2008: HAPPY NEW YEARRRRGGGGHHHHH! |
|
Word up, horror-minded homies. And welcome to 2008, where a whole host of ghoulish goodness surely awaits us. We're kicking off the New Year with a couple of reviews. Check out our assessment of Masters Of Horror: The V Word, and then our especially enthusiastic review of the hard-to-watch Jack Ketchum adaptation The Girl Next Door. Ketchum movies seem in vogue at present - we also very much enjoyed the recent The Lost, which similarly disturbs the soul.
So what's coming up this year? Slasherama is especially looking forward to Michael Haneke's retake of his superbly horrible Funny Games, in US theatres from March 14 but currently unscheduled in the UK. Then there's Hellboy 2 and the imminent Alien Vs Predator: Requiem, which looks set to be much nastier than the first PG-13 AVP flick. It's also nice to see that the fun Ed Furlong slasher flick Cruel World is finally hitting DVD, seeing as we first reviewed it over two years ago.
Wish we could rave about George A Romero's eagerly-awaited zombie/Blair Witch mash-up Diary Of The Dead, but Slasherama found it sadly lacking when we caught it at the San Sebastian Horror & Fantasy Film Festival in early November. There are some fun moments, but if we want social commentary, we'll watch Michael Moore. At the same festival, we saw Rec, another zombie/Blair Witch hybrid with much more merit, better shocks and a generally foreboding atmosphere. Fully recommended. We're not sure what to expect from the remake of Romero's Day Of The Dead, due this April, although as Dawn Of The Dead was one of the better re-toolings of horror gems, we're keeping an open mind...
|
| SEPTEMBER 25, 2007: BRAD ANDERSON, HORROR MASTER |
|
We love writer/director Brad Anderson's work here at Slasherama. Check out our reviews of Session 9 and The Machinist. So we had to check out his contribution to the excellent Masters Of Horror TV series which recently hit DVD through Anchor Bay, along with Peter Medak's The Washingtonians. Our review of Sounds Like can be read right here!
|
| SEPTEMBER 1, 2007: UNCUT MAGAZINE & SLASH HITS OUT NOW |
|
Slasherama salutes Midnight Media, the people who have produced Uncut magazine for years now. It's one of our favourite reads, dealing specifically as it does with differing versions of movies, around the globe.
Midnight Media also produce a nifty little multi-part tome called Slash Hits. Volume Two: Teens In Trouble is out now, dealing with 1980s slasher flicks and rating each movie in terms of breasts and blood. Top notch! Head over to the Midnight Media site now and load up on back issues.
|
| JULY 2, 2007: LESLIE VERNON ROCKS |
|
Thought we'd give you a nod towards a recently-issed flick on DVD. Behind The Mask: The Rise Of Leslie Vernon is a clever little movie about a documentary crew who decide to follow the titular serial killer around, watching as he plans a night of slashing mayhem at a remote house. Full of references which horror fans will enjoy, plus a fair amount of bloodshed when things turn nasty, Behind The Mask... works well as a comedy and a horror. You don't see that so often, so check it out!
|
| JUNE 10, 2007: HELLBOY REANIMATED |
|
This week, the latest instalment of Hellboy Animated hits the racks. Hellboy Animated: Blood & Iron is out June 12 and throws in a fair few extra features, like Reversal Of Fortune: Professor Bloom's Story, Tales From The Tomb: A Look Inside Blood & Iron, Iron Shoes: The Animated Debut with Introduction by Mike Mignola, The Penanggalan: An E-Comic Exclusive with Introduction by Mike Mignola and an audio commentary featuring Mignola, Tad Stones and Vic Cook. Slasherama's a fan of all things Hellboy, and this release should nicely tide you over until the awaited Hellboy 2.
|
| MAY 18, 2007: SEVERANCE GOES STATESIDE! |
|
Today, one of the finest horror-comedies in some time hits Stateside theaters. Yes, the outrageous British flick Severance can finally be seen outside of its UK turf. It's a riot, both in terms of laughs and gore, and so far up Slasherama's street, it's sitting on our sofa, drinking Jack and watching old horror gems. You can check out the trailer here, or take the plunge and view the first three minutes here. If you're sold - and we think you will be - take a look at the current list of cinemas and dates where Severance is showing. If you'd like to crawl inside the mind of writer James Moran, you can examine the warped scrawlings on his blog here. Phew. That's it. We're all out of Severance-related links! Oh, unless of course, you want to pick up Severance on Region 2 DVD, in which case you should hobble over here, dragging your half-severed leg behind you...
|
|
| APRIL 27, 2007: GRINDHOUSE SPLIT IN HALF FOR INTERNATIONAL SCREENS... PHANTASM III HITS THE US... VACANCY HEADING FOR THE UK |
|
Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's double-bill homage to 60s/70s action and horror flicks, running under the umbrella title of Grindhouse, will be distributed as two separate movies, outside America. While the States will see Tarantino's Death Proof and Rodriguez's Planet Terror as one 185-minute double-feature, the UK will see a September 21 release of Death Proof, with Planet Terror to follow at one point. This is supposedly because the double-bill concept is lesser-known outside the US, which seems strange to me as the UK has certainly had double-bills before. It's more likely a result of Grindhouse's disappointing turn at the US box office, upon its April 6 release. Seems bizarre though, to push the UK's scheduled June 1 release back so far, given the alleged rise of piracy which costs film companies oooooh-so-many millions...
You probably assumed that Phantasm III had been available on US DVD for years, but this is not the case. Anchor Bay recently issued a nice Region 1 DVD release of this title, along with a re-release of the original Phantasm. Both discs feature extras, including behind-the-scenes material, deleted scenes, TV spots, trailers and audio commentaries. In the UK, of course, we've long had a wonderful shiny Phantasm box-set shaped like one of the movies' killer spheres. One of the few examples when we get cooler stuff than our cousins across the Ocean. But hey, America gets the ultra-cool Reservoir Dogs set shaped like a petrol can.
Sony's horror flick Vacancy didn't perform especially well at the US box office, but now it's coming to try its luck on UK cinema-goers. Slasherama caught the movie at a press screening two nights back and enjoyed it. Starring Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale as a couple on the brink of divorce, it sees the pair checking into a rundown motel, only to find themselves cast as the next stars of a snuff movie. Disturbing and quite scary without being overly gory, Vacancy deserves to be checked out, upon its May 11 UK cinematic release. Bizarrely, Sex And The City's Sarah Jessica Parker was originally cast in the Beckinsale role: we somehow can't see the squeaky-clean SJP getting involved with this kinda sleazy fun...
|
| MARCH 20, 2007: RE-ANIMATOR GETS A NEW DVD RELEASE... CARPENTER'S PRO-LIFE HITS DISC... ELI ROTH REVEALS A LI'L HOSTEL 2... |
|
Anchor Bay has a great new Region 1 release out today, with the Anchor Bay Collection edition of Re-Animator, the classic 80s horror-comedy. This two-disc presentation comes in a satisfying chunky box, complete with a free Re-Animator highlighter pen. Nice. The extras are rather impressive too. There are two audio commentaries (one from director Stuart Gordon, the other from producer Brian Yuzna, actors Bruce Abbott, Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton (ohhhh, Barbara Crampton...) and Robert Sampson. Then there's a new 70-minute featurette titled Re-Animator Resurrectus, plus a whole shedload of interviews, a deleted scene, an extended scene, trailer, TV spots, four different galleries and two DVD-ROM features: the Re-Animator screenplay, plus HP Lovecraft's original story, Herbert West: Reanimator. If you're a fan of this historic flick, this is probably about as complete as packages get. And hey, you get a cool pen into the bargain! Incidentally, this Re-Animator set will land on the UK's Region 2 shelves on April 23.
Also hitting US stores today is Masters Of Horror: Pro-Life, the latest offering from Slasherama's favourite horror director, John Carpenter. Starring Ron Perlman as a crazed anti-abortion father, it's a provocative and graphic piece of work. The DVD carries a good array of special features too, covering the special effects and the shoot overall, plus an audio commentary from Carpenter (his commentaries are always fun) and writers Drew McWeeny and Scott Swan. Earlier this month, Anchor Bay also issued a nice little splatterfest in the shape of Death Row, the prison movie starring good ol' Jake Busey and Stacy Keach.
A few hours ago, Eli Roth posted an exclusive new clip from Hostel II on his MySpace page. It's gore-free, but gives you an idea of the tone and the cast. Promising stuff.
|
| FEBRUARY 7, 2007: NEW REVIEWS ADDED... ZONE HORROR TV LISTINGS... |
Just posted a couple of new DVD reviews at long last, strangely with similar names: the Hostel-esque gore flick
Live Feed and the violent S&M-tinged thriller Living Death, which is apparently having trouble getting past the BBFC unscathed. Both are certainly worth a browse.
Zone Horror is the UK's dedicated horror channel (Sky Digital channel 321, NTL Digital channel 170, Telewest channel 170). In March, the items on its schedule include Ruggero Deodato's The Last Cannibal World, Hatchetman (sadly, not the Eric Roberts/Lance Henriksen gem), Spanish psyhco-thriller Hipnos and Lucio Fulci's Nightmare Concert (gore-fest alert!). There are also cool themed nights, like Cannibal Night (March 1-3) and Haunted House Night (March 6). Well worth supporting: check out the website here.
|
|
| FEBRUARY 5, 2007: US ANCHOR BAY ROUND-UP... GOD, JIM CARREY'S ON SLASHERAMA... |
|
Anchor Bay US have some fun releases this month.
There's horror with a hint of From Dusk 'Til Dawn in Devil's Den, which sees a drug dealing film geek (Final Destination's Devon Sawa), a trigger-happy assassin (X-Men 2's Kelly Hu) and a samurai demon hunter (Dawn Of The Dead's Ken Foree) do battle with the undead in a strip bar full of possessed young ladies. This one's out on DVD February 13, with extras including a making-of and blooper reel. Also out February 13 is the first release from Season Two of Showtime's Masters Of Horror. For those with short memories, the episode in question is Dario Argento's Pelts. Starring Meat Loaf as a fur tradin' son-of-a-gun, it hits DVD with two featurettes, a writer's audio commentary and director bio, among other extras.
German director Matthias Dinter's Night Of The Living Dorks, out on February 20, is an amusing cross between the obvious George A Romero gem and American Pie! The DVD throws in featurettes, deleted/extended scenes and more. Look out for a drunken interview with Dinter on Slasherama soon!
There's an interesting psychological thriller coming out theatrically this month, featuring an unusual role for Jim Carrey, of all people! Appropriately released on February 23 in the US and UK alike, the film is entitled The Number 23, about a man (Carrey, natch) who becomes obsessed with a book and a certain number (can you guess what it is, readers?). Check it all out at this website, anyway, yes? Unravel that mystery.
|
| DECEMBER 28, 2006: SNAKES TERRORIZE NAKED WOMEN... INDIE HORROR NEWS... |
Well, f**k us backwards over a hedge if it isn't time for Snakes On A Plane to hit DVD. Yes sirree, it's out on January 2 in the States and coiled itself around UK shelves a mere two days ago! Right now, you'll no doubt be a tad bored, wondering what to do with yourself in that gap between Christmas and New Year. Hell, why else would you be visiting Slasherama, rather than Ain't It Cool News or Bloody Disgusting? We can recommend a ludicrous time-killer in the shape of the game Snakes On A Babe. There's a sting in the tail, but afterwards you can sign up for the chance to win a holiday for two to Hawaii. Niiiiice.
This ain't no ordinary horror news section. We just don't have the time to do it properly, frankly, although it's taken us a while to admit it. What you will find here, though, is smaller, indie-centric news which other sites might either miss or dismiss. For instance, let us tell ya about Terrace St, a horror flick presently wrapping up production in Boston. In production since August, the film follows four friends out for a night of partying that goes horribly wrong. The group is on their way to an underground rave and accidentally ends up at the wrong building. Not sure at first
if they’re in the right place, they go deeper into the building, only to stumble upon what they think is a film set. As the scene before them unfolds, their suspicions are
confirmed, but in a way they never imagined – what they’re watching being made is
actually a snuff film. Starring local actors including Michelle Romano, Tony “Yah!Dude” Rigoli, John
Cleary, Jeff Tidwell, Liz Eng, Keith Hughes, and local up-and-coming dancehall
artist D!Arryval, the movie reportedly has a dark and gritty tone to it, with realistic
gore and special effects provided by Evil Head F/X. Check out the Terrace St website, hmmmm?
Then there's Carnies, which also sounds like a lot of fun, with a nice ensemble cast featuring Chris Staviski (Zombie Hunter), David Markham
(Carnivale), Reggie Bannister (Phantasm), Doug Jones (Hellboy, Fantastic
Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer) and Lee Perkins (Katiebird). Director Brian Corder tells Slasherama: "I think horror fans will really enjoy Carnies, it has a fresh new look. Its
not just your basic horror flick, it has an ensemble cast and its a period
piece which makes it that much more unique. Carnies also features
incredibly talented real sideshow performers, such as Sword Swallowers, Fire
Eaters and Knife Throwers and adds the freak show element with Geeks and
Pickled Punks." We like the sound of it. You can check out the movie at its website here, while a teaser trailer is available right here.
|
|
| NOVEMBER 14, 2006: ANTIBODIES DIRECTOR QUIZZED... MAJOR BLOG UPDATE... OTHER STUFF... |
|
A fair while ago, I sat down for a chinwag with Christian Alvart, the director of disquieting serial killer thriller Antibodies - or Antikorper if you're versed in German. Antibodies has only now received a UK cinema release, so it seemed fair to actually run the interview.
Updates for this site may have slowed of late, Slasherama is still very much a going concern. I like to think that, even if I don't update the site for a little while, it's still chockfull of stuff for you to read - or indeed do, if you check out the interactive slasher movie game Blackthorn. Yesterday, I updated the site's blog, which tends to focus on my efforts to infiltrate the world of fiction. Check out the latest entry - it's my longest yet, by a long chalk. Of course, this doesn't necessarily guarantee it'll be more interesting... but it does relate a few highlights and lowlights from the recent Screamfest and San Sebastian fests in LA and Spain respectively...
Let's see: random stuff. Slasherama now has a MySpace page, like everybody and everything else in the world, so head over there and add us as a friend. We'll be sure to accept, unless of course you're a chicken-f**ker. Oh, and I urge any scriptwriting folk with Hollywood aspirations - or even fulltime Hollywood scripters - to check out and support Digital Express Etc, a fantastic Hollywood store which does super-cheap script printing and Fedexing. Incredibly handy - especially if you live outside LA.
|
| OCTOBER 26, 2006: TOBIN BELL TALKS SAW 3 |
|
Tomorrow, Saw 3 opens up around most of the world. Slasherama has enjoyed the franchise so far, and will check the second sequel out tomorrow night, just like everyone else. 'Til then, check out
this chat with Tobin Bell, a fine actor whose work has done much to elevate the Saw movies above the crowd. Slasherama recently met the Saw movies' screenwriter Leigh Whannell at the Screenwriting Expo 2006 in Los Angeles. while giving an illuminating talk alongside The Grudge's pensmith Stephen Susco, Whannell revealed that he was given a ludicrous two weeks to write Saw 2 and that Saw 4 is already in pre-production. Whannell won't be writing this one, however, for fear of "repeating myself". Apparently, various writers were given the chance to pitch ideas for this third sequel, with the best due to be cherry-picked...
|
| AUGUST 30, 2006: JASON GOES TO HELL SPECIAL! |
|
Yeah, I know: helluva gap between news stories. I've been busy writing my own screenplays (see this site's blog for details), so have had less time to update Slasherama. At least, I figured, it's already got a shitload of stuff for you read and do. Nevertheless, fresh material is a site's lifesblood, which is why I've FINALLY written up three interviews I did at LA's Screamfest 2005, last October! I've added these all together because they're all with people connected to one of my favourite Friday The 13th sequels, Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday. Check out my chats with director Adam Marcus, star John D LeMay and star Steven Williams (bounty hunter Creighton Duke). And yes, there will be more updates soon. Ish. ;-) Don't mean I still ain't thinkin' 'boutcha, y'hear?
|
|
| APRIL 3, 2006: AN AMERICAN HAUNTING DIRECTOR INTERVIEWED... |
|
I wasn't keen on
The Exorcism Of Emily Rose, to say the least. Enter writer, director and producer Courtney Solomon to do the job properly with the indie ghost chiller An American Haunting, hitting US and UK cinemas shortly. Check out my fun chat with this amiable character, in which he politely does his best to avoid straight-out slagging Emily Rose to high hell. An American Haunting is out in the UK April 14, then May 5 in America.
|
| MARCH 20, 2006: WAXWORK MOVIES REVIEWED... DOCTOR WHO HITS AMERICA... |
|
Thanks to Slasherama contributor Jon Kelly, the recent drought of Slasherama reviews is now over. Check out Mr Kelly's verdicts on the movies Waxwork and Waxwork 2: Lost In Time!
In a neat segue, Waxwork featured special effects work from Neill Gorton, the man who would go on to form Millennium FX, the company who provide some remarkable prosthetics work for the post-millennium resurrection of Doctor Who. My all-time favourite TV show broadcast its first series in the UK on BBC One last year, but our American cousins can now see it too, on the Sci-Fi Channel. The first two episodes, Rose and The End Of The World went out on Friday night, but the latter episode will be repeated on March 24. If you haven't seen this show before, I urge you to take a look. It's a thing of wonderment...
|
| MARCH 7, 2006: HILLS HAVE EYES MANIA...FANTASPORTO 2006... |
|
Alexandre Aja's brilliant remake of The Hills Have Eyes is out in cinemas this weekend. Naturally, we have plenty of content to back it up. Check out my review, for a start. Then there's a competition in which you can win some cool Hills swag and an exclusive clip from the movie, plus the trailer, viewable in different sizes and formats in our Media section. Enjoy...
I just got back from Portugal's prestigious Fantasporto event, at which a superb time was had by all. It's a very well-run, respectable event which doesn't turn its nose up at horror. I was delighted to accept an invitation to serve on the annual jury, and help judge the best efforts in the Orient Express section, which as you might imagine featured various examples of Asian horror and fantasy. Eventually, me and my two fine colleagues Filipe and Lino (from Fest Forward magazine) gave the main award to Park Chan-wook's Sympathy For Lady Vengeance, with a special award going to the more sedate (but very well-made and touching) The Bow. Other awards at the festival went to the Swedish vampire entry Frostbite (very much deserved), a British-Portugese-French co-production named Animal (not nearly so well deserved!) and the excellent French-Canadian weird-fest Saint Martyrs Des Damnes, for which first-time helmer Robin Aubert won Best Director in the Fantasy section. A rocking time was had by all, and as I've said in my blog, I met (and often interviewed) lots of people, including the aforementioned Robin Aubert, Zombie King scripter Sean K Robb and Dead Meat producer Ed King (who revealed that he and director Conor McMahon are now working on an 80s-style slasher movie!). There's so much content approaching on Slasherama, in fact, that my fingertips have already started to bleed...
|
| FEBRUARY 15, 2006: WHAT'S UP WITH THE NEW FRIDAY FLICK?... TARANTINO & RODRIGUEZ GRIND 'EM OUT... MONSTROUS MARCH MADNESS... |
|
There has recently been much speculation over the nature of a new upcoming Friday sequel. When I spoke to Sean Cunningham in October, he suggested that Freddy Vs Jason 2 was likely to happen before a Jason sequel, but now this situation appears to have changed. Variety and the fine horror site Bloody Disgusting have reported that a new Friday flick is slated to arrive on Friday, October 13 (naturally). Sounds like it sits somewhere between a remake of the first Friday The 13th flick and an exploration of Jason Voorhees' origins. Personally, I'm excited by neither concept at this time, but will keep an open mind. It's obviously good that another Jason movie is coming, and may pave the way to further 'proper' Friday sequels, such as the movie version of Friday The 13th: Hate-Kill-Repeat. Arf arf.
Besides the imminent Hills Have Eyes redux (review soon), I'm also excited about Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's collaboration on Grindhouse, which may now bear the title Grind. Designed to evoke the feeling of the old 'grindhouse' movies of the 70s, each director will helm half of the movie, apparently with some 'intermission' trailers for fictitious flicks, directed by Hostel's Eli Roth. Furthermore, Wolf Creek star John Jarratt is involved, along with From Dusk Til Dawn's Danny Trejo. Sounds like fun. We'll find out exactly how much fun, come September 22, 2006.
Talking of Hostel, by the way, the UK release date has now come forward to March 24. I finally got around to seeing the movie recently (the fine fellow that is Spooky Dan wrote our review and I have to say that I loved it even more than he did. Barring some seriously unlikely third-act coincidences, it's a fantastically frightening piece of work - not least because it explores man's inhumanity to (wo)man. Yes, March will be a great month for cinematic UK horror, what with The Hills Have Eyes emerging on March 10...
|
| FEBRUARY 4, 2006: NEW REVIEWS... FANTASPORTO JURY FUN... UK HORROR CHANNEL STEPS UP... HOSTEL ROCKS... |
Hello, you wonderful person. New reviews posted are the dodgy 80s Sho Kosugi ninja-action flick 9 Deaths Of The Ninja and the notably superior current indie-thriller Experiment. Get stuck in.
Your webmaster has been invited to appear on the jury of this year's Fantasporto festival in Porto, Portugal. I'll helping to judge the Asian Horror category and am greatly looking forward to it. The event runs between February 20 and March 5.
The UK's Horror Channel was once a rather poor graveyard of ancient horror flicks. Not any more. In March, the channel will show Mother's Day, Satan's Little Helper, Raiders Of The Damned and others. Even more enticingly, March 13-19 is Slasher Week, featuring movies like Sorority House Massacre 1 and 2, Slaughter Studios and the very reasonable snowy-slasher Shredder. There's also a Howling night on March 10, showing three sequels in the ludicrous werewolf franchise. The UK Horror Channel can be found on Telewest 170, NTL 174 and, as of February 28, Sky Digital 321.
Finally got around to watching Hostel and loved the hell out of it. A brilliantly disturbing concept, well-executed, even if there are a couple of overly convenient coincidences towards the gory end. Check out our man Spookshow Dan's fine review of the film and mentally add an extra point if you'd like to know my own judgement on it. Hostel opens in the UK on April 17.
|
|
| JANUARY 17, 2006: GORE GALLERY UPDATED... UNDERWORLD MOVIES REVIEWED... |
|
Yes, folks, the Gore Gallery has acquired some new portraits - or gore-traits, if you will. This time, it's the classic 1981 slasher movie The Prowler which has a choice murder scene selected. Oh, it's all tremendous fun. Check out the step-by-step carnage here.
Also new on the site are reviews of 2003's not-so-hot Underworld and its superior sequel Underworld Evolution, which hits cinemas this Friday. Care to join me in a moon-howl, sir/madam?
|
| JANUARY 13, 2006: HARRY MANFREDINI INTERVIEWED... |
|
As it's Friday The 13th, and you don't get many of those during the year, it's time for a treat for both Friday fans and/or those interested in film scores. I bring you a lengthy chat with Harry Manfredini, the legendary composer who gave us the 'ki ki ki, ma ma ma' score. He's a great guy and I'd like you to meet him, here. Further Friday The 13th-related fun can be found in my interview with Friday The 13th mastermind Sean S Cunningham, as well as in reviews of Friday The 13th Part III, Friday The 13th Part V: A New Beginning, Friday The 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, Friday The 13th Part VII: The New Blood, Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday and Freddy Vs Jason. You can also check out my own novel Friday The 13th: Hate-Kill-Repeat at Amazon or in your local bookstore. Click here to read the novel's first chapter in a pdf file (you'll need Acrobat Reader which can be found free here). Wow, that's a lot of Friday fun to be getting on with. Should keep you off the streets...
|
| JANUARY 10, 2006: DEAD MAN'S SHOES REVIEW UP... |
|
I finally got around to posting a review of Dead Man's Shoes, the best film I saw in 2005. Take a look...
|
|
| JANUARY 8, 2005: SLASH-HAPPY MAYHEM... |
|
Once in a while, we just like to check out a few straight-up horror movies. So here's my own examination of the ludicrous 1988 slasher Pledge Night (aka Death Night), while Jon Kelly brings us an account of the obscure 1974 horror-fest Welcome To Arrow Beach. Ahhhh, Sundays... they're made for kicking back and watching any old garbage...
|
| JANUARY 6, 2006: HOSTEL ROCKS... WOLF CREEK HITS REGION 2... CRY_WOLF REVIEW ONLINE... GORE GALLERY UPDATED... |
|
Eli Roth's Hostel opens in the States today and we've got a review right here. I was never a big fan of Roth's debut feature Cabin Fever, but always thought he seemed a cool guy with the right kind of horror passion. His follow-up, Hostel is both brutal and highly disturbing. Our reviewer SpookyDan certainly enjoyed it. The film is currently set for UK release on April 21.
For once, the UK's release schedule is ahead of America's. The brilliant Aussie horror-thon Wolf Creek only recently reached US theaters, but over here it's out on UMD and two-disc DVD on January 16. There's plenty of good stuff on there, including a detailed making-of featurette, an audio commentary and an interview with star John Jarratt. See my newly extended review of the movie/disc here.
Last night, I ventured through the biting cold to a UK press screening of Cry_Wolf, at a Leicester Square cinema. The film is released next Friday (that's Friday The 13th, folks), so there's not much time for reviews to hit print media - always a tell-tale sign that a film ain't so special. You can read my own verdict on Cry_Wolf here.
Just updated the Gore Gallery with some prime head detonation from the sleazier-than-thou 1980 slash-fest Maniac.
|
| DECEMBER 29, 2005: ATTACH YOUR NAPKINS... SAW 3 CONFIRMED... |
|
Hi, hello, good day to you and welcome to December 29th. The year 2005 is howling out its death throes. Time to sit down with the last of the turkey sandwiches, then have your stomach turned by my review of a queasy little indie flick named Feed. An Australian production, handled by US director Brett Leonard (he of The Lawnmower Man, Virtuosity and Man-Thing), it's a maverick little number which will vomit over UK cinemas on February 17, 2006, before hopefully finding homes overseas. Tuck in!
There will be a Saw 3, it has recently been revealed. No cast, crew or script yet, but the movie will happen - if not in 2006, then in 2007. Contrary to rumours, it won't be titled S3w, thank God. I still haven't seen Saw 2, amazingly enough, but our man Jon Kelly didn't think much to it...
|
| DECEMBER 27, 2005: KABOOM!... AMERICA GOES UP WOLF CREEK... |
|
Remember this guy, from a certain David Cronenberg movie? Remember what terrible fate befalls him? Well, now you can relive it, step by horrendous step, in the
Gore Gallery, which has just been updated. Go see!
Greg McLean's top-notch horror experience Wolf Creek opened in the States this weekend, raking in a respectable $5.9million. Check out my review of the movie, plus my chat with director McLean. Then go and see the film, if you haven't already!
|
| DECEMBER 18, 2005: TOM SAVINI INTERVIEW ONLINE |
|
Christmas is coming. Time to sling you an early present, in the shape of an extensive, brand-new, face-to-face interview with FX legend Tom Savini, conducted on November 29. It sees the man describing some of his experiences in Vietnam, revealing the OTT horrors that Joe Spinell wanted to incorporate into 1980's Maniac, recalling his work on slasher gems like The Burning and claiming to have bailed out of handling the make-up effects on George A Romero's recent Land Of The Dead. Plus plenty more besides: good God, the interview itself is almost 7000 words in length... Take a look!
|
|
| DECEMBER 9, 2005: DIMEBAG DARRELL FEATURE ONLINE |
|
Slasherama is, first and foremost, a film site. Yet some things are so important that they transcend all barriers. So a year after the tragic murder of Pantera/Damageplan guitarist Dimebag Darrell, I've decided to print a feature which I wrote last December and was published in Rip & Burn magazine over here. I haven't updated it at all, which doesn't seem to be a problem, since little more appears to be known about why Nathan Gale committed this most senseless and shocking of killings. If you were into Pantera, respect Dimebag or are just curious about what might make someone kill a musician live onstage, then you can check out the feature here.
|
| DECEMBER 6, 2005: WHAT'S UP WITH SLASHERAMA... UPDATES! |
|
Don't worry, Slasherama hasn't gone to seed. Quite the opposite is happening, in fact: early in the new year the website will rise to the next level, sporting a brand new redesign, plus more of the content which you hopefully enjoy. This update has been a while in coming mainly because of your webmaster overseeing the new design, plus tackling various evil pre-Christmas freelance writing deadlines head-on. On the plus side, I recently interviewed Tom Savini for the UK's Bizarre magazine and will run some of my 80-minute chat with the great man right here, soon.
All praise Slasherama contributor Jon Kelly, who has stepped up to the plate with a couple of movie reviews. Our man takes a look at Shriek Show's recently-released two-disc set of '80s slasher Just Before Dawn, as well as Sean S Cunningham's lesser-known directorial effort, The New Kids, aka Striking Back here in the UK. Fans of the Gore Gallery, which has fallen silent for a few weeks, will also be glad to hear that I just added some more red-splattered nonsense. Another update soon, I swear! Don't go wanderin' off...
|
| NOVEMBER 15, 2005: THE DEVIL'S REJECTS DVD REVIEWED... SEAN S. CUNNINGHAM INTERVIEWED! |
|
My review of The Devil's Rejects has been updated to include a detailed look at the excellent new DVD package, which packs in well over three hours of extras. Frankly, I'm delighted with it.
I'm also delighted to present my interview with Friday The 13th deity Sean S Cunningham, which took place a few weeks back at the Screamfest event in LA. In our chat, he discusses the future of the Friday The 13th and Freddy Vs Jason franchises, as well as the new Friday The 13th TV series and the remake of The Last House On The Left. Check it out here.
|
| NOVEMBER 13, 2005: MOUSTAPHA AKKAD R.I.P... NEW PHANTASM DISCS REVIEWED... BRIT UNDERGROUND MAGS RECOMMENDED... |
En route home from San Sebastian's 16th Horror And Fantasy Festival, fellow horror journo Jay Slater and I were shocked and saddened to learn of the death of Halloween's much-loved producer Moustapha Akkad. The 75-year-old film veteran died on Friday, November 11, after the bombings at a Jordan hotel which reportedly killed a total of 57 people. A horribly pointless end to a remarkable life. Slasherama salutes the great man, who never wanted Michael Myers' reign of terror to end.
On a far cheerier note, our man Jon Kelly gets stuck into the new Phantasm box-set, issued by Anchor Bay. I've just picked up one of the Phantasm Sphere box-sets and can honestly say it's staggeringly wonderful. Sporting a gorgeous mirror-chrome finish, this set even has a couple of prongs which you can slot into the front. Probably the finest-looking DVD box-set I've ever seen. Check out Jon's reviews of
Phantasm, Phantasm 2, Phantasm 3: Lord Of The Dead and Phantasm IV: Oblivion, each of which also examines the box-sets' bonus fifth disc, which is packed with over three hours of special features! You can see clips from two of the featurettes, Phantasmagoria and Phandom, in the Media section. I've also included my favourite moment from the original Phantasm, when we first get to see a sphere's deadly capabilities. Yes, it's a straight-up Phantasm phrenzy, here at Slasherama...
Also wanted to let you know about two of my favourite underground UK horror mags, Vengeance and Uncut. The former recently spawned a Halloween special, with pieces on Evil Breed: The Legend Of Samhain and Forest Of The Damned, among others. The focus is very much on ultra-violence and large ladies' chests, so you'll find no argument here. Issue 19 of Uncut, meanwhile, features the usual wonderfully random selection of reviews, focussing on the various versions of flicks available around the world. Here, you can read about 10 To Midnight, Creep, Dead Birds, Candy Snatchers, Prison Heat and various others. Click either magazine image to the right, to be taken to that title's website.
|
|
| NOVEMBER 4, 2005: SAW 2 REVIEW ONLINE... BLIND DEAD COMPETITION BEGINS... HANGOVERS IN SPAIN... |
|
It might have the year's finest poster tagline ('Oh yes, there will be blood'), but according to Slasherama contributor Jon Kelly, Saw 2 sucks the big one. I haven't seen it yet, but am intrigued as to how bad it can be. Check out our man's spoiler-lite view here.
Apologies to anyone who's been trying to access the Blind Dead Collection competition from the home page. Due to my experiencing perhaps the worst hangover of my life this week at San Sebastian's 16th Horror And Fantasy Festival, updates and general site maintenance have been somewhat, well, sloppy this week. Nice to know your webmaster's human though, eh? You can now access and enter the competition here.
The San Sebastian fest finishes this Saturday. Among the interesting movies I've seen here this week are the Spanish movie H6: Diary Of A Serial Killer (which may well not be seen in the UK due to its sexualised violence), Jake West's Evil Aliens as documented below, Flightplan (a surprisingly effective Jodie Foster suspense thriller, already out in American cinemas and hitting the UK on November 25) and An American Haunting (a pretty effective US ghost flick - strangely enough - with Donald Sutherland and some great jumps). The aforementioned screening of H6 was hilarious, as the crowd began heckling it, only for the director to start heckling back. It all got a bit lively. Anyway, I must sign off and upload this, as the internet cafe is about to close for a siesta...
|
| OCTOBER 31, 2005: EVIL ALIENS INVADE SPAIN... |
|
Last night, Evil Aliens received its Spanish premiere at San Sebastian's 16th Horror And Fantasy Festival. The movie is a lot of fun, with some excellent gore and CGI effects - definitely a Slasherama thumbs-up here. Writer and director Jake West was in attendance along with star Emily Booth and took to the stage to introduce the film to a very respectable audience, despite the screening taking place at two in the morning! In the bar, West told me that events like this are "payback for all the blood, sweat and tears we put into the film. We spent a year just on the CGI!". The results are plain to see, and anyone who enjoyed Bad Taste will be well at home with Evil Aliens. Watch out for more Slasherama coverage on the film soon.
|
|
ARCHIVED NEWS
September & October 2005
August 2005
July 24-31, 2005
January - July 2005
[reviews]
[features] [web journal] [about webmaster]
[slasher movie guide]
[slasher movie game] [newsletter]
[message board]
[media]
[contact]
[links]
[UK DVD and cinema guide]
![[IMAGE: One & One banner]](http://cgicounter.oneandone.co.uk/cgi-bin/dt?clsid=4239d93ad82a284d2488a7584ff45d88)
Copyright Slasherama 2002-present
|