In this remake of the 1980 cult classic, Elijah Wood stars
as Frank Zito, a mentally disturbed mannequin conservator who has a mean mommy
complex and a fascination with women’s hair. In this modern day revisioning, we
are introduced to a whole new format for the horror genre, in that the entire
film takes place in the viewpoint of the killer. We are not following the
victims here, we are looking at them through Frank’s eyes. The only time we
actually see Wood is either in his own reflection or in the rare instance of 3rd
person viewing.
This film has been receiving rave reviews since its release
at last years’ Cannes Film Festival, however it was only up until last Friday
that the American audience was able to see it in select theaters and nationwide
on VOD platforms. I have been anticipating this film for a while, so I was
excited to finally feast my eyes on the pure and savage brutality that it
promised.
The theatrical trailer for Jug Face has been released, and it makes me even more excited to see it. It looks like it's going to an emotional and psychological roller coaster with a very M. Night Shamalamadingdong vibe (and I mean that in the best way possible, at one time he was a great director). Synopsis: Jug Face tells the story of a pregnant teen trying to escape a backwoods
community when she discovers that she may be sacrificed to a creature
in a pit. And here's the trailer, dig it and let me know what you think!
On Sunday night I finally got to see Maniac, the much raved about remake of the cult classic, and the review will be coming shortly (Spoiler Alert: I fucking loved it). Keep your eyes peeled!
Something almost beyond comprehension is happening to a girl on this
street, in this house... and a man has been sent for as a last resort. This man is
The Exorcist.
When the subject of iconic horror movies gets brought up,
there is one that almost always tops the list.
When the subject of the most
terrifying films of all time gets brought, it’s also pretty much guaranteed to
top that list as well.
When The Exorcist was released in 1973 it
shook the very ground it stood upon. Nothing like it had ever been presented on
the big screen, and people didn’t know how to react to it. It opened to mixed
reviews, but the general consensus was the same. This was the scariest movie of
all time. Critics didn’t know how to react to it, many of them claiming that it
was a “claptrap” and nothing but “religious schlock” with one general
direction: perverse scares.
Call it what you want, The Exorcist did what every horror
movie strives to do. It horrified, disgusted and revolted. It caused fainting
and vomiting, it caused countless sleepless night and it continues to scare
every subsequent generation since its release. While it garnered plenty of bad
reviews, they did not carry the blow intended by the critics. Calling a horror
movie disgusting, vile and perverse does nothing but to blatantly promote said
horror film, and everything that these critics said was in fact true. It is a
horrible film, but in that is what makes it one of the greatest horror films of
all time.
I will give a bit of a warning, this review will be long.
This is the first major classic that I will be touching upon in this blog so
forgive me, but I have no intention of making this a short one.
For those of you who have yet to see ABC's of Death, it's now streaming on Netflix for all of your viewing pleasures. It's definitely a good flick, I don't know if I'll watch it again but it's worth atleast one viewing. If you're unsure, check out my review here.
Maniacappears to be the talk of the town and it hits VOD platforms TODAY. I am very excited about this, I have been waiting for this one for a while. I can't wait to see how Elijah Woods handles the reins of the villain. He's been in a few horror flicks, The Faculty and The Oxford Killings, but always on the opposite end of the coin. I've read nothing but good things, so I'm sure it's going to be brilliant. You can surely be expecting a review early next week with my thoughts.
For all of you who do watch it this weekend, or don't, whatever, there is a "Making-Of" featurette on YouTube that you can check out as well. The link is below, dig it!
I am a huge Stephen King fan, in case you hadn't already noticed, and my favorite novel/film of all time is getting the sequel treatment (in the only way it should). In case you hadn't heard, King has written a sequel to The Shining entitled Doctor Sleep. It follows Danny Torrance in his more formative years and how he is using his mental abilities as he grows older. Below you can find the synopsis and a brand spankin' new TV ad for the book which will be released on September 24th, wherever books are sold.
The synopsis, per Amazon.com:
"Stephen King returns to the characters and territory of one of his most popular novels ever, The Shining, in this instantly riveting novel about the now middle-aged Dan Torrance (the boy protagonist of The Shining) and the very special twelve-year-old girl he must save from a tribe of murderous paranormals.
On
highways across America, a tribe of people called The True Knot travel
in search of sustenance. They look harmless—mostly old, lots of
polyester, and married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and
spunky twelve-year-old Abra Stone learns, The True Knot are
quasi-immortal, living off the “steam” that children with the “shining”
produce when they are slowly tortured to death.
Haunted by
the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel where he spent one horrific
childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his
father’s legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he
settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a
job at a nursing home where his remnant “shining” power provides the
crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes
“Doctor Sleep.”
Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone,
and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that
reignites Dan’s own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra’s soul
and survival. This is an epic war between good and evil, a gory,
glorious story that will thrill the millions of devoted readers of The Shining and satisfy anyone new to the territory of this icon in the King canon"
It's hard to believe that The Exorcist is 40 years old this year. In preparation for the big 4-0, Warner Bros. has announced the details for the special edition blu-ray release, and it looks like I'll be buying a Blu-ray player in the coming months. The special features are as follow:
Beyond Comprehension: William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist (NEW) 40
years after his novel was published, The Exorcist author, screenwriter
and producer returns to where it all began. First stop is a cabin/guest
house in the hills of Encino, California, where Blatty wrote the novel.
The author visits the place for the first time in 40 years and shares
not only memories of writing the book, but also discusses how it
inspired him. We then meet Blatty in two key and iconic locations;
Georgetown University where the film was shot, and at the now-famous
Exorcist steps. Throughout, Blatty reads from his novel, including an
excerpt from a chilling newly published passage.
Talk of the Devil (NEW) – While at Georgetown University, William
Peter Blatty heard about a true case of possession from Father Eugene
Gallagher. At the time the film came out, the priest talked at length
about exorcism, the true story and about Blatty; this footage is now
available for the first time in many years. It is as revealing as it is
shocking.·
Two Commentaries by William Friedkin
Commentary by William Peter Blatty
Introduction by William Friedkin
1998 BBC Documentary "The Fear of God: 25 Years of the Exorcist”
Raising Hell: Filming the Exorcist Set footage produced and
photographed by Owen Roizman, camera and makeup tests, and interviews
with director William Friedkin, actress Linda Blair,
author/screenwriter/producer William Peter Blatty and Owen Roizman.
The Exorcist Locations: Georgetown Then and Now -- Featuring a tour of the iconic locations where the film was shot.
Faces of Evil: The Different Versions of The Exorcist — with director
William Friedkin and author/screenwriter/producer William Peter Blatty
discussing the different versions of the film and featuring outtakes
from the film.
Original Ending
Interviews: The Original Cut, Stairway to Heaven, The Final Reckoning
Sketches & Storyboards
Radio Spots
TV Spots
Trailers
Premium:Excerpt of The Friedkin Connection: A Memoir
You can pick up your copy on October 8th, 5 days before the release of the Special Edition Friday the 13th Box Set.
Hellraiser: Bloodline, the fourth chapter in the Hellraiser
saga, reveals the story of Lament Configuration and Philip L’Merchant,
the man who designed it. It’s an interesting film, spanning from the 1700’s to
2127 AD, where the film begins. While it delves heavily on the history of the
box and how it came to be, we still see Pinhead with a new team of Cenobites
who are hell bent on destroying L’Merchant’s ancestor before he can destroy
them first.
In this review series we left off with Hell on Earth, and you
know that my thoughts were less than satisfactory. I was much happier with this
film than I was with its predecessor, read on past the break to get the
synopsis and to read my thoughts!
Today it was announced that MGM has partnered with Fox 2000 for co-financing and distribution of the modern take on the classic ghost film Poltergeist. Production begins this fall and I've already shared that the reboot will be directed by Gil Kenan, but it is being written by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Robert Lindsay-Abaire(Oz: the Great and Powerful). Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert's Ghost House Pictures will produce.
We've also got a synopsis, which seems to read exactly like the original: “In a revisionist take on the classic horror film, a family
struggling to make ends meet relocates to an outdated suburban home and
is confronted by an angry spirit who kidnaps their youngest daughter and
challenges them to band together to rescue her from the clutches of
evil.”
Welp, we've got another badass one sheet for Maniac to make us salivate in anticipation for what is being called the best horror movie of the year (and what seems to be, the last 10 years). It's gotten rave reviews over at Bloody-Disgusting, and it seems like I've been excited about this one for forever.
Head past the jump to check out the full poster and see the synopsis. Maniac hits VOD platforms this Friday (holy fuck yes), June 21st.
For some reason, I've yet to write about this one and I don't know why. Godzilla is badass, Bryan Cranston is badass, so it's a mystery. BUT, photos and all kinds of fun stuff have been leaking out from the Gareth Edwards' Godzilla remake and it's lookin' pretty awesome.
Slated for release on May 16, 2014, it is being directed by Gareth Edwards and stars Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass) and Elizabeth Olsen (Oldboy, Martha Marcy May Marlene). Check out the poster and photos beyond the break and leave a comment. What do you think?
Twelve years after the release of Exorcist II: The Heretic was released, William Peter Blatty (the writer of the original novel The Exorcist) made his directorial debut with The Exorcist III. While he had originally planned to release it under a different title, the studio naturally had it's way and dubbed it the third entry in the fated Exorcist trilogy.
If you've read my thoughts on the second chapter, The Heretic, then please do not let that be any indication as to the validity of this film. This one is an exception, and I'm rather excited to share my thoughts about it.
Rob Zombie is already gearing up for Halloween with the announcement of his latest endeavor, Rob Zombie's Great American Nightmare. Billed as "15 Nights of Pure Terror" the event will include several rides and attractions based on his hit horror films The Lords of Salem, The Haunted World of El Superbeasto and House of 1,000 Corpses.
Running from October 10th through November 2nd in Pomona, CA, the Great American Nightmare is sure to scare, excite and entertain. In addition to the rides, there will also be live music from some of the biggest rock acts of today AND some sweet, sweet Lucha Libre action. I know that I will be there, tickets are starting at a mere $30 a pop, so it sounds like a perfect way to celebrate the Halloween season to me.
Keep posted at www.GreatAmericanNightmare.com for more details, the headliners will be announced on June 29th. See inside for the full poster.
In 1973 the most terrifying film of all time descended upon the masses. A movie so disgusting and vile that people had heart attacks, fainted, passed out and vomited in the theater while watching. That film was The Exorcist, starring the sweet young Linda Blaire as Regan, a girl who is possessed by the demon Pazuzu after playing with a Ouija board. The Catholic Church commended it, saying that it's accurate portrayal of demonic possession could be used as a weapon in God's arsenal in the fight against evil. Now, The Exorcist is one of the most iconic horror films of all time and continues to terrify people the world over.
In 1977, a sequel was commissioned to be directed by John Boorman, and written by William Goodhart. The sequel, however, was doomed from the start due to constant rewrites, the blatant rejection to return by William Friedkin and William Peter Blatty, as well as some cast members from the first film. Read on to see my thoughts on the sequel to scariest film of all time, The Exorcist II: The Heretic.
PLEASE NOTE: All blogs preceding this one were transferred from the Tumblr account over the past 24 hours exactly as they were posted on Tumblr, so dates that are listed (i.e. Tonight, Tomorrow, etc.) are no longer relevant.
Welcome to the new home of Lovecraft Reviews!
I will be continuing to update the Tumblr in addition to this here Blogger, but I am excited to find a home here. Thank you for reading, please comment freely and let me know what you think! I'll be working on the next review now. - Rg Lovecraft
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
I love a strong independent woman in horror. Something about it is
just awesome, and I don’t mean in any sexual way. I’ve contemplated
starting a review series based solely on female centric horror films,
and may still do it, but Excision would be at
the top of the list if I did. This movie created quite the stir last
year, and after having seen it a few times, it’s easier to understand
why each time you view it. It’s got the complete package: a captivating
story, beautiful (and visceral) imagery, a strong lead actress fronting
an equally amazing cast and a great ending.
You know what to do, this is the part where you hit that little button down below and check out the review:
(This shouldn’t necessarily need to be
stated, but there are some NSFW images contained in this blog post. If
you are afraid of nipples, move ahead with caution)
So this is actually the first I’m hearing about this, surprisingly
enough, but Michael Cera stars in a new psychological thriller that’s
being released by Sony Pictures.
Directed by Sebastian Silva, the plot is as follows: “Removed
from everything she’s ever known, a young traveler finds herself
surrounded by a group of strangers in the Chilean countryside. With
tension rising, she must conquer her deepest fears and darkest secrets
before her dreams become reality and her reality… a nightmare.”
This looks pretty damn awesome to me, especially Michael Cera’s
performance. Some may gripe that it’s a straight to DVD release, but
hell, it’s horror. That doesn’t mean much in this genre, some of the
greatest stuff never sees the light of day in movie theaters. Check out
the trailer below and let me know what you think! Do you think Cera will
be able to carry this?
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Friday night I decided to
take a trip to my local record/used CD and DVD store to pick up some new
DVD’s to add to the collection. I stumbled across this and had to take
it home.
I’ve said it many times before, music (or lack
there-of) makes a horror film. Over the past 50 years, the horror genre
has pumped out some of the most iconic film scores of all time. Songs
that send chills down your spine and make you think of impending doom
every time you hear their ghastly melody.
I love a good horror soundtrack, it’s a big appeal
for me and something that I think modern horror has lost a sense of. In
this here article, I’m going to list some of the most iconic (as well as
some of my favorite) horror theme songs that you may, or may not, have
heard of.
10. The Shining – Wendy Carlos & Rachel Elkind
What a beautifully haunting main title. As the
Torrance’s little VW Bug winds its way through the jagged Rocky
Mountains, we’re subjected to a collection of sounds that sound both
human and supernatural. It is a perfect indication of the fear and
trepidation that the film instills on its viewers as it progresses to
its rocky finale.
9. The Twilight Zone – Marius Constant
This is probably the most iconic television theme
song of all time. It was composed for the second season of Rod Serling’s
seminal hit television show by Marius Constant and it has become a
staple of many lives, mine included. Every time I hear that fantastic
little jingle I get excited about whatever strange and wonderful journey
I may be going on, even if seen the episode a hundred times already.
You can almost see the swirling, hypnotic background when you hear it.
8. A Nightmare on Elm Street – Charles Bernstein
Considered by Rotten Tomatoes to be one of the best
films of 1984, Wes Craven’s Freddy Krueger sliced his way into horror
fan’s hearts forever as one of the crudest, rudest and generally
hilarious slasher villains out there. The theme is another great,
haunting and melodic, and funnily enough, heavily inspired by Gary
Wright’s Dreamweaver (seriously, check it out here).
7. Poltergeist (Carol Anne’s Theme) – Jerry Goldsmith
This is one of my absolute favorite themes in the
horror world, because it’s the exact opposite of what you would expect
with the theme for a horror film. It’s a beautiful song, and it
perfectly exemplifies the sweet innocence of our protagonist, Carol
Anne. It’s sweet melody, sung by a choir of children, soothes the heart
in the oddest of ways and helps you realize that maybe, just maybe,
everything will be alright.
6. The Omen (Ave Satani) – Jerry Goldsmith
A double-whammy for Jerry Goldsmith, then again
he’s one of my favorite horror composers, this being my favorite of his
compositions (however, on the complete opposite end of the spectrum).
This is the theme for Damian, the son of Satan, in the amazing occult
film The Omen. “Ave Satani” features a choir
singing a Latin chant that translates to “We drink the blood, we eat the
body, raise the body of Satan. Hail! Hail, Hail Anti-Christ! Hail
Satan!” It’s dark shit, and it’s exactly what The Omen needed.
I remember being immediately taken with this score when I first watched
the film some 12 years ago. It played a huge part in my future
fascination, and borderline (who am I even kidding) obsession with the
horror genre.
5. Hellraiser – Christopher Young
Clive Barker had original commissioned a the
soundtrack from his breakthrough film from the industrial band Coil,
however he later rejected it. The job then fell upon the shoulders of
Christopher Young, who created the eponymous theme song, and Lemarchand’s Lullaby that
makes us all immediately imagine chains flying at us from all
directions. I fucking LOVE this whole soundtrack, it sets up the film
with a grandiose feeling of dread and wonder.
Infamous serial killer Richard Ramirez, The Night Stalker, passed
away early this morning in San Quentin State Prison in California. No
other details have been released, other than that he died of “natural
causes”. Prison officials state that more details will be coming. Read
the initial report here at KTLA.
While I still share the news of this, I think it’s important to
remember the awful things that this man did and was capable of. This is
not a celebration of the man, but a reminder, we may love horror because
these things are fun to think about but this man did the things that we
assure ourselves are fake, so that we may sleep easy at night. Take it
easy folks.
Anchor Bay has announced that a Special Edition 35th Anniversary Blu-Ray Release of John Carpenter’s classic Halloween will
be invading our horror collections very soon. What’s more, Jamie Lee
Curtis and John Carpenter are doing an all new commentary for the flick.
All you Myers fans, begin your rejoicing…. now.
Thursday, June 6, 2013
“This is my body, this is my blood. Happy are they who come to my supper.”
Continuing with Hellraiser, we move onto the third part in the franchise: Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth.
This is the first film to break away from the canon of the first two.
While we hear of Kirsty Cotton, and see a tidbit of video footage of
her, it breaks away with a whole set with new characters, new Cenobites,
but of course, Doug Bradley returns as Pinhead.
I love Hellraiser, andI love Pinhead, but does that mean that I love every film in the franchise? Read on to find out.
Well, if you didn’t have plans tonight you have some now. V/H/S/2
is finally out on VOD and will be hitting a theater near you on July
12th. It’s already been getting some rave reviews from the horror
community, I’ll be watching it tonight and you be on the look out for
the review tomorrow!
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
This one has been on my list, and it’s one of those
films that I would get strange looks at when I mentioned that I hadn’t
seen it yet. “But you’re a huge Evil Dead fan!” friends would proclaim, “This is like Evil Dead 4!”
others would say. While I agree with the first statement and I see
where people come from when they make the second statement, I wouldn’t
necessarily agree with the latter.
Drag Me to Hell was written by Sam and Ivan Raimi, and directed by Sam Raimi, the same force that brought us The Evil Dead and its infamous sequels. The Raimi brothers wrote it before Sam focused on creating the god awful Spider-Man franchise and it was released in 2009. I enjoyed it. It was a fun ride, entertaining and hilarious much in the same vein as ED, and overall a decent film.
In the sequel to Clive Barker’s 1987 directorial debut Hellraiser,
we see the events that follow the devastation of Kirsty Cotton’s life.
Since I started this series, I figured I would finish and review each
chapter as I watch. As with most any horror franchise, the first chapter
is normally the strongest. While Hellbound: Hellraiser II was by no means a bad film and I actually think it stood up pretty well with the first, it too fell privy to this pattern.
Head inside to take a more in depth look at my thoughts on the film.
I
love the horror community. You find some of the most creative and fun
things on the internet, all based on the universal love of murder, death
and gore. Some may say that sounds a bit dark, and yes. It does. But
that’s what makes us awesome.
This morning, I found a blog on Reddit called Terrifying Treats. Reddit user bulgelover posted saying: “Hi Dreadit, for the last 8
months I’ve been making horror movie themed desserts for my blog,
Terrifying Treats. I thought you might find it interesting.”
Head on over to her blog and take a peek, it’s entirely possible that
you may find your favorite horror film inspired your favorite sugar
laden treat. It’s also become apparent that I’m going to have to learn
how to bake before this next Halloween…
