31 Days of Horror and Mayhem - ArcLight's Nights of Fright

It's the most wonderful time of the year, for horror fans atleast. This is the time of year that we don't have to be coy when it comes to being obscene, nasty and vulgar. We get to let our colors fly proud and get our chance to sit those friends down who have always been a bit too squeamish to watch our favorite flicks. I just love it.

Last year, October was a hectic time of the year for me so I didn't get a chance to celebrate like I normally would, so this year I wanna do some making up. We're talkin' reviews everyday, glimpses of my personal world of horror, some peeks at the horrific events going on in LA and maybe even a give away or two (wink-wink).

I know I missed yesterday, so today I'll be posting double duty and I want to start with one of my favorite events of the Samhain season: Arclight's Nights of Fright.

This is bloody awesome (all puns intended), for fans of horror in the Los Angeles and San Diego areas. Any horror fan knows that the best way to see your favorite classic horror flick is on the big screen. You finally get the opportunity to experience the terror first hand in the way it was originally meant to be, in a room full of people just as eager to be terrified as you are. Last year I indulged in The Exorcist and The Shining, and they were both just too amazing to properly put into words. You see and hear things that you never experienced while watching at home, and the atmosphere is so palpable that it's enough to send a shiver down your spine.

This year, ArcLight has a whole new roster of amazing films that will be showing throughout the month of October and I've taken the time to compile them all below for quick reference. Dig in, and if you're in the LA area, maybe I'll see you at one or two or seven of these below!

A Nightmare on Elm Street - October 2nd (Hollywood), October 12th and 15th (Sherman Oaks), October 20th and 23rd (La Jolla)

Beetlejuice - October 5th and 8th (La Jolla), October 26th and 29th (Beach Cities), October 30th and 31st (Hollywood)

Gremlins - October 5th and 8th (Sherman Oaks), October 12th and 15th (Beach Cities), October 17th and 18th (Hollywood)

The Shining - October 5th and 8th (Beach Cities), October 9th and 10th (Hollywood), October 14th (Pasadena), October 21st and 23rd (Sherman Oaks)

The Thing - October 5th and 8th (Pasadena), October 21st and 23rd (Beach Cities), October 24th and 25th (Hollywood), October 28th (La Jolla)

American Psycho - October 6th (Pasadena), October 22nd (Sherman Oaks)

The Bride of Frankenstein - October 6th and 9th (Beach Cities), October 26th and 30th (Sherman Oaks)

Carrie - October 6th and 9th (Sherman Oaks)

Psycho - October 6th and 9th (La Jolla), October 19th and 22nd (Pasadena), October 27th and 30th (Beach Cities)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - October 7th (La Jolla), October 12th and 15th (Pasadena)

Shaun of the Dead - October 7th (Beach Cities), October 8th and 9th (Hollywood)

Dracula - October 7th (Pasadena)

Little Shop of Horrors (Director's Cut) - October 7th (Sherman Oaks), October 19th (Beach Cities), October 22nd (La Jolla)

Fright Night - October 9th (Pasadena)

The Exorcist - October 12th and 16th (La Jolla), October 26th and 29th (Pasadena), October 30th and 31st (Hollywood)

Alien: Director's Cut - October 13th and 16th (Pasadena)

Rosemary's Baby - October 13th and 16th (La Jolla), October 27th and 29th (Sherman Oaks)

Silence of the Lambs - October 13th and 16th (Beach Cities), October 17th (Hollywood), October 27th (Pasadena)

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre - October 13th and 16th (Sherman Oaks), October 17th (Hollywood)

American Werewolf in London - October 14th (Beach Cities), October 15th and 16th (Hollywood)

From Dusk Til Dawn - October 14th (Pasadena), October 15th and 16th (Hollywood)

Creature from the Black Lagoon - October 14th (Sherman Oaks)

Corpse Bride - October 19th (Sherman Oaks)

Young Frankenstein - October 19th and 21st (La Jolla), October 22nd and 23rd (Hollywood)

Edward Scissorhands - October 20th and 23rd (Pasadena), October 28th (Beach Cities)

Fearless Vampire Killers - October 20th (Sherman Oaks)

Scream - October 20th and 22nd (Beach Cities), October 23rd and 24th (Hollywood), October 26th and 29th (La Jolla)

Ju-On: The Grudge - October 21st (Pasadena)

Last Man on Earth - October 22nd (Hollywood)

Let The Right One In - October 23rd (Hollywood)

Monster Squad - October 28th (Sherman Oaks)

Night of the Creeps (Director's Cut) - October 28th (Pasadena)

Poltergeist - October 27th and 30th (La Jolla), October 29th and 30th (Hollywood)

Videodrome - October 29th (Hollywood), October 30th (Pasadena)

Evil Dead - October 31st (Hollywood)

The Host - November 1st (Hollywood)

So there you have it! The selection this year seems to way surpass last years, I don't remember having such a tough time deciding as I do this year. So for you Angelenos, are you going to partake and if so, what's your poison? Sound off below!

- Rg Lovecraft

Revisiting John Carpenter's Chilling Body of Work - A Guest Piece by Brandon Engel

Now, this is a piece that I am very excited to be sharing with you guys. I was approached by a writer named Brandon, who was interested in writing a piece for the blog on John Carpenter's lesser known works, and as I've been the sole writer on here I was very excited to have additional collaboration on the blog. He submitted a great piece, which you will find below, and I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I do. Cheers!

Breaking onto the Hollywood scene in the '70s with his low-budget, high-impact thrillers, John Carpenter made a name for himself in filmmaking that extends even beyond his substantial impact on the horror genre. Though Carpenter is probably best known as a master of horror, responsible for famous genre staples like Halloween (1978) and The Thing (1982), he is a prolific film maker whose influence reaches in to the realms of science fiction and action cinema.

One of John Carpenter's first real commercial successes was the genre-defining slasher film Halloween, which would go on to spawn countless movies with similar themes and build Carpenter's reputation as a horror film genius. Based on a simple pulp fiction theme of teenaged babysitters being stalked on Halloween night by a masked killer and filmed on a shoestring budget of just $320,000, this early hit with its influential sound track became one of the most successful independent movies of all time, and one of the most recognizable films in the exploitation genre. While many critics and film connoisseurs have inferred an allegorical message about sexual purity from this film, a theme which is often echoed in its many cinematic offspring, Carpenter himself insists that he was just out to make the kind of trashy, crass exploitation film he would have loved to see as a kid. Other horror hits that would cement Carpenter's place as a genius of the genre included The Fog in 1980.

In addition to his well known horror contributions, Carpenter made many strong films in the sci-fi and action genres. His first film, Dark Star in 1974, was a largely forgotten sci-fi movie that nevertheless earned him attention from his Hollywood peers. Like many of his early films, Dark Star was made on a limited budget, with Carpenter himself taking responsibility for the writing, directing, producing and musical score. Most of Carpenter's films playfully blur the lines between genres, like his sci-fi romantic comedy Starman in 1984, or the bizarre satirical sci-fi action film They Live (1988) starring Canadian professional wrestler 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper. While some of Carpenter's sci-fi films, like Starman, received critical acclaim, and many went on to become cult classics, The only one that came anywhere near the commercial success of Halloween was the action packed Escape From New York (1981), grossing about a third as much as Carpenter's slasher classic.

Although his versatility and ability to work with a shoestring budget quickly got him better 

and brighter offers, Carpenter directed several films that were flops, both commercially and critically, and can be hard to find these days except on specialty cable networks like Robert Rodriguez’s recently launched El Rey channel (which is on DirecTV and some cable providers). The Thing (1982), a bleak and riveting alien thriller where everyone dies, was released the same summer Steven Spielberg's cuddly extra terrestrial E.T. graced the screen, and did not perform well commercially. The failure got him pulled from another project, and he would soon return to making low budget films. Many of these films are considered forgotten classics by those who love B-movies: Prince of Darkness in 1987 and the Lovecraftian homage In the Mouth of Madness in 1994, together with The Thing, complete Carpenter's Apocalypse Trilogy of dark horror films and are considered underrated by many fans.

Even though none of his films achieved the early success of Halloween and many of them were poorly received, John Carpenter's cinematic legacy set many records and influenced countless films across decades. From his impact on the slasher genre to his cult classic contributions to action and sci-fi, Carpenter's thumbprint on cinema history cannot be ignored.

Brandon Engel writes for a variety of blogs and websites, and was gracious enough to write a post for us here at Lovecraft Reviews. Keep your eyes peeled, I may get him back here soon! 

Modern Art Pulls The Cute Out of Horror's Scariest Faces

I love horror fan art. It's always either hilarious or adorable, in this instance it's both! 

 Modern Art's Adam Miconi has reimagined some of the scariest faces in horror, and oh my, are they adorable. Carrie White, Leatherface and Ghostface are just a few, head below to see 'em all! 

Now I just have to pick which one will grace my phone's background...

An Evening With Pazuzu - A Love Letter to Horror

Last night I had the wonderful oppurtunity to watch The Exorcist on a projector screen for the first time in my life, in all of it's nasty glory. I've been looking forward to it for weeks, and it did far from disappoint, not to mention the fact that it was "The Version You've Never Seen" made it that much more fun. Horror movies are meant to be seen in a theater; on a big screen with a good sound system, comfy chair and plenty of attentive faces pointed at the screen, yours only a dot in the sea of them. Last night was an amazing experience for me for a variety of reasons, getting the to see the film in a theater was only one, but it showed me a lot about the horror genre and how it still stands up in today's society.

Walking into that theater, I had a lot of thoughts going through my head mainly focused on what the audience reaction was going to be. Would the scariest film of all time still hold up? Would there be laughs and guffaws at the intended terror? Or was everyone there to watch an old classic they've seen a dozen times, only in a better setting and in it's proper format? The answers to those questions left me pleasantly surprised.

I am sure that if you are reading this right now that you consider yourself a fan of the horror genre, so I don't think I have to get into the semantics of what this particular film means to the horror community. There will never be another like it. While, yes, there have been films like A Serbian Film (which are pure schlock), they simply cannot be compared to a film with this kind of magnitude and wide spread mass appeal. This one holds a very special place in my heart, because it was one of the first horror films that swept the world and became a test of endurance. Could you make it through The Exorcist? Men crying like women, women fainting like children and children having nightmares from the schoolyard whispers that passed in it's wake, The Exorcist from then on cemented itself as a fixture of modern popular culture.


I arrived to the theater last night (thanks to traffic) 15 minutes before showtime. In Los Angeles there are a chain of upscale movie theaters called ArcLight Cinemas. With assigned seating, a bar in the lobby and no previews, it's the place to see a movie (for an inflated cost, of course). After grabbing a water, and settling into seat K16, the show started almost as if on cue and we were rolling. What I was greeted to in the first five minutes was exactly what I had been hoping for. You could have heard a pin drop in that theater. There was no crunching of popcorn, no throats that needed clearing, no laughter or jeering. Dead silence, and that is the way it remained for a majority of the film. To hear that during a film like this, it's just wonderful. There was no divided attention, everyone's eyes were fixed on that screen as if their lives depended on it.

One thing that I did not anticipate was how many people in that theater had clearly not seen the film, which I found fantastic. I love watching this one with people for the first time and if I could show it to them in a theater every time, I would. The poor woman sitting next to me, I feared, was on the verge of a heart attack through out the duration of the film. While yes, there were one or two women who resumed the role of cynic, making it a point to laugh at certain parts of the film that were intended to scare (and I believe that these people are the bain of the earth, I get angry thinking about them now), I believe they got a stare down from a couple sitting next to me (and I'd be lying if I said I didn't turn around and glare a bit) which got the point across just fine.

You've heard me say it once, and I have no intention on stopping, but sound design can make or break a horror film. The sound design in The Exorcist is perfection. You can barely even say that it has a soundtrack (aside from Tubular Bells) considering it consists of a conglomeration of unidentifiable slaps, percussive hits, string plucks and screeches, and wailing voices. To be in a theater that is equipped with a state of the art surround sound system was an absolute treat. I've seen this film dozens of times, yet, I found myself with my hand over my chest at certain parts.

I have to say my favorite part of the whole experience though was observing the way the audience was adjusting and reacting to the film. I was beginning to get a little disheartened after the first 15 minutes or so of the film. There were too many jeers for my taste, it was beginning to impede on my experience of the film, and I'm talking laughter at parts that left me wondering what was funny to be laughed at in the first place. However, when we reached the infamous scene in Act II where Regan asks her sweet mother to let the Lord Jesus go to town on her, there was in instantaneous mood shift in the theater. You could feel fear enter the theater and it was an incredible experience. I don't think I'll ever forget the collective sigh that emanated following the administration of sedatives, along with groans and shivers that mixed with Regan's dying scream. That was when I knew that this audience was along for the ride, and from there on out there was no more jeering; it was us, Pazuzu and Father Merrin.

To know that this film still has that impact is such an incredible thing to me; it's something that I've debated with friends over. To be able to witness this film scare a generation of 30+ year olds who have never seen it before, was a beautiful experience. This film is, and will always be, one that I wish I could experience in 1974 when it was literally causing people to pass out and vomit in the aisles.

Last night, I went to church, and it was a beautiful reminder of why I love this genre and why I've devoted 13+ years of my life to learning as much as I can about it.

Next up: The Shining at the Cinerama Dome on All Hallow's Eve, and I can't wait. 

- Rg Lovecraft

Own MANIAC Today on Blu-Ray, DVD and VHS!

Bloody Disgusting calls it the best horror movie of the year, and to be honest, it's hard to think of many that could dispute that. Maniac, the Elijah Wood fronted remake of the controversial 80's slasher flick, hits store shelves TODAY and you can take it home on DVD, Blu-Ray and (yes, you read it right), VHS, thanks to Mondo Video.

A viscerally terrifying film, “In this 21st century Jack the Ripper story set in present-day Los Angeles, Frank (Elijah Wood, The Lord of the Rings) leads a deceptively peaceful life. To the outside world, he’s a withdrawn and somewhat eccentric owner of a mannequin store. But his quiet façade masks an inner rage that forces him to brutally kill and scalp the women who get too close to him. When a young artist named Anna (Nora Arnezeder, Safe House) appears one day at Frank’s shop and asks for his help with her new exhibition, Frank develops an obsession with her that threatens to completely destroy his already fragile psyche. Soon the streets become unsafe for any woman after dark as this newly awakened Maniac begins to stalk and kill."

I loved the film, especially for a remake. You can dig on my review here, and I'll say this, I'm excited that I can now add it to my own collection.

October Plans - Lovecraft Gets Festive

 
As mentioned in my previous post, I am just so excited that October is here. I have been trying to think of a right-proper way to celebrate here on this blog, and I quite enjoyed writing an open letter to you guys so I think a series is in order! Oh yes, the first ever post-series from Rg Lovecraft, aren't you just so excited you could pee!?

"Now whatever could this series be centered around?" you might be wondering. Well, I'm going to be ultimately self-glorifying and write about my all-time favorite horror films. Not reviews, so much, but a mixture of analyses, why they are my favorites and perhaps even an argument or two as to why I believe that they could be some of the greatest horror films of all time. ALSO, there may be a giveaway in the near future of some very awesome stuff, SO leave a comment below and let me know if that's something you guys would be interested in.

In between be expecting all kinds of other fun stuff, as I will be attending a variety of screenings this Halloween season, as well as Rob Zombie's Great American Nightmare. The first of which will be tomorrow night, I will be attending a screening of The Omen, Richard Donner's 1976 masterpiece, which will be followed by an intimate Q&A with the director himself. Now I'm so excited that I could pee. 

What do you guys have planned for this, the most wonderful of seasons? Haunted houses, screenings, concerts, parties? Get it all out there! And I'd love to know what your halloween costumes might be this year! 

- Rg Lovecraft

Creepshow (1982) - A Review

The most fun you’ll ever have…. BEING SCARED!

Anthology films are fun. While they are not necessarily my favorite, there are always exceptions to the rule, this being that very exception. Written by Stephen King and directed by George A. Romero, this film features a powerhouse of horror icons, including special effects by Tom Savini, King himself (in a one-man segment of the film), Adrienne Barbeau and music by John Harrison. 

Let’s dig on in, shall we?

Get The Sounds Of The Entire HALLOWEEN Franchise On HALLOWEEN: THE SOUND OF EVIL

It's a pretty magical month for fans of Halloween, what with the release of the 35th Anniversary Special Edition Blu-Ray last week, now you can own all those iconic themes, scores and sounds from the ENTIRE franchise in one collection thanks to BuySoundtrax Records! Read on for the press release: 

BuySoundtrax Records is proud to scare the bejeezus out of you this fall with the release of HALLOWEEN: THE SOUND OF EVIL – MUSIC FROM THE HALLOWEEN FILM SCORES, available digitally and on CD on October 2, 2013. The collection is the first to celebrate the music from the eight films in the original series and the two films in the re-imagined series and includes music by John Carpenter, Alan Howarth, John Ottman, Danny Lux, and Tyler Bates. The album is arranged and produced by Dominik Hauser.
 
Filmmaker John Carpenter created not only the slasher film that reinvented the genre, but the music that would define terror for decades to come. “The piercing tonality of his shrill synth sustains took on the gleaming sheen of a butcher knife’s blade, while the electronic stabs of lower-end synth chords became the brutal blows of the killer’s slashing arm and the repetitive, tinkling piano notes became the spine-chilling icicles dripping down your spine,” describes Randall D. Larson, author of Musique Fantastique: 100 Years of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Film Music in the liner notes.

HALLOWEEN: THE SOUND OF EVIL – MUSIC FROM THE HALLOWEEN FILM SCORES will be available digitally, via BuySoundtrax and other outlets on October 2, 2013.

Track listing:

1. Halloween-Main Title
2. Halloween- Laurie's Theme
3. Halloween-The Shape Stalks
4. Halloween II-Theme
5. Halloween III: Season of the Witch- Silver Shamrock Commercial
6. Halloween III: Season of the Witch - Drive to Santa Mira
7. Halloween III: Season of the Witch - Chariots of Pumpkins
8. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers-The Dream
9. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers -Michael's Finale
10. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers-Tower Farm Murders
11. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers -Halloween Final Revenge
12. Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers-Empty Stomach
13. Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers -Look Upstairs
14. Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers -Thorn
15. Halloween H20: 20 Years Later-Suite
16. Halloween: Resurrection-Let's See The Body
17. Halloween: Resurrection-The Ceremony
18. Halloween (2007)-Halloween Reimagined
19. Halloween II (2009)-Brackett Finds Annie
20. BONUS TRACK Halloween II (2009)-Mr. Sandman
21. BONUS TRACK Halloween-Main Title Reprise (No children’s choir)
22. BONUS TRACK Halloween III: Season of the Witch Silver Shamrock Commercial (w/o Narrator)

Happy October Everyone!

This couldn't describe my feelings about this month any more accurately. Happy October everyone! To the month where we can act like ridiculous fan boys and nobody bats an eye, cheers. 

It's gonna be a fun month on Lovecraft Reviews, a TON of reviews, news, articles, photos and fun stuff will be finding their way here over the next 31 days so stay tuned! And you can always sound off in the comments and let us know what how YOU'RE celebrating the spookiest month of the year!

Keep it spooky!

Rg Lovecraft

Rob Zombie Announces The "Great American Nightmare"; Coming to Los Angeles This Halloween

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.  

Spooky Tunes: Lovecraft's Top 10 Horror Theme Songs

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.  

4. Suspiria – Goblin

Suspiria is one of the most talked about horror films of all time. I feel as if I’ve always heard people referencing this film, in some way or another. It’s a fantastic film, more art house than anything, that tells the story of a young American girl who attends a prestigious dance school in Italy only to discover that it’s no mere dance school (forgive the cliché ridden summary). The reason I find this theme so intriguing (aside from the fact that it’s really just pretty damn awesome) is that it is so regularly used in pop culture references that most people probably don’t even realize they’ve heard it, and would recognize it almost immediately. Finnish rock band HIM, used it as intro music for their American tours for years, as an example.

Who made the final 3? Head inside to find out. 

"Halloween" 35th Anniversary BluRay Release Coming Soon; Features New Commentary

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.