Horror Makes for Good Social Commentary – Except When it Doesn’t

Horror has always been a vehicle for social commentary. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a metaphor for how our prejudices and moral failures create our own monsters in our own image. Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a famous metaphor for cold war hysteria. Still, not every horror film is up to the task of serious social commentary, no matter how hard it tries. Here are a few examples of horror films as social commentary that work, as well as a few that don’t.

1. Alien incarceration is a good metaphor for the evils of racism.
(District 9, 2009)

I still can’t get over how good this movie is. It’s a textbook example of how to properly make the most out of faux-documentary storytelling and filmmaking. The film was adapted from a 2005 short film called Alive in Joburg, and inspired by events that took place in District 6 in Cape Town during South Africa’s apartheid era. The film movingly explores the effects of xenophobia and forced segregation as one of the chief bureaucrats who oversees District 9 is forced to live as a hunted and despised alien. In doing so, not only does he learn to have compassion for those who have been so unfairly oppressed, but regains his own humanity, even as he transforms into an alien himself. At the same time, we learn to sympathize with the alien Christopher Johnson and his young son, both of whom simply want to go home. They’re far more decent and sympathetic than those who oppress them. Honestly, I haven’t been that emotionally invested in a film in years. It’s a deeply moving and thoughtful metaphor for just how much we lose ourselves when we hate those who are different from us.

2. An alien invasion is not a good metaphor for Mexican immigration.
(Monsters, 2010)

Monsters wants to be District 9. But I have seen District 9. I love District 9. And Monsters, you are no District 9. If you pretend that Monsters is just a monster movie with no other agenda, then it works fine. The effects are good (but sparse), the story is good, and it involves likeable and interesting characters who have to sneak past a quarantine zone where Earthlings have just had their butts kicked by giant, squid-like monsters. The quarantine zone happens to be Mexico, and the protagonists are desperate to sneak into the U.S. by any means necessary. Their plight warrants a lot of sympathy and has obvious analogies with immigration along the US-Mexican border. Had the film stopped here, I would have been fine with it, but this is where it gets confusing. We’re meant, I think, to agree with the protagonists who begin to realize that the aliens are misunderstood, and are actually beautiful — if you find giant, slithering, crevice-probing tentacles to be beautiful. Call me old-fashioned, but I think they’re horrifying. And these aliens also have the habit of leaving their eggs stuck to the sides of every tree in every forest they slither through. The overall message is that we should be peaceable and ecologically friendly, and just live and let live when it comes to tolerating the interplanetary aliens among us. I’m as liberal as they come, and a literal card carrying member of both the ACLU and the Sierra Club. I believe in saving the planet, preserving the environment, and keeping our borders open for fair and legal immigration. But I wanted the US military to nuke those squishy, disgusting aliens back to whatever planet they came from. As a monster film, this was very good. As a metaphor for how we should rethink our immigration policies, using the aliens in this film was just plain crazy.

3. Zombies are a good metaphor for mindless consumerism.
(Dawn of the Dead, 1978)

Zombies have always tapped into the fear that we’re all little more than flesh and bone with nothing more noble or spiritual to animate us or guide our behavior. Zombies are terrifying because, as Barbara puts it the 1990 remake of Night of the Living Dead, “we are them and they are us.” This idea reached its apex in George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead, in which mindless, suburban consumerism is explored through the vehicle of a zombie infested shopping mall. I was a teenager in the 80s, so mall culture is a part of my DNA, but after watching this film, I do feel a little guilty whenever I mindlessly wander around one with an Orange Julius in hand.

4. Zombies are not a good metaphor for new media/blogging.
(Diary of the Dead, 2007)

Romero once said that whenever he sees a social problem, he sticks a zombie to it in order to explore it. But it doesn’t always work. I actually agree with the premise of Diary of the Dead. I love the ephemeral pleasures of YouTube as much as the next guy, and I think blogging is a great form of community-building and political empowerment. But blogging is no substitute for professional journalism, and thinking that it is could make us ill-informed, intellectually lazy, and socially disconnected. That’s a great theme that great writers such as Noam Chomsky and Neil Postman explore in-depth in their numerous books and essays. Sadly, this theme doesn’t make for a great zombie movie. Throughout this awful, unwatchable mess of a film, we’re supposed to want the characters to stop filming and do something to save their fellow human beings. We’re supposed to want them to be more connected to reality instead of their private, mediated version of it. Instead, I wanted to scream at Romero to connect with his audience by making a real zombie movie.

5 .Vampirism is a good metaphor for venereal disease.
(Bram Stoker’s Dracula, 1992)

Bram Stoker suffered from syphilis when he wrote the book that forever established the vampire as an icon of horror. His version of the vampire is sexy, seductive, and diseased. Vampires had long been repulsive and fearsome, but Stoker made them equally attractive, and I think it’s this capacity of eliciting both of those powerful emotions at once that makes the modern vampire so captivating. Francis Coppola’s rendition of Stoker’s novel makes this clear, as his Dracula is both a demonic fiend and also a debonair but diseased man of civilization (or “syphilization,” as Van Helsing puns). Coppola pushes that metaphor about as far as he can by linking vampirism with the stigma of HIV, but it works. Near Dark is another example of how well this metaphor works in exploring the ravages and allure of disease. Behind their fangs, the vampires in Near Dark are really sex-crazed, drug addicts in desperate need of medical treatment, if only they would stop partying long enough to take that first step and admit they have a problem.

6. Vampirism is not a good metaphor for the moodiness of teenage love.
(Twilight, 2008)

Romeo and Juliet, The Breakfast Club and Freaks and Geeks are notable exceptions to the general rule that teenage drama is boring and trivial. There’s a fancy neurological term for why things seem so disproportionally melodramatic when you’re a teenager. It has something to do with the still developing neural pathways of the teenage brain. Of course, there have been some notable adolescent vampires – Homer in Near Dark and Eli from Let the Right One In are obvious examples. But those characters work because they’re adults stuck in a child’s body. They have real problems. The vampires in Twilight are perpetual adolescents with high school problems. Being stuck in that stage of emotional and intellectual retardation is, I suppose, horrifying. But vampirism is not a good metaphor for moody teenagers because NOTHING is a good metaphor for moody teenagers. Also, vampires don’t hang out in trees. Or play baseball. Or sparkle.

Horror DVD Releases – Week of November 9th, 2010

this week’s new releases include (finally!) ZOMBIE GIRL: THE MOVIE, the documentary following 12 year old emily hagins in her quest to produce the feature length zombie epic PATHOGEN. about a year and a half ago, we interviewed emily and wrote a little about PATHOGEN while ZOMBIE GIRL was seeking distribution. well, the long wait is over since, as of tomorrow, you’ll be be able to own the ZOMBIE GIRL documentary and PATHOGEN, since emily’s film is included in its entirety as a special feature.

this week also sees the release of several multi-film collections, including THE GINGERDEAD MAN and its sequel. the former stars gary busey as a killer gingerbread man (which sounds like a dream i had when i drank too much cough syrup) and the latter appears to feature several behind-the-scenes horror icons such as adam green, greg nicotero and john carl buechler in small roles. if you’re looking for something a little more high-brow, the criterion collection is releasing lars von trier’s ANTICHRIST which, while undeniably beautiful to look at and thought-provoking, is rather tedious to watch and takes filmmaking to previously undiscovered levels of pretentiousness.

(descriptions from BestBuy & Amazon)

Zombie Girl: The Movie (2009)
Emily Hagins is making a zombie movie. It’s feature-length, it’s bloody, and the zombies don’t run — just like it should be. But there’s one difference between her film and every other zombie movie you’ve ever seen: Emily is twelve. Emily is part of a new generation of teenagers raised on technology and expressing themselves through video. Only — she’s doing it on a feature-length scale! Emily has the vision and her mom has the driver’s license. Together, their journey is a fascinating look at a growing world of young moviemakers and bloodiest mother / daughter story you’ve ever seen.

Antichrist: Criterion Collection (2009)
This enormously controversial psychodrama-cum-horror film from Danish enfant terrible Lars von Trier charts the degeneration of a marriage into apocalyptic violence, chaos, and insanity following an unthinkable domestic tragedy.

The Haunting (1963)
One of the most highly regarded haunted house films ever produced, Robert Wise’s The Haunting (based on Shirley Jackson’s novel The Haunting of Hill House) weaves the dark tale of a questionably sane young woman and a sinister house which holds a terrifying past.

Damned By Dawn (2009)
A young woman visiting her dying grandmother pays a high price for interfering with death in this energetic horror yarn inspired by the films of Sam Raimi. Somewhere on a farm in the deep country, Claire’s (Renee Willner) grandmother is knocking on death’s door. When Claire fails to heed the dying woman’s warning not to meddle in the banshee’s business, the dead rise up to stake their claim on the living.

Circle (2008)
Six graduate students studying the childhood home of a notorious serial killer get to spend some quality time with their murderous subject when he escapes from custody and returns to the place where his reign of terror began.

Esquizofrenia (2009)
Unable to erase his memories of the woman he once loved and unwilling to accept that they have no future together, a disturbed young man embarks on a murderous rampage in order to purge his deep-rooted rage. In the midst of his killing spree, however, the volatile psychopath encounters a woman who bears a striking resemblance to his lost love, and who comes to him with an open heart. But does she really exist, or is she just another delusion in a deranged mind?

Dead Enders (2010)
A disturbed woman, haunted by the death of her “one true love, ” kidnaps and brutalizes those she believes to be his living successor. Held captive in a subterranean prison, Robert begins to fight for his survival from a sadistic captor willing to kill anyone that disturbs her suicidal plans. To save himself, Robert must survive booby-trapped mazes, implements of torture, and an evil presence which feeds his captors insanity and hides from the world, the dark secrets of “Max”.

Altered States (1980)
In this 1980 sci-fi horror film, William Hurt plays Eddie Jessup, a scientist obsessed with discovering mankind’s true role in the universe. To this end, he submits himself to a series of mind-expanding experiments. By enclosing himself in a sensory-deprivation chamber and taking hallucinogenic drugs, Jessup hopes to explore different levels of human consciousness, but instead is devolved into an apelike monster.

Puppet Master Collection
Master puppeteer Andre Toulon (William Hickey, Prizzi’s Honor, In the Name of the Rose) has discovered the secret of life or is it the secret of death? The result is five killer puppets, each uniquely qualified for murder and mayhem. Tunneler has a nasty habit of boring holes in people with his drill-bit head. Leech Woman regurgitates killer leeches that suck her victims dry. Pinhead strangles his enemies with his powerful, vice-like hands. Blade has a gleaming hook for one hand and a razor-sharp knife for the other. And Jester, the brains of the bunch, is just plain mean. Together, they’re an army of skilled assassins, genetically programmed to guard the deadly secrets of the PUPPET MASTER. Now, for the first time, all nine films in the PUPPET MASTER series are available in one horrifying collection.

Evil Bong / Evil Bong 2 King Bong
A group of stoners take a hit from a vintage, evil bong that sends them on a trip to Bong World; in order to cure the strange side effects they incurred from smoking, the group heads to South America where they meet King Bong.

Subspecies (The Awakening) / Bloodstone: Subspecies II / Bloodlust: Subspecies III
Three students studying the folklore of Transylvania stumble upon a clan of vampires ruled by the monstrous Radu. With the help of a powerful relic, Radu tries to make them his fledglings; Radu’s fledgling, Michelle, flees his castle; Michelle is captured again and forced to learn about her vampire powers. Meanwhile, her sister tries to release her from Radu’s fortress.

Gingerdead Man / Gingerdead Man 2: Passion of the Crust
The ashes of a deranged murderer make their way into a secret cookie mix, producing a killer gingerbread man that wrecks havoc on anything standing in its way. In the second installment, the The Gingerdead Man crashes a movie studio, leaving behind a trail of bloody murder and hilarious mayhem.

Meridian / Decadent Evil
A young woman visits her recently inherited Italian castle, gets caught in a mysterious love triangle, and discovers that she has also inherited a medieval curse that threatens her livelihood; A vampire feasts upon the blood of strip club clientele while housing her ex-lover–part human/part reptile–in a bird cage.

Demonic Toys / Dollman / Dollman vs. Demonic Toys
Officer Judith Gray battles a demon that brings to life a group of killer toys; When Brick Bardo lands on Earth, he discovers that he is the size of a doll. The miniature man must fight his enemies while standing a foot tall; Brick teams up with Judith to take on the evil toys.

New to Blu-ray

Horror Community Highlights – November 5, 2010



email suggestions for next week’s community highlights to jon@evilontwolegs.com

Horror DVD Releases – Week of November 2nd, 2010

(descriptions from BestBuy)

Not of This Earth (1988)
This campy remake of Roger Corman’s 1957 low-budget sci-fi classic tells the story of a bloodthirsty alien who comes to Earth looking to replenish his planet’s declining food supply. Traci Lords stars as a nurse who uncovers the sinister plot and attempts to stop the bloodletting.

Terror Within/Dead Space (1988/1990)
Dead Space: Set in the further reaches of the galaxy, this sci-fi horror film, a cross between Forbidden Planet and Alien, tells the story of a spaceship commander’s battle to protect the universe against the terrifying mutation-causing virus that threatens to wreak havoc upon the planet Phabton. The Terror Within: This sci-fi horror film is a knock-off of the Alien films. Set in the Mojave desert in the 21st century, it depicts a desolate world that has been ravaged by a human engineered plague virus where the few people live underground and the surface is populated by strange monsters.

Demon Kiss (2008)
A demon invocation goes awry when the prostitute that was meant for sacrifice becomes host to the evil entity. Later, as the demon leaps from body to body, the race to send it back to hell begins.

Horrors of the Black Museum/The Headless Ghost (1959)
The Headless Ghost: In this spooky film, three American exchange students visit an English castle purported to be haunted. Horrors of the Black Museum: The power of hypnotism provides the basis of this film that was released in “Hypnovision.”

Deadfall Trail (2009)
Three friends fight for their lives during a grueling three-week excursion into the Kaibab National Forest. Leaving the modern world behind, John, Julian, and Paul each pack a knife, a bottle or water, and a garbage bag in order to test their survival skills, and seek clarity through a peyote -induced vision quest. When disaster strikes seven days into the trip, the three friends discover that the greatest enemy is within.

Il Visitatore (1980)
Mel Ferrer is an Atlanta notable who is mysteriously in communication with some demonic forces. These evil powers want him to father a child by his wife who carries the necessary genes to produce a real live earthling demon. When she refuses to go through yet another labor, the horrific shenanigans start.

Happy Halloween Music Videos & The Walking Dead

It’s Halloween, ya’ll! To celebrate, why not take a look at these awesome horror-themed music videos? Also, The Walking Dead premieres on AMC tonight. All indications are that it buries the needle on the awesome scale, so go watch it.

The Duke Spirit – “Take a Look Around”
This is one of the coolest videos I’ve ever seen. The song is awesome, the animation is stylish, and it has a drunken, dancing devil in it. What’s not to like?

The Misfits – “Dig up Her Bones”
This video is proof that the Misfts were just fine, if not even better, without Danzig. And the video has a cameo appearance by James Whale’s Frankenstein.

The Cramps – “I Was a Teenage Werewolf”
Before Michael Landon got his Jesus on in Highway to Heaven, he was a teenage werewolf. And The Cramps pay him appropriate tribute.

Clap Your Hands, Say Yeah! – “Satan Said Dance”
‘Nuff Said.

The Horrors – “Sheena Is a Parasite”
This video really creeps me out. But it’s kinda awesome.

The Ramones – “Pet Sematary.”
The only thing that could possibly make the Ramones any cooler would be if they sang about rising from their graves as the undead in a music video. And they did just that.

Reasons I’ll Go To The Theater, Even When I Don’t Really Wanna

a couple of days ago, i saw the above tweet from @afterdarkfilms, and i have been thinking about it ever since. there was a time that i loved to go to the movie theater, and something as simple as “a cool poster” would be enough to get me there. but that time is long past… for at least the last ten years, and probably longer, i have been developing a dislike for seeing films theatrically and, as it currently stands, it takes an awful lot to drag me to the theater. i don’t know if this is just me or a trend in modern movie-going, but given the tone of the above tweet, i assume not as many people are shelling out cash for the silver screen experience as studios would like. in order to properly answer @afterdarkfilms‘ tweet, i thought i’d lay out the reasons keeping me away from theaters, as well as list what will get me into a seat, despite my reluctance.

reasons i hate movie theaters

they’re overpriced. this one’s pretty obvious. if you click on the screengrab on the left, that’s the closest theater to me showing MY SOUL TO TAKE. $32.50 to take my wife to see a movie? are you joking? that price is especially ridiculous when you realize the dvd will be out in a few months for half that cost, and not only will i get to keep the film forever — but i get all the special features along with it.

overpriced food. in addition to that $32.50, i’d also have to drop another $20 for a couple of drinks and some popcorn. when did we decide it was ok for movie theaters (and stadiums) to charge us six or seven times the normal cost for food and drinks? no, seriously — when? someone should get a delorean up to 88mph, go back to that moment, and collectively slap us all in the face.

inconvenience. there’s not a whole lot they can do to change this one, but you know — i kind of like deciding for myself when i’m going to start a movie. i also like being able to pause it to go get a drink or go to the bathroom, and not have to shove my butt in someone’s face while inching down the aisle to go do so. unless i really feel like it.

annoying people. sometimes audiences really add to the experience of a film, but more often than not they’re just irritating. whether it’s kids kicking the back of your seat, people talking or someone coming in late, the end result is the same — annoying people doing annoying things pulls you out of the movie. my worst experience with this was during THE RING. a lady two rows in front of me answered her cell phone during the film’s climax and had a loud three minute conversation. every time i see THE RING, i think of that bitch. and i will never, ever forgive her.

the goddamn mpaa. at least when it comes to horror films, this could be my #1 reason for avoiding theaters. why should i pay to see a censored film in the theater when i can see it uncensored on blu-ray cheaper? and it’s not that i so crave sex and gore scenes that missing a few frames of one is inconceivable — it’s that i’m paying to see someone’s artistic vision, and i’d rather not have that vision filtered through a committee of soccer moms who decides what i’m too sensitive to see. there was a time when the mpaa had much more control over the medium, but now with director’s cut and unrated versions being the norm on home video, there’s simply no reason to go watch a watered-down version in the theater.

i never understood why eli roth was so shocked when people didn’t flock to the theater to see HOSTEL 2. he seemed pretty convinced the reason was piracy, but i don’t really think that was it. it might not make a big difference for something mainstream like PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2, but when you make a film whose primary attraction is shock, gore and terror geared for the hardcore horror audience — that audience isn’t going to go out of their way to see what they know is a diluted version. especially when they know the full experience will be available cheaper and easier in a matter of weeks. HATCHET 2 made a recent attempt at paving the way for the future of theatrical horror — but unfortunately no one got to go see it because they pulled it from screens before anyone could find their effing car keys.

despite all these reasons to not go see horror in the theater, occasionally i still do venture out to the local multiplex. take note movie studios — here are the reasons that i will part with my hard-earned cheddar for your movie, so make sure your film does one of these things. (did i use “cheddar” correctly in that sentence? i heard it used in a song, so i thought i’d give it a go. not sure it’s gonna work for me long-term.)

reasons i will go to a movie theater

three dee. cinema purists seem annoyed by the current 3d craze, but not me, baby. sure it’s gimmicky, but gimmicks need love too. i was blown away by MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D and PIRANHA 3D, and despite advances in the blue/green glasses technology i can currently use at home, it’s still a pale imitation of the experience you can get in a theater. so, for better or worse (at least until decent 3d is available at home), if your horror film sounds remotely interesting, putting it in 3d is a sure-fire way to get me in a seat.

audience participation. when i refer to audience participation, i’m not really thinking of the ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW variety. there are some films (like PARANORMAL ACTIVITY) that are just better experienced in a packed theater. a lot of the thrill from movies heavy on jump-scares and suspense is feeding off the reactions of those around you… so watching them at home alone is a very different experience. i don’t really need to see THE SOCIAL NETWORK with two hundred people to enjoy it, which is why i’m waiting for it to come to blu-ray; but PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2? that was actually worth going to the theater for on opening weekend.

i can’t wait. very rarely a film will so pique my interest that waiting a few months to see it isn’t a viable option. due to my own nature, these tend to be franchise films… i will always be first in line to see a new FRIDAY THE 13th or STAR WARS, no matter how bad it looks like it might be. however, at least for me, instances of not being able to wait for blu-ray are becoming more and more rare. i’m not sure whether that means i’m getting more patient or films are getting less interesting but… well, there ya go.

something else i can’t get at home. this is where studios really need to put their energy if multiplexes are going to stay in business. 3d is the big thing right now, but it will not last… if you want people to leave the comforts of their home to see your movie, you have to give them something they can’t get at home. imax is a good example of this, but there’s only so much appeal to making the movie bigger and louder (regardless of how michael bay may feel). things that really draw me to the theater are things like live director q&a sessions after the film (either in person or broadcast by satellite) and tangible free stuff. in terms of the former, i once saw BUBBAH HO-TEP in washington dc with bruce campbell leading a live discussion after the film. that was worth the $10 ticket price, and then some.

in terms of free stuff, i also remember a friend going to see PHANTASM II and coming home with this awesome baseball cap with one of the spheres attached to the brim as though it were eating your brains (i couldn’t find a picture of that hat anywhere, but i can assure you it looked much cooler than the one to the left that came up when i did a google search for “phantasm silver sphere hat”). why don’t more movies do stuff like that? if you’re releasing some mid-budget horror film, give out a goodie bag of info on the film, the people behind it. give away a dvd of short horror films and trailers of other horror films we might like to see. or just throw in a t-shirt or something for god’s sakes.

so yeah, that ended up being a lot longer than i expected. anyway, the quick version of all this is that the theatrical experience of films needs to adapt if it wants to survive. watching a film at home is, in many ways, already a cheaper and better experience than what you get at your local multiplex. if they want to keep people coming to the theater they need to find ways to make the that experience unique and give people something they can’t get at home. something other than irritation and an overpriced experienced based on a bygone era.

Horror DVD Releases – Week of October 26th, 2010

(descriptions from BestBuy & Amazon)

ALIEN Anthology (blu-ray)
In space, no one can hear you scream.

Lake Placid 3 (2010)
A game warden (Colin Ferguson) moves into his aunt’s lakeside cabin with his wife and young son, and the little boy feeds the resident baby crocodiles until they grow up into monstrous predators that become a menace to the family.

Brain Dead (2008)
Six friends fight for their lives against a rapidly growing horde of alien infected zombies in this deliriously gory horror comedy from veteran horror director Kevin S. Tenney (Night of the Demons, WItchboard).

Mutants (2010)
The father of her unborn child infected with a highly-contagious virus that turns humans into rampaging, primal killers, terrified Sonia (Hélène de Fougerolles) watches in horror as his condition deteriorates, and then fights to the death against the man she loves most.

Altitude (2010)
After a mysterious malfunction sends their small plane climbing out of control, a rookie pilot and her four teenage friends find themselves trapped in a deadly showdown with a supernatural force.

Psychomania
The cult classic known as the greatest British zombie biker movie ever made returns with the ultimate full-throttle restoration: Nicky Henson (THE WITCHFINDER GENERAL), Beryl Reid (THE BEAST IN THE CELLAR) and Oscar® winner George Sanders (ALL ABOUT EVE, VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED) star in this beloved 70s mind-blower about a motorcycle gang who burst from their graves to crush a world of psychedelic hippie pleasures under the wheels of black leather occult mayhem.

Eyes of the Chameleon (2005)
Sara is stuck in Las Vegas working a dead end bartending job. A chance meeting with a member of the occult triggers a psychotic break and she descends into a world of group sex, unrepentant drug use and rampant violence. As she spins faster and faster out of control, her friends are slowly killed off in mysterious and brutal ways. Is Sara being stalked by an unnamed killer or is she the one guilty of the murders?

The Dead Outside (2009)
A mysterious girl with a dark past and a desperate survivor still mourning the loss of loved ones attempt to avoid falling victim to a highly-contagious psychological plague by holding up in an isolated Braehead farm in first-time feature film director Kerry Anne Mullaney’s grim apocalyptic thriller.

Bloodbath in the House of Knives (2009)
A hypnosis demonstration serves as the catalyst for murder in this micro-budgeted, neo-giallo shocker featuring Troma’s Lloyd Kaufman.

Cannibal Girls (1973)
Second City TV regulars Eugene Levy and Andrea Martin star in this Canadian horror spoof as a couple on a romantic holiday who settle into a quaint little bed-and-breakfast run by a trio of flesh-eating ladies who fancy them for tomorrow’s menu.

House (1977)
This satirical murder mystery pits a woman who is the epitome of glamour (played by Haruko Wanibuchi) against a clever murderer during a holiday stay at a strange ghostly mansion. Seven young women, who have chosen as nicknames the brand names of much-advertised consumer products, begin to disappear in a decidedly suspicious manner. Are they fashion victims? How else can one explain the eerie coordination between their pastel outfits and the pastels of the rooms in which they appear? It is up to the heroine — whose every screen appearance is heralded by special lighting, gentle breezes, and a soft camera focus — to find out what is going on.

Lynch Mob (2008)
All hell breaks loose when a street savvy criminal is placed in a small southern town under the witness protection program, and the mobsters seeking to silence him arrive to discover that this particular town suffers from a gruesome, century-old curse. Passing through, one would assume that Lynchburg, Georgia is just a typical rural town. But the citizens of Lynchburg have been condemned to a diet of human flesh, and in order to feed they lure in unsuspecting travelers.

Hush (2008)
The rain falling from the sky as he drives along the M1, Zakes is shocked to see the back of a truck slide open, and a young woman fighting for her life. After phoning the police, Zakes ignores Beth’s pleas to tail the truck, instead pulling into the next pit stop. Infuriated, Beth storms off, and vanishes without a trace. Later realizing that his girlfriend has just become the next victim.

Flick (2007)
In life, rock and roll rebel Johnny was the laughing stock of his peers; in death, the slick haired corpse rises from a watery grave to ensure that those who once mocked him never get the chance to laugh again.

Eulogy for a Vampire (2009)
In this horror film, the peace of a monastery is disrupted by strange occurrences in and around the formerly quiet place. More than two decades ago, Anthony killed a fellow novice after his affection was spurned, and then covered his crime. Now he is the monastery’s leader, but he isn’t sure what to do about the creepy happenings that plague his home.

The Carrier (1987)
When residents of a small Midwestern town begin to fall ill from a mysterious disease that devours flesh, the locals attempt to eradicate all suspected carriers.

Death Tube (2010)
Fukuda Youhei weaves this gruesome yarn about a young woman who becomes obsessed with a morbid internet game show featuring live murders, only to realize she’s the next contestant after waking up on the other side of the webcam.

Maniac: 30th Anniversary (1980)
Joe Spinell, who appeared in Taxi Driver, stars in this unsavory horror film as Frank Zito, a character reminiscent of an even more disturbed Travis Bickle. Frank is an embittered loser who talks to himself and his dead mother, stalks a pretty model (Caroline Munro), and spends his spare time brutally murdering women. He then scalps his victims and puts the trophies on mannequins which he takes to bed with him at night.

Horror Community Highlights – October 22, 2010



email suggestions for next week’s community highlights to jon@evilontwolegs.com

Super-Creepy Things My Wife Found On Etsy This Weekend

etsy is a hand-made arts and crafts site where users post items for sale. apart from that the fact that my wife is kind of addicted to it, that’s about all i knew about etsy a few days ago. however, this weekend as my wife was browsing for hand-crafted soap, it occurred to me that a site that large and popular must have some stuff that would appeal to horror fans — and not just horror fans who also happen to like hand-crafted soap. with that idea in mind, i gave my wife a very important mission…

go forth and find me the creepiest, most eff’d-up things you can on etsy.

she did not disappoint. below you will find the first part of what i’m sure will become a recurring feature here at eo2l — “super creepy things my wife found on etsy this weekend.” follow the links for the full descriptions, more pictures and the option to own them for your very own. if you dare!

1974 Leatherface Mask

“a must have for fans of the classic film.”

Creepy Finger Soap Set

“would make a great gag gift, party favors, or even something special for yourself!”

I Scream Cone

“This is sure to make a great addition to your Halloween tree!”

The Human Centipede CAT TOY

“This cat toy is 100% medically accurate!”

Killer Care Bear Swamp Creature

“His tummy has a painting of a swamp.”

Freddy Necklace

“This lil Freddy only wants to play!”

OOAK Creepy Doll Head 5 Shadowbox Sculpture

“Custom painted and distressed wood shadowbox contains a hand sculpted creepy clown head.”

Mini Zombie Scary Creepy Evil Clown Head Prop Decoration

“How would you like to own your very own piece of the circus undead?”

Nun no 3 Mouth eye Vampire doll ooak creepy gothic horror art

“SHE IS A HORROR RELATED ITEM AND IF YOU CAN’T HANDLE SCARY THINGS, THEN PLEASE DO NOT LOOK AT MY LISTING.”

SAW Billy The Puppet Head Earrings JIGSAW

“Billy the puppet earrings.”

My Demon Pony Shaun Zombie Pony ooak My Little Pony

“I cut the stomach area out then sculpted the guts slowly attached one gut loop at a time..was so much fun! I also felt I should up a eye pop on this one!”

AMPUTHEATRE- Crucifiend Gaming Figure

“For devouring anything warm-blooded he found within the moors of Scotland, the abomination now known as “Crucifiend” spent centuries staked to a mountainside- where scavengers picked his eyesockets and fingers clean.”

Horror DVD Releases – Week of October 19th, 2010

(descriptions from BestBuy & Amazon)

Predators (2010)
A group of hardened killers are hunted on an alien planet in producer Robert Rodriguez and director Nimród Antal’s entry into the popular sci-fi action franchise. Mercenaries, murderers, gangsters, and convicts, they were the most feared men on Earth. But now they’re a long way from home, and when the predators become the prey, fearless mercenary Royce (Adrien Brody) prepares for the fight of his life.

Night of the Demons (2010)
The ultimate Halloween party becomes the setting for a terrifying night of satanic slaughter when seven teenagers become trapped in a mansion filled with rampaging demons in this remake Kevin S. Tenney’s influential 1988 horror classic.

The Psycho Legacy (2010)
This documentary examines the ongoing influence Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 classic Psycho has had on not just horror films, but on mainstream filmmaking. The filmmakers interview many of the people involved with both the original film, as well as people who appeared in the sequels

Mirrors 2 (2010)
The spirit of a young murder victim escapes into the realm of mirrors at the moment of death, and seeks vengeance against those responsible for killing her in this horror sequel starring Nick Stahl and William Katt.

Zombie Christ (2010)
Independent horror maestro Bill Zebub takes the helm to deliver this sacrilegious shocker centered on the concept that Jesus Christ was transformed into a zombie by Druids, and subsequently unleashed as a plague upon humanity.

Bikini Bloodbath Christmas (2008)
The killer chef returns in this sequel to Bikini Bloodbath and Bikini Bloodbath Carwash. When Ms. Johnson sinks into a coma, Jenny and Sharon go to work in her famous Bong Shoppe and find themselves drawn into a bitter retail battle with the nearby Christian Deli. As the competition heats up, Jenny accidentally brings the Killer Chef back from beyond the grave. Later, at the holiday party, the eggnog begins to flow as the guests begin dropping like flies. As the eggnog wrestling match draws near, Jenny and Sharon team up to take down psychotic chef before the big event.

Howling Trilogy (1987-1991)

Assault of the Sasquatch (2009)
An enraged Sasquatch embarks on an urban rampage after it is captured by a bear poacher in the deep woods, then transported to the city when the poacher is arrested and his truck is impounded. Now, before the creature returns to the wilderness, it will hunt down the poacher and make him pay.

Amhurst (2008)
The supernatural thriller Amhurst begins when a ten year old girl disappears. The girl’s twin sister has always suspected that their grandfather Meryl may have been responsible. Years later, Meryl passes away and the surviving twin returns to the grandparents’ house with her own children in tow. Many strange events come to pass in the house and in the town, and the living twin is haunted by vivid nightmares. Soon everyone has to unravel the truth before it’s too late.

The Lost Tribe (2009)
A relaxing weekend on the water leads to tropical terror for a group of young seafarers who stumble across an ancient and deadly secret. Shortly after a group of archeologists vanish without a trace on a secluded tropical island, a ship capsizes in the waters nearby, and its frightened passengers swim to the beach for safety. But this secluded paradise is no island sanctuary – it’s a hunting preserve for a prehistoric tribe of predators that prey on humans.

Wasting Away (2007)
The undead are on the march in bowling alley, though they aren’t aware of what’s happening to them in this ambitious blend of horror and comedy.

Swamp of the Ravents/I Eat Your Skin (1973/1964)
A mad doctor attempts to conquer death by conducting a series of immoral experiments, but instead creates a flesh-eating army of the undead.

Giallo (2009)
An English-language throwback to the type of distinctly Italian thriller that earned him the international reputation as “The Italian Hitchcock,” Dario Argento’s Giallo once again teams the director with producer and younger sibling Claudio Argento to tell the tale of a serial slasher with a penchant for cutting beautiful women.

The Class Reunion Massacre (1977)
Originally released as The Redeemer: Son of Satan, this is a silly, sanctimonious slasher film with obtuse religious overtones. The stage is set as several college graduates are invited to a ten-year reunion at a spooky mansion, where they are soon systematically slain by a clown-masked killer.

Vampire Girl vs Frankenstein Girl (2009)
Two teenage girls are in love with the same boy, but the results are a long, long way from Betty and Veronica in this over-the-top horror comedy based on a manga by Shungiku Uchida.

Tales From the Darkside: Complete Series
This 30-minute horror/fantasy anthology series follows in the vein of The Twilight Zone. Each week presents another standalone story of horror fantasy, and/or science fiction. Some episodes are gruesome, a few are of a lighter comedic style. Like many such shows, Tales… adapted the work of famous genre authors of the period such as Harlan Ellison, Stephen King, and Clive Barker. Many episodes also featured veteran actors of the 40’s and 50’s that saw very little work in their later years.

Herman Cohen Classic Horror Double Feature: Horrors of the Black Museum & The Headless Ghost (1959/1976)
London is fear struck, and Scotland Yard is baffled by a series of strange murders that have plagued the city. Stories of the atrocities, by crime journalists Edmond Bancroft, come to their own conclusions missed by the Yard. This is because of the fact that Edmond is behind these horrible crimes in order to create material for his writing. Features the classic eyeball-gouging binoculars scene.

Ruby & Kiss of the Tarantula (1977/1975)
She s sweet sixteen and her mama (Piper Laurie the mother in the horror classic Carrie) wants to send her away. The deaf-mute daughter retaliates by calling up the spirit of her murdered father and in one terrifying night of horror, he exacts his revenge.

Colin (2010)
Already a worldwide phenomenon with huge media coverage, COLIN is the first zombie movie told from the zombie s perspective, it is a film truly like no other. Our hero Colin is bitten by a zombie; he dies and returns as one of the undead. We follow him as he wanders through suburbia during the throes of a cadaverous apocalypse. Through his encounters, we learn who Colin was and more pertinently, what he has now become.

Deadlands 2: Trapped (2008)
When the U.S. government unleashes a highly toxic bio-weapon on the residents of a small Maryland city, all Hell breaks loose as six strangers find themselves seeking refuge inside a local movie theatre from the bloodthirsty, infected citizens roaming the streets. Writer-director Gary Ugarek follows up his 2007 indie sleeper hit DEADLANDS: THE RISING with this non-stop action thrill ride starring Jim Krut (Dawn of the Dead) and Josh Davidson (Perkins 14, Ghosts Don’t Exist).

Dolla Morte (2006)
A Masterpiece of Lo-Fi Madness and Satanic Silliness! So disgusting and so demented – it had to be filmed with dolls! Nothing and no one is sacred in a this special re-release of Bill Zebub’s (Breaking Her Will, Zombiechrist) long lost and out of print experiment in delirious doll destruction. In the tradition of Robot Chicken and Team America, Bill Zebub’s DOLLA MORTE slaughters sacred cows using all of your beloved toys from childhood, conjuring up a hilarious and sickening spoof of religion, government and war that pulls no politically incorrect punches!

Make Out With Violence (2008)
MAKE-OUT with VIOLENCE is a genre-bending tale of a boy trying to fulfill his unrequited love for a girl who has risen from the dead. Set against the backdrop of a summer of cicadas and swimming pools, the film blends elements of up-beat teenage melodrama with the strange gravity of classic coming of age stories.It tells the story of twin brothers struggling to come to terms with the unexplained disappearance of the bright and beautiful Wendy Hearst. As the sweltering summer pushes on, they must maintain the appearance of normalcy as they search for ways to revive the Wendy they once knew.

Scream Dream (1989)

The Maze (2010)

Horno (2009)

New to Blu-ray