Monthly Archives: July 2012

Jul 11 2012

Horror Director Talks about His First Movie

Horror Director Talks about His First Movie

by Jason Harris


Writer and director Eric England talks about Madison County, his first horror movie; his first movie ever.

England said that this is his version of “a backwoods slasher movie.”

“I wanted to do something that was faithful to all the films that had come before it, but also tries to stand on its own two feet.”

He drew inspiration from several different places, including things that had happened to him and from the local legends he was aware of in Arkansas, where he filmed Madison County.

The idea for England’s movie came to him when he was 14, he said. He wrote the script back in 2009 and the movie was released last year.

“The idea for Madison County had been sitting in my brain for years before I ever sat down to put it on paper.”

He is planning a follow-up to his $75,000 first movie, and this time he will give audiences more of prolific serial killer Damien Ewell’s history.

“I always planned for Madison County to be part of a much bigger picture. I don’t want to beat people over the head with exposition, but I’ll definitely hint at information about his origins,” England said about his movie.

His serial killer is not a supernatural being under that mask, he said.

“He’s 100 percent a human being. If you cut him, he bleeds. If you hit him with a shovel, he goes down. Under the pig head, he’s just a man.”

It took him under two years from the written word to filming. He had gone through almost 10 different producers and teams of producers before the finished product came to be.

“A lot of promises were made and never made good on, so I eventually went off and made a little experimental movie called Hostile Encounter in November of 2009.”

His experimental short inspired producer Daniel Dunn to find financing for film to make “a bigger film which was ultimately Madison County.”

There are many movies that have inspired England.

“My favorite movie of all time is Scream. I like a lot of really weird movies. Everything from The Sound of Music to Last House on the Left to American Pie. It’s hard to pinpoint where my brain gets inspiration from.”

Along with favorite movies, he has some favorite directors that include Alfred Hitchcock, Wes Craven, Quentin Tarantino, and David Fincher. He also likes Tim Burton’s older stuff.

He is currently working on a few projects, the Hitchcockian thriller Roadside and a psychological-horror-sex-thriller called Contracted. He also attached to direct a studio film, which he couldn’t talk about.

“I’m kind of a workaholic.”

Editor’s Note:
This article also appears on the DVD Snapshot website. Click here to check out other interviews, dvd reviews, and contests.

Jul 10 2012

Author Releases ‘The Dark Poet’


Poet Robert Rumery has self-published his first collection, The Dark Poet, through lulu.com.

According to Rumery, his poems contain various feelings he has had; good and bad.

His book is $15 and can be purchased by clicking here.

Jul 9 2012

Author’s ‘Death’s Companion’ Released

Author Dan Foley’s first novel, Death’s Companion, was released by Necon E-Books in May.Death's Companion

The book tells the story of Jerry Gibson, who chooses to kill himself, but discovers he can’t die. Instead he becomes Death’s Companion, forced to share the deaths of countless others. Then in one act of rebellion Jerry saves the life of a sixteen-year-old girl and unleashes a horror on the world that could destroy his immortal soul.

Author Christopher Golden (The Myth Hunters, Wildwood Road) said Foley’s novel is “clever and well-written,”

The e-book is $4.99 and can be purchased by clicking here.

Jul 8 2012

The Epitaph, Issue 21 (June 2012)

Issue #21 (June 2012)

The Epitaph

Journal of the New England Horror Writers (NEHW)

The NEHW Committee:

Tracy L. Carbone – Co-Chair
Stacey Longo – Co-Chair
Dan Keohane – Treasurer
Jason Harris – Director of Publicity/Webmaster
K. Allen Wood – Director of Publications
Scott Goudsward – Director of Events
Danny Evarts – Art Director
Tim Deal (alternate)
T.J. May (alternate)

NEHW WRITING OPPORTUNITIES

From Trisha Wooldridge:

 
Doorways to Extra Time, a short story anthology, is now accepting submissions.

In our busy world of meetings and microwaves, car radios and cell phones, people always wish they could get an extra hour in the day. What if they could? Doorways to Extra Time is an anthology that explores ways to get extra time (be it an hour, a day, or a decade) and the impact it would have (whether upon a single life, a family or an entire world).We’re looking for stories with a touch of the fantastic—whether mystical, magical, mechanical, or just plain mysterious—but they can be set in any time or any genre: contemporary or historical, science fiction or fantasy, horror or magic realism. We could even find a place for a nonfiction essay if it was truly exceptional. In short, show us something show-stopping, and we’ll make time for you.

Suggested Length: full stories (from 3,000 to 7,000 words) and flash fiction (preferred under 1,000 words). We will accept good stories up to 10,000 words but longer lengths are a harder sell.

Due Date: October 15th, 2012

Editors: Anthony Francis and Trisha J. Wooldridge

Submission Guidelines: Please email your submissions to anthology@spencerhillpress.com.  Put your story in the BODY of the email (no attachments) and put “DOORWAYS TO EXTRA TIME” in the subject line along with the title.

And now the boring bits: We can only accept previously unpublished stories. Please don’t use characters or material to which you do not own the copyright so Disney doesn’t come sue us—this is not a fan-fiction anthology. Contributor contribution will be an advance of $10, a contributor copy of the print edition, and a equal share of the contributors’ portion of the royalties. Please make your work appropriate for a PG-13 audience and avoid gratuitous sex, violence, politics and puns.

For accepted submissions, Spencer Hill Press will take first print and electronic publishing rights, which are exclusive publishing rights for as long as the anthology remains in print. This means that authors will not be able sell or publish their stories elsewhere, and when the rights revert to the authors after the anthology is no longer in print, they will only be able to market the story as a reprint, which in nearly all cases is a harder sell and has a lower pay rate than first print. We at Spencer Hill Press hope that the anthology will have strong sales that will result in healthy royalty payments, but we want authors to go into this with eyes open, knowing how acceptance to one anthology limits the marketing of the same story down the road.

From Scott Goudsward and Rachel Kenley:

Over the river and through the woods does not always lead to grandma’s house or happy endings—especially if grandma’s house is infested with zombies, or if grandma is really a Lovecraftian being in disguise. Once Upon an Apocalypse is a two volume post-apocalyptic anthology laden with the undead and otherworldly mythos crossing into the realm of fairy tales, nursery rhymes and other timeless stories. Editors Goudsward and Kenley, along with publisher Chaosium, are currently open to submissions for these two books of mixed-up retold fairy tales.

What we are looking for:

For both volumes, we want stories with strong narrative lines, stronger characters and a clear blending of the theme and the fairy tales.

For Volume One, imagine Cinderella arriving at the ball and discovering it filled with zombies. Or how different the story would be if it was Snow White and the Seven Zombies. Give us new horrors with Alice in Zombieland, and a prince who climbs Rapunzel’s hair to get away from and find a way to defeat—you guessed it—zombies.

In Volume Two, we want a strong dose of Lovecraft thrown in. What happens to the townspeople in The Boy who Cried Cthulhu?  Pinocchio is going to have a much harder time getting out of the Old One than the whale; a wolf would have been preferable to Little Red Riding Hood and the Byahkee and the Little Mermaid has so much more to worry about then her legs and a missing voice when she faces a Deep One.

Once you choose a story to change it’s your call how far you will take it.  Make the apocalypse clear and give some meaning as to why the dead are meandering through the streets and munching on the breathing or why the Elder God has paid the town a visit.  Plague, pestilence, bio warfare, meteor shower, tail of a comet…be creative.

Because we don’t want duplicates of themes, you will be able to follow the progress of the anthologies on our blog (http://onceuponanapocalypse.com) or Facebook page (www.facebook.com/OnceUponAnApocalypse) where we’ll keep a current list of themes/tales accepted.  For example, if we get a Sleeping Beauty story and it’s awesome, that will be it for the book.  Stories should be 2K – 4K in length (please query for stories under or over our limit. We will consider them if they are of exceptional merit.)  The only true way to have similar stories is A Snow White and the Seven Zombies in one and Snow White Star Vampire Slayer in the other.

What we are not looking for:

We all know these are dark fiction anthologies, but gore for the sake of gore is un-needed. This is not splatterpunk or extreme horror.  Sex?  If the story calls for it, fine, but keep it to an R rating (maybe even PG-13). We don’t to hear about insertions and spurting fluids, unless its blood from a bite wound or a gun shot.  Try to keep the violence towards animals at a minimum.  In some mythos, zombies chew on animals and that’s fine, but we don’t want redneck zombies killing all of Bo-Peep’s sheep for a pie.  Finally, though we shouldn’t have to mention it (but we will, given the theme)—go easy on the child-related violence, please.  And no pedophilia—that’s just skeevy.

Reading period: now through July 31, or until filled.

Pay rates: pays $.03 per word, no royalties, and three free books and additional copies at 50% off cover.

Email subs to: ouaastories@gmail.com

Format:

Stories should be an attachment to your cover letter email, NOT copied and pasted into the body of the email.  The cover letter should include a single paragraph synopsis of the story and your publishing history. The submission should be in RTF or DOC format (no DOCX).  Left aligned, 1/2” indentation for paragraphs, single spaced. Double space between scenes and use five stars (*****) for breaks in the story. Contact info should be on the first page of the story with word count.

Please do not query for your story until we’ve had it for at least 12 weeks.  Publication is expected for the first half of 2013.  No reprints and no simultaneous submissions.  If we turn you down feel free to try again with a new story, but give it a few days between submissions.

And please, when submitting, be specific which book you are submitting to. We’re reading for both simultaneously. Subject line of the email should be Name, Story Name, Which book.

NEHW MEMBER NEWS:

From Nick Cato:

Cato’s new novella, The Apocalypse of Peter, was officially released on June 1 from Damnation Books. There is a synopsis and a brief excerpt on the publisher’s site:  http://damnationbooks.com/book.php?isbn=9781615726806

From Stacey Longo:

Longo has written and illustrated a children’s book. Pookie and the Lost & Found Friend was published by Farmer’s Daughter Press on June 30 and is the story of a cat named Pookie, her friend Jack, and their hair-raising Halloween adventure. The book is available at http://tinyurl.com/pookie630.

From John Grover:

Grover is proud to announce his participation in the Dark Light charity anthology. This anthology, assembled by Carl Hose, gathers over 40 of today’s horror writers. All proceeds go to the Ronald McDonald House. Grover’s story, “Hannah’s Babysitting Blues,” is featured. A great book for a great cause. Check out the e-book at Amazon: http://amzn.to/KPPfLj

Grover also has a story, “Under a Civil Moon,” in the anthology, Best New Werewolf Tales volume 1, by Books of the Dead Press. Check it out here: http://amzn.to/LHehgT.

Coming soon is his first zombie book, Frozen Stiff. The zombie apocalypse is upon us. A small group of survivors rescued by a military search and rescue team is re-routed to a secret artic ice station when the city’s rescue shelter is overrun. There they are ordered to await evacuation. Problem is, no one knows when that will be. The weather worsens, the generators weaken, and the dead wake from a cold sleep. Look for it soon on Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble Nook.  Amazing cover art by NEHW member Jonathan Banchik can be viewed at his site: http://bit.ly/ME03f3.

From L.L. Soares:

Soares’ novel, Life Rage, will be released this September by Nightscape Press. It will debut at the KillerCon convention in Las Vegas the weekend of September 20 – 23.

From Eric Dimbleby:

Dimbleby’s novel, Please Don’t Go, won the “Best Speculative Fiction” award for the state of Maine in 2012. The award was issued by the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance.

His newest novel, A Beast in Spring, was released in e-formats on June 4. It is a twisted tale of juvenile survival, cruel demigods, and malignant father figures. One fan referred to the story as “Lord of the Flies, but on a terrifying acid trip.” You can purchase both novels by visiting www.ericdimbleby.com.

From Daniel Robichaud:

Robichaud’s story, “Weathering the Storm,” will be reprinted in the State of Horror: Florida anthology from Rymefire Press this month.

From L.L. Soares:

Soares novel, Life Rage, will be coming out this September from Nightscape Press. More details can be found at http://www.nightscapepress.com/books/novels/.

The Collected Cinema Knife Fight: Volume One (2004 – 2009) by Michael Arruda and Soares is now available on Kindle, Nook, and other e-readers from Necon Ebooks (http://www.neconebooks.com/cinemaknifefightv1.htm). Volume One collects all of their early columns that appeared in the Hellnotes newsletter and the website Fear Zone.

His story, “The Gulch,” will be appearing in the anthology, Welcome to Hell (An anthology of western weirdness) edited by Eric S. Brown, coming soon from E-Volve Books.

From Robert Heske:

Heske reports The Night Projectionist, hit store shelves on July 5. The reviews on the book that Fangoria called “The next ‘30 Days of Night’” are already starting to come in.

If you don’t see it at your favorite comic book store, tell them to order it by giving them this Diamond Preview code: MAR121187 NIGHT PROJECTIONIST TP. Or simply go to this web page:

http://www.studio-407.com/preorders/NightProjectionistPreOrderForm.php

Or order it on Amazon here:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Night-Projectionist-Robert-Heske/dp/1935385089

Heske is also putting together packaging on an ultra-low budget film that he hopes to film in Massachusetts. More details to come!

From Dale Phillips:

Phillips will be appearing in the Author’s Expo, to be held at the Danvesport Yacht Club, on Wednesday, July 18th. Check out the event’s website,

http://peartreepublishing.net/events/2012authorsexpo.php.

From K. A. Laity:

Laity has signed with Tirgearr Publishing in Ireland to bring out Unquiet Dreams, her collection of horror and dark fantasy tales this autumn.

Laity is editing the anthology, Weird Noir, for Fox Spirit Books in the UK.

Space is limited, but if you have a pitch that might fit, let her know ASAP, katelaity@gmail.com.

Her recent publications include:

The Tender Trap. Flash fiction. At the Bijou

<http://at-the-bijou.blogspot.ie/&gt;, July 2012.

Losing My Religion. Flash fiction. Spinetingler Magazine

<http://www.spinetinglermag.com/2012/06/29/flash-fiction-losing-my-religion-

by-k-a-laity/>. June 29, 2012.

The Beaver Dating Service. Humour. The Laughter Shack

<http://thelaughtershack.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/beaver-dating-service-by-k-l

aity.html>. June 29, 2012.

Kingsley Amis in the Afterlife. Poem. Short Humour Site

<http://www.short-humour.org.uk/6writersshowcase/kingsleyamisintheafterlife.

htm>. June 19, 2012.

Homework. Flash fiction. Necon E-Books

<http://www.neconebooks.com/flash.htm&gt; . June 2012. Honourable mention, May

Flash Contest.

Twitter Wedding. Poem. Asinine Poetry

<http://www.asininepoetry.com/issues/view/25/0&gt; (Summer 2012).

Just Waiting. Short story. Near to the Knuckle

<http://www.close2thebone.co.uk/wp/?p=530&gt;. June 5, 2012.

From E. F. Schraeder:

Schraeder’s story, “The Threshold,” appeared at Tales of the Zombie War in June, and “Stacked” appears in the summer issue of Dark Gothic Resurrected Magazine.

From Scott Goudsward:

Goudsward’s novel Trailer Trash has been re-issued from Briona Glen (http://www.brionaglen.com/). The book is up at Smashwords now and should be on Kindle soon, not to mention the trade paperback version.

Goudsward’s story, “That Place,” has come out in the book, The Call of Lovecraft, which was edited by Geregory Norris and published by Evil Jester Press. It is now available in print and kindle formats.

From Roxanne Dent:

Dent’s short story “Zombies at Red Rock” will appear in the anthology A Fistful of Horror, published by Cruentis Libri Press. The anthology is due out July 2012.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS:

 Joe Mirabello (MA)
Curt McDermott (NH)
Rob Hunter (ME)

– Jason Harris, Editor, the Epitaph: Journal of NEHW
– Stacey Longo, Assistant Editor, the Epitaph: Journal of NEHW
 

Jul 6 2012

Horror Writer Becomes a Children’s Book Author

One of the New England Horror Writers’ Co-Chairs has authored a children’s book.

This week Stacey Longo’s book, Pookie and the Lost and Found Friend, was published by Farmer’s Daughter Press. Within the book’s pages, readers will find out about Pookie and her friend, Jack, and the adventures they get into one night in the cemetery.Pookie and the Lost and Found Friend

Along with writing this children’s book, she also illustrated it. It is available at Amazon for $7. To purchase a copy, click here.

For more information about the author, check out her website, http://www.staceylongo.com/.

Jul 6 2012

‘Savages’ is Intense and Entertaining

‘Savages’ is Intense and Entertaining

by Jason Harris

Three-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Oliver Stone is back with a new thriller, Savages, which is reminiscent of one of his previous hits, Natural Born Killers.

Savages starts off with a voiceover by Blake Lively (Green Lantern), who portrays Ophelia, but has shorten it to “O” for a number of reasons. She states that she may or may not be alive by the end of her story, which was is a device used in American Beauty (1999). Except in that movie, the character of Lester tells the audience he’s already died.

O introduces Chon and Ben who are in the drug business. Ben, portrayed by Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass), is the brains behind their superior marijuana and Chon portrayed by Taylor Kitsch (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) is the muscle that deals with problems that arise. Since he is an ex-Navy Seal and ex-mercenary, this makes him well equip to deal with these problems that make-up about one percent of their business. The other 99 percent is violence-free.

Savages

Chon, O and Ben live an idyllic life in Laguna Beach in a scene from Savages. Picture courtesy of Universal Pictures.

O, Chon and Ben make-up a post-modern family except in this family O is the girlfriend for both men. O states the men together make-up the perfect guy. The men have no problems sharing her. There is great chemistry between these three actors, which keeps you hoping that they are all alive at the end of the movie.

Their lives become endangered when their operation comes to the attention of the Mexican Baja Cartel, headed by the ruthless Elena “La Reina” portrayed by Salma Hayek (From Dusk Till Dawn). The cartel wants to form a partnership with Ben and Chon, who decline her invitation. This causes O to be kidnapped by Elena’s enforcer, Lado portrayed by Benicio Del Toro (Traffic), who brings a menacing demeanor and look to his role. Earlier in the movie, Lado is shown dealing harshly with a cartel lawyer whose client went to prison. By knowing how lethal Lado is, it puts O in a more precarious situation when she is his prisoner.

There were moments where Stone seems to have been inspired by Quentin Tarantino (Kill Bill, Vol. 1). Those inspired elements are the picture going from color to black and white a few times and his choice of music. One piece of music, “Psycho Killer” by Bruce Lash played after a scene where Lado talked to Elena about killing Chon and Ben. Del Toro has the look of a killer and is only slightly held in check by his boss. Stone made an excellent choice in music for this scene, which is a talent Tarantino has.

The movie is based on Don Winslow’s best-selling crime novel of the same name that was one of The New York Times’ Top 10 Books of 2010. Recently, Winslow released The Kings of Cool: A Prequel to Savages, which is available in paperback on Amazon for $16.50.

Stone fills Savages with intense and funny moments along with a few action scenes. All together the movie is an entertaining thrill ride.

Jul 5 2012

Have You Heard of these Underrated Horror Films?

My Top Ten List of Most Underrated Horror Films

by Rob Watts

July may be a strange time of year to discuss low-budget horror films, especially when the summer blockbusters (none of which are horror films) are currently on our viewing radar. The summer months however, were always tailormade for horror treasure hunts in the video stores for my friends and I. You do remember video stores don’t you? We’d come from an afternoon at the beach with our girlfriends, straight to the video store and make a bee line home with some horrible movie such as The Evil Laughstarring one of Scott Baio’s older brothers. But not all of our impulsive rentals were disappointing. Some were in fact downright unwatchable, but many were undiscovered gems for us, especially in the days of Nightmare on Elm Street Part 36 and Jason vs. Godzilla. Wasn’t there a Chucky goes to South Central Los Angeles at one point too?

Most of my favorite films have never spawned a sequel, hardly ever had stars with marquee value and sadly, never see the light of day on cable television. I’ll continue to argue up and down with someone when they tell me that the horror films of the 70s and 80s just don’t hold up to the films of today. When you talk to me about the benefits of CGI and gore over minimal production and stellar storytelling, I’m going with minimal production and stellar storytelling any day of the week. Which is why I am inspired to write this list. These films are by no means obscure although many have been forgotten about for some time and should be viewed and appreciated once again. If the new-school horror filmmakers grew up on these films, perhaps new horror films would actually be scary again.

Alice Sweet Alice1. Alice Sweet Alice (1976) – This is the film that made me petrified of the translucent grinning mask. Set in Paterson, NJ during the early 60s, 9-year-old Karen (played by Brook Shields) gets strangled to death at her First Communion. Her jealous older sister Alice is of course at the center of suspicion although the actual killer is the last one you’d expect. This film was rather unique for its time as you hardly ever saw young children being murdered on-screen. With the exception of John Carpenter’s Assault on Precinct 13 that same year, I can’t really remember many films that crossed that Hollywood taboo. This film was actually theatrically released three separate times under three different titles due to Brook Shields’ ever-growing popularity after this film was made. Communion in 1976, Alice, Sweet Alice in 1978 and Holy Terror in 1981. Alice, Sweet Alice has remained the official title since then. If you haven’t seen this classic 70s flick, check it out. It has everything, a bitchy jealous sister, a fat creepy landlord and of course the horror movie’s best friend, the Catholic Church. How can you go wrong?

2. Patrick (1978) – This creepy Australian horror flick freaked me out for months after first seeing this. Patrick, who murdered his mother and her lover in the bathtub by way of electrocution, falls into a coma and his only way of communication is by electronic typewriter via psychokinetic powers. Although he is completely written off as nothing more than a catatonic vegetable, he can still murder anyone who crosses him. The thought of Patrick lying still in that hospital bed with his eyes wide open is still enough to keep me awake tonight.

3. Magic (1978) – A movie about a man and his dummy. Ventriloquist Corky and his foul-mouth dummy Fats are onMagic the road to stardom but when Corky feels the pressure of showbiz, he retreats to the secluded Catskills where he reunites with his high school crush. Fats however does not enjoy competing for Corky’s attention and soon talks Corky into “getting rid” of the people in his life that could potentially separate them from each other. The dummy, Fats, is just unsettling in every way. This was another film that made it impossible to sleep with the lights off after viewing it for the first time.

4. He Knows You’re Alone (1980) – Let me preface this by saying that this was by no means a great film, but rather an enjoyable viewing with enough suspense and cliché scares to make it worth your while. Basically it’s Halloween (1978) set in Staten Island, NY but the killer doesn’t wear a mask and the storyline is nowhere nearly as incredible. The victims aren’t babysitters, they are brides-to-be and it features the debut appearance of a young Tom Hanks. But hey, don’t let that stop you! I will say this though; there are two things about this movie that fascinate me to this day. One, the fact that Tom Hanks is in this movie actually doesn’t ruin it for me. It’s not like I watch it and say to myself “Run Forest, Run!” as the killer approaches. Two, this movie has a made-for-TV sort of vibe to it until the last fifteen minutes where one of the female characters takes a shower and shows her goodies, thus reminding me that I am indeed watching a typical 80s horror flick.

5. Are You In The House Alone? (1978) – For a made-for-television horror film, this one wasn’t bad. A suspenseful thriller about a teenage girl who’s been receiving anonymous letters that say I’m watching you and of course phone calls where a sinister voice on the other end asks are you in the house alone? Of course she is which adds to the suspense factor and naturally any teenage girl watching this film would have been scared out of their wits back then. Unfortunately it just doesn’t hold up in today’s caller ID world so anyone under the age of 30 probably wouldn’t appreciate this as much. I would like to point out that after watching this again recently, I’ve come to realize that Dennis Quaid, who plays one of the classmates in the film, is just a strange looking dude. There’s just something not right about that guy. The other thing is Blythe Danner (Gwyneth Paltrow’s real-life mother) who plays the protagonists mother in the film, is at that point younger than Gwyneth Paltrow is today. Much better looking too if you ask me, but that’s just how my mind works when I’m watching movies. Sorry.

6. Stranger in the House (1978) – Another made-for-television gem starring Linda Blair and Lee Purcell and directed by Wes Craven. A pretty simple plot where Rachel (Blair) and her family invite Rachel’s cousin Julia (Purcell) to come live with them as Julia’s family died tragically in a car wreck. Things seem fine at first until Julia becomes jealous of Rachel, then of course strange things begin to occur in Rachel’s world. If you don’t mind simple storytelling and a rather predictable plot then you’ll probably enjoy this lost classic. Hey, it was directed by Wes Craven after all.

The Wicker Man7. The Wicker Man (1973) – By no means do I assume that I’m exposing you to films you’ve never seen before and The Wicker Man is certainly no exception. If you’ve seen this film, you absolutely know how incredible this is. Not to be confused with the horrendously bad Nicolas Cage remake, this original version blended horror, mystery, Christianity and Paganism into one dark psychedelic musical. Filmed in Scotland, a police officer from the mainland flies out to a mysterious isolated island inhabited by bizarre followers of Celtic Paganism. He’s in search of a reportedly missing young girl but he soon discovers the girl in question might not exist, prompting him to investigate just how bizarre the island’s inhabitants really are. This film is more of a psychological thriller with a lot of psychedelic influence. The cinematography is flawless as the isolated island is as much a character in the film as the actors. Speaking of actors, did I mention that Christopher Lee plays the antagonist? Enough said.

8. The Hearse (1980) – This haunted house film dangerously teeters on the “it’s as cliché as you can get” category, however, if possessed house stories tickle your fancy then you could probably do a lot worse than this. In this film, Jane, a middle-aged woman inherits a house in the county from her deceased aunt who was believed to have practiced witchcraft. Baring a striking resemblance to her aunt, Jane is looked down upon in her new community and must contend with several strange occurrences in her new home (doors slamming shut, music boxes playing on their own.) The worse occurrence is that Jane gets followed by a ghostly hearse at night on the road home. The very hearse that is believed to have carried her witchcraft practicing aunt straight into Hell. For a film, that is over 30 years old, this one still has a chill factor to it, provided you’ve never seen it before.

9. The Strangers (2008) – I know I’ve pronounced the contemporary horror movie genre dead and I’ll still stand by that, however, every once in a while something comes along that reminds me why I started watching horror films in the first place. Suspense and tension. The Strangers had plenty of those two elements. The only caveat to this film is that it’s a one-time viewing experience to gain its full shock value. After that, the scares are watered down because you know exactly what’s happening. But upon viewing this film for the first time, you’d agree with me that this is one suspenseful ride. In short, a young couple arrives at their summer home in the country very late at night. They get a strange late-night knock on the door from a girl looking for someone who doesn’t live there. She is turned away and the guy decides to take a ride to the store to run an errand for his girlfriend. While alone, the mysterious girl knocks on the door again asking for the same person. She gets turned away again but it’s revealed (to the viewers) that masked strangers have entered the home unbeknownst to the girlfriend. Even though this movie has a few moments where you ask “why would you run that way when you should go that way?” it’s loaded with suspenseful unpredictable moments that keep you on the edge of your seat. It starts off very slow-paced but it definitely builds tension leading up to the action. Remember, this film only has shock value the first time you watch it, so turn the cellphones off and don’t allow yourself to be distracted.

10. The House of the Devil (2009) – I have to hand it to director Ti West. He managed to make a horror movie look as though it was filmed in the late 70s and early 80s. Employing many elements of that era West created a gritty, suspenseful film about a female college student babysitting in a creepy old house for evasive homeowners. It falls on the evening of the lunar eclipse and the mysterious homeowners have something other than dinner and a movie on their agenda for the night. This is definitely worth watching if you’ve never seen it. The retro stylized filmmaking approach alone will make you reminisce over the scary movies we all watched on our couches back in the heyday of horror.The House of the Devil

Jul 4 2012

Happy Fourth of July from the NEHW

The NEHW wishes everyone a Happy Fourth of July. Have a safe holiday.

Jul 3 2012

‘Avengers’ DVD Arrives this Fall

THE RECORD-SHATTERING MOVIE

ASSEMBLES AS YOU’VE NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE ON BLU-RAY 3D™, BLU-RAY™, DVD, DIGITAL & ON-DEMAND on SEPTEMBER 25, 2012

And For The First Time Ever, Marvel Launches An All-New Second Screen App That Provides Fans With Unprecedented Access To Exclusive Content

BURBANK, Calif. June 29, 2012— Coming this fall, the third highest-grossing movie of all time and the #1 movie in the world, “Marvel’s The Avengers” assembles as you’ve never seen it before on Blu-ray 3D™, Blu-ray™, DVD, Digital and On-Demand platforms on September 25, 2012. In anticipation of this release, Marvel is also launching an all-new App in July – “The Avengers Initiative: A Marvel Second Screen App” (available for the first time on iPhone) – that gives fans unprecedented access to exclusive content building up to the home entertainment release.

The announcement comes as Marvel’s The Avengers crossed the incredible $600 million domestic box office threshold on June 26 – only the third film in history to do so. It has now grossed an estimated $1.44 billion globally.

Providing viewers with the ultimate in-home experience, the premium 4-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack provides 5-unique ways to enjoy Marvel’s The Avengers (on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD, Digital Copy and Digital Download of “Avengers Assembled” Music from and inspired by the film) and brings to life the Super Hero team-up of a lifetime in a whole new dimension on Blu-ray hi-def with stunning visual effects, superior sound and unparalleled bonus content.

Extras include a gag reel, a first for a Marvel Studios film, the chance to hear from the cast and Joss Whedon on their experiences in bringing these larger than life characters to the big screen, a behind-the-scenes look at the groundbreaking visual effects and stunning cinematography, the creation of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Helicarrier, Soundgarden’s “Live to Rise” Music Video, deleted scenes and more!

Also for the first time ever, fans will be able to enjoy even more of the Marvel Universe via the all-new “The Avengers Initiative: A Marvel Second Screen App.” By downloading this onto a secondary device, consumers will be able to gain unprecedented access to exclusive content building up to the home entertainment release on September 25. Pieces will be unleashed bi-weekly in July & August and weekly in September leading up to a full immersive experience accompanying the film on Blu-ray. Content includes special access to the S.H.I.E.L.D. database, becoming a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, invitations to “special missions” either remotely or in the field, links to character profiles, stories and scenes, interactive Marvel digital reader comic books and more. App owners will receive push notifications whenever new content is uploaded and available for their viewing.

The full range of Marvel’s The Avengers home entertainment offerings and bonus features are as follows:

PACKAGING & BONUS FEATURES:

4-Disc Combo Pack (Blu-ray 3D+Blu-ray+DVD+Digital Copy+Digital Download of the “Inspired By” album)

Bonus Includes:

  • Second Screen
  • Assembling the Ultimate Team
  • A Visual Journey
  • Gag Reel
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Audio Commentary—With Joss Whedon
  • Soundgarden Music Video—“Live to Rise”
  • And more!

2-Disc Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD)

Bonus Includes:

  • Same as the 4-Disc Combo Pack above

1-Disc DVD

Bonus Includes:

  • Assembling the Ultimate Team
  • Audio Commentary—With Joss Whedon

High-Definition & Standard Definition Digital

Bonus Includes:

  • Second Screen
  • Assembling the Ultimate Team
  • A Visual Journey
  • Gag Reel
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Soundgarden Music Video—“Live to Rise”
  • And more!

DISC SPECIFICATIONS:

Street Date:                       September 25, 2012

Suggested Retail:    4-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack = $49.99 U.S./$59.99 Canada

Pricing:          2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack =$39.99 U.S./$46.99 Canada

1-Disc DVD = $29.99 U.S./$35.99 Canada

Digital & On-Demand = please check with your television provider or favorite digital retailer for pricing

Feature Run Time:    143 Minutes

Ratings:       U.S.: PG-13 (bonus features not rated)

Aspect Ratio:     Blu-ray & DVD = 1.78:1

Audio:     Blu-ray 3D & Blu-ray 2D = English 7.1 DTS-HDMA, French-Canadian 7.1 DTS-HDHR, Latin Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, English DVS 2.0 Dolby Digital

DVD = English/Latin Spanish/French Canadian 5.1 Dolby, English DVS 2.0 Dolby Digital

Languages/Subtitles:      English, French & Spanish

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ABOUT MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS

Marvel Studios presents Marvel’s The Avengers—the team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Tom Hiddleston, with Stellan Skarsgard and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, and directed by Joss Whedon, Marvel’s The Avengers is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series The Avengers, first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since. Marvel’s The Avengers is presented by Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures. The film was produced by Marvel Studios’ President Kevin Feige and executive produced by Alan Fine, Jon Favreau, Stan Lee, Louis D’Esposito, Patricia Whitcher, Victoria Alonso and Jeremy Latcham. The story was by Zak Penn and Joss Whedon and the screenplay was by Joss Whedon. Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, the film smashed the industry record for the biggest domestic opening of all time with $207.4M, crossed the $1 billion global box office threshold in 19 days, and currently stands as the #3 global and domestic release of all time.

ABOUT MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT, LLC

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information visit www.marvel.com.

ABOUT THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS:

For more than 85 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under the following banners: Disney, including Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios; Disneynature; Marvel Studios; and Touchstone Pictures, the banner under which live-action films from DreamWorks Studios are distributed. The Disney Music Group encompasses the Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records labels, as well as Disney Music Publishing. The Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Disney on Broadway, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!.