Earlier this past week, famed gore hound and Director Eli Roth spoke about his upcoming cannibal film The Green Inferno in an interview with the LA TIMES, explaining that the characters we’d be seeing on screen were his “versions” of what SJWs [or in full: Social Justice Warriors] truly are. These “Social Justice Workers” are called this because that’s just what they are – people who go online anonymously and find offense at every single little thing and are prone to engage in lengthy [and often time hostile] debates against others on a range of issues concerning social injustice, identity politics and even political correctness.. Or in this case: the dehumanization that is The Green Inferno. Apparently, as if timing is everything, a group of actual SJWs have created a petition trying to boycott the film, or worse: cancel it from being released entirely! Calling it ‘dehumanizing’ and ignorant, the group [who call themselves “Boycott GreenInferno”] wrote up a complaint addressing it to Eli Roth himself, hoping that they’ll get 1000 [or more!] supporters – The worst part? they have nearly 600 already! Here is the entire complaint in full, according to the petition itself, and make of it what you will:

“Films like this have always portrayed negative stereotypes against indigenous people as brute savages. These films have psychological effect as indigenous people have been through colonial trauma assimilating to white culture being taught self hate. Westerners are unfortunately ignorant about Amazonian indigenous cultures and depicting them in such a violent story dehumanizes their peoples and couldn’t be farther from reality. Shame on you. As a storyteller, you hold a great responsibility to influence others. Propagating such hate towards peoples who have been ravaged and raped for decades by white supremacist culture is not constructive in our fight to save the Amazon. Most indigenous communities are more in tune with nature than you’ll ever be, and would never conceive of such violence for profit. It’s a shame, we should be creating stories than accurately depict indigenous way of life which is holistic, sustainable, spiritual and harmonious with our earth and brothers and sisters. If you want to save the Amazon and stop China from buying leases to drill oil, make a story depicting the corporate shills for the murderers that they really are. You don’t have to create racist, offensive, inaccurate crap to get people to care about the most bio-diverse place on the earth. And if you really want to make a difference, give your money to organizations like ours who are the people on the ground standing up for indigenous rights and making tangible change. Indigenous peoples are the key to preserving the Amazon. If we don’t respect and empower them, we will lose the lungs of our planet. They should be honored and respected. Eli Roth has decided to glorify the White Savior Industrial Complex that has plagued indigenous people since the early colonialist days of “kill the Indian, save the man”, while the indigenous people are, of course, cannibalistic savages.” – Amazon Watch

An update to this petition even explains that The Peruvian Government is going to be taking actions that are potentially catastrophic to the indigenous tribes in the area, stating:

“In January of this year [2014], The Peruvian Government greenlighted the Camisea gas project’s expansion to the lands of “uncontacted” Amazon tribes, despite the UN’s recommendation that they first provide an extensive study of the threats the expansion would pose to the aboriginal people. This expansion gives Pluspetrol [Argentina], Hunt Oil [USA] and Repsol [Spain] permission to detonate thousands of explosive charges, drill exploratory wells and move hundreds of workers into the Nahua-Nanti Reserve for isolated and uncontacted tribes. This move by The Peruvian Government will expose the indigenous people to diseases that they lack the immunity to fight off, it will destroy their homelands and their entire way of life.”

But then it continues to state that the biggest problem here is still Roth’s upcoming movie, not the actual actions of these Governments. Because, as we all know, a movie depicting a savage cannibalistic tribe is far more damaging than these real life tribes actually being displaced and their native lands destroyed..[if you couldn’t already tell: sarcasm~] If not obvious, at least in The Green Inferno, these people actually go to the Amazon to try [and ultimately: fail] and help protect these tribes. That doesn’t sound like White Savior Industrial Complex, that’s a group of people not hiding behind their computers, leaving angry/hate filled comments on everything and actually going out into an unknown land and trying to do something good. I mean I get it, based on the trailer; they acted much too quickly by not taking the time to actually fully learn about what they’re trying to save. By them judging before learning the truth is what costs them their lives in the film: Wait a minute, this sounds familiar..? Thanks Boycott GreenInferno for proving that in his own special way, how right Eli Roth actually is, without even realizing it!

I mean, okay. I guess I understand why people wouldn’t like this movie; it clearly involves brutal death scenes, people being eaten, [presumably eaten alive] it’s essentially Eli Roth‘s love letter to Cannibal Holocaust – which in itself got banned, and it’s destined to be bloody as hell. But I mean, come on – it bothers me that people are willing to hate the concept enough to try and ruin the film for everyone else. I feel that it’s one of those “if you don’t like it, don’t watch it” concepts. It’s simple, really. If you want to call a horror movie ‘dehumanizing’, you may as well call all horror films dehumanizing – since people usually get mutilated/die in those movies too..just look at the SAW franchise! [with any luck, there was a group trying to boycott those films too..] The Green Inferno follows a group of student activists who travel to the Amazon to save the rainforest and soon discover that they are not alone, and that no good deed goes unpunished.. The film is set to open in theaters on September 25th 2015..unless, y’know – that group manages to get what they want.. ugh.

if you’ve made it this far into this long post, I’ll leave you with one burning question: do you feel that The Green Inferno SHOULD be banned? Is it a film that is ‘pushing the boundaries’ too far? Or do you feel that this group of over 500 people is overreacting to a movie? Let me know your thoughts on this petition in the comments below, I’d love to know if anyone feels that the petition is valid. Also, If you found yourself to enjoy this article, please take a minute and follow me over on Facebook where you can click the “like” button on my Facebook page. By clicking “like”, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted. I also share links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you guys to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share the page with your family and friends!

It’s no secret that I’m a fairly large fan of Adam Green; with Hatchet being one of the greater slasher films of recent years [if you can consider 2006 ‘recent’] and my love for the Ariescope name in general, I’m pretty psyched to announce that after a two year hiatus, season three of Holliston is coming sooner than we may think! The show stars directors Adam Green and Joe Lynch themselves as aspiring film makers who struggle with their film careers and we also get their on-show girlfriends, played by Laura Ortiz and Corri English. If you’ve never seen the show, one thing to mention is even Dee Snider of Twisted Sister returns to the show for the upcoming season. This third season will be like the other two, being that it has 10 episodes lined up and will air on the GeekNation digital network, which is also the host of Green and Lynch’s podcast, “The Movie Crypt” – which if you don’t listen to, you should get on that ASAP.

Adam has gone on record to say the following quote about working with GeekNation: “It’s almost embarrassing to admit but there we were on a quest to find a new outlet for Holliston where we could continue to creatively make the show our way, but also have it distributed on a platform where absolutely anyone who wants to watch it can easily find and enjoy it…and the answer was literally right in front of our noses the entire time.”

Unfortunately, one of the more important characters was GWAR‘s front man Oderus Urungus, who was played by the very talented Dave Brockie.. But as those in the metal scene know, Brockie passed away back in March of 2014.. Naturally, Adam and Joe have mentioned their thoughts about Brockie’s passing and that by continuing the show, they’re actually paying tribute to him by continuing:

“It’s crucial to note that Dave was so much more than just a cast member of Holliston. He was a dear friend to all of us and his absence will be deeply felt by everyone in our cast and crew. For Adam especially, he not only writes every single episode but he was also the only actor on the show who shared the most scenes with Oderus, so continuing the series without Dave is an extremely difficult task for him emotionally. It has been a very delicate and slow process to get outselves back to this point. Thankfully, we have an incredibly patient and understanding fanbase that has supported us unconditionally and that has mourned with us through all of this. Our fans appreciate that we’re real people who have to heal from our loss and that we’re not just fictional characters on their screens, despite the fact that we all play versions of ourselves in a way.”

To which Green has since added:

“As cliché as it might sound, no one would want to see Holliston continue more than Dave. On the season 2 behind-the-scenes-Blu-ray making-of feature, Dave says directly to the camera that ‘Holliston is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.’ It’s been a long heartbreaking road, but we’re at a point now where we’re back on our feet and we’re ready to laugh once again. Last week, the main cast got together to table-read some of the new material for the first time and we could all feel without a doubt that no one was laughing louder or harder than Dave.”

Left to Right: Adam Green and Oderus Urungus

[check out the opening theme for Holliston here] With the show returning in 2016, I’m curious with how the show is going to go.. I understand it’s a difficult process, especially for the cast getting over Brockie‘s death still, but like Adam said, He would have wanted this – the season is going to be almost a dedication to him; I just find myself wondering how they’re going to pull off Adam not having an imaginary friend anymore..perhaps he ‘grows up’?  Only time will tell…

For those who have never watched the show – it’s based on creator Adam Green‘s real life and set in his small hometown of Holliston, MA, follows the lives of Adam and Joe, two friends chasing the dream of becoming successful horror movie filmmakers [which is ironic since they are] while struggling to make ends meet and dealing with life and the opposite sex in their post-college jobs at a Boston area cable access station where they also host a late night movie program called “The Movie Crypt” The core ensemble is rounded out by Joe‘s girlfriend Laura [a morbid yet adorable aspiring artist] and Adam‘s ex-girlfriend and the greatest heartbreak of his life Corri. [a gorgeous nurse and aspiring country singer] The other main characters on the show include Adam and Joe‘s boss Lance Rockett and Adam‘s imaginary friend Oderus Urungus [who we all know is an alien who lives in his closet and advises him on his life. badly] Often referred to as “Friends” for geeks and “The Big Bang Theory” meets “Evil Dead 2“, Holliston is a brilliantly twisted take on the traditional multi-camera sitcom that captures the comedy, the horror, and the heart of the time of life when the struggle to “make it” is really just beginning and nothing is working out like they told you it would..

“hey Adam..you got a little something on your face. there you go – wait, stop!”

So now I turn to you, dear readers – are you going to watch the next season of Holliston? Or is it the other way around, and you haven’t seen the show yet? [if not, I strongly recommend it – and you can buy both seasons 1 & 2 – autographed! – for only 30 bucks on blu-ray on the Ariescope site!] It’s funny, it’s gory, it’s Holliston !!

If you found yourself to enjoy this article, please take a minute and follow me over on Facebook where you can click the “like” button on my Facebook page [it’s at over 100+ likes – thanks so much!] By clicking “like”, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted. I also share links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you guys to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share the page with your family and friends!

THANKS FOR READING.

You know what I miss writing that I almost forgot that I do: Friday Fun Facts. Y’know, when I talk about a certain movie – or franchise – and talk about weird little tidbits that you might not have known about them. It was originally planned to be an every Friday thing but that didn’t pan out exactly as planned because I either was too busy to write anything, or I’d find something I’d consider “more exciting” to write about. So consider this a warning: not every Friday will include a Friday Fun Fact post; I will try and do more, more often – but I can’t promise anything..especially with new things happening both here on the blog, and in my actual real life – where I go out and actually get sunlight once and a while. [shocking! I know!]

What better way to jump back into FFFs by talking about one of my top 3 favorite shows of all time: Tales From The Crypt: don’t act like you don’t know it. Cause you do..I know you do, even if you don’t recognize it by name. Tales is an American horror anthology series that played on HBO for seven seasons, with a running total of 93 episodes! One thing to note is that the title of the series, is based on the 1950s EC Comics series of the same name and most of the content in the show, came from that or the six other EC Comics that were being released at the same time. [The Crypt of Terror, Haunt of Fear, Vault of Horror, Crime SuspenStories, Shock SuspenStories and Two-Fisted Tales] Introduced by a creepy puppet called “The Crypt Keeper“, who seems like he’s only around to have fun, [and make terrible puns!] Tales From The Crypt is a show that definitely feels like a cross between The Twilight Zone and modern horror movies. Basically, I’m trying to tell you that as a whole, it’s not suitable for younger audiences or even the squeamish, really.

but did you know?

The introduction sequence during the opening theme that played each and every episode through The Cryptkeeper‘s ‘home’ is actually fairly small: roughly the size of a miniature golf course. To achieve the look of a large mansion, small “snorkel” cameras were used to film. However, the descent into the crypt at the end of the intro is computer generated. Be sure to check out the opening theme, here!

John Kassir actually hurt his voice while doing the signature voice of The Cryptkeeper. Because of the raspy-ness of the character, He had to often swallow lemon juice mixed with honey in order to sooth his throat. [after doing his lines] John Kassir even came up with the trademark voice himself, when he auditioned for the part, the producers of the show loved it so much they almost immediately chose him. Well done, John!

One of the weirder and more obscure pieces of trivia about the show, involves the actual puppet of The Cryptkeeper. It seems that while animatronics expert Kevin Yagher was in the last stages of designing The Cryptkeeper, he tried putting on a few noses to see which would look best for and on the character; who already had shed lips, some hair and most of his teeth.. but none looked quite right. It wasn’t until Director and producer Robert Zemeckis simply stated, “You know, you don’t necessarily have to have a nose on him..”

So there you have it Fright Fans, three things that you may or may not have known about the cult classic anthology show: Tales From The Crypt. Which piece of trivia did you like best? Could it be that The Crypt Keeper almost had a nose? Or is it the fact that the voice actor seemed to actually hurt himself, for the sake of the show? Let me know in a comment or two! As I said above, I will try to make Friday Fun Facts more often, but I can’t promise anything – a lot is happening with both the blog and daily life, which if everything pans out the way I hope it will- I’ll talk about it on here; but when the timing is right.

Also, if you found yourself to enjoy this week’s Friday Fun Fact, please take a minute and follow me over on Facebook where you can click the “like” button on my Facebook page [it’s at over 100+ likes – thanks so much!] By clicking “like”, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted. I also share links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you guys to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share the page with your family and friends!

yeah.. uh. no thank you!

THANKS FOR READING.

Cemeteries have always held an air of creepiness to them: they are places where we bury our loved ones, giving them a final resting place. Sometimes, the place manages to creep you out because of the way it looks – all decrepit and broken down – but, there’s a reason the Fantasy and Horror genre tend to like this setting. In these cemeteries, it is almost always night and often, the moon is full, for extra supernatural points. Fog is usually a contributing factor, and more importantly, the dead aren’t ‘really dead‘! I mean, some horror movies revolve around being in a cemetery! But as expected, not all film cemeteries are created equal; many are pretty standard, boring versions of what is supposed to be granite tombstones and black, but bland backgrounds. But every so often, we get a glimpse at what seems to be a truly spectacular collection of mausoleums and even more headstones, sometimes with familiar names engraved on them! Or maybe I’m just overthinking this whole thing. Either way, this is warrenisweird‘s TOP FIVE cemeteries, in horror movies. As with all my list posts, this is entirely an opinion piece – if you disagree, or have preferred horror movie cemeteries, be sure to leave a comment with your favorites!

Night Of The Living Dead [1968]

Because of course I would be adding this movie! Esthetically, this cemetery isn’t really isn’t anything spectacular that makes it stand out, but the scenery around it is very nice..especially for wandering zombies – even though we never really see one come from inside a grave! In real life, this location is known as Evans City Cemetery, and if you find yourself curious, this website compares the film and the cemetery as it stands today!

Braindead [1992]

often referred to as the goriest film of all time, Braindead strongly deserves that title. It’s extremely gory, even for a film that doesn’t take itself too seriously.. Even the scene above shows that Peter Jackson was a master at making gory horror flicks in his early days as a Director.

Nightbreed [1990]

You know what I like more than slasher films? Monster movies; specifically – movies like Nightbreed. The movie follows a troubled young man, who is drawn to a mythical place under a cemetery called Midian. In Midian, he quickly learns that there are a variety of monsters are hiding.. from the humanity above. After Hellraiser, I fell in love with Clive Barker‘s work, and Nightbreed confirmed it.

Drag Me To Hell [2009]

Say what you will, but I actually really enjoyed Sam Raimi‘s return to horror with Drag Me To Hell; it was dark and gritty, it had the slapstick humor that Raimi is known for, and most importantly – it had a really dirty cemetery scene..which I loved. If you enjoyed Drag Me To Hell, let me know in a comment! I can’t be the only one..

Army Of Darkness [1992]

Speaking of Raimi, who could forget the scene in this movie when Ash forgets the ‘magic’ words from the Necronomicon? it’s funny, it’s slapstick silly, and it’s probably the most memorable cemetery on this entire list! And that’s saying something!

So what have we learned today? Besides the obvious, cemeteries aren’t always made the same in movies. Sure, they are the birth place of the hoards of the undead, and in the case of a Zombie Apocalypse, expect every grave to be a “Clown Car Grave“. As with most of my ‘list’ posts, there is literally thousands of different cemeteries I could have mentioned for this list. Hell, I’m sure I’m going to get comments asking why this cemetery wasn’t added or this one; and I’ll quickly realize that I didn’t even consider/think of that one! So now I ask you: what is your favorite horror movie cemetery/resting place? Did I mention it above? If not, let me know in a comment or two! I’d love to compare lists!

Also, if you found yourself to enjoy this article, please take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 100+ likes – thanks so much!] By clicking “like”, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted. I also share links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you guys to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share the page with your family and friends!

THANKS FOR READING.

Ever wanted to make you own monster? Imagine: you could choose it’s number of eyes and/or it’s skin tone; it could literally be your monster. Now, let’s meet Morgan Loebel, a dentist technician from Kansas turned ‘Mutant Maker’. Morgan makes his very own creatures, monsters and mutated masterpieces out of polymer clay, and I must say.. they’re horrifyingly disgusting! [yet, I love the realism] Apparently this guy’s work is nothing new to some, but I’ve only just stumbled upon it and I’m shocked at the details!

After spending over 20 years making thousands of false teeth through his work as a dental lab technician, Loebel seems to have found his true calling after starting to use Polymer Clay back in 2012. Good thing too, because these monsters are probably the most life-like I’ve ever seen.. He claims that spending his days ‘fabricating realistic, detailed crowns, bridges and other dental prosthesis’ played a key role in his ‘progression from dental tech to mutant maker.’ He now makes anything from phone cases, to necklaces [with suspended teeth] to Necronomicon art; and for those curious – I will be posting pictures of some of his work at the end of this post. They’re even available for purchase on His Etsy page, where you can find one of a kind collectables ranging from hand sculpted polymer clay items to original artwork! According to his Etsy page, he’s been asked the same question since the beginning, which he answers with: “yes..all realistic eyes and teeth that are used in my works are handmade and you cannot get them anywhere else but here.” His work takes several weeks to complete, but the end result is staggering. It’s truly unique.

Take a look at the picture above, Morgan made this for a robot art contest online and even claims that he may be putting it up for sale soon! Though, like many of the comments on the photo agree; I feel he should keep it, as a personal trophy of his accomplishments thus far! According to the description of the picture, he always thought nano technology was interesting, With his idea for the ‘robot art’ contest began as a frightening article he had read a couple years ago on how these nanobots could be weaponized! So naturally, this is what he came up with, and I have to say; it’s creepy – but probably how things would turn out!!

Now I know you guys have been patient with my incessant praising of the art, and the explanations, so I’ll give you what you’ve been waiting for: the pictures. shall we begin with a phone case? remember, all the eyes/teeth on these “pieces of art” are fake, regardless of how real they seem to look! [somewhat NSFW]

It’s just mind numbing to realize that the teeth, the eyes, and even the saliva is fake. You can tell that Morgan worked with teeth for awhile, because he certainly knows how to add to the realism.. But, let’s say you like your phone case, and you’re not interested in buying one of the above cases; what about a necklace or two? For your loved one[s], of course!

I mean, I can only imagine the look on people’s faces if you walked by wearing one of these around your neck! I’m not entirely a fan of the second necklace [above] but I’m sure there are people that do! The last picture I’ll share [I’ll let his pages do the talking for him!] is a commissioned ‘portrait’ he did for someone.. What I’m saying is, that instead of just the face [like the phone cases] he actually made a portrait statue for someone – and it’s probably [in my opinion] the best one yet. Check it, below!

In closing, Morgan Loebel definitely has a ‘certain kind of fan base’, no doubt especially in the horror scene. The details, and the realism just make his art ‘pop’, which shows us that some people are just great at what they do. And just think, Morgan started as a Dentist Tech.. If you still can’t get enough of his ‘work’, be sure to check out his Etsy page or even his page on Facebook, where he sometimes takes requests from fans!

Another thing, if you found yourself to enjoy this article, please take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 100+ likes – thanks so much!] By clicking “like”, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted. I also share links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you guys to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share the page with your family and friends!

THANKS FOR READING.

“oh yes – this is going to be a good one!”

[NOTE: This post is in honor of Wes Craven, who celebrated his 76th birthday yesterday! Happy Birthday, good Sir – thank you for creating one of Hollywood’s most iconic horror villains, and my personal favorite! Sincerely, Warren]

For those that know me outside of the internet, [and some online..] you should know by now that A Nightmare On Elm Street is one of my favorite 1980’s slashers films of all time. Although the series got campy after even the first film, what I do give the films credit for is building an intricate timeline, piecing everything together to make one big story: even if it does feel complicated at times. Fans of the movie[s] know that it all began in April of 1941, when a young girl was [accidentally] locked up in a sanitarium of Westin Hills Psychiatric Institute where inmates kept her hidden for days! This young girl was raped… hundreds upon hundreds of times.. and when she was finally found, she was barely alive. we fans know that the girl was none other than Amanda Krueger – who, after becoming impregnated – gave birth to the demon child known as Freddy – who became known as “the bastard son of a hundred maniacs“. Freddy had a ton of problems growing up, mainly about his infamous [and brutal] conception. [kids are fucking mean, man..] So to release his ‘frustration’, he started murdering small animals. [like the class hamster] As he grew into adulthood – he turned his “pleasure from pain” behavior on himself; cutting his face with a shaving razor for pleasure. After suffering years of abuse from his stepfather, Freddy eventually murdered him.. with this same razor. [sound familiar?] Now, I could go on about how he grew up to become a child molester, and stalked the children of Elm Street, but the lore of Freddy Krueger only goes so deep and I’d feel like I’m rambling, which I would be. Besides, I have an even better idea:

Have you ever heard of a YouTuber by the name of Idiomanic? In case you haven’t, he actually recently posted a rather awesome 5 and a half minute video explaining everyone’s Dream Guy’s entire journey on screen [including Freddy vs Jason]..in chronological order! Better still, he decided to completely ignore the 2009 remake in his analysis- because as he puts it: “that ain’t Freddy!” Good thing too, because like most people who enjoy horror movies – I fully support the notion that the remake [like most remakes] was absolute garbage.. The video also doesn’t include Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash, which has Freddy trapped inside Jason Voorhees‘ head. In this comic, he manages to learn of the Necronomicon Ex Mortis from The Evil Dead and [once again] decides to use the image of Pamela Voorhees to trick Jason to do his bidding..if only for a little bit. Ash shows up too of course, but I won’t get too into it. It is a great comic series though, so if you get the chance to read it, I totally recommend it!

Back to Idiomaniac‘s video, you should probably watch the 5 and a half minute video for yourself and tell me what you think, below! Also, if you enjoyed the video, why not hit that subscribe button on Idiomaniac‘s channel? He has a few other horror film chronological videos and for someone with a low subscriber count, he’s pretty damn talented!

So tell me, if you watched the video above, what did you think? Do you feel that that‘s the whole story? Could there be more to Freddy‘s life before he died – or could we really have all the pieces to the puzzle? Let me know what you thought, down below! Also, if you found yourself to enjoy this article, please take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 100+ likes – thanks so much!] By clicking “like”, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted; and I also share links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, [even if I have been busy lately – more on that later!] so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share the page with your family and friends! As always, STAY WEIRD and:

THANKS FOR READING.

I always find it fascinating when an actor or a movie Director steps out of their comfort zone to try something new. A classic example that I think of is Martin Scorsese, who followed up the masterpiece that is Shutter Island with a film adaptation of the children’s book “The Invention Of Hugo Cabret.” [Hugo] Hugo wasn’t a bad movie at all, it’s just that it felt so much more different than what we came to expect from Scorsese. The same could be said for Rob Zombie: who was working on The Devil’s Rejects, which was violent, filled with gore and filled with inappropriate themes such as necrophilia; when he came up and started working with the concept/art for the animated movie we’re talking about today:The Haunted World Of El Superbeasto. When it was first released, it came with very mixed reviews: saying things like “it’s way too inappropriate” or “it’s not funny – it’s sick and perverse!” Some people even said it deserves an X-rating! Even fans of Zombie‘s work weren’t entirely happy, I remember reading some reviews saying it was disappointing..but I have to say otherwise – though, maybe I’m bias. As with most things I talk about, expect spoilers; because I really couldn’t say much if I didn’t spoil it. If you’ve seen the film, or you are perfectly fine with spoilers – we’re starting..right after the jump.

Let’s start from the beginning: the plot of The Haunted World Of El Superbeasto is completely different than what we’re used to from Rob Zombie; because instead of a murderous family, [The Fireflys] we find this film to be a comedic homage to horror, action and exploitation films…it’s also animated! The plot isn’t really anything special, but it revolves around a super-hero luchador, the titular El Superbeasto who, along with his sister Suzi X, must try to save the world from the evil Dr. Satan, [but not this Dr. Satan] who plans to try and gain ultimate power by having sex with an swearing, big breasted stripper by the name of Velvet von Black.. Also, Nazi Zombies are in the film, because they can be. seriously. But you know what? I like it – it’s different, and the fact that it’s an animation makes the whole thing feel goofy, and I like that it isn’t trying to take itself too seriously, even the music is only there as a way to tell the audiences what is happening during that particular scene – It’s like it knows it’s a parody, but there’s one true reason I love this movie so much, what is that reason? If you’re curious enough, you should read on!

[note: the whole catfight scene – as seen here – is arguably one of the most entertaining bloodfests I’ve seen in a long time! The music during really sets the scene..]

The single greatest things about the film is that it includes [many] cameo appearances by many iconic horror figures including King Kong, Dracula, The Bride Of Frankenstein, The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, Michael Myers and The Creature From The Black Lagoon! Even Jack Torrence from The Shining makes an appearance! If that isn’t enough, we also see two very special characters from Zombie‘s previous work, House Of 1000 Corpses; Captain Spaulding and Otis B. Driftwood in the bar scene. [don’t believe me?] Zombie‘s wife, the [extremely] beautiful Sheri Moon Zombie also provides the voice for Suzi X. Also, while not strictly horror film, The Haunted World Of El Superbeasto is notable for its genre casting, which includes many [voice] actors who have appeared in Rob Zombie‘s other works such as Ken Foree, Dee Wallace, Sid Haig, Bill Moseley and even Danny Trejo! It really shows Rob‘s dedication to the genre of horror, placing them in his film[s] as an homage – which works really well! It feels like he’s paying them tribute, almost thanking them for being an inspiration!

I guess realistically though, The Haunted World Of El Superbeasto isn’t the most fantastic film on the planet. It’s [really] good, and it’s a fun cult film to watch if you need something ‘scary, but not really scary’, but I wouldn’t go as far as to call it my favorite Rob Zombie film, because that title still is held by The Devil’s Rejects. So now I turn to you, dear reader: have you watched El Superbeasto? If you have, what were your thoughts on it? Did you actually enjoy the film, like I did; or did you find it disappointing – like many fans of Rob Zombie? Let me know in a comment or two! Leave it to Rob Zombie to have a smokin’ hot blond hide out as a werewolf Nazi.. I mean, I’m confused how I feel about that!

Also, if you found yourself to enjoy this article/review, please take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 100+ likes – thanks so much!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted; and I also share links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, [even if I have been busy lately – more on a later date!] so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends!

As always, STAY WEIRD and:

THANKS FOR READING.

For today‘s Friday Fun Fact, I figured we could talk about something – or rather someone – that is horrific in nature; but is an actual person. Let’s see if you can guess who she is by a few guesses – almost like a guessing game! Ready? Go! She went by many names, but her most recognizable ‘nickname’ was The Blood Countess. The stories that surround her life describe her as “vampire-like”, as she wanted to live forever. Lastly, there was a time when The Guinness World Records noted her as the most prolific female murderer.. Still don’t know? Okay.. being as today marks the date of her birth, we’re going to be talking about none other than Countess Elizabeth Báthory.

Báthory was born in Transylvania in 1560 to a distinguished family that included kings, cardinals, knights, and judges. Though she counted many luminaries among her relatives, her family tree also featured some seriously disturbed kin. One of her uncles instructed her in Satanism, while her aunt taught her about sadomasochism. At the age of 15, Báthory was married to Count Nadady, and the couple settled into Csejthe Castle. To please his new wife, Nadady reportedly built a torture chamber to her specifications.

Báthory’s torture included jamming pins and needles under the fingernails of her servant girls, and tying them down, smearing them with honey, and leaving them to be attacked by bees and ants. Although the Count participated in his wife’s cruelties, he may have also restrained her impulses; when he died in the early 1600s, she became much worse. With the help of her former nurse, Ilona Joo, and local witch Dorotta Szentes, Báthory began abducting peasant girls. [to torture and kill] She often bit chunks of flesh from her victims, and one unfortunate girl was even forced to cook and eat her own flesh. Báthory reportedly claimed that human blood would keep her looking young and healthy.

[NOTE: not actually Bathory. I figured this much was obvious..]

but did you know?

One day, according to history books, Elizabeth viciously struck one of the servant girls for an [minor] oversight, with that one strick; she drew blood when her pointed nails scratched the girl’s cheek. The wound was left on the servant was so serious, that some of the blood got onto Elizabeth‘s skin. Later, Báthory was quite convinced that the part of her own body – where the girl’s blood had dripped – somehow looked fresher, younger, and even brighter. She then reasoned that if a little was good, then a lot would be better: she was strongly believing that if she were to bathe in the blood of young virgins – and in the case of especially pretty ones; drank it – she would be beautiful and strong once more.

Also, as I mentioned earlier, when a really beautiful girl would be obtained, Elizabeth took the opportunity to drink the child’s blood: at first from a golden flask, but later, as she began to long for it, she’d drink directly from the stream, as the writhing and whimpering body hung from the rafters, turning pale..

Báthory also appears in a few horror films, whether by name; or by what the individual [in the movie] does. For starters, she appears in Stay Alive, though her appearance and her ‘scenes’ aren’t accurate to what the real Blood Countess did/looked like.

[See what she looked like in Stay Alive here]

However, even if she was only known as Mrs. Bathory in the film, Hostel: Part II has a woman who tortures one of the main victims by tying her up, cutting her throat and then bathing in the blood – completely naked. It’s NSFW but intense. Be warned:

[See what she looked like in Hostel: Part II here]

Overall, it is impossible to be completely confident to know if Elizabeth Báthory was very cemented in her ways as a killer – as proven by her estimated numbers that show that she was known to have brutally tortured and killed between 80 and 650 young [often virgin] women between the years of 1585 and 1610. How do you feel about Elizabeth Báthory? Was she innocent, and just wanted a way to live forever? Or was she a cold-hearted killer, willing to do whatever it took to gain her beauty? Let me know what you think in a comment or two below!

Also, if you found yourself to enjoy this article, please take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 100+ likes – thanks so much!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted; and I also share links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, [even if I have been busy lately – more on a later date!] so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends!

THANKS FOR READING.

[NOT the actual funeral home I will be working for*]

Guys, we need to talk.. seriously. This is something important, and it’s only fair that I share it with you – take it with a grain of salt, because it’s going to take me some getting used to as well. Prepare for what will feel like a wall of text.. cause a storm of words is coming – but it’s all positive, I swear!

If you follow me on Facebook, you probably saw a status talking about how something serious was going on in my life. In fact, it must be something extreme, because I’m writing my first Journal post in a while, as in first time since January! [I’ll admit, I’m not always up for writing about my daily life, or else this “blog” would have made more sense to have been a “vlog”] In that last Journal, titled “new home, new job & new beginnings“, I talked about how I hadn’t been working in a funeral home for quite some time, and how I became a stock clerk for Stephanie‘s work. Between that post and now, I’ve actually worked for a company that does almost exactly what the first funeral company did – to quote my last Journal – I am one of the employees who goes to the place of death, retrieves the body, and then finally; brings the deceased to the proper funeral home that the family has decided on.. It’s a job that I absolutely love, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world…anything except what I’m about to mention ~

[very] Shortly after Stephanie and I’s wedding [July 03, 2015!] we starting talking about the future; like any married couple would, and we came to the conclusion that she doesn’t want to work as a cashier her whole life, and I – while doing “removals” for the funeral company – can’t make a decent paycheck just doing the “pick-ups”. Flash forward a few weeks after this, and we decided that we’re saving up for College.. In Toronto. [we’re currently in Ottawa] The reason for Toronto being that the course she wants [Pharmacy Technician] and the one I want [Funeral Services – to become a LICENSED FUNERAL DIRECTOR] are at a College in Toronto, rather than here. [the Funeral Services course is only in Toronto in all of Ontario] So besides saving money, Stephanie is planning on going to the City’s adult high school in September [to ‘upgrade’ her sciences and maths] and I had been trying to find something a little more stable. [the ‘removal company’ I work for is an “on call” basis – meaning that if there is no calls, I don’t get paid for that “shift”..therefore, making it hard to save money for school, rent, etc]

Now, if you had read that last sentence carefully, you’d have noticed I said “I had been trying to find something a little more stable”. I say “had” because I found something – and it’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a while.When I looked into the Funeral Services course, I noticed that a prerequisite was to “work in a funeral home environment”. While doing removals sounds like it counts, the truth is that it doesn’t: I would need to work in an actual funeral home. I know this sounds like a lot of build up, but there’s a reason for it, I promise!

[NOTE: this is NOT the hearse from the companies I work[ed] for! Just a standard one I found on Google Images]

To make a long story short, as of yesterday morning, I officially got a job at a Funeral Home. I won’t say which one or even where it’s located; but the fact is, that I’m going to be working in an actual Funeral Home. This means, I won’t be doing just the removals, but rather: working on services, cleaning the vehicles, cleaning inside the funeral home, doing some [not as many] removals, among other jobs! It’s a job I had wanted for a long time; ever since I learned about the field through [a] – my now favorite – TV show: Six Feet Under.

Of course, this raises one real question: why am I bringing this up? Am I excited? [yes!]  Am I trying to show off to the world around me? [Absolutely Not] No, the real reason I bring this up, is because something different is going to happen on warrenisweird; even if it doesn’t seem like it right away. See; the thing is, when I was working “on call”, meaning I stayed home until my phone rang to go out on a ‘call’, [if it even did, some days were slow – like any job] so I had time to write something up on here during my down time, or even prepare a post and then save the draft and continue when I got home. It was a good system that just “worked”. However, with this new job, I suddenly have full time hours: 08:30am to 05:00pm almost every day of the week. Naturally, this means that the posts I usually publish in the morning, is no longer an option.. Now, I’m not saying that warrenisweird and these posts are gone for good, [I’m not going anywhere] but rather – posts will be ‘posted’ later during the day. For example – when I get to one – a standard Friday Fun Fact post usually is posted in the morning around 10am.. Now, with this new job, there will still be a post that day, or whenever; but probably not until 7pm or later. Same with horror news, or movie reviews, or any post. It’s not that I won’t be posting them, it’s just that they’ll be Published at a later time frame than I’m used to posting.

So that’s my “news” of the day: I finally can say that I have a job that I am excited to work for, more than anything I’ve ever done: A job where I feel special – important even. It’s something that I never knew that I could be so proud of: that I had/have become someone who feels legitimately helpful to someone in their time of need. And, most importantly, I want to thank you – the reader[s] of warrenisweird – You’re all so great, what with your support, and your love. You’re all the reason I’m doing this, and although posts will be published later in the day from now on, I’m glad to know there’s people who are still willing to read my thoughts on horror movies – even though I may come off as someone who’s just blabbing on, and on, and on. As always, if you have any sort of recommendation, or a comment, or a concern; just send me a message on my Contact page, or if you’d prefer: on the warrenisweird Facebook page. Thanks for listening, but most of all:

THANKS FOR READING.

[God, I just love this show so much..]

Have you ever felt like guilt is something of a heavy feeling? Something so heavy, that it’s weighing you down – and following you everywhere you go? That’s how the [unnamed] guy in It’s Okay probably feels. It’s a horror short [and I mean ‘short‘] – clocking in at only about 4 minutes – but the atmosphere is dark and gloomy [I like this..a lot] and for something that was made at home, it’s is an extremely polished [short] film. The Director: Alex Kline clearly puts his technical abilities on proud display for all to see. There’s only two actors in the entire film, but the dynamic between the two work [though I think the ‘man’ could have acted a little more scared..just my two cents!]

It’s clear that this short is influenced by J-horror, but It’s Okay feels very bare bones, and it doesn’t screw around – it’s short, it’s effective, it’s atmospheric and best of all; it gets to the point.. especially if it’s so short. After watching it two or three times over, you start to pick up on little hints of foreshadowing, especially the first shot – we need more of that in today’s film industry! I feel that foreshadowing, while still used, isn’t used effectively. Obviously there are exceptions, like my favorite example found in Shaun Of The Dead, when Ed reveals the whole plot of the movie – in a single sentence..though that’s getting a little off topic. What I’m trying to get at is It’s Okay is an interesting short horror film about a man’s take on guilt – everyone experiences it differently, and for different reasons; it’s just a matter of how you cope, or why you feel it.

I’m not saying that this short is the best thing I’ve seen, but I’m saying it’s effective in it’s atmosphere. It’s Okay boasts a crisp image and clear/smooth editing to help the brief feature fly right by, while still being memorable. There’s very little dialog, but that helps set the tone. If you’re interested in watching It’s Okay, it’s available [for free] on Youtube; or better yet – down below.

So now I turn to you, what are your thoughts on short films? Are they a fun way to keep yourself entertained? Or do you consider them a waste of time, and you prefer the longer, bigger budget-ed films? If you do like horror shorts, which is your favorite? Let me know your thoughts on horror shorts and It’s Okay in the comments, or over on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr .

Also, if you found yourself to enjoy this article/review, please take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 100+ likes – thanks so much!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted; and I also share links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends!

THANKS FOR READING.

If you’ve been following warrenisweird for a while now, you should probably know that I receive “screener” copies of movies in the mail. One such screener I received recently was Welp – or in English – Cub: a movie I had been looking forward to since it was first announced through a crowd-funding campaign. Now, after finally getting a chance [after my first day at my new job, today] to sit down and watch this, I feel the need to talk about it – because this film is different than most foreign films I’ve watched lately; and I mean that in the best way possible!

Cub revolves around a 12 year old cub scout named Sam, a very over-imaginative child who has a ‘violent history’, and tends to get bullied by his fellow cub scouts. [and even the cub leaders!] The film revolves around Sam and his fellow scouts who are all out on a camping trip [during what seems to be the summer] when He decides to head off into the back woods to find something – or someone – he’s fairly convinced he will find in the wilderness: a monster- like boy that the scout leaders describe as “Kai“…and he does.

[NOTE: just a little ‘badge’ that I will be posting in my reviews starting now – this way, people won’t complain when spoilers come up!]

The film does a great job of showing an effective build up that nicely gives us suspense, humor and sometimes; even homage to other horror films. It’s only after the build up that all hell breaks loose. Even though the film is a now-gory action flick and is well handled, it feels like everything we’ve come to learn about Kai, and his Poacher-like father figure, just get tossed out the window.. We never really find out what the deal is with the Poacher or his young protege, and even though we get a hint at Sam‘s troubled psychology, it isn’t developed enough to make much sense to us as a viewer..

Arguably my favorite thing about this movie though, is it’s lack of innocence. The film itself proves that it’s not all happy camping for the kids whatsoever, as proven by the kids fighting amongst themselves, the adult guardians flat out swear and even threaten the kids at times, and worst of all; one of the Scout Leaders beats one of the other kids! It’s a dark, moody atmosphere that truly makes you feel like the woods are dangerous, and I’m not just talking about Kai.

While it isn’t a perfect film, it’s still an enjoyable experience that every horror fan should at least look into – if only to say that they did. It’s a thrill ride that has decently made effects, and some surprises that will impress the average viewer – that ending may come as no surprise, but I finished the film with a sense of wonder. So watch Cub, it’s definitely something that has enough horror elements to keep even a seasoned horror fan satisfied! If this movie sounds like your kind of thing, check out the trailer for the movie at the end of this post, and a quick fun fact: in the movie, one of the Scout leader’s cellphone rings, when it does; it plays the theme from Suspiria as the ringtone!

if you found yourself to enjoy this film review, please take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 100+ likes – only 15 more and we’ll have reached 130!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted online; and I also share links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends!

THANKS FOR READING.

Believe it or not, this post is actually inspired by a friend of mine who once said to me “you can appreciate a good decapitation in a horror film.. I can respect that.” After careful consideration, and looking back on some of my older TOP 05 posts, I realized – I never did a list based on some of my favorite decapitations in horror movies. according to Urban Dictionary, a decapitation is described as “the removal of the head which normally consists of some idiot hacking off the head with an axe directed at the neck area.” So, here is the part where I list some of my personal favorites. these are the ones that have stuck in my mind the most over the years, so although these may not be your favorites, they’re some of the ones that have had the most impact on me. So here we go – warrenisweird‘s top 05 decapitations in horror – in no particular order, of course!

The Omen:

Starting off with a classic, The Omen somehow made this shot look graceful, with knocking someone’s head off with a bit of building material look majestic, what with the disembodied head performing 360 spins and turns. I remember seeing this for first time when I was younger and being surprised that a scene could even be filmed that way.

High Tension:

Coming from a movie I’ve watched more times than I can count, [that’s not a bad thing..] High Tension is a film that wins for having such a fun feeling to it’s filming style. The story follows a serial killer who breaks into the home where Marie [and her friend/her family] is staying, only to start killing everyone. At least he was polite enough to ring the doorbell. In the above scene, Father has his head jammed between two staircase rails – unable to move – and our killer decides on smashing his head with a dresser. I mean, really?!

Cigarette Burns:

Coming from the first season of The Masters Of Horror TV series, and directed by Master John Carpenter, This one hour movie [“episode”] follows a guy who is looking for a rare print of a movie so evil that anyone who watches it supposedly descends into a uncontrollable psychotic frenzy.  During his search, he meets many terrible people, including someone who ties him to a chair and forces him to watch someone get decapitated. It’s not exactly a quick/clean cut either, there’s quite a bit of hacking involved.

“C Is For Capital Punishment” – ABCs Of Death 2:

Unlike the first ABCs Of Death film, I actually enjoyed the sequel. For what it is, this sequel actually had decent shorts, with nothing too extreme or strange. Being a short that was hinted at in the trailer, I had high hopes for this part of the film. Thankfully, I felt that it paid off – giving a darker feel to a not so gruesome story. [I mean, it is gruesome, but compared to some of the other shorts in the movie – this one isn’t too bad] Just watching the axe get caught in the guy’s neck, only to be jerked out looks extremely painful..

Friday The 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan:

Although I’m not the biggest Friday The 13th fan, I feel that this particular scene never ceases to make me laugh. It doesn’t help that with a title like Jason Takes Manhattan, you’d expect to Jason running around New York kill a ton of people – not spend the entire film on a boat, only to arrive in Manhattan in the last few minutes.. anyway. This scene follows Julius, a boxer who thinks he can stand up to our masked killer, but when he tires himself out from flailing for an extended period of time; Jason takes his turn and…this happens. Sure, it’s cheesy as hell; but I love it. It’s something that needed to happen to make this terrible film bearable.

Now obviously, decapitations are a dime a dozen, especially when horror films feel that they need a quick kill to keep the audience entertained. These are just a few of the many I could have mentioned so here are some honorable mentions, even though I never really do this sort of thing..

30 Days Of Night – Billy‘s death

Deadly Friend – the basketball scene

Hobo With A Shotgun – Ricky as not Ricky

So now I turn to you, the reader of this article. What’s your favorite horror movie decapitation? Was it on this list? If not, let me know in the comments below! I would love to know which ones are your favorites, especially if you can think of one that I wouldn’t have considered! Also, if you found yourself to enjoy this film review, please take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 100+ likes – only 15 more and we’ll have reached 130!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted online; and I also share links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends!

THANKS FOR READING.

Whether you love him or hate him, Tom Six has made a name for himself in Hollywood; with a trilogy of films that people aren’t exactly proud to say they know by name. With Six’s grand finale – The Human Centipede III: Full Sequence, coming to DVD/Blu ray on October 27th, [read my review on the third film here!] the director is now officially ready to release yet another treat for fans: this time, in the form of his debut film: [which was initially released in 2008!] What The F**k?!, [which is also known as “I Love Dries” in some countries] which will also be coming to home video, with English subtitles, in the near future.. though no exact date has been confirmed as of yet. But, knowing that international audiences are getting a film [albeit, almost 8 years later!] tells me that Six was waiting for the perfect time to re-release it. And Who knows? It’s possible this is a decent film, which’ll help sooth the feeling of how bad Final Sequence was.. There’s no trailer for this film released yet, though I’m sure if you were to dig deep into Youtube, you might be able to find something related from it’s initial release. However, we do have a synopsis for the film, which after reading it, it naturally sounds fucked up! [though, what do we really expect from the man who gave us Human Centipede?] Curious? Read on!

“What the F**k?! is an hilarious black comedy about famous Dutch singer Dries Roelvink, who is kidnapped by his two biggest fans to their trailer in the middle of nowhere. They don’t want an autograph though, but something completely different. As it turns out, the couple’s biggest wish is to have a baby of their own, but the husband is infertile. Dries is forced to live with this gruesome twosome until he gets the woman pregnant..”

If that’s not interesting, I don’t know what is! [I use the term ‘interesting’ very lightly] Because we don’t have anything we can really work with yet, I’ve included the film’s poster and a few screenshots from the film itself below! This way, you can decide for yourself if the film looks worthwhile; or a waste of time..The part that truly raises questions to me, is why Dries Roelvink agreed to play himself? Especially, based on the story! It doesn’t help that reviews I’ve seen online have been somewhat positive..though, the viewers may enjoy this kind of thing..

Once again, no trailer has been released for the film yet – at least, not an international one [don’t hold me to that, there might be no trailer at all.. yet!] but the film has an interesting concept..at least as far as Tom Six goes. The one thing that has me concerned is that it’s a black comedy, [much like Human Centipede III was] meaning it could go either way. Also, being as this is a re-release of Six‘s first film; who knows where it’ll go? As I said above, I’ve read a few positive reviews on this film, and that could be a good thing..or not.

How do you feel though about What The F**k?! ? Is it a unique concept, that will make it become a good watch/a cult classic? Or is it something that’s going to make Tom Six‘s name skyrocket through Hollywood.. as one of the worst directors of this day and age? Let me know in a comment or two! I’m both genuinely concerned, but also curious about the film.. I’ll probably watch it – just to say I did; but for no other reason! Also, if you found yourself to enjoy this film review, please take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 100+ likes – only 15 more and we’ll have reached 130!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted online; and I also share links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends!

THANKS FOR READING.

We horror fans are a weird breed: we actually enjoy watching people get attacked by angry ghosts, or sometimes murderous dream demons! We also tend to remember the first time we watched a horror film; either by date, or by film. We also tend to favor a certain Movie Director or two as well. In my case, it’s Mr. Wes Craven; who fans will know as the man behind such classics like Scream, and my personal favorite, A Nightmare On Elm Street. I remember the first time I saw both of these films: Scream was at a friend’s place and I had to hide under the blankets during the opening death sequence, and Nightmare was late at night [in my room] when I was about 13 years old. Back then, I was terrified by the film, I feared for the night because; what could be scarier than someone attacking you when you’re most vulnerable? When you’re asleep? Although scared, I was curious, so as I got older, I began watching the sequels..quickly making the Nightmare film series [as cheesy as they got] my all time favorite horror film franchise.

Besides being known far and wide for creating the iconic Freddy Krueger and Ghostface, Craven also wrote and produced film features for television and occasionally, wrote novels. Wes Craven was a humanities professor before leaving academia to work in post production. As most horror fans can tell you, his first official credited film was the controversial film The Last House On The Left:which he wrote, directed and edited back in 1972! Naturally, he followed it up with the blackly comic The Hills Have Eyes and Swamp Thing, which – if you know your comic books – was an early entry in the comic book to film adaptation genre! I only started to notice Wes during Nightmare though, Where the surreal slasher film is credited with having started something called the “dream reality” style of 1980s horror filmmakers and in turn; helped launch independent film studio New Line Cinema, which is sometimes referred to as “the house that Freddy built.”

[artwork is credited to @CodySchibi; I love the art-style!]

However, as I’m sure you saw all over the internet: Wes Craven had been struggling with brain cancer for a long time.. and last night, it caught up to him; passing away [in his LA home] at the age of 76.. a true master of horror – has left us. One of the last projects Craven was working on was MTV’s TV series adaptation of Scream, on which he worked as an executive producer. The series was recently renewed for a second season, back on July 29th. [I still have to start the series..now more than ever!] “Wes Craven was a tremendous visionary whose sensibility for scares has connected with generations of MTV fans,” MTV has said in a statement. “We are honored to have worked with him and proud to carry on his legacy with Scream: Our hearts go out to his family and friends.”

It’s a truly sad day for us horror fans, we lost one of the greats.. From Ghostface to Krueger, horror won’t be the anywhere near the same without someone who helped push the envelope in the genre. Although horror will last without him, it won’t ‘feel’ right without Craven, who made us feel fear when we’re arguably, the most vulnerable..

So this post is for you Wes, you started scaring me at a fairly young age; and I wouldn’t have it any other way! You’ve inspired so many horror directors with your stylized cinematography, but you can’t replace an original. From everyone who loves the horror genre as much as you did; this is us saying “thanks”. Fun Fact: Craven actually told The Los Angeles Times in an interview: “My goal is to die in my 90s on the set, say, `That’s a wrap,’ after the last shot, fall over dead and have the grips go out and raise a beer to me.” and raise a beer we did, Wes, this one’s for you!

THANKS FOR READING.

Wow. What a week it’s been. With my new job [is this news to you? catch up over here!] being a full time thing now, I’ve been extremely busy; and as a result – tired. But in between working and catching up on movies I’ve either missed out on, or haven’t watched until late into the evening, I’ve managed to  squeeze in the time to watch a film I bought a few weeks ago, but never got around to watching until this past Saturday – August 29th. That film was none other than my favorite Universal Monster film; Frankenstein. I had seen most of the film before, but not the entirety of it from start to finish, and after buying it and Bride Of Frankenstein, I figured I’d take one evening and watch the classic black and white film.

and man am I glad I did! the atmosphere of the film is unlike anything I’ve seen in recent years, making it feel dark, gloomy, and all around creepy! The sets that we’re exposed to are what seem to be a pure spin off of German Expressionism. Best of all, Doctor Frankenstein‘s “castle” is all twisted and distorted, making it feel like something from another world!  It’s not a long film by any means – clocking in at only 70 minutes – but it’s a staple in it’s genre, and deserves to be praised. Believe it or not, Frankenstein was technically not even a “horror” movie when it was first released back in 1931, since the term “horror” as a film genre wasn’t used officially until 1934!

but did you know?

In the film, just after bringing the monster to life, Dr. Frankenstein utters the [now] famous line, “Now I know what it’s like to be God!” Originally, the movie was released with this line, but when it was re-released in the late ’30s, film censors demanded it be removed: stating that it was blasphemy. Instead, a loud clap of thunder was used to switch out the line on the film’s soundtrack. This “censored dialog” was partially returned to the soundtrack in the initial “restored version” releases, and now, further restoration has now completely brought back this line of missing dialog. A clean recording of the missing dialog was supposedly found on a Vitaphone disc. [which looks similar to a large phonograph record] With modern audio technology available to us now, the dialog has been put back into the film without any detectable change in the audio quality, and good thing too: I feel this line gives us an insight to just how maniacal Dr. Frankenstein truly is!

Speaking of cuts from the film, there’s one specific scene where The Monster walks through a forest and comes upon a little girl, Maria, who is seen throwing flowers into a nearby pond. The Monster joins her and does the same, but being as there is now two of them doing it – they run out of flowers. Noticing he no longer has something to throw into the water, The Monster looks at Maria and moves toward her. In all North American prints of the movie, this is where the scene ends. However, the original cut of the film shows the action continue, as we see The Monster actually grab Maria, tossing her into the pond, then leaving the area [confused] when he notices that Maria doesn’t float like the flowers did. As expected, this little bit extra was removed because the censors complained about the violent end of the little girl. In the re issue of the film on DVD/Blu, the scene is restored [and is marvelous to watch!]

Lastly, according to The People’s Almanac, there’s one point where the movie was suppose to include a line of dialogue giving The Monster the name: Adam. [presumably like the Biblical Adam?] The Almanac claims that there was an early print of this film that may have been released with such a scene, but that it was quickly cut out when audiences began referring to The Monster by the name Frankenstein..

Although there were many more cuts and edits to the film, Frankenstein remains a classic Monster movie to last the ages. Without the likes of it, [along with the other Universal Monster films] horror wouldn’t be the way it is now – and I love it to pieces for that reason. It’s atmospheric, it’s a landmark in cinema, and it’s still shocks audiences today! I’m glad I got the chance to write this FRIDAY FUN FACT, because up next is Bride Of Frankenstein, which I’ve yet to watch! With the long weekend coming up these next three days, I’m caught working but be sure to join me for my next post – whatever the topic may be!

Also, if you found yourself to enjoy this FRIDAY FUN FACT, please take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 100+ likes – only 15 more and we’ll have reached 130!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted online; and I also share links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends!

THANKS FOR READING.

We’re going from classic Halloween [see my Frankenstein Friday Fun Fact] to..Christmas? Wait, hold on.. let me try that again… ahem.

One thing that I’m becoming more and more of a fan of, is holiday themed horror movies. Whether we’re talking ones that take place on Halloween or on St. Patrick’s Day, movies that have their story revolved around such a holiday are a guilty pleasure of mine. 2015 is quickly proving to have a wealth of holiday horror headed our way, with Michael Dougherty‘s Krampus, and now, Grant Harvey and Steven Hoban‘s very own A Christmas Horror Story! Like most cases in most holiday themed horror films, the last place you want to be alone on the Christmas Holidays is in a small town. In the upcoming film A Christmas Horror Story, the small town in question is none other than Bailey Downs. The film will follow five different [yet, interwoven] stories that take each take place on Christmas:starting with one which is told by a festive radio host, another follows a family who brings home more than just a Christmas tree, a student-made documentary becomes a living nightmare, a Christmas spirit terrorizes the naughty [and the nice!], and also: Santa Claus slaying evil Elves! If this sounds like something you’d be interested in watching, then I’ve got exciting news for you: the synopsis for the film has been released, and so has the trailer! Catch up and read the synopsis down below!

“Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy, peace and goodwill. But for some folks in the small town of Bailey Downs, it turns into something much less festive. When Krampus – the anti-Santa who punishes the naughty children – is summoned by a young boy, everyone’s fight for survival begins..”

you can’t not say that Santa looks pretty bad ass in this screenshot!

Another awesome thing to note about this film [which I’m sure you’ll notice in the trailer] is that a certain famous actor appears: none other than William Shatner! I mean, if that doesn’t sell you on A Christmas Horror Story, I don’t know what will! A Christmas Horror Story is scheduled for theatrical release on October 2, 2015 and I haven’t been this excited for a film involving Christmas in a long time.. Be sure to check out the trailer for A Christmas Horror Story at the bottom of this paragraph, and let me know what you thought about the trailer for the film. Is it a film you’d consider watching? Or do you think it looks like B-Movie garbage that’s trying too hard to be a cult classic?

 If you found yourself to enjoy this article, please take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 100+ likes – only 15 more and we’ll have reached 130!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted online; as well as links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends!

I mean come on guys.. It’s William [freaking] Shatner!!

THANKS FOR READING.

Contrary to what many people believe, I used to be a big reader when I was a kid.. I’d mainly read comic books, and Harry Potter. Naturally, this usually made me super excited for the “book fair” that came to my elementary school every year, especially as newer volumes came out. But, if there was one thing that always caught my attention [even if it did scare me at the time..] at these “fairs”, it was the Goosebumps books. These books always had covers that would make me feel interested, but I’d shy away – those were the ‘scary’ books. But one day, I got interested enough to pick one up and read it; that book was “Go Eat Worms!“

It was eerie and it was actually fairly scary; at least as far as kid’s horror went at the time. But more than anything: I couldn’t put it down.. Slowly but surely, I started reading [and trying to collect] the rest of the series, each one being better than the one before it! After learning that there was a total of 62 books, [check out the titles and plots for each and every one of them here!] I had started a good collection of them, until I lost them all in a move to another town/city – BUT. This, of course, led me to watching the TV Show that was based on the books. Sure, it’s cheesy as hell now, but back then; it was one of the scarier shows I would have ever laid my eyes on. Even if it did scare me, I kept watching; testing myself to see just how far I could watch without getting scared. It slowly became one of my favorite shows, which I will still watch today, purely out of nostalgic reasons.

Now, the reason behind this post isn’t so much because I’ve been feeling nostalgic [okay, that’s part of the reason..] but because I’ve actually begun to start collecting them [again] now-a-days: 15 years later! I’ve been checking out everywhere from Kijiji, to Value Village [where I picked up a handful of them the other day!] and considering many of them have become ‘out of print’ – unless you count the re-prints, I’m glad to know these secondhand stores exist to help out. For those curious, I now have 18 of the original series of Goosebumps, which I plan on collecting the remaining 44 books; it’s just a matter of when and if I can find them.

Also, because I fully expect someone to ask: I will be listing the books I do have below, in numerical order [at least, as best as I can; since there is gaps between some numbers!] I’m just so glad that I can relive this part of my childhood, one book at a time. Be sure to click on the book’s title to see the cover art!

[note: these are NOT the ones that I own, I may own SOME of these ones above but this ISN’T my photo!]

[#2] Stay Out Of The Basement!

[#3] Monster Blood

[#7] Night Of The Living Dummy

[#8] The Girl Who Cried Monster

[#11] The Haunted Mask

[#15] You Can’t Scare Me!

[#16] One Day At Horrorland

[#17] Why I’m Afraid Of Bees

[#20] The Scarecrow Walks At Midnight

[#22] Ghost Beach

[#28] The Cuckoo Clock Of Doom

[#30] It Came From Beneath The Sink!

[#32] The Barking Ghost

[#34] Revenge Of The Garden Gnomes

[#36] The Haunted Mask II

[#39] How I Got My Shrunken Head

[#42] Egg Monsters From Mars

[#50] Calling All Creeps!

As you can tell, I’m missing quite a few: 44 to be exact, but you know what? For what it’s worth, I think I have quite the collection for someone who just started re-collecting a series of books. Even if these books did scare me once upon a time, I’m glad to know that they’re still around, even if they are becoming increasingly difficult to find..

So now I turn to you. Did you ever read Goosebumps? Did you have a favorite out of them all? Why was it your favorite? Let me know in a comment or two! I want to know if I’m the only one who used to love getting scared by something so terribly cheesy.

Also, if you found yourself to enjoy this article, please take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 100+ likes – only 15 more and we’ll have reached 130!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted online; as well as links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends!

THANKS FOR READING.

A little while ago, I wrote about a short horror film titled “It’s Okay” [read that here!] and mentioned that short films are becoming a fascination of mine. I like how they’re full length stories, but instead; they’re short, they’re sweet, and best of all: they have all the elements an actual film would have, but in a shorter time frame! Although I’m [naturally] all about the horror shorts, today I want to talk about a different type of short film – stop motion animation.. specifically one in particular: Foxed!.

Directed and written by James Stewart, Foxed! has been sweeping awards and earning itself nominations throughout the film festival scene since it’s release in 2013! Now – as of last week – it’s finally available to watch online for the first time in two years! [hold out until the end of the post to watch Foxed! in all it’s glory!] If that’s not enough to satisfy you, what’s even more exciting than that is that body-horror Director David Cronenberg has confirmed that he will be producing an adaptation this particular short into a feature length film!

Being as the characters and story still naturally belong to Stewart, he will be writing and directing the feature length adaptation of his original short, which will still blend traditional stop-motion animation with 3D techniques, kind of like Coraline, James & The Giant Peach, and The Nightmare Before Christmas [along with many other films] all had. If you’ve never heard of Foxed!, read the synopsis for the short [and presumably – the adaptation as well] which can be found below! The full length feature is set to be released in theaters in 2017, with no date or full length trailer set as of yet.

“When young Emily is kidnapped by foxes and forced to work in the mysterious underground Blue Goo Mines, she must use everything she’s got to get back home and uncover the foxes’ secret plan!”

So check out Foxed! : It’s a short film – clocking in at just under 5 minutes – but it’s definitely worth checking out for the atmosphere it gives off, it’s dark and moody feeling, and it’s voice acting is top-notch. It’s been nominated for [and won] tons of awards and with a full length adaptation of it on the way, that alone tells you that it’s worth watching. As I said, it’s finally available to watch online [via Vimeo] but because I simply cannot get enough of it, I’ve gone so far as to post it below. Let me know in a comment or two what you think of Emily‘s adventure in the Blue Goo Mines, and as a question of the day: Do you think she’ll escape the foxes and figure out their dark plan?

if you found yourself to enjoy this article, please take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 100+ likes – only 15 more and we’ll have reached 130!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted online; as well as links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends!

THANKS FOR READING.

If there’s one film I keep holding out for, it’s Eli Roth‘s The Green Inferno. I’ve actually talked about it a good amount: from mentioning how it’s looking more and more exciting, and more importantly – how someone started a petition to ban the film! However, with the film eating it’s way into theaters next week, [I’m so excited!] a red band clip has surfaced; subtly called “Punishment“. This clip shows on viewers Aaron Burns’ character, “Jonah”, suffer in ways that will make you want to scream, cover your eyes in terror, and for the gore hounds: it’ll make you more excited for the film than you already were! Heading deep into The Green Inferno are actors Ariel Levy, Daryl Sabara and Kirby Bliss Blanton, [amongst others, obviously] with the story following a group of student activists who, from New York City, travel to the Amazon to protect [what they consider] a dying tribe, but crash in the jungle and are then taken hostage by the very natives they had “planned” on saving. If it doesn’t sound like a fun time of a horror film, I have a very convincing ‘tweet’ that will tell you just how good the film is:

That’s right: Stephen King has told the world of horror that he fully enjoyed Roth‘s latest film! This tells us that – not only is it a good movie – but that the King of the genre himself is giving it his praise. [sorry about that terrible pun by the way..] Naturally, I’d assume that Eli Roth was stunned, knowing that one of his heroes – one of my heroes – just gave him a positive review on his film.. and it’s a pretty big thumbs up! So with that, I’ll leave you with the clip “Punishment” – though it might make you sign into Youtube for age restriction purposes – and if you enjoyed the clip tell me: does it make you excited for The Green Inferno? Or did it make you groan; cause you find yourself tired of Eli Roth [I know a lot of people give him hate on the internet, but I find myself to be a fan of his!]

“Dark and primitive customs still rule the Amazon jungle: cannibalism and other mind, body and soul-destroying rituals. Trapped in the village, these high-tech modern-world students experience the ultimate in primal barbaric terror, suffering unspeakable acts of violence in an intense and chilling rituals reserved only for the most threatening intruders.”

After watching the video above, or even if you didn’t [but enjoyed reading about it!] please take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 100+ likes – only 15 more and we’ll have reached 130!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted online; as well as links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends!

I mean, I guess this could be considered “cute”..right? just me?

THANKS FOR READING.

writer’s note: I know it’s been about a week now since I wrote anything here, but this past week was hell for me. a lot happened, and happened fast, in the span of a few days; so I put off writing so no negative words came about. All I ask is for no one to ask about it, because it’s more or less resolved but I assure you – warrenisweird isn’t going anywhere, and nothing happened between Stephanie and I. Everything is more or less back to normal..

Thanks for understanding,

Warren

If you follow me just about anywhere online, you know that I absolutely love pop culture characters. [Especially ones from the 1980s, even if I did grow up in 1992!] I always have, – and probably always will – enjoyed the idea of characters such as Pee-Wee Herman and even ones people seem to have forgotten; like Falcor from The NeverEnding Story! One such character that I used to obsess over was a lazy, orange cat..who happened to have an insatiable lust for lasagna. Of course, I’m talking about Garfield!

Garfield feels like he’s been around for forever, doesn’t he? From comic books, to toys, to a Saturday morning cartoon, to a live action film! [that granted – wasn’t all that good..] But hold on, let’s back it up a step: a morning cartoon. Garfield and Friends was an animated series based on the comic strip series by Jim Davis. It ran on CBS Saturday mornings from September 17, 1988 to December 10, 1994, with reruns airing until October 7, 1995. The show was insanely popular, as it ran for seven seasons! I remember watching the show when I was younger [which I guess means I caught the last few seasons based on the age of the show] and it sparked my love for the characters more than ever. But let’s cut to the chase shall we? Why am I talking about Garfield of all characters? I’m a fan of the gorier, more graphic horror films – and Garfield is the farthest thing from? Or is he?

Along with the original series, Garfield and Friends had a Halloween special one year titled: “Garfield’s Halloween Adventure“ [fun fact: it was originally titled: Garfield In Disguise] and is considered one of the darkest tales in the character’s history. It’s eerie, it’s atmospheric, and most of all – it scared the hell out of me as a kid. The entire episode can actually be watched here, as well as a few other Halloween cartoons from the 80s [which is totally worth watching!] though the Garfield special is the greatest of the bunch.

However, it seems that Fright Rags also remembers the creepy cartoon and it’s popularity, and for its 30th Anniversary, they have not one, but four different designs coming soon in black and orange, for both boys and girls, in zip up hoodies and in baseball tee format! They’re not available yet but you can pre-order them now on their website! Orders are planned to be shipped in mid-October to be on time for Halloween. So think of it this way, Mondays may not be the greatest thing in the world, but right now – these shirts are some of the coolest things around; check out the designs below!

[click the picture to pre-order this design!]

[click the picture to pre-order this design!]

[click on the picture to pre-order this design!]

[click the picture to pre-order this design!]

So now the question remains, will you be ordering any of the shirt designs above? If so, which one? I’m partial to the Bat-Garfield on the baseball tee, but that’s because I don’t have nearly enough baseball tee designs in my closet! Another question I have is who is your favorite pop culture icon from the 1980s/1990s? Is Garfield one of your favorites? Or is he just like any lazy cat? Let me know in a comment or two! If you found yourself to enjoy this article, then please take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 100+ likes – only 15 more and we’ll have reached 130!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted online; as well as links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends!

[on a completely separate note, I have a big idea rolling around in my skull for when October comes, which is coming sooner than people want to believe – so keep your eyes open by following here on the blog, on Twitter or on Facebook.. STAY TUNED!]

THANKS FOR READING.