Life = Delays

So, The term "life happens" has defiantly been playing a huge factor in my ability to bring honest reviews to you guys. I will not get into specifics but a job change, and holiday obligations have been a big part of my absents. I apologize for the lack of content and such. However, Things have slowed down considerably and a finally back to normal so expect some new reviews in the upcoming week. It's time to get back on the wagon!

All Hallows' Eve (2013)

Halloween is a time for tricks, treats, ghosts, goblins, monsters, and skimpy female costumes. Halloween has had its fair share of negativity over the years. Razorblades in apples, cyanide in Pixy Stix and kids being abducted while trick or treating are just some of the creepy stories we all heard growing up. The question is, what would you do if you found a VHS tape in your candy bag? Would you watch it?

Written & Directed by Damien Leone, All Hallows’ Eve is a Halloween anthology film. The film follows a babysitter watching two children for a friend. The boy finds a VHS tape in his candy bag and persists on watching it. The tape contains three horrifying tales of terror, all involving a frightening clown named Art. With the completion of each film strange things begin happening around the house and the babysitter makes a shocking discovery.

All Hallows’ Eve is a pretty damn good film. Each of the three tales are written very well, and are very different from each other. The standout storylines for AHE are the last short and overall arch story. The other two tales are good, but pale in comparison. I think the first two films are missing the shock value of the others. Although when they are put together the pacing works great. It seemed to gradually get more intense as the film drew on, culminating to the shocking final moments of the film.

The film stars Catherine A. Callahan, Marie Maser, Katie Maguire, and Kayla Lian. Each leading lady did very well in their respective roles and an all-around fine job. Making his return is Art the Clown played by Mike Giannelli. Before All Hallows’ Eve came to fruition, a short film named Terrifier made an appearance on YouTube. This film would serve as the catalyst for All Hallows’ Eve’s inception, as well as, the start to Art the Clown’s reign of terror. This short film is included in the feature as the last VHS tale and I will say Damien Leone left the best short for last.

The film is heavy on the gore for all you blood hungry freaks. Boasting some pretty incredible practical effects, the viewers at home are treated with severed limbs, deformed creatures, a beheading, aliens, and tons more. I was also impressed with some of the weapons that were used including a chain with rusty blades and needles attached to it. One of the films greatest strengths is its use of camera filters. The aged look of the film stock really boosts its credibility and puts a nice touch to the film. The film is light on nudity and only has one scene that is questionable but I won’t give that away. The best part of All Hallows’ Eve is Art the clown. In my opinion Art has the capability of becoming the next big horror movie icon.

Released by Image Entertainment in association with Ruthless Pictures All Hallows’ Eve is one hell of a ride. Starting from humble beginnings to a full length feature the film, All Hallows’ Eve makes a strong case to put itself amongst the Halloween greats. With an iconic main villain and strong practical effects GLP gives this Halloween mainstay a 4 out of 5 stabs. All Hallows’ Eve will be released on October 29^th, 2013. For more information on the film visit its official Facebook page. Also visit RuthlessPictures, and Image Entertainment pages for upcoming releases. You can pre-order All Hallows’ Ever here. View the Red Band trailer below.

GLP Rating:

Curse Of Chucky (2013)

What would you do if your favorite doll came to life, and wanted to steal your soul/body to become human? In the process of this started killing everyone that came in his way. That is a question that many fictional characters have come face to face with for almost 3 decades. Child's Play (aka Chucky) has been frightening & entertaining viewers of just about all ages. This time Charles Lee Ray is back in an all new direct to video sequel.

Curse of Chucky, written & directed by Don Mancini, is a seemingly new story in the Child's Play franchise. As the 6^th installment our favorite little bad guy Chucky wines up with a new family and once again causes mayhem and death. Little do we know, but the film has a bit of a twist at the end.

Released directly to home video by Universal Home Entertainment, Curse of Chucky is actually pretty good. The beginning set up is rather slow but once things get started its very entertaining. Chucky is once again played by the infamous Brad Dourif and the wise cracks are as good as ever. The acting isn’t bad either, Everyone gave pretty good performances. Interestingly enough, the lead female Nica is played by Brad Dourif’s daughter Fiona Dourif. Fiona did a tremendous job with the role of Nica and was a very convincing paraplegic.

The kills in Curse of Chucky are very good too. The fans will be delighted to see a very ample amount of red stuff in this sequel. We are treated to electrocutions, stabbing, a wicked car accident, some face smashing, and more. As far as T&A there is a severe lack of nudity, however the guys are treated to Jill played by the very pretty Maitland McConnell in her bra and panties. Nothing for the ladies this time.

I noticed for very cool camera angles and transitions being used that peaked my interest. The transition that really stands out for me, is this circulate shot that focuses on Chucky and as the camera is spinning around him the background changes to a jump in time. This shot was very pretty. There is also a scene devout of any color sans a bright yellow that looked amazing as well. The cinematographers & editing team did a great job.

Curse of Chucky is not the best movie in the world but it’s very entertaining. The film takes you to a different place than the others offering a fresh take on the films but at the same time keeping the old school feel of the originals. GLP gives Curse of Chucky a solid 4 out of 5 stabs for acting, story, editing, cinematography, and kills. For more information on the film visit their Facebook page. The film is also available now on Unrated Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack, standard DVD, and New Boxset featuring all 6 Child's Play Movies. View the trailer below.

GLP Rating:

Fright Night 2: New Blood (2013)

Vampires have almost always been around in some form or another. In the 80’s a great vampire flick named Fright Night helped put a modern spin on the vampires of the past. Shortly after its sequel (Fright Night II) arose from the coffin but failed to turn any heads. Fast forward to 2011, A remake steps into the light. Capitalizing on the success of many Real-D movies beforehand Fright Night re-emerges with a fresh new spin on the classic 80’s fare, and a hip new cast. Which leads me 2 year after…yet another remake has stepped forth, but in the form of a sequel.

Fright Night 2: New Blood is straight-to-video film about 3 friends studying abroad in Romania. One of the students starts getting suspicious about his teacher and soon finds out that some secrets are better left unknown. The film was good, but unfortunately none of the actors of the first remake reprised their roles for this installation. While it would have been nice to see the character back for a second time it wasn’t necessary, because this film has nothing to do with any of the events in the first. The only similarities between this film and Fright Night (remake) are the characters names.

This is where I became confused. The film’s title is Fright Night 2, it has pretty much all of the same characters, but are not connected at all. Usually with a sequel containing the same characters, the film would be a continuation of the last…this is unfortunately not the case at all. Directed by Eduardo Rodriguez, Fright Night 2 is its own film. There is no story continuation. It acts like the original remake never happened. Jerry Dandrige is now Gerri Dandrige and is female. The characters of Charley and Ed still seek out Peter Vincent who is the host of a paranormal hunt show.

With this slight over site out of the way, the film is still rather good. The acting was done very well. Will Payne does a good job as Charley. Chris Waller is almost a spot on Ed. And Sacha Parkinson is a wonderful Amy. The stand out of the film for me however, was the gorgeous Jamie Murray (Dexter). Here portrayal of the now female Gerri Dandrige was great. She’s screams sex throughout the entire movie. Even when she vamps out she has this sex appeal the really makes the character of Gerri stand out.

There is a lot of red stuff in this film, most of which is CGI effects but it’s done with a very fine precision and looks polished. The viewer gets blessed with a throat slitting, an eye stabbing, tons of crucifix burns, and a sunshine evisceration. The film also boasts a very high t&a count, with a full frontal female nudity & some various booby shots. There is not much for the female views except for Sean Powers shirtless…sorry ladies.

As I said the film is good. I wish it were called “Fright Night: New Blood” but I understand why Fox decided to release it that way. I would defiantly look into this film as it really was entertaining and fun. GLP gives this blood sucker a 3 out of 5 stabs for good story, acting, and visual effects. Fright Night 2 is available now Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack, and DVD. View the trailer below.

GLP Rating:

Devils Pass [a.k.a The Dyatlov Pass Incident] (2013)

On February 2nd 1959, nine Russian hikers mysteriously died in the Ural Montains of Russia. The mystery surrounding their deaths has incurred tremendous speculation. The Soviet investigators came to the conclusion that “a compelling natural force” was the cause of their deaths. Strangely enough the circumstances surrounding their deaths get even stranger. The investigation showed that the hikers tore open their tents from the inside, fleeing barefoot into heavy snow and a temperature of -30C. If that’s not spooky enough, although the corpses showed no sign of struggle, two victims had skull fractures, two had broken ribs, and one woman’s tongue was missing. All of the things you just read are TRUE.

Directed by Renny Harlin (Nightmare on Elm Street Part 4, Prison, Die Hard 2) Devil’s Pass takes the TRUE story of the hikers on Dyatlov Pass, and creates a pretty cool little found footage film around it. The film revolves around 5 college students making a documentary on the real life story of the nine hikers on Dyatlov Pass. The students start fearing for their lives when they encounter unexplained events.

I really enjoy a film that takes a real life story and molds a fictional story around it. It keeps the films interesting and encourages research upon the film’s completion. Devil’s Pass was no different. I felt the story was crafted very well. Their fictional story blended with the actual events really made the film a worthwhile experience. I did feel that the last quarter of the film lost a little luster, however it was still entertaining.

The acting in the film is pretty good. Matt Stokoe (Jenson) and Luke Albright (JP) stood out to me as front runners here. I will say that some of Holly Gross’s (Holly) line delivery was a little over the top at time, however she still did a good job. Overall the cast gave very good performances and did not take away from the films entertainment value. The film was very like on gore, and or practical effects. Most of the encounters are CGI, and you only see a slight bit of red stuff.

Overall Devils Pass was a fairly successful found footage film. The true events and the mystery surrounding them make this film worth watching alone. GLP gives Devils Pass a cool 3 out of 5 stabs for originality and creativeness. To find out more about Devil’s Pass, visit the films Facebook page. For more information regarding the actual Dyatlov Pass Incident click here. View the trailer below.

GLP Rating:

 

Stitches (2012)

When "IT" was made into a TV series, Clowns were never really the same. These goofy face pained jesters became something more sinister. Clowns have now become the things nightmares are made of. The term “Coulrophobia”  (fear of clowns) is said to have been coined in the 80’s, but in recent years has become more prevalent. The amount of people fearing clowns seems to have jumped significantly, and so have the movies involving a clown as the main antagonist.

Stitches is a horror/comedy directed by Conor McMahon. The film involves a group of kids attending a 10^th birthday party. Stitches the clown arrives to entertain the children but when the kids pranks goes too far, Stitches winds up on the wrong side of the joke. 6 years later the kids have almost separated, but Tom (Tommy Knight) is still scared from the incidents of his 10^th birthday. When his friends decided to throw a party for his 16^th birthday, they get an unexpected guest that starts picking off the kids 1 by 1.

Stitches is a very entertaining flick. The acting by the kids was very good, and at times a little over the top, but if fit the film perfectly. I found the film very fun and at times extremely funny. The characters in the film were true to themselves and while they were very stereotypical the kids played them very well. Stitches character was witty and very well thought out.

The writing of the films story is solid; it’s not a typical slasher flick. There are elements of supernatural horror & witchcraft which really helps the film progress. Stitches character (Ross Noble) is smart and humorous. His delivery of one liners are cheeky at times but ultimately work in the films favor. I also feel that the overall mythos behind the films story was strong as well. The idea of a secret society of clowns is pretty damn frightening.

The gore in the film is great. For all the gorehounds out there, the red stuff flows like a river. The fans are treated to decapitation, limb removal, head explosions, disembowelment, stabbings, head scooping and more. At the same time, these kills are done with humor which propels the film just that much more. As for the T&A the film severely lacks the skin. Dudes get a picture of a nip slip and some nice lingerie shots but that is it.

Basically, Stitches is a very great film. It’s entertaining and over the top and most of all gory as hell. GLP gives this hilarious effort a 4 out of 5 stabs for creative kills, acting, and story. Check this film out. For more information on Stitches visit the films Facebook page. You can find the film in a Redbox near you! Support the film by adding it to your collection. View the trailer below.

GLP Rating:

Among Friends (2012)

When we have close friends, we like to think that we could tell them anything. Realistically the easiest way to not have a secret get out, is to keep it to yourself. What would you do if all your dirty secrets were recorded by someone you are close to, without you even knowing? What would you do if the person you thought was your friend, wound up being your worst nightmare?

Making her directorial debut, Danielle Harris’s Among Friends is the story of a group of friends attending an 80’s themed dinner party. This dinner party also has a twist. What starts out as a murder mystery, turns into a game of integrity, morality, and friendship. When the attendees realize they must play this game to survive, things take an interesting turn.

Among Friends is not a great movie. I wanted to like it, but I just could not stand behind the film itself. The characters are not lovable, and I found it had caring that any of this was happening. I tended to say, oh well, they deserved it. The only character I started to like was Jules (Brianne Davis). Her character was not great but, at some points the comedic element to her character was the redeeming quality. There is a character in the film named Blane (Chris Meyer), which initially got me excited (because my name is Blaine) but the character is a complete douche…

The direction is the best part of the film. Danielle did a great job with her first feature. The lighting was good, camera direction was good. Everything about the shooting was good. As for the writing by Alyssa Lobit, I was quite underwhelmed. As I said before, it was very hard to care about the events that were going on. I just wanted more out of the dialog, and character development, and general motive.

The gore is light but used well enough. There is nothing too over the top or spectacular. My biggest grip is the color of the blood. It looks more black than red. There are scenes that tried to push the envelope, but ultimately fail to deliver. The first scene that comes to mind is the balls scene, in the end it just didn’t deliver. The movie isn’t terrible, but by the same token, isn’t great. I found it to be entertaining enough, however at the end of the day it just didn’t deliver the goods.

In the end, Among Friends fails to offer solid character development, as a result you just don’t get behind any of the characters. I understand as the plot develops you suppose to turn on the characters, unfortunately the “evidence” they give you about the characters doesn’t really effect how you already feel about the characters. GLP gives this mediocre tale a 2 out of 3 stabs. If you’re looking for an easy way to kill an hour or two give Among Friends a watch. You may like it more than I did, which is the beauty of horror. To each their own. If you want to find out more about Among Friends check out the Website and Facebook page. View the trailer below.

GLP Rating:

Look Who's Rocking!

Hello Friends and Horror fans alike, I have a special little post today. Back in January, I wrote a review on a cool little indie horror film called "I Didn't Come Here To Die" (Review Here). Through watching that film I discovered the absolutely stunning Emmy Robbin. Emmy is an amazing person and absolutely one of the sweetest people I have come a crossed during my foray as a blogger. I posted the review of "IDCHTD" and to my shock, a facebook friend request followed from Emmy. She was very thankful and appreciative of the review. We almost crossed paths a couple of weeks ago at the Chicago Wizard World Con, but unfortunately, I am a chicken and not big on autographs. Back on track.

I have found out that since 2005 Emmy has been in almost all of Robert Rodriguez films. Films such as Sin City, Planet Terror, and both upcoming films Sin City 2 and Machete Kills. I could not be more excited to see Emmy getting more and more roles! However, Someone in the media doesn't care about this. Recently, new photos of Machete Kills have been cropped to remove Emmy. How Rude! So If you haven't already peep the actual photo below.

From Left to Right: Emmy Robbin, Elle LaMonte, Sophia Vergara, Alexa Vega

Check out how bad ass this is! I am very excited to see my friend Emmy in Machete Kills and hope you all go out and support the film. Machete Kills is set to be released on October 11th of this year. Check out Emmy in Rodriguez's films as well as I Didn't Come Here To Die...you won’t be sorry. View the Machete Kills trailer below.

My Top-10... (Part 2)

This week I finish Part 2 of My Top 10 Lesser Known 80's Slasher Movies list. I will say that for me making this list was HARD! I'm such a huge fan of the Slasher genre that picking only 10 was one of the hardest decisions ever. My process for this was to write down the first 10 lessor known films that popped into my head, then I organized them to the best of my abilities. Trust me, this was no easy task. I will probably post something in the coming weeks as honorable mentions to this list. So lets get on with the show.

5. Just Before Dawn
A group of teens go out into the wilderness for a camping trip, but when they start encountering strange things, and noises they find out that they may not be the only ones in the woods.

This movie had a lot of good things going for it. It is a slasher film but its rather toned down compared to most others from this time. It sports an above average cast that does tremendously well, a great score, and a setting the provides just the right amount of eeriness that makes a great horror film. The final scene of the film is what most will remember from this movie and the supsiquent death of some poor hunter in the beginning of the film. All in all its a great watch.

4. Nail Gun Massacre
After a woman is brutally raped by a large group of construction workers, someone wearing army fatigues and a motorcycle helmet armed with a nail gun is picking off locals one by one. Is it the rape victim or is it someone more sinister all together?

This film is full of campy goodness. From start to finish it gets more ridiculous by the second. This film was made on a next to nothing budget and it defiantly shows, but the film has this odd charm about it. I think this charm is part of the reason it has became such a cult classic among slasher enthusiasts. There is ample nudity throughout the film, pleny of bloody deaths, and the same song plays though different scenes in the movie. HILARIOUS. Great watch, check it out.

 3. Curtains
After a very predominate actress puts herself in a mental institution to study a role, the director leavers her there and decided to cast some new fresh faced talent instead. He gathers the girls at his mansion, and beings a long audition process for the role. When girls start going missing and seeing a strange old lady, they realize that they may be cut from the competition completely.

This film is great, one of the better stand alone slasher films of this time period. Its got a very ominous killer and a great cast. There is a very iconic death scene in this movie that everyone talks about...watch it and you will know what I'm talking about. This film also has a very shitty dvd release in a midnight horror 4 pack, that fans are not very happy about.   

2. Madman

When a camper investigates the house of the legend Madman Marz, He awakes something evil and Madman his out to destroy anything in his path. 

The film is a classic. Its got a great story, an iconic killer, and really awesome deaths. Its also a little hard to find too, with an Anchor Bay release that trumps the Code Red release 10 fold. If your lucky enough to grab an anchor bay release prepare to spend anywhere between 30 - 75 bucks on a solid copy. Watch this film now.

 1. Graduation Day
After a high school track star dies, a killer is hunting down her former teammates. Is the killer out for revenge or are they just quenching their thirst for blood.

While this movie is more widely known among horror fans, it is still not an extremely popular title. Graduation Day is an early Troma film that takes itself surprisingly serious. Most notable Troma films are goofy and downright ridiculous. This film plays the slasher game by the numbers and is pretty successful. With a decent cast, and some pretty cool kills this film really stands out for me. With a "twist" ending that really encapsulates the 80's slasher time period. this film is a great watch. This film also boasts an early apperance of the vivacious Vanna White.

Well that's it. We made it to the end. Let me know what you think of the list in the comments section below.

My Top-10... (Part 1)

I’ve decided to do something a little different this week. I have seen a lot of people doing top 10 list in many sub-genres of horror. Lists like “My Top-10 Vampire Movies” are even “My Top-10 80’s Horror Boob Shots” ect, ect. I tend to love reading through these types of lists on other blogs and websites, even if I don’t agree it’s always nice to see where some movies stack up for other people.

As most of you know, I am a HUGE fan of goofy 80’s Slasher Movies…To me this era was the best, the kills pushed the envelope, the skin ran rampant through dusty VHS tapes. So today, I present to you part 1 of “My Top-10 Lesser Known 80’s Slasher Films”

10. Scalps

This forgotten little slasher gem is about a group of college kids who venture out into the desert in search of ancient Indian artifacts. The group however unknowingly awakens an evil Indian spirt who will stop a nothing to protect his land.

In short, this film is pretty fun. The acting is horrendous, and the plot is a little slow but once you get into the film the film kicks into overdrive and creates some pretty gory and violent kills. The score of the film is pretty cool too.

9. The Dorm That Dripped Blood (aka Death Dorm, Pranks)

TDTDB is about a small group of college students (notice a trend here) that stay at the college during Christmas break to clean out an old dorm so it can be demolished. Someone however is picking off the students, but is it really who they think it is? 

This film is a classic. Made by 2 UCLA students in the early 80’s on a next to nothing budget this film has become somewhat of a cult classic. This film is also one of the unfortunate victims of the early MPAA being heavily cut for excessive gore and violence. The plot is again slow to start but it picks up about 15 – 20 minutes in. Lucky enough for us hardcore slasher fans, synapse films released a stellar UNCUT Blu-Ray/DVD combo of the film that TRUMPS all the other releases of the film including the notoriously bad lighting problem of previous transfers.

8. Superstition 
Superstition is about a witch that was condemned to death and drowned in 1692. The witch curses the grounds she was killed on and promises eternal revenge. Jump to our present time (80’s) and the property has been given to a local church. Since the curse extremely violent things have happened here, and now the violence has escalated.

I love this film, not only does it involve witchcraft but it’s REALLY gory. The story is solid and the effects are great. The acting is again full of cheese, and the score leaves a bad taste in your mouth but it’s a fun & entertaining supernatural slasher flick.

7. Roctober Blood
A heavy metal rocker goes on a killing spree and after he is caught and executed he comes back, and is ready for his encore.

This film is BAD, the acting is terrible. The storyline is wack, and the kills are pretty basic. For some reason, I am drawn to this film like flies to shit (pun intended). Maybe it’s the sheer ridiculousness of it all, or the fact that it’s based around heavy metal. Still it’s a great watch, even better with a group of like-minded individuals of some equally bad beers.

6. Hell High
A group of high school teens decide they are going to get even with their wicked science teacher and play a cruel trick on her. The kids prank quickly goes wrong, and terrible things start happening to the students.

This film is a very good flick. The story is solid and the acting is not dreadful. The gore effects are good and the score is appropriate. While it’s not perfect (most slashes are far from it), it possesses a charm not found in most rare slasher films. I am honestly surprised more people don’t know about this film.

That’s it for part 1 of “My Top-10 lesser known 80’s Slasher Films.” Stay tuned for the next installment in the coming weeks. Thanks for reading! If you feel so inclined seek out these films and let me know what YOU think about them in the comments section below.

Twixt (2012)

Have you ever finished a movie, and while the credits are rolling ask yourself, “What were they thinking?” Well that’s exactly what I did after watching this next film. With a film that had as much hype behind is as this one, I was surprised at the outcome. What was the killer of the film? Read on for my thoughts.

Twixt is about a struggling writer named Hall Baltimore (Val Kilmer) who has resorted to drinking and the moniker of “a bargain basement Stephen King”. Hall is tired of writing failing witchcraft stories and while in a small town, gets an offer of his dreams. While investigating strange deaths in the town, Hall is thrown headlong into a blended world of dreams & reality.

The film is not the completely terrible; there are moments when you really want to find out what happens next, but with bad green screens, cgi, and extremely bad pacing issues the film becomes hard to watch and ultimately a letdown. Written, Directed & Produced by Francis Ford Coppola the film never really had a solid sense of direction. I feel like too many plot elements resulted in the film being overly complex.

The acting in the film was one of the only qualities I enjoyed in the film. Val Kilmer holds his own, and re-affirms why he was so popular in the 90’s, Young Elle Fanning hits a homerun as V, and gives her older sister a run for her money. The rest of the cast is decent, but none really stand out as great.

Unfortunately, Twixt is not for everyone. Some will hail its artistic cinematography and used of “Touch Of Color”, will others will really get lost in the muck. The pacing issues are the hardest to get through. The middle of the film makes the film drag on for what seems like an eternity. Lack of movement and anything exciting left me wanting more, so when the film actually starts to pick up, it abruptly ends. The ending left me saying “WTF” and “You got to be fucking kidding me”. Nothing is resolved and nothing is really explained.

The most distracting aspect of the film is the weird and often overly fake green screen. By the looks of it, the effect was to add a dreamy aspect to the film but unfortunately it fell very short. I get the goal but it just wasn’t successful.

The film just doesn’t really do much for me. There are just too meny aspects of the film that make this a very low caliber film, and effort by the great Francis Ford Coppola. Plagued by terrible pacing, low rate cgi green screens GLP gives Twixt, a 1 out of 5 stabs. For more information on the film visit the official website and Facebook. View the trailer below.

GLP Rating:

 

Backstreet Boy, Nick Carter wants to make a Horror Movie

Yes that's right, Nick Carter of Backstreet Boys fame is wants to make a horror film. Who would have thought? Although....The music video for "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" could have been some indication. The singer is looking to make another long time dream of his come true by turning to horror fans and BSB fans to help fund his movie Evil Blessings using Indiegogo.com for the amount of $85,000. Indie Go Go is a fan supported fund raising site a lot like Kickstarter, The difference is with Indie Go Go, artists keep all the money they raise even if they don't hit their goal. If they dont hit their goal Indie Go Go will take 9% of the projects earnings, if the project is successfully funded they only take 4%.

According to the Indie Go Go project along with singing Nick has a love for screenwriting. "Hi, I'm Nick Carter from the Backstreet Boys. Most of you already know that I'm passionate about music, but what you don't know, is that I'm a HUGE horror fan as well.  To that end, I'm about to start down the path of my other dream: to become a film producer and screenwriter. And my first venture is to produce a horror film I also co-wrote and star in called 'EVIL BLESSINGS'.

The reason I'm looking to crowd fund this film is because it not only helps me to gauge interest in this project, but it gives my fans out there an opportunity to get access to what I'm doing that I wouldn't be able to offer elsewhere. Having seen what a great community there is on Indiegogo supporting each other to make passion projects happen, this feels like the best way to do it."

Pretty wild stuff! Nick also states that he is matching whatever dollar amount is raised to ensure the film is successfully completed. With a goal of $85,000 that would not be a small chunk of change. If the project is successfully funded at $85,000 bucks, and Nick's additional contribution that would put the films budget at $170,000. Which is not bad for an indie project.

I for one am interested in seeing how this develops. As of right now the project has currently raised $45,457. View the projects video below. Click the link here for more information on Evil Blessing.

Under the Bed (2012)

Let’s face it; every child in the world has thought there was a monster living under their bed. For me, my childhood monster under the bed was Pennywise The Clown. The sheer thought of the traumatizing nights I had as a child are enough to still give me the willies. Knowing nothing about this film, we decided to give it a shot just by the title and cover art, did Under the Bed deliver?

Directed by Steven C. Miller, Under the Bed is about a teenage boy who returns home two years after a devastating fire took the life of his mother. The teen realizes that his time away not only was in vain, but the creature he thought only he could see has moved on to his younger brother. In an attempt the thwart the creature, the brothers team up and soon the scares turn deadly.

Under the bed is plagued with bad decisions early on in the film. Most notable is the extremely over the top score. Scenes that didn’t need extremely dramatic strings and vamping got it. Not to mention the ending of the film. The acting was stiff but that not a huge issue. The dialog is nothing more than unnatural filler in areas which took away from some of the emotion the actors were trying to convey.

You could say that Under the Bed has bad pacing as well, however your tune may change as you reach the film’s final 20 minutes. This is where the film snags its R rating and really shines. While watching Under the Bed I was comparing it to films of the past. The best way to describe it is Little Monsters meets The Gate, but with more language and gore.

Speaking of gore, the finale is LOADED with it. I was really surprised by the turn the film took, and the way the effects were handled. The film delivers some great monster violence. The creature itself looks good from what I can tell, but we never really get a great look at it. While the monster is creepy, I don’t think it will haunt children for years to come.

Basically the film was a good watch. It was fun, and felt like a throwback to some of the great 80’s films a lot of us grew up with. GLP gives Under The Bed 3 out of 5 stabs for the finale alone. The film suffered from some overacting, bad writing and over the top score, but the film is still very entertaining and worth a watch. For more information on Under the Bed, visit the films Facebook page. View the trailer below.

GLP Rating:

Come Out and Play (2012)

In the years I have been watching horror movies, numerous remakes have peeked their ugly heads out of the proverbial coffin. Remakes like Prom Night, The Fog, The Stepfather, and April Fool’s Day are some of the worst re-imaginings I can think of. Using the film as a jumping off point and then taking the story in a whole new direction, all the while, using the same title of the classic and alienating the longtime fans of the originals. This is not to say that all remakes are bad. Much to the excitement of most horror fans some of them have been quite good. Come out and Play is in fact a remake, however even with using the same premise they took creative liberties…but they changed the damn title. So to most people they have no idea that it’s a remake and acts as its own entity.  I personally like that. Don’t blemish the originals if you’re not going to stay true to them.

Come Out and Play is actually a remake of the classic 1976 film “Who Can Kill A Child?”. The films are basically the same, however COAP lacks the gritty 70’s exploitation feel of the original. The film is about a couple who are taking a vacation to a beautiful remote island before they become parents. When they arrive on the island, they realize that all the adults are missing, and only the children are left. Soon the couple figure out where the adults have been hiding and who is to blame.

Come Out and Play is not a terrible remake. The film is, however, a very barebones re-telling of the original, only without the grit and eerie atmosphere. Basically COAP is by the numbers, and generic. For me, I found myself getting very bored during the movie the pacing was off, and the film never really moved, It was all very stagnate.

The film stars Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Francis and Vinessa Shaw as Beth. Both actors did a good job, but that’s about all. Nothing was spectacular and as a result the film neither suffered nor improved. One thing that did really throw me off, was the films writing. My god, some of the films dialog is atrocious, not to mention some of the shit they had the characters do just didn’t make sense at all. At one point in the film the guy decides hers going to go look around, but he wants the wife to stay back and wait ALONE in the wide open area. Strange shit is happening and you’re going to abandon your pregnant wife to go look around…you sir are a giant douche.

Aside from the glaring screenplay errors, the films practical effects were really good. There is a lot of off screen kills but you do get to see the aftermath

which is pretty gnarly. The viewer gets decapitated heads, dismemberment, disembowelment, some gun violence, and a weird reverse abortion. These things really helped the film out.

Finally, COAP is not a terrible film, but it is misguided. Nothing about the film really stands out as a winner beside the great practical effects. I would watch the original over this but, I am only one dude and you may wind up liking it. I would suggest watching this if you have some time to kill. Other than that wait till it hits Netflix and or Redbox. GLP give this film a disappointing 2 out of 5 stabs. View the trailer below.

GLP Rating:

Hatchet III (2013)

As a slasher film fan, it was only a matter of time before I sat down to watch the newest installment of the Bayou Butcher! Victor Crowley is back again in Hatchet III, and the blood just keeps on flowing. In this release we see a slightly different looking Victor, however it’s not as distracting as the many faces of Michael Meyers. Was the film good? I’ll let you make that decision.

Hatchet III picks up directly after the events of Hatchet II, Marybeth (Danielle Harris) has avenged her father and brothers deaths and heads to get help. Covered in blood she walks into a police station and is immediately thrown in a cell and called crazy, the police go to the island where the events of the past films had happened and what they find is one of the most gruesome scenes they have ever witnessed. Soon all hell break loose yet again and the curse of Victor Crowley is back for more.

After watching Hatchet III, I was satisfied. In this kind of film you know what you’re getting into before you even start. Your going to get brutal violence, tons of gore, some t&a, and a bit of comedy thrown in. This one however, I felt focused more on the comedy aspect and less on the Violence and T&A. Actually there is not a single boob shown in the film. The viewer does get the pleasure of seeing the absolutely gorgeous Danielle Harris get hosed down from the side. On a side not, She get prettier with age. As far as gore, there is a lot but for some reason it seemed tame compared to the first two films. Also a solid amount of practical effects were used, unfortunately some poor CGI effects are apparent. Even with these things, the movie is still very enjoyable.

ArieScope Pictures and Dark Sky Film’s Hatchet III stars Danielle Harris (Halloween 4 & 5, Hatchet II, Blood Night), Kane Hodder (Friday the 13^th 7-10, Hatchet Series), Derek Mears (Friday the 13^th 09’, The Hills Have Eyes 06’), Caroline Williams (TCM 2, Stepfather 2), Zach Galligan (Gremlins 1 & 2, Waxwork 1 & 2), and more. Acting wise the film is solid. Everyone handles their roles well and makes for some very good entertainment.

So was Hatchet III as good as the others in the franchise? No, but, it’s a very worthy competitor, Hatchet III is a solid effort by new director BH McDonnell, who was apparently hand selected by Adam Green to take the helm. His shooting style stayed true to the other films and held an authenticity which gets lost in other films sequels. GLP gives Hatchet III an easy 3 out of 5 stabs for gore, comedy, acting, and overall loyalty to the originals. For more information on the film visit the official Facebook page, as well as ArieScope’s official website. View the trailer below!

GLP Rating: