Super7 had what might be the most eye catching and ''holy crap! That rules!'' booth at Toy Fair 2017.
This was especially true if you, like me, are a HUGE Masters of the Universe fan. They have added new figures in the vintage style, as above. And, they will be giving us new ones in the Classics, fully articulated and detailed style, as well! Some of the above figures are already out, but most of this the MOTU figures are coming soon!
They are also doing the above ''Star Wars'' style MOTU figures!
Fellow horror fans should take head at the kick ass Alien, Hellboy (comic books, inspired)and Toxic Avenger toys that they will be releasing!
If you have ever fantasized about a Toxic Avenger, Hellboy, and Star Wars crossover (and, who here hasn't?!), you will soon be able to do just that with your action figures!
Super7 is shaping up to being one of my favorite toy lines!!
Title: The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll Director: Terence Fisher Writer: Wolf Mankowitz Cast: Paul Massie, Dawn Adams, Christopher Lee, David Kossoff, Norma Marla, Francis De Wolf Year: 1960 Min: 88
Dr. Henry Jekyll (Paul Massie) is working on a formula that will separate the good side of man and the uncontrolled, dark side. In the meantime, his beautiful wife, Kitty (Dawn Adams) is cheating on him with his old friend Paul Allen (Christopher Lee), who is also leaching money off of him. Jekyll decides to test the the formula on himself. He becomes a younger and more handsome man, named Hyde. As Hyde, he is a lecherous, perverse, unscrupulous, and, ultimately murderous man.
He catches Kitty in her cheating ways and passes himself off as a friend of Jekyll, and takes this chance to pretend to befriend Paul. At the same time, he takes an interest in sexy exotic dancer and snake charmer Maria (Norma Marla), who ultimately falls for his charms. He also tries to worm his way into Jekyll's house and decides that he must not only make Paul pay for his misgivings but have Kitty, as well.
Hammer Studios first attempt at adapting Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mister Hyde takes some liberties with the novella. It takes a more psychological and pyschosexual approach to the subject matter, than some other adaptations may have been. Unfortunately the end result is not as a great as it could or should have been, but is also not with its share of merits.
The movie is highly aided by very strong performances. Massie is great in the dual role, so good that I honestly thought it was two different actors in the role! Of course, this does explain why Jekyll's beard always looked kinda ''off'' to me. Lee is phenomenal as Paul Allen. He exceeds a certain sleazebag and sex appeal filled charm in the role. But, it is also a complex one, that has at least a few heroic moments. Everyone else in the movie's cast does a fine job in their respective parts. Also, keep a eye out for the late, great Oliver Reed in a cameo, as man who wants to brawl with Hyde over his treatment of a ''harlot''.
The film's interest in studying the duality of man is certainly inspired by the book. And, there are some interesting moments and ideas presented. But, it simply does not go far enough. The movie is many times very quiet, which by definition can be fine, but the horror is ultimately too subdued. Even for an early Hammer movie it is quite restrained in what happens, action wise. However, there an undercurrent of a maturity and dark sexuality that do make it interesting from a psychological narrative.
After a whole lot of not much happening the movie begins to pick up some steam. It heads into an admit ably enthralling and, at few points, shocking climax. Unfortunately, the actual ending, though competent, is kind of flat. It hurts the upward mobility that the story had taken. Although, there is some credit to be given as it is an outcome not seen in any other take on this classic story.
The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll is an interesting but somewhat disappointing entry in Hammer's studio legendary run. It is expertly acted and has some good ideas. But, for a good part of the film not much happens. The horror is very restrained to the point of being nonexistent, save for the well done climax. A flat ending further adds to the movie's uneven quality. It can be found on a Hammer Films Double Feature Blu-ray along with the superior The Gorgon put out by Mills Creek Entertainment.
On April 22, 2017, two of my friends, Alan and Freddie, and I went to have another awesome time at one of the coolest and best cons in the world, Chiller! We were super excited as this marked the return to the old location at the Hilton Parippany in Parippany, NJ!!
The guest list was truly fucking awesome, one of the best I've seen! The three of us went up to a various celebs. The first one I went up to was the beautiful Veronica Carlson. The former Hammer beauty was part of a British invasion of actors and actresses, many of whom like her had worked for the legendary studio, who were signing at the con. She signed my Dracula four film collection DVD that I own, for her work in Dracula Has Risen from the Grave. She is still beautiful, as well as being a very classy and friendly lady.
Next up for me was Tracie Savage from Friday the 13th 3D. The still beautiful actress played the character of Debbie, IE the character that reads the first issue of Fangoria (with Godzilla on the cover) and later gets a knife through her back and out her chest, in that sequel. Tracie was very friendly, in person. I asked her how it was to shoot that scene, she told me that it took about 3 hours to shoot between the FX work and using the 3D camera!
Stacey Nelkin was who we went up to next. She talked to us for a good amount of time, telling us that now she is working with people who suffer from mental issues. She even asked us what we each do. She was so sweet and awesome in person! She is also still so pretty in person, with a really great smile. Talking and meeting her was such a pleasure. She signed my Blu-ray of Halloween III: Season of the Witch.
The last person I went up was the celeb that I was most pumped to meet, the gorgeous Alexandra Paul! She was so awesome in person! We got to talk to her about what Stephen King books to read (my top three favorites that I recommended to her were: Cujo, The Shining, and Salem's Lot). We also talked about Cujo, as in the actual movie, and more King books! As, I felt that I had to, I told her that when I was a little I had seen Christine and totally crushed on her! She was so sweet and humble, about it all.
As a matter of fact, all of the celebs, that we met, were so sweet, friendly, and awesome. What's great about Chiller is how one can actually talked to celebs. There is no pressure, and at this hotel, it doesn't feel horribly crowded. It was just a blast!
After we were done with getting our autographs, a couple of us went to a Hammer Horror panel with Caroline Munro, Christopher
Neame, Janina Faye, Martine Beswick, Mark Lester, and Veronica Carlson.
It was an awesome, albeit short panel. As a huge Hammer fan, I am glad that
we attended it!
Later in the day, we got to meet up with our friend Liz and met her friends. We had dinner with them, then headed back to join the party. As always, it was a great time to be had, as music was played with celebs joining in, like Bai Ling who joined The Dead Elvi onstage. She sang and sexily danced the night away. Below, is a video of her dancing, shot by NegativePop!
I got some really cool stuff at the con: Blu-rays of Venom (which I got for free for buying Screem magazine), Hammer Double Feature of The Two Faces of Doctor Jekyll and The Gorgon, Jack Frost, and The Dario Argento Collection (The Cat O'Nine Tails, Deep Red, and Inferno). As well as Funko Pops of Paige from WWE and Mr. Poopy Butthole from Rick and Morty.
These are the aforementioned autographs that I got:
We had an AWESOME time! This ranks as one of the best Chillers ever! We can't wait to come back!
Musicians: Necrowretch Album Title: Satanic Slavery Genre/ Subgenre: Blackened Death Metal Label: Season of Mist Release date: April 14, 2017
Necrowretch is a brutal and fast as fuck blackened death metal band that hails from France, and Satanic Slavery is their third full length album. The music displayed on it is brutal, furiously fast, and Satanic.
By combining elements of an old school sound with newer influences,
Necrowretch has a distinct yet still reconizable sound. The riffs feel like they are coming from
the deepest and most infernal of places and the brutal blast beats are
unstoppable in their ferocity. The screeching/ screaming vocals of Vlad, who also plays the guitar, deliver
blasphemy filled and unholy lyrics.
The first track, ''Sprawl of Sin'', starts off the album with a creepy intro of haunting sounds and an evil sounding voice. Then it explodes into all out bashing fury. The title brutally kicks ass from the get go, the lighting fast music only slowing down for the righteously evil chorus. ''Evil Names'' has a slow, crunching start that adds a sense of doom to the evil proceedings, then it begins to pick up speed at a galloping and ultimately unrelenting pace. ''Curse of Blasphemy'' has a great mixture of chainsaw-like riffs with a almost non-stop barrage of blast beats, this is caped off by Vlad's vocals which are truly demonic in nature. The combined results make up what might just be the best track on the album. The final track is ''Verses from the Depths'' features blast beats that will make you feel like a demon straight out of hell came out and decided to beat your fucking face in.
Necrowretch's Satanic Slavery is an unrelenting and hellish attack. Uncompromising speed highlight the excellent musicianship that is display. In all, it encompasses death metal at it's most brutally evil.
Title: I Drink Your Blood Writer/ Director: David Durston Cast: Bhakshar Roy Chowdhury, Jadin Wong, Ronda Fultz, George Patterson, Riley Mills, John Damon Year: 1970 Min: 83
A devil-worshiping hippie cult, led by the deranged and charismatic Horace Bones (Bhakshar Roy Chowdhury), are conducting a Satanic ritual. A pretty girl named Sylvia (Iris Brooks) witnesses it from behind the trees. When she is spotted the cult grab, attack, and beat her savagely. She is found wandering on the roadside by Mildred (Elizabeth Manner-Brooks), who runs the local bakery, and Sylvia's own younger brother, Pete (Riley Mills). They take Sylvia home to her grandpa Doc Banner (Richard Bowler). In the meantime, the hippie's van breaks down and causing them to stay in the town. They move into a rat infested, abandoned building.
When Doc learns that Sylvia was attacked by the hippies he goes to confront them, but only gets his own beating and drugged with acid. He gets let go, when Pete goes over to the hippie house. After seeing what happened to his grandpa he decides to take a shotgun to exact revenge. But, he encounters a rabid dog instead, shoots, and kills it. He later decides to take the blood from the dog and injects the rabies filled blood into pies that Mildred made. He convinces the hippie cult to have those pies.
The hippie cult begin to show signs of being infected. They try to kill each other and soon others, as they forth at mouth and become increasingly violent. One of the cult members, the sexy Molly (Rhonda Fultz), gets scared and runs away. She meets up with some construction workers, who she has sex with. Eventually, the rabid madness sets in, and she bites and attacks one of the men. Soon the construction workers become rabid, too. And, the mostly deserted town is overrun by both killer, rabid hippies and construction workers.
I Drink Your Blood is a cult classic that came out in 1970. Inspired by the Manson murders, writer/ director David Durston made this bloody flick for legendary exploitation producer Jerry Gross. Upon its release the movie got a X-rating, prompting cuts to earn an R-rating. It would famously play on a double bill with the truly awful I Eat Your Skin. Over time, I Drink Your Blood garnered more and more of a cult following and increasingly positive reviews. To the point, where today it has a whopping 99% on Rotten Tomatoes! And, much of this praise is rightfully deserved.
Durston crafts an immensely fun, grindhouse splatter flick. Admit ably the first 30 min or so a little bit uneven. But, it as it goes on, it really gets better. It's a wild and over the top film that is laced with dark humor. The site and the idea of a kid contaminating meat pies with rabies in the name of revenge is wonderfully wild one, as are the Satan-worshiping rabid hippies. I mean, come on, those two statements sell the movie all by, themselves!
The acting ranges from bad (the kid is so terrible, that he is awesome!) to pretty good, but no matter on what spectrum they fall under the cast is a hoot to watch. Particularly amazing is Bhakshar Roy Chowdhury, here simply Bhakshar, gives a completely unhinged performance as the Manson-esque leader. Cult horror fans will love seeing the lovely Lynn (Cat People 1982) Lowry, as a mute member of the cult.
The ultra-violence that helped this classic earn it's infamy, and aforementioned X-rating, is certainly graphic. A lot of it is also on the cheesy and fake side. It, at times, hits H.G. Lewis quality. The grue includes graphic, multiple stabbings, gunshots, bitings, amputation, ax hacking, a patently fake decapitation, and more! There is also lots of skin, including full frontal nudity, from both cast member you want to see nude, and some you may not be as excited to see naked. It all helps to add to the flick's enduring quality.
While, the whole aspect of killer hippies can be seen as a comment on then post-Manson murder hysteria, it is also perfect exploitation fodder. That it also touches on drugs and predates other infection movies like The Crazies, Rabid, and, of course, the 28 Days Later movies, only helps to solidify its place in history.
I Drink Your Blood is a complete blast. A great mix of ultra-violence, dark humor, and exploitation, this movie is one of the best pieces of early 70s grindhouse cinema. As a matter of fact, it is one of the finest, if not the finest killer hippie movie, not directly based on Manson.
The movie is currently streaming on Shudder and can be bought on DVD and Blu-ray from
Grindhouse Releasing (the most recent company to release it on home video). No matter how you see it, make sure you view this killer classic!
Musicians: Nightbringer Album Title: Terra Demnata Genre/ Subgenre: Black Metal Label: Season of Mist Release date: April 14, 2017
Hailing from Green Mountain Falls, Colorado, Nightbringer is proof of the great black metal that is coming from out here in the States. Their latest album Terra Demnata is blast of full speed, brutal, and chilling music that is truly evil and goddamn atmospheric.
This is some of the fastest and heaviest black metal to come out, and not just from the good, old US of A, this year. The album opens up with the blistering ''As Wolves Amongst Ruins'', which is an all lightning fast and atmospheric attack. ''Misrule'' has a chilling opening that goes into a brutal assault of blast beats and a cold feeling that is classic black metal. I love the underlying riff that adds a classic horror movie vibe to it. Speaking of horror movies, the haunting and quiet opening of ''Of the Key and Crossed Bones'' leads into a song that is slow, evil, and pummeling. Perhaps, my favorite track on the album is the brutal and lightning fast ''Let Silence be His Scared Name''. It begins with bone chiling keyboards and, then, wastes no time into going into full blast beat mode, only to slow down again and become some of the scariest shit you are likely to hear all month!
The musicianship from the band is solid, in particular when it comes to the savagely fast drumming of Menthor. The screeching vocals, from three members Naas Alcamet (guitars), Ophis (guitars), and ar Ra'd al Iblis, are inhuman. In fact, the whole album sounds like it came from the depths of hell, itself. Although, this is a hell with excellent production values, thanks to the band working with Dave (Cobalt, Cehalic Carnage, Cattle Decaptation, Archspire) Otero, again.
Terra Demnata is already a strong contender for most haunting and chilling release of the year. Fast, brutal, and pummeling, as well as cold and distant, this is some truly evil sounding music. Black metal fans take head, this demonic motherfucker is for you!
Today, I induct Australian beauty Bianca Bradey into this website's Horror Crushes section. Something this talented vision of exquiste beauty very much deserves.
Like I most, I first saw Bradey in her breakthrough role in the modern masterpiece Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead (2014). That movie is truly fucking amazing!!! A killer mix of Mad Max and Dawn of the Dead, it is the finest zombie flick since Shaun of the Dead. I truly and simply adore that movie.
Anyways, Bradey plays Brooke, a young woman caught up in a zombie outbreak. While, her brother is out looking for her, a mad scientist is experimenting on her. The end result of which is one of the coolest and most original things I have ever seen in a zombie movie. Brooke is fucking badass, and with a single movie she stands right next to other horror/ action heroines like Ripley inthe Aliens franchise or Selene from the Underworld movies. She kicks some serious ass, and Bradey's excellent acting abilities rival her unbelievable beauty.
And, what a truly stunning vision of perfection she is! I was taken and smitten with her within mere seconds of seeing her onscreen. By the end of the movie, I was officially in love. She is, and this is NOT hyperbole, one of the most unquestionably beautiful women that genre has been graced with. The films stands as cinematic proof of that, especially with the skimy outfit that she has on.
A year later, in 2015, she appeared as a character named Sam in an Australian, anthology horror flick, A Night of Horror Volume 1, that was directed by 10 filmmakers. Sadly, this one has never been released in the US, so I have never seen it. Shit, until doing my research for this, I hadn't even heard about it! Here is hoping we do soon get a chance to see it!
She has lots of projects lined up, according to her IMDb. Among them is a proposed Wyrmwood series, where she would be reprising her role of Brooke!! That would be awesome if it really happens! Done right it would give that overrated crapfest The Walking Dead a run for its money! It could challenge iZombie for best zombie show on TV! But, we are getting way ahead of ourselves, here...
Bianca Bradey hasn't done that much horror. But, she's in a fucking killer movie that is loved by anyone who has seen and is critically acclaimed. She is also young and will hopefully be gracing our genre again and sooner than later. An excellent actress with beautiful, breathtaking eyes, an amazing body, and a flawless, beautiful face, Bradey is a true Horror Crush!