Bloodlines. 2007. ThinkFilm. Reviewed by Brian Kirst

“This here’s the rules. There ain’t none. Y’all fight to the death. Entertain me!” - Billy Bob

Bloodlines is not a film for those whose country memories are defined by the sweet sound of their grandparents’ voices chiming “Y’all come back now, ya’ hear!” Nope. This is a film for those who thrill to the knowledge that the rural experience can provide rampant bloodshed as chronicled in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Wrong Turn, The Hills Have Eyes, Deliverance and Walter Hill’s Southern Comfort. A mild sense of humor might be a good requirement for enjoyment here, also. From the get go director/writer Stephen Durham and cohorts let us know that this bloodily backwoods tale will take place “in the sticks of Kentucky” and that those with a strong sense of Southern pride and a hatred for stereotypical down home character assassinations may have to look elsewhere for their entertainment jollies.

Bloodlines‘ over-the-top humor is actually nicely down played by an attractive cast (well -except for those playing the mutant inbred members of the clan) who take their characters seriously. This allows this film to amuse and provide some genuine shocks and scares at the same time.

Durham and co-writer Tricia Liebegott craft the twisted tale of college bound Amber Strickland (a resourceful, determined Grace Johnston). After her car stalls on a side road, Amber finds herself kidnapped and held hostage by an inbred, sadistic family with sexually atrocious activities in mind. What the family, led by proud son Billy Bob Hackford (a convincing, entitled Jason Padgett), doesn’t count on is that Amber was raised with the motto “the strength is in the Strickland”. As her alarmed brothers (nicely determined Douglas Tait and Dorian Kingi) race to save her, Amber plans her own escape with a haunted, fellow prisoner. When she and the hysterical Jenny (a beautiful, compellingly distraught Tracy Kay) are found out, Amber soon discovers that things are worse than she imagined. The female prisoners are paired up in a makeshift arena in the family barn and forced to fight to the death. The survivor is then given the entitled position of Hackford family breeder and forced to mate with the drunken, savage Billy Bob. A jealous sister (the snappish, forceful Molly Berg), psychotic fellow prisoner (the wild eyed, crazily effective Lesa Mason) and flesh loving half crazed mutant kin also provide stumbling blocks to Amber’s ultimate goal of revenge filled escape.

On top of their rollicking seductive pace and nicely underplayed broad humor, Durham and co-director Masao Kingi also deliver all the blood licking, cranial impaling, neck snapping, gut slitting action one could wish for. While the prosthetics worn by the actors playing the physically mauled Hackford brothers are obviously masks, they are also surprising effective and occasionally stomach churning. Durham and Liebegott do stumble a bit with an overly earnest ending proclamation from the strengthened Jenny, but overall this is an enjoyable time waster and should have backwoods horror freaks clinking their beer glasses and dancing in their jean cut-offs with pure pleasure and delight.

Gauri – The Unborn falls into two unusually diverse genres of being a ‘horror’ and ‘social’ film at the same time. If you watch it from the former viewpoint, the film has a couple of thrilling moments to offer. If you watch it from the latter viewpoint, the acceptance of the moral becomes subjective.

The film basically speaks against the practice of abortion. And the abortion shown here is not the mandatory Bollywood pre-marital or post-rape abortion but a mutually consented one between a happily married couple. But the director endorses his outlook of not tampering with the fetus once it’s conceived which might not be a universally welcome idea.

The thought that a fetus in womb is ‘ bhagwaan ki daen ’ and shouldn’t be manipulated with might sound somewhat outdated in the cyber-age.

Reader the rest of the story here

Production company Kingdom of Light Entertainment and social networking Website Yippi.com unveiled production details of their much anticipated horror-thriller, “The Gauntlet”, and plans to launch an innovative approach to casting online, known as “virtual auditions”.

The two companies recently inked a 3-picture deal valued at over $10 million. The film will be cast from the pool of actors currently on Yippi. This marks the first attempt to produce a slate of films through a social Website. The site is a direct portal that allows aspiring and seasoned actors from around the world to exhibit their talent. Through an interactive online community, actors will be given a chance to audition and potentially star in movies.

It is apparent that never before have so many doors been open in the entertainment industry for undiscovered talent. Unfortunately, few on the “inside” were willing to listen – until now. “The timing is perfect for us to be teaming up with a social Website with this type of technology,” said producer Jonathan Shih. “Through virtual casting, we can produce high-quality movies while tapping into millions of emerging actors around the globe.”

In addition to actors selected through virtual auditions, the film was initially packaged with notable Hollywood actors, including Bai Ling. “This fresh approach to casting is great for emerging talent who may not have the resources or connections available to audition for the studios,” said Ling.

“We no longer need to rely on dated casting models,” said Matt Eskandari, acclaimed helmer of “The Gauntlet”. “This direct casting approach opens doors to many who have no ties to the film industry.”

Yippi has a dedicated section on the site where actors download sides, upload and view auditions, customize their profile and resume, and interact with one another. The site already has thousands of aspiring actors joining from around the world to be part of the auditions.

“We’re in the business of providing dreams that were once only reserved for the selected few. Now we want to see that everyone gets a fighting chance,” said Charles Reger, co-founder of Yippi.com.

“The Gauntlet”: Director, Matt Eskandari (”Victim”); screenplay, Adam Lawson; producers, Jonathan Shih, Daniel Wei and Wellington Sun; executive producers, John and Charles Reger; starring Bai Ling, Dustin Nguyen, Warren Kole, Jaime Ray Newman, Nick Lane.

Kingdom of Light Entertainment (http://www.yippi.com/kolentertainment).

Yippikya (http://www.yippi.com).

Need an idea for a present this Christmas for the horror buff in your family. Are you tired of giving them bloddy knives, movies, and crap like that? If so, then this little stuffed (sort of) animal is for them!

Im not sure what else I can say about this other that a few bags of fake blood and I would get about 50 of them! Check out the story below

Road Kill Toys

Browsing the news feed here lately and I have found a number of articles that really seem to get into the horror genre and explore it with a more intellectual perspective. Here is another one that I found. This one talks about horror films and porn.

Check out a little bit from the article here to wet your appetite…

When I began to study horror movies, I was motivated partly by my enjoyment of these films, but also by their cultural significance. In the 1980s, when I was a young research student, a series of groups on both the left and the right of the political spectrum were engaged in an attack on both horror and pornography, genres that were said to have dangerous effects on their viewers. These claims were often vague and contradictory, but there was a general sense that these genres were supposed to justify or cause violence against women. In other words, horror and porn movies and the people who watched them were dangerous and needed to be policed.

Read the entire article here

Sam Raimi has been the driving force behind the Spider-Man movies for Sony since the first film came out in 2002. As successful as the films were, all indications showed that Spider-Man 3 would be the final film for Raimi as well as stars Toby Maguire and Kirsten Dunst. Shortly after the film opened, word leaked that all three might still be open to further sequels. In an interview printed at Comic Book Resources, Raimi discussed the future possibilities for the web-slinger.

Raimi first confirmed that, once the WGA strike is over, he will be working with a writer to develop the screen-play for Spider-Man 4, although he did say that he was unsure whether he would direct or produce the film.

Raimi also said that he wanted to avoid influencing the writer of the new film too much - both in terms of continuity with his films, and with the choice of villains.

Read the Rest of the Article Here

All kinds of good stuff in the latest issue of Rue Morgue. This issue will be on the news stand and shelves of your local store on December 1st. Stories include Jack Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door (check out the review of the book here), Bava, Hammer Horror Posters, and more.

Go here for the latest!!!

BTW, Rue Morgue beats out Fangoria in the magazine department! Sorry Fango! You have a better convention though..I think

Will she win the desperate, hallucinatory game of cat and mouse and escape through the Cellar Door, or die trying?
http://www.cellardoormovie.com

The official page for “Amateur Porn Star Killer 2” is now up with posters, photos, and the first 6 minutes of the movie online!

It’s apparent in the beginning intro that the sequel focus even more so on voyeurism than the first, and the killer has a different, more intense way of handling the unfortunate victim.

http://alteregocinema.com/Features/AMATEUR2.html

Already being called a “cult favorite”, the original APSK is rapidly building word-of-mouth since its DVD release earlier this month. Make sure to check out the DVD signing, info listed below:

“Amateur Porn Star Killer” filmmaker Shane Ryan will be signing DVDs this Thursday, November 29th at 7:00pm at the renowned Rocket Video! Other possible attendees include executive producers Nikki Nishimoto and Jeremy Williams, poster model Emily Nishimoto, and star Michiko Jimenez. If you’re in the Southern California area, make sure to stop by and get that snuff picture signed by the killer! Rocket Video is located at
726 N La Brea
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Phone Number (323) 965-1100

Expect APSK2 to finish post-production around Christmas time. Check the site to find out how to pre-order your copy with your very own name in the credits for just $25!

http://alteregocinema.com/Features/AMATEUR2.html

Head over to the contest page and enter to win a copy of Halloween on DVD now. Zombie’s latest flick is a remake of sorts of the classic horror movie HALLOWEEN, and it could be yours.

Nothing special to do, just send me an email now and let me know you want a copy. Im not sure how many we will have to give away, but ther will be a winner (or two).

If you havent seen this movie yet, this is you chance to check it out for FREE!

Go over to the contest page here and enter!!

DrGore

I just found a huge article on the use of the Telephone in Slasher Movies. Not something I would have ever even thought about before, but after reading this story, it all makes sense now. check out an excerpt below and links to the full article….

The telephone’s influence is so pervasive that only when things go wrong with the technology – for example, a thunderstorm renders it inoperative – do our problem of isolation becomes apparent. Suddenly we cannot call the police or the ambulance for help, and friends who might otherwise provide companionship and advice become unreachable. Isolated, we find ourselves at our most vulnerable – and if it’s the killer who has cut the line, then we also feel a sense of threat.

Check out the full article here

Writer’s Guild strike may be a blessing in disguise to independent film makers. Unknown Productions, a small Southern California film and video production company has cast James Kyson Lee (NBC, Heroes) and George Stults, the star of 7th Heaven, for it’s up-coming psychological horror film, Necrosis.

Unknown Productions Incorporated is in preproduction on the Independent Psychological Horror Film, NECROSIS, and has cast James Kyson Lee (NBC Heroes - ‘ANDO’) as one of the lead characters, ‘Jerry’. Necrosis is set to begin production in Lake Tahoe, California in January 2008.

The Necrosis story begins in 2008, as six friends arrive at an isolated cabin to enjoy a long weekend in the snow. An epic snowstorm interrupts their vacation, trapping them on the mountain and resurrecting the haunting ghosts of the Donner Party. But, are they true ‘entities’ or is it simply ‘cabin fever’ that brings out their fears and darkness, causing friends to turn against each other as reality deteriorates around them. More than just a riveting tale of death, endurance and survival, the group’s nightmarish descent into madness begins as they relive the horrors of the 1846 Donner Party Tragedy.

James Kyson Lee, accepted the role of ‘Jerry’ - a troubled, complex character, who is affected by the isolation in the story, causing a psychological breakdown that turns him against his friends with horrifying results. James met with Jason Stephens (Director) and Robert Michael Ryan, who co-wrote the film. James was interested in the dynamic, non-ethnic part, with character traits far from his persona in “Heroes”, which is a comical side-kick and best friend to the lead character Hiro, in the hit NBC hour long comic book style drama.

With a letter of intent from George Stults (7th Heaven, Night Skies), casting should start wrapping rather quickly. Robert Michael Ryan (CBS - How I Met Your Mother) and recent Indie film star, Chloe Snyder have already been cast in two of the lead roles.

Television stars, not usually available to independent feature films due to hectic schedules and “pilot season” productions, now find themselves on early hiatus, looking for work.

Just in time for the Holidays…Rob Zombie’s HALLOWEEN is coming to DVD in a 2-Disc Unrated Special Edition set on December 18th .

Available in the original theatrical version (featuring both widescreen and full screen presentations) and an Unrated widescreen Director’s Cut with 11 extra minutes of footage too terrifying for theaters, the Halloween DVD includes a second disc with seventeen deleted scenes, bloopers, casting sessions and more.

Synopsis:
The residents of Haddonfield don’t know it yet… but death is coming to their sleepy small town. Sixteen years ago, a young boy named Michael Myers brutally killed his stepfather, his elder sister and her boyfriend. Now, he’s escaped from the mental institution and makes his way back to his hometown intent on continuing his murderous rampage.

Bonus Features:

* 17 Deleted Scenes With Optional Director’s Commentary
* Alternate Ending
* Bloopers
* Writer/Director Rob Zombie Audio Commentary
* A Conversation with Rob Zombie
* The Many Masks of Michael Myers
* Re-Imagining Halloween
* Meet the Cast
* Casting Sessions
* Laurie Strode Screen Test

Basics:

Rating: Unrated and R
Length: 121 minutes (unrated), 109 minutes (theatrical)
Language: English Dolby 5.1
Subtitles: English and Spanish, Closed Captioned

Chanting “Out, demons, out!” a group of more than 65 horror writers staged an exorcism outside of two gates at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank at noon Tuesday.

The turnout was much larger than what the organizers planned for, and the black T-shirts made for the occasion, emblazoned with “Horror Writers on Strike — We Eat Scabs,” quickly ran out. Other writers showed up in priest and nun getups and brought along holy water.

While the goal was to “get rid of the evil infesting the studios,” the rally also had a morale-boosting purpose.

Check out the rest of the story here

The Haunting of Julia. 1976. Review by Brian Kirst

Originally filmed and released in England in 1976 as Full Circle, this gothic infused ghost story was re-titled The Haunting of Julia and re-released in the United States in 1981. Both theatrical runs were failures and this spooky thriller has dampened in virtual obscurity for years. A recent run on In Demand’s FearNet may not change its critical status, but it did give viewers a chance to rediscover this potent - if not perfect - horror.

The Haunting of Julia is that rare beast that delivers its chills through not what is seen but what is imagined. Director Richard Loncraine and his effective cast recall past terrors with such skill that one’s skin may crawl with transferred remembrance.

Mia Farrow stars as Julia. The fact that the role is so similar to her frightened, inquisitive “Rosemary” in Rosemary’s Baby may have had something to do with this film’s initial lack of recognition. Farrow, also, mined this territory in another English production - 1971’s slasher themed See No Evil, so audiences may have despaired of her in this kind of tortured, seemingly helpless role. She is fine here, though - welcoming audience sympathy, if not delivering the subtle chills of her crazed guardian role in the recent Omen remake.

Plot-wise things are fairly predictable. Julia, after failing to save her young daughter from choking, emerges from a mental institution determined to start a new life. Escaping from the clutches of her money hungry husband, Julia purchases a new home and begins to start over again. Of course, strange phenomena start to occur in her new residence almost immediately. Slowly, but surely we discover, as Julia investigates, the cause of these disturbances. The story, obviously, could go in several recognizable directions. Julia could be crazy. Julia’s controlling husband could be gas lighting her. Or - there could actually be a disturbed ghost haunting the premises. The truth, predating The Ring and other lank haired girl-child Asian horrors, is more brutal and chilling than one may expect and is ultimately extremely frightening.

Loncraine delivers this fearful reality with style and grace. He counterbalances scenes of the elegant Farrow wondering through leaf strewn parks with the brutal frankness of the opening sequence in which Julia’s young daughter chokes to death. Some may find his languid pacing a detriment, but Loncraine’s established cast is ultimately able to hook the patient into the full mystery and beauty of this tale. Keir Dullea ( 2001, Black Christmas) is effective as Julia’s manipulative spouse and classically trained Tom Conti is amusing and completely engaging as Julia’s best friend and only emotional support. An assortment of English character actors, also, add mood to the requisite, tense séance sequence and a last minute asylum investigation.

After the mild pacing that has come before it, the ending of The Haunting of Julia does come off as a bit abrupt. Ultimately, though, it does tie things in with its original title Full Circle and those captivated by ghostly vengeance and calm reveal may find much to enjoy within Julia’s spirit filled walls.