Friday, December 31, 2010

My most Anticipated and Dreaded Horror movies of 2011!

My most Anticipated and Dreaded Horror movies of 2011!

I figured with the list for my favorite movies of 2010, I might as well list the ones I am looking forward to, and don't want to see of 2011. There is no specific number of the list, and it obviously doesn't include all the movies I want to see or not see, but there is a good start.

The Movies I am most looking forward to:

Trust

Apollo 18

A Serbian Film

Evidence

Rec (Genesis)

The Collector 2 & The Collection (#3)

The Evil Dead IV (only if Sam Raimi/Bruce Campbell do it)

Castlevania

Don't Look in the Basement! (Directed by Alan Rowe Kelley and Anthony G Sumner)

Child's Play (remake)

The Host 2

ZMDs: Zombies of Mass Destruction (off the comic, not the garbage that came out last year)

Super 8

Invasion of the Not Quite Dead

The Sadist (Directed by Jeremiah Kipp/ starring Tom Savini)

and Zombieland 2

and that was just to name a few!

Now here are the ones I am not looking forward to seeing but will probably see anyway:

The Blob (Remake)

Cell (TV) (One of the most gory Stephen King novels turned in to a TV movie!)

Under the Dome (Yes I pretty much don't want to see any Stephen King adaptions, they scare me)

They Live (Why remake perfection?)

Halloween III (First two sucked, why make a third?)

Videodrome (Who on earth thought it would be a good idea to remake this?)

Scanners (OH THE HORROR OF REMAKES!!!)

Scream 4 (Not that it doesn't peak my interest a little but not too excited)

The Thing (One again, the perfection thing?"

Fright Night (yes I get it I don't like remakes very much)

Baby Zombies (Now that is just cruel)


I hope you all enjoyed my list! Now have a Happy New Years! Get crazy!

I leave you with some posters from my most anticipated movies! and yes I am aware that some of them are fake.















Thursday, December 30, 2010

Top 10 Blogs of 2010!!!

Top Ten Blogs of 2010!!!


Where do I begin? With my first year of being an official horror movie review blogger coming to an end, I thought it was best to give a mention or two to the few blogs that entertained me and kept me motivated throughout the year. There are so many great blogs out there, and they are all so amazing, so if you see that you haven't made the top ten, please don't get discouraged. I love you all!

When I first heard about this whole blogging thing I thought it was a bit ridiculous. People actually waste their time writing stuff that no one ever reads on the Internet? Yes, I admit I was a bit of an ass, but that was before the addiction. It isn't just an addiction to blogging, but it is an addiction to the people you meet. It is an addiction to the different experiences you get from this blogger world. It is an addiction to wanting to write more, wanting to tell people what you think, and wanting to teach others about the movies and other things you love so much. So before I get into the Top 10 I just want to say THANK YOU to everyone who proved me wrong, and to everyone that made me realize how awesome this non-paying job can be!

#10 - Box Office Boredom

Jason King is not only a great blogger, but he is also the man pretty much single-handedly responsible for giving blogger-birth to the fiend you now know as The Mike. If it wasn't for Jason, we might not have a From Midnight, With Love, or it might be without a comma. Aside from having the chance to meet him a few times in the real world, I also like to peruse his wonderful ramblings at http://www.boxofficeboredom.com/ While I might not always agree with his reviews on movies, the reviews are always insightful and entertaining. Keep up the good work Jason!

#9 - Hayes Hudson's House of Horror

I always make it a point to check out Zombie Hayes and his crazy blog Hayes Hudson's House of Horror. He always has the craziest stuff ever! If I ever feel the need to read reviews and news about movies I probably haven't heard of then Hayes is the place to be. Go check out his blog at http://hayeshudsonshouseofhorror.blogspot.com/


#8 - The Lightning Bug's Lair

T.L. Bugg has created such an awesome environment over at The Lightning Bug's Lair. I specifically enjoy his love for all things Hitchcock, and REALLY REALLY enjoy his love for Short Films, including his more recent posts on Rare Exports. I am so excited for that movie! Keep up the good work Mr. Bugg!

#7 - The Film Connoisseur

Although The Film Connoisseur is not technically just a horror blogger, he definitely makes my list because of the continuous effort to watch as many movies as physically possible. Every time I hope on The Film Connoisseur I am delighted to find a large number of movies of all genres that I have never seen before. I will continue to check out the site on a regular basis for all things that I have never heard of before.


#6 - The Vault of Horror

The Vault of Horror is one of the most amazing horror movie review websites out there. It's design is comfortable for reading yet frightening to see. B-Sol gives riveting reviews on all things horror, and really keeps the readers interested with plenty of photos to go with his articles.


#5 - Zombies Don't Run

This site combines two of my favorite things... Zombies and people with the name Chuck!!! Chuck Conry always seems to have his crap together, whether it be new horror movies that aren't even released yet, to ground breaking stories like how blogger Andre Dumas looks just like that girl from Superbad! His blog is a blast and it will continue to be one of my favorites! Go to Zombies Don't Run!

#4 - The Horror Digest

Now that I already mentioned that little pistol Andre Dumas, I might as well throw her blog in there. Aside from constantly talking about her Blog Husband, The Mike, she actually has a pretty amazing blog in The Horror Digest. When I want a good honest review of a film, I can always count on her. She always gives her honest opinion and really shows a unique sense of humour in her perspective on horror films. I remember being shocked that there were so many girls into horror on this whole blogger thing, but Andre was one of the first to show me that there no sex is safe from the horror genre!


#3 - Dollar Bin Horror

Rhonny Reaper, my partner in writing horror, and the woman responsible for the awesome banner here at Dead End Drive-In, is next up on my list. I don't know where she comes up with half the crazy crap she sees, but the reviews are there to prove it. She does get some help from Mr. Eric Polk from time to time, but she has managed to put together an well organized badass horror blog while trying to balance school and writing for publication. Great work Rhonny (with a nod to Eric) and keep the reviews coming on Dollar Bin Horror!


#2 - Hey! Look Behind You!

Nicki says it best when she puts Representing Horror Loving Chicks at the top of her blog Hey! Look Behind You! Although she doesn't spend alot of time covering some of the classics, Nicki's blog is where I got for all my info on brand new horror. Since I am often looking at blogs while I'm supposed to be working, I really need to read fast. Her reviews are always so quick and to the point, and I love it! Her blog has got to be one of the easiest to read, and it will always be one of the first places I go to as soon as I sign in. Thank you Nicki for such an amazing job!


#1 - From Midnight, With Love

Everyone knows who The Mike is, and if you don't then someone should probably Nancy Kerrigan you! The Mike has to be #1 for me this year because if it weren't for him, I probably never would have got in to this crazy world. He has one of the best blogs on the Internet, and I can always look to him for inspiration and of course Blobiness to make it through my day. Knowing him outside of the blog world helps as well. It is nice getting to see an occasional movie with The Mike, and discussing it right there at the theater rather than waiting until it hits the net. Thank you Mike for always being the one guy I can count on to know more about Horror/Scifi/Action movies than myself. You had a kick ass year, and I know 2011 will be amazing to you!

Concluding my list, I say again that if you didn't make the top ten that doesn't mean that I don't check out your sites also. To those that I didn't have banners for, it wouldn't let me save your banners, so I apologize for that as well. Everyone needs to keep horror blogging away and kicking ass, and this is going to blow up even bigger!

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

The Top 10 Impacts of Horror on (2010)

The Top 10 Impacts of Horror on (2010)

With the year slowly but surely coming to an end, I didn't really see an option but to at least review the year of 2010. I keep seeing a reoccurring theme of Top 10's (and I love top lists of any kind), so I jumped on in to the deep end. I decided that if I was going to do a top ten list, or more than one, my first one would be the top ten things that impacted the world of horror in 2010. So without further interruption I bring to you THE LIST!!!

#10 - (Refer to Top Banner :-)) This was really the year of the Horror Blogger, and not just because this was the year I became a horror blogger myself. I was introduced to so many wonderful blogs over the past year (maybe another list?) and the contributions they have made to the horror community have been outstanding! It has got to the point where if a director wants his movie to be seen and to be given some extra publicity he/she sends a screener to someone who runs a horror blog and they give their two thoughts on the subject and post it. The feedback has been amazing, even on my blog. So keep up the good work Bloggers!



#9 - Adam Green's Frozen - I know this movie is either you like it or you love it, but to me this movie brought back the good kind of fear in people. It brought back the fear where it just could quite possibly happen to you, and it might not have made my list, but if you turn on the news right now you will see that ski resort in Sugarloaf, Maine has been hit with a freak blizzard, causing a cable to snap on the ski lift, leaving over one hundred people stranded high above the ground, and after watching that, tell me that Frozen doesn't make you cringe even the slightest. Thank you Adam Green for making me scared again.



#8 - The Wolfman (remake) - This movie reminded everyone that if it isn't broke don't fix it. They could have an all-star Oscar winning cast and still destroy a movie. Yes, there are plenty of more movies that have been remade in the past year that also deserve to be on this list, but just because the original Wolfman happens to be one of my favorites, this is what makes the list! 2010 was definitely the year for remakes, and that also means 2011 will be the year for bad sequels, don't you agree?



#7 - Devil - Although I have yet to see Devil (hopefully this week), I have heard nothing but at least above par things about it. This reminds me that when M. Night writes something, and let's someone else direct it, then there could be more of a chance of it not sucking. I admit I am a fan of his early work, but recently he has made me want to cry. I look forward to more things written by him and directed by someone else.



#6 - Sharktopus - This wonderful gem of a movie taught us that when you run out of extremely bad cheesy ideas, recycle old ones, and combine them together. Thank you SyFy for reminding us that no matter how low you go on the movie pole, you will still continue to push out worthless garbage that I continue to watch and enjoy. Yes I realize the confusion of that statement, but I can't stop watching the SyFy channel. Don't be ridiculous!



#5 - Slices of Life - Once again another movie that I haven't seen yet, but hopefully soon. With that being said, I don't really need to see the movie to explain the impact it has already had on the horror community. In one bloody sweep, Anthony G. Sumner, has managed to blend together the main stream and independent horror communities with his film, Slices of Life. I have been reading up on this film constantly and the waves it is creating for Independent Horror are crashing through in to the light of the bigger picture. It is getting large scale attention and keeps packing in the great reviews. I cannot wait to see it, and the films that follow in its wake. I continue to find great Independent Horror films, and I hope to continue that trend as I move forward in to 2011.



#4 - Dead Rising 2 - This game most certainly goes on the list. It once again proves that there will always be so much room and so much love for horror in the video game community. We have always had horror in book and movie form, but video games have not been around as long as their brothers in entertainment. The Dead Rising series is just one of many recent horror video games to come out in the last year or two, but it most definitely earns the top spot with me. I mean how could it not? Zombies, Vegas, and hundreds of ways to slay the undead. I that is a reoccurring dream for me.



#3 - The Crazies (remake) - I know I hit on the bad side of remakes with The Wolfman, but it is only fair that I hit on the good side. The Crazies creeps its way into the top of my list thanks to bring life to the much less exciting original film. I'm not saying I don't like the original film, because I do, but I am saying that I thoroughly enjoy this remake, and I wanted to remind people that while I generally bash remakes on a daily basis, there are remakes that I do enjoy as much as the originals.



#2 - The Human Centipede - Thank you thoroughly Tom Six for grossing out an entire planet! Not only has this disgusting, disturbing, joke of a movie brought much unforeseen attention to the horror genre, but it has jump started a large number of extremely outrageous blood bath films that make the Saw series look like Thomas the Tank Engine getting a gear stuck. I'm not quite sure if I enjoy these horrendous movies or not, but it has undoubtedly had an impact on the horror genre.



#1 - The Walking Dead - Zombies on frickin cable TV people! This is such a huge step for all of the horror genre, and we should all continue to watch the series and support it until the very end. At least it isn't on NBC, or it could have been cancelled for next season!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

A Christmas Scream! (short) film review

Directed, Written, Produced, and Edited by Chris Jay (a.k.a. Captain Quality Bloodshed as I like to call him)

I was recently approached the the always lovely Kitsie Duncan to give this short film of theirs a look, and I must say I was excited to view something new as always. Turns out it wasn't really that new at all, and in a good way. It is always nice to see a horror version of anything I love, and this time I got to feed my urge to see a horror take on A Christmas Story.


A Christmas Scream (2010)*like pretty much last weekend and edited together in a hurry.

Holly (Scrooge) is played by Kitsie, and right off the bat I could really feel the Bahumbugness about her. I don't see how she can be so snappy to individual as intimidating as the deranged Arthur Cullipher (Director of Come from "Psycho Street"). She is then visited by the unique types of ghosts, but I won't say much about them, other than they are the badass awesome guy Jared Degado (of Muscle Wolf Productions), Marv Blauvelt (Sculpture, Slices of Life, and Psycho Street), and David Gilkey (Sculpture, and the second most hilarious character in Hypochondriac!).



Although his credits don't say enough, Chris Jay is an insanely talented Filmmaker, and A Christmas Scream is just another notch in his bedpost. Just the fact that he was able to organize those hooligans and put together such a great short film in such a short time is an amazing accomplishment of its own. I'm going to post the video on here for everyone to see, and please do contact everyone involved to let them know the awesome job they have done. The film is spot on with all the necessities a short film needs: A strong story brought to climax in a short time, great special effects/make up (for a horror-ish movie), spot on acting by everyone involved, and a great director at the helm. I look forward to seeing more films from this wonderful group of people, and I look forward to seeing a few of them in my upcoming short Crestfallen soon! I know I not just putting words in their mouth when I say the members of DarkRider Studios, Muscle Wolf Productions, A Christmas Scream and Independent Horror wish you a Merry Frickin Christmas!!!




WATCH THE FILM!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STHsZ48iSJg

Monday, December 20, 2010

The Terror (1963) Quick Review



The Terror (1963) Dir. by Roger Corman

A young officer in Napoleon's army pursues a mysterious woman to the castle of an elderly Baron.



Anything by Roger Corman is usually a given for me. His movies are usually face paced and cheesy, but in a good way. While the movie isn't that bad, I feel like The Terror was extremely boring. Maybe I am saying that because I really enjoy alot of Corman's films, but The Terror is long and very slow paced. The peformance are top notch as usual from Boris Karloff and Jack Nicholson, but they just didn't seem to help it.



The special effects, when there were any, were pretty good. I understand that this movie had a whole bunch of different problems with it, and there are five different people that were behind the camera at some point in time, so this movie was just a big mess from the beginning. I did enjoy seeing Jack before he was technically Jack, and I always love Boris, but the storyline was just so confusing, and had more twists the final hour than day time soaps, and that made it kinda hard to follow. I may try to watch it again at some point in time, but for now Inception was less confusing.

Entertainment Value: 4/10 French Soldiers
Cinematic Value: 5/10 French Soldiers

Sunday, December 19, 2010

FMWL 12 Days of Christmas - 7 Dames a Slaying!

From Midnight With Love's 12 Days of Christmas - 7 Dames a Slaying!by R.D. Penning for FMWL

When I was first approached by The Mike for this particular piece I was extremely excited immediately. I knew what I wanted to do right off the bat, and while I didn't get to use Day 5 like I had originally wanted, Day 7 only allowed me to share more of what I was planning. Sharing is a big part of Christmas, is it not? With this said, I can think of no people in the independent horror world than these wonderful kind and giving women.

Women have been an essential part of horror for a good 30 years now, and they continue to hold strong as heroines, and occasionally killers. Main stream horror has drifted a bit throughout the last few years, and that has led me right into the loving arms of independent horror. I have met some wonderful people, and had the chance to review some wonderful movies, including ones a few of these ladies have been in. For little to no money at all they put on wonderful performances time and time again, and you can really tell they enjoy what they are doing. I view them as the modern day Shelly Duvalls, Sissy Spaceks, Jamie Lee Curtis, and even Margot Kidders! So I put together a little bit of a Christmas Interview to help the rest of the blog world catch wind of their never ending achievements in the horror.

I won't spend alot of time introducing them, but rather list them, then let them do the interviews.



Monique Dupree (Satan Hates You)



Deneen Melody (Slices of Life)



Kitsie Duncan (Lethal Obsession)



Jessica Cameron (Death of the Dead)



Kelsey Zukowski (Psycho Street)



Tara Cardiinal (Song of the Shattered)



Devanny Pinn (15 Til Midnight)

and here they are!

Question #1 - What is your favorite part about Christmas? Traditions?
Monique - Well, I have a basketball team of children (my cute little way of saying lots of kids) I love watching my kids make cookies & leave a shot of brandy out for "SANTA" knowing that its me and laughing at the fact that I'm going to get drunk and wrap gifts! lmao. But seriously, I love watching them tear open their gifts and then put on some horror, drink some hot cocoa and have a little fun. Its our tradition.

Deneen - To be honest, I'm really not that big into the Holidays. I do, however, love all the classic Christmas movies! That is probably my favorite thing. I love A Christmas Story, The Santa Clause, Home Alone (the 2nd one is the best!), Trapped in Paradise, and so many others. Oh, and I cannot forget all the animated films from Rankin/Bass! Nestor, The Long Eared Donkey has always been a favorite of mine...it is so sweet and even a little sad! The Year Without a Santa Claus is also pretty epic, I have to watch it at least once every year.

And, while it isn't exactly Christmas, I absolutely adore and fan girl over The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. It came out while I was working at The Disney Store a few years back, which was during the Christmas season, so ever since...I just associate it with the holidays.

Tara - Christmas is (usually) the one day a year I get to take off. Those that know me, know I'm a workaholic. Last year I spent Xmas prepping for the Red Reaper shoot. We shot 4 days before, and 3 days after Christmas. I got to spend the special day in Orlando, with Patty Dunn (who played Quan Yin in Legend of the Red Reaper), and several of my cast and crew. I always hit the new year heavy and hard, so I'm usually on some hard core diet - but I always save room for Xmas pie. I love pie. :)

Jessica - My favorite part of Christmas is getting to spend time with my family.
My father is an endless source of knowledge and inspiration - and around Christmas is when I see the most of him.
MY aunts, uncles, cousins and grandma all get together and spend quality time together.
Its the one time a year that I put my lap top down : )

Devanny - What if I was Jewish huh? I'm not..actually so we're still cool. My favorite part about Christmas is that its like the twilight zone. Suddenly everyone gets cheery and pretends to want to hang with in-laws. People come together and all play nice simply because the calendar said so. Hell, even the New Yorkers are friendly. Weird.
Traditions used to be that I wake up early for the first time all year and sneak down with my little brothers to check out the presents under the tree. Now that I am a bit older and Santa n I don't hang as much, my tradition is to gain 5lbs via holiday snacking and spend the new year insisting that my ass isn't bigger.

Kelsey - guess just that holiday joy. It was obviously stronger when I was younger, but no matter how things are in your life, typically for one day your troubles can be put aside and everyone just seems to be happy, making it kind of contagious. My favorite holiday traditions are definitely making (and eating) cookies with my sister and watching Christmas movies.

Kitsie - FAMILY FAMILY FAMILY! My life is so busy right now, It's hard to find time to go back home and visit the family. It's a long trip, but it is so worth it, to sit and relax with my sisters and mom. The absolute best part is watching the nieces, nephews and my kids have such a great time.

Question #2 - What is your favorite horror movie that takes place on Christmas?
Kitsie - A Christmas Carol..... Only because I think it's HORRIBLE! In all seriousness though I would have to say Gremlins, that movie still gives me the heebie jeebies.

Kelsey - I know it's not really a horror movie, but I have to say A Nightmare Before Christmas. It's one of my favorite films period and it's one I have to watch every Christmas. Well over a decade since it's release and I still love that movie more and more every time I watch it. As far as genre films go, I would have to say Silent Night, Deadly Night. It really takes the innocence and joy of Santa and turns it in to a life long torturous memory that triggers an uprising of evil. It perfectly twists the holiday :) Santa Slay is always a riot too.

Devanny - I really liked Gremlins and Silent Night Deadly Night...although I am going to go ahead and say Elf. Will Farrel in tights is flat out the most horrifying display I have seen regarding holiday cinema. I still shake and pale at the thought.

Jessica - That is a GREAT question!
I have two that I really enjoy: Gremlins and Child's Play.
Both 80's classics. They were some of the very first horror films that I was allowed to watch and they really influenced my movie tastes!
I love the gremlins since I thought they were cute and kinda scary at the same time. I really liked how they turned with a drop of water...
I have always had an aversion to those life like dolls as a child. Barbie Dolls and Cabbage Patch Kids were fine - but some of those other ones just seemed too real.

Tara - It's A Wonderful Life

Deneen - Gremlins!!!!! Of course! I always wished I could have a mogwai, they are just super adorable. I think I probably asked Santa for one for a few years, but the closest thing I ever got to one was a pony. Well, and my niece did get one of those evil Furbies one year, but we had decided it wasn't as cute as Gizmo and far more horrifying than the Gremlins. It kept turning on and talking to us in the middle of the night...

Monique - I don't know about on Christmas, but Gremlins it my Christmas favorite!!! I like festive, fun kills! I also like furry things..Its a win win for me!

Question #3 - Current and future projects? Plug away!!!
Monique - I just finished a project called Shadowhunters:Lost ones..Its premiere soon and then will be available to view online. It was done through Darkstone Entertainment. I also shot a teaser trailer recently for Red Shirt in Maine. Future projects include Epitaph:Bread and Salt, Dead Woman's Hallow, Plan 9, on top of modeling for comics such as:Gingerstein and playing the voice for AstroNoir's The Fixers and 12 other projects as well!

http://comicbookdivas.com/gingerstein/?page_id=2
http://www.astronoir.com/
http://www.freighttrainfilms.com/New-Red-Shirt.html
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1753788/combined
http://www.deadwomanshollow.us/
http://www.darkstone-ent.com/plan9cast&crew.html

Deneen - Western X, the highly anticipated web series I am involved in, has premiered the first three episodes along with an introduction by director Michael Flores and a coming soon trailer! (The trailer features a sneak peak at the upcoming episodes, including a little bit with my character.) You can watch the episodes on Koldcast Tv or on the official Western X website: http://westernxtheshow.com

Anthony G. Sumner's Slices of Life (http://slicesoflifemovie.com) has also been completed and screened at a few festivals in the Midwest this fall. From what I have been told, we'll have some awesome news involving distribution soon, so keep your eyes open on that one!

In January, I am heading to Florida to film Joe Davison's Journey Into Hell (http://journeyintohellmovie.com), which I am very excited about since I will be rejoining many of the cast/crew from As Night Falls (http://asnightfallsthemovie.com). I can't say much about it at this point, but I think people are going to love it.

I have many other projects I would like to talk about, but don't want to take too much space, so I'll just list a few coming up for next year: A Midsummer Nightmare, Bloodstruck, Don't Look in the Basement!, Astro Noir, Mother's Blood (with the lovely Kitsie Duncan!), Prey to God, Girl Scout Cookies, Witches Playground, Dark Light, and Rose White, a fantasy film based off the story Snow White & Rose Red by the Brothers Grimm.

There is also this dramatic short film I did called Crestfallen that should be coming out soon. It was written by some guy named Russ Penning...maybe you've heard of him? Hehe. (Thank you for including me in this list with so many beautiful ladies, Russ!!)

Tara - Oh dear... the list.. I hate to plug future projects, because they can fall apart at anytime :)

Last year I shot leading roles in: Spreading Darkness (directed by the amazing Josh Eisenstadt, playing opposite Eric Roberts), Bite Nite (Vampire comedy), Song of the Shattered (I play a special needs girl opposite the beautiful Devanny Pinn and Brandon Slagle), Joe Hollow's "Blood Struck" aka Diary of Death, Faux (currently playing festivals directed by Brenda Fies), Ripped Memories (opposite the legendary Debbie Rochon) and Legend of the Red Reaper, as the Red Reaper.

Next year, I'm attached to some amazing projects, in and out of the horror genre, including: Girl Scout Cookies (go Mark Cray!!!), Manos Search for the Valley Lodge (opposite wrestler Gene Snisky), Sybil Danning's new untitled feature (it will be HUGE honor to work her!), and a wrestling movie (I do love my action films) called "The Sessionist".

And.. I'm working on the Legend of the Red Reaper sequel, as well as a comic book. The amazing George Perez is consulting on the comic book, and the super talented Michael Schaefer did the writing on it. 2011 is going to be an amazing year. Although it sounds busy, I'm leaving lots of holes in my schedule for other projects, and a vacation to Hawaii :).

Here's wishing all of the super talented ladies, Russ Penning, and all of the fans out there very happy holidays, and a start to an amazing New Year.

Jessica - "The Jersey Devil" - For over 260 years, people living near New Jersey's Pine Barrens have been terrorized by a creature straight from the bowels of Hell. The Jersey Devil, said to be the offspring of a colonial witch and Satan himself. Though the creature has been reported by over 2000 people, there are still those who call it a legend, a fairy tale, a fake
Samantha (my character), a young woman going through hard times after being laid off, takes a room at Mrs. Hammerstrom's boarding house, on the edge of the Pine Barrens. She soon begins to suspect that there is something out there, in the dark, watching her and the other women at the boarding house. Something monstrous. Something evil...

"Prey To God" - This is going to be an epic horror film. In my my character, Monica gets to kick some major butt! Four teenagers and a tag along little brother embark on a fun-filled camping trip, looking forward to a weekend of fun, adventure and, for four of them, a little beer-enhanced romance in the woods. While stopping at a diner, a waitress confirms the existence of a nearby graveyard, which is the source of several local legends and piques the curiosity of the young campers. The group sets out in search for this graveyard and the rumored loot buried there and set up camp somewhere near the graveyard and settle in for a night of fun and relaxation.
Soon, the teens become entangled in the local legend, realizing that the potential rewards were attached to terrifying risk from a twisted, backwoods family who want to cleanse the campers' souls through purification of their flesh.

"Girl Scout Cookies"(the Movie) - This is an action packed horror film that was written and will be directed by award winning film maker Bobby Jones about 6 couples that go on a weekend trip to the backwoods of MN for some fun, frolicking and good times. However, things turn out to not be as they appeared as the camping trip turns into a game of life and death when a group of women with animalistic natures decides to treat the group to the privilege of being their next big hunt.

"The Hot Damn Cabaret"- A comedy about a nice guy who's down on his luck and wins a property in a chance hand in a "friendly" poker game. This property comes with a bunch of funny characters, a pile of debt and its own challenges. He must work with his new friends to keep the property and prove to his parents that he has what it takes to survive in the "real world", while maintaining his sanity and falling for clumsy dancer with a heart of gold.

"The Human Factor" - This is an intense drama about a determined investigative Reporter and a renegade Detective who plan to uncover the mysterious disappearances of the Homeless population in Metro City... without risking their own lives.... This script blew me away when I read it, it was so intense, so fresh and so relevant. I can not wait to film it later next year!

Night of The Witches:The Beginnings - This film chronicles the life of a young girl and how she becomes an enchantress of the dark ways. Damiana Novella,a sixteen-year-old child from Spain is forced to flee for her life. Stowed away aboard a ship heading for Hispaniola, Damiana is soon caged like an animal. Her aversion towards life begins. Befriended by a group of slaves,Damiana is introduced to the practice of Voodoo, which she will soon fashion into her magic. Now faced with certain death or the opportunity of eternal life, Damiana is about to perform the most important sacrifice of her life.

Devanny - My baby is VIViD..we are currently filming the last few days and its just beautiful. I act in the film in addition to my first time as producer,story writer, assistant director, makeup/wardrobe and..well a lot more. Brandon Slagle has helped me really develop my filmmaking skills and I am so proud of it- it stars Rachel Grubb, Keith Kraft, Deneen Melody, Bill Oberst Jr, Barry Ratcliffe, Tawny Amber Young, Brandon Slagle and myself. Check it out the trailer and add the fan page on facebook!
"Cut" just wrapped production and "Song of the Shattered" and "15 Till Midnight" are just starting to make festival rounds so look for those as well. Set to debut soon are the art slasher "The Los Angeles Ripper" and my own holiday horror film, "12-24".

Kelsey - The first feature I acted in, The Melon Heads, wrapped this fall and is set for a spring release. It's about a cult of satanists and it was really cool to be involved since I'm originally from the area where the origin of the Melon Heads myth began.

The slasher/mystery webseries, Echo Lake, which I co-created with Jonathan Moody began filming last weekend and is to be released on April 12. I also co-wrote a number of the segments for both of Moody's anthology series, Scream Queen Campfire and Trick or Eat. I'm set to play the lead of April in Wrong Number, where a texting mix up pins a deranged killer after me, leading him straight to my doorstep. In Ritual of the Dead, the segment that ties everything together in Trick or Eat, I will be acting as well as making my directorial debut, which I am very excited about.

Another upcoming project of mine is What They Say, starring and based on the short story by Heather Dorff. It's a dark drama about a girl who seems to have the perfect life, but she's in constant pain on the inside; a prisoner in her own skin. I will be playing Heather's sister, oblivious to the torment she suffers. Justin R. Romine is directing it, who I've worked with a lot recently between Afraid of Sunrise, Acceptance (Directed by Keith Romine), and a feature we are currently working on the script for.

I'm really looking forward to working with Kevin Jamison on a few projects coming up, including Dead Light District (the first film I was actually cast in) and Serial: Girl's Night Out with Deneen Melody, Colleen Miller, and Christopher Howell, reprising his role as the deceptive and vicious serial killer, Trenton Bracks. Serial started out being a series of shorts, showcasing different stages in Bracks life, understanding the killer within. Girl's Night Out shows the second stage. We have recently gotten the funding for a feature, opening up so many more possibilities. It's going to be a brutal and intriguing character study of the unleashing of a mad man.

Kitsie - Lethal Obsession was released this year to rave reviews. This was my first feature film and is for sale at www.LethalObsession.com. Projects I have worked on and are currently in post production: Crestfallen (written by the wonderful Russ Penning), Chthulhu Key: Legacy, and Good Night. Projects I am slated in for 2011: Mother's Blood (www.mothersblood.com), Lycanthology, The Collective, Closed Casket, Reverie, Girl Scout Cookies, and Idiot Gore. Not to mention I am always looking for new projects you can contact me at www.KitsieDuncan.com

Thank you once again to these beautiful, amazing, talented ladies, and keep doing an amazing job, and I look forward to seeing more of your work!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

The Collector (2009)



The Collector (2009) Dir. by Marcus Dunstan

Desperate to repay his debt to his ex-wife, an ex-con plots a heist at his new employer's country home, unaware that a second criminal has also targeted the property, and rigged it with a series of deadly traps.



Marcus Dunstan is a name everyone should know, but not for directing. He is one of the writers for one of my favorite horror trilogies of all time, Feast Trilogy!!! He has also had his hand in writing for the last four Saw movies. As good as his writing is, I really feel he has a future in directing. He has a way with the camera and it is apparent in The Collector (Which is a planned Trilogy).

The acting in this film was far better than I had expected going in to it. In fact, everything was better than I expected, but Josh Stewart (From Criminal Minds) was great as the lead. He was extremely believable as the ex-con man who has to constantly weigh his own decisions while trying to elude the killer rather than confront him. The rest of the parts were all pretty small but worth mentioning. The little girl, played by Karley Scott Collins, was exceptionally strong especially towards progression of the story. There is a large portion of the film where she is none-existent, but when she returns it is a game changer for the Protagonist. I'm going to pull the nerdy guy card here, but Madeline Zima (Gretchen from Heroes) totally gets naked! Sorry, had to say it.



The film itself is extremely original in many ways, and I'm only saying that because it takes alot of the same concepts of other movies an mashes them together in a near perfect concoction. There is plenty of gore to satisfy the horror hell hounds, and yet it never strays away from its original theme of survival without conflict. The main character has his ulterior motives for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and he stays true to what he came to do. The film is beautifully shot, and blew me away at some parts. The camera work and the photography were damn near perfect, and being a film SAP I loved every minute of it. There was an overhead shot of four separate rooms that had me grinning delightfully. Plus there is an awesome seen with a cat(you Will know what I am talking about). The contraptions in the house aren't overly dramatic, but some of them turn out to be more intricate than they appear. There were some very SAW-ish scenes, but it only added to the story. I thought it was great not having any story or background into the killer. The only information comes from the victims, so it is like you know as much as the characters. The colors are intense and the lighting really sets the mood, and I'm a sucker for good lighting. I really enjoyed this film overall and I look forward the purchasing it on DVD, and seeing the rest of the trilogy. Check it out

Entertainment Value: 9/10 Deadbolt Locks
Cinematic Value: 9/10 Deadbolt Locks

Sunday, December 5, 2010

The Walking Dead (TV) - The Low Down



The Walking Dead (TV-2010) Created by Frank Darabont

Police officer Rick Grimes leads a group of survivors in a world overrun by zombies.



The Walking Dead is about as realistic as it gets when dealing with zombies in the entertainment industry. I am obsessed with Frank Darabont, and I love his work, so I was extremely excited from the get-go about him doing a zombie TV show. My hat is off to AMC right off the bat for showing a large pair of testicles in picking up this would be controversial show for prime time television. Not alot of channels would have even considered picking this up, but AMC gambled and it sure as hell paid off. A total of 5.4 million people watched the premiere episode, which made it the largest premiere in AMC history. The plot is as simple as it gets with a man waking up during a zombie apocalypse and trying to find his family, all while running into other survivors. The subplots are what gets to you, as it has some of the most interesting characters of any TV show I have seen recently, including Lost. Frank doesn't do any directing with TWD, but his presence is definitely felt in every episode. There is enough emotional intensity in a one hour episode to make any grown man share his feelings. This is not uncommon for Frank Darabont, as he has shown it many times before with: The Mist, The Majestic, The Green Mile, and The Shawshank Redemption. He knows how to make the most unbelievable circumstances that are easy to relate to everyone.



The acting in The Walking Dead is unbelievably good. It is the perfect balance between lesser knows and veterans, and it blends so amazingly well. With a fairly unknown lead Andrew Lincoln (Love Actually) playing the lead Rick Grimes, I was a little nervous, but he has been more than a great pillar for this large scale show. Backed by lesser knowns Jon Bernthal(The Ghost Writer, Night At The Museum 2), Sarah Wayne Callies (Prison Break, Whisper), Steven Yeun, and Chandler Riggs make for an outstanding ensemble cast. Veterans Laurie Holden (The Mist, Silent Hill), Jeffrey DeMunn (The Mist, The Green Mile, The Shawshank Redemption) are amazing as usual. Are you seeing the pattern there? Bring in some veterans Frank is familiar with? Well it works, not to mention up and coming star Emma Bell (Frozen, Hachet II) is equally as good in her much smaller role. The chemistry among the cast is extremely noticeable, and they all play off each other really well.



The show itself is one of the best shows I have ever seen, and shows potential to be the best. I have said it a thousand times : The fast way to my heart is through my brains! I am a zombie loving fiend and just to have a zombie TV show on basic cable makes me ecstatic. The show is so well written, well acted, and well executed that I haven't run into any people who have been able to say a bad thing about it yet. According to cinemablend.com, after just two episodes The Walking Dead was picked up for a 13 Episode second season to air on Halloween of next year. That is a long frickin wait, but for a show that has about everything you could want from a TV show (Attractive people, great acting, great writing, gore, and plenty of action) I am pumped for next season and it will be well worth the wait. Oh and for the record, if Frank Darabont wants to get rid of all of his writers for a fresh second season, then I trust Frank Darabont. Tell me I am playing favorites all you want but The Walking Dead (TV) Season One gets:

Entertainment Value: 10/10 Decaps!
Cinematic Value: 10/10 Decaps!

Sorority Row (2009)



Sorority Row (2009) Dir. by Stewart Hendler

A group of sorority sisters try to cover up the death of their house-sister after a prank gone wrong, only to be stalked by a serial killer.

Sophomore only to his first feature film Whisper (which I haven't seen, but have added to my watch list), Stewart Hendler delivers an entertaining remake of House on Sorority Row (1983). Sure the basic plot has been done hundreds of times including I Know What You Did Last Summer, accidentally kill someone - cover it up - people involved start being murdered, and Sorority Row gives nothing special in terms of plot. For the most part it is pretty straight forward, never really wavering from that path, and never really gave me that Who Done It? feel. I was entertained enough to watch it from beginning to end, but I can't say it is anything I would run out and buy the DVD for, but I would pick it up if I found it in the $5 bin at Walmart.



The acting in the film is at par level about as much as you can possibly get. There are no characters that really stand out, and no performance that really reach out and grab you. There isn't really a lead character, but instead the majority of the sorority is the protagonist. The character that really does stand out for me is the killer. There is nothing really special about the appearance but it is definitely dark and mysterious, and it adds to the film for sure.



There isn't a whole lot I can say about the film, but it does have a lot of positive things going for it. It has an insanely creative weapon for the killer! It does stick to the 80's slasher laws of plenty of naked girls (including a sorority shower scene), plenty of gore (some of the most creative kills I have seen in a while), and no need for plot. There was a kill involving a bottle of alcohol that I particularly enjoyed! All in all, I think the movie is worth at least one viewing if not more. It is something I would watch again if I saw it on Showtime or Starz.

Entertainment Value: 7/10 Tire Irons
Cinematic Value: 6/10 Tire Irons