Horror News

Issue 70 of Rue Morgue goes on sale August 1st. Get a look at Rob Zombie’s HALLOWEEN, plus plenty of other movie reviews including CANNIBAL FLESH RIOT, which you can also read about here.

Rue Morgue Issue 70

Here is a look at the DVD artwork for the upcoming 9/11 release date of FROM BEYOND

Why they chose this cover is beyond me. It may be a riff on the old soundtrack cover, but it is still absolutely horrible! What is wrong with the original poster? Or even the Netherlands DVD cover? Are they going for the EVENT HORIZON crowd with that “steel and reflection” font?

Geeks Of Doom has two reviews of recent horror themed comics - the cutesy evil Mr. Puffinopolus #1 and the western/horror hybrid The Legend Of Joe Moon.

You’ve waited, waited waited. Waited for three years for this! Now, Amazon has an official listing for KILL BILL - THE WHOLE BLOODY AFFAIR. You can’t pre-order just yet, but it is there waiting. And on November 6th, the 4-Disc 247 minute epic can be yours. And will be mine!

You can stare lovingly at the light on details Amazon listing here.

Get your credit card ready, for September 11th is going to have a slew of double feature DVD releases that you’ll need to pick up for your Halloween viewing pleasure!

From MGM…

RETURN OF DRACULA / THE VAMPIRE
THE BEAST WITH A MILLION EYES / PHANTOM FROM 10,000 LEAGUES
PHARAOH’S CURSE / CURSE OF THE FACELESS MAN
THE BEAST WITHIN / THE BAT PEOPLE
KONGA / YONGARY, MONSTER FROM THE DEEP

MGM will also release single film editions of WITCHFINDER GENERAL and FOOD OF THE GODS

From FOX…

TALES FROM THE CRYPT (1972) / VAULT OF HORROR (1973)
CHOSEN SURVIVORS / THE EARTH DIES SCREAMING
DEVILS OF DARKNESS / WITCHCRAFT (1964)
BLUEPRINT FOR MURDER / MAN IN THE ATTIC
GORILLA AT LARGE / MYSTERY AT MONSTER ISLAND
THE HOUSE ON SKULL MOUNTAIN / THE MEPHISTO WALTZ

Fox will also release THE FLY COLLECTION that day, including THE FLY, RETURN OF THE FLY, and the DVD debut of CURSE OF THE FLY.

THE WOODS (2006) Heather is a rebellious teen who has been brought to an isolated all-girls school deep within an old forest in an attempt for her to learn some control over herself. Heather is none too keen on the idea, and attempts to worm her way out of it, but to no avail. She meets the headmistress Ms. Traverse, befriends shy Marcy, and likewise becomes the object of torment by the school’s alpha student, Samantha. On her first night sleeping there, Heather has a horrific nightmare, as she has visions of the surrounding woods and begins to hear voices. And though no one will come out and say it, Heather feels an aura of the supernatural lingering around the school as days turn to weeks. When a student goes missing, and Heather learns of the legend of the school, she begins to suspect that there might be some truth behind it. As her intuitive nature leads her on, Heather comes to realize that school may in fact be run by a sisterhood of witches. Read The Full Review Here

NECA has released a picture for some of the figures to be included in the the sixth wave of Cult Classics. Click photo for a larger image.

RKO Pictures and Twisted Pictures (the muscle behind the SAW franchise) are setting up a collaboration to remake the following flicks:

I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE (1943)
BEDLAM (1946)
THE BODY SNATCHER (1945)

No further word about cast, crew or release dates have been set.

HORROR BUSINESS (2005) The genre of horror offers something unique and wonderful for both the viewer and filmmaker. For the viewer, it allows an emotional exposure - whether it be the willful submission to fright or the ability to confront ones own mortality and the reality of death - that can not be found in any other genre. For the filmmaker, it is the most “accessible” genre to begin making movies that only requires a camera, a few friends or cheap actors, some fake blood, and a half-decent concept to bring a story to life. While some filmmakers use horror as a springboard to bigger and better things, there are some that are compelled to the point of obsession, to make horror movies no matter the obstacles and insurmountable odds.

It is these filmmakers that documentarian Christopher P Garetano follows in HORROR BUSINESS, a creation two years in the making. Garetano focuses his effort on several micro-budget filmmakers living on the fringes of cinema’s society, including Ron (NECROMANIAC) Atkins, David (ZOMBIE HONEYMOON) Gebroe, David (CATHARSIS) Stagnari and Mark (SCARE ME) Borchardt, who was previously the subject the 1999 documentary AMERICAN MOVIE, which chronicled his journey to make his first short film, COVEN. Garetano also spends some time with special effects creator Tate Steinsiek, who is “living his dream”. Each of these men have such a raw devotion to making movies, the power of cinema, and horror in particular, that even for those who have never had the desire to pick up a camera will be moved by their unwavering allegiance to celluloid (or at least magnetic VHS tape).

Garetano gives us a fly-on-the-wall perspective of movie making. Here, we see the process of setting up shots, the stress of controlling the shooting environment, and most intimately, the thoughts of these directors and their own battles with self-doubt and self-conscious criticism. Their biggest detractors are themselves, and all they want to do is make sure that their final product is not just another piece of crap. Beyond the behind-the-scenes footage, each director is extensively interviewed and gives us their thoughts on the horror genre, their feelings on Hollywood, “independent” films, critics, viewers and basically anyone that comes in contact with the genre.

HORROR BUSINESS also takes a look at how horror is perceived and Garetano scores some impressive, if brief, interviews with some big names that give their thoughts on what the genre means. Herschell Gordon Lewis, the “Godfather Of Gore”, takes a huge stab at current movie makers who have forgotten that a movie’s most important goal is to entertain. Sid Haig gives a rallying call to those determined to make it. Joe Bob Briggs, everyone’s favorite cult film critic, give us the three rules for any beginning director. Lloyd Kaufman, president of Troma and legendary maverick director, offers his take on movie making. Editor of Fangoria Magazine Tony Timpone steps in to offer the prerequisite defense of horror movies against those who may believe the genre to create real life killers.

There is a huge world of underground filmmakers just waiting their audience to find them. Much like the documentary HYPE! did for the “Seattle Scene” back in 1996, this documentary offers a compilation of sorts via clips and trailers to directors and films that fall below the radar of the average citizen, who are waiting to be discovered by those that have grown tired of a system that regularly churns out one tired and watered down film after another. These are the punks of the movie world, who play a low-slung digital camera instead of an out-of-tune guitar, and refuse to play by the rules. If you like it, they’ll be your best friend. If you don’t, well you can just go fuck yourself back to the multiplex.

The DVD has recently released by Image, which presents the film as it originally played on the festival circuit and is presented in its original widescreen ratio. Director Garetano gives a heartfelt introduction before the feature and promises a follow-up documentary to see where his subjects have gone since he last saw them.. The DVD also includes Garetano’s short film 365 Ways To Cook Chicken, the documentary short The Escape Of Horror Business, a trailer reel, and art portfolio.

HORROR BUSINESS is currently available on Amazon.com

Magnolia Pictures will release the Korean smash monster hit THE HOST on July 24th. It will be available as a single disc and a two-disc special edition, which will feature a making-of documentary, deleted scenes and featurettes on the creature, the characters and the crew.

Pre-Order THE HOST via Amazon.com!