Blogue Macabre

OTR Tuesday

2010-06-01T06:07:00.009-06:00

Greetings and condolences once again. It is well past time I reurn to some of the main features of the Blogue, and well I would be remiss if I were to post on a Tuesday and ignore one of my personal favourite entries, OTR Tuesday.

Here is one from a short lived series which originally aired from September of 1946 through to September of 1947 called Murder at Midnight. Unlike like some of the well known radio mysteries like Suspense, or Lights Out, which had large national affiliates airing the programs, Murder at Midnight was produced by and for a local NY radio station, WJZ. It is noted however that the producers were known to occasionally use scripts from other series such as Inner Sanctum.

I give you host Raymond Morgan and Murder at Midnight,

The Dead Come Back
G. Macabre

100 things to do with a corpse

2010-05-30T12:40:00.004-06:00

Use #12: Pinata Party

Well Folks Summer is upon us and nothing says party fun like pinatas! Here is an activity that is not only a creative way of using up one of those old corpses you have hanging around (oh, give me a break Uncle Forry would have used that pun), but can be fun for the whole neighborhood.

Naturally the entire corpse can be used, but I find it more festive to replace the limbs with colourful streamers. This not only maintains the festive atmosphere, but also makes it easier for little Johnny to get a good, successful whack on the pinata without being obstructed with a dessicated arm or leg. I recommend removing the lower torso from the pelvis down, maintaining the abdomen to fill with all of the treats and goodies. Some important notes to remember in order to make this a successful and quality pinata are that dried torsos alone are hard and leathery, and not prone to breaking apart in the manner in which you desire. The solution to this is by lightly burning or braising the corpse so as that the dermis is actually somewhat brittle. The alternative however is to use a more recent corps in a state of advanced decay, however this may have a slightly unpleasant aroma, particularly once broken which may have a lingering and generally unappealing effect on the candies contained within.

The Road: all the makings for a zombie movie, but the zombies

2010-05-27T06:31:00.009-06:00

What a fantastic base for an amazing zombie film. It had it all, a mysterious holocaust, stunning post apocalyptic visuals, just oozing atmosphere. Some truly superb acting. Fear and despair, resulting in tragic suicide as the world as we know it comes crashing down. Roaming bands of thugs, that would kill you for what little you possess (and probably even eat you too). A story of personal strength and determination in face of the ultimate adversity.

So what one single thing could make a zombie movie with so much going for it fail and drop to the depths of being possibly the most painful two hours I have spent watching a movie in a long time? How about not a single bleedin' zombie in the whole damn movie. What happens when you take the zombies out of a zombie movie? The answer NOT A GOD DAMNED THING. Boredom and tedium. This is the movie The Road.

OK, so in all fairness The Road was never actually a zombie movie. The idea of adding zombies would likely have made the writer and the director spew pea soup from every orifice. But it would have definitely made the whole thing a lot more watchable. Even on it's own merits, the roaming bands of cannibals could have made the film a lot more tense and interesting, but it failed miserably there too. Although they were clearly looking to avoid any trappings of an action flick and keep the whole production to some higher plane of artistic film making, they just managed to make a painfully dull and unimaginative picture. Good god, it made the Blair Witch Project seem watchable. If the idea was to create such an atmosphere of dread and despair that the audience can so relate to the characters that the viewer wants to put the Smith and Wesson in their mouth just to put an end to it, well then it is a success. But this is the only scenario in which I would consider it so. And I don't say this with the air of one of the many movie critics looking to make him/herself seem worldly and emotionally complex. Telling you this film will bring you to revelations of previously unexperienced emotional and psychological distress (hey for the fun of it lets label it emo-porn), because believe me there are better soul scorchers if leaving a theater with a sick feeling is your goal(Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door for one). As good as the book may have been (I admit to not reading it), this is just one long, amazingly boring and plotless wrek.

I'm thinking with some creative editing from a number of existing zombie fests, this movie could really be something, but until the time comes that someone goes to that effort I would strongly recommend avoiding it like... well, the zombie plague.

G. Macabre

When Death Comes to Town

2010-04-25T12:47:00.008-06:00

Greetings and condolences my fellow travelers. My journeys have indeed taken me from the might banks of the great Styx for a prolonged spell, but it is good to return. Here in the darkness little dramatic happens and passers by are not overly common, but that is not the case everywhere. In my recent journeys I have had the pleasure to observe comings and goings in two otherwise small communities. Insignificant as these locations are to the greater preoccupations of the living, it is somewhat ironic that the fates would choose these hamlets to play out the greatest of dramas, between good and evil, life and death.

The first of these would be the little town of Little Tall, a fictitious coastal community located just of the shore of Maine. It was this setting that legendary author, Stephen King, would base his story "Storm of the Century". In a three part television miniseries first aired in 1999, residents of Little Tall find themselves at the mercy of a great storm threatening their quiet island home.

While for many an author such a reckoning would be enough to build a story on. King himself has used storm stayed inhabitants successfully in his tales of horror before in "Misery" and the iconic "The Shining", but here it is simply background for a greater trial. Evil descends on the town in the form of a mysterious stranger by the name of Linoge who brings with him murder death and an unprecedented demand for the inhabitants. Before he will actually tell them of his demands, Linoge first chooses to torture, and literally as well as physically manipulate the residents to commit horrific murders. In a small town idle gossip is cheap and plentiful, thus one's wardrobe-skeletons are dear and well hidden. Naturally the mysterious Linoge mater-of-factly shares the towns peoples past transgressions and darkest secrets in the most public venues he can find, illustrating that innocence is lost as childhood is left behind. The implications are left obscure and presented for the most part as a vehicle for Linoge to demonstrate his supernatural omnipotence, but to an attentive and thoughtful these indiscretions make the story's eventual outcome more poignant and meaningful as King exposes this is as much a morality tale as it is a simple supernatural horror.

I myself have never been a big follower of Stephen King's novels, and even less so the eventual film treatments, but in this format really allows King's tale to be told as it should be and the viewer to digest all the nuances that studio executives tend to lack enough appreciation of the genre to see. Undoubtedly if you are a Stephen King fan, this is preaching to the choir, however if you are not familiar with this work "Storm of the Century" is a must see.

Not more than four of five hours away and a bit north from Little Tall Maine, is another fictitious community called Shuckton Ontario. Now in gaudy electric neon contrast to the events that occurred South of the border, infamous Canadian comedy troupe Kids In The Hall, tell this hamlet's tale of what happens when "Death Comes to Town". Here in series of eight half hour episodes, a Reaper is stuck on this the shittiest of routes with a job to do and a personal grudge (and a thing for chubby red-heads).

Like the townsfolk in Little Tall, the citizens of Shucton too have their secrets. Alcoholism, infidelity, lust, greed, as in Little Tall it's all there, but where other than Canadian television could one explore homosexual necrophilia and get by the network sensors.

Now I'll admit that I was hoping this little gem would have a bit more bloodshed and mayhem, but the subtle comedic jabs and the outlandish characterizations and situations that The Kids in the Hall are known for are extremely entertaining and satisfying to watch in this macabre tale of what happens when Death comes to town.

G. Macabre

A light hearted post for a New Year

2010-01-04T15:19:00.004-06:00

Happiest of New Years to you my fellow travelers. As much as I thought that my online access was limited before in barracks, it seems my access while on holidays visiting in laws was worse. Honestly I didn't' know there was internet connections that slow and virtually unusable in first wold nation is the living world. Will be taking my laptop if that ever occurs again. Well before I go off ranting and get too far side tracked, here is a favourite macabre little ditty I have long forgotten. Nothing like sociopathic murderers in the guise of family entertainment. Long before there were shows like Greg the Bunny and Puppets Who Kill, or even movies like Puppet Master, there was the Muppet Show!

OTR Tuesday: Boris Karloff blogathon edition

2009-11-23T16:40:00.010-06:00

I am truly delighted to be back with the blogue. And although I missed much, my return in time for the Boris Karloff Blogathon hosted by Pierre at Frankensteinia is wonderful timing. I'm going to take this opportunity to return to one of my personal favorite features here at Blogue Macabre, OTR Tuesday.

Boris Karloff was crowned king Karloff not just because of his on screen presence, for which he was most renowned, but additionally Boris took to the airways with his unique and powerful voice talents to bring horror into our homes time and again.

Here are some selections from some of the many radio appearances Boris has done on some of the most noteworthy radio programs. Some I have featured before, others are debuting on Blogue Macabre for the first time. So sit back in your chair turn down your lights if you can, turn up your audio and enjoy.

Lights Out
The Dream
Cat Wife

Inner Sanctum
Tell Tale Heart
Birdsong For a Murderer
The Wailing Wall
Death for Sale
Corridor of Doom

Suspense
Drury's Bones

Gary D. Macabre

Paranormal Activity: Secretariat's Ghost

2009-11-21T20:52:00.010-06:00

It's a chilled November eve in this shadowy land, come closer to the fire friend. I'm pleased to have found this old camp of mine here on the riverbank, and am even more pleased that you have found it as well. Perhaps it was the warm flickering light with promise of hope and comfort in this cold strange land or the enticing aroma of burning wood still damp from the dew of ages, thick with the feeling of familiarity. Whatever it was that drew you here I am sorry to say that this strange land offers nothing comforting nor soothing for a wandering soul. Perhaps you will do better in the next world, or perhaps you're fortunate enough to be one of the few visitors I see here who return home to the living world with all of it's great promises and dreams (and often painful realities). Before you continue along your path whichever it may be, please stop for a visit and a cup of coffee, reheated but still good.

Hmmm there's a lot there that reminds me of a little film I just saw, Paranormal Activity . As I sat in this rather rundown theater with very few other attendees watching this offering I too was drawn in with hope and promise. I do truly love supernatural spook shows, the unseen dead possess a whole other level of ominous threat and untouchable, uncontrollable menace not found elsewhere in the genre. Century old tales of ghostly beings, that shiver that traces the length of your spine when you turn you back on a darkened cellar, the little jump and the quickening pulse when an unsuspected thump in the dark that startles you. Each and every one of these things lends subconscious credibility to ghosts and the supernatural that does not require the suspended disbelief that monsters, vampires, zombies and aliens require of us. At the same time offers much greater internal terror than any slasher, murderer or real world psychotic can muster. This coupled with the rumblings about the internet, and indeed I took to my torn and sagging theatre seat with a degree of hope. And come to think of it as I sat in darkness watching this flickering light projected on the screen before me, much as I sit here now with you at this fire I felt that same sense of familiarity of something I had seen and known before. Oh yes I know what it was, it was that same old first person video footage style of directing that has been inflicted on the horror genre since Blair Witch made its fortune.

If you haven't yet partaken of this cinematic entity, have no fear as I have no intention of releasing any spoilers in this post. Since the inception of Blogue Macabre I have long determined that this is not a home for "regular" movie reviews as there are plenty of others who do a far better job of that than I. But instead lets speak of this film's inclusion in the home video footage sub-genre. I think we can almost certainly label that a sub-genre of its own by now. And perhaps take account of what it is that that sub-genre offers.

Now I'm on record as saying that The Blair Witch Project is the most over rated piece of horror genre crap I've ever tried to choke down, so you can guess that despite my previously stated hopes there was a healthy degree of cynicism in my heart before the screening as well. I did however find that both Romero's foray with Diary of the Dead and Cloverfield both offered creative approaches to this film style and regardless of what you thought of the films themselves, they did prove that this linear low budget film school dropout sub-genre perhaps could have something to offer. Sadly Paranormal Activity I found offered no creative or inspiring use of the home video technique and does nothing do further the sub-genre's plight for respectability. On the upside however the vomit churning shaky cinematography we have come to know is absent from this film as for once the lead character had the sense to invest some dosh in a decent camera with image stabilization and a damned tripod. The director also chose to take a more reasonable approach and actually allowed the camera to be placed in more realistic and inconvenient places and actually be abandoned by the fictitious filmographer which added greatly to the "intended realism" that is the ultimate goal of the genre.
The greatest thing about the home video technique is that it does one thing amazingly well, it gives the writer the latitude to come up with a mere handful of decent scenes with no real cohesion and a complete lack of an ending of any sort, and combine them with an hour of pointless going nowhere "reality" and voila you have a full length motion picture. And again this movie does that well...so surprisingly well in fact that it actually keeps the viewer in the film. The screenplay writers deserve an academy award for this one in fact, as they managed to keep all the meaningless crap for the most part natural, topical, inject an enjoyable degree of self satire, and squeeze in a couple of highly entertaining allusions to boot.

So you're wondering, why in the name of all that was and all that is, did I subtitle Paranormal Activity as Secretariat's Ghost? The answer is quite simple, this film poses the question "When you beat a dead horse, is there some supernatural or otherworldly way that that said horse can actually get up and run?" Like the fun house ride at the local fair, while I found the film entirely predictable, and lacking originality in almost every way somehow I came out of it with a smile on my face.

Pte. G Macabre

return to the blogue (Moment of Horror #7)

2009-11-19T10:21:00.007-06:00

Greetings and condolences once again fellow travelers. It has been quite some time since I left the banks of the mighty Styx to put my mark with the forces of good. I am pleased to say that I will now have the ability to frequent these parts again in a more timely fashion and thus will be able to resume my role as guide here on the banks of these murky waters. It was very much troubling and regrettable that my duties kept me away during the most treasured of seasons and the celebrations of all hallows eve, the day of the dead and the day of the innocents as well. I do wish I had something substantial for my first post returning from hiatus. In fact I do have a significant offering that has been partially assembled since prior to my departure, but alas it remains still incomplete and on a computer many, many miles from where I currently reside.

Instead I will post a much more meager feature regular to the Blogue...

Moment of Horror #7
King Kong vs. Tyrannosaurus Rex

This scene has to count as one of the most influential scenes in cinema history. nothing is more empowering than giant monsters fighting, and the legendary King Kong going head to head with arguably the greatest beast this world has ever known (well it was certainly true in 1933 at the time of the film's release)the tyrant lizard king, Tyrannosaurus Rex. OK so some will point out that the dinosaur in question actually has three fingers and must be an Allosaurus, but to every young boy in the audience to this day will tell you otherwise.

King Kong certainly is one of the great hallmarks of science fiction and special effects on film. Selecting my moment of horror from such amazing images and scenes such as Kong atop the Empire state Building swatting at biplanes, or gently holding a terrified and under-dressed Fay Wray in a tropical jungle was not so easy, but I truly believe the visceral and imaginative impact that this scene has forever burned into the minds of generations of young boys makes this scene Moment of horror #7.

Blogue Macabre goes on Hiatus

2009-07-17T00:22:00.002-06:00

Greetings and condolences again my fellow travelers. I hope you have been navigating about the banks of the Styx successfully in my absence Well if it wasn't apparent already, the Blogue is going on hiatus for a while.

Through times and time again, one such as myself gets a first hand view of the macabre goings on in the lands of both the living and the dead. The celebrations of life and death and the more ominous and disturbing evils that are inherent in both worlds. As a traveler here on the banks, a citizen of the neither world between the two worlds, it has been my privilege to be an impartial observer. Well the time has come to place that impartiality behind me and be counted among the forces of good. To fulfill my duty to those who have crossed over before defending what is right. That does not preclude my return to the banks, when my duty allows, but for the time being, I owe it to you my fellow travelers to speak of my prolonged absence, and I hope you understand.

Take care of yourselves, enjoy the musings of the other members of the League of Tana Tea Drinkers and remember to tip the ferryman when he calls on you. Until I return,

Pte. G. Macabre

A further guide to Zombie Planning: Melee Weapons, pt.1

2009-05-12T17:36:00.009-06:00

Greetings and condolences once again to my readers in the land of the living. If you have been following my H1N1 zombie outbreak watch and have started preparing, this post is for you. Due to the current popularity of the topic of zombie planning, I have again returned to expand on my earlier public service announcement with A Further Guide to Zombie Planning, Although I promised a Firearms part 3, I have decided to leave that a bit longer, this time taking a closer and more in depth look at selecting melee or hand-to-hand combat weapons.

Selecting your weapons.
Before selecting any weapon, the first thing that must be determined is what classification of zombie will you be encountering. In the event you are encountering pseudo, or non-zombies where the afflicted is simply a mortal exhibiting zombie like behavior, disposing of them is as simple as disposing of any mortal human cranked up on meth, as they will not be distracted by pain of injury. Naturally a zombie that cannot be destroyed because of mystical origin or any other reason, and thus cannot be destroyed by conventional weaponry, discussion of weapons would thus bee moot. For the purposes of this discussion we will assume the zombies are of Modern of typical contemporary nature that can only be destroyed by destroying the brain or severing the head.
As this is the first I have written of this, I make mention of it here, as it is pertinent to the destruction of a zombie, but as I further progress in the completion of Macabre’s Guide to Zombie Planning I will re-edit at some point in the future. Really it is imperative that anyone looking to survive a zombie outbreak fully understands the mechanisms of destroying a typical zombie. Naturally the destruction of the brain is self-explanatory. The less gray matter left intact the greater the likelihood of destroying the zombie. But the details of decapitation are not nearly as straight forward. What it is about removing a zombie’s head that destroys it? As removal of any of the other bodily organs including severing the spinal column does nothing other than perhaps reduce mobility? Effective decapitation really is an extension of the former method of destroying the brain. More specifically it is the separation of the brain from the brainstem, or the destruction of said brainstem that bears results. This may simply sound like semantics, but the intricacies of such are quite important. If a zombie is decapitated below the brainstem the head will remain animated and dangerous, and by the same means if a decapitating blow is delivered to the base of the skull complete decapitation is not necessary. This is important to realize as the human neck is very muscular and is not easily severed. Even with the sharpest of edged weapons multiple blows are usually required to fully decapitate a human body, but partial decapitation near the base of the skull is quite possible with one blow.

Melee Weapons:

While a firearms or even multiple firearms should be your first choice as a defensive weapon, (providing you are capable of using them to their potential) it would be foolishness to not include some more basic primitive weapons in your arsenal in the event you must defend yourself without a gun. The reasons for this could be quite numerous, and as this whole planning guide is about being prepared, one must also be prepared for the contingency that you may find yourself without a usable firearm. Much like with firearms, the individual choices are practically limitless, but there are some common traits of certain types that can be examined and considered more closely.

General weapon types

Archery equipment: Lets get this out of the way right from the beginning. Unless you are previously skilled with the use of these weapons they are NOT worth your effort. Although they may present some benefits in being a relatively silent ranged weapon they are not easy to use with the accuracy that would be required to consistently take out a zombie with a well-placed head shot. As a hunting tool, their purpose is not to cause trauma or significant damage but to lacerate vital organs causing death through exsanguination (blood loss) that is obviously not going to affect a zombie. Additionally they are typically long and awkward, usually have very limited amount of ammunition and a very slow reload rate. I say this to you being experienced with archery equipment myself.
While they may be useful as a tool to deliver a form of incendiary over a long distance or into a building, they are not a good choice for a type of weapon. Even crossbows, although they than can be equipped with optical sights and fire much the same as a rifle are too flawed. Firstly a suitably powered crossbow is no more silent than a .22 rifle, possesses only a fraction of the effective range, and lacks the reload rate of even a single shot rifle. Hand crossbows are not a suitable consideration in that they are again relatively inaccurate, are lacking in power, and possess an abysmal range at which you will be lucky to get that one shot off.

Blowguns: Another type of ancient weapons that will prove quite useless against the undead. Don’t even consider these even in the direst of circumstances.

Ancient and Historic Weapons: Now we’re getting down to the meat and potatoes of hand-to-hand weapons, but we’re not quite there yet. Like archery equipment, many ancient weapons require specific training to be properly effective in combat. If you are so trained in their usage you will likely already have a selection of weapons at your disposal. If you are not, acquiring them is going to be difficult short of raiding a museum. Most ancient and historic weapons available are reproductions intended primarily for display purposes only and will not perform in combat as well as a proper weapon would. Most effective historic weapons realistically are reproductions designed and build for the purpose of use, and training by clubs and associations, and you can likely bet that when the time comes they will not be gracious in sharing them with you. Some suitable choices of Ancient and historic weapons however will be discussed a bit later in this topic.

Improvised Weapons: These are going to be among your best choice of hand-to-hand combat weapon come Z Day. Like the ninja, selecting and crafting practical every day implements to be used as weapons is an option that should not be overlooked. Many products available off the rack at your local hardware store require no modification whatsoever to become a lethal weapon. And to their advantage, unlike “fantasy swords” and replicas, they are for the most part designed to be used and abused. Additionally in a post apocalyptic world having the weapon perform as a tool for the purposes it was intended will become invaluable while scavenging and for building and removing blockades and barricades, giving them an edge over many similar historic weapons.

Power tools however are poor choice in improvised weapons for anything beyond a very localized primary outbreak. They are limited to their energy source, be that electrical battery or gasoline motor and tend to be rather noisy which may draw other zombies to your location. In addition they tend to be bulky and heavy using energy better saved for carrying other more valuable equipment and supplies, or simply conserving that energy for later, as exhaustion in battle is equally bad as running out of ammunition. Another significant drawback of motorized rotary weapons, such as chainsaws, lawn edgers, and gas mowers will likely result in infectious splatter that, while looking really cool, presents a considerable health threat to everyone in your party.

Basic primitive weapon types:

Edged Weapons: Edged weapons are traditionally for cutting or slashing. While for the most part their use is intended to be directed towards the torso and vital organs of an opponent, that can still be somewhat effective when used on the living dead. Unless one is utilizing a particularly sharp blade with significant force, decapitation with one blow is unlikely. A decapitating blow aimed to the back of the head if possible will increase your chances for killing with a single blow. If this is not possible it is best to attempt to direct your blow to the side of the skull, hopefully penetrating far enough to damage the brain.

Pointed Weapons: Pointed weapons are designed for piercing blows to the opponent. Like edged weapons they’re traditionally intended to target the torso, however they can still be somewhat effective when directed toward the head as a target. The human head is a fairly hard object designed to protect the brain, and is a relatively small target too. The rounded shape also tends to deflect killing blows from the brain, making a fatal piercing blow rather difficult, but not impossible. When using a pointed weapon there are three targets to aim for providing the attacker is coming straight towards you. The first target would be the eye(s). The skull behind the eyes is noticeably thinner than at the forehead thus far easier to penetrate. The Eye socket will also trap the point of the weapon and direct the following thrust right where it counts most without deflection. The second target is the mouth, again trapping the point of the weapon and directing the blow towards the base of the skull. The third target is the head/neck just below the lower jaw. The wielder will have to direct the piercing blow upwards and back, driving the weapon as to penetrate the back of the skull. This will destroy or sever the brain and or brainstem. In some cases, depending on overall weapon design (usually involving a form of spike), a deliberate piercing blow to the cranium will be the most effective.

Blunt Weapons: Blunt weapons traditionally had two purposes; to wear down an opponent and more significantly deliver a fatal crushing blow to the opponent’s cranium. Wearing down a zombie isn’t going to happen, but then again they really don’t defend themselves well anyway. As the head is the best target when attacking a zombie, a weapon that targets that specifically is a prime candidate for consideration. Blunt weapons usually are constructed in one of two designs, fixed to a handle as a club or hammer or attached to a handle in a pendulous fashion. In either case the user simply directs the blow towards the head of the zombie relying on concussive force to break open the skull and destroy the brain.

In Melee weapons part 2 we will look at some examples of melee weapons. We will also in the near future look at what other supplies and equipment we should look to acquire beyond the weapons.

G. Macabre

Moment of Horror #6

2009-05-09T09:35:00.006-06:00

Stephen King's Carrie
In 1973 the Horror landscape changed forever. Unknown author Stephen King would publish his first novel, entitled Carrie. Undoubtedly the success of the novel had a fair amount to do with the story's subject matter finding an immediate and hungry audience. Carrie, a teen aged girl, living under the thumb of her "unbalanced" and oppressive mother; ridiculed and ostracized by her peers develops telekinetic powers and uses them to exact revenge. OK I admit being a guy, and one who grew up as the younger sibling, and was intelligent enough to let my older sister challenge parental authority, and make all the stupid teenage decisions to which I could observe and myself avoid later in life, the book had no appeal. But to the millions of girls just like my sister King was writing about their lives, or more accurately, their lives as they perceived them. His writing style was new and explicit and tackled subtexts that would clearly have been taboo anywhere else. In the beginning of the book he addresses Carries discomfort with her adolescent body and the changes it is undergoing, and then goes over the edge with people stoning here in a communal shower with tampons and "sanitary napkins". The book was so evocative, that it was widely banned from numerous schools, and not just library collections, but students could face out right confiscation in many cases. Only three years after it's initial publishing the book was made into a major motion picture, again with great success, which produced one of the Horror genre's most iconic film images, Carrie standing on stage dripping with blood.

While this image, this film and more so this book are all worthy of being included in horrors greatest moments, really the most important aspect is the emergence of Stephen King the novelist. So synonymous with horror fiction today that it could be argued his name rivals the likes of Edgar Allen Poe.

Gary Macabre

Zombie Apocolypse update

2009-05-08T09:13:00.007-06:00

Despite the fact authorities are now down playing the seriousness of the H1N1 virus, and the spread of the virus is being greatly reduced from what was anticipated, Fact is the numbers of the infected continue to rise and so does the body count. From the 26 reported deaths and 1085 infected persons as of my last post, the official count is now 44, with 2384 reported cases as of this posting. While apparently these numbers are still within the comfort levels for most of the authorities, it does however indicate that with still no known vaccine or treatment if the virus continues to spread in an exponential fashion half of the world's population will be infected my mid August. And with a current mortality rate maintaining approximately 2% of the infected population would translate to 68 million deaths. Now naturally these figures are quite rudimentary, utilizing minimal data at the moment not fully factoring in such variables as comparative infection in third and first world nations, incubation periods and then there is the dynamic of when the dead actually start rising and killing and further infecting healthy humans. So clearly these figures will be dramatically different in the coming weeks and months.

Unfortunately as we have not seen much evidence of the dead rising at the moment as the numbers are still few, it is still hard to clearly identify this as a Zombie outbreak, and beyond that it is impossible to determine what type of zombies are we dealing with. Although we can comfortably rule out Traditional or Voodoo Zombies, both Modern and Contemporary Zombies are both still plausible (see Know your Zombies). Early indications would rule out supernatural origins, and the Long Dead zombie however.

As the authorities seem to be regaining control of the media and the panicked hype is lessening somewhat, this could indicate that any clear evidence about the nature of the outbreak as it relates to the living dead could, and is quite likely to become more obscured from the general public. One factor that greatly worries my in this scenario is that if there in fact is an airborne flu-like component, and how that will effect the transmission of the virus. Utilizing our current base of knowledge regarding zombie outbreaks, transmission has been exclusively through direct contact via open wounds, etc. Bearing in mind there is currently no concrete evidence to the contrary here, beyond the authorities persistence about this being a flu virus. If airborne transmission does become a factor, this could have a dramatic effect on your zombie plan. For example remaining in a densely populated urban environment waiting for the chattel to evacuate the cities could be a monumental mistake in not getting as far from the vestiges of humanity as soon as possible. Similarly the size of your group, or secure community could be more detrimental than beneficial. Again I stress that it is far to early with far too little information to start amending your current zombie plan yet, but it may be well worth your while to begin evaluating and adding for these yet unexpected possibilities.

For the un-initiated I would like to at this time make direct reference to Max Brooks book, the Zombie Survival Guide. For those without a Zombie survival plan I would highly recommend purchasing a copy. But Please be aware, that as good as the book is I steadfastly disagree with a degree of what he has included. Firstly he has unequivocally dismissed the class of Contemporary Zombie as being a construct of Hollywood, and such Zombies do not exist. With this as a foundation for his book, it makes it far simpler to put forth a guide to zombie survival that only factors in one type of zombie. From a publishing standpoint this is a very intelligent decision. However, in contrast, I believe that the silver screen has shown us that no two zombie outbreaks are the same, and that you must be flexible in your planning and the execution of your plans if you intend to be successful in surviving a Zombie outbreak. Nor do I agree with some of his weaponry assessments (see a further guide)or the value of apartment complexes or high-rise buildings as secure places (try as you might, without some form of explosive which would severely damage the structure of said building, destroying the staircases is not practicable. Dawn of the Dead has shown how good a choice apartment complexes are IMO.)

G Macabre

H1N1 Swine Flu: Is this the zombie apocolypse?

2009-05-04T14:07:00.012-06:00

Greetings and condolences once again fellow travelers. My recent prolonged existence in the land of the living has certainly not been without it's fair share of excitement. It would seem that regardless of what remote hovel you occupy you would be made well aware of the current H1N1 virus,aka Swine Flu outbreak. Odd that such a minor viral pest, with no more adverse side effects than a normal human influenza virus that this should receive such widespread, nearly panicked global attention, after all "seasonal human influenza" claims the lives of 250,000 to 500,000 people annually (according to the WHO). Or, my dear conspiracy theorists, is there more to it?

Here is what the Center for Disease Control is telling us...(WARNING official and rather dull text follows in italics, but regardless if H1N1, Rage virus or Zombie outbreak it will all look the same, bet on it.)

WHAT TO DO?

Background

The novel H1N1 flu virus is causing illness in infected persons in the United States and countries around the world. CDC expects that illnesses may continue for some time. As a result, you or people around you may become ill. If so, you need to recognize the symptoms and know what to do.
Symptoms

Common symptoms include fever, headache, tiredness, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, diarrhea, and vomiting. Nearly all persons with flu will have at least two of these symptoms. (GM: yeah sounds just like what you'd expect if you were bitten by a zombie to me) The high risk groups for novel H1N1 flu are not known at this time but it’s possible that they may be the same as for seasonal influenza. People at higher risk of serious complications from seasonal flu include people age 65 years and older, children younger than 5 years old, pregnant women, people of any age with chronic medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease), and people who are immunosuppressed (e.g., taking immunosuppressive medications, infected with HIV).
Avoid Contact With Others

If you are sick, you may be ill for a week or longer. You should stay home and avoid contact with other persons, except to seek medical care. If you leave the house to seek medical care, wear a mask or cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue. In general you should avoid contact with other people as much as possible to keep from spreading your illness. At the current time, CDC believes that this virus has the same properties in terms of spread as seasonal flu viruses. With seasonal flu, studies have shown that people may be contagious from one day before they develop symptoms to up to 7 days after they get sick. Children, especially younger children, might potentially be contagious for longer periods.
Treatment is Available for Those Who Are Seriously Ill

It is expected that most people will recover without needing medical care. (GM: or at least appear to before they go on a murderous rampage gnawing at any breathing being in eye shot)

If you have severe illness or you are at high risk for flu complications, contact your health care provider or seek medical care. Your health care provider will determine whether flu testing or treatment is needed. Be aware that if the flu becomes wide spread, there will be little need to continue testing people, so your health care provider may decide not to test for the flu virus.

Antiviral drugs can be given to treat those who become severely ill with influenza. These antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaler) with activity against influenza viruses, including H1N1 flu virus. These medications must be prescribed by a health care professional.

There are two influenza antiviral medications that are recommended for use against H1N1 flu. The drugs that are used for treating H1N1 flu are called oseltamivir (trade name Tamiflu ®) and zanamivir (Relenza ®). (GM: although the WHO ha already said these seem to have little effect on the current contamination. But that's OK they're just trying to keep you blissfully calm and comforted) As the H1N1 flu spreads, these antiviral drugs may become in short supply. Therefore, the drugs will be given first to those people who have been hospitalized or are at high risk of complications. The drugs work best if given within 2 days of becoming ill, but may be given later if illness is severe or for those at a high risk for complications.
Emergency Warning Signs

If you become ill and experience any of the following warning signs, seek emergency medical care.

In children emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

* Fast breathing or trouble breathing
* Bluish or gray skin color (GM: who here has seen Dawn of the Dead?)
* Not drinking enough fluids
* Severe or persistent vomiting
* Not waking up or not interacting
* Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
* Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
* Seemingly heightened senses of hearing and smell
* Heightened uncontrollable aggression towards others beyond the standard
report card comment "does not play well with others"
(GM: OK those last two I added)
In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

* Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
* Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
* Sudden dizziness
* Confusion
* Severe or persistent vomiting
* Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
* desire to eat under prepared meat products, human flesh and headcheese
(GM:OK that was me again)

Protect Yourself, Your Family, and Community

* Stay informed. Health officials will provide additional information as it becomes available. Visit the CDC H1N1 Flu website.
* Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
* Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
* Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
* Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
* If you are sick with a flu-like illness, stay home for 7 days after your symptoms begin or until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer. Keep away from other household members as much as possible. This is to keep you from infecting others and spreading the virus further.
* Learn more about how to take care of someone who is ill in "Taking Care of a Sick Person in Your Home"
* Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds, and other social distancing measures.
* If you don’t have one yet, consider developing a family emergency plan as a precaution. This should include storing a supply of extra food, medicines, and other essential supplies. Further information can be found in the “Flu Planning Checklist” (GM: Seriously did I just read that right!!??? DEVELOP A FAMILY EMERGENCY PLAN!! With extra supply of food, water and other essential supplies!!!??? for a flu outbreak likely less significant than our "normal seasonal flu outbreak". Sorry but that seems a little extreme wouldn't you think?) You know I'd almost bet that was a cut and paste at least twice before replacing Nazi with Communist and flu respectively.

So this is all practical, and if we stay the course, and listen for updates, and do what the authorities tell us we all will be fine? Gee I don't know about you but I can't recall the last time that Miami was effectively shut down, with airlines canceling services to the US during any normal "normal flu" season, or the when World Health Organization called for a class 5 pandemic, even during such known deadly ailments such as the SARS outbreak a few years ago and the West Nile virus, a deadly summertime reality here in North America and Europe claiming hundreds of lives every year, or China just started detaining people based on nationality, ignoring human rights and banning import on meat products, or...Ummm, yeah forget that stuff about China.

Some interesting facts with possible Zombie plague parallels:

On March 18th. The Mexican Government starts investigating a mysterious disease in the province of Veracruz.

On April 6th. A US company located in Veracruz reports changes in behavioral patterns of local residents.

So far the World Health Organization claim that the virus is being contained and those affected have all been immediately connected to visits to Mexico, and no secondary transmission as been confirmed. Yet daily numbers of the infected are increasing. (Getting bit or wounded will do that you know.)

Mexico has confirmed 16 deaths, but are investigating an additional 85 deaths that have been reported since. (forget the paper masks, issue chain male.)

The Mexican Health Agency starts taking international flack for not getting heath workers to the families of the first reported casualty for nearly three weeks citing logistical problems. (Can you say zombie horde.)

Areas that have reported a limited number of early, less serious cases that had appeared to be recovering, suddenly have more and more serious cases. Nothing is said of the earlier patients current status. (If that doesn't scream dead returning to life and attacking others nothing does.)

Well folks it's too early to say that this is the beginning of the Zombie apocalypse, but stay tuned to this blog for any further developing information which could indicate that Hell is in fact full. In the mean time now might be a good time to check if you still have those Y2K supplies and buy some more ammunition.

Gary Macabre

Excuses

2009-04-18T11:35:00.002-06:00

Greetings and Condolences fellow travelers. I trust you've been finding your way about the netherworld successfully without my presence as of late. Unfortunately there is some unfinished business in the living world that I must attend to before the end of month and thus explains my absence while off haunting others. I will return soon and hopefully with a surprise for you all while you wait on the ferry man. In the meantime remember those coins on the eyelids kids, better tips up front mean better service.

Gary D. Macabre

Lon Chaney shall not die!!

2009-04-01T16:53:00.006-06:00

In keeping up with my promise to continue to uphold FJA's commitment in Famous Monsters to honour Lon Chaney Sr. what better day to mark a Lon Chaney Sr. post than on the anniversary of his birth. Here's a little Youtube tribute that is really quite well done and well worth the viewing.

And for those of you with a bit more time on your hands join me in celebrating Lon's birthday with a viewing of the cinematic masterpiece and one of my personal favourite films of all time, Phantom of the Opera...

And for those who are looking for something perhaps a little more out of the mainstream of Lon Chaney films check out this piece of silent screen history. Tod Browning's (yes legendary director of great horror films such as Dracula and Freaks) 1914 Universal western silent By the Sun's Rays, Starring Lon Chaney as lead villain Frank Lawler. This one is under 12 minutes so do yourself the favor and watch it damn it, broaden you knowledge of film history, your life will only be all the better for it.

Gary D. Macabre

2008 Rondo Awards are in.

2009-03-25T17:45:00.004-06:00

Well if you didn't figure it out my my complete lack of screaming and strutting I didn't get a Rondo. But that's OK this is one of the awards that it truly is enough to be honoured with a nomination. But that does mean I'm NOT doing the 100 ways to kill yourself post.

Congratulations to all the well deserving winners and to fellow LOTTD members Max Cheney (Drunken Severed Head Blog) who took runner up, and Brian Solomon (Vault of Horror) and Stacie Ponder(Final Girl) who scored honourable mentions in the Best Blog catagory. Here is the Official Rondo Press release:

Barbie tops Creature in Rondo model showdown

Rue Morgue takes four Rondos; Twilight Zone is Best Book;

Rich Koz as Svengoolie is voted favorite horror host;

Tim Lucas is Best Writer; Basil Gogos is Best Artist;

Ackerman's caregiver Joe Moe is named Monster Kid of Year

MARCH 24, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

By David Colton
CHFB News

ARLINGTON, VA -- Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, TV's The Munsters and Ray Harryhausen's
7th Voyage of Sinbad were all winners Monday in the Seventh Annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror
Awards, which also honored the man who cared for sci-fi legend Forrest J Ackerman in the final
years of his life.

But the biggest surprise came when a special "Hitchcock" edition of Barbie, dressed like
Tippi Hedren and swarmed by miniature crows from The Birds, topped the Creature from the Black
Lagoon in a showdown for Best Model, Toy or Collectible.

Not only did the 50-year-old doll from Mattel beat out the green-scaled Creature, but she outclassed
models from The Exorcist, Invasion of the Saucermen and even an action figure of Rondo Hatton himself,
the obscure 1940s horror actor who inspired the fan awards.

The Rondos are an annual celebration of the vintage monsters who sparked almost a century of horror films
and sequels. The worldwide online survey by the Classic Horror Film Board, a 14-year old online community, is
the largest in the genre and drew a record 2,932 emailed votes.

Beyond Barbie's latest triumph, winners Monday ranged from the modern -- The Dark Knight was
voted best film of 2008, the BBC's Doctor Who was favorite television show -- to classic horrors from the past:

-- A new edition of the 1960 film, Psycho, was voted Best Classic Horror DVD.
-- A collection of Harryhausen's 1950s science fiction films, including a colorized Earth vs. the Flying Saucers,
was named Best DVD Collection, and the collected episodes of The Munsters was the favorite TV collection.
-- The painstaking reconstruction of Carl Dreyer's atmospheric 1932 chiller, Vampyr, was voted Best
Restoration.

The most emotional moments came when it was announced in an online ceremony that a Los Angeles
producer, Joe Moe, had been named "Monster Kid of the Year,'' for his long years serving as a friend and
caregiver for horror and science fiction collector Ackerman. The founder of Famous Monsters of Filmland
magazine, Ackerman died this year at the age of 92.

"For his quiet, constant and unwavering stewardship of Forrest J Ackerman's final decade of life,'' the
Rondo citation reads, "Joe Moe revealed not only the man behind Mr. Monster, but the grace and
strength of the ultimate fan. For being there when we all couldn't, Joe Moe is Monster Kid of the Year.''

Moe, contacted by phone during the event, said, "If ever there was a time when I needed my monster
family, it's now. Thank you so much for validating the work I tried to do in a fashion that would make
all of you proud. I tried not to cry for Forry but now that he's gone, this honor from you, my pals, has me
in tears. Thank you so much."

Other winners included:

-- Best DVD Extra: "One for the Fire,'' a documentary about the making of Night of the Living Dead.
-- Best DVD Commentary: Makeup master Rick Baker, Bob Burns, Scott Essman, Steve Haberman and
Brent Armstrong for The Mummy (1932).
-- Best Documentary: Spine-Tingler: The William Castle Story.
-- Book of the Year: The Twilight Zone by Martin Grams.
-- Best Magazine: Rue Morgue.
-- Best Article: "Coffin Joe Resurrected,'' a look at the legendary Brazilian filmmaker Jose Mojica Marins,
by Scott Gabbey and Jovanka Vuckovic in Rue Morgue.
-- Best Magazine Cover: Rue Morgue #83, a portrait of Ackerman by longtime Famous Monsters artist
Basil Gogos.
-- Best Website: Trailers from Hell.
-- Best Blog: Video Watchblog.

-- Convention of the Year: WonderFest in Louisville.
-- Fan Event of the Year: World Zombie Day.
-- Favorite Horror Host: Svengoolie, played by Rich Koz, in Chicago.
-- Best Horror Audio Site: Rue Morgue Radio.
-- CD of the Year: Soundtrack of The Blob by Monstrous Movie Music.
-- Best Horror Comic Book: Hellboy: In the Chapel of Moloch, by Mike Mignola.
-- Biggest controversy: An L.A. fan's disputed claim he had once examined the long-lost Lon Chaney
film, London After Midnight.

-- Writer of the Year: Tim Lucas, author and editor of Video Watchdog
-- Artist of the Year: Basil Gogos.
-- Favorite DVD Reviewer: Glenn Erickson of DVD Savant.
-- Vasaria Public Citizen Award: Cameron McCasland and Creature Cinema for public service announcements
by Nashville's Dr. Gangrene and Nurse Moan-Eek.

-- Monster Kid Hall of Fame inductees: European horror actor Paul Naschy, Jim and Marian Clatterbaugh of
Monsters from the Vault magazine, painter Ken Kelly, the late Calvin Beck, founder of Castle of Frankenstein
magazine, the late Lux Interior, lead singer for punk band The Cramps and an influence on the psychobilly
horror rock movement, and the late Bob Wilkins, original host of San Francisco's Creature Features.

Many of the Rondo winners will receive Rondo busts, sculpted by Kerry Gammill and cast by Tim Lindsey,
at the Wonderfest convention in Louisville on May 16.

Further information, including runners-up and all the nominees, can be found at rondoaward.com

Battlestar Galactica: It has happened all before (answers revealed)

2009-03-23T09:20:00.008-06:00

Blog Macabre going sci-fi??? well we'll indulge just this once shall we. So The New Battlestar Galactica has come to an end and fans are in a divided tizzy. Did the ending suck or was it epic, was it a bold conclusion to a bold series or was it a cop out just to try and tie up as many loose ends as they could? Well folks the greatest surprise of all is that BSG (as it has become known) was actually just another of the multitudes of unique incarnations of the Douglas Adams epic The Hitchhikers' guide to the Galaxy. Although much of the story from day one was a dramatic departure from Adams' tale, the writers finally played their hand and revealed in the final episode that this was indeed the case. It had happened all before in fact it happened first in 1979 with the BBC radio series and then the books in which apparently no two publishing's are alike, the 1981 TV series, a later DC comic book adaptation and a multimillion dollar Hollywood flop. In fact the greater the BSG story strayed from the source the more consistent with the HHG omnibus the show became until the final culmination of events where the cast finally arrive at Earth mark2 to start all over again.

With this secret now revealed with the series finale, fans can now look to Adams' works to fill in the gaps that the BSG writers left with somewhat unsatisfactory conclusions...

What of Kara's final fate?
As it turns out, she is inexplicably reunited with the Cylons at a chance meeting at the restaurant at the end of the universe.

What's with Hera? All that for a postscript about being the mitochondrial Eve?
Well there is a bit more to it than that, but that is the gist of it. It would seem that being the last offspring of both the colonists and the Cylons, locked in her primitive brain was the question to the answer of life the universe and everything that the mice wanted so dearly And by mice I mean the pan dimensional beings or "angels" represented by Head Baltar and Head Six.

What of all the dream sequences at the opera house leading up to a rather pedestrian conclusion in reality?
The simplest answer here is that it all took place when the series reached an improbability factor of 2*310888005:1 against which interestingly is Tom Desanto's phone number in Hollywood.

What happened to the Centurions?
Their home planet and in fact their entire solar system was destroyed at the conclusion of a Disaster Area concert which was the first and coincidentally last stop on their short lived "Ultimate Armageddon"tour.

Who was God? why did he hate being called that? and was it the Cylon God or the Human God?
We know they are now colonizing earth mark2 created by the Magratheans commissioned by the mice/angels/pan dimensional beings/the colour blue and designed by the semi-omniscient computer Deep Thought (the Cylon god it would seem). Problem solved.

So there you have it fans, until the next time (and the one after that, and the one following that...)
Gary D. Macabre

Attention Goths and EMO kids

2009-03-21T14:19:00.002-06:00

What the hell I may as well do some shameless self promotion for the Rondo Award: best blog category myself. So I'm appealing to the Teenage Goth and EMO kid demographic here. (Hey you guys won Rob Zombie a Rondo for best picture last year after all, right!)

So if you think your life sucks and nobody understands you, you hate them all and would rather go somewhere dark and be alone with other freaks and vamps like yourselves, even if that does contradict the whole concept of alone, who cares the critics can just go to hell anyway, or you're not worthy of existence and want some recognition while your here to bemoan it before skagging yourself (or at least making it look like you're trying to), well then this blog is for you.

So go to the rondo site and mail in your ballot and vote Blogue Macabre for best blog so we can all rule together for one day. Well actualy I'll have a Rondo Award so I won't suck quite so much, but hey, that just legitimises your selfloathing a bit more now doesn't it.

And if I win I promise I'll post Gary D Macabre's top 100 ways to kill yourself and make someone else's life really suck in the process.

Rondo Awards: voting ends tonight!

2009-03-21T09:38:00.005-06:00

So do your part and get your ballot in before midnight tonight if you haven't already done so!!!

Oh yeah, and any support for the Blogue and/or theFrankensteinMonster.com (aka the Many Faces of the Frankenstein Monster) is much appreciated, without harping on it like some blogers (Max, elbow,elbow, poke with a stick).

And I Strongly urge you all to vote for Billy Van, genius behind Hilarious House of Frightenstein for the Horror hall of Fame.

Unead or Alive: a Zombie Western Comedy...no really

2009-03-19T13:21:00.008-06:00

OK first up, I make no bones about it this blog isn't about movie reviews, and that's not going to change any time soon. I will however discus films in a casual manner without the pretense of actually reviewing it. If you can grasp the difference then we'll continue, if you can't I don't want to hear about it.

So here we are with a Zombie/Western that actually uses the word "zombedy" in it's promotional material. Man this is looking bleak from the get go. As a matter of fact I tossed it back in the two-for-five-dollar bin a couple of times. But alas the allure of some zombie busting carnage with lever action rifles was just too strong and I finally caved. Fortunately I was in the mood for a really bad movie and I had little preconception of this being anything but, so all risk of disappointment and an hour and a half of my life safely socked away in the bottom of the dirty laundry hamper, I settled in with a plate of nachos and my own trusty Winchester '94 at my side ( Don't worry the ammo however was still safely locked away elsewhere, after all if it truly was worse than even I expected, I couldn't risk pulling an Elvis on my 50").

To my pleasant surprise this film was actually conceived with some intriguing and enjoyable premises. The origin of the wild west zombie being attributed to a native Indian curse on the white man I actually really like, some great ideas on how zombie cannibalism would be treated and dealt with by an ignorant town and the application of typical "wild west justice", and even a great little "betcha didn't see that coming" ending. Sadly however the few gems there in never made it past the screenplay writer, the director or the lamentable acting. Even my thirst and enthusiasm for the much anticipated and oh so inevitable zombies vs. .30-30 romp was left largely unsatisfied, rather like having a glass of nice cold Coke on a hot day only to find it has gone flat in the fridge. As for the comedy, well I think that SNL hit it's low point through the late 90's, and actor Chris Kattan... well lets just say "A Night at the Roxbury, Corky Romano, House on Haunted Hill, ..."

There was enough to like in this film to be worth the $2.50 it cost to purchase, and maybe even enough to justify the 91 minutes lost on it (92 minutes might be pushing it). But that said you have to be sold on the premise of Zombie Western/ weak comedy because if you can't take that into a viewing your in for a world of hurt.

G. Macabre

Zombie carnage for desk Jockies

2009-03-13T09:01:00.006-06:00

For all you poor schmoes who have to sit on your tookas' all day behind a computer screen making the big bucks, here's a link that should make your day go by just a bit better.
De-Animator Game

And for those of you who aren't afraid of the boss walking in on you check this one out.
Survive the outbreak

bringing the macabre into your home since 1888

2009-03-11T08:11:00.007-06:00

Oh how I love National Geographic. Best known for their astounding wildlife and nature photography, the National Geographic Magazine has been publishing equally impressive images of the macabre for every bit as long. Although the brilliant colour photography wasn't the norm until the 20th century, tales of the Mummies of Egypt and sketches and later black and white images of places like Mexico's Aztec temples with their great bizarre carvings thrilled readers from the onset. One of my earliest and most vivid impressions of National Geographic was of the petrified bodies of Mt. Vesuvius. The remains of actual people trapped in their last moments of life in fear and terror, gasping for breath as they appeared to be turned to stone as from a mythical Gorgon. Mummified remains, grotesque skeletons draped in fine robes, ritualistic burials and sacrifices, it's ALL HERE! and if that weren't enough for you during the later periods of the 20th century photographers ventured into the world's most deadly and hostile locations and brought back bloody and graphic images from places like Cambodia. Disturbing images of slain bodies and even stills of the Khmer Rouge posing with human remains or actually butchering humans like cattle or worse.

Now don't think this was simply a thing of the past, the new eco-aware National Geographic isn't going to let readers down either. February's issue contains some truly beautiful images in an article on the Mummies of Palermo Italy and recently the NationalGeographic.com has a short quip about a a recently found skull of whom locals had believed to be a Vampire (when vampires brought death and pestilence, not drank blood) found near Venice (man I've got to visit Spain/Italy someday). link.

Also head over to KinderTrauma for a reader's recent traumafession about National Geographic and his childhood.

G. Macabre

100 things to do with a corpse

2009-03-08T14:06:00.005-06:00

Use #35: Torso throw pillows

These cheerful and practical accents will bring a cozy/creepy feel to any room. Their durable leathery texture will see that they provide you many years of enjoyment. We created these delightful and artistic pieces from a pair of transients that we found in the shed out back. This scrawny underfed pair were perfect candidates for this craft. It's important that there is as little body fat on the torso as possible prior to stuffing, as excessive fatty tissues can putrefy, negatively effecting their delightful and whimsical charm. But remember to save that fat in a jam can for future crafty projects like candles and soaps.

Reminder : FJA tribute today

2009-03-08T12:12:00.004-06:00

Just a simple reminder for those who may be able to attend. Uncle Forry's memorial tribute is 3:00pm local time, today(March 8th) at the Egyptian theatre in Hollywood. I wish I could attend, but my portal to the land of the living is too far and remote for that to be a possibility.

A shout out from the darkness of here after

2009-03-07T08:35:00.004-06:00

Greetings and Condolences. As I sit on the banks of the mighty Styx in silence, hearing the ripples of life and time wash on the rocks of the shore, I look out and see the fragments of an old memory trapped, swirling in an eddy in the middle of the current. Just upstream snagged in the weeds and strainers of the near bank; the bank of the living, there is an accumulation of scraps of dreams unrealized, of loves unrequited and goals unfulfilled. While this is a peaceful and somber spot we the dead still hear the silent footsteps of the living that curiously approach the great river, and see the footprints that they leave in the soft mud. While guests to the Blogue seldom seem to pass comment, their presence is none the less noted, and appreciated.

I was just cruising the Blogue's stats counter, and I thought it worth giving a shout out to to the living who have ventured this way from some unusual lands of their own.

To the tour group from iceclan.com that passed through mid February I say battle on friends and stay warm.

To those who have found there way here from the mysterious portal at Gothic Rose Antiques and Scarlet the talking Macaw, and his/her mysterious mistress who placed the portal there to begin with.

The folks at Horror Blips, that were quite literally that , a brief blip on my radar, but thanks for the mention all the same.

The good folks at the Horror Web blog as well.

Our celebrity visit of Dr. Gangrene who apparently hoped to go un-noticed likely while on Rondo ballot tour.

The deluge of people doing google image searches from Denmark and the UK, hope you found what you were looking for.

To the Lady who googled "100 things to do with plants" I hope she's not too disturbed and will recover in time with therapy.

To the guy who googled "worlds greatest dad" I hope your not taking my advice.

The person Looking for the Virginia Mayo Political Rally, man did you take the wrong turn.

The guys asking google" is aborgast jewish" I have no idea, It's not my business, why don't you ask him yourself.

The the guy or gal in Dundas Ontario with the average time on site of 5.08 min and multiple hits, wow a masochist if there ever was one, but it's appreciated just the same.

Could one of my UK readers (the guy in Wallington perhaps) please check on the guy in Swansea who was logged in for an astonishing 21 minutes and make sure they're still breathing?

Props to my readers in Paris, Belo Horizonte Brazil, Rome Italy (now wouldn't that be cool is the Pope was checking out the land of the Macabre), Copenhagen Denmark ( man I get a lot of good hits from Denmark) Auckland NewZealand, Debrecen Hungary, and Singapore.

To my fellow traveller in Sahuayo Mexico, I really need some of those sugar skulls, can you set me up?

Hey Cancun, I really appreciate the visit and a killer 28 minute Blogue Macabre marathon way to go!!! Seriously now, you've got killer beaches and tropical weather, what are you doing on the banks of the Styx? A cold foggy day in Swansea perhaps, but Cancun?

And my fellow fans of dark places who wander in the US, I ask what's up with North Dakota? the only State I have yet to get a hit from?

The most staggering statistic is that my Public Service Announcement:Making your Zombie Plan has recieved over 1600 views since I posted it last May.

So yes while the living may indeed tread silently amongst the dead, your footseps are well noted.
G. Macabre

Watch out for Morlocks

2009-03-05T15:12:00.009-06:00

OK I admit it I slipped up on a previous commitment I made back in December, but that's OK I'm using my time machine to correct that oversight (and why the hell is post being underlined, and how do I stop it?) Anyway go back by following this link to the post I made today on February the 26.

the Time Machine of the Macabre

Moment of Horror #5

2009-03-05T13:33:00.005-06:00

While there are many great moment's in horror and this segment is not intended as a top 10 list, or to represent rankings in anyway whatsoever, I felt I couldn't go another installment without including what is quite possibly one of the greatest scenes in the history of film, horror or otherwise:

The shower scene from Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho.

In an era where colour was the proud domain of the cinema and the mundane black and white pictures were relegated to the pedestrian invention the television, Hitchcock took his television crew and the stock of black and white film and shot what I believe is the penultimate Horror/Thriller of all time. The audacity to brutally slay your leading lady not even midway through the film would surely be enough to make a mark on cinema history, but it was the details in how Alfred Hitchcock, the master that he was, chose to do this which shook the cinema going world. With powerful imagery, intense emotional acting and skillful edits, the master didn't show the audience one tenth of what every cinema goer saw. The implied nudity, graphic violence and brutality that never existed on screen, just in the viewer's minds, provoked the censors to give the film an X rating until they were petitioned to further review it. The psychological and emotional effects on the audiences of the time were unheard of and widespread. Alfred Hitchcock with a great actress, a sound idea and a can of chocolate syrup managed what grindhouse bloodfests, slasher flicks and modern torture porn aspire to achieve and seldom accomplish.

I will never do a Post Mortem on this scene for the sure futility it would be.

Gary Macabre

From the files of the Depraved, Grotesque and Macabre

2009-03-04T09:21:00.007-06:00

OK It's been brought to my attention that the Blogue Macabre has been lacking in truly macabre content. (although the on going 100 things to do with a corpse does fill the bill to some extent). Any way this past summer I was writing a bit based on some rather macabre current events that occurred up in the north country in which a disturbed whack-job, Vince Wieguang Li, boarded a Greyhound bus and proceeded to kill another passenger and then proceed to behead his corpse. I was actually writing from the angle of what is it about decapitation that disturbs our societal sensibilities more than the simple explicit act of brutal murder, after all once dead the corpse rarely complains. Well lacking a degree in either psychology and/or anthropology I decided to drop the entry. But Damn it this story just keeps getting more bizarre. The whack-job in question is now in court and the details of the incident as they come to light are far more grotesque than were originally reported, elevating Li to the ranks of Geoffery Dhamer or Ed Gein.

Sun columnist Tom Brodbeck has summed up excerpts from the court records esentialy making the first comprehensive wiki on history's most recent psychopath. So for those of you who want disturbing read on, but remember you've been warned.

Now in respect to Mr. Brodbeck, the following is his article, however I am making one minor alteration to his piece, for which if he objects, he is welcome inform me, but I am removing the abbreviative title "Mr." from usage in reference to Vince Li, as it denotes a degree of respect that I will not bestow him.

The story of Vince Li

The following are excerpts from the agreed statement of facts for the trial of Vince Weiguang Li.
This information, filed in court, is extremely disturbing and may not be suitable for all readers.
However, it is now public record and forms part of a very important aspect of this case. Reader discretion is strongly advised.

Vince Weiguang Li was born in Dandong China on 30 April, 1968. He graduated from the University of Wuhan Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science (Computers) in 1992. Li immigrated to Canada in 2001, and became a citizen in 2005. He graduated from CDI College (Computer Programming) in 2002.

He was divorced from his wife Ana in 2006. During his time in Canada, he held a number of menial jobs including caretaking in a church, assistant manager at McDonalds, sales assistant in the parts department at Canadian Tire, and newspaper carrier. He was unable to obtain employment in his field, and had periods of unemployment, although at other times held two jobs at the same time.

Li had few friends, those he had describe him as having mental problems, but never knew him to be violent.

At approximately 12:30 am on Tuesday, 29 July 2008, Li boarded a Greyhound bus in Edmonton, Alberta heading to Thunder Bay, via Winnipeg. He purchased his ticket under the name of Wong Pent. He did not notify his ex-wife that he was leaving, nor what his destination was. He did leave her a note stating: “I’m gone, don’t look for me, I wish you were happy.”

Li got off the bus in Erickson, Manitoba at 5:55 pm on 29 July 2008, although the bus driver tried to advise him that it was not his stop. There was insufficient time to re-issue his ticket, as per the statement of bus driver Patrick Delbridge, attached as Appendix 2. He spent 24 hours in Erickson, as there is only one bus per day stopping in that community. During that time he disposed of most of his personal assets by either selling them or burning them.

At approximately 12:30 am on Wednesday, 30 July 2008, Tim McLean (born 03 October 1985) boarded Greyhound bus 1170 in Edmonton, Alberta, to return home to Winnipeg at the conclusion of summer employment on the carnival circuit.

Li boarded Greyhound bus 1170 for Winnipeg on 30 July 2008 at 5:55 pm at Erickson, Manitoba.

Tim McLean and Vince Li were not known to each other. They did not appear to have any interaction with each other on board the bus or at any of the scheduled bus stops.

Tim McLean got off the bus for a cigarette break, between Brandon and Portage la Prairie. After he returned to his seat, Li moved to the back of the bus and sat beside Tim McLean. The two did not appear to converse.

At approximately 8:30 pm on Wednesday, 30 July 2008, when Greyhound bus 1170 was approximately 18 kilometers west of Portage la Prairie on the TransCanada Highway, Li began to repeatedly stab Tim McLean, for no apparent reason.

Tim McLean struggled and tried to escape, as evidenced by a number of defensive wounds. He was unsuccessful and eventually either fell or was thrown to the floor of the bus. Due to his location at the back of the bus and adjacent to a window, the seats ahead of him were a barrier to escape.

Li was pre-occupied with Tim McLean, and continued to stab him as he lay on the floor. He did not pay any attention to the other passengers as the bus was vacated. He appeared oblivious to the demands of bus driver Bruce Martin that he stop what he was doing. Several persons indicate that after everyone had vacated the bus, Li came to the front of the bus and tried to exit. The bus driver was able to close the door on Li’s arm, with the bloody knife extended outside of the bus.

Li was able to pull his arm back into the bus, and returned to the rear of the bus, where he defiled the body of Tim McLean. Mr. Martin immediately called 911, once everyone was safely off his bus, and the bus door was closed.

As Greyhound bus 1170 pulled onto the shoulder, Bernie Scyrup, driver of a second Greyhound bus that was following Greyhound bus 1170 to carry the passenger overload, realized that there was something unusual in the fashion that Mr. Martin pulled over and stopped his bus. Mr. Scyrup stopped his bus on the shoulder in front of Greyhound bus 1170.

Mr. Scyrup attended to Greyhound bus 1170, and observed that Li was at the back of the bus. Mr. Scyrup entered the bus and called out to Li, as Li continued to stab the body of Tim McLean. Li responded by stating “get emergency.”
As Li repeatedly looked at Mr. Scyrup, Mr. Scyrup realized that Li was severing the head of Tim McLean. Mr. Scyrup got off the bus, as he realized that Tim McLean was dead and could not be helped.

Li attended to the front of the bus, holding the severed head of Tim McLean in one hand and a black-handled knife in the other hand. He motioned that he wished to be let off the bus. The door to the bus was not opened, and was barricaded or protected by a truck driver who pulled over to assist, and was armed with a snipe bar. Upon RCMP arrival, a police vehicle was parked against the doors to the bus, to prevent Li from exiting.

At one point Li looked at the controls, and witnesses believed he was trying to start the bus. Rather, Li was trying to open the door so that he could exit the bus. Mr. Scyrup cut the power to the bus. Li threw the head of Tim McLean into the stairwell and then returned to the back of the bus and continued to mutilate the body of Tim McLean.

(RCMP) Cpl. Harder attempted to communicate with Li, and asked him to drop the knife out of a small window located in the bathroom at the rear of the bus. Li’s only response was some unintelligible words, plus words to the effect that he had to stay on the bus forever. As the officers watched, Li continued to mutilate both the body and the head/face of Tim McLean, using both a buck knife and a pair of scissors.

Various officers noted that he continued to mutilate the body and head of Tim McLean. Cst. Brown and Cpl. G. Smith noted that Li appeared to smell, and then eat parts of Tim McLean’s flesh. He also appeared to lick blood from his fingers and hands. Li also continued to carry Tim McLean’s internal organs and various body parts throughout the bus, later returning to bag them in white plastic garbage bags. He also carried the head of Tim McLean from time to time.

At approximately 1:20 am on 31 July 2008, Li broke open a window on the bus, threw out some personal belongings, a knife and a pair of scissors. He then jumped out of the bus, head first, landing on top of the knife. RCMP members immediately tried to apprehend him. He was struggling, screaming, and refused to surrender his hands. Police stunned him with a Taser on several occasions before he surrendered his hands and could be handcuffed and taken to a police vehicle.

Found in Li’s pants pocket was a plastic bag containing Tim McLean’s ear, nose, and tongue.

Li was formally arrested.

Li was taken to the Portage General Hospital for treatment regarding a gash on his right hand and a cut to his head behind his right ear.

A variety of Tim McLean’s body parts and organs were found throughout the bus.

The tip of the blade was located in the skull of Tim McLean in the forehead area just above the inner aspect of the right eyebrow.

The autopsy reveals that the cause of death of Tim McLean was multiple stab wounds.

The body of Tim McLean showed evidence of damage in excess of 100 areas, ranging from abrasions to a large gaping wound of the chest.

The eyes were missing and not recovered.

The internal organs were recovered, in plastic bags, in 4 separate areas of the bus.

Dr. Littman, the pathologist, estimates that one third of the heart of Tim McLean was never recovered and it is presumed that Li ate it. Further, Tim McLean’s eyes were never recovered, and also are presumed to have been eaten.

Li denies eating the flesh of Tim McLean.

Indeed a macabre tale of nonfiction. So as you go about your daily life with a comfortable degree of separation in your mind between the horror genre that we all enjoy so much and the physical reality in which you perceive yourself, think of this tale the next time you board that bus or subway car.

G. Macabre

OTR Tuesday

2009-03-03T13:19:00.007-06:00

Well it's Tuesday once again my fellow wanders of dark places. Today's offering is from the well acclaimed radio series Suspense. I haven't spoke much of Suspense thus far so I guess now is as good a time as any.

Suspense aired on the CBS radio network from 1942 through to 1962 unlike other programs like Lights Out, Inner Sanctum or even the Shadow which established an identity and although there may have been a significant change in the host, casting or director, the series maintained that identity. Suspense during it's long run never really strived for that embossed trademark, rather their quality thriller based scripts with numerous Hollywood contemporary actors and actresses, and a revolving door of 10 different directors and as many as 15 different writers, always remained relevant and fresh for their audience. Not to say the show didn't have a feel of it's own with a distinct opening and few of the hosts using the nom de plume "the Man in Black", but its identity was more so marked by the fact it actually maintained a pretty consistent formula in the majority of it's episodes where an average individual such that the audience could relate were suddenly immersed in a bizarre, terrifying or mysterious situation, with the solution remaining obscure until the very end.

The Radio series survived through the novelty of television which all but erased numerous radio programs from existence. Ironically the radio series actually spun of it's own television program which it outlived as the television series only ran from 1949-1954 with a brief revival in 1962.

So here is today's offering:

Suspense: The thing in the window

(Linked from OTR.net)

House of the Dead: Overkill

2009-02-27T14:48:00.004-06:00

If your looking for monsters in modern horror well then you've likely noticed that zombies are all the rage (ok even 4SJ would have choked on that pun). Zombies are really the predominant monster in modern horror although I would recon Vampires are still a close second. Damn good thing that can I enjoy a good (or often a bad) living dead film as a lot of other modern sub genres really do nothing for me.

So amid the commercial outpouring of Zombie fare I landed myself a copy of the video game "House of the Dead: Overkill" for the Wii. Let it be known I'm not a gamer and own and play very few titles so this isn't a review for that crowd, rather one coming from a horror film fan who happens to own a Wii.

The visual appearance of the game is satisfactory, although admidetly less refined than games on other console systems, but compared to the Wii's usual 8 bit looking 3D stick people the game looks fantastic for the platform. Appearance of a zombie game is pretty damned important in my books.
The game play is a bit primative. The game simply walks you through the story and offers little more than a carnival style point and shoot. Hell we saw that with the original Nintendo Entertainment System and liht gun og the '80s, and other more primative systems have offered more indepth zombie games such as Resident Evil and even the Nintend DS title Touch the Dead is more interactive. So I'm not sure the gamers out there will be lining up for this one (on the upside if it should likley be hitting previously enjoyed shevlves not long from now for those who may be looking to buy it) . But alas the NES lightgun is long dead and hasn't been revived by anyother system, meaning first person shooter games are at best with te didgital representaion of a gun barel being controled by a pair of joysticks. The hands on gun-in-hand aspect of the Wiireally brngs the enjoyment level of thsi game up a knotch and is a welcomed addition to the first person shooter games.

As a Movie fan there are some aspects that make the game well worth my financial investment. Although the game is rather linear and the system has other titles that are more interactive first-person-shooters I'm not holding that against the game, after all I bought this for one reason and one reason alone, blowing away the hordes of living dead, and that it delivers in spades. Second is the Grind House theme. The whole game is done up like a nasty 70's grind house feature with all that implies (well ok, not ALL that implies as the game lacks the nudity.)

Light entertainment, virtual gore and a bazillion brain munching living corpse to scag and a toy gun, what more could one want?

The Time Machine of the Macabre

2009-02-26T12:37:00.004-06:00

Greetings and condolences fellow (time)travelers. Hey Check it out!!!! Uncle Forry would get a kick out of this one! I have just now realized that a promise I made in December has not been fulfilled, and for that I am ashamed. But today I look to make amends and honour that commitment by going back in time to February the 26th to uphold my promise. Upon the passing of Uncle Forry I committed that I would honour his memory with a post bimonthly in the tradition he set forth with a likewise commitment to the memory of Lon Chaney Sr. Seeing that the records show that Forry himself slipped up on said promise, I trust his ephemeral hereafter will smile warmly and forgive my transgression. (or was there one at all?????) Cheers to you Forrest J.

Hey check out this piece of 4E flotsam of fiction. A nice compilation of short stories assembled by the Ackermonster.

Compiled by
Forrest J Ackerman (Dr. Acula)
Edited by Lynne Rock
284 pages, 6"x 9", illustrated
Trade Paper: ISBN 0-918736-30-7

Available for online order at Rock Publishing

OTR Tuesday:

2009-02-24T12:20:00.003-06:00

Greetings once again fellow travelers. What brings you to my fireside this dark cold evening? Perhaps it was the warm glow of the small fire, or perhaps the scratchy, droning voices emanating from this old radio, carrying through the thin night air. Well gather closer friend have a mug of hot tea and listen with me to today's offerings form the golden age of radio. This from the NBC series Sleep No More. A lesser know series than Suspense, Inner Sanctum or even the Witches Tale, host Nelson Olmsted hosts this series straight up much like Arch Obler did with Lights Out!. The most noticeable departure is that the story is orrated to the audience as one would read book to a child, and not presented as a scripted play the way we are most familliar.

Sleep No More: The Woman in Grey

100 things to do with a corpse

2009-02-23T13:48:00.005-06:00

So you've still got a few dead bodies about just taking up space?, well here's another home and garden tip...

Use # 83: Use them in your out door planter boxes.
They're fun conversation pieces and lend that easy-going, peaceful, relaxed feeling to your garden space. Plus they provide great nutrients to the soil when they begin to decompose.

Post Mortem: The Mist

2009-02-21T10:52:00.007-06:00

The Finale: SPOILER ALERT

Greetings and condolences once again. I think it time we get back on track here with some of the regular features I have instituted in the past here on the Blogue. Before we begin, I'll just introduce this segment for the new travelers who have stumbled across my camp on the banks of the Styx. At the onset of the Blogue Macabre I decided there were enough Horror blogs reviewing movies, and while I may occasionally sound off on one from time to time, being a review site didn't appeal to me. So I decided that I would cut to the juicy bits and review the death scenes from various films instead. Now you're up to speed lets get to the task at hand.

As the lead states I'm going to dive into an analysis of the final sequence of THE MIST. If you haven't seen it yet (I'll have to assume you died before 2007 and have just got out of purgatory) I will offer the courtesy of telling you that this Post Mortem is a pretty big spoiler. That said I equally feel that this is one of the crappiest endings in horror movie history and knowing it before actually viewing the movie might make the experience more palpable. As a matter of fact the reason I chose this scene for this segment is because I dislike it so much, but thought I should give it the benefit of a proper post mortem. A fair trial before condemnation I suppose.

Manner of Death: Murder/Suicide. Yes, that is correct, the remaining cast decided to skag themselves in the face of despair and hopelessness. This scene is quite simply there to provide the shock factor and gain media attention hoping to parlay that into bigger box office bucks. Don't get me wrong, blowing your and/or your loved ones gray matter all over the wall is fair game. But there's a time and place for everything, and here just wasn't it. All Hell coming down on you and you drop that match in the pool of gasoline as a final act of defiance, choosing your terms for death and taking scores of evil minions with you, is a good time and place. You and /or your loved one has been bitten by a Zombie, and preserve your/their eternal dignity when the inevitable comes is a good time and place. Sacrificing your life so that your high school sweetheart can survive, even if it means she's likely to knock boots with your room mate after your passing is acceptable too. But because you've run out of gas and don't know what's going to happen next and your afraid that you MIGHT be killed and eaten by a pan-dimensional insect is not a good reason. Hell if it were I'd probably have popped myself a few times by now I figure.

So OK, that said how am I going to score this? Well here is the parameters I have set up for this category way back when...Manner of Death: How did the Character Die? Was it interesting? Creative? Well suited to the story? Otherwise satisfying or disturbing to the audience? . Was it interesting? I have to say no. Creative? I see no real creativity here, so NO again. Well suited to the story? Hmmm, since the Characters spend the previous 123 minutes doing everything imaginable to stay alive including committing cold blooded murder, only to kill them selves 4 to 6 hours later. Yeah they flee the supermarket and drive off into the mist until they run out of gas. I don't know about you, but even with a full tank my car can't run for much longer than 6-7 hours tops. So a HUGE NO here. Otherwise disturbing/satisfying? Well yes I guess they got the desired shock factor so I'll give them two skulls for that. Why two, well because I'm trying to be fair.

Effect on Story: Again here are the parameters... Did the character's death forward the plot of the film in any significant or meaningful way? Did it provide tension, character motivation, a sense of impending doom or vulnerability to the other characters? This is the only Category that will be ranked on it's relation to the rest of the film and not it's individual merits.
That said I truly feel the film would have been better served by leaving this on the cutting room floor. Mind you it does provide definite conclusion to the film and while I feel the story would be better without, I admit I might be writing that without conclusion the film would seem that it was only half completed. While the murder/suicides didn't forward the plot of the film whatsoever, it did alter the audience's perception of the film greatly, it did provide a moment of dread and tension (some of us dreaded the character's impending actions, others of us dreaded the director's choice to cop out on a very solid classic style monster flick up to that point). The sense of impending doom was the point of the scene, but it wasn't there. As I had stated previously, the film makers do not provide enough substance to make it convincing that the characters would choose to act in a manner contradictory to how they had established themselves in the previous two hours of screen time. How it motivated the characters?, well I suppose it would have made the character of David Drayton, the father even more bound and determined to commit suicide, but we didn't get that morsel. But because I have clearly stated that it is the intent of this category to rate it with it's relation to the rest of the movie, in which it fails miserably, I will on the reverse side give back one kadahm to honour the fact that it was apparently the film makers wishes to sacrifice their film for the sake of a shocking conclusion and that it did.

Appearance and/or Visual Direction: You know, I can't fault Frank Darabont for his keen eye and skills behind the camera. In a scene that takes place primarily in the cab of a vehicle surrounded by impenetrable fog the scene looks good (especially in the B&W version, which if you haven't seen, the previous 2 hours in this format is worth the cost of purchasing this film on DVD). His choice to cut to the vehicles exterior while he shoots the trucks occupants and we simply see the muzzle flash illuminate the interior at each retort works really well.

Mood: OK, before I come across as hypocritical here this category is again scene specific, and not scored in relation the the film in it's entirety. Assessing the mood of this scene completely on its own merits apart from the rest of the story...

Acting: OK the players did their part, and the acting of Thomas Jane was better than average.

Tally time. A scene I have clearly established my dislike for, but how does it hold up to the rack? Well final score is 14.5/25 58% or D+.

Gary Macabre

Moment of Horror #4

2009-02-19T21:25:00.003-06:00

Again from the silent dawn of Horror Cinema, another great moment. From one of my all time favourite films, the 1925 version of Phantom of the Opera, the unmasking of Eric. The mysterious figure first shown to the audience in shadow, and later as a masked phantom is finally revealed to not only Christine, but is filmed specifically that the impact of his grotesque features are right out front for the theatre audience's shock and horror.

Bad Ads: Sea Monkeys

2009-02-18T06:01:00.003-06:00

You know some how this one slipped through the gaps in my brain...

RONDO TIME!!!!

2009-02-17T05:51:00.002-06:00

Well folks it time for horror Fans to get off their duffs and vote for the best works in the Horror/Fantasy/Sci-Fi genre for 2008. It's Rondo Award Time!

And amongst it all both Blogue Macabre and The Many Faces of the Frankenstein Monster (or simply theFrankensteinMonster.com) have been given the great honour of being nominated!!!! And of course a hearty congratulations to my fellow LOTTD members and everyone who was nominated this year.

Here is the all important link to the Rondo ballot, so get out there and vote (even if it's not for me)
RONDO AWARDS

Guest Blogger Professor Anton Griffin

2009-02-13T06:21:00.002-06:00

TODAY is his Birthday.

Greetings Night Creatures! Prof. Griffin here.

I am very excited!
Tonight, I return to Camp Crystal Lake. Yes, tonight, at Midnight, I will visit an old friend.

Once again, I think it’s important to try and remember that all of this started with an 11 year old boy who really just wanted to swim.
Remember that physically deficient child (a sweet boy according to his mother) who needed special care and attention, but instead was left to drown in the cold, cold waters of Crystal Lake?
Remember?

Remember how that tragedy became a nightmare of loss?
Remember how that loss exploded in bloody fury beginning with a mother’s wrath, thunder and lightning, and continuing in the deep dark forest at night for many years?

The slaughter continued with numerous sharp weapons, screams, vicious attacks, axes, a hockey mask, and a killer so violent, so brutal, that he could almost be classified as a force of nature.

My beloved Friday the 13th series has covered it all… revenge and anger, lust and fear, supernatural power and the living dead…

It spawned countless imitators and was often referenced in mass media. Most of the references were jokes of course, and mainstream media responded to the series with countless insults. Mockery by critics and condemnation by morality groups were common but the filmmakers had laughed all the way to the bank. The original Friday the 13th was made for just under $500,000 and made $37 Million!!! Recent figures place the profit for the entire series to be in the vicinity of $250 Million dollars.

And it all started with that boy- Jason Voorhees.

And tonight (for me and other Night Owls) he returns.

Since I first heard of the RE-IMAGINING of the Friday the 13th series, I’ve been skeptical and have feared the worse.
It was filmed right here in my town of Austin and Derek Mears (the new Jason Voorhees) has been spotted all over town. I even know crew members who’ve worked on the film…I’ve honestly never been this close to a Friday the 13th film in its history.

However, since the disappointing Rob Zombie Halloween, my wiser, older- self begrudgingly has accepted that half-hearted remakes of my old slasher favorites are a fact of Hollywood and that nothing I can write and rant about can change that.

I really tried to watch Zombie’s remake of Michael Myers homecoming night with an open mind but ended up getting angry and missing Carpenter’s sublime and creepy almost bloodless masterpiece.
Recently, My Bloody Valentine brought Harry Warden back with a great hook…3-D!!! And the pissed off miner with a mean pickaxe arm was given a nice national spread and was marketed like he has never been before. I enjoyed that but I didn’t get too excited.
I guess I was amused...yes that's accurate.

But the Sultan of Slaughter is different for me.
I’ve seen them all...(Friday the 13th through Freddy vs. Jason)numerous times, but for me, my affection for the series and the character goes beyond more than being a fan of the films.
I have models, toys, figures, posters, props, autographs and books on the series...I have the original promo release Alice Cooper song, ‘He’s Back’ 45 from ‘Jason Lives’ and the 3-D glasses from Part 3.
I even researched and wrote a series of exhaustive love letters/essays to the series entitled ‘Unlucky Days’ that can be read compiled in my book, Midnight Shadow Show Professor Griffin Journals (still available on Amazon! Shameless I know...LOL)

But beyond all my geeky ultra-fandom…the series means so much more to me.
It all came back to me recently. This much maligned, popcorn death filled series of films... made me young.

I’m 39 years old. 40 looms before me like a specter and while I do not fear getting old and I laugh at my obvious signs of aging (my poor memory, strange sudden limitations on what I can eat, and how late I am capable of staying up, how little I can drink alcohol before getting sleepy and going to bed, and I rarely...RARELY smoke a cigar anymore), I miss being excited about a good old fashioned slasher film. I miss doodling images of a hockey-masked wearing killer on my school notebooks, and recounting the most vicious on-screen slaughter. I miss the thrill of a packed auditorium screaming and laughing and cheering and talking to the screen as lightning flashes and blood flows.

I miss Friday the 13th.

The last time I felt like this was in 2002.
April 2002, to be exact. I remember...I was watching television when suddenly the New Line symbol appeared in red and the trailer for Jason X played before my eyes accompanied by a heavy metal thrash hit.

“Let the Bodies Hit the Floor! Let the Bodies hit the Floor! Let the Bodies hit the Floor!”
-‘Bodies’ by Drowning Pool.

I couldn’t believe it. There he was before my eyes...Jason, back again after a long hiatus. I hadn’t seen him since the misfire of Jason Goes to Hell! Moving, hacking, swinging, punching, attacking…all set to Drowning Pool’s hit song, Bodies. What a perfect song for a slasher trailer! What a perfect song for The Sultan of Slaughter! At that time, my heart raced, and I felt it.
I felt a surge, a thrill, a rush of excitement, the kind I hadn’t felt since the good old days. The television trailer thrilled me and for the first time in a long time I said to myself...”Oh I’ve got to see that opening night!!!”

And by God, I did. It was a memorable night.

Even 2003’s Freddy vs. Jason (as fun as it was) didn’t give me the thrill of being a gore-hound horror fan. Maybe it was because I was so close to the premiere with all stars in attendance and involved with New Line directly with my local Freddy and Jason primer show... maybe it’s because Freddy vs. Jason seemed like WORK to me (planning out our show, our appearance, the promos etc)...maybe in the end, it wasn’t a Friday the 13th movie, but a ‘What If’ style of a mish-mash of two horror universes. It was a thrilling bloody good time, to be sure, but it did not give me the classic Friday the 13th thrill.

It’s been 6 years now...and the woods have been seemingly safe. But tonight...at midnight, all that will change.

This seems to be a classic Friday the 13th Movie. It has all the elements right, (according to the trailers) fun-loving beautiful and handsome teens, drinking, partying, smoking, (and apparently in one memorable shot topless water-skiing!!!), dire warnings from the locals about the dangers of the woods (Crazy Ralph-style), a tragedy and a mother driven to bloody rage and madness and a maniacally strong angry human-beast in a hockey mask in the woods with sharp weapons.

The bodies will hit the floor tonight, and for the first time in YEARS...I’ll be in attendance at a Midnight Premiere Show. Oh my 39-year old self will hate it in the morning...but I CANNOT and WILL NOT miss this.
For the first time in many years, since 1986’s part VI: Jason Lives, I think we’ll be treated to a SERIOUS Friday the 13th horror film that might go for the scares and the serious kills.

(Apologies to my friend John Carl Buechler who’s Part VII: the New Blood sincerely attempted to bring Jason back to his frightening roots with amazing effects and gore…most of which ended on the cutting room floor).

Think about it. It won’t be Freddy vs. Jason and it won’t be the self-referential Jason X ...heck it’s won’t even be A New beginning or (thank God) Jason Takes Manhattan.
I have a really good feeling about this. I think we’re all about to be treated to a return to the CLASSIC Jason Voorhees.

Remember the guy who pinned Crispin Glover’s hand to the counter with a corkscrew and planted a meat cleaver in his face in the short time before it took him to make a single sound? Remember the guy who ripped morgue attendant Axel's neck with a hacksaw and violently twisted his head 160 degrees around? Remember the guy who chopped Andy in half as he walked on his hands in part 3?

Well. I think THAT guy is back. And me? Well that Gore-Hound, who stayed up late and watched splatter films rented from a local mom and pop store, walked to my local one-screen grindhouse-style neighborhood theatre to watch late-night double features and hung Fangoria Posters of carnage and death on his wall? Well, I guess he’s back too.

Jason will never die.

As long as fans of the series are around, and there’s money to be made, Jason Voorhees will stalk us in the darkest corners of our fears. Beware! Deep in the woods there lurks a monster, an enraged beast that kills. Stay out of the woods and you MAY be safe, but remember, as Alice Cooper sang, “he knows your house!”

Ki Ki Ki Ma Ma Ma!!.

The thunder rumbles through the sky and the lightning flashes illuminate the world. The rain pours down keeping a steady rhythmic beat on the room of your cabin in the woods. Inside you are safe and warm, the fireplace is casting a soft warm glow. The object of your affections is pressed up next to you, warm and comforting.
SUDDENLY the door to the cabin blows open filling your love nest with rain and wind…as you look up a huge figure is silhouetted against the lightning flashes. His hulking form fills the doorway. The figure is bald, and wears a hockey mask. Clutched in his hand, dripping with rain, is a long handled axe. The smell of rot fills the room and your heart is racing. The figure studies you for a moment, apparently remembering some ancient past sin committed against it (he just wanted to swim) then purposefully stalks forward.

You have just enough time to scream.

Welcome back Jason.
Look out!

A modern Icon returns

2009-02-12T20:42:00.007-06:00

Horror Cinema is a magical thing. Action films spawn heroes which, like the effects in the films from which they are born, burn bright and hot, yet fade quickly and are as quickly forgotten as the next star explodes onto the scene. Dramas spawn heart throbs and leading ladies which wither with age, manically trying to cling to popularity with tiring typecast rolls. The Westerns have given us legendary persona's. But only Horror films have given us true icons. Images burned into the public consciousness not as actors, nor even as characters, but distilled to something more eternal in the mind's eye, as vibrant and intense images.

Oh, you don't believe me? Well I challenge you then. Ask five people under the age of 25 who the following 10 people/characters are: Jean Claude VanDam, Chuck Norris, Julia Roberts, Faye Dunaway, Brad Pitt, Ingrid Bergman, Harry Callaghan, Scarlett O'Hara, Hondo Lane, Sam Spade.

Now ask the same people if they could identify the Frankenstein Monster, Dracula, the Wolf Man, Freddy Kruger and of Course Jason from Friday the 13th, and I bet the results will contrast quite considerably. As much as I hate to admit it, Boris Karloff, Bella Lugosi, Peter Lorre and Lon Chaney (Jr. and Sr.), legends of horror suffer the same fate, but the characters they portrayed are eternal. How many different faces played Dracula or the Frankenstein monster? But their images are as recognizable in our society as those of Jesus of Nazareth and Abraham Lincoln.

Indeed there were better written screen plays, more intriguing characters, and scarier tales than Friday the 13th, but as much as I personally prefer the Halloween films, I cannot deny that Jason Voorhees is the face of horror through the 80's an iconic image just as prevalent and recognizable as Dracula.

In an era that redefined the horror genre with blood fests and Slasher flicks the Friday the13th franchise defined them all and has placed the goalie masked visage of Jason into our cultural identity.

Dismiss the Friday the 13th films as tired and out dated, or even lame and childish if you like, but remember that they have achieved what historic films like Bridge on the River Kwai, Citizen Cane, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Ben Hur, and even Gone with the Wind never could.

Here's to hoping that this newest installment hearkens back to those early years of the franchise while in its prime.

G. Macabre

A further guide to zombie Planning: Firearms pt.2

2009-02-09T12:12:00.003-06:00

Now we've taken a short trip through the overall types of firearms, we have to get a little deeper if we're going to do this right. So in part two we'll cover a bit on actions and ammunition because there's a lot more to a boom stick than a barrel, a trigger and some magical force that makes things go splat.

The action is the mechanism that places the round in the chamber and by pulling the trigger releases the firing pin, which strikes the primer of cartridge, thus igniting the powder which forces the bullet out the barrel. OK got that, simple enough right. So lets do this in the same format as part one.

Also this is a bit of a generalization, as some makes and models may have features that do not completely coincide with the norms I state here, for example the model 1885 Winchester lever action which is a top loading box magazine rifle which shoots various full caliber center fire rifle cartridges does not fit with every +or- I have listed with lever action rifles.

Long Arms, Carbine rifles and Shotguns: Antique and specialty arms aside there are five basic actions: Bolt, Lever, Pump, Semi-automatic/automatic and Break actions. Now there are variations within each category, but we're talking about zombies here, not instructing a full firearms course and even then that's getting a bit too involved, so lets just stick with those for now.

Bolt Action: This is the simplest type of action there is, a round is placed in the receiver/body of the gun either manually or through the magazine, the bolt containing the firing pin is then closed manually cocking the firearm and pushing the cartridge into the chamber to be fired. The bolt is manually opened extracting the spent casing. Now the important stuff, how does this affect your zombie plan?

+ Simplicity: Fewer moving mechanical parts means less room for error and malfunction. With a horde of zombies within the gates, it is not a good time for a gun to pack it in.

+ Tear Down and Maintenance: Hand in hand with simplicity, bolt actions are very simple to take apart and clean or perform other necessary maintenance. Remember a clean firearm is a working firearm. Lets face it society has collapsed, and it could be a long time to get replacement parts.

+ Single shot capability: Ammunition can be manually loaded individually directly into the chamber. This may not seem like a big plus, but say you've used all the rounds loaded into your gun and only have a loose pocket or box of them and there's that next zombie coming at you. Not having to manually load a magazine and then chamber a round may be more significant than you might first think.

+ Accuracy: Largely because of their simplicity and fewest moving parts and locking bolt, bolt action rifles are generally considered the most accurate rifles.

- Full Recoil: With the bolt locked in place the full recoil of the rifle firing is coming back at you. If you've got a lot of zombies to shoot that can become quite tiring after a while. Fatigue will affect your shooting accuracy and more misses means more precious ammo wasted.

- Slower rate of fire: Typically bolt actions rifles will be significantly slower to get that next round chambered. A lower rate of fire means the advancing zombies might get through that door or window and into the room and then things start looking grim. I will point out the obvious exception here is the legendary speed of the Lee Enfield action where, German forces advancing during the early days of WWI thought the British had machine guns because of the rate of fire. Standard training requirements were that a British soldier had to be able to fire off a minimum of 15 aimed shots and hit a 200yd target in one minute. With practice one could easily exceed this.

- Left hand awkward: Only commercial sporting arms are manufactured for left hand use. While I know left handed shooters how have gotten quite proficient with right hand bolts, cycling the action manually with each shot to repel a zombie attack would still be limiting. Not an issue if you're right handed obviously.

Lever Action: The classic cowboy rifle, the Winchester lever action is legendary. The first rifle to be manufactured for today's smokeless powders, the Winchester model 1894, or simply 94 (also practically synonymous with the term 30-30 which was created for this gun)has been in production from 1894 to 2006 and the basic design is still in production from other notable manufacturers.

+ Ease of Operation: With a simple downward flick of the wrists another round is chambered and you're ready to knock down another corpse. By utilizing only one simple motion to eject and re-chamber another round and by utilizing gross motor coordination rather than fine motor skills, these are quite possibly the finest choices of manually operated actions.

+ Great ergonomics: Short, light and magnificently well balanced these guns are a dream to shoulder and shoot. Less time thinking and aiming is good when you turn a corner and find yourself face to face with a half dozen living dead.

+ Rapid rate of fire: By the ease of operation, rapid rate of fire is a given, and the less time between shots means less time for the Zombies to advance.

+ Easy reload: the classic loading trap on the side of the receiver works so well it is simple enough to load ammunition into the tube magazine in complete darkness.

+ Left hand friendly: If you're a lefty these are equally easy to shoot and operate, although they typically load on the right.

+\- Interchangeable ammunition: Many lever action rifles are made to use the same ammunition that you would use in a hand gun, which works great for interchangeability, especially between a rifle and a hand gun! Almost an ideal situation if out in no-man's land (at the expense of range and power of course). However the .30-30 and .45-70 ammunition is almost exclusive to these guns without much cross over with many other firearms.

+\- Recoil: While the lever action rifles do have full recoil which can beat on a person especially if using the grand 'ol .45-70 big bores, the classic .30-30 and pistol rounds are quite reasonable with far less felt recoil than the usual center fire bolt action rifles.

-slow reload: simple or not one round must be pushed in manually one behind the other and this is a time consuming process.

- Not single shot friendly: A round must be inserted into the magazine before it can be properly chambered. Although it is possible to top load into the chamber on some models, you will likely face extraction issues.

- Mechanically Complex: While they have been around for over a century and have a record for reliability, there is still a lot more that can go wrong than in a bolt action. Tear down and reassembly in the field is not much of an option here. Not a rifle you want to drop in the sewer.

- Tactical reloads difficult: While I understand it's not so problematic for pistol caliber leverguns, it's near impossible to "top up" the .30-30 or larger caliber rifles as the next round to feed into the chamber blocks the loading trap, thus the rifle must be completely emptied before it can be reloaded.

- short range: Typically Lever action rifles are carbine length and considered brush guns with an effective range not typically exceeding 150 yards.

Pump Action: Typical for the shotgun, but also available for centre fire rifles.

+ Ease of operation: Again a simple hand/arm movement and your ready for the next zombie.

+ left hand friendly: The mechanics work equally well with either hand. (In fact that is the reason this was my first rifle, as I naturally draw to my left)

+\- reload speed: While some models now use removable magazines, many (especially shotguns) must be loaded in a tube magazine one round at a time which can be time consuming.

- Full recoil: Again the full force of the boom is coming back at you. Be careful here as ammunition that is loaded with extra powder can and will cause failures that a bolt action can absorb.

- Mechanically complex: While not as complex as the lever action, they are likely the most prone to experiencing feed problems. Care and cleaning is also more difficult.

- Loss of accuracy: While some will argue with me here it's pretty much commonly accepted that they are less accurate than bolt or lever action rifles at range. Some of that is in the mechanics of the action, some of that is the exaggerated arm movement required to chamber the next round and get the second shot off quickly unsettles the shooter. But the CLACK-CLACK-BOOM sure looks and feels cool.

Break Action: Major limitations here, but some good points I suppose.

+ Accuracy: Break action single shot rifles are likely the most accurate rifles out there, but are few and far between and I don't think I'd want on as my primary firearm in a zombie holocaust.

+ Simplicity: Really it doesn't get any simpler than this does it. Again care and cleaning is simple.

+Single shot capable: Well this is a no brainer (hmm, interesting pun choice...), but the poor reload rate really kind of negates this advantage.

- Reload rate: Many older break actions require the spent shell or cartridge to be removed manually slowing things up even more.

- Reduced capacity: One or two shots tops is not a good thing no matter how you cut it.

- OK really those two negatives really outweigh the previous positives by a pretty wide margin.

Automatic/semi-automatic: let's face it given the choice this is the one that the majority of gun junkies are going to grab. Whether or not that's a good thing remains to be seen, but the concept has proven itself time and again the world over in every major military conflict since the second world war. I have lumped auto and semi-auto together because they are basically the same concept just a minor variation in function.

+ Ease of operation: Load that clip or magazine, chamber the first round and away she goes until it's time to reload. All you have to do is squeeze the trigger and zombies drop.

+ Reduced recoil: The design of the Automatic/semi firearm utilizes gas pressure and recoil to cycle the firearm and in effect reduces the amount of felt recoil. Making it easier for the shooter to regain his sights on the next target quicker, and at the same time be less punishing on the shooter.

+ Reload speed: All semi/auto firearms are fed with a clip or removable magazine making reloading quick and simple.

+\- Rate of fire: Rate of fire in an automatic rifle is frankly a double edged sword. Spray and pray may work well for living opponents, but against the zombie horde, it's a waste of precious ammunition. While the semi-automatic is an infinitely better choice, and truly maxes out zombie plugging potential with rate of fire, the operator must exercise discipline because it too is almost too damn easy just to let fly with a five round burst wasting ammo and achieving nothing but making you reload all that much sooner.

- Complex design: Again a lot more to go wrong here mechanically and harder to maintain in the field. Semi-automatic rifles require a better cleaning regime to ensure they work properly. That said some designs have an uncanny history of working in the most appalling conditions with a mind boggling record, (can you say Kalashnikov).

- no single shot capability: Not as big down fall here as with other designs because of the quick reload.

- Ammunition related failures: Because this design utilizes the gas pressures of a discharging cartridge to cycle the action, another factor of ammunition tolerances becomes an issue not found in other manually operated actions. While this may not be an issue with plenty of good ammo and reloading supplies available on the market, come Z day that may change. Poor quality or "dirty" ammo will foul the rifle much quicker rendering the rifle useless if gas ports are clogged. Particularly poor quality ammo has been known to cause this to happen within the first dozen rounds fired. A gun that doesn't fire is a club at best, and it's hard to club yourself to death if that's what it comes down to.

Handguns: Again antique and specialty arms aside there are two basic actions, the revolver and the automatic pistol (automatic here does not mean continuous fire, simply auto loading).

Revolvers: Revolvers come in two styles, the single action revolver and the double action revolver. Single actions are quite primitive antique or antique clone guns which require the hammer be cocked manually (simultaneously rotating the cylinder) and the trigger simply releases the hammer. Great for Westerns and cowboy action shooting, but a bit ponderous with the walking dead coming at you at close range. With the double action revolver squeezing the trigger performs both actions in order.

+ Simplicity: Again fewer parts mean potentially fewer problems. Also cleaning and maintenance is simple.

- Slow reload rate: While some makes had design components that made reloading quicker and easier, it is still a relatively slow process, and when zombies are within handgun range, every second counts.

- low capacity: While 8 round revolvers aren't uncommon, most anything in a calibre most suitable such as the .45 are going to be the classic six shooter. And reloading often with a slow reload rate, well lets just say you should remember to count how many shots you've fired, because you'll likely be wanting to save one for yourself.

Automatic pistols: Not new technology, the automatic pistol was widely in uses as early as 1911 and operates much the same as the self loading rifles. Again available in single and double action, however as function goes it's not as big a deal. A single action automatic pistols performs just like the self loading rifles, load, cock and blast away until empty. Double action automatic hand guns do not require an initial cocking action.

+ Rate of fire: Double action revolvers, eliminating that first step in cocking speeds things up a bit. Typically if entering a dangerous situation with a single action however, one would likely have the weapon cocked and ready anyway. With both actions the ability to get that second shot off in a hurry is of major importance at this close range.

+ Large magazine capacity: An automatic pistol with a 9-15 round magazine is the norm, and the more shots in the gun means a better chance of getting out of there unscathed.

+ Quick reload rate. Automatic pistols are quickest of all firearms to reload. This is a huge plus.

- Complex design: More maintenance is required to keep them working properly and cleaning is more labour intensive. But with smaller pistol rounds the good news is they're less likely to be as dramatically affected by dirty ammo than a rifle.

Quickly on ammunition, as really there a a whole multitude of ammunition choices available. The bigger is not always better. I mean come on you're taking out rotting corpses not Wildebeast. A well placed .22 will likely do the trick, but it's best if you give yourself a bit of wiggle room, utterly destroying the Zombies brain is a better plan than simply putting a hole through it, so select calibers that will do that whenever possible. Hand guns I would recommend no smaller than .38 or a 9mm if you cannot handle the recoil and your accuracy suffers, but a .40 or .45 would be more effective if you can shoot it well. For rifle rounds I would recommend anything that is legal for big game hunting (specifically deer or other thin skinned game). .30cal is a great choice as there are more .30cal variations available than any other, which means lost of available reloading supplies regardless of what specific round you choose.
Some military rounds are better choices than others. The current NATO 7.62X51 round is great if you have access to active military supplies, but there's not much of it on the civilian surplus market anymore. The British .303 has effectively gone extinct as far as surplus ammunition goes (and that which is out there is crap to my understanding), but is readily available as a commercial sporting round. Russian 7.62x39 surplus on the other hand is quite plentiful and inexpensive if you're stocking up. But keep in mind it will not be as easy to find while scavenging as commercial hunting ammunition.
Shotguns are popular Zombie busting fare, but as I had mentioned previously shot size is far more than gauge. Stick with buck shot of at least #4 and avoid small game loads as they will do nothing to stop all but the mushiest brain muncher.

The Jackalope

2009-02-07T13:50:00.003-06:00

This was posted on one of the forums I frequent. This hideous piece of folk art I truly find to be nightmarish enough to include here. carved on the butt stock of a rifle this thing has the makings of a horror story all of it's own. I mean it looks like it was skinned and is now really pissed off. And the claws on the thing are nuts. We're talking Jersey Devil,Chupacabras and the Goat Man levels here. Imagine this this thing stalking the wood of your home state or province dripping blood and wielding a fire axe. Supernatural slasher classic here for the amateur film maker I must say.

Speaking of Zombies...

2009-01-29T18:54:00.002-06:00

Check out this news item... Warning signs

A further guide to zombie Planning: Firearms pt.2

2009-01-24T22:21:00.013-06:00

Now we've taken a short trip through the overall types of firearms, we have to get a little deeper if we're going to do this right. So in part two we'll cover a bit on actions and ammunition because there's a lot more to a boom stick than a barrel, a trigger and some magical force that makes things go splat.

The action is the mechanism that places the round in the chamber and by pulling the trigger releases the firing pin, which strikes the primer of cartridge, thus igniting the powder which forces the bullet out the barrel. OK got that, simple enough right. So lets do this in the same format as part one.

Also this is a bit of a generalization, as some makes and models may have features that do not completely coincide with the norms I state here, for example the model 1885 Winchester lever action which is a top loading box magazine rifle which shoots various full caliber center fire rifle cartridges does not fit with every +or- I have listed with lever action rifles.

Long Arms, Carbine rifles and Shotguns: Antique and specialty arms aside there are five basic actions: Bolt, Lever, Pump, Semi-automatic/automatic and Break actions. Now there are variations within each category, but we're talking about zombies here, not instructing a full firearms course and even then that's getting a bit too involved, so lets just stick with those for now.

Bolt Action: This is the simplest type of action there is, a round is placed in the receiver/body of the gun either manually or through the magazine, the bolt containing the firing pin is then closed manually cocking the firearm and pushing the cartridge into the chamber to be fired. The bolt is manually opened extracting the spent casing. Now the important stuff, how does this affect your zombie plan?

+ Simplicity: Fewer moving mechanical parts means less room for error and malfunction. With a horde of zombies within the gates, it is not a good time for a gun to pack it in.

+ Tear Down and Maintenance: Hand in hand with simplicity, bolt actions are very simple to take apart and clean or perform other necessary maintenance. Remember a clean firearm is a working firearm. Lets face it society has collapsed, and it could be a long time to get replacement parts.

+ Single shot capability: In many bolt action rifles ammunition can be manually loaded individually directly into the chamber. This may not seem like a big plus, but say you've used all the rounds loaded into your gun and only have a loose pocket or box of them and there's that next zombie coming at you. Not having to manually load a magazine and then chamber a round may be more significant than you might first think.

+ Accuracy: Largely because of their simplicity and fewest moving parts and locking bolt, bolt action rifles are generally considered the most accurate rifles.

- Full Recoil: With the bolt locked in place the full recoil of the rifle firing is coming back at you. If you've got a lot of zombies to shoot that can become quite tiring after a while. Fatigue will affect your shooting accuracy and more misses means more precious ammo wasted.

- Slower rate of fire: Typically bolt actions rifles will be significantly slower to get that next round chambered. A lower rate of fire means the advancing zombies might get through that door or window and into the room and then things start looking grim. I will point out the obvious exception here is the legendary speed of the Lee Enfield action where, German forces advancing during the early days of WWI thought the British had machine guns because of the rate of fire. Standard training requirements were that a British soldier had to be able to fire off a minimum of 15 aimed shots and hit a 200yd target in one minute. With practice one could easily exceed this.

- Left hand awkward: Only commercial sporting arms are manufactured for left hand use. While I know left handed shooters how have gotten quite proficient with right hand bolts, cycling the action manually with each shot to repel a zombie attack would still be limiting. Not an issue if you're right handed obviously.

Lever Action: The classic cowboy rifle, the Winchester lever action is legendary. The first rifle to be manufactured for today's smokeless powders, the Winchester model 1894, or simply 94 (also practically synonymous with the term 30-30 which was created for this gun)has been in production from 1894 to 2006 and the basic design is still in production from other notable manufacturers.

+ Ease of Operation: With a simple downward flick of the wrists another round is chambered and you're ready to knock down another corpse. By utilizing only one simple motion to eject and re-chamber another round and by utilizing gross motor coordination rather than fine motor skills, these are quite possibly the finest choices of manually operated actions.

+ Great ergonomics: Short, light and magnificently well balanced these guns are a dream to shoulder and shoot. Less time thinking and aiming is good when you turn a corner and find yourself face to face with a half dozen living dead.

+ Rapid rate of fire: By the ease of operation, rapid rate of fire is a given, and the less time between shots means less time for the Zombies to advance.

+ Easy reload: the classic loading trap on the side of the receiver works so well it is simple enough to load ammunition into the tube magazine in complete darkness.

+ Left hand friendly: If you're a lefty these are equally easy to shoot and operate, although they typically load on the right.

+\- Interchangeable ammunition: Many lever action rifles are made to use the same ammunition that you would use in a hand gun, which works great for interchangeability, especially between a rifle and a hand gun! Almost an ideal situation if out in no-man's land (at the expense of range and power of course). However the .30-30 and .45-70 ammunition is almost exclusive to these guns without much cross over with many other firearms.

+\- Recoil: While the lever action rifles do have full recoil which can beat on a person especially if using the grand 'ol .45-70 big bores, the classic .30-30 and pistol rounds are quite reasonable with far less felt recoil than the usual center fire bolt action rifles.

-slow reload: simple or not one round must be pushed in manually one behind the other and this is a time consuming process.

- Not single shot friendly: A round must be inserted into the magazine before it can be properly chambered. Although it is possible to top load into the chamber on some models, you will likely face extraction issues.

- Mechanically Complex: While they have been around for over a century and have a record for reliability, there is still a lot more that can go wrong than in a bolt action. Tear down and reassembly in the field is not much of an option here. Not a rifle you want to drop in the sewer.

- Tactical reloads difficult: While I understand it's not so problematic for pistol caliber leverguns, it's near impossible to "top up" the .30-30 or larger caliber rifles as the next round to feed into the chamber blocks the loading trap, thus the rifle must be completely emptied before it can be reloaded.

- short range: Typically Lever action rifles are carbine length and considered brush guns with an effective range not typically exceeding 150 yards.

Pump Action: Typical for the shotgun, but also available for centre fire rifles.

+ Ease of operation: Again a simple hand/arm movement and your ready for the next zombie.

+ left hand friendly: The mechanics work equally well with either hand. (In fact that is the reason this was my first rifle, as I naturally draw to my left)

+\- reload speed: While some models now use removable magazines, many (especially shotguns) must be loaded in a tube magazine one round at a time which can be time consuming.

- Full recoil: Again the full force of the boom is coming back at you. Be careful here as ammunition that is loaded with extra powder can and will cause failures that a bolt action can absorb.

- Mechanically complex: While not as complex as the lever action, they are likely the most prone to experiencing feed problems. Care and cleaning is also more difficult.

- Loss of accuracy: While some will argue with me here it's pretty much commonly accepted that they are less accurate than bolt or lever action rifles at range. Some of that is in the mechanics of the action, some of that is the exaggerated arm movement required to chamber the next round and get the second shot off quickly unsettles the shooter. But the CLACK-CLACK-BOOM sure looks and feels cool.

Break Action: Major limitations here, but some good points I suppose.

+ Accuracy: Break action single shot rifles are likely the most accurate rifles out there, but are few and far between and I don't think I'd want on as my primary firearm in a zombie holocaust.

+ Simplicity: Really it doesn't get any simpler than this does it. Again care and cleaning is simple.

+Single shot capable: Well this is a no brainer (hmm, interesting pun choice...), but the poor reload rate really kind of negates this advantage.

- Reload rate: Many older break actions require the spent shell or cartridge to be removed manually slowing things up even more.

- Reduced capacity: One or two shots tops is not a good thing no matter how you cut it.

- OK really those two negatives really outweigh the previous positives by a pretty wide margin.

Automatic/semi-automatic: let's face it given the choice this is the one that the majority of gun junkies are going to grab. Whether or not that's a good thing remains to be seen, but the concept has proven itself time and again the world over in every major military conflict since the second world war. I have lumped auto and semi-auto together because they are basically the same concept just a minor variation in function.

+ Ease of operation: Load that clip or magazine, chamber the first round and away she goes until it's time to reload. All you have to do is squeeze the trigger and zombies drop.

+ Reduced recoil: The design of the Automatic/semi firearm utilizes gas pressure and recoil to cycle the firearm and in effect reduces the amount of felt recoil. Making it easier for the shooter to regain his sights on the next target quicker, and at the same time be less punishing on the shooter.

+ Reload speed: All semi/auto firearms are fed with a clip or removable magazine making reloading quick and simple.

+\- Rate of fire: Rate of fire in an automatic rifle is frankly a double edged sword. Spray and pray may work well for living opponents, but against the zombie horde, it's a waste of precious ammunition. While the semi-automatic is an infinitely better choice, and truly maxes out zombie plugging potential with rate of fire, the operator must exercise discipline because it too is almost too damn easy just to let fly with a five round burst wasting ammo and achieving nothing but making you reload all that much sooner.

- Complex design: Again a lot more to go wrong here mechanically and harder to maintain in the field. Semi-automatic rifles require a better cleaning regime to ensure they work properly. That said some designs have an uncanny history of working in the most appalling conditions with a mind boggling record, (can you say Kalashnikov).

- no single shot capability: Not as big down fall here as with other designs because of the quick reload.

- Ammunition related failures: Because this design utilizes the gas pressures of a discharging cartridge to cycle the action, another factor of ammunition tolerances becomes an issue not found in other manually operated actions. While this may not be an issue with plenty of good ammo and reloading supplies available on the market, come Z day that may change. Poor quality or "dirty" ammo will foul the rifle much quicker rendering the rifle useless if gas ports are clogged. Particularly poor quality ammo has been known to cause this to happen within the first dozen rounds fired. A gun that doesn't fire is a club at best, and it's hard to club yourself to death if that's what it comes down to.

Handguns: Again antique and specialty arms aside there are two basic actions, the revolver and the automatic pistol (automatic here does not mean continuous fire, simply auto loading).

Revolvers: Revolvers come in two styles, the single action revolver and the double action revolver. Single actions are quite primitive antique or antique clone guns which require the hammer be cocked manually (simultaneously rotating the cylinder) and the trigger simply releases the hammer. Great for Westerns and cowboy action shooting, but a bit ponderous with the walking dead coming at you at close range. With the double action revolver squeezing the trigger performs both actions in order.

+ Simplicity: Again fewer parts mean potentially fewer problems. Also cleaning and maintenance is simple.

- Slow reload rate: While some makes had design components that made reloading quicker and easier, it is still a relatively slow process, and when zombies are within handgun range, every second counts.

- low capacity: While 8 round revolvers aren't uncommon, most anything in a calibre most suitable such as the .45 are going to be the classic six shooter. And reloading often with a slow reload rate, well lets just say you should remember to count how many shots you've fired, because you'll likely be wanting to save one for yourself.

Automatic pistols: Not new technology, the automatic pistol was widely in uses as early as 1911 and operates much the same as the self loading rifles. Again available in single and double action. Single action automatics, like the self loading rifles, load, cock and blast away until empty. The double action automatic simply eliminates the requirement to initially cock the weapon.

+ Rate of fire: Although the Double action automatic has a slight advantage it is really rather negligible, as going int a dangerous situation one would likely have the weapon cocked and ready to fore anyway. With either style getting that second shot off in a hurry is of major importance at this close range.

+ Large magazine capacity: An automatic pistol with a 9-15 round magazine is the norm, and the more shots in the gun means a better chance of getting out of there unscathed.

+ Quick reload rate. Automatic pistols are quickest of all firearms to reload. This is a huge plus.

- Complex design: More maintenance is required to keep them working properly and cleaning is more labour intensive. But with smaller pistol rounds the good news is they're less likely to be as dramatically affected by dirty ammo than a rifle.

Quickly on ammunition, as really there a a whole multitude of ammunition choices available. The bigger is not always better. I mean come on you're taking out rotting corpses not Wildebeast. A well placed .22 will likely do the trick, but it's best if you give yourself a bit of wiggle room, utterly destroying the Zombies brain is a better plan than simply putting a hole through it, so select calibers that will do that whenever possible. Hand guns I would recommend no smaller than .38 or a 9mm if you cannot handle the recoil and your accuracy suffers, but a .40 or .45 would be more effective if you can shoot it well. For rifle rounds I would recommend anything that is legal for big game hunting (specifically deer or other thin skinned game). .30cal is a great choice as there are more .30cal variations available than any other, which means lots of available reloading supplies regardless of what specific round you choose.
Some military rounds are better choices than others. The NATO 7.62X51 round is great if you have access to active military supplies, but there's not much of it on the civilian surplus market anymore. The British .303 has effectively gone extinct as far as surplus ammunition goes (and that which is out there is crap to my understanding), but is readily available as a commercial sporting round. Russian 7.62x31 surplus on the other hand is quite plentiful and inexpensive if you're stocking up. But keep in mind it will all but impossible to find while scavenging as commercial hunting ammunition.
Shotguns are popular Zombie busting fare, but as I had mentioned previously shot size is far more than gauge. Stick with buck shot of at least #4 and avoid small game loads as they will do nothing to stop all but the mushiest brain muncher.

A further guide to zombie Planning: Firearms pt.1

2009-01-23T11:11:00.006-06:00

In light of the other day's inaugural events in Washington, and with no less than four years of Barack Obama as the US President perhaps it's a good time to more deeply assess you Zombie Plan. What does Obama have to do with this? Well for the sake of this post, not much at all aside from being a lock on getting more web crawler hits. Later on however I look forward to addressing the question of "How does Barack Obama as US President effect my Zombie plan" more earnestly.

Thanks Shane, for stopping by the banks to discuss Zombie planing the other day. Shane brings up some good thoughts on assembling your most important line of defense, your firearms. (Check out his comments on the Public Service Announcement). In my earlier post I stated my choice of firearm and briefly addressed some of it's merits. In this post lets take a closer look at firearm selection: some of the considerations you should keep in mind when selecting a firearm and some of the choices of firearms available to you.

Considerations in firearm selection:
A firearm is practically indispensable in assuring your survival during a Zombie breakout. Any firearm is better than none, some however have specific features that make them more or less suitable than others. Lets start off with four main classifications of Firearms, Long arms (rifles), Carbines (short rifles), Shotguns, and Handguns. Ideally one should consider at least one of each of these as each addresses a specific situation you may encounter more effectively than another.

Long Arms: In my opinion the most indispensable category of firearm, and are your primary means of defense when engagement is inevitable. Here are the positives and negatives of this type of arm.

+ Power: Center fire rifles are, for the most part, designed to drop large game animals (and in military arms, humans). The kinetic energy stored in a 180 grain projectile traveling at speeds often in excess of 2500 ft. per second is huge and will easily obliterate any zombie melon that gets in it's path, even if just partially.

+ Accuracy: Rifles are unquestionably the most accurate of firearms, the ability to dispatch a zombie from more than a football field away should not be understated. We have all seen where one lone zombie becomes attracted to movement or some other stimulus and mindlessly attempts to reach the individual attracting the attention of numerous other zombies. By dispatching that zombie at a much greater distance and ideally before it becomes aware of you will naturally equate to fewer zombies being attracted to your location hopefully avoiding mob type situations.

+ Availability: Hunting and sporting rifles are the most easily acquired class of firearm. Even in countries that require licensing, they are by far the easiest to acquire with the least amount of effort and expense. Naturally finding ammunition for this class of firearm is also quite easy (with some exceptions).

- Size: Naturally a longer firearm is also more difficult to utilize in confined spaces or in close quarters. While they are the best choice for use from an easily defensible position, they are limited in usefulness when forced to leave your primary safe house, for say scavenging activities or find your self in close quarter combat.

- Typically small magazine capacity: Most sporting rifles do not have a magazine capacity beyond 5 or 6 rounds. Even military rifles typically operate in these ranges. The Lee Enfield rifles which had a 10 round magazine are the primary exception, followed by the M1 Garand which held 8 rounds.

-Slow reload rate: Commercial sporting rifles are not manufactured with the idea of fast reloading being a priority and can be quite cumbersome depending on model. Again former military rifles; where they may lose out on accuracy, they are/were manufactured to accommodate more rapid reloading means with stripper clips or removable/replaceable magazines and other systems.

Carbine Rifles: Quite possibly the best all-round choice in firearm. Certainly should be considered a must if wandering or scavenging. Carbine rifles were a military creation for the sole purpose that long arms were a bit unwieldy, and they remain primarily a military arm.

+ Power: Many carbine rifles use the same cartridges as the full calibre long rifles. Some however are manufactured to use special rounds which are somewhere between a pistol round and a rifle round, like the M1 carbine. While in itself a nice gun, the unique cartridge also makes it a dubious choice for scavenging.

+ Size: Notably shorter than the full size rifle, carbines are far better suited for use in more restricted confines. Modern Military carbine rifles have practically perfected this union of rifle calibre bullet and close confines maneuverability.

+ Fast Reload rate: Being again of military design, they are made to be reloaded in a hurry. An indispensable feature in any firearm.

+/- Magazine Capacity: Military models if you can get your hands on one are the best choice as they carry the most number of round of ammunition. Civilian models however (which most of us only have access too) seldom have magazine capacities (especially here in Canada) of more than 5 rounds, thus making multiple magazines a necessity.

+/- Accuracy: While reasonably accurate at moderate ranges, and far surpassing hand guns, they are by no means as accurate as full size rifles at range. Generally carbines which utilize full calibre ammunition tend to suffer more in accuracy.

- Availability: Naturally being a military arm, even though civilian models are available on the market, they are not nearly as available as full size sporting rifles, and due to their reduced size and design may face further restrictions in some regions. As well availability of ammunition will be considerably more reduced than for many models of long rifle.

Shotguns: The most highly over rated Zombie fighting tool I can think of. While some features of a shotgun may seem appealing and they've been used widely in Film and Television, they're really not on par with the other firearms. Now as I have said before any firearm is better than none, so by all means keep one in your locker if you already have one, but specifically acquiring for your zombie plan is money better spent elsewhere. Shotguns are best for repelling looters and living invaders, temporarily anyway, as a dead looter will be trying to gnaw on your leg in an hour.

+/- Less Accuracy required: The whole intent of a shotgun is to spread projectiles over a wide area to increase the odds of hitting a difficult target. Sounds great just point at the zombie pull the trigger and watch his head blow apart. The negative here is that if you spread your shot too thin none of it's going to do anything. Again with the kinetic energy, even .32" diameter 00 buckshot fired from a shotgun traveling at sub sonic speeds will have only a fraction of the kinetic energy of a centre fire rifle bullet, thus you'd need to compound this effect with as much of the shot impacting the target as possible. There are multiples factors with a shotgun that effect this; Range, Choke and Shot selection being the keys.

+/- Size: Tactical shotguns like Carbine rifles are designed for close quartered combat and matched with an appropriate shot selection could be useful as a last minute line of short range defense. Sporting shotguns on the other hand are really no shorter than long rifles, and "sawing off" a shot gun really make it far less effective that you would think, reducing effective range, increasing the spread dramatically, making the recoil almost uncontrollable and becoming more of a danger to you and your still living companions and than means of protection.

- numerous acceptable shells: Unlike rifles that will accept one size cartridge shotguns can chamber different dimensions of shells. While typically not as catastrophic as loading the wrong ammunition in a rifle (shells of the same gauge come in a variety of lengths) a 20ga shell can drop into the barrel of a 12ga shotgun and become extremely dangerous if a 12ga round is fired off behind it. A shorter shell of appropriate gauge is acceptable, a longer shell will damage the gun. Figuring out which is which in the dark with a zombie horde at the door is not a good situation. I'll touch on this a bit more later too.

- Power: Most ammunition is practically useless. Along with a variety of shell sizes there are numerous different shot sizes (shot is the projectiles in the shell if you didn't get that already), most of which are designed for small game and birds. Only the larger buck shot would have any effectiveness against zombies. Keep in mind Dick Cheney shot an elderly hunting companion in the face at point blank range with bird shot and he survived. So what good would this be on a zombie?

- incompatible combinations: Sporting shot guns come in a variety of chokes to effect the resulting shot pattern at different ranges, however they will still chamber inappropriate shells. Trying to shoot #1 gauge buck shot through a full choke shotgun would be disastrous.

- poor reload rate: With the exception of a few of the newest tactical shotguns which use removable magazines, the vast majority are not capable of being reloaded very quickly as they must be loaded one shell at a time.

- low magazine capacity: Sporting shotguns camber 2, 3 or 5 cartridges at most (three being the legal limit internationally for migratory bird hunting). Some modern tactical shot guns however can hold as many as 6 to 10 rounds.

* As you can see the best choices here are clearly modern tactical shotguns, but again keep in mind scavenging suitable ammunition will be more difficult.

Hand Guns: When it comes down to it and zombies are coming through the window, or while crawling through very confined spaces while out scavenging, or any other situation where using two hands on your firearm is not possible a good hand gun is your best and possibly last line of defense.

+ Size: Well lets face it it's really the one feature that makes a handgun valuable.

+ Power: Really at close range even the .38 round will be effective enough, but I do concur with Shane that a .40 or .45 is a better choice. After all a bigger boom means less chance of needing to take a second shot. Pistol rounds are not nearly as powerful as rifle rounds, but they will certainly do the job.

+ Magazine Capacity: Semi-automatic pistols are nothing new dating back to the first decade of the 20th century. So while revolvers are still available their limitations in regards to capacity and reload rate are obvious. For that reason I'm not really going to bother with them here. Clip fed Semi -automatic pistols typically hold 12-15 rounds of ammunition and in some cases more. And when your in a close quarters situation multiple zombies are very likely. The more ammunition in your firearm means the less time you have to spend reloading and the greater your chances of getting out alive.

+ Reload rate: Magazine fed pistols can be reloaded very quickly, more quickly than most any type of rifle of shotgun.

- Accuracy: With short barrels and reduced sub-sonic loads, pistols do not have good accuracy at anything but close range combat.

-Availability: Hand guns are the most restricted of firearms requiring the most time and effort to acquire legally.

So there is a primer on firearm selection in part 2 we will look at and discuss some other aspects of firearm selection, such as action type and ammunition. Please feel free to chime in and discuss your views of firearm selection for your zombie plan.

G. Macabre

My assignment

2009-01-20T20:50:00.002-06:00

I've been assigned the task of reading Stephenie Meyer's Breaking Dawn basically to ensure it is suitable for a 12 year old girl. Now in my life I seem to have too little time to accomplish as much reading as I would like, and am forced to put aside H.P. Lovecraft to get this task done. Now any Vampire story that has received such positive reviews as this series I'm sure will be good, but I must admit I'm quietly hoping it will surprise me and I will actually grab my attention, as Vampires or not I'm skeptical about a teenage romance novel entertaining me. So be sure I'll post my thoughts on this book, but in the meantime I would really enjoy hearing your thoughts and impressions and then maybe I can get back to my blog and my sorely neglected as of late "theFrankensteinMonster.com" as well as Lovecraft's The Shunned House.

Top 25 Horrors of the last 20 years

2008-12-27T13:02:00.010-06:00

I admit I'm a bit behind with this post, as it was the 20th that B-SOL at Vault of Horror posted the list for the top 25 horrors since 1990, and again I was included in the polling. Although admittedly Classic Horror is by far more interesting to me I do acknowledge that this time frame produced some very interesting films for the horror genre. In fact there was a lot of discussion amongst the voters about what actually was the criteria for a horror film. And this topic of discussion was indeed enlightening. But in the end it really comes to the individual viewer and what their personal criteria is. Now as relevant as it is to this post, I'm about to drag my feet on that topic and post separately what my personal feelings and criteria for what constitutes a horror movie when compared to other related genre films. So for the moment I will stay on topic. From Brian at Vault of Horror here is the accumulated list:

1. The Descent (2005) dir: Neil Marshall
2. The Blair Witch Project (1999) dir: Daniel Myrick & Eduardo Sanchez
3. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) dir: Jonathan Demme
4. The Ring (2002) dir: Gore Verbinski
5. Scream (1996) dir: Wes Craven
6. The Mist (2007) dir: Frank Darabont
7. 28 Days Later (2002) dir: Danny Boyle
8. Braindead (Dead Alive) (1992) dir: Peter Jackson
9. Inside (2007) dir: Alexandre Bustillo & Julien Maury
10. Shaun of the Dead (2004) dir: Edgar Wright
11. Saw (2004) dir: James Wan
12. [REC] (2007) dir: Jaume Balaguero & Paco Plaza
13. Audition (1999) dir: Takashi Miike
14. Ginger Snaps (2000) dir: John Fawcett
15. American Psycho (2000) dir: Mary Harron
16. Session 9 (2001) dir: Brad Anderson
17. Dawn of the Dead (2004) dir: Zack Snyder
18. Army of Darkness (1993) dir: Sam Raimi
19. Dog Soldiers (2002) dir: Neil Marshall
20. Cabin Fever (2002) dir: Eli Roth
21. Let the Right One In (2008) dir: Tomas Alfredson
22. Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) dir: Francis Ford Coppola
23. Eyes Wide Shut (1999) dir: Stanley Kubrick
24. Halloween: 20 Years Later (1998) dir: Steve Miner
25. Dellamorte Dellamore (Cemetery Man) (1994) dir: Michele Soavi

Be sure to stop by his blog for further details on how the entrants were ranked, and some other interesting facts and in sites, not to mention the ensuing discussion.

I do well believe that it's a great addition to such as list to have the contributors sound off on why they selected some of the films they did. Lets face it every time a list as such is published the sabre rattling and guffawing can be heard from the other banks of the Styx.

Well I already bashed Blair Witch after the top 50 poll(to that nobody had anything to say) so no point being derisive there, but alas I have to admit my top ten actually rank on nether regions of the lists top 10. While titles like Descent: Kill Bill vs. Weekly World News' Bat Boy, The Bad Itch project, the Ring, and Scream never even got a sniff on my list. And while Silence of the Lambs was undoubtedly about to make the top 5 I chose not to include it for a couple of reasons. 1: I believe the elements of the film are far more grounded in the Thriller genre than the Horror genre as per my personal definitions and criteria, and 2: well it was going to make it anyway, why not put together a more interesting list.

Now you're wondering, what would G. Macabre, Classic Horror fan put on a list of top horror films since 1990? OK maybe you're not, but damn it you're still reading aren't you. So here it is my list of Top 10 Horrors since 1990.

1. Shawn of the Dead
2. Sweeney Todd
3. Night Watch
4. Gingersnaps
5. 28 Days Later
6. Dead Alive
7. Army of Darkness
8. The Crow (does that count as horror? Dead guy coming back from the grave
for revenge, close enough)
9. Sleepy Hollow
10. Shadow of the Vampire

I had originally penned Mist in the final slot, but recanted as I feel as much as I enjoyed the film, the finale was poorly written and inanely inconsistent with the characters' depictions as we had seen them up to that point. More the end was done for shock factor and media hype than any contribution to the film. Shadow of the Vampire when all is said and done, I felt was a far more unique and interesting film.

While on the former top 0 list I made my selections based on what I felt were movies of notable quality in a variety of aspects, this list was more a compilation of films that I found very much enjoyable on a more personal level.
I honestly feel that Sweeney Todd is completely under rated. Although everyone involved knew this wasn't going to make any waves, it was really about going out there to make a film that they simply wanted to make and push their own boundaries. Dark, angry Macabre and perverse, and out in left wing this is the kind of film I get into. I admit I'm saddened my comrades did not see it as such. And speaking of comrades (hows that for a segue) the Russian gem Night Watch to not appear while Cabin Fever makes the list is again disappointing. But hey I admit I don't swim in the same waters as may of the other bloggers that were polled, and that the contemporary view of horror films such as the pseudo psychological spook stories like Rec, Blair Witch and Ring leave me glassy eyed and in search of the remote.

So anyway if you're in need of some good unconventional horror themed movies of the 90's to today, you now have my suggestions.

Gary D. Macabre

A Christmas Carol: The Holliday's most famous horror tale

2008-12-25T10:51:00.007-06:00

Greetings and Merry Christmas to all. What on a day such as auspicious as this you should wind up in my company is a puzzling and sad thought. But as you're here have a mug of mulled cider and come sit by the fire a while.

Christmas is a time of joy and happiness, it marks the birth of a savior, a time of giving and joy, the magic of a gracious and wondrous soul in a red coat and reindeer, or perhaps a time of death and rebirth at the marking of the winter solstice,(which was another post I missed incidentally, well such is the season now more hustle than bustle). But it has much rooted history with the horrors and trepidations that come with the long dark nights, thus the Krampus and it's other namesakes, the Belsnickel, and other aspects of pagan beliefs. But perhaps the best known horror tale of the holidays is Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. The tale has become such common holiday fare nowadays that it has become like most of the holiday traditions we celebrate today it seems, a shell of it's former self.
"MARLEY WAS DEAD" what a lovely way to introduce us to this gleeful holiday tale. But this book does not present us with heavenly angels, or merry elves, but true spirits, not present to pass on joy and good will, but to terrify and torment Ebeneezer Scrooge into repentance. And of grisly ghosts of the dead, tormented themselves for an eternity of which one can really only relate as a hellish existence. The Spirits themselves are all both horrible and wonderful in description, as the first spirit: It was a strange figure -like a child:yet not lo like a child as an old man viewed through some supernatural medium...the figure itself fluctuated in distinctness: being now a thing with one arm, now a thing with one leg, now with twenty legs, now a pair of legs without a head, now a head without a body: of which dissolving parts, no outline would be itself visible in the dense gloom wherein they melted away..."

And such with the second spirit wondrous and splendid but beneath it's fine robes it houses two horrible figures: "It might be a claw, for the Flesh there is upon it," was the spirit's sorrowful reply... From the folding s of it robe, ti brought two children; wretched, abject, frightful, hideous, miserable...Yellow, meagre, ragged, scowling, wolfish. Where graceful should have filled their features out, a stale and shriveled hand, like that of age, pinched and twisted and pulled them into shreds.. Where angels might have sat enthroned devils lurked; and glared out menacing. No change, no degradation, no perversion of humanity, in any grade, through all the mysteries of wonderful creation has monsters half so horrible and dread."

And the third thusly simple in description: "It was shrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed its head, its face, its form, and left nothing of it visible save one outstretched hand. But from this it would have been difficult to detach its figure from the night, and separate it from the darkness by which it was enshrouded..."

These grim specters do not come to encourage Scrooge with hope, love and joy. No they bring remorse, dread and fear. The present him with moments in which Ebeneezer briefly looses himself in the gaiety of others, only to have the door slammed on the illusion with his own miserable existence. Dickens does not Speak of Christ's Love, the approaching rebirth of the spring, or the joys we have become accustomed to this time of year, his tale is of bleak and inward despair and horror with a fitting cast of phantoms. I encourage you my fellow travelers of these macabre shores, that if the time and opportunity befall you this Holiday season find a copy of Dickens' tale as he had written it. Settle in to a large chair in a darkened corner by light of tree and candle and read the greatest ghost story of the season in a less conventional perspective.

All my best to you this Christmas season, and happy solstice to my pagan friends.
G. Macabre

The Christmas Monster

2008-12-14T10:02:00.010-06:00

During FJA week, I didn't get to mentioning Krampusnacht on the 5th. The Krampus being St. Nick's evil horned side kick or Père Fouettard, the black haired dirty butcher, whom offer up punishment for bad children (and house wives) with tales ranging from simple flogging to cannibalism.

So thanks go out to Tenebrous Kate for picking up these Macabre Holiday traditions while I was otherwise occupied with our dear Uncle Forry.

Kate's Krampus Blog entry

And for even more Krampus Fun Check out Monster Brains

Kate's Pere Fouettard blog entry
G. Macabre

Forrest J. Ackerman: a week of tribute.

2008-12-11T20:15:00.005-06:00

Just in case you haven't seen these they are a couple wonderful 4E videos.

Uncle Forry spent much of his life on his collection, thus it would be remiss of me if I weren't to include a video tour of the Ackermansion.

The second is an interview with 4SJ again at the mansion but this time it is more about him than his collection. I really Enjoyed this video, and hope you do to.

Forrest J. Ackerman: a week of tribute.

2008-12-10T19:43:00.003-06:00

So if you're sitting about your computer, at work perhaps, here's something worth while to do with your time that Forry would approve of...

Watch Metropolis!

Forrest J. Ackerman: a week of tribute.

2008-12-09T19:51:00.014-06:00

Here's a little trip down memory lane with some scans from various issues of FM featuring Forry with....

.

Forrest J. Ackerman: a week of tribute cont..

2008-12-08T11:50:00.007-06:00

Forry Fun Facts:

Forry's first encounter with science fiction was Amazing Stories magazine in October 1926 (whether this was the Sept, Oct or Nov. issue I don't know, any insight anyone?)

Forry's first Horror film experience was One Glorious Day in 1922 which he attended with his maternal grandparents.

Forry was likely that last remaining person to recall having seen London after Midnight, which he saw opening night 1929 (Chaney's top hat and teeth were among 4E's prized possessions).

Forry was named an honourary lesbian by the Daughters of Bilitis.

Forry wrote several lesbian stories under the pen name"Laurajean Ermayne"

Forry was the first sci-fi geek to wear a costume to a Science Fiction convention.

Forry qouteth "I was the only one out of 185 fans who wore a futuristic costume.. And in that costume I went out to the World's Fair. They had a platform there and a microphone and they were inviting people from around the world to speak in their native language, in Russian, in Spanish or whatever. So I got enough nerve in this costume to go up to the microphone and speak in Esperanto and I said that I was a visitor from the future where we all spoke Esperanto."

Forry's favourite film was Fritz Lang's Metropolis which he watched in excess of 100 times.

Forry attended a screening of Metropolis at a World Science Fiction convention with Fritz Lang himself.

Forry has said he believes that Phantom of the Opera is the best Horror film of all time.

Forry is on record as being "miserably disapointed" with the now cult classic film Forbidden Plannet at the time of his initial viewing.

Forry 's wife didn't think the term sci-fi would catch on.

Harlon Ellison loathed the term sci-fi and likened it to the sound of two crickets screwing.

At 14 Forry created The Boys' Science Fiction Club in 1930,

Forry helped found the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society and the National Fantasy Fan Federation.

Forry attended all but two World Science Fiction Conventions.

Forry was the recipient of Vincent Price's final autograph.

Forry was agent to over 200 writers of Science Fiction and Fantasy.

Forry was Ed Woods agent.

Forry himself is accredited with over 50 publications including short stories and anthologies.

Forry is responsible for coming up with the name Vampirella and writing her back story.

Forry's Dracula cape is from the stage play.

Forry's Dracula ring is from Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.

Forry claims the title of most film appearances with the least total screen time

Forry has attended parties at the Playboy mansion.

Forry got the idea for a one shot monster mag after returning from the 1957 World Science Fiction Convention with a copy of Cinema '57.

Forry initially wanted to name FM Wonderama.

Famous Monsters only initially debuted in two test markets, New York and Philidelphia.

The first issue of FM had 200,000 copies printed (damn, why are they so hard to find and $$$ now!)

Forrest J. Ackerman Shall Not Die! FJA: a week of tribute (and more)

2008-12-07T19:12:00.007-06:00

In interviews 4E clearly stated that he did not have a favourite Horror actor, and that Lon Chaney Sr., Boris Karloff and Bella Lugosi were his choice as an unholy trio. Perhaps it was that Boris and Bella were still recognizable faces, largely due to late night television Horror programs like the SHOCK! package that helped fuel the market for FM. And that Lon Chaney the face of horror for the silent era was not quite as well known. But it is clear that Forrest was devoted to Lon Chaney and put forth much more effort at promoting the man of 1000 faces than the other members of his terrible trio.

This page from the 1969 Fearbook leaves little doubt of that.

(click image for a really big version)

In fact Chaney as the Phantom graced the vast majority of FM covers as the magazine's corner tag after that proclamation was made.

In honour of Uncle Forry it is my intent to extend him the same respect and admiration in like fashion. First off you will notice that the image of Dr. Acula now graces the side bar of this blog and there he will remain as long as there is a Blogue Macabre. In addition I will pick up the mantle that Forry left behind (when FM proper ceased to exist). I will dedicate a full page post of Lon Chaney once bi-monthly (as FM was published bi-monthly) and again bi-monthly a full page post of the Ackermonster himself. No, Lon Chaney will not die, and neither will Forrest J. Ackerman.

Gary D. Macabre

Forrest J. Ackerman: a week of tribure.

2008-12-06T20:02:00.005-06:00

I'm not going to bother to try to sum up who Forrest J. Ackerman was. Firstly, if you are reading this blog, you are likely already very largely aware of who he was and what he did during his time on the spinning orb on the edge of the infinite(?) cosmos. Secondly is that the premise of trying to encapsulate the the essence and the experiences that defined him in his 92 years seems truly absurd in every possible way. Especially that while I am a great fan of the man, like most of us I never had the joy of meeting him, spending time with him and truly getting a measure of what made him who he was. Certainly I can speak of his influences and the anecdotes from others, but there are plenty of great eulogies for him on other quality blogs like Vault of Horror and Scott Essman's post on Zombo's closet, and Aint it Cool news, but that's not me. So then what the hell am I going to talk about for the remainder of the week you ask? Well this week is going to be more of a wake, if you will. A celebration of his life's work and joys.

Uncle Forry's most visible work and the one he will always be best remembered for is, of course, Famous Monsters of Filmland. But being THE ultimate fan of Science Fiction and Horror films, it's only natural he would appear in a variety of cameos in his day. Here is a lovely little montage of 4SJ on film.

Here is a filmography of 4E films from Monster Kid Extrordinaire, George "E-Gor" Chastain's page of BOOS WHO: A classic horror player directory (Be sure to check it out!!!!)

Filmography as Acktor

Filmography adapted from a number of published references, including an undated list made by Forry Ackerman.

1944

As his Government-Issue alter-ego, "Sgt. Ack-Ack," in Hey, Rookie, a World War II musical/comedy directed by Charles (Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein) Barton, and starring Ann Miller and Joe Besser!

1947

As an audience member at the Finley political rally in The Farmer's Daughter, directed by H. C. Potter, and starring Loretta Young, Joseph Cotten and Ethel Barrymore. Forry is sitting behind and to right of Loretta Young in the auditorium, clearly visible in a contemporary "Life" magazine photo from the film.

As himself, uncredited in The Homestretch, directed by H. Bruce Humberstone, and starring Cornel Wilde, Maureen O'Hara and Glenn (The Amazing Colossal Man!) Langan.

1948

As an extra in winning-horse crowd scene in The Winner's Circle (1948), directed by Felix E. Feist. Starring Johnny Longden and Morgan Farley.

1962

Toddling around in a street scene in the amateur film Chicon 62.

Captured in a street scene in the amateur film Tyran the Terrible.

1964

As "Technician #3," squaring circles in future Android Factory in The Time Travelers (aka Depths of the Unknown, The Return of the Time Traveler, The Return of the Time Travelers, This Time Tomorrow, Time Trap). Directed by Ib Melchior, and starring Preston Foster, Philip Carey, Merry Anders and John Hoyt.

1966

As an aide to Dr. Faraday (Basil Rathbone), holding a tray of vampire embryos in the final shot of Queen of Blood (aka Planet of Blood, Planet of Terror, Planet of Vampires, The Green Woman). Directed by Curtis Harrington and produced by Samuel Z. Arkoff, Roger Corman, George Edwards and Stephanie Rothman. Featuring John Saxon, Basil Rathbone, Judi Meredith, Dennis Hopper and Florence Marly (as the Alien Queen).

1968

In an unused bit part as "Delegate A.C. Fogbottom," reading a paperback edition of Metropolis in a hotel lobby in The Power. Directed by Byron Haskin and produced by George Pal, with a first-rate cast of familiar faces including George Hamilton, Suzanne Pleshette, Richard Carlson, Yvonne De Carlo, Earl Holliman, Gary Merrill, Arthur O'Connell, Nehemiah Persoff , Aldo Ray, Michael Rennie and Celia Lovsky. Unfortunately, Forry's cameo wound up on the cutting room floor along with producer Pal's.

1970

Providing the (uncredited) voice on the tape recorder in Equinox (aka The Beast), directed by Jack Woods and (uncredited) Dennis Muren, with great low-budget special effects by Dave Allen, Jim Danforth and Dennis Muren. Featuring Edward Connell, Barbara Hewitt, Frank Bonner, Robin Christopher, director Woods (as Asmodeus) and Fritz Leiber Jr.

1971

As "Man in cinema" in Schlock (aka The Banana Monster), produced, written by, and starring John Landis (his first film). With Saul Kahan, Joseph Piantadosi and Eliza Roberts.

As bad "Dr. Beaumont" (credited as Forest J Ackerman), killed by the Frankenstein Monster beside his car in Dracula vs. Frankenstein (aka The Blood Seekers, Blood of Frankenstein, The Revenge of Dracula, Satan's Bloody Freaks, Teenage Dracula), directed by ill-fated Al Adamson. Starring J. Carrol Naish, Lon Chaney Jr., Anthony Eisley, Regina Carrol, Greydon Clark, Zandor Vorkov (Count Dracula), Angelo Rossitto, Russ Tamblyn and Jim Davis.

1976

As a party guest toasting "To Hollywood" in Hollywood Boulevard, directed by Allan Arkush and Joe Dante. With Candice Rialson, Mary Woronov, Rita George, Jeffrey Kramer, Dick Miller, Paul Bartel, Jonathan Demme (a Godzilla) and Robby the Robot.

As an extra in the crowd running from Kong in King Kong, directed by John Guillermin and mal-produced by Dino De Laurentiis. Starring Jeff Bridges, Jessica Lange, Charles Grodin, John Randolph, Rene Auberjonois, Jack O'Halloran, Ed Lauter, John Lone and John Agar. ("Dino Disaster," sez Forry).

As the title character in The Return of the Frankenstein Monster, produced, written, directed and edited by Walter J. Daugherty, who also plays the Blind Hermit in this 14-minute color spoof of a scene from Bride of Frankenstein. Cinematography and makeup by Mary Ellen Rabogliatti. Donald F. Glut's exhaustive The Frankenstein Catalog lists this film and describes the plot: "The Monster, angered by the blind man's sour notes on the violin, kills him and finishes 'Swan Lake' himself."

1977

As a juror in the courtroom scene in The Kentucky Fried Movie, directed by John Landis and written by Jim Abrahams and David and Jerry Zucker (pre-Airplane!). With Marilyn Joi, Saul Kahan, David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker, George Lazenby, Donald Sutherland, Henry Gibson, Bill Bixby, Rick Baker, Uschi Digard, Felix Silla, and Tony Dow.

1981

Browsing in a Hollywood book shop in The Howling, directed by Joe Dante and written by Gary Brandner (novel), John Sayles and Terence H. Winkless. Starring Dee Wallace, Patrick Macnee, and and Dennis Dugan, with a great supporting cast including Christopher Stone, Belinda Balaski, Kevin McCarthy, John Carradine, Slim Pickens, Elisabeth Brooks, Robert Picardo, Kenneth Tobey, Dick Miller and Roger Corman!

1982

As the Curator of the last museum on Earth after World War III destroys civilization in The Aftermath, directed, co-written, edited and co-produced (with Ted V. Mikels) by Steve Barkett. Starring Steve Barkett (who else?), and featuring Lynne Margulies, Sid Haig, Christopher Barkett, Laura Ann Barkett, Mike Barkett, Eric Caidin, Jim Danforth, Larry Latham, Dennis Skotak, Robert Skotak, and the voice of Dick Miller.

1983

As "Professor Fisher Trentworth" in a scene with the first screen "Superman," Kirk Alyn, in Scalps, directed by Fred Olen Ray. With Jo-Ann Robinson, Richard Alan Hench, Roger Maycock, Kirk Alyn and Carroll Borland!
("Went to my head," says Forry.)

1984

As the popcorn eater sitting behind Michael Jackson and his girlfriend in the movie theater, and as a zombie in the final frame, in the epic video Thriller (aka Michael Jackson's Thriller), directed by John Landis. Starring Michael Jackson and Ola Ray, with monsterrific support from John Command, Ben Lokey, Michael Peters, Rick Baker (who also did makeup effects) and the "Voice of the Rap," Vincent Price!

1985

As "Flustered Man" on phone in Attack of the B-Movie Monster, directed by Wayne Berwick and Ted Newsom. (never released under this title; see below) B&W spoof tribute to 50's Sci-Fi horor films with a fabulous cast including Kenneth Tobey, Brinke Stevens, R.G. Wilson, John Goodwin, Daniel Roebuck, Cathy Cahn, John Agar, Michelle Bauer, Bob Burns, Jeanne Carmen, Robert Clarke, Robert Cornthwaite, George Fenneman (narrator), John Harmon, Paul Marco, Lori Nelson , Linnea Quigley, Ann Robinson, Robert Shayne, Gloria Talbott, and Les Tremayne!
Released in 2005 as a color film (re-edited, with additional footage and completely different monster effects) as The Naked Monster.

Behind the stars in a coffee shop scene in Into the Night, directed by John Landis. Starring Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Pfeiffer, with some other interesting people in supporting roles and cameos including Dan Aykroyd, David Cronenberg, John Landis himself, Rick Baker, Paul Mazursky, Paul Bartel, Carl Perkins, Don Siegel, Jim Henson, David Bowie, Jack Arnold, Roger Vadim, Lawrence Kasdan, Richard Farnsworth, Vera Miles, Irene Papas, Beulah Quo, Clu Gulager and Jonathan Demme.

Sitting at a discotheque table in the Into the Night promo by B.B. King.

As a mad scientist menacing Bobbie Bresee on an operating table in brief test footage Fred Olen Ray shot for Beach Blanket Bloodbath, based on an unfinished 1978 script by Edward D. Wood Jr. Later included in a Johnny Legend video compilation (see next item), and as an extra on the DVD release of Bride and the Beast.

1986

Included near the end of the video Sleazemania III: The Good, the Bad and the Sleazy; Johnny Legend's compilation of trailers and assorted film flotsam: Forry and Bobbie Bresee in the fragmentary test footage from Beach Blanket Bloodbath (1985), described above.

1987

As the pool-cleaning man in Evil Spawn (aka Alien Within, Alive by Night, Deadly Sting,Metamorphosis), directed by Kenneth J. Hall, Ted Newsom and Fred Olen Ray (uncredited). Starring Richard Harrison, Gordon Mitchell, Jay Richardson, Suzanne Ager, Dawn Wildsmith, Melissa Moore, Bobbie Bresee, and John Carradine.

As the future President of the United States in the "Amazon Women on the Moon" sequence of Amazon Women on the Moon (aka Cheeseburger Film Sandwich). Various other segments of this film were directed by Joe Dante, John Landis, Carl Gottlieb, and Peter Horton; Robert K. Weiss directed Forry's "Amazon Women" sequence. which also featured Steve Forrest, Robert Colbert, Joey Travolta , Sybil Danning, Lana Clarkson and Corey Burton.

1988

As "Mr. Richardson," being cured of alcoholism (explodes on screen!) in Curse of the Queerwolf, directed by Mark Pirro. With Michael Palazzolo, Kent Butler, Taylor Whitney, Cynthia Brownell, Mark Pirro and Conrad Brooks.

As "Harvey Kramer (Special Zombie)," the lead zombie smashing a window in Return of the Living Dead Part II (aka Revenge of the Living Dead), directed by Ken Wiederhorn. Featuring Michael Kenworthy, Thor Van Lingen, Jason Hogan, James Karen, Dana Ashbrook and Mitch Pileggi.

As "Director of Supernatural Society" (a part cut from the film?) in Vampire at Midnight, directed by Gregory McClatchy. Starring Jason Williams, Gustav Vintas, Lesley Milne, Esther Elise, Jeanie Moore and Christopher Nee.

As "Mustached Man at Garage Sale" (himself, with dark glasses, in "10" crowd) in The Wizard of Speed and Time, written, directed by, and starring Mike Jittlov. With Richard Kaye, Paige Moore, Deven Chierighino, Steve Brodie, Philip Michael Thomas, Angelique Pettyjohn, Greg Jittlov, Marie Jittlov, Ward Kimball, Jim Danforth, Karen Danforth and Michael Gough.

1989

As "Corpse #1," the green-faced upstanding corpse in cavern in The Laughing Dead. directed by S.P. Somtow. With Tim Sullivan, Wendy Webb, Premika Eaton, Patrick Roskowick, Larry Kagen, Krista Keim, Gregory Frost and S.P. Somtow.

As "Boris Faroff," near a rack of Famous Monsters, in My Mom's a Werewolf (UK title My Mum's a Werewolf), directed by Michael Fischa. With Susan Blakely, John Saxon, Tina Caspary, John Schuck, Diana Barrows and Ruth Buzzi.

1990

As the assistant funeral parlor director in Transylvania Twist, directed by Jim Wynorski. Starring Robert Vaughn. Teri Copley, Steve Altman, Ace Mask, Angus Scrimm, Steve Franken, Monique Gabrielle, Howard Morris, Jay Robinson, Becky LeBeau, Deanna Lund, Brinke Stevens, Ronald V. Borst — and Boris Karloff (in archival footage).

As "The Master" (a major role as himself) in My Lovely Monster, written and directed by Michael Bergmann. With Nicole Fisher, Silvio Francesco, Lincoln Bond, Matthias Fuchs, Bill Warren, John Baxter, Cathy Hill, Ib Melchior, Bobbie Bresee, Sara Karloff and Ferdy Mayne.

In a good part as "Dr. Edward Newton," devotee of the occult in Hard To Die (aka Tower of Terror), directed by Jim Wynorski. With Gail Harris (as Robyn Harris), Karen Mayo-Chandler (as Lindsay Taylor), Deborah Dutch (as Debra Dare), Melissa Moore, Bridget Carney, Toni Naples (as Karen Chorak), Monique Gabrielle (as Lucy Burnett), Ronald V. Borst and Jim Wynorski.

1991

As uptight "Judge Rhinehole," a major character who gets things rolling in Nudist Colony of the Dead, directed by Mark Pirro. With Bea Lindoren, Rachel Latt, Braddon Mendelson, Darwyn Carson, Dan Hartel, Kim Kingsley and Dave Robinson.

As Yvonne DeCarlo's husband at the wedding in John Landis' "Family" comedy Oscar. Starring Peter Riegert, Chazz Palminteri, Joey Travolta, Paul Greco, Sylvester Stallone, Yvonne De Carlo, Don Ameche, Tino Insana, Jim Abrahams, Eddie Bracken, Vincent Spano, Marisa Tomei, William Atherton, Tim Curry, Kirk Douglas and Jim Mulholland as "Oscar."

1992

As "Forry" at a New Zealand zoo in Braindead (aka Dead Alive), directed by Peter Jackson! With Timothy Balme, Diana Peñalver, Elizabeth Moody, Ian Watkin, Brenda Kendall, Stuart Devenie, Jed Brophy, Stephen Papps, Murray Keane and Peter Jackson .

As "Stolen Car Man" (Fordless J Ackerman?) in John Landis' biting comedy / horror / gangster / romance Innocent Blood (aka A French Vampire in America). Starring Anne Parillaud, David Proval, Rocco Sisto, Chazz Palminteri, Anthony LaPaglia, Robert Loggia, Luis Guzmán, Don Rickles, Tom Savini, Frank Oz, Sam Raimi, Dario Argento and Linnea Quigley.

1994

As "Sylvia's father," "Antonio Brindisi," getting his head blown off in the occult horror Ceremony, directed by Joe Castro. With Emilie Talbot (Sylvia), Amy Rohren, Mahbub Shansab, Steven R. Diebold and Don Short. This film won the Bronze Award at the 1994 Worldfest International Film Festival in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy Category.

As "Edward Van Groan" in introductory scene based on actor Edward Van Sloan's prologue to the original Frankenstein ("Well, we warned you!") in That Little Monster, written and directed by Paul Bunnell. With Melissa Baum, Reggie Bannister, Andi Wenning, William Mills — and Bob Hope doing cameo one-liners during the credits (uncredited!).

As a bar patron in a scene with Ray Harryhausen in Beverly Hills Cop III, directed by John Landis. Starring Eddie Murphy, with Jon Tenney, Joey Travolta, Gil Hill, Al Green, Judge Reinhold, Hector Elizondo, George Lucas, John Saxon, Alan Young, Julie Strain, Heather Parkhurst, Joe Dante and Ray Harryhausen.

1995

As a statue of Dracula in front of the Wax Museum in Attack of the 60 Foot Centerfolds, directed by Fred Olen Ray. With J.J. North, Ted Monte, Raelyn Saalman, Tammy Parks, Michelle Bauer, George Stover, Nikki Fritz, Russ Tamblyn , Ross Hagen, Tommy Kirk, Stanley Livingston, Ted Newsom, Jim Wynorski and Brad Linaweaver.

As "Man With Insect Repellent" (patron escaping from smoke-filled car) in Bikini Drive-In, directed by Fred Olen Ray and Steve Latshaw (uncredited). With Ashlie Rhey, Richard Gabai, Ross Hagen, Peter Spellos, Sarah Bellomo, Rob Vogl, Steve Barkett, Nikki Fritz, Michelle Bauer, David F. Friedman, Conrad Brooks, Claire Polan ("Woman With Insect Repellent"), Fred Olen Ray, Becky LeBeau, Anthony Cardoza, Donald F. Glut, Jim Wynorski and John Carradine.

1996

As the priest at Burt Reynold's funeral, delivering inaudible pun-filled Biblical/Star Trek service in Frankenstein and Me (working title Mojave Frankenstein), directed by Robert Tinnell. With Jamieson Boulanger, Ricky Mabe, Polly Shannon, Louise Fletcher, Myriam Cyr, Burt Reynolds, Ryan Gosling, Rebecca Henderson, Jason Cavalier,Mélany Goudreau, Roc LaFortune, Lynne Adams, Jean Guérin, Sam Stone and Conner Vandeer (as Dracula).

Dancing while the band is playing in Vampirella, directed by Jim Wynorski. Written by Gary Gerani, based on the Warren magazine character created by Forrest J Ackerman.
(He originally had a scene as the hand-clapping Maitre d' of Necropolis discotheque, sizing up Vampirella with: "Say, that costume really drives me batty!" but it ended up on the cutting room floor.)
Starring Talisa Soto, with Roger Daltrey, Richard Joseph Paul, Brian Bloom, Corinna Harney, Angus Scrimm, David B. Katz (as "Forry Ackerman"!), Robert Clotworthy, John Landis and Jim Wynorski.

As "Acker-Man on the street" (himself, walking down a street) in Dinosaur Valley Girls, written and directed by Donald F. Glut. With Jeff Rector, William Marshall, Griffin Drew, Harrison Ray, Elizabeth Landau. Bill Warren and Karen Black.

As himself, telling his famous story about a dying child and his idol, Lon Chaney, in the short video Letter to an Angel, directed by Ron Ford. With Ron Ford and Paula Pointer-Ford.

1997

As "Park victim" in Future War, directed by Anthony Doublin. With Daniel Bernhardt, Robert Z'Dar, Travis Brooks Stewart, Kazja, Ray Adash, Andre Scruggs, and Peter Lupus III.

1999

As the horror host introducing story segments on the direct-to-video Tales from the Ackermansion.

In the first of his many cameos for "The Ed Wood of The Future, and Beyond That, Even," David "The Rock" Nelson, in Rocky's notorious direct-to-video "Monstapiece" Devil Ant. Forry gets attacked by a large rubber insect at The Monster Bash Convention — it's no picnic!

2000

Trying to use his "hypnotism" to keep the Monster at bay in David "The Rock" Nelson's direct-to-video epic Frankenstein Stalks; (footage shot at Monster Bash in 1998).

2001

As "Dr. Acula" in the short fantasy film SadoMannequin, written and directed by Jim Torres. With Corey Hannah, Colin Martin, Christie Snodgrass and Terry Pace.

As "Forry" in the comedy / horror short The Vampire Hunters Club, directed by Donald F. Glut. With John Agar, William Smith, Bob Burns, David Donham, Daniel Roebuck, Dina Vernon, Mary Woronov, Nikki Fritz, Nick Bennett (Young Forry), Mink Stole, Carla Laemmle (Elder Vampire), Conrad Brooks, Carel Struycken, Brinke Stevens, Titus Moede, Irwin Keyes, David J. Skal, Brad Linaweaver, Michael Copner, Connie O. Barnett, Spider Subke, Buddy Barnett and Kathe Duba-Barnett.

As the "Museum Caretaker" in The Double-D Avenger, written and directed by William Winckler. With Kitten Natividad, Haji, Raven De La Croix, William Winckler, Mimma Mariucci, and Sheri Dawn Thomas.

As "Dr. Acula" the host of "13 O'Clock Theater," presenting the direct-to-DVD film The Creep, directed by Mark Del Rio. Starring Rodney Lee, Mel Sparks and Joey Garza. Forry's segments were filmed inside the Ackermansion (II).

Game as always in another plucky cameo in David "The Rock" Nelson's direct-to-video Miss Werewolf. In this one, Forry is attacked by the lupine lead, whose viewpoint we see. You hear growls as the werewolf (Rocky holding the camcorder) comes toward Forry, who implores "Oooh, Nooo, Miss Werewolf! Nooo-ooo-oo!" Rocky told us that Forry got a big round of applause as he arose from bended knee at the end of this scene. Camera still rolling, to capture the moment for posterity, Dave asked him "So, what's it like being in David 'The Rock' Nelson's movies"? Forry looked up in the air, waved his fist and said, gleefully, "There's nowhere to go but UP now"! Rocky preserved this classic outtake at end of this video.

2002

In make-up, using his "hypnotism" to keep "Tor" at bay in the second of three segments, "Tor Terrorizes," in David "The Rock" Nelson's direct-to-video trilogy of terror Monster Tales (March 2002); (footage shot at Ron Adams' "WinterFest" monster rally in January 2000).

Pitching in with another gutsy cameo in David "The Rock" Nelson's direct-to-video Devil Ant - 2 (November 2002). The director explains that Forry survived his attack in the 1999 original "because his antibodies fought off the Devil Ant's bites."

2003

Using his famous Bela Lugosi Dracula ring to hold off "Pumpkinman" in the "Night of The Pumpkinmen" segment of David "The Rock" Nelson's direct-to-video quintet of tales of the Pumpkinman.

2004

As the voice of "Professor Bruno Lampini" in the opening for Professor Griffin's Midnight Shadow Show, a television horror host show based in Texas and signed for national cable exposure on Fangoria TV, the all-horror high-definition television channel. The unseen Professor Lampini, owner of "Lampini's Chamber of Horrors," is Griffin's boss, and he taught him everything he knows. This marks the one and only time Forry has played an official part of a TV host show on a weekly basis. His Lampini voiceover opening, recorded in March 2004, premiered in episode 38, the Vincent Price tribute, and now opens the show each and every week.

As the biker with heart attack in Skinned Deep, written and directed by Gabriel Bartalos. With Eric Bennett, Karoline Brandt, Kurt Carley, Warwick Davis, Jay Dugre, Peter Iasillo Jr. Aaron Sims, Alan Tuskes and Linda Weinrib.

2005

As "Flustered Man" on phone in The Naked Monster, directed by Wayne Berwick and Ted Newsom. A funny spoof of 50's Sci-Fi / horrors with an incredible cast including Kenneth Tobey, Brinke Stevens, R.G. Wilson, John Goodwin, Daniel Roebuck, Cathy Cahn, John Agar, Michelle Bauer, Bob Burns, Jeanne Carmen, Robert Clarke, Robert Cornthwaite, George Fenneman (narrator), John Harmon, Paul Marco, Lori Nelson , Linnea Quigley, Ann Robinson, Robert Shayne, Gloria Talbott, and Les Tremayne! For many of these genre stalwarts this was their last film, and a fitting tribute to their career. Revamped "official" color release of 1985 B&W Attack of the B-Movie Monster with additional footage and completely different monster effects.

As "Man in Wheelchair" in The Scorned
In a brief scene shot several years earlier at Monster Bash (when he was heavier), giving Dave's "Monsta" a good stare, in David "The Rock" Nelson's The Demon Monster From Outer Space.

2006

As "Dr. Acula" in The Boneyard Collection
2007
As "Wheelchair ZomVamp in The Dead Undead (post-production)

200?

As the President of the World in Turkeys in Outer Space (not yet released) .

Documentaries and Miscellaneous Non-acting Roles

1956

Pulled the string that toppled the rocket model in Beast With a Million Eyes (aka The Beast With 1,000,000 Eyes), directed by David Kramarsky, Lou Place and Roger Corman (uncredited). With Paul Birch, Lorna Thayer, Dona Cole, Leonard Tarver , Dick Sargent, and Chester Conklin.

1965

Technical advisor and writer of John Carradine's monolog for The Wizard of Mars (aka Alien Massacre, Journey Into the Unknown, Horrors of the Red Planet), directed by David L. Hewitt. Starring John Carradine, Roger Gentry, Vic McGee, Jerry Rannow and Eve Bernhardt.

1970

Talked about his science fiction and horror collection in Science Fiction Films, a color documentary made by by the University of Kansas, shown at his personal appearances. This entry comes from a listing in Donald F. Glut's The Frankenstein Catalog (because Forry's collection contains so many items related to its subject).

1982

Talked about his favorite subject in the Dutch TV documentary The History of the SF Film, written and directed by Thys Ockersen. Other guests included Harlan Ellison, Harry Harrison, Ridley Scott and Robert Wise.

1985
Host and narrator of the documentary Lugosi: The Forgotten King, made for cable TV. Written and directed by Mark S. Gilman Jr. and Dave Stuckey; Forry polished the script. Interviews include Ralph Bellamy, Carroll Borland, John Carradine and producer Alex Gordon.

1986

Interviewed on the Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors video directed by Mike Hadley and Kerry O'Quinn. Others interviewed include Rick Baker, Wes Craven, Robert Englund, Albert Glasser, Alex Gordon, Clu Gulager, Tobe Hooper, Walter Koenig, Dick Miller, Dan O'Bannon and Elvira (Cassandra Peterson).

1987

Told prehistoric stories on Hollywood Dinosaur Chronicles, a video collection of movie trailers and clips narrated by Doug McClure.

Waxed nostalgic between the film clips compiled for Drive-In Madness!, directed by Tim Ferrante. Narrated by James Karen, with Linnea Quigley, Bobbie Bresee, George A. Romero, John A. Russo, Tom Savini, Samuel M. Sherman and Russell Streiner also commenting about the Good Old Days.

1988

Writer and host of Mr. Science Fiction's Fantastic Universe, a tour of the Ackermansion (II).

Interviewed in Texas Chainsaw Massacre: A Family Portrait, a documentary about Tobe Hooper's original 1974 film, written and directed by Brad Shellady. With the stars: Gunnar Hansen, Edwin Neal, John Dugan and Jim Siedow.

1990

Creative consultant and one of the award recipients in the TV special The Horror Hall of Fame, directed by Ron de Moraes and hosted by Robert Englund. Others participants: Linda Blair, Veronica Cartwright, Roger Corman, Joe Dante, Phyllis Diller, Brad Dourif, William Friedkin, Catherine Hicks, Kane Hodder, Sara Karloff (recipient), John Kassir, Sam Kinison, John Landis, Janet Leigh, Tim Matheson , Roddy McDowall, Jason Miller, Anthony Perkins, Danny Pintauro, Vincent Price (recipient), Joan Rivers, Zelda Rubinstein, Ridley Scott, Tom Skerritt and Shadoe Stevens.

Writer and host of the video Famous Monsters of Filmland — Hooray for Horrorwood.

1991

Interviewed in Shock Cinema Vol. 2, a video documentary about low-budget and exploitation films hosted by Brinke Stevens. With Michael Burnett, Gary Graver, Deanna Lund, Melissa Moore, Steve Neill, Ted Newsom and Robert Quarry.

1992

Talked about Edward D. Wood Jr. (he was Ed's agent!) in Flying Saucers over Hollywood: The Plan 9 Companion, Mark Patrick Carducci's documentary about the legendary director's Plan 9 from Outer Space. Others who appear include Carl Anthony, Stephen C. Apostolof, Conrad Brooks, Eric Caidin, Joe Dante, Drew Friedman, Gary Gerani, Rudolph Grey, Valda Hansen, Lee Harris, Verne Langdon, Paul Marco, Harry Medved, Sam Raimi, Tony Randel, Crawford John Thomas, Harry Thomasm Vampira, Gregory Walcott, Bill Warren , Scott Spiegel, and Edward D. Wood Jr. (archive footage).

Writer and host of tthe video Forrest J Ackerman's Amazing Worlds of Science Fiction & Fantasy.

Interviewed in Heartstoppers: Horror at the Movies, a TV documentary about horror / Sci-Fi films past and present, including a tribute to Forry. Directed by Steve Purcell and Neil Steinberg, and hosted by George Hamilton, with comments from Samuel Z. Arkoff, Rick Baker, Charles Band, Wes Craven, Alec Gillis, Gail Harris, John Kassir, John Landis, Cassandra Peterson (Elvira), George A. Romero, Kevin West, Tom Woodruff Jr. and Jim Wynorski.

1993

Interviewed in Dinosaur Movies, a video documentary written, directed, and hosted by Big Lizard scholar Donald F. Glut. With Christy Block (co-host), Jim Danforth and Ray Harryhausen.

1994

Interviewed in Hollywood Goes Ape!, a video tribute to gorilla movies, written and directed by renowned Ape Man Donald G. Glut. Co-hosted by Ashley Austin and legendary gorilla suit actor Bob Burns, with comments from Ray Harryhausen and film scholar George E. Turner.

1996

Polished the 5th British script and was associate producer for the Showtime release of Vampirella, directed by Jim Wynorski. based on the Warren magazine character Forry created. He also has a cameo; see acting list above.

1997

Interviewed in Hollywood Rated 'R', a documentary about classic cult and exploitation movies directed by Dominique Cazenave and Doug Headline. Narrated by John Landis (voice), with Larry Cohen, Joe Dante, David F. Friedman, Jack Hill, Johnny Legend, William Lustig, Russ Meyer, Titus Moede, Charles Napier, Barbara Steele and Edward D. Wood Jr. (archive footage).

Interviewed in Hollywood Aliens & Monsters, a TV documentary focusing on the history of science fiction films and their relation to the fears of the audience. Directed by Kevin Burns and hosted by Mark Hamill. Others interviewed include Ronald V. Borst, Bob Burns, Wade Williams, Robert Wise, Patricia Neal , Robert Clarke, Gene Barry, Ann Robinson, David Hedison, Barbara Eden, Saul David, Arthur C. Clarke, Charlton Heston, George Lucas, Veronica Cartwright, Sigourney Weaver, David Cronenberg, James Cameron.

Commenting about his role as the subject's literary agent in the English TV documentary Secret Lives: L. Ron Hubbard, directed by Jill Robinson. Narrated by Nigel Anthony, featuring interviews with other people who knew and worked with Hubbard, and archive footage of the late author.

1998

Interviewed in Universal Horror, a cable TV documentary about classic horror films, featuring film clips and extensive interviews, directed by Kevin Brownlow. Narrated by Kenneth Branagh, with comments by Turhan Bey, Ray Bradbury, Jim Curtis, Curtis Harrington, Rose Hobart, Gloria Jean, James Karen, Boris Karloff (archive footage), Sara Karloff, Carla Laemmle, Fritz Lang (archive footage), Rouben Mamoulian (archive footage), Curt Siodmak, David J. Skal, Gloria Stuart, Lupita Tovar and Fay Wray. Originally aired on Turner Classic Movies.

1999

Interviewed in the cable TV documentary about giant monster movies, Attack of the 50 Foot Monster Mania. Narrated by Bill Mumy, and featuring Elvira (Cassandra Peterson), Bob Burns, Donald F. Glut, Ray Harryhausen and Bill Warren. Originally aired on American Movie Classics.

Interviewed in Keepers of the Frame, a documentary about film preservation and restoration, directed by Mark McLaughlin. Featuring Alan Alda, Laurence Austin, Stan Brakhage, Jean Picker Firstenberg, Bob Gitt, John Harvey, Herb Jeffries, Leonard Maltin, Roddy McDowall, Debbie Reynolds, Ken Weissman and George R. Willeman.

2000

Interviewed in Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces, a cable TV bio-documentary directed by Kevin Brownlow, executive producer Hugh Hefner. Narrated by Kenneth Branagh, and featuring Michael F. Blake, Teresa Blake, Ray Bradbury, Ron Chaney, Arthur Gardner, Mary Hunt, Sara Karloff, Patsy Ruth Miller, Edward J. Montaigne, malcom Sabiston, Budd Schulberg, Will Sheldon, Loretta Young (voice), and (in archive footage): Lon Chaney Jr., Lon Chaney, Jackie Coogan, Orson Welles, Tod Browning, H.A.V. Bulleid, Hazel Chaney, Joan Crawford, William Dunphy, Erté, Irving Thalberg and Waldemar Young. Originally aired on Turner Classic Movies.

Interviewed for the "Lon Chaney Sr. and Jr." episode (# 3.34) of the cable TV program E! Mysteries & Scandals, directed by Joel K. Rogers and hosted by A. J. Benza. First aired on the E! Entertainment Channel on November 9, 2000.

2001

Interviewed in Schlock! The Secret History of American Movies, a documentary about independant exploitation filmmakers directed by Ray Greene. Also features Samuel Z. Arkoff, Peter Bogdanovich, Roger Corman, David F. Friedman, Dick Miller, Harry H. Novak, Maila Nurmi (Vampira) and Doris Wishman.

Narrator of Polish Vampire: Behind the Fangs, a short "making of" documentary directed by Mark Pirro. Featuring Glenn Campbell, Tyrone Dubose, Marya Gant, Katina Garner, Bruce Heinsius, Pat Hunter, and other involved in Pirro's Polish Vampire in Burbank (1985).

2003

As himself in Big, Fat and Tacky: A Trip to Karloffornia, a short Swedish documentary written and directed by Fred Anderson. With Fred Anderson and Erik Fägerborn.

Interviewed for the 4-part Norwegian TV documentary Norwegian Actresses in Hollywood, directed by Oyvind Asbjornsen and Niels Petter Solberg. Also featured Greta Nissen, Vera Zorina, Greta Gynt, Sigrid Gurie, Anna-Lisa, Julie Ege, Virginia Mayo and Patricia Morison.

Interviewed in My Life with Count Dracula, directed by Dustin Lance Black. A bio-documentary filmed during the last days of Dr. Donald A. Reed, founder in 1962 of the influential Count Dracula Society, which evolved into the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films. Also features interviews with Dean Devlin, George Clayton Johnson, Reed himself and Bryan Singer.

Examined, interviewed and honored in My Memoirs of 4SJ — Famous Monster of Horrorwood Karloffornia, directed, produced and assembled by Bill "Drac" Edwards. A very nicely produced DVD-R tribute to Forry from one of his biggest fans. Includes: a complete personal tour of the Ackermansion (II), videotaped by Edwards in 1991; Forry's induction into the Horror Hall of Fame; on-the-scene video coverage of Forry's 86th birthday party; footage from the 1995 Son of Famous Monsters Convention in Hollywood; and an interview with Ackerman at his new home, the mini-Ackermansion. Highly recommended for anybody (like this writer) who never had the privilege of seeing Forry's collection intact at his old home. For more information, visit Drac's Mausoleum, Bill "Drac" Edward's website.

2004

Profiled lovingly in the short TV documentary Monsterama: The Ackermonster, directed by actor / monsterfan Daniel Roebuck. Produced as part of the Monsterama series on Monsters HD, the first all-monster channel in high definition.

Interviewed about the great Famous Monsters cover artist in the short TV documentary Monsterama: Basil Gogos, directed by "monster kid" / actor Daniel Roebuck. Rob Zombie and Gogos himself are also featured. Originally aired on the Monsters HD channel.

Included in the behind-the-scenes hijinx, outtakes and bloopers of The Making of 'The Double-D Avenger', directed by William Winckler. Also features everybody else involved with the cult crowd-pleasing film. A special feature on the DVD Joe Bob Briggs Presents The Double-D Avenger.

2005

Interviewed for the extras features on the stop-motion animation DVD Ray Harryhausen: The Early Years Collection. Also wild about Harryhausen in this set: Jim Aupperle, Rick Baker, Craig Barron, Doug Beswick, Ray Bradbury, John Bruno, Bob Burns, Tim Burton, James Cameron, the Chiodo Brothers, Wes Craven, Joe Dante, Frank Darabont, John Dykstra, Peter Jackson, John Landis, Leonard Maltin, Dennis Muren, Phil Tippett, Stan Winston and many others.

Featured among the Ring-bearers in Ringers: Lord of the Fans, a documentary/comedy about the influence of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings on Western culture, directed by Carlene Cordova. Forry approached Tolkien about a film version of his trilogy in the late 50's! Narrated by Dominic Monaghan, with Elijah Wood, Peter Jackson, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, David Carradine, Ian McKellen, Sean Astin, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Clive Barker, Andy Serkis, Sala Baker, Peter S. Beagle, Terry Brooks, Bill Mumy, Leonard Nimoy, Liv Tyler and many others.

200?

Interviewed for American Scary (post-production), an exhaustive historical documentary about TV horror hosts, written by Sandy Clark and directed by John E. Hudgens. Interviews and archival footage: Dr. Shock, Ghoulardi, Svengoolie, Joe Bob Briggs, Bob Burns, Chilly Billy Cardille, Tim Conway, Dr. Sarcofiguy, Count Gore DeVol, Christopher Coffin, Professor Anton Griffin, Neil Gaiman, Commander USA, Baron Von Wolfstein, horror hostorians Curtis Armstrong, George "E-Gor" Chastain, and Frank J. Dello Stritto, A. Ghastlee Ghoul, Dr. Creep, Joel Hodgson, The Cryptkeeper, Mr Lobo, Leonard Maltin, Dr. E. Nick Witty, I. Zombi, Doktor Goulfinger, Dr. Mor B.S., Ghoul A Go Go, Baron Daemon, Big Chuck and Li'l John, Tom Savini, Son of Ghoul, Stella, Crematia Mortem, John Stanley, The Ghoul, Dr. Gangrene, Vampira, Bob Wilkins, John Zacherle and many others.

Year / Details Unknown

As himself, club Treasurer of the Los Angeles Science Fiction Society, in the amateur film LASFS Meeting (19??).

As a cowboy in the amateur LASFS production Way Out West (19??).

As himself in The Genie (19??), an amateur LASFS film also featuring Fritz Leiber and Bjo Trimble.

War of the Worlds Sequel (year?) as himself (amateur film).

In scenes with Jeff Morrow and Brinke Stevens in The Alien Within (unreleased?).

"Crypt Keeper MTV -- self jiving closeup" (?; year?).

As a private eye frightening girl in auto scene in Metamorphosis (year?).

As himself in The Lucifer Chest (year? or not yet released?).

As narrator and interviewer on the video release (year?) of I Was a Teenage Mummy, originally made in 1962.

list by George"E-Gor" Chastain

Gary D. Macabre

Goodbye Uncle Forry

2008-12-05T21:12:00.007-06:00

Another Great man has crossed to the other banks late last night. Forrest J. Ackerman, father of Famous Monsters of Filmland and adopted uncle to monster fans everywhere. His passing was not sudden as his health had been failing him and he knew his time was coming to an end in the mortal world. I would like to dedicate this week to the man who touched the Monster in all of us.

I am reposting a letter (previously posted on the UMA forum by Bobby "Toyranch" Beeman) penned by Forrest himself with is impending mortality on his mind.

IN CONTEMPLATION OF MY INEVITABLE DEMISE
Mothers Day 2003

AT MY AGE, 86 going on 87, it is crystal clear to me that I am nearer the end of my life than the beginning and the thought passes my mind more frequently than it used to before I nearly died twice in 2002 that I’m a mortal man.

Bob Bloch paved the way for the following ruminations with his remarkable revelatory article in the October 1994 issue of the now defunct prestigious slick paper science fiction oriented periodical, Omni. He stated bluntly: I’m going to die. Soon.—Thus absolving me of Harlan Ellison’s bitter accusation, “Bob was a very private person and he and his wife Elly resented your blabbing about his impending death at the World Science Fiction Convention.” Charles Brown reported that I broke the bad news “in unctuous tones.” Gay Haldeman congratulated me on my “gracious handling of the sad news.” So much for my exoneration.

Bloch said: “I think anyone who isn’t afraid of dying is crazy.” So in Bob’s estimation I’m crazy.

I wouldn’t be afraid of going to sleep one night, having no dreams and never waking up to know I was dead. On his death bed, Al Jolson breathed “I’m going!” I hope kind fate allows me long enough when I feel the end is near to record on tape “Science Fiction”, to die with my lifetime passion on my lips, then close my eyes and wait for my last breath.

Let me turn back the clock a moment and explain something that most of you probably aren’t aware of. When I was a helpless child, unable to protect myself, my well-meaning parents subjected me to 7 different Sunday Schools before I finally rebelled. When I reached the age of reason, at 15 I had an epiphany and became a born again secular humanist before we had an euphemistic term for atheist. I realized in intellectual clarity that “God” only existed in the immature beliefs of inculcated humans, that ALL religions were unworthy, unnecessary crutches, remnants from supernatural times. Time for childhood’s end.

Two Star Gods Fought
With ax and mace.
A spark flew into
The womb of space.
Space nurtured it
And gave it birth.

Now men fight on planet Earth.
--Alan Moss

Peace on Earth.
We sing it.
We’ve paid a million priests
To bring it.
After 2000 years
Of Psalms
We’ve got as far as atom bombs.

Touched by the Holocaust, Wendy’s two brothers and sister-in-law gave up on God because He either gave up on them and millions like them or else He wasn’t the benevolent, all-loving, all-powerful Deity that priests and rabbis portrayed him to be. He either turned a blind eye and deaf ear to the suffering and extermination of impotent innocents or He didn’t exist. Same for a Czech friend, whose entire family was slaughtered by Nazis before her very eyes, then she was abducted and forced to be a sex slave for 6 years for Hitler’s henchmen. She bears the numbered tattoo of a concentration camp prisoner in case there are any Doubting Thomases that such things existed.

I’m convinced the colossal Cosmos couldn’t care less about the little specks of life on Earth called humanbeings.
Nothing has ever occurred in the ensuing 14 lustrums (7 decades, 70 years) to contravene my conviction.

Here’s the scenario. Quoting Bloch (I never knew this but suspected it) “The brain is technically alive for 3 or 4 minutes.” By prearrangement, a significant other will kiss my cooling lips and whisper in my ear, “Mi amas vin Kvari’—“I love you, Forry.” I will feel my eyelids being closed, I will hear a sobbing mixture of voices, “He’s gone”, We’ve lost him”, “How can we live without him?”, “Dear Forry, rest in peace”, “I’ll never forget you”, etc. It will be frustrating not to make a movement, utter a sound, but I know this is what I expected.

When my brain ceases to function and my consciousness evanesces, I will never know there was an individual named Forry Ackerman who loved science fiction with all his heart and nonexistent soul, that he read it, wrote it, collected it, agented it, joined clubs, received awards, attended more World Science Fiction Conventions than anyone else. He will never know he learned Esperanto, traveled all over the globe, welcomed over 50,000 fans into his home. He will never know he was an inhabitant of a planet variously known as Earth, Erde, Terre, Tero and other names in a multitude of languages. He will universe out there with billions of bonfires in the skies called stars. NOTHING will he know.

And what comes afterward among the living? MR. SCIENCE FICTION DIES headline in Locus, various Appreciations. Mundane newspapers give him attention somewhat less than Heinlein’s. Like Wendayne before him, a couple of weekends devoted to friends gathering and reminiscing about him. As time goes by, fans will occasionally visit his crypt and place red carnations in the vases there. He’ll appredciate it while he’s alive but will be unable to see or smell them. He’ll suggest photos be taken and sent to Joe Moe at Forry’s last address, and if his “Guardian Angel” receives enough of them he will print a page and distribute it to whoever may be interested.

Forry’s inert body will gradually molder away until nothing is left but bones once clothed with his flesh. Barring an earthquake, bomb or some unforeseen catastrophe , his remains will remain in his coffin beside his wife. A thousand years from now no one will know or care who Forrest Ackerman was. Maybe one day in the far distant future the very cement surrounding the crypts will crumble and his bones will join those of the dinosaurs before him.

But more immediately. He can imagine some annual award in his memory. Inclusion in a panoply of postage stamps (probably 50c First Class by then) in a sheet of commemoratives remembering important individuals in the development of Science Fiction: Isaac Asimov, James Blish, Hannes Bok, Ray Bradbury, Charles Brown, Edgar Rice Burroughs, John Campbell Jr., Arthur C. Clarke, Groff Conklin, Ray Cummings, Gerry de la Ree, Phillip K. Dick, Harlan Ellison, Virgil Finlay, Hugo Gernsback, H.L. Gold, Martin Greenberg, Robert Heinlein, David H. Keller, Damon Knight, Henry Kuttner, David Kyle, Fritz Lang, Ursula Le Guin, George Lucas, Robert Madle, P. Schuyler Miller, Catherine L. Moore, Sam Moskowitz, George Pal, Raymond Palmer, Frank R. Paul, Julius Schwart, Mary Shelley, Steven Spielberg, Olaf Stapledon, Harry Warner Jr., Stanley Weinbum, H.G. Wells, Donald Wollheim, S. Fowler Wright, Jules Verne and who have I overlooked? Shame on me. Descriptions on the back of each stamp by John L. Coker III.

A statue of me may be erected in the museum of the Science Fiction Experience, or better yet an animatronic robot in my form like the one of Abraham Lincoln in Disneyland. A play or movie may be made about me (think of all the roles for Gernsback, Wells, Heinlein, et al, and the challenge for two actors to portray Ellison and Ferry in reel life as mean-spirited toward me as they were in real life.

Well, that’s about as far as my ego-orientated imagination can take me.

Soon ring down the imaginary curtain and all aboard for Final Blackout.

Sorry I won’t be seeing you Bob Bloch, Hugo Gernsback, Sam Moskowitz, Boris Karloff, war-lost brother Alden, Wendy and scores more in Never Never Land, but you won’t miss me.

My maternal grandfather died with a beatific smile on his face as though he were seeing angels or loved ones. Maybe I’ll get lucky and imagine my mother calling, as she did when I was a child, “Forry boy, come and take your nap.”

My blest wishes for anyone who may care to have them.

Please continue on over to Max the Drunken Severed Head's blog for more on this topic.
Goodbye, Uncle Forry: Famous Monsters Speak
And John's blog at Theofantastique :
Forrest J. Ackerman: Horror Fandom Icon Passes Away
And also...
Zombo's Closet of Horror
Dinner with Max Jenke
Frankensteinia

Gary D. Macabre

LOTT D Top 50 Horrors: Thoughts for discussion

2008-12-02T19:12:00.004-06:00

Greetings fellow travellers, there are unsellted winds all around tonight, so please be my guest at the fire and sit and talk a spell before continuing your journey. With the Top 50 Horrors of all time list still a part of the tempest that surrounds us, I thought I'd post a few more thought of my own on this topic and welcome readers (yes both of you) and those who have contributed to the list to offer some insight and discussion on some of the selections.

One thing I believe is that peoples various views on practically every subject imaginable are formed largely on their basic unique experiences. Even when one tries to be truly impartial these influences direct us. With this understanding I can completely support the LOTTD list although I would outwardly argue some selections on an academic level. The fact the list was formed openly with no pre-established criteria or set of titles is what makes this a good (and interesting) list. Unlike the HMV list which was a simply a ranking exercise of a preselected roster of titles.

That said I agree with John and his post on Theofantastique on the importance of criteria. I would personally love to hear what criteria was the basis for some of the more controversial selections, and the personal experiences that may have affected their inclusion.

As I am on record for bashing Blair Witch it seems a good choice for me to start the discussion with.

As I have stated that I believe experiences affect perception and personality, I have to admit that I spent much of my earlier years in the wilderness and continue to do so as much as possible to this day. As a result I find my own basement far more unsettling than being alone in the woods. That unquestionably makes the atmosphere which I would argue is the sole scary factor on the film moot in my eyes. However I can easily see how to many people that this is not the case, and being lost in the woods would be a rather terrifying experience. But atmosphere alone in my opinion cannot justify a top 15 ranking, so what other factors are in play here? Certainly some will cite the cinematic importance of the home video technique that has been emulated since and how it imparts a sense of "being there", but I don't buy that just because two recent, highly visible films, namely Cloverfield and Diary of the Dead chose to use this same technique it's that major of an innovation or coup to the genre. What it did do is provide an effective marketing ploy to the producers to make up a better story for promotion of the film than what we were fed on screen once they got our money. The characters were annoying, predictable and their actions and reactions were completely irrational from the onset of the film. None of what was shown on screen gave us any insight or depth to the characters, other than that they were potty mouthed buffoons running lost in the woods. The actual horror moments were few and far between, when they did occur they were entirely too breif and without good follow up. Just as I felt the movie was going to turn that corner, and yell boo (time and again), they turned the lights back on and started the whole damned process of setting us up all over again. Hell even that damned cat jumping out of the garbage can ploy would have felt like a big payoff. Nowhere was this more the case than with the climax of the film where we finally get to the house (which offered no reason to believe it was anything more than some abandoned dump, the like of which are plentiful and offer better atmosphere around here.) and when we dearly hope for something scary to happen, they give us some dude standing in a corner. WTF!!!!!!!

So there you have it, why I think Blair Witch is undeserving of the honour of being one of the top 50 Horror films of all time. Flame Away!

G. Macabre

100 things to do with a corpse

2008-12-02T06:14:00.002-06:00

Use #68: Garden stakes.
(tip: the smell of rotting flesh seems to draw crows which also will keep your tomato plants free of horn worms)

Moment of Horror #3

2008-11-30T17:08:00.004-06:00

Friday the 13th Part 3

Although none of the Friday the 13th films rank my top 10 horror films of all times, one would be remiss to not acknowledge their roll in the evolution of the Horror genre. As much as I prefer the Halloween series I must concede that the image of Jason as we have come to know him with the hockey mask which he acquired in part 3 is likely as well known in today's culture as earlier horror icons Universal's Frankenstein Monster and Dracula. So a tip of the tweed to the horror naysayers that figure I don't appreciate horror films that come in colour.

Macabre's top 10 Horrors

2008-11-30T15:30:00.005-06:00

B-Sol over at the Vault of horror has bravely put his neck out by posting the League's top 50 Horror films of all time list. Now perhaps you're saying why is it his neck on the line, it's not his list, just his effort in polling and tabulating input. Well your right, as I was asked to submit my top 10 (and dutifully did so) my neck should be out just as far. So here is my list of top 10 Horror movies of all time.

Psycho

Exorcist

Bride of Frankenstein

King Kong

Frankenstein ('31)

Phantom of the Opera (I gotta say the '25 version among the other Chaney edits)

American Werewolf in London

Night of the Living Dead

The Haunting

Freaks (or maybe Wicker Man, or Dracula, or Nosferatu...)

OK the hardest spot to fill is definitely the #10 spot.

One thing of note, and I believe it to be significant and somewhat overlooked in he recent buzz this list has spawned, is that when polled the criteria was what we the voters thought was our favourite Horror films. Simple cut and dry, there was no criteria such as most influential, best written, best produced, scariest, etc. And as such my list absorbed some of every one of those categories and often considered on multiple levels. Everyone who submitted a list had to form in their mind what criteria they chose to select their list and voted accordingly to a pretty broad request. The grand scope of the question in my opinion only validates the list even more so.

The final list has some selections which I personally don't agree with (yeah OK state the obvious there bucko, if I did agree with it entirely the list would read like my top 10 now wouldn't it.), some of which I question how other's minds can conceiveably rank in the top 50. I'll say it out right here and now I thought Blair Witch was a bigger piece of crap than SAW, or even Children of the Corn 2, and likely one of my biggest horror film disapointments of all time. And I don't get how Thiller is on the list, but fact is more than one person ranked it high enough to count for whatever reason. But then I admit my mind works on a different frequency.

G. Macabre

Rememberance of those who have given all

2008-11-11T21:09:00.003-06:00

In honour of those for whom we dedicate the 11th hour of the 11th day on the 11th month I'm linking back to three post I have done a while ago. A true life horror story from those who have lived and seen true horror.

To all who have given that we could be free I say thank you.

Eyes! Eyes! Eyes! part 1, part 2, part 3

G. Macabre

Día de los Muertos

2008-11-02T14:00:00.004-06:00

OK I have to admit I took yesterday off when really I had no business doing so, not with November 1st being the Day of the innocents, the first day of the Mexican celebration. Día de los Inocentes (also known as Día de los Angelitos, Day of the Little Angels) celebrates those whom have died in childhood. Today November 2nd is properly Día de los Muertos or Día de los Difuntos (Day of the Dead) where the lives of those whom have died in adulthood are celebrated.

Just as our more familliar Halloween celebrations mark the belief that the barrier between the worlds of the living and the dead is at its weakest, the Día de los Muertos celebrations mark the similar belief that it is easier for the spirits of the deceased to visit the living during this time. Family members tend the graves of their deceased relatives presenting offerings gold marigolds (cempasúchitl) and either toys and candy for the deceased children or alcoholic beverage for the adults to intice their spirits to return. Memorial altars abundant with photographs, personal articles, favourite foods, candied pumpkin, and sugar skulls are commonplace, both in cemetaries and private homes.

The image most often used with this celebration is that of the skull. Often decorated and colorful, it appears as masks and makeup, figurines such as Catrinas, decorations and candies and treats. The origin here is likely in connection with early indiginous peoples where human skulls were kept and used as trophies and decorations during rituals and celebrations as symbols of life and death.

As is obvious this is not a subdued mournful occasion, but rather one of great exhuberence and joy.

Hay más tiempo que vida
Gary D. Macabre

Here is a link to a very nice site about the Day of the Dead: Day of the Dead in Mexico

The Day after

2008-11-01T14:18:00.003-06:00

Greetings, I hope your travels amongst the spirits on all Hallows Eve were favorable. Now it is time to sit back and relax. Halloween may be over, but all the glory that fall brings before the sleep of winter lays ahead. Enjoy.

Gary D. Macabre

Happy All Hallows

2008-10-31T03:00:00.002-06:00

Wishing you the best this Halloween from Blogue Macabre and TheFrankensteinMonster.com

War of the Worlds 70th Anniversary

2008-10-30T00:01:00.003-06:00

Moment of Horror #3
Today marks the 70th anniversary of what was unquestionably the most successful Halloween prank of all times. Originally aired October 30, 1938, the Mercury Theatre On the Air with Orson Wells adaptation of H.G. Wells' novel War of the Worlds (radio script by Howard Koch) presented the story in a unique and realistic contemporary news report format which sent thousands of people into panic. Naturally by the time they get half way through the story, the Earth is in shambles and the play becomes a first person narrative, but by this time much of the audience had already left their radios and were running about the streets. Well we know it caused a great degree of fear and public concern at any rate, but there are questions about the accuracy of the news paper articles that claimed wide spread panic. Broadcast nationally on the CBS radio network it potentially reached millions of listeners drawing the greatest reactions in New York and New Jersey.

So please won't you share with me one of my personal and favourite Halloween traditions in listening to The War of the Worlds

G. Macabre

Zombie Pumpkins

2008-10-29T06:03:00.002-06:00

Have you started thinking about how to carve this season's gourd? Well here is a fantastic site dedicated to just that, check them out.

Zombie Pumpkins

OTR Tuesday: Lights Out, Everybody!

2008-10-28T05:22:00.003-06:00

With Wyllis Cooper's departure from the series, the edgy creativity that made the show the success it was would be hard to replace, and the likelihood the show would slowly whither and die would be a reasonable expectation. But such was not the fortune of the Lights Out series. While Cooper was still submitting scripts from California, another writer was found and the studio promptly severed ties with the shows creator. And under the creative control of a young and ambitious Arch Obler the series would thrive and in many ways surpass it's former incarnation. While Obler retained the essence of the series with his often bizarre tales, he indeed placed his own stamp on the series. Obler's odacity took the series by whirlwind with his first script in June of 1936 with a tale of a young girl burried alive that drew the outrage of the audience. He would then fiollow it up with the highly acclaimed Cat Wife, cementing the confidence of the NBC studio executives that they had made the right decision inselecting a new writer. The shows were less graphic in nature, they did tend to be more fantastic and outlandish with tales like the Chicken Heart, Oxychloride X, and Revolt of the Worms to name but three. Obler's scripts typically made use of the first person narrative, a technique he was very adept with. Additionally he also was not too subtle with presenting his own anti fascist views.

However this marriage was to be short lived. Obler would leave the series in the Summer of 1938. NBC was this time unable to find such a serindipidious match with tallented writing and the show would be cancelled in 1939.

Obler would later revive the series in 1942-1943 for the CBS studio, using many of his former scripts and more science fiction oriented scripts from his series Arch Obler's Plays. With the audience taking a new delight in horror based entertainment, other highly popular and fantastic series such as Inner Sanctum and Suspense would take over where Lights Out left off keeping horror alive on radio.

So now please turn down your lights and enjoy three episodes of Arch Obler's Lights Out!, Cat Wife, and two of my personal favourites, Revolt of the Worms and Murder Castle.

G. Macabre

100 things to do with a corpse

2008-10-26T14:28:00.002-06:00

Use #27: Vertical blinds

Moment of Horror #2

2008-10-21T23:46:00.007-06:00

Arguably the most iconic and most memorable (or at least best quoted/ripped off) scenes in Horror Movie history has to be the Creation of the Frankenstein Monster. Colin Clive's maniacal rant "It's alive, IT'S ALIVE, IT'S ALIVE!!!" is almost as well known as the monster's flat head and neck "bolts". The Strickfadden equipment, the hunchbacked assistant Fritz and the good doctor at his finest set the stage for every mad scientist cliche to ever follow. Truly a moment of horror at it's finest.

100 things to do with a corpse

2008-10-18T08:18:00.002-06:00

Use #6: Car pool Dummy

100 things to do with a corpse

2008-10-15T17:55:00.003-06:00

So if you're anything like me, you may be sitting around and asking yourself, "Here I am will all these dead bodies just taking up space, what are some of the fun or useful things I could do with them". Well you're in luck. Here is another new entry I have come up with for Blogue Macabre, 100 things to do with a corpse.

Use #14 (activity): Body Shots

Moment of Horror #1

2008-10-14T19:13:00.007-06:00

A new feature to the Blogue is what I am going to call a Moment of Horror. These will be bits, scenes, lines, images, etc. that I feel have a significant or note worthy place in the horror genre.

Although I do not intend this feature to be a ranking system or in any chronological order, what better place to start than with one of the most impact full scenes from the earliest years of Horror on the silver screen.

Count Orloc rises from the Coffin

An iconic film with a myriad of compelling and powerful images, this particular scene holds a special place in Horror history. Although we have already been introduced to the Count, have seen him in his coffin and have even been menaced by him before; here with his un-natural levitation from the box the point truly hits home about his nature and supernatural power. A more powerful scene of a vampire rising from his slumber has yet to be put on film.

Post Mortem: Diary of the Dead

2008-10-13T09:26:00.003-06:00

As much as I am first and foremost a fan of classic horror, I have to admit to being a huge fan of the Zombie genre. And Romero's most recent addition wasn't a disappointment. OK perhaps not his best outing, I admit to liking NOTLD and DOTD better, but this was a noteworthy return for Romero to the genre he re-invented. They typical band of misfits thrown together an a quest for survival. Surely there will be some good gory deaths and characters dying off as they situation becomes more dire, pure grade-A Alberta Beef for a Post Mortem entry right.

Well think again, while the movie was entirely enjoyable in it's own right, I have to admit that there was very little material to base this review on. What no Characters Die? to the contrary a number of significant characters die. But Romero made some interesting choices. Character deaths were essentially zombie maulings and not particularly grotesque ones either. And for the most part their second death at the hands of their peers is not particularly meaningful, nor motivational. Not that this doesn't work for the movie, in fact it works quite well, it truly punctuates a reoccurring theme throughout the movie about us, and by 'us' naturally I mean society as a whole, this being global and not national, losing our humanity and becoming disassociated and distant from reality. Particularly with our modern use and lack of interpersonal relationships due to the modern age of computers. Frankly as far as Romero's political subtexts go, this one really is his best. But it didn't make for great death scenes. Sure there was plenty of gore and zombies to keep us happy, but the character's deaths were rather sanitized, interesting no?

So to choose the one that does the best job in this format, I must go with the death of the focal character,

Jason Creed: from rolling film to final cut.

Manner of Death: You guessed it, attacked by a friend turned zombie (whom he formally criticised for his lousy performance as one of the living dead), bitten and then capped by his girlfriend before he could turn. OK I have to admit up until I typed that last sentence I was about to mark it simply as average, but damn, after reading that, I think I have to rate it a bit higher.

Effect of Death: Although the "heroine" of the film seems more moved by this death than any other, and vows to continue and finish his film (which she presumably does and that is the cut we are told we are watching), it doesn't really motivate the characters into action and certainly provides no conclusion to the film, so in my books (and I feel I am perhaps being a bit generous)...

Appearance/direction: To be honest nothing about this scene really stands out visually. And to be brutally honest, when the rest of the gang catches up with Jay and his attacking zombie the zombie is actually strangling him, (although by the blood apparent on his throat, and that of the zombie at this time we can safely assume he was in fact bitten), and I think I bashed Manchester Morgue pretty hard for not much different (noting however there was no blood present in LDAMM until the following scene). It's the part after the attack and the lead up to his final exit that allows me to rank this a bit higher. That said it too gets no more than average.

Mood: Yeah, you know the part where the zombie gets the sword in the head is great and all, but, if it weren't for the score here the scene really didn't have much mood. Bread and water.

Acting: It was believable and the fact that he was able to utter the line "shoot me" while passing the video camera to his girlfriend as his last and final words without cracking up, gets points in my book. But beyond that I didn't see much that warrants better than average marks.

So there you have it, a solid movie, with acceptable acting, a great director a good story, blood, guts zombies the whole sha-bang. But in the end somehow the most pivotal death clocks in at 15.5/25, C- go figure.

Gary Macabre

Something Macabre for the Kiddies

2008-10-11T08:09:00.002-06:00

While doing some prep work for this year's Halloween fun I came across this little gem and had to share.

How not to Halloween Prank

2008-10-10T10:10:00.009-06:00

OK folks the Haunting season is upon us, and thus it's time to consider are you going to set up a Halloween prank? Well if this is your intention, here are some thoughts on things to how to get it right. Or rather how to get it WRONG

Surprise is always effective, but it must have a bit of planning and set up, just jumping out at someone is first class lame.

Standing around in a Creepy mask creeping people out is cool, but there's a point where you cross that line and the odds of someone just putting a knife or a bullet in you goes up exponentially.

Choose your victim wisely, a prank that fails is disappointing, but a prank gone wrong can be plain bad. Perhaps it's just a minor faux pas in judgment like this case...

But his one is the biggest failure of all times. We're talking therapy and legal action here.

Oh and make sure you understand the meaning of prank, it's apparent theses guys are clueless.

So fellow travelers here's my tips for successful Halloween pranking.

1: Planning is important. Simply winging it usually results in what might be light entertainment, but not as likely to be as satisfying. Come up with a plan and and how you will execute it.

2: Be original. Granted there have been some great ideas out there before and some really have come close to achieving "classic" status. Is not wrong to use a plan that has been done before, but be sure to add your own bent to it and make it your own, and not just a copy of something you saw or heard about elsewhere. Keep in mind you victims may well have seen or heard about it too, and a busted prank is no fun. Is there a way to do it that those familiar won't be expecting it?

An example here is last year I did the scarecrow costume. OK people expect there's someone in the costume, how do I disarm them? The Solution was to put the costume out as a decoration a week in advance so all the neighborhood kids saw it and became accustomed to it. Additionally I set up a fair distance from the candy distribution point. And it worked like a charm.

3: Use discretion: Don't try to bag everyone who comes along, choose your victims. If you can't see them before hand, get an accomplice who can act as your eyes. Traumatizing a three year old is not cool.

4: Keep it legal, 'nuf said.

5: Remember a good Halloween prank should be fun for ALL parties, those doing the scaring AND those being scared or tricked. IF you're the only ones getting any enjoyment from it and your victims are either annoyed or unimpressed, no matter how much fun you think your having you prank is a failure and you are looking like an ass.

G. Macabre

Farewell dear Meek

2008-09-19T20:24:00.002-06:00

Greetings again fellow travelers. I must say it is indeed hard to see one you know cross the river to the far banks where eternity resides. Friend and UMA family member Linda"Meek" Miller crossed over yesterday morning after a sudden heart attack. For those who do not know of her she was a wonderful and a talented Monster artist who possessed a soul that shone like beacon amongst the living.

Here is a gallery of some of her work.

Art of Linda Miller

Farewell dear Meek, you will be missed.

OTR Tuesday: Lights Out!

2008-09-09T18:40:00.007-06:00

Part One: The early years
Lights Out, created by Legendary script writer Willis Cooper (he would later change the spelling to Wyllis in 1940), Lights Out debuted Midnight of Wednesday January 3, 1934. In it's original format the show ran short fifteen minute tales of crime mysteries spiced up with the supernatural and a degree of dark humour. Cooper's creative and at the time quite innovative use of sound effects to portray the rather grizzly deaths of characters apparently was well received by the shows audience as it was expanded to a full half hour in only three months. But the successful and much in demand writer was being spread thin, and the decision was made to cancel the program in January of 1935 to allow Willis to focus his efforts on more mainstream lucrative shows The Immortal Dramas, The daily 15 minute serial Flying Time, and the Popular daytime soap opera Betty and Bob. The Lights Out program however, like the Chicken Heart that Bill Cosby later immortalized, was too much of a success to be contained and abandoned however. After public outcry the series was revived only weeks after cancellation.

The truth may not be quite so simple, Cooper had already resigned from his position as NBC continuity editor for this same reason. It is probable he had already decided to take advantage of his success in radio and of the Lights Out program and pursue other more financially rewarding avenues for a script writer (Willis Cooper would later pen the screenplay for 1939s Son of Frankenstein). In May of 1936 Cooper had taken up residence in Hollywood and was only submitting scripts from afar and was otherwise removed from the production. Although it appears that he intended to stay on with the show in this capacity, apparently the arrangement wasn't so amicable for the studio. In June 1936 the young and talented Arch Obler would take the helm for Lights Out, and at the same time another writer was assigned to Flying Time, the only other program Cooper was still writing.

Although there are no known copies of the show during Coopers authorship, there are surviving scripts, and a number of his more whimsical and less spectcular (read gory) scripts had been revived and re-recorded. There is one surviving script typical of Cooper's early efforts which was re-recorded in 1947 titled Death Robbery and starring none other than the master of Horror Boris Karloff himself.

I hope you enjoy listening to the most noteworthy and possibly definitive re-recording of Wyllis Coopers scripts. Lights Out EVERYBODY!

Death Robbery

Post Mortem: The Fog

2008-08-31T15:10:00.016-06:00

Mowing of the Seagrass:
In my last postmortem, in an unpopular move, I panned Living Dead at Manchester Morgue's initial slaying in "The Mangling of Martin". Well I still stand by what I wrote, as frankly while the movie itself has some charm, that scene was just amazingly unremarkable. This time around I have an example of how the first slaying should go. John Carpenter's work through the late 70's and early 80's was quite frankly brilliant, and the Fog is a shining gem in that crown of work, and the scene where the crew of the Seagrass first encounter the pirate ghosts is a prime example of why that is.

I will make mention that here I have chosen to review the sequence rather than a single killing as it involves the murder of three individuals that occur presumably simultaneously, two of which are on screen at the same time.

Manner of Death:
The crew of the fishing boat the Seagrass encounter a mysterious fog bank, and from the fog appears a great sailing vessel. The crew go on deck to witness and investigate this bizzarre event and find dark shadowy figures have materialized on their deck. Peering though the fog and darkness at the figures, the reason for their boarding the small boat becomes evident. Their only motive is murderous intent, as the first crewman is ran through with a rapier from behind. His surprised gurgle draws the attention of his mate who while witnessing the brutal slaying is himself butchered with a sharp hook. Each man looks on as is close associate dies horribly and slowly as the pirates stab and rake the men. The third crewman still in the boat's cabin is stalked throttled and brutally and repeatedly pierced through the head with a pick of sorts.

This scene was interesting, relatively creative, and I think there is no question that chioces of implements used here were effective in portraying the brutality of the pirates and the fact each was killed with a different, yet character/plot appropriate tool worked well. This scene is guaranteed to leave an impression on any young viewer, and I do believe that young teens were the target audience. So high marks for this category.

Effect on Story:
As is often the case with the first killing in a horror movie the slain characters have very little to do with the plot. Simply they are devices used primarily to set up the audience rather than have any meaningful effect on the story. While there are some questions about the heroine's relationship with the crew of this boat and the fact one member (the only one with a name) speaks of his wife, these ties are not further explored. This I feel is a shame as I do believe this is a relatively weighty category, but it's an understandable and quite common choice whether by design or editing. Either way the scores will suffer.

Appearance/Visual Direction:
The visual direction here is spot on. The lighting and contrast on Deck is stunning, maintaining the appearance of night, yet using the fog to provide enough light that the ominous figures to remain dark shadows. The way the ship appears and disappears in the mist and the figure as it enters the blacked-out bridge are extremely well executed. My only problem with this scene is the choices in casting and costuming of the fishermen. The two individuals who go out on deck are far too similar in appearance, both larger men with medium length curly blond hair and short beards, both wearing plaid flannel jackets. As characters it is possible they could be intended to be brothers, and watching one another die would be more poignant. However there is nothing beyond their appearance that might suggest this, and really in the big picture they are simply pirate fodder. The end result of their simultaneous executions with the camera cutting between them can be confusing as to whom is dying and how. The graphic and agonizing deaths shown here are again a skillful ploy by Carpenter to show the audience this brutality and have it burn into the viewer's mind. With this approach the audience will imagine similarly gruesome deaths for all those who follow without actually having to show any murders. The lack of visual gore and limited on screen violence likely helped this movie both psychologically and in the box office granting it a wider audience. Besides, what people can imagine can often be far more effective than what one can film.

Mood:
With solid directing and excellent visuals it's hard not to hit the mood category running. Carpenter here introduces us to the pirates with a large and mysterious ship that only appears briefly in this scene as we look on in wonder and fascination. Yet here we only experience trepidation. As the dark figures appear surrounding the men with large evil looking weapons in silhouette, fear begins to creep in. Yet it has not had chance to grab hold when the first man (Al) is slaughtered. Here we are caught off guard and are reeling, much like the victims on the screen are as they are gutted before us. Carpenter then skillfully nudges this shock towards suspense and fear as we see the darkened shape approach the last crew member in the boat's cabin.

Acting:
In this sequence there is so much going on, it would be easy for someone to overact, but each player does his part beautifully. I must say I particularly liked how the two individuals silently looked in in shock and disbelief as they saw the other man die a horrible death right before him. Perhaps it says a lot more to the direction as each witness his own death mirrored in the face of the other (again so alike), but I admit I'm not a big fan of reading too much into a scene that may not really be there, so I'll leave things as they are and give props to these guys.

Overall this scene is a great example of what an introductory murder sequence should be. It is not perfect, but solid in most every pertinent aspect. Tying it in with the plot would have been nice, the foundations to do so were there, and it certainly would have elevated the scene in ranking, but in the end not necessary. 19/25, 76% B

Bad Ads: Professor Deemer's Atomic Pest Bait

2008-08-30T07:34:00.003-06:00

Fear the Undead

2008-07-29T17:08:00.005-06:00

Greetings once again to the river Styx. Recently I had ventured again amongst the living, and found it was indeed difficult to return, just as it is if one strays into the land of the dead. But thankfully I am back, and wish to continue our journey into the nature of fear.

One of the oldest tales of horror is that of the Vampire. Folkloric tales of the dead rising from the grave to prey on the living are still commonplace in a number of countries and rural regions in the world today. So it is of no surprise that such terrors would become commonplace in horror literature and later cinema, in fact some of the earliest silent films acknowledged the captive spell these tales have upon us and capitalized on them. Now the Vampire is the most frequently used monster to have graced the silver screen. So what better subject is there for our journey into the analysis of what it is that defines scary?

The modern Hollywood vampire holds little resemblance to the traditional vampire of folklore. Traditionally a cursed family member that through some supernatural means would survive death and burial and inflict famine, disease and ill fortune on a village or family, the Vampire has become far more personal, tangible and terrifying in it’s modern incarnations. The modern Vampire is a seductive immortal predator feeding quite literally on the living. To some it brings death, and others it brings its curse to endure for eternity.

The vampire we know in film and fiction today owes much of its existence to the author Bram Stoker in his much studied and overanalysed masterpiece Dracula. A powerful and feared count of old Romania which found his way to London England to satiate his evil hunger on the modern world, far from his broken battlements and the terrified and unsophisticated villagers. Now sophisticated, alluring and mysteriously sensual, with the ability to transform into creatures of darkness, the vampire would never be the same. Although this foundation is still the cornerstone of what graces darkened movie houses to this day the character of the vampire has indeed continued to evolve. Much like any horror theme, it changes to meet and reflect the apprehensions of the current society. Seldom are vampires royalty or symbols of class struggle, rather they now tend to resemble their intended contemporary audience. Gone as well is the subtle mysterious seductive nature, again replaced with overt sexuality.

Firstly Vampires are what I would consider monsters, a physical supernatural being attacking and preying on people. This is just a small part of what makes them scary, but by no means should we overlook this aspect. It is after all this part of their character that impregnates our minds with what I have formerly describes as true fear. Their nocturnal nature of course preys on the subconscious fear of the dark and the use of symbols such as bats or insects, which illicit irrational fears in many are a vital component in their unsettling nature. This fulfills the first requirement of what it is to be scary by taking the audience out of their comfort zone.

More importantly however is the character of the vampire. Almost every aspect of the vampire is trait that we find alluring or desirable, yet here each is corrupt and perverse shadow of itself providing only unfulfilled promises and worse. The Seductiveness and sexuality of the undead is indeed something most of us would like to possess, but to the vampire, physical fulfillment and pleasure is simply unattainable. Instead it results in death of the mate and a fleeting glimpse at life and satisfaction of physical appetite. Wealth and power are neutered by situation. Certainly a secretive and secluded existence precludes any meaningful influence outside a small and corrupt group of likewise individuals at best. Not to mention your very existence being in the hands of such unimpressive underlings. Superhuman strengths and abilities only suffice to make the fulfillment of basic needs simpler and more attainable, but offer no joy, pleasure or pride. And of course most significantly is the promise of immortality. To this end the vampire is cursed to exist for all eternity only through the darkness of night, never experiencing the light of day and the joys of the living.

Perhaps it is this that we find most frightening about the vampire; as a monster in the dark, ready to hunt and prey on us unsuspectingly, and even wontedly. As a mortal the best we can achieve is death, for if our dreams and aspirations are granted to us they will in effect leave us with less than we currently have. We see that with every accomplishment and desire we strive to fulfill it only makes us more monstrous and pitiful. Indeed as fearful as we humans are of death the thought of there being a situation even worse, and it is that situation which we long for, we find that scares us. Could it be what scares us the most is our own personal and internal insecurities, and desires?.

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2008-06-24T05:44:00.002-06:00

Next post... the fear inside: Vampire movies

Post Mortem: Living Dead at Manchester Morgue

2008-06-11T19:08:00.016-06:00

The Mangling of Martin:

Manner Of Death: Unassuming photographer who is taking photos of flowers at night is strangled/throat torn out by by the film's primary Zombie. It's rather unclear really by the scene we see unfold, it looks as if he's simply strangled to death (which is an exceedingly disappointing way to die at the hands of a zombie), however later we see the "Drowned
Man", aka Zombie #1, with bloody hands and Martin's corpse with a bloody throat. It is clear that the zombie does not have blood on his face, so it is evident his demise is not from a bite. In the greater scheme of things, either way it's not a very good example of zombie carnage. Since this is such an important killing (as I will get to soon enough), the first attack of the movie, which should set the ground work for the film and rev up the audience, and as it turns out the only killing in the first hour of the film (with a run time of 93 minutes), it fails miserably in this category I'm afraid.

Effect of Death: Unquestionably this death has tremendous ramifications to the film, in that everything that follows plot-wise really is as a result of Martin's Demise. The leading characters, George and Edna, that have been thrust together earlier are now trapped with one another because of the police inquiry, and the fact the detective is convinced of their involvement, if not the murderers themselves, even though all evidence is to the contrary.
The truth of the matter is, it's the significance of this death scene to the rest of the movie that I chose to review it. Be that as it may, I honestly can't justify giving this this film full marks in this category solely based on the shortcomings of the movie's writing. More zombie carnage could easily have been written in to keep audience interest (it's not a mystery after all) and be conveniently tied to the main characters to make the police chief's fanaticism remotely plausible, even if the scenes played out as poorly conceived and mediocre at best. After all that's no different than what we're being given already.

Appearance/Direction: So now I'm wondering if director Jorge Grau is really is so acclaimed, then he obviously did not get this honour based on this scene, in fact I'm wondering if he was even there when this was shot. The lighting and setting is poor at best, the acting is atrocious, particularly from the girl who is looking on as Martin is being killed, and the choices of angles (close-up, wide angle, close-up, close-up) and cinematography is dismal. When it comes down to it this could be the worst shot scene in the movie (or any movie for that matter).

Mood: The scene played out so poorly that the mood of the scene was really no better that the Appearance and Direction. Again it is so far from the rest of the film one can only wonder. I'm going to have to watch the Jorge Grau interviews on this set (yes I paid $30.00 for a 2 disk special edition of a pretty weak zombie flick) to see if he explains this scene or even just apologizes for it.

Acting: In that I'm reviewing Jose' Ruiz Lifonte as Martin here since it is his death scene is merciful. Really it was rather poor, as he stumbles around with no more determination or coordination than the zombie he's trying to fend off. But I'll admit I've seen worse (and in this very scene too come to think of it).

Overall this scene falls so short of what it could have been it is tragic. Fortunately for the viewer there are more death scenes and far better ones later in the movie. 9/25, 36% F

It is clear that I don't share B-Sol's views on this film (LOTT D's resident Zombie master) as I feel that even though it's place in zombie film history cannot be denied, compared to Romero's Night of the living Dead, Grau approaches the genre rather timidly even if he does serve up a rather graphic Zombie feast later on in the film. If you would like to read more on this film and B-Sol's review over at Vault of Horror go here.

Gary D. Macabre

AAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

2008-06-10T20:41:00.002-06:00

I have made mention in my recent post about the nature of fear of an excellent article in defense of Torture Porn. And I am happy to say that the twisted perverse sicko who's in favour of all this smut is now one of us!!! Welcome to the League!

And Now the Screaming Starts!