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16 articles
A Conversation with Captain Howdy: The Fangoria Interview with Eileen Dietz
10 hours ago
With vast experience on stage and screen (big and small), Eileen Dietz' career has woven a path in-and-out of the horror genre. While horror fans will no doubt associate the actress with her role as the face of evil in William Friedkin's Oscar-winning 1973 film The Exorcist, Dietz has many stories to tell. Fangoria's Australian correspondent Lee Gambin recently sat down for a one-on-one interview to discuss her career and craft.
Lee Gambin/Fangoria: What were some of your very first jobs in the entertainment industry, as I understand you started super young and how did the Neighborhood Playhouse Theatre School benefit you as a young actress?
Eileen Dietz: I worked at a Summer Stock company in Kalamazoo Michigan. It was a very bad place and the director of the theatre only brought me up there to rob me of my innocence if you know what I mean. »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (Lee Gambin)
Are Horror Films Supposed To Be Scary Or Fun?
10 hours ago
After watching hundreds (or thousands?) of horror movies over the course of decades, how many horror fans still get scared after watching a horror movie? I'm not talking about merely feeling tension because a character is in danger, but actually feeling frightened by a film.
All too often, it seems that people complain that a horror film was "bad" because it wasn't "scary". Without any context, this is essentially meaningless. For example, when was the last time a movie scared them, and what was it?
I feel that this "problem" has less to do with the quality of a film than it does with someone's having built up a tolerance. Besides being a horror fan, I'm also a fan of very spicy food, and I have an assortment of hot sauces made from habanero and scotch bonnet peppers in my refrigerator at all times. My tolerance of spicy food is significantly higher than average, »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (Brian Matus, a.k.a. Hellstorm)
The Road (Film Review)
26 November 2009 10:00 PM, PST
Note: This review also appears on our Starlog site.
“We are not gonna quit. We are gonna survive this.”
The Road is a bleak, grim, raw movie set in a harsh, oppressive post-apocalyptic world sparsely populated by violent, desperate people. But to say that the film is about Hopelessness would be to entirely miss the point of John Hillcoat’s film and the Cormac McCarthy novel upon which it is based. The Road shows us a cruel, fierce, forbidding world of seemingly inexorable despair, but there is hope in the bleakness. The Road is a dark movie, but not a depressing one. And that difference is why the words “carrying the fire,” both in the movie and the book, have such impact.
The Road is a post-apocalyptic film, but if you’re looking for action sequences and people outrunning fireballs and explosions, you might want to check out 2012 instead. Just »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (Allan Dart)
Assorted Horror DVD & Blu-Ray News
26 November 2009 4:58 PM, PST
During our brief downtime this past week a slew of new release dates and DVDetails have emerged for some upcoming genre fare set to invade the home market. Fangoria has details and updates on the upcoming releases of Paranormal Activity, Surrogates, Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever, Rob Zombie's Halloween II, District 9, Blood Creek, She-wolf Of London, and more.
Paramount has announced that Oren Peli's runaway hit Paranormal Activity is slated for a DVD & Blu-ray release on December 29th, 2009.
The Paranormal Activity DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround and Spanish 5.1 Surround (theatrical version only) and English, French and Spanish subtitles. The two-disc Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 DTS-hd Master Audio and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital (theatrical version only) and English, English Sdh, French and Spanish subtitles. Special features include:
Unrated version with alternate ending not seen in theaters »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (James Zahn)
Creepersin set to record new album!
26 November 2009 4:17 PM, PST
Southern California Horror/Goth Rock band Creepersin is heading into the studio to record a new full length album in December. The band hasn’t put out a full length album since its 2006 album ‘Faster Creepersin Kill Kill’ (read the Fangoria Musick review here). Although, in 2007, they released an Ep entitled ‘Creepersin’s Final Chapter’ and a compilation of previously released songs and demos called ‘House of Creepersin’ in 2008.
“We never intended on going on a hiatus but the film side of our career got really busy,” says front man Creep Creepersin, who has been directing horror films with his wife and band mate, Nikki ‘Mrs. Creep’ Wall. His repertoire includes titles such as ‘Orgy of Blood’ (see exclusive photos on Fangoria.com here), ‘Vaginal Holocaust’ and ‘O.C. Babes and the Slasher of Zombietown’ among others.
The new album that is as of yet untitled will be something for »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (Thorin Scheerer & Staff)
(Formerly Lesbian) Vampire Killers DVD Box Art
26 November 2009 3:47 PM, PST
On December 29th, Vivendi Universal will release the film formerly known as Lesbian Vampire Killers (see Allan Dart's review from Fantasia here) as Vampire Killers in a DVD package that apes a bit of Twilight and Zombieland all at once. The studio sent over a couple looks at the box art, along with a synopsis. Sadly no bonus features have yet to be announced for this single-disc release.
Two clueless friends find themselves part of a bloody big adventure when they wander into a feeding ground for a band of fangs-baring vampire babes. With a busload of hot history students to protect, they’ll try to survive the night, break an ancient curse, and take down as many buxom bloodsuckers as possible.
Starring: James Corden and Mathew Horne (BBC’s “Gavin & Stacey,” “Horne & Corden”)
Pre-order your copy of the DVD right here.
»
- no-reply@fangoria.com (James Zahn)
Mezco reveals Living Dead Dolls Jewelry
26 November 2009 3:36 PM, PST
Frequent visitors to Fangoria.com know that we're longtime fans of Mezco's Living Dead Dolls, but tonight we've got something a little different. Mezco just hit us with the news that they're rolling out a line of Ldd-inspired jewelry, starting with the Twisted Love Heart & Dagger Necklace. See the details below.
Living Dead Dolls introduces its first piece of jewelry, a necklace of cutting-edge design: Glossy heart and dagger charms designed in inky black with blood-red highlights. Each hangs from 17” individual, adjustable chains that can be worn solo, or paired together with the dagger piercing the heart.
This necklace is a limited edition of 200 pieces and is exclusive to Mezco Direct.
Ships in late January/ early February.
»
- no-reply@fangoria.com (James Zahn)
Fangoria Musick: Black Friday Deals from Earache & Victory!
26 November 2009 3:23 PM, PST
Fangoria Musick just got word that two of our favorite labels are rolling out the Black Friday deals online. Both Chicago's Victory Records and UK staple Earache have Black Friday stores set up with special pricing on a variety of music and merch from all of their top bands. Check out the official details below.
From Victory:
Victory Records' Black Friday Sale is in-progress. This is the most eagerly awaited shopping day of the year. Every item in our expansive webstore will be 25% off of the regular price from 12:00am on Thanksgiving Day through 11:59pm on Monday, November 30th. Every item is on sale. CD’s, vinyl, t-shirts, zip-up hoodies, track jackets, polos, sweatpants, gym shorts, messenger bags, posters, patches, stickers, buttons, and More! The only items that will remain at their regular price will be the Limited Edition pre-order packages, which are already a great bargain.
The »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (James Zahn)
Terrifyingly Gnarly # 19 - Teenage Filmmaker Jd Lifshitz Gets Killed On The 4th Of July
26 November 2009 2:34 PM, PST
So it’s April. It’s the Los Angeles stop of this past year’s Fango Weekend of Horrors. In the midst of experiencing L.A. and being so close to this horror industry for the first time, I’m standing at the Fangoria booth just kind of throwing words around with attendees and colleagues, about movies, music, comics and well, geek stuff.
Up to the table comes the young J.D. Lifshitz, who, now 17, was a 16 year old kid in a short sleeved button down, a baseball cap and surprising knowledge of all things horror (it’s nice when the kids have had some history lessons). After high fiving over many joint favorite films and the fact that we’re both from New York, J.D. tells me about his slasher script, which he’s all gung ho that he’ll make. I tell him if he ever gets »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (Sam Zimmerman)
More Nirvana coming to Rock Band in Next Week's Dlc
26 November 2009 1:25 PM, PST
Harmonix and MTV Games have announced that a three pack of songs from Nirvana as well as a three pack of songs from Night Ranger will be added next week to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation® 3 computer entertainment system and Wii™.
Rock Band Dlc Additions for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 System and Wii
Rock Band is delivering more Nirvana tracks next week, including the rock anthem, “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” from the band’s best-selling 1991 album, Nevermind. “Nirvana Pack 02” also includes two live recordings – “Come As You Are,” from the band’s legendary MTV Unplugged performance, and “Lithium,” from the 1992 Reading Festival. The Live at Reading CD/DVD is also available for purchase in stores. Fans can also download “About a Girl,” “Blew” and “School,” from Bleach, already available in the Rock Band Music Store. Nirvana released their debut album, »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (Staff)
Trinity Of Terrors: Designer Gore and the Xl Chainsaw
26 November 2009 1:16 PM, PST
After tackling the terror that Designer Gore presented Fangoria.com over the summer (read about that here), the special effects company that was thrilled to attend the coveted Fangoria Trinity of Terror’s convention over Halloween weekend, is back once again with a brand new addition to their beloved horror product line. Fango recently had the chance to sit down with owner Vincent Damyonovich for a short Q and A, giving horror audiences a first-hand look at this innovative new company's newest developments.
Fango: It’s great to talk to Designer Gore yet once again! How did your first season do, I know you focused on the Haunt Industry primarily and then decided to move forward with presenting your products to the broader public, did that pay off?
Dg: Yes, this year was good in terms of gaining the visibility necessary to grow. Once I got an over all feel »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (Ben Smith)
The Yellow Rose of "Texas Chainsaw"
26 November 2009 1:10 PM, PST
Although Jessica Biel is voicing a sweet, green alien girl in the upcoming animated film Planet 51 and was the cute daughter on the long-running family drama 7th Heaven, she was able to successfully overturn her wholesome girl-next-door image when she starred in Marcus Nispel's bloody reboot of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. During press for Planet 51, Biel took a few moments to discuss her experience in 2003 slasher.
As Erin, the female lead, Biel looked great in a 1973 macrame halter top, screamed like a champ and successfully avoided mutilation and meathooks from a Mullet-headed Leatherface. The film was a hit, spawning a Biel-less prequel that bombed.
"Doing a movie like Texas Chainsaw Massacre was the complete opposite extreme for me--opposite of everything," she declares.
"Making Texas was probably one of the hardest experiences for me emotionally," Jessica Biel says thoughtfully. "Emotionally and creatively, it was really intense."
"(Being that »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (Pat Jankiewicz)
Audition T-Shirts: Now With More Blood
26 November 2009 12:05 PM, PST
Share a twisted moment with your friends with your very own Audition t-shirt from Shout! Factory. Those titans of preservationists (It’S Garry Shandling’S Show!!!) are commemorating the latest DVD (review here) and Blu-ray (review here) release of the Takashi Miike’s classic with a line of Audition apparel.
Available in hoodie and T, each one features the standard Asami with needle pose, the only variation being where the design is placed on each shirt. The centered picture design features a clear unaltered photo set against a blood red background. This version makes for a nice standard shirt and straight forward tribute to one f’d up flick. The off-centered blue-toned version is still set against a blood-splattered background. However, the excessive black space at the top distracts from the design and is more suited to the hoodie.
The shirts are printed on 100% heavy cotton, a fabric that is »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (David McKendry)
King Diamond – Voodoo reissue (Musick Review)
26 November 2009 11:59 AM, PST
Isn’t it bizarre how an artist like King Diamond, once considered the most dangerous performer on the planet next to Mayhem, now comes through the current metal revival not only easier on the ears but less inherently evil? When you have Dimmu Borgir, Gorgoroth and an entire legion of Burzum followers setting the darker side of metal on a far more tenebrous course, then crazily enough, King Diamond is now simply our demon-painted pal, metal’s equivalent of The Crypt Keeper.
In fact, there are quite a few Tales From The Crypt (much less The Serpent And The Rainbow) yarns akin to King Diamond’s 1998 offering Voodoo. At this point in the King’s career, his popularity was relegated to the cult holdout leagues in North America, while everywhere else on the globe his reign as supremo horror metal dude hardly dwindled. No wonder his productivity was in fifth gear at the time. »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (Ray Van Horn, Jr.)
John Hillcoat’s Road Trip
26 November 2009 10:53 AM, PST
When John Hillcoat, director of the postapocalyptic saga The Road, sits down to talk to Fangoria, he has just come from seeing off Cormac McCarthy, author of the source novel, who was in town for the film’s premiere. So it would seem McCarthy is happy with the screen adaptation (Now Playing in theatres from Dimension).
“Oh yeah, he’s very pleased,” Hillcoat says, acknowledging the challenge of translating McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning prose into cinematic terms. “It’s such rich material; it’s very visual and dynamic. You’ll never get the poetry of the language, because it’s a different medium, but the story and the dialogue are brilliant, and the obstacles that the characters are up against is what makes it very special.”
There are plenty of obstacles for the movie’s hero, known only as The Man and played by The Lord Of The Rings’ Viggo Mortensen, »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (Michael Gingold)
Fangoria Holiday Chopping List: Black Friday Edition
25 November 2009 8:35 AM, PST
For over 30 Years, the famous Fangoria Chopping List has been your source for the latest and best releases in horror. Often imitated, never duplicated - the Chopping List has broken out the mistletoe and holly once more for another blood-soaked Holiday installment, including this Black Friday Special Edition!
Where can horror fiends find some great Holiday deals online? We've got the gory goods below!
Sideshow Collectibles
We always get excited when Sideshow rolls out new items, but we get even more excited when those items are on-sale! They're rolling out their annual Black & White Friday again this year, with special prices, product announcements, and much more.
With some of the most sought-after collectibles from A Nightmare On Elm Street, The Twilight Saga, The Dead, Alien, Predator, Hellboy, Species, Child's Play, and our favorite - The Universal Monsters - Sideshow Collectibles should be a definite stop for the horror collector in your dungeon. »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (Staff)
16 articles
