I admire director Tyler Benjamin’s ambition to create a documentary that chronicles what it’s like to be a horror fan. “I Heart Monster Movies” is a simple and very low budget look at the horror convention scene in Portland and some of what many horror fans within that region have done to celebrate their love for the genre. If you’re a Portland denizen, “I Heart Monster Movies” will definitely help you to decide where to visit that’s associated with your beloved genre. If you’re just a random horror geek, “I Heart Monster Movies” is a passable time filler.
Tag Archives: Horror
Diabolique Magazine No. 19 (Jan/Feb 2014) [Magazine]
Diabolique is back with issue 19 of their truly entertaining horror magazine that makes great strides in breaking out of the doldrums of mainstream horror in favor of indie and underground. Max Weinstein ushers in the issue with another really insightful editorial and profiles many modern and contemporary masters of horror cinema. “The Old, The New, and the In Between” is a great look at the modern works of Dario Argento and Vincenzo Natali, two cinematic juggernauts that offered fans their own unique genre entries in 2013. Argento, of course gave us “Dracula,” while Natali released the very good “Haunter.” I don’t know if I’m a fan of the directors bemoaning the new generation of horror, but I do enjoy the consideration that there are some great auteurs out there, working to deliver some great genre titles, like Jason Eisener, or Ti West.
The Walking Dead Season 5 Episode 7: Crossed
One thing “Claimed” proved to me once and for all. Say what you want about Rick Grimes, but when he’s pushed in to a corner, he comes out fighting, and always comes out ahead. In season two he spent his time looking for Sophia and ended up saving Hershel and Glenn’s lives from two nomads mid-season. Season four he mowed down a zombie horde with a machine gun and his son alone, and tonight not only did he avoid a group of really violent nomads, but he also evaded them without drawing attention, and managed to come out fairly unscathed. I doubt they’ll ever really know what happened to Rick and his team after tonight.
Spineless Classics: Robert Bloch’s “Psycho”
If you ever wanted to own your favorite books, or perhaps classic books but didn’t have the shelf space, Spineless Classics has you covered. They’ve managed to compile entire books on to one giant poster with the text from said book transformed in to a piece of art. Though the concept sounds unusual, it’s actually a very genius and entertaining idea that will surely bring in literary buffs that want some wall decoration, but lack the space for novels.
Maniac (2012)
As a man who had absolutely no faith in the remake of William Lustig’s grindhouse classic, it’s quite telling that the opening of the film inspired a gasp out of me, followed by a “Holy crap.” Director Franck Khalfoun also wisely sidesteps the grit of New York (New York now no longer the wasteland is was in the eighties) entirely in favor of the more menacing and vast Los Angeles, all the while injecting an artistic gloss that makes the madness seem more surreal. “Maniac” is a gruesome and disturbing re-working of the classic horror film, that pays respect to the original, while also challenging its gore and violence, in the process. Elijah Wood’s performance is surprisingly unsettling and occasionally horrifying, since his character Frank Zito is a victim of his own madness.
The Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 10: Inmates
The writers of “The Walking Dead” are really interested in emphasizing the fact that the Governor has taken away paradise for everyone around him. Once Woodbury went, so did Grimesville, or whatever it was called. “After” focused on the three core characters of the series (I’m glad Michonne is essentially a principal character now), and “Inmates” focuses on the remaining survivors of the prison, all of whom are at wits end, and on the verge of death. They’re worse off than they were at the beginning of season two, truth be told. The episode has its problems, in either case.
Sorority Party Massacre (2014) (DVD)
You have to give it to “Sorority Party Massacre.” Not many slashers these days have the balls to rip off the entire prologue to “Scream” wholesale. There’s even a long drawn out scene where the young victim is taunted by the caller. Except rather than the audience groaning “Aw, they killed Firestarter,” this time they’ll be saying, “Oh someone killed the girl with the dog. Some dude with a mask. Okay, then.” If that’s not bad enough, “Sorority…” is one of the most tonally inconsistent horror movies I’ve ever seen. It’s never sure if it wants to be a horror comedy, or a horror movie. And even the most distracted viewer will notice immediately.