Showing posts with label Article. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Article. Show all posts

Celebrating the Work of Tod Slaughter in 'The Greed of William Hart'



In celebration of a Tod Slaughter Christmas, currently being held over at From Beyond Depraved courtesy of Jose Cruz, I thought it might be fun to take a look at what many considered to be the actor's final film (at least his last feature film): The Greed of William Hart (aka Horror Maniacs).

Based on the ghoulish exploits of William Burke and William Hare, also known as the West Port murders, The Greed of William Hart is the second film ever to adapt the tale of the two fiends (preceded only by Lugosi and Karloff loosely referenced The Body Snatchers). Originally entitled Crimes of Burke and Hare, the film drew so much controversy in England that it was later retitled for Ambassador's 1948 theatrical release, though the story still maintained its macabre sense of murder, greed, and medical mischief.






SKC's Geeked-Out Holiday 2010 Gift Guide


Despite all the warm and fuzzy sentiments that emerge en masse around this time every year, we all know what Christmas is really about. Just ask any kid (young or old) and they'll tell you. So to celebrate the commercialization of our youth, I've created a geeked-out guide of SKC's favorite things this year- let's call it a throwback to those wonderful Sears Wish Books in which a child's love could be bought with nothing more than a talking robot or TMNT playset! Now go get your holly jolly jingle on.





Interview w/ Brian Singleton, Director of 'Werewolf Fever'


He's a storyboard artist, photographer, designer, illustrator... oh yeah, and he directs. Yes, creator Brian Singleton is indeed a modern day Renaissance man and with his latest creation, Werewolf Fever, he's out to show that there are still some original ideas out there for horror films.

With a simple setup of a werewolf terrorizing a band of burger stand employees, Werewolf Fever revitalizes the DIY school of film by way of Sam Raimi using its modest budget, unknown cast, and creative fx to great affect over the course of its 60 minutes run time. Here to tell us more about the film is none other than Singleton himself...
You've been working on this film for three years now. How did the concept for this story originate?

I was actually location scouting for a different film I had in mind. It wasn’t working out, so on our way home, we stopped in Renfrew to eat lunch at the Kingburger. We loved the location right from the start, then my friend made a joke about shooting a movie at the Kingburger instead. Then we thought of the werewolf story and I knew it was a great idea. It was the most appropriate monster we could think of to attack that, I went up and asked the owner if I could shoot a werewolf movie at his restaurant.






(Re)Animations: Infinite Santa 8000



I want to thank Grey and his gang over at The Fear Inside (in addition to James from Planet Terror) for opening my eyes to this little gem of an animated series. On a sidenote, Grey was kind enough to give SKC a shoutout on his latest Dark Hours podcast so be sure to listen for that (located on the left sidebar).

Set in a post-apocalyptic landscape full of mutants, monsters and madmen Infinite Santa 8000 is an independently produced web series that chronicles the exploits of the man known as Infinite Santa and his companion, a young robot/clone girl, as they fight the evil forces of Dr. Shackleton. An interesting setup for sure, but does this Santa deliver the goods?






Interview w/ Sean Szeles, Storyboard Artist on 'Flapjack' and 'Regular Show'


He's worked on a string of fan favorite animated show including El Tigre, The Misadventures of Flapjack, The Drinky Crow Show and Regular Show, but would you believe his dream job was once delivering pizzas? Lucky for us he fell back on his insane artistic skills which have helped Cartoon Network's latest 'toon (Regular Show) earn a nomination for an Annie Award for Best Childrens' Television Production. Not too shabby.

When he's not busy writing songs or directing short films, Szeles enjoys taking care of stray cats, sketching, making with the funny and sipping Kool-aid from complete strangers. Good thing too, cause we just brewed a fresh gallon!
Thanks for taking some time out to share with us, Sean. Would you care to have a seat on our vintage, furry Alf head bean bag chair while we chat? A bowl of candy corn perhaps?

No problem SK, I'm glad to be here in your dungeon. I don't approve of killing any alien life forms and making them into chairs, but seeing as it's that or sitting on the cold, damp concrete- don't mind if I do! No candy for me though, thanks. We're not that familiar with each other and I'm allergic to razor blades, but some mysterious red liquid to drink? Yes, please!






A Very Special "Krampusnacht" Edition of 'The Happy Undertaker'


(Click image to enlarge)

The Happy Undertaker presents Friday's Fables is a weekly column based on The Happy Undertaker series of comics by artist Drazen Kozjan who has illustrated several children's books including Diary of a Fairy Godmother and the Julia Gillian series. Strips premiere every week.
Today's Happy Undertaker tale is based upon the European legend of the Krampus- an evil mythical being whose job was to punish naughty little kids on Christmas Eve. Krampusnacht, or Night of Krampus, is a yearly celebration held on December 6th during which adults used to dress up as wicked demons to scare their kids into being good. Merry Krampusnacht everyone!

For more information on The Happy Undertaker or its creator, Drazen Kozjan, be sure to check out the official Happy Undertaker Blog in addition to his his personal blog, Hypnotik Eye.

Artwork © Drazen Kozjan






Trailer Terrors: Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992)



"He kind of plays it fast and loose." 

Call it a guilty pleasure, but there's something about this time of year that puts me in the mood to watch a boatload of Chevy Chase films. Of course there's National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, but more than that I'm talking about Chase's classic fare like Caddyshack, Fletch, Nothing But Trouble, and (yep, you guessed it) Memoirs of an Invisible Man!

As one of the less fondly remembered Universal Monster, the Invisible Man has always had it kind of rough in terms making a lasting impression upon the horror world. Despite being the butt of many a joke, the Invisible Man does manage to work his way back into the Hollywood every so often (Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man, Hollow Man, several TV series) and in 1992 it just so happened that he fell in the lap of Chevy Chase by way of of John Carpenter. Yes, my friends, that same "master of horror" who brought us Halloween and They Live directed a comedy starring Chevy Chase as an Invisible Man. Can't get better than that, right?






Trailer Terrors: Robot Jox (1990)



During the 1980's, and early 90's, the BattleTech franchise dominated the geek market with arena-style combat between monolithic robots called BattleMechs. From board games to video games, BattleMechs laid claim over aspiring computer engineers everywhere and formed a devoted and obsessed fan base that couldn't get enough of the series. It was no surprise then, that in 1990 Hollywood tapped in to the market with the full-feature film Robot Jox.

Directed by Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator) and co-written by Gordon and Joe Haldeman, Robot Jox hit the scene and then was quickly forgotten. The movie typically gets bad reviews, scoring only 4.7 stars on IMDB, but I personally enjoy Robot Jox despite it being low-budget and outdated. For some reason it still manages to keep me entertained and more so than most current films. It's like a hybrid between Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots and the movie Best of the Best. OK, I know that sounds bad, and maybe it's just the nostalgia from me remembering how much I loved robots as a child, but Robot Jox is a very fun, if not funny, movie to watch.






Kicking off Christmas with the Crypt Keeper



"Make the Yule time gross and gnarly..."

Start your engines! Today marks the first day of December and the beginning of many "25 Days Of" style countdowns on televisions to remind us of the impending awesomeness that will ensue. AMC has been broadcasting Scrooged with a 4-night marathon, CBS aired Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer last night on prime time, and it won't be long before TBS brings the season home (ad nauseum) with 48 hours of A Christmas Story.

While all of that is good and well for about 90% of the general population, what you may ask does Christmas offer the non-conformist? Well, as luck would have it, there's the creeptastic caroling of John Kassir as the Cryptkeeper, whose holiday-themed album Have Yourself Scary Little Christmas includes such classics as Deck the Halls with Parts of Charlie, 'Twas the Fright Before Christmas, and my personal fave Revenge of the Cryptkeeper. Released way back in 1994 I had completely forgotten about this lost little gem until I saw a promo for it mischievously thrown in at the end of a sixth season Tales from the Crypt episode (see above).






James Gunn Reveals 'Super' Release Date and New Images



If the name, James Gunn, sounds familiar that's probably because you run with the cool kids. As a Troma alum (he wrote and directed 1996's Tromeo and Juliet among others), Gunn also has SLiTHER, Dawn of the Dead (2004), Scooby-Doo and the phenomenally funny Humanzee! TV pilot to his credit.

So when I heard what the writer/director would be taking on next (a superhero-comedy), I instantly grew excited to see what form his madness would take. Surely, his time with Troma has endowed Gunn with a quirky storytelling sensibility that I can only imagine will result in an assortment of characters that will feel just as home in Tromaville as New York City proper. Not to even mention that it stars "Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler, Kevin Bacon, Nathan Fillion, Michael Rooker, Gregg Henry, Linda Cardellini, and Andre Royo." I mean, come on!





The Top 6: Animated Pilots that Would Make Great Series

For every El Tigre or Samurai Jack that makes it to TV superstardom there's dozens of animated abortions littering the cutting room floor. I think it's a given that there are reasons (whatever they may be) for why these cartoons get snubbed before you or I ever get a good chance to see them, but the following are five that really should be given another shot. Who knows— maybe we'll someone out there is listening...





Interview w/ Dan Hipp, Creator of GYAKUSHU! and Amazing Joy Buzzards



As both a fanboy and creator of some of the comic world's sleeper hits, illustrator Dan Hipp harnesses his quick wit and a knowledge of nerd-pedia to craft some of the most meaningful and punk-rock stories I've ever read.

Dan's biggest work to date, GYAKUSHU! offers an in-depth experience with a tale of bitter revenge that takes its cue from classic films such as Star Wars and Frankenstein. Sprawling 3 complete volumes, the third of which has been recently made available, GYAKUSHU! packs in more punch both visually and from a writing standpoint than most books on stands today by well-established creators. Hipp took some time away from his crazy, monster-hunting, samurai killing, rock'n'roll adventures to grants us a glimpse into his mad, mad world.
Thanks for joining us, Dan, it's great to have you. Feel free to kick your feet up, grab a refreshing Hi-C Ecto-Cooler to quench your thirst and relax.

Thank you kindly, sir, but no Hi-C. I'd prefer a glass of your delicious milk.

So, I heard that you think you can stick more swizzle stick up your nose than me. Let's go then. Ready? One... two... three...

(2 seconds later) You win.






Head Games: Splatterhouse (2010)



"You've got red on you."

With an epic quest that began a little over a decade ago, the King of Carnage has returned to us in better shape than ever in a blood-drenched redux driven by revenge, ultra-violence and a whole lot of badassery. Full of abhorred mutations from another dimension and a mask with questionable (but very helpful) intentions, Splatterhouse begins as it typically does... with Rick Taylor reborn in blood and fueled by hate thanks to the mysterious Terror Mask.

Of course, one of the many things this new version of Splatterhouse does well is provide a plethora of more background information than previous entries in the franchise, essentially combining the storylines of all three games into a singular mythology.





Thanksgiving Day Trailer Terror: Predators 2



"This time it's open season... on all of us!"

Thanksgiving is here and I'd like to take your mind back 20 yrs to this very week, where Predator fans were treated to a sequel of the classic sci-fi original, Predator 2, that sees a Predator alien doing his hunting in a new jungle... the urban jungle.

The story is fairly simple, a Predator is hunting violent gangs in Los Angeles, most likely because they look like good prey to do battle with. Fairly quickly Detective Harrigan (Danny Glover) and his team realize there is more going on that normal gangland turf wars. As they dig deeper they begin to uncover things that reveal the Predator to them, but to us as the viewer we know it's the Predator from the get go. A third group is also thrown into the mix with Gary Busey's character heading up some government department that knows full well what the Predator is and would like to capture it, for it's technology I assume. The hunt for the Predator leads up to a pretty great final battle with Danny Glover and the Predator on a Predator spacecraft. Fans of the original Predator (1989) comic book series by Dark Horse Comics will find this plot very familiar, as it was essentially what the comic depicted with various changes when taken into the film world.






Uncle Eerie's Howling Halloween Shiver Show



You may remember our 'ole Uncle Eerie from a few months back when we dropped by the clubhouse to shill out some of his trademark sinister sideshow mystique... and a bag of "authentic" shrunken heads. Well, that cool ghoul is back again and this time he's brought a boatload of his favorite friends with him for a special Halloween Shiver Show that aired this past October.

Equal parts Ren & Stimpy and Boris Karloff (by way of Groucho Marx), Eerie's unique brand of humor shines with a faux-commercial for candy-coated razor blades— the perfect treat for that little brat in your life. Segueing the typical Halloween horror movie special, Eerie gives us a showcase of classic cartoons, vintage toy commercials and an assortment of trailers. Things get started with Wot a Night, an oldie featuring the original Tom and Jerry as two cab drivers who find themselves trapped in a castle that offers more scares than cab fares. It was definitely my favorite of the bunch, though the "blackface" skeletons near the end was sort of a buzzkill.





Lost Signals: Sifl and Olly Show (1997)


"Sifl and Olly Show... ROCK!!!"

The 90s saw a cornucopia of some of the most twisted, deranged, and innovative television to ever grace the screen; none more potent or vital to my existence than the shows on Nickelodeon and MTV. As it is, both of these stations lost the will to entertain after 1999 and gave in to pregnant teenagers, whining pre-teens, and cartoons that would cause the braindead to become... er, braindead.

But let’s not dwell on the things that we can’t change. No matter how many petitions are signed, Facebook groups are started, or how many times we swear off television we’re never gonna be able to bring back that glorious orange couch on Friday nights; the wit and disdain dripping monotone of an unpopular high schooler; or the sexual and thematic undertones of the cartoons that we absolutely adored. So, we need to just suck it up find home grown comfort from blogs such as Strange Kids Club.

The fun part for me came when I went back to these shows and rediscovered what I fell in love with in the first place. So, with this turn of the screw, I’m going to take you hand-puppet in hand-puppet down the hypnotic grooves of one Mr. Sifl and his confidante Señor Olly. ¡Olé!






Printed Perversions: The Astounding Wolf-Man Vol. 1

Thanks to the release of AMC's newest hit show, The Walking Dead, Robert Kirkman's name has quickly become synonymous with those carnivorous corpses we call zombies, and rightly so. An adaptation of the comic he co-created with Tony Moore, Kirkman has certainly made his mark on a sub-genre of horror that has squeezed every bit of originality from it's pores. Look no further than Resident Evil's latest film for proof of that.

Kirkman, however, is from from being a one hit wonder. In fact, soon after being exposed to The Walking Dead I found myself initiated into an entire universe full of creative characters and visually rich stories. From his humble beginnings in Battle Pope to his first runaway success, Invincible, the man has shown that he's not only a talented writer but he's got good taste in artists as well. Just ask Cory Walker, Ryan Ottley, or Jason Howard.

One of the books that I've heard the most about is the recently concluded The Astounding Wolf-Man and I have to admit that I naively chalked this one up as another cash-in on the rise in popularity of Hollywood's "horror crap" when it first appeared back in 2007. Oh, how I couldn't have been more wrong. The Astounding Wolf-Man brilliantly references that 70's archetype of a "monster as a main character" with equal proportions of superheroics, sci-fi and shock horror.






Toychest Time Machine: Critter Handpuppets

Photo Credit: Space Bastard
Photo Credit: Toy Archive
As it often happens when I'm on Twitter, I was chatting it up with fellow horror fiends @FijiMermaid and @FreddysFingers about the existential nature of #FF (Follow Fridays) when somehow our conversation turned into talk about time travel and a certain quintessential Gremlins knock-off known as Critters. This got me thinking that how cool it would be if there was more Critters merchandise as I've never really seen any before, at least not on the level of Gremlins. Lo and behold, Fiji knocks me on my felt-stitched butt by revealing that Fangoria (issue #117 to be exact) once had an ad featuring Critters handpuppets. HANDPUPPETS!

Of course my excitement immediately skyrocketed as Fiji provide a few links to some actual proof that these things existed and I've been obsessed over them ever since. Apparently there were two figures in all; the regular version ($50) was your average run-of-the-mill "crite" that sported a thin, rubber and some fake hair on its back, while the premium version was the same rubber shell with a different paint job and some additional body hair which retailed at $90. For a kid back in the early 90's that's a hefty price tag, especially when the end result looks like one of those Land Before Time Pizza Hut promos from around the same time.

Photo Credit: Toy Archive
I have to say that, given the awesome looking photo of these things in the color ad (see above) I'd be more than a little pissed as a kid if I laid down my hard earned allowance on either of these things. Granted, the though of Critter handpuppets is cool no matter how you slice it, but when compared to a $20 or $30 Boglin (see previous post) that's twice their size I'll have to stick with my Boglin.





Lost Signals: Ghostwriter (1992)



"He's a ghost... and he writes to us. Ghostwriter."

Back when the country cared about the decline of literacy in children comes one of my after school past-times, Ghostwriter. It was a series that aired on PBS in the early to mid 90's that presented mysteries in the form of story arcs. It was about a ghost who first makes contact with two Brooklyn kids by the name of Jamal and Lenni in order to protect them from danger. These kids will become known as the Ghostwriter Team and began as a group of four but later added three more members. The ghost can only communicate to the children through manipulating text and shaping his own sentences out of them. Members of the Ghostwriter team wore pens around their necks that they could use to write to Ghostwriter whenever they wanted. They would even use Ghostwriter to send out a message to the entire group at one time.






Interview w/ Dick Grunert, Creator of Dead of Night Radio



The days have gotten colder and the nights have grown longer. There's no doubt that Winter is upon us and although that means the luster of Fall is behind us there's still time for one last send-off for Halloween before you start to carve up those Thanksgiving turkey and break out that dusty Black Christmas DVD. Our year-end Halloween Hooplad begins with a project that's actually perfect for these Winter nights: Dick Grunert's Dead of Night Radio.

An ode to those late night terror transmissions of days gone by, Dead of Night Radio recently concluded a new series of midnight radio dramas in collaboration with The Autumn Society. Each story literally drips with the kind of macabre atmosphere that can only be drawn upon the midnight hour and serves to expose a different subgenre of horror that is sure to leave you with more than a few shivers. Dick joined us recently to share the origins of Dead of Night as well as shed a bit of light on its future.
You've written for stage theater, television and even animation. What are some of your favorites projects that you've worked on?

I've got a lot of favorites, each one for different reasons. I co-wrote a short film in 2003 called T For Terrorist that was produced by the Farrelly Bros. It was pretty exciting working with them, and I learned a lot about comedy writing on that project. I also wrote a play called Scenes From A Dance in 2008 that was published last year by PlayScripts, Inc and is now being performed by schools all across the country. That's pretty cool. And, of course, there's Dead of Night Radio. I love horror and I love audio drama, and this show allows me to create stories that I wouldn't be able to do as short films or plays.






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