One of the surest way to get give people the heebie jeebies is to have a creepy kid in the movie.  " The Grudge " did it, " The Ring " did it... even Stanley Kubrick's " The Shining " did it.  One of the movies I watched during "Terrorpolooza 2012" did it as well... The Colemans have adopted a young girl named Esther, who promises to bring some happiness back into the torn family.  Soon however, that happiness turns to fear as "accidents" begin to happen to those around them... with Esther at the center of the malestrom... The premise reminds me a bit of " The Good Son " (1993), though there is an interesting, if slightly far fetched twist at the climax. Other than the children Maxine and Daniel, there is very little to LIKE about most of the characters.  The husband and the shrink are idiots, and easily manipulated.  While you can understand the trauma and emotional problems the mother has, I found it hard to ro

I enjoy classical horror literature.  I've read Poe, " Dracula ", and even reviewed " Frankenstein; or a Modern Prometheus " here on the blog.  I also enjoy seeing how Hollywood adapts these classics to the big screen.  I watched one such adaptation during " Terrorpolooza 2012 "... Victor Frankenstein becomes obsessed with defeating death after his mother dies during childbirth.  He soon begins to experiment with dead flesh, and discovers the means by which he can create a living, breathing, being.  Soon however, the consequences of his actions return to destroy all that he holds dear... Those that I know said that " Mary Shelly's Frankenstein " was a less than spectacular movie.  I try to remain open minded when I hear comments about movies, since there is always the possibility that I'd enjoy it.  The difference of opinion my friend Jay (from " We Came From the Basement ") and I have over the Kevin Costner movie, &q

Sometimes, a director/producer will surprise you- such was the case during " Terrorpolooza 2012 " when I watched Charles Band's " Meridian: Kiss of the Beast " Catherine Bomarzini has come home after her father's death.  Needing company, she asks Gina to stay with her.  Soon, the two meet a wondering troupe of performers that Catherine invites to dinner at her castle. Catherine find herself pulled into a love triangle and an ancient curse that only she can break. After watching movies like " Evil Bong ", and " Demonic Toys ", I really wasn't expecting too much from this Charles Band movie- but I was pleasantly surprised by it. The story is actually quite interesting with lots of potential for eerie scenes, and character development.  It's a nice twist on the classic " Beauty and the Beast " story.  It's a bit slower than most of Band's other works, but moves smoothly and draws you with it. I have to ad

I felt that it wouldn't have been a proper " Terrorpolooza 2012 " if I didn't watch a classic 1980's horror movie- which is why I pulled up " A Nightmare on Elm Street "... Teenagers in a small American town are starting to dream of a disfigured man with a clawed glove.  When her friends start to die from their dreams, Nancy decides it's up to her to confront the supernatural killer and end his nightmarish reign of terror... I'm pretty sure you, the reader, can figure out where I'm going to go with this particular review. Yep- you guessed it.  I really enjoy this movie. The premise is simple, but terrifying, since you're at your most vulnerable when sleeping, and we've all had those dreams that are just "too real" for comfort.  The story is well paced, with a great mixture of suspense, and plain old in your face scares.  No event is trivial, and the flow is smooth.  Just a masterpiece of writing. The characters

" Terrorpolooza 2012 " brought me in contact with a couple of films made across the pond, some a bit better than others... Women have been disappearing at a small Spanish inn, and soon the sister of one of the victims begins to investigate.  Will she uncover the dark secret of their disappearance... or will she join her sister? This is a hard movie to say much about.  It's far from great, but for some reason still worth watching at least once.  The story is fairly simple, but offers enough of a skeleton to hang meat on and flesh out.  Having said that, " It Happened at Nightmare Inn " falls slightly short of a full bodied piece of work. The characters of the two sisters running the inn are interesting, but the remaining cast seems to get introduced in order to simply die.  The heroine plays an unimportant part until near the end. At least the girls looked good, even if their acting wasn't the greatest. There isn't much in the way of blood or

I'm a fan of Edgar Allan Poe, so it was a pleasant surprise that one of the movies I watched during " Terrorpolooza 2012 " was an adaptation of one of his stories... Genevieve has come home to claim ownership of her deceased uncle's  house.  Soon, however, she discovers the tragic details behind her cousin's death- details that could cost her mind... and her soul ... " The Oval Portrait " isn't a perfect film, but I still found it enjoyable.  The story is simple, but is strengthened by the backstory of the cousin's death.  The pacing isn't too bad, though fans of horror movies that get right into the scares might be put off by the slower pacing and build up.  The story itself isn't so much frightening as macabre and disturbing... which is to be expected of a Poe story, actually. While Genevieve is a little flat, the characters of her cousin and the Confederate soldier she loved help to make up for that.  The uncle was interesting

Moving forward with my " Terrorpolooza 2012 " reviews, I come to a film that made me cringe... and not in a pleasantly horrified way... Guru, the priest in charge of a prison, needs to do what he can to keep money coming into his pockets... and fresh "prey" for his mistress.  Unfortunately, his plan to use a female prisoner to coerce a simple minded fellow into doing his will backfires ... As I sit here, I'm trying to think of positive things to say about " Guru, the Mad Monk ".  Unfortunately, I can't think of a single thing. Actually, I can think of one thing.  The premise had potential. Too bad the rest of the film reeked of awful poo poo. I didn't care one iota about ANY of the characters.  None.  Complete apathy.  And that goes for the rather attractive female prisoner Najia.  I guess it didn't help that the hunchback's name was Igor.  Yes, one of the most original names for a hunchback in movie history.  Real quality

One of the movies I watched during " Terrorpolooza 2012 " was an Italian gothic horror.  When it comes to gothic horror, Europeans tend to surpass North American in quality. A scientist catches his wife and her lover together, and shows them the extent of his wrath. Soon, his new wife starts to experience hints to the fate of her sister- the scientist's previous wife . Sometimes, as is the case with " Nightmare Castle ," the simplest of plots is the best.  Murder and revenge are all that were needed to create the circumstances for the events in this story.  It moves along smoothly and fairly quickly, with the creepiness and scares spread throughout evenly.  If this were a book, I would have very little problem with sitting down by flickering candlelight, reading it, and enjoying the chills run up my spine. The characters, while somewhat simplistic in nature are still interesting enough to keep me wondering what was going to happen next.  I really like

Next on my list of " Terrorpolooza 2012 " reviews is an American/Japanese horror movie that I felt combined the best parts of American and Japanese film making into a smooth whole. Larry Stanford befriends a scientist whom he interviews for his newspaper.  As Dr. Suzuki introduces him to the finer parts of Japanese culture, he finds himself falling for the scientist's beautiful assistant.  His personality starts to change... and soon his body follows... If there is ONE thing that Japan is known for, it's great monster ideas.  If there is ONE thing the US is known for- especially back in the 1950's, it was for great camera work.  The two are used to wonderful effect in " The Manster ". The story is a simple Mad Scientist plot, but if fully capable of carrying the weight of the characters, and the things that happen to them.  There is very little in the way of frivolous subplots in this movie, each element of the story helps to move it forward, an

I'm back after a small hiatus due to being sick with the third of my " Terrorpolooza 2012 " movie reviews.  One thing I learned is that while horror and comedy often work together, sometimes, it doesn't work as well as it could've. A group of gangsters have helped a South American dictator to escape a revolution with a strong box full of gold.  They hope to gain possession of it by using a legend of a local sea monster to scare off the dictator and his guards.  All goes according to plan until an American spy... and the real sea monster take an interest in the group . " Creature From the Haunted Sea " is a Roger Corman horror comedy that- as was typical of Corman films, shot in about five days.  To be perfectly honest, you can tell that it was a rushed production. The story is certainly enough to provide a decent amount of comedic fodder to go with the horror, though the humour far outweighs the horror.  Unfortunately, due to a few of the charact

I'm back today with the second of my " Terrorpolooza 2012 " reviews.  This time, it's " The Screaming Skull " . Jenni and Eric are a happy couple who have recently gotten married.  Upon moving into Eric's mansion, Jenni learns of the tragic death of Eric's first wife.  Soon, Jenni will question her own sanity as strange sounds and skulls begin to haunt her.  Is it the ghost of Eric's first wife... or something more sinister ? I quite enjoyed this movie.  The premise is solid, as are the events that occur.  There are one or two small holes in the plot, but they're pretty minor and don't take away from the overall story.  I did feel though that the opening "disclaimer" was unnecessary, though it did make me smile as I remembered some of the William Castle movies I'd seen. The characters, while they could be seen as somewhat stereotypical, are still interesting and engaging- especially the characters Jenni, and Mickey

This week, the " What Movie Wednesday " was a close competition between the three choices.  If it hadn't been for one vote near the end, it would've been a TRIPLE feature night.  Luckily, I was able to get some sleep because that one vote made " Grave of the Vampire " the winner. James is hunting down a centuries old vampire who has risen from his slumber to hunt again.  The vampire is also his own father ... The basic premise is interesting and could provide for quite a good story, too bad this movie fails to come anywhere close to fulfilling that potential.  The story starts out interesting enough.  A vampire rises from the grave, rapes and impregnates a woman after killing her boyfriend.  The detective assigned to the case suspects that a vampire is involved, and begins to hunt it.  At that point, the story goes downhill as the detective gets killed, and we jump ahead several years to when the woman's baby is a full grown man hunting down his f

Many horror films delve into legends about infamous people for the kernel of an idea for their stories.  Cannibals, monsters, and serial killers are peppered throughout the history of horror cinema... Gaston is a puppeteer in Paris during a rash of murders by a psychotic madman named "Bluebeard".  When Gaston meets Lucille, he believes that he's found happiness... but soon matters take a dark turn, and Gaston's happines could turn to murder ... This 1944 black and white suspense thriller has a lot going for it.  The story, is straightforward, and strong enough to keep you interested- even though you know who the killer is from the start.  It's still engaging to watch the events unfold. The acting isn't bad- not great, but still enjoyable.  John Carradine does a great job in the role of the troubled Gaston, while Jean Parker was great as Lucille.  Carradine brings a nice touch of pathos to the character, while maintaining the feeling that there is some

This past Halloween, I held a 24 hour "Terrorpolooza 2012" horror movie tweet along.  From 1:00 am Halloween morning, to 1:00 am the next morning, I did nothing but watch horror movies and tweet along to them.  In total, I watched 13 movies- a number that seems rather fitting for day when superstitions and legends come alive, in my opinion. Anyways, I would've posted my thoughts on the movies I watched on Thursday (or Friday even), but I was pretty much in a coma trying to catch up on my sleep.  The only time I woke up over the past two days was to do the tweeting for my " We Came From the Basement " as their show aired on CFBX 92.5 FM ( www.thex.ca ).  Other than that, I slept.  Just slept. Which is why, today, I'm going to post a quick list of the movies I watched, and my thoughts on them.  Over the next couple of weeks or so, I'll be posting full length reviews of these movies as well. 1.  " Bluebeard " (1944)- A moody, black and wh

Well, in about another eight to nine hours (it's just after 4:00 pm PST here), Halloween will be here... and Terrorpolooza 2012 will begin: 24 hours of non-stop horror movie watching and tweeting.  Giving roughly, two hours per movie, I should be able to watch a total of twelve horror movies- if time allows, I'll spontaneously add a 13th! Here are the movies I'll be watching and tweeting along to during the entire event (in order of viewing): Bluebeard (1944) The Screaming Skull (1958) Creature From the Haunted Sea (1961) The Manster (1962) Nightmare Castle (1965) Guru, The Mad Monk (1970) The Oval Portrait (1971) It Happened at Nightmare Inn (1973) A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) Meridian: Kiss of the Beast (1990) Mary Shelly's Frankenstein (1994) Orphan (2009) I hope you join me on Twitter during the event.  Now, I'm going to crawl into my sarcophagus and get some sleep before the big event.  Spook you then!

The 1950's is known for cheesy monsters, hokey action, and mad science.  It was a time when the B-movie reigned supreme, and Japan was not immune to the fun... Interstellar hero Starman comes to Earth seeking the brain of Balazar, who is planning to invade the planet with mutants specially created by his evil scientists ... This movie is actually a re-edited collection of three one hour films that were part of the Japanese series, " Super Giant ".  The original series was filmed and released in 1958, while the re-edited film was released in the United States in 1964.  The " Super Giant " series, consisted of nine short films, with the last three comprising the material used in " Evil Brain From Outer Space ".  Since the three original films weren't really connected to each other outside of the presense of Starman, the American they had to be pieced together to tell a single story- result ing what was called "a non-ending cavalcade of ch

Vampires and witches are often a good basis for a horror novel.  Through in the Spanish Inquisition, and odds are you'll get a pretty good story. In 1496, while the Spanish Inquisition is in full motion, Diego  de Villanueva is seeking a way to rise through the ranks of the Inquistion.  He will do anything he needs to... even use his brother's darkest secrets and knowledge to bring fear and hatred to the world... " The Black Castle " caught my  eye while shopping at " The Book Place ".  I was intrigued by the idea of it taking place during the Spanish Inquisition.  While I did enjoy reading this book, I was also a little disappointed. The style is very fitting to the story- it has an almost old world charm and rythm to it that I found pleasing to the ear.  It's also easy to read, and flows at a nice pace.  While, it's not "fancy", the images it creates are fairly good and atmospheric. The story itself is a really interesting idea.

Aliens are sometimes used in the world of horror to scare us- tales of abductions and experiments, invasions, and even using us a big game.  Sometimes, however, the truth is just simple bafflement and mystery... In 1965, the town of Exeter, New Hampshire, a series of unidentified flying objects started to be reported.  John G Fuller investigates this mysterious case of possible alien visitation. " Incident at Exeter " is an interesting look at the UFO phenomena.  Through the use of interviews with witnesses, transcripts of reports to authorities, and even visits to the locations of sightings, Fuller takes you on a personal trip in order to make sense of what was seen. The writing style is very straight forward and easy to follow.  Rather than being dry as many books about UFO's can be, this book has touches of humour and insight as Fuller expresses the various thoughts and theories he runs through in order to figure out the truth.  The rythm and flow is quick enou

Quite often, foreign horror films can bring something new to a horror fan's life... and sometimes not... Valerie lived a quiet life with her mother in a small town near Amsterdam.  After her mother is killed, Valerie begins to uncover secrets about her mother's past... secrets that someone doesn't want revealed. .. " Death in the Shadows " is a Dutch film originally titled " De Prooi ," and was the " What Movie Wednesday " winner this week. The story is actually pretty solid in its premise.  It offers ample opportunity for suspense and scares.  While there are some decent moments of suspense, the scares themselves are a little off.  I did like the fact that there were some attempts at a red herring here and there.  It's nice when a suspense/thriller does what it can to keep the viewer guessing.  Too bad, they didn't balance that out by giving actual clues to the identity of the real killer Most of the characters felt like fil

Well, folks- Halloween is once again approaching, and horror movies become the main thing to watch.  In honour of Halloween this year, I've decided to do something special. During the summer, when asked to housesit for my best friend Jay (from "We Came From the Basement"), I would conduct a 24 hour horror movie marathon, where I would tweet along to horror movies all day. I've decided to do the same for Halloween this year.  So starting at 1:00 am (PST), I will start watching horror movies and tweeting along to them for 24 hours.  I cordially invite you to follow along and add your comments on what I tweet! But that's not all!  Starting in November 2012, I'm going to post a monthly poll on this blog listing three movies.  Each month, you'll get the chance to decide which of the three movies listed I'll watch and tweet to as part of "Terrorpolooza 2013"! So, join me Halloween on Twitter for "Terrorpolooza 2012" and have som

  I've been looking for a decent werewolf novel to help balance all the vampire ones that are currenty proliferating the bookcases.  While cruising my favorite store, I found one that promised to be interesting.   Janos is a man who can not remember his past- he's not even sure Janos is his real name.  All he knows is that he's a werewolf... and wants to die.  Soon however, he'll learn that he's more than just a werewolf.  He's going to discover that he's part of a neo-facist plan to bring about the domination of the world...   I was really hoping that " The Mark of the Werewolf " was going to be a really intense, and suspenseful book about a werewolf as he eludes capture and wreaks ferocious revenge upon those that wish to do him wrong.  What I got was an interesting look at what it might be like to be immortal, with a dash of theology in the mix.   The story isn't bad, but not great.  It kinda reads like a werewolf version of

With the advent of  shows like " The Walking Dead ", and movies like " Shaun of the Dead ", and " Zombieland ", and games like " Left 4 Dead ", zombies have become quite popular... possibly helping us forget all about vampires that sparkle... You are one of the many people on the resort island of Banoi when people start to attack and each other.  After learning you're immune to whatever is causing the carnage, you and three others band together to help a small group of survivors to find a way off the dead island ... " Dead Island " is a really enjoyable game to play.  The storyline is well thought out and interesting, and while there is a progression to it, it's not a strictly linear story either.  The openess of the story, with the main quests and the side quests helps to create a bit of variety, and allows the player to move the story forward at their own pace.  I also enjoy this openess because it's actually more r

Across the cultures, there abound tales of people transforming into animals and stalking the wood.  Such tales have been used to illustrate the duality of humanity... and simply to make you feel uneasy walking in the woods... Campers have been found mutilated in the woods near an Indian Reservation.  Legends about a spirit that transforms people into bloody thirsty bears are being whispered... and one man races to save the soul of the woman he loves from an ancient evil... " Crooked Tree " isn't that bad of a book.  It's not great, but is a decently diverting read.  The story has a good flow to it, and follows a fairly simple and logical progression of events, while still having a nice building of suspense throughout it.  The characters are interesting, relatable, and actually have roles other than gore fodder.  The characters aren't wasted, and used quiet well. I loved the idea of using an old legend of the First Nations as the premise for the story.  It

Sometimes, you run across a movie where the title is really quite interesting... and misleading...  This week's " What Movie Wednesday " winner was very misleading... Women have been disappearing from the streets of Manila in the Philippines.  One night, Laura is kidnapped as well.  What she discovers is a horrible cult... a cult that thirsts for blood ... When you hear the title, " The Thirsty Dead ," you probably first thought that it was about vampires.  Unfortunately, you would be wrong.  This movie is actually about a cult that drinks blood to maintain their immortality... but aren't dead. The premise is interesting enough, though the execution of it in this movie is not so interesting.  The story makes sense throughout- and is quite logically put together.  Too bad the acting, costumes, etc detract from making it a suspenseful, creepy story.  Rather, it all comes across as being kinda silly. While watching it, I couldn't escape the feeli

One of the staples of horror stories is that often, the past returns to haunt and torment the characters involved.  One such story of the past reaching into the present for revenge is " Nathaniel " by John Saul... After the death of his father under mysterious circumstances, Michael Hall and his mother move to Prairie Bend to spend time with his grandparents.  Soon, a voice starts to whisper to him from the shadowy ruins of a barn- propelling him to discover why the town is so fearful of births... and who Nathaniel is ... John Saul, in my opinion is on the same level as Stephen King when it comes to writing horror fiction- though his stories are a bit more subtle, and build at a slower pace.  I really quite enjoyed " Nathaniel ". First off, the style is very atmospheric and moody, without exagerating the details.  Saul doesn't paint every errie detail, but allows the reader to let their imagination creep along the dimly lit hallway to the door where the

In addition to horror fiction, I enjoy reading non-fiction works about the paranormal.  One such book is " The Devil in Connecticut " by Gerald Brittle. David Glatzel was an average, American boy... until the first day of July 1980.  Soon after, strange sounds can be heard, then sinister shapes are seen.  Shortly it would seem that Hell itself had been unleashed in the small Glatzel household in Connecticut ... This book covers a case of demonic possession that famed demonologist Ed and Lorraine Warren investigated in the 1980's- a case that would ultimate finish in what came to be called " The Demon Murder Trial ". It details the events that occur as the case evolves through the generally accepted phases of demonic activity, weaving the details into an engaging story. The style of writing is fairly easy to follow, and straight forward.  There is some artistic license used to portray the mood and atmosphere of the events taking place, but it's not o

October 3rd saw the return of " What Movie Wednesday ."  I offered up three movies choices, and people voted on which one I would watch, tweet along to, and ultimately review.  The people voted for a movie, whose title sounded interesting and potentially grue filled... They voted for " Blood Bath " Having returned home from serving in Vietnam, David seeks to live quietly in the mountains of Mexico- only to have his life turned upside down by the appearance of a beautiful water nymph.  David soon finds himself involved in events that will cost him his soul ... It's not often that I find a movie that, quite frankly, makes me want to nap until the end.  I don't mind movies with a slow pace so long as there is some excitement spread throughout it.  "Blood Sabbath" lacked that excitement, and much more. The story is a little ridiculous, and put together incoherently.  It really doesn't make much sense- probably because it isn't even r

The image above was created by Brandon Bryant , who asked me on Twitter to submit two words as part of his #365Logo project.  The idea behind the project was to creat 365 logos during the year using just words that were submitted by people like myself. Since my username on Twitter is TerrorCorner , I figured, "Heck- why not?" and submitted those two words.  The result was the image you see at the top. I rather like it, myself- especially the claw reaching up.  Very B-movieish- which suits me perfectly.  Most of the logos he's produced (like this one) are very much what you would see on many old school movie posters- which is something I also like about them. I'm hoping he does this project again- or a similar project in the future.  I'm quite interested in seeing what else he comes up. In the meantime- check out his website for more of the #365Logo images, and other work by Brandon.  He's got some really impressive work.