WHERE THE SCARY THINGS ARE EPISODE 22

Where The Scary Things Are Episode 22: HAPPY THANKSKILLING Listen and Watch

HAPPY THANKSKILLING HORROR FANS. The Where The Scary Things Are celebrate Demon Turkeys and Topless Chicks on this day of giving. Come with us to Listen and Watch the movie with us. HAPPY THANKSGIVING

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AUTOMATION REVIEW

A workplace robot, AUTO, transforms into a killing machine when he discovers he will be replaced by a more efficient model.

Starring: Elissa Dowling, Parry Shen, Graham Skipper, Sarah French, and Sadie Katz

Directed by: Garo Setian

Written by: Garo Setian, Rolfe Kanefsky, and Matthew L. Schaffer

  It’s clear times are changing, and workers are getting replaced all the time. First it was older workers getting replaced by young ones, and now computers are replacing workers of all ages. Skip ahead to the future, like in “Automation,” where robots are starting to take the place of people. No one is ever happy about it, and the robots won’t be either when it’s their time.

  Enter AUTO, the only robot employed at Alert Insulation. He’s capable of doing a lot of the heavy lifting, but spends most of his time engaging in conversation to learn more about human behavior. He seems to have found a friend in a contracted employee named Jenny (Elissa Dowling). While their relationship grows, the audience also gets to meet some of the other employees, including Devin (Graham Skipper) who makes fun of AUTO and later attacks him.

  AUTO has a faulty battery, and it’s causing him to have flashbacks of his previous programming. Apparently he was a wartime robot instructed to save his allies, and destroy the enemy. It’s Susan’s (Sadie Katz) idea to replace a good portion of the workforce with robots created by Alan (Parry Shen). While discussing their plan, AUTO listens in, and is shocked by the news. He tries to get Jenny to help him, but there’s little she can do so the fun begins.

  As expected, the robot’s wartime programming begins to take over, and he starts taking down the enemy. Even after disposing of his enemy his usual personality would still pop up. He still tries to save Jenny, but she’s freaked out by his new death mode attitude. Now she’s out to save her life, and anyone else who has escaped his laser gun. 

  “Automation” keeps everything simple, and even in the most tense moments AUTO tries to stay true to himself. Maybe taking a cue from a movie like “Short Circuit,” they try to give the robot a bit of emotions, and make the audience care about him in the same way. His innocent personality matches his basic robot look, so even when he goes rogue it’s a little hard to believe anyone is in real danger. If you're looking for a killer robot movie with a little heart, and humor, this might be it. With that, I give it 2.5 pools of blood.

  HorrO

AUTOMATION will land on Blu-Ray and VOD December 3rd from Epic Pictures and DREAD following a limited theatrical run kicking off November 29th. 

IN SEARCH OF DARKNESS REVIEW

An exploration of ‘80s horror movies through the perspective of the actors, directors, producers and SFX craftspeople who made them, and their impact on contemporary cinema.

Directed and written by: David A. Weiner

  Many of us horror fans love ‘80s horror for numerous reasons. To start, many of us grew up in that era, and our first horror movies came during that time. Now almost 40 years later Hollywood has gone back to that time to remake many of our favorite films, or steal some of the ‘80s magic to create new shows. So it seems like the perfect time to bring “In Search of Darkness” to horror fans!

  This is one hell of a documentary at just over 4 hours long! Why so long…because it goes year by year instead of just talking about ’80s horror in general. Yes, there’s some talk about the time period in general, but the real work here is done going year by year. They point out many of our favorite movies, and probably some that the audience forgot about.

  They bring back all kinds of horror icons to talk about the movies like John Carpenter, Cassandra Peterson, Doug Bradley, Joe Dante, Heather Langenkamp, and Kane Hodder. It’s great to see these stars talk about their films, and add some insight that the audience might not have known. Sometimes it’s about what happened during film, and other times about the effect of the film on horror.

  Also, they bring in pop culture icons, and industry experts to add their opinions including Corey Taylor of Slipknot, Joe Bob Briggs, Heather Wixson of Daily Dead, and Michael Gingold formerly of Fangoria. They talk about their reactions to some of the films, and how it effected them during that time period. They take a look at it from a fans’ perspective like you or me. It’s nice to see what they like, and what they were doing during that time.

  So what movies are mentioned? It might be easier to talk about what movies are not mentioned. Of course all the big time slasher movies with the Freddy’s, Jason’s, Michael’s, comparing werewolf movies like “The Howling” and “American Werewolf in London,” Stephen King movies, and lots of sequels. It’s crazy how so many movies had sequels and even trilogies during one decade. With all the complaints about remakes/reboots, it’s also amazing to see how many good movies haven’t gotten one yet (and lets keep it that way).

  Really, there’s nothing to complain about here other than maybe the 4 hour time span. There’s plenty of insight most likely on some of your favorite movies. It’s great to sit back, watch them talk about it, and reminisce on how you felt watching the movie. It will definitely take you back to one of the best decades of horror, and it’s clear to see why. If anyone wants to know why this decade gets so much attention, just watch this documentary. With that I give it 4 pools of blood, and will look to turn on some ‘80s horror!

  HorrO

WHERE THE SCARY THINGS ARE EPISODE 21

Where The Scary Things Are Episode 21: DIE YOU ZOMBIE BASTARDS with Director Caleb Emerson and Splatterhead from Los Gatos Locos

Probably our craziest review yet, DIE YOU ZOMBIE BASTARDS. We speak to director/producer Caleb Emerson and Chuck Splatterhead from Los Gatos Locos. Muse gives her top Zombie Scenes in her Sinister 6. Creature Feature of the Week with Chris the Creature reviews Amityville Horror A New Generation. HorrO gives the Promotehorror.com 666 Rundown. 

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NIGHTMARE CINEMA REVIEW

Five strangers converge at a haunted movie theater owned by The Projectionist. Once inside, the audience members witness a series of screenings showing there deepest fears and darkest secrets over five tales. 

Starring: Mickey Rourke, Richard Chamberlain, and Adam Godley

Directed by: Alejandro Brugues, Joe Dante, Mick Garris, Ryuhei Kitamura, and David Slade

Written by: Sandra Becerril, Alejandro Brugues, Lawrence C. Connolly, Mick Garris, Richard Christian Matheson, and David Slade

    Less and less people are going to the cinema these days, and opting instead to watch movies on VOD, Netflix, etc. Older theaters are closing up leaving just a shell of themselves behind. One of those theaters seems to be Nightmare Cinema, although it’s still able to pull a few souls thru its doors. Unfortunately for them, there’s still one person working at the theater, who intends on keeping them their forever!

  This anthology of horror starts off with ‘The Thing in the Woods.’ It seems very much like the typical slasher kills teens in the woods kind of story. There’s plenty of deaths, including a humorous use of knives in one of them. Just when the audience thinks this will end in the usual way, it throws a fantastic twist at them. 

Because of the twist, this short alone makes this anthology worth watching. 

  There’s still plenty more to like including the next short ‘Mirare.’ A young couple is about to get married, but before they do, the woman sees a plastic surgeon to fix a scar on her face. The surgeon agrees to fix it along with some other minor improvements. While in recovery the woman feels something strange is happening, and by the end the audience will find out just how bad plastic surgery can be. 

  A Father walks into the theater next meaning the audience is about to get an exorcist film called ‘Mashit.’ The demon does a good job of hiding itself within this religious boarding school until the shit hits the fan. Unexpectedly, the demon possesses all of the children, and they try to kill the Father, and nun. It’s a wild scene with the Father and nun actually killing some of the kids. It continues the dramatics until the end with nothing stopping this demon!

  ‘This Way to Egress’ is definitely the weirdest of the short films. A woman has completely lost touch with reality while trying to get help. She battles to stay in reality with her two children, but her world is getting darker and dirtier by the minute. Everything she sees, and the conversations she has with people are just strange. She’s told the only way out is suicide, but struggles to make that her true reality.

  The final short, ‘Dead,’ is a combination of supernatural and serial killer action. Things go bad during a robbery leaving a boy without his parents, and recovering in the hospital. It’s not really clear to him, but his mother is trying to convince him to come to the other side with her. Yes, the boy can see ghosts in the hospital, which can be a crazy thing. That’s not his only problem, as the guy who robbed his family has come to the hospital to finish him off. It’s interesting to watch him first have the decision to die or not, and then have that decision possibly made by the killer.

  “Nightmare Cinema” should go down as another very good anthology. It has a nice variety of stories giving a little something to all kinds of horror fans. There are plenty of things to like about each story, but ‘The Thing in the Woods’ had me sold on this anthology from the start. Mickey Rourke plays the projectionist, who controls the movies, and the people’s fate. He’s doesn’t get a lot of screen time, but is a welcome creepy host in this one. With all that said, I give it 3.5 pools of blood.

  HorrO

20 SECONDS TO LIVE REVIEW

  “20 Seconds to Live” is a web series made up of several short horror films. Each film has its own characters, and twist. The audience watches a brief set up, but when the timer hits the screen someone will die in 20 seconds. There really are no happy endings here!

  The first of the fours films that will be mentioned here is called “Inspiration.” A scientist believes she’s successfully created a machine for time travel. In her excitement, she says goodbye to her boyfriend, and gets in the machine. Her boyfriend is left staring at a board with all her mathematical work on it. The timer starts, and leaves this with a very chilling end.

  The next film is called “Fish.” Who knew a film with a man, and a fish could be so much fun. It’s the holidays and the man has brought home a fish in a bag as a present. As he sets up the bowl, the fish decides to try and escape. He’s a slippery little sucker, and creates a game of hot potato as the timer begins to tick!

  “Daddy’s Girl” is the third film, which plays on many high school boys’ worst fear on prom night…their date’s father! The boy is told the rules, and that he will die if they are broken. One of the rules is to be back by 11pm, which at first they seem to be early. However, they waste too much time coming in, and are now he must face the father. The timer begins, and the audience gets to see why you have to follow the rules!

  And finally film number four, “Suburban Evil.” A couple decides to help out the neighborhood, and rid it of a monster that has taken residence there. Like the other films, all it takes is one mistake while the timer begins, and it’s all over for someone. Is it the couple, or the monster? Watch and see who made the big mistake this time!

  Overall “20 Seconds to Live” presents a really fun group of films for its second season. You might recognize some faces from popular tv shows or movies, but that doesn’t mean they’re safe. The acting is solid, and each film is shot really well. Each film presents some humor where characters make deadly mistakes. The countdown to death is just an added bonus of enjoyment. Here's to not so happy endings, and hoping there will be a season 3!

Get a taste of what the films are with this one below, and check out more at 20secondstolive.com!

  HorrO

WHERE THE SCARY THINGS ARE EPISODE 20

Episode 20: The Gingerdead Man with Halloween Baking Champion Karl Fong

Food Networks Halloween Holiday Baking Championship Winner Karl Fong Joins us for a quick interview and discusses the behind the scenes of the show. MonsterMash Ken, Muse and Killer Kacy review The Gingerdead Man. Sinster 6 with Muse: Memorable Food Scenes. Creepy Chronicles with Killer Kacy. Creature Feature of the Week with Chris The Creature: Werewolf In A Girls Dormitory. 666 Promote Horror Rundown with HorrO returns to give us the latest News in the Horror World.

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SCREAM QUEEN MY NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET REVIEW

Examines the infamous homoerotic subtext and the special place the film holds in the Nightmare franchise as well as the gay film canon. Partly in thanks to evolving social mores, Nightmare on Elm Street 2 - which was considered controversial at the time of its release - is now being looked back upon with a new appreciation and fondness by horror aficionados and fans of the series.

Starring: Mark Patton, Cecil Baldwin, and Marshall Bell

Directed by: Roman Chimienti, and Tyler Jensen

  First off, much credit to Mark Patton for doing a documentary so focused on his personal life. Yes, there’s talk about the movie, but this really dives deep into his life before, during, and after “Nightmare on Elm Street 2.” The experiences he went through weren’t easy, and must have been hard to revisit. On the other hand, it seems like he’s gotten some relief from this documentary, and now has found his way back into the Nightmare fandom.

  Depending on where this movie falls in your Nightmare rankings, and even when you first watched it might have an effect on how you view this documentary. As the documentary points out, there’s a lot of hate for this film because some people saw the main character, Jesse (Mark Patton) as gay. It gives examples of scenes like when Jesse screams, does the dance in his room, and even brings up the bar in the movie being a gay bar. This didn’t seem to go over well with audiences’ in the 1980’s, a time when people were becoming more aware of HIV/AIDS. Basically people weren’t ready for a male scream queen.

  Right when Mark seemed to get his big break in Nightmare on Elm St 2, his career was about to come to an end. His agents were ready to change the approach for him to get jobs, and Mark went from being an up-and-coming actor to being a gay actor. It would be tough for him to get jobs, especially a leading role. Instead of trying to fight it, Mark disappeared from public life. He might have left Hollywood behind, but he still went through may personal battles. 

  One of the reasons he did this documentary was to change the narrative on Nightmare 2. He felt like part of the reason for the film’s hate was unfairly blamed on him. It wasn’t until the Never Sleep Again documentary came about that Mark would find his way back into the spotlight. He started doing conventions in support of the film’s 30th anniversary, and soon had a big panel with the cast, and director. This gave them all a chance to talk about what happened, and how Mark felt.

  However to get ultimate closure, Mark would have to face his own personal Freddy, writer David Chaskin. Mark felt David put the movie’s failures on him, and wanted to clear this up with him. Mark and David have a very interesting talk, each giving their side of the story. David talks about how he wrote the story, while Mark talked about some of the things that happened on set. This conversation could have gone in many directions, but might finally put an end to what happened. 

  One of the points of watching a documentary is to learn something, and boy did I do a lot of it with “Scream Queen My Nightmare on Elm Street.” Admittedly, this is my least favorite Nightmare movie, but not for many of the reasons mentioned here. I just hated the idea of Freddy trying to come out of Jesse, and couldn’t tell you when the last time I saw this movie. So as this documentary unfolds, I wondered if I watched the same movie because I never watched it thinking anything about it having a gay undertone. I don’t think I was old enough to know about those things, or what to look for.     

  Also, as much of a horror fan as I am, I didn’t know anything about what happened behind the scenes of this movie, nor did I ever view a guy as a scream queen. Definitely a fascinating concept in its own right, and something we will probably see more of in the future. The documentary really opened my eyes on many things involving the movie, and makes me actually want to give it another try. If you love Nightmare 2, then you should definitely check this out. If you hated it, then don’t be afraid to check this out, and see if it changes your opinion, or at least gives you a different view point. Learn something about Mark, the Nightmare franchise, and even life in the movie business back in the 80’s. I give the documentary 3.5 pools of blood, and a big thank you to Mark for bringing his story to us!

  HorrO