Bullet Points - A Scream Factory Edition

 

Today's Bullet Points are brought to you by Scream Factory:

Halloween III: Season of the Witch - For the longest time, I wrote this movie off.  From my edited viewings on AMC, I always considered this to be a cheesy movie with no Michael Myers to support the franchise.  However, after watching this Scream Factory release, I now realize how great this movie is.  Besides the beautiful transfer, we follow a doctor (played by Tom Atkins) investigating the death of a patient.  With some gruesome scenes involving children and Halloween masks, this movie is quite entertaining (oh, and you can't forget that catchy Silver Shamrock jingle).  As discussed in the special features, we learn the Halloween franchise was supposed to be a new tale for each film.  However, after Halloween 3 bombed, it was decided Michael Myers must return as the star of the series.  Although I like the boogy man, I wish this series would have stuck to its original plan because some interesting original stories could have come into fruition.

Death Valley - Starring Ralphie from A Christmas Story, this a pretty solid slasher that takes place in Death Valley.  When a mom (played by Catherine Hicks) takes her son on vacation to meet her new boyfriend, the young boy discovers evidence from a murder scene.  When the killer realizes the boy took a necklace that may link him back to the murder, his family becomes his next target.  With a fun set piece taking place in a mock western town, this was a fun gem uncovered by Scream Factory.

Terrorvision - Although it's a cheesy 80's film, the effects, props, and sets make this an enjoyable watch.  When a family gets a new satellite system for their television, an alien literally invades their channels.  As the alien releases itself from the television set, bizarre murders occur.  Made by an Italian director, this movie is a weird mix between a Giallo and an early Tim Burton film.

The Amityville Horror -  When a family moves into an old house with a dark past, the father begins to lose control of his senses and develops murderous tendencies.  I'm not an expert of the subject, but I'd say The Amittyville Horror is the beginning of the modern haunted house film.  Sure, William Castle made some entertaining haunted house flicks with Vincent Price in the 1950's.  However, this movie transformed the sub-genre since it was based on the accounts of real life people (even though James Brolin and Margot Kidder didn't believe in the events).

Halloween 2013

So Halloween has come and passed, but it's time to share this year's pumpkin carvings!

I decided to take my pumpkin carving skills to the next level by doing the shading technique.  Usually, I cut all the way through the pumpkin, but this time I wanted to give more depth by peeling away a layer of the skin. I have to give much thanks to http://carvingpumpkins.com/ for the tips and awesome patterns.

I decided to go the classic Halloween route by carving the Universal Monster Couple - The Bride of Frankenstein and her Groom:

Some of The Bride's definition broke off during the carving process.  However, I learned from my mistakes and I'm happy with the results of Frankenstein's Monster.

 

 

Also this year, my brother, sister, and girlfriend kept up with the movie theme by carving Freddy Krueger, Ariel (from the Little Mermaid), and Jack (from the Nightmare before Christmas).

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this year's patterns!  This is one of my favorite Halloween activities (besides watching horror movies) and I've already started planning 2014's designs.

Scream Factory - My Criterion for Horror Films

Now that we're in the month of October, that means we've reached my favorite time of year for movies!  Sadly, I don't think there's many horror flicks playing at the theater except for Insidious 2 from September.  Luckily, a lot of television networks, like AMC, are doing their scary movie marathons.

However, if you're looking for some things to watch from the Home Video market, Scream Factory is the movie label to follow this Halloween (and honestly, all year long).  Releasing cult favorites from the 1980's, each film is beautifully transferred to blu-ray.  For instance, never would I think Halloween III as a horror masterpiece.  But with a beautiful anamorphic transfer and bonus features telling stories behind the scenes, Scream Factory is truly doing a service for horror fans.

Jam packed with special features, most releases include:

• Exclusive Interviews with the Cast and Crew
• New commentaries from the creators
• Horror’s Hallowed Grounds - Awesome documentaries re-visiting the actual on-scene locations in present day.

Another thing Scream Factory does with many of their releases is provide original cover art.  Similar to how Mondo visualizes classic movie posters, Scream Factory is getting some extremely talented artists to produce some beautiful (yet terrifying) images.

Although I always prefer the original artwork, Scream Factory provides the original poster art on the backside of the blu-ray cover.  This allows the consumer to reverse the slip and pick the image of their choice.  This is a company that really cares about their fans and customers.

If you're still not sold on Scream Factory, now is the time to check them out.  They are currently doing "The Year of Fear Contest."  By simply giving your name and email address, you can win a year's worth of their products (you're lucky I'm sharing because I really want to win).  Also throughout the month, they're doing 24 hour sales called "The Price is Fright."  With free shipping and awesome discounts, this is not a sale to miss. 

So be sure to check out Scream Factory at their website.  Also, if you want to hear a little more about their company, check their latest interview on the Killer POV podcast. 

Besides my Criterion Collection, I actually separate my Scream Factory releases from the rest of my video collection.  I've been very impressed by Scream Factory's product and can't wait for their future releases!

Halloween 2012

A week has gone by since Halloween, but to continue last year's tradition (click here), I needed to share my favorite part of the holiday:  Pumpkin Carving!  

This year I went a little overboard and carved three pumpkins.  The first two are inspired from Steven Spielberg:  Jaws and ET

I tried to find a pattern to complete the  Spielberg theme, but had to settle with a Joe Dante character instead.  However, I'm not displeased because Gizmo is definitely a crowd favorite.

 

Here's one last group shot, including two pumpkins carved by my brother and sister:  The Wolfman and Wonder Woman.  So next year, if you're looking for some cool patterns, be sure to check out http://www.zombiepumpkins.com/

Halloween 2011

It appears my blog has turned from daily entries to the occasional monthly. But since it's Halloween, I thought I better write something in the spirit of October 31st. Besides watching horror flicks, my favorite activity during this spooky holiday is carving pumpkins. Over the years, I've gotten pretty good at making patterns from those paper cutouts, but wanted to expand my talent from those wimpy kid-friendly templates you buy at Walmart. Luckily zombiepumpkins.com has patterns to fulfill my pop-culture hunger.

In case you don't know the general process to making kick-ass pumpkins, you start by:

1. Ripping the guts from the pumpkin
2. Poking the pattern into the pumpkin
3. Carving the shapes from the pumpkin
4. Illuminating the pumpkin

So this year, I decided to carve the leader of the Cinobites, Pinhead. The Hellraiser flicks have always been hard for me to watch due to the masochist nature of the films, but this pumpkin turned out pretty mesmerizing.

As for my little 13 year old brother, he carved that scary demon face that occasionally pops up throughout The Exorcist (in which I consider the scariest movie of all time). I was pretty proud of him for his effort and choice.

Anyways, I hope everyone is enjoying the movies (Paranormal Activity 3) and TV shows (The Walking Dead and American Horror Story) that fit this season. Happy Halloween!

Ten Taglines #5

So here is what I first think of when you mention these movies:

1. Desperado: Guitar cases provide multiple forms of protection…
2. 28 Days Later: Sometimes fellow man can be crueler than zombies…
3. Green Day - Bullet in a Bible: Billy Joe knows how to work a crowd!
4. Dazed and Confused: “I get older, they stay the same age!”
5. Happy Gilmore: Adam Sandler can do no wrong in my adolescent eyes!
6. The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Men in fishnets are horror!
7. Mothra vs. Godzilla: There are giant monsters, but don’t forget about the tiny women…
8. The Last Exorcism: So scary, the possessed sees you through the camera!
9. Halloween: Is it okay to feel bad for kid Michael Myers?
10. The Spirit: Forgive Frank, Love Eva…