My fascination with vampires has been since early childhood. Dracula has been the biggest influence in growing my love of the horror genre. Six years ago I started writing a vampire novel... after a lot of blood, sweat, (no tears yet), my book is at the publishers. We are in the pre-production stages and as yet, have no book cover or anything like that. Because of the contract, I am not allowed to print any of the book till it is out in print. But as soon as I can give you all more information, I will. This has been an interesting journey for me with many, MANY learning curves. English Professor, Arthur Deleault of Laconia Tech and St. Anselm's College has been helping every step of the way. I met him when Tina was taking an English class with him over six years ago. I had just had both hips replaced and was out of work for several months. I decided to go to class with her one day and Professor D was so compelling as a teacher that it began an interest in writing. He has taught me so much! I could never repay him for his help and generous gift of knowledge. My vampire will never have the status of Dracula, but I hope and pray that he will find his niche. Jonathan Hale is a traditional vampire with all the power and strength of Dracula as well as his weakness. I feel that my vampire is unique and special in many ways. For one thing, he is the first vampire to come to America in 1630. There are many twist and turns through his journey in Salem where he influences the history that we read about today. I have several books in mind for Jonathan. The second book is written and "completed" in rough draft form. The third book has about three chapters to it. I hope it catches on because I really feel like it is a great story that needs to be told. The second thing is that my vampire interacts with fictional and historical characters. Several major events that are in our history books were influenced by my vampire. It is a very interesting read... if I might be so bold. I have some old posts links about my book that were posted in '08. Give them a look if you like. My book should be ready within six months to a year from now. I hope to have more for you soon!
The Sy-Fy Channel had both Wrong Turn movies on this week. While I'm not a crazy fan for this series, I do find them entertaining. However, certain generalizations do give me quite the chuckle. First and foremost, I was born Charleston, WV and lived in St. Albans most of my youth. Having said that, I basically lived in a city all my life... granted, they were small towns, but towns non-the-less. West Virginia has been the butt of jokes all my life. Whether it's a hillbilly scenario or as in the case of these movies... incestuous mutants, West Virginians have heard them all. West Virginia is one of the most beautiful states in the USA. The mountains are tall and spectacular and the valleys are rolling, usually with a river or creek in the middle of them. I grew up in the Kanawha Valley which is a far cry from Greenbriar County featured in these movies. Actually, the movies have been filmed in Bulgaria and the first two in Canada. So while the scenes in these movies are eye catching... they are not WV. OK, enough of my ranting...
Wrong Turn 3 has a few things that are different from the first two. First, there are really two "evil" groups tormenting the "good" guys. The mutants and a group of escaped prisoners. I thought this was a really good twist to the storyline. Also, there were fewer mutants than in the previous two movies. Three Fingers has been the only survivor from the first two movies and he is back to feed on anyone that takes a "wrong turn" in his neighborhood. The story was interesting and entertaining, but the acting was weak. Granted, you are not going to get too many quality actors to play in a direct-to-DVD movie, but these were "B" actors for the most part. The leader of the convicts was a Mexican killer who brutalized both his own "partners" as well as the lone surviving cop and a girl that they found in the woods. The women had escaped while watching Three Fingers killing her friend. It's a survival movie for all characters in the movie. Everyone is truly fighting to get out of the woods alive. I went into this movie with low expectations and except for the weak acting (I have seen much worst), it was quite entertaining. All in all, it has been a fairly decent series. with the first movie being the best... so many times, that is the case. However, this is a good gore fest that will entertaining and keep your interest. Check out the trailer below and give this one a shot!
Cast: Tom Frederic as Nate Wilson Janet Montgomery as Alex Gil Kolirin as Floyd Weathers Tom McKay as Brandon Christian Contreras as Willy Jake Curran as Crawford Chucky Venice as Walter Louise Cliffe as Sophie Tamer Hassan as Chavez Emma Clifford as Deputy Ally Lane Bill Moody as Sheriff Carver Borislav Iliev as Three Finger
Synopsis: College student Alex and her friends go to the woods on a rafting trip. Soon after, her friends are killed by the mutant cannibal, "Three Finger" that survived from the previous film. She is left to fend for herself, but not for long. Meanwhile some dangerous prisoners are being transferred by Nate Wilson, a prison guard, on his last day before leaving to become a lawyer. During transport their transport bus is attacked by Three Finger and the prisoners escape.[2] While being chased through the woods, the prisoners and Nate encounter Alex and an abandoned transport filled with money. The money becomes the prisoners sole motivation for escape and survival. However, One-by-one Three Finger hunts and kills all the prisoners except Brandon with Nate and Alex surviving. At the end, Nate returns to take the money that was left behind, but Brandon kills him and an unknown figure kills Brandon as he collects the money.
I'm sorry I have been so quiet over the past month and a half, but life can get in the way at times. I'm happy to be back at my blog and continue my passion for horror movies. Last night on Turner Classic Movies (TCM), The original 13 Ghost was on. Having seen the remake which was made in 2001, I really wanted to see the original. The remake was really good and it is a movie that I highly recommend. Technology today makes for some very good/gory movies. I never saw the original movie, for one thing... I was only one year old when it came out. I have said many times before that watching old movies from the past is a hit or miss situation. I have been so disappointed with many that I remember as a kid loving. One reason is that they aren't scary and many seem silly by today's standards. Maybe we are spoiled with all this new technology that gives us special effects that seem like science fiction to those born in the 30's, 40's, and 50's. The standards of today allow for so much more sex and gore than you will ever see in a movie from the 50's and 60's. One thing that struck me funny about the 60's version of 13 Ghost was that the husband and wife in this movie slept in separate beds. It was like watching the old Dick Van Dyke Show or I love Lucy Show. The special effects were cloudy, or frames within a frame shots that were shaky and didn't appear scary or real. The storyline was similar to the remake, but there were MANY differences. The father in the remake was single and the ghost were actually creepy! Also the remake was not about "money", but about the Uncle's design of the house to get all the ghost together for his own evil desires. The remake was so much better than the original. At last, it was another old school "horror" movie that was very silly and not scary at all. Check out the remake from 2001!
Plot: When occultist uncle Dr. Plato Zorba wills a huge ramshackle house to his nephew Cyrus and his impoverished family, they are shocked to find the house is haunted. Their new furnished residence comes complete with a spooky housekeeper, Elaine, plus a fortune in buried treasure and 12 horrifying ghosts. His family soon discovers that these spirits include a decapitated man, a fully-grown lion, a wailing lady and a flaming skeleton, who are held captive in the eerie house and must find an unlucky thirteenth ghost to free them. Dr. Zorba leaves a set of special goggles, the only way of seeing the ghosts. However, there is someone in the house who is also looking for the money and is willing to kill for it.
Featured cast: Charles Herbert as Buck Zorba Jo Morrow as Medea Zorba Rosemary DeCamp as Hilda Zorba Martin Milner as Benjamen Rush Donald Woods as Cyrus Zorba Margaret Hamilton as Elaine Zacharides John van Dreelen as Van Allen
In today's horror world we are bombarded with shock and gore. Every now and again I love to revisit the old classic horror movies and see what true fear was meant to be. The Haunting is a movie that relies on tension and great camera work to deliver a horror film that proves you don't have to see dismembered body parts to be scared. Granted, today's audience is a tough sell for this type of film because over the past 20 to 30 years gore has reigned supreme in the horror genre. However, to fully appreciate where the genre has gone in that time, you need to watch the classics. Hitchcock for one was a great innovator in camera work, silence, and bringing tension to the forefront. This movie does that as well. Along with superior acting, an interesting script, and solid directing, The Haunting is a well made horror film. I watched this movie on Turner Classic Movies the other night and really felt a sense of satisfaction after I turned the TV off. Watching the old films can at times be a "scary" thing. For one thing, things that scared you as a kid don't always have the same effect as an adult. Another problem, sometimes and old movie comes across "campy" or silly to today's viewer. The Haunting works because it draws you in and builds a story with interesting characters that you find yourself wanting to know what's going to happen next. It is no mistake that the writers and directors do this. Censorship in this days would not allow for graphic visuals or "strong" language, so a horror movie back then had to be "smart" to really get to it's audience. I highly recommend watching this movie with the thought, "What is the director trying to do with this work?" Check out the trailer below and give this movie a shot! Liam Neeson did a remake of the movie several years ago and it was very good as well. Watch the classic one first and then check out the remake!
Julie Harris, Ronald Adam, Claire Bloom, Lois Maxwell and Russ Tamblyn star in this 1963 classic horror flick based on The Haunting of Hill House, a novel by Shirley Jackson. Three people are recruited by a paranormal investigator to help uncover the secrets of Hill House, a mansion overwhelmed by spirits of its troubled former residents. As they delve deeper into this home's past, they're further seduced into its sinister web.
Rated G General audiences. All ages admitted.
Length: 112 minutes Director: Robert Wise
Cast: Julie Harris Claire Bloom Richard Johnson Russ Tamblyn Fay Compton Rosalie Crutchley Lois Maxwell Valentine Dyall Diane Clare Ronald Adam
I have to admit that I really enjoy end of the world/biblical themed movies. I think it is interesting to see what Hollywood tries to do when they try and make a movie based on certain parts of the Bible. The movie Se7en with Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman is one of my favorite serial killer films based on a biblical theme. The seven deadly sins makes for a very good premise for a great thriller. I've listed a few more end of the world movies near the end of this post. I've seen them all and can recommend them for your viewing. Jeff Fahey was in a movie several years ago called Revelation 1999, Movie, PG-13, 98 mins, This was a biblical themed movie about the Rapture and was quite well made. It deals with the Fahey character trying to find the truth after his wife and child are raptured. It is a very interesting movie that was quite good.
Now on to The Horsemen. This movie was very good and the quality of the acting was right on target. Dennis Quaid is a fine actor and I have enjoyed many of his movies. In this movie he plays a cop that is surrounding himself with his work in order to deal with the tragic death of his wife from cancer. He has two sons that are also trying to deal with their mom's death, but really need their dad. The movie is gruesome and bloody and has the appeal of Hellraiser because of the use of large fish hooks throughout. Basically a torture film with a whole lot of emotional drama. Quaid comes to the realization that the murders are a result of the four horsemen mentioned in the book of Revelations. While these horsemen have apocalyptic meaning, the movie really does not in my opinion. It does take the devastation aspect of the horsemen and makes for a very good serial killer movie. Quaid has many emotional issues to deal with, but can't seem to get a grip on them until the end. The movie is very bloody and can make you think of Hostel and Saw , but is not really a full-fledged torture film. There is torture, but that is not the main point of the plot. So in reality, the movie could fall into the horror genre, but is really a serial killer thriller. There are a few twist that make the movie more interesting, but the ending was really not a surprise... was it supposed to be??? I don't know, but I had my suspicions a little over half way through. Still, I enjoyed the movie very much, but the ending left me a little flat. Maybe it was because it wasn't a surprise... I don't know. Overall, it is a very entertaining movie that I can recommend. Check out the trailer below!
Already reeling from the shocking death of his wife, detective Aidan Breslin (Dennis Quaid) is destined for even darker days when he's tasked with investigating a series of grisly serial murders inspired by biblical prophecy. This chilling psychological thriller from director Jonas Åkerlund also stars Ziyi Zhang, Clifton Collins Jr., Peter Stormare, Patrick Fugit, Lou Taylor Pucci and Eric Balfour.
R For grisly and disturbing content, some sexual images and language Length: 90 minutes Director: Jonas Åkerlund
Cast: Dennis Quaid Ziyi Zhang Lou Taylor Pucci Clifton Collins Jr. Patrick Fugit Eric Balfour Peter Stormare Chelcie Ross Liam James Onalee Ames
A few more apocalyptic/biblical themed movies: 12 Monkeys. Dir. Terry Gilliam. Perf. Bruce Willis, Madeline Stowe, Brad Pitt. Universal, 1995. Armageddon. Dir. Michael Bay. Perf. Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, Billy Bob Thornton. Touchstone, 1997. Dogma. Dir. Kevin Smith. Perf. Ben Affleck, Matt Damon. Lion's Gate Films, 1999. Seventh Sign. Dir. Carl Shultz. Perf. Demi Moore, Jurgen Prochnow. 1988. War of the Worlds. Dir. Byron Haskin. Perf. Gene Barry, Les Tremayne, Ann Robinson. 1953.
I've often wondered if the Saw franchise is going to turn into another Friday The 13th series with an astronomical number of sequels. I need to state first and foremost, I am a fan of the Saw franchise. While all the movies have not been great, most have been entertaining. The 4th has probably been the most disappointing to me. It was way to complicated to make much sense with all the same screen flashbacks and way too much information. I liked the 5th one fairly well, but none can compare to the original or even the 2nd one. It was the games and obviously the results of the games that made the movies interesting. However, there was a perverted sense of reason and judgment that Jigsaw threw in to almost make it morally acceptable... almost. Tobin Bell as Jigsaw is a refreshing serial killer. Not your typical killer who is only satisfying his own lust for blood, but claims he has never killed any one... the games do the killing.
I saw on FEARnet.com that Saw VII has already been approved before Saw VI has even been released. It does make you wonder what more they can do to make the series meaning and not just a bloody bunch of games. There has to be a purpose behind the games. Justice, no matter how perverted must be the reason someone dies in the Saw movies. We have gone to all the Saw movies at the theater and have watched most on DVD after they have been released. I'm sure we will continue the pattern because we are fans. Check out the trailer below... it does look promising.
Director: Kevin Greutert
Cast: Shawnee Smith Tobin Bell Costas Mandylor Tanedra Howard
Jigsaw... The evidence has been destroyed, the truth buried with the dead. And now, Detective Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) has emerged as the heir to serial killer Jigsaw's bloody legacy. With the FBI closing in, Hoffman must set into motion one last grisly game. And in the end, Jigsaw's grand scheme will finally be revealed. Five-time Saw editor Kevin Greutert helms this shocking installment of the horror franchise.
As an avid Netflix member, I really appreciate those in my "Friend's List" who send out notes and reviews from a various range of movies. I tend to send notes more on horror related films because that's what interest me. However, Tina and I watch a wide range of movies, with horror being our favorite genre. The thing is, when you look at a movie in the "At A Glance" section on Netflix, you get a look at all the reviews of that movie from NF members. It really helps me understand just how many opinions and differences there are in the minds of the average movie watcher. Some love this movie and others hate it and yet others are somewhere in the middle.
In my opinion, this movie has a lot to offer in the ghost/haunted house genre. After we watched the movie, we watched all the interviews from the actual family members, neighbors, and paranormal investigator's who lived through this ordeal. Over all the movie was fairly close to the actual events. Of course Hollywood is going to sensationalize the events, but generally it seemed close to the "true" events. The acting in this movie was good with Virginia Madsen and Kyle Gallner doing quality work. The characters were believable even it you don't believe in the actual events. I for one do believe that there are forces (demonic) all around us and things like this could happen. The movie itself was very creepy and has a fair amount of tension in it (which I love). As the synopsis below states, the family moves to a house in Connecticut to be closer to the hospital their oldest son needs for his cancer treatments. It doesn't take long before bizarre things to begin to happen. Since the home was a former mortuary the dead's spirits have not left. The haunting of the family begins in earnest and all members of the family are touched by the spirits. Watching the interviews in the special features really showed just how freaked out these people really were. While there are skeptics (neighbors) interviewed who didn't believe, I tend to be a believer. There would be not point or anything to gain from making up such a story, at least not at the time. I don't know if the family received compensation from the books or movies. In the haunted house genre, this movie is well worth a watch. Check out the trailer below and give this movie a shot!
In this supernatural thriller, the Campbell family's move to Connecticut takes a mysteriously dark turn when a series of shocking paranormal events reveals that their inviting new home is a former mortuary with a sordid past. Based on a true story, this terrifying tale stars Virginia Madsen and Martin Donovan as the well-meaning Campbell parents, Kyle Gallner as their cancer-stricken son and Elias Koteas as the enigmatic Rev. Nicholas Popescu.
PG13: For some intense sequences of terror and disturbing images.
Length: 102 minutes Director: Peter Cornwell
Cast: Elias Koteas Virginia Madsen Amanda Crew Kyle Gallner Martin Donovan D.W. Brown John B. Lowe Sarah Constible Ty Wood Adriana O'Neil Matt Kippen
I have never been a fan of the 80's style mindless teen slasher horror. This movie and the original fall into that category. There isn't a purpose behind it other than to kill all the "bad" kids and let the "good" kids survive. Some T&A and plenty of killing... that's about it. I have seen almost all of the Jason movies and they are all about the same in my mind. When we were watching this the other night, I kept thinking how campy and boring it was. My wife loved the original as a kid and saw it many times. However, after the movie she made the "campy" comment about watching it now as an adult. That leads me to my point of it being mindless. As a kid we are scared and excited about the "horror" of being chased by the likes of Jason, Freddy, and Michael Myers, but as an adult we need more thought behind the story. Something we can grab hold of and some substance. This remake featured mostly unknown actors and for the most part they will never have a career in film. Average acting and boring story line filled the screen. In most of these type of movies, the kids do and say things we as "normal" people would never do or say. Why do they always run upstairs or into places they can't get out of? Am I being to picky that I would want some smart... maybe common sense thinking in a horror film. I don't think that is too much to ask for. I have to say that I liked the Zombie remake of Halloween much better than this remake. I could rant longer concerning this trend of one remake after another, but what good would it do. I have said several times the Hollywood is lazy and can't seem to come up with an original thought for quite some time. It's just too easy to remake money makers in hopes of making more money. That's a shame. There are many talented people out there that are not afraid to imagine the unimaginable. Where's the Ray Bradbury's of our day??? Watch this if you liked it as a kid or young adult, but don't expect anything new from it.
Check out the trailer below...
Jared Padalecki, Danielle Panabaker and Aaron Yoo headline director Marcus Nispel's chilling remake of the classic 1980s slasher-thriller that spawned a legendary horror franchise. Ignoring the warnings of the locals, a group of teenage camp counselors takes on the job of reopening Camp Crystal Lake -- on Friday the 13th no less, and raise the ire of Jason Voorhees (Derek Mears), a masked, homicidal maniac.
R For strong bloody violence, some graphic sexual content, language and drug material
Length: 97 minutes Director: Marcus Nispel
Cast: Jared Padalecki Danielle Panabaker Amanda Righetti Travis Van Winkle Derek Mears Aaron Yoo Julianna Guill Arlen Escarpeta Willa Ford Ryan Hansen
To say that vampires in film are a critical part of our film heritage would be an understatement. As I was reading many sites on the history of vampires in movies, I was pleasantly surprised to see how important of an influence the genre really has been. I have printed several key points from Wikipedia concerning the subject just to prove a point... OK, probably several points. The first thing that caught my attention was that Dracula has been the subject of more films than any other fictional character... that is a huge statement. Considering there have been so many movies of all topics over the last 100 years, to realize that Dracula had that much influence over our film culture was quite surprising to me. There is also an interesting article by Morgan Bell where he develops "theories" as to the deviant, sexual, and immoral nature of the vampire. He tries to understand why we "fear" the vampire. Good article and if you're interested here's the link to copy and paste: http://www.helium.com/items/695177-exploring-the-vampire-in-cinema. I can see his point on many levels and maybe that is why the vampire still scares us today, because he is a character that we don't understand and we fear what we don't understand.
I have and always will be a traditionalist when it comes to the "undead". As a kid, I loved the old vampire movies. I didn't see Dracula as a sexual being. I was more impressed with his superhuman strength, turning into a bat and a cloud of smoke, and his ability to control his victims. It's not to say that I haven't enjoyed movies like Blade when the vampire is a daywalker. I do appreciate writers and directors adding a few twist to their work... the problem is that it's not possible for a vampire to go into daylight. It's also not possible for a vampire to have sex and children. They are dead. Therefore, a dead person cannot procreate. The Vampire survives off the drinking of the blood of his victims. That doesn't mean he has blood in his veins. Therefore it would be impossible to have sex. The only way to "create" more vampires is for a vampire to "change" a human into a vampire. There have been many ways this has taken place in film over the last 100 years, but my favorite is by bleeding the human of his or her blood and when they wake up as a member of the undead, they must drink the blood of their master to fully change.
Vampire of the Coast (1909) (the first silent Vampire film) I saw that the first vampire movie was Vampire of the Coast (1909). I really haven't been able to find out much about it, but it was probably a silent short. More importantly, it means that we have had 100 years of vampire movies and have seen the evolution of the genre evolve into quite an interesting art form. Are there moral questions to be answered? Do we really fear or hate things and people we don't understand or are different then us? In many cases the answer is yes, but when it comes to vampires... I love them! Thanks for 100 years of fear and entertainment!
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Vampire films have been a staple since the silent days, so much so that the depiction of vampires in popular culture is strongly based upon their depiction in movies throughout the years. The most popular cinematic adaptation of vampire fiction has been from Bram Stoker's Dracula, with over 170 versions to date. By 2005, Dracula had been the subject of more films than any other fictional character.
History The earliest cinematic vampires in such films as The Vampire (1913), directed by Robert G. Vignola, were in reality 'vamps' or femme fatales deriving inspiration from a poem by Rudyard Kipling called "The Vampire", composed in 1897. This poem was written as kind of commentary on a painting of a female vampire by Philip Burne-Jones exhibited in the same year. Lyrics from Kipling's poem: A fool there was . . . , describing a seduced man, were used as the title of the film A Fool There Was (1915) starring Theda Bara as the 'vamp' in question and the poem was used in the publicity for the film.
A genuine supernatural vampire features in the landmark Nosferatu (1922 Germany, directed by Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau). This was an unlicensed version of Bram Stoker's Dracula, based so closely on the novel that the estate sued and won, with all copies ordered to be destroyed. It would be painstakingly restored in 1994 by a team of European scholars from the five surviving prints that had escaped destruction.
The next classic treatment of the vampire legend was in Universal's Dracula (1931) starring Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula. Five years after the release of the film, Universal released Dracula's Daughter (1936), a direct sequel that starts immediately after the end of the first film. A second sequel, Son of Dracula, starring Lon Chaney, Jr. followed in 1943. Despite his apparent death in the 1931 film, the Count returned to life in three more Universal films of the mid-1940s: House of Frankenstein (1944), House of Dracula (1945) both starring John Carradine and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948). While Lugosi had played a vampire in two other movies during the 1930s and 1940s, it was only in this final film that he played Count Dracula onscreen for the second (and last) time.
This was a very well made psychological (gory at times) thriller. When a movie really interest me, I tend to watch all the special features on the DVD after the movie. There were several that I watched including the making of the torture scenes and comments from the directer, producers, and writer. I like to do this for the simple reason, I want to know if I took the movie the way they intended me too. I "got it" on this movie. Stellan Skarsgard plays the enigmatic character of Eddie Argo, a veteran police detective who has a few skeletons in his closet that make him difficult to completely figure out. The character is very complex, but yet seems to be so transparent. We think we know him, but do we really? Searching for a serial killer who takes two hostages at time and tortures one until that one succumbs to the pain and kills the other hostage. The reason... revenge. The serial killer is targeting a local gang who brought unbelievable harm to the now serial killer. The point of the killing is to see how much pain a person can endure before they will kill someone they truly love. This leads to all sorts of moral dilemmas. I truly believe I would die before being forced by pain to kill my wife. At least I would think I would be honorable enough to do that. The movie has an interesting story line and quality acting. It has elements of Saw, Hostel, and the like, but I thought it was darker, not only visually, but mentally as well. It made you think while entertaining you. Really good movie and I highly recommend it!
There are a couple of things that I should mention concerning the film... for one it is visually dark throughout. This can make it difficult to see at times. Also there are many twist to it that you may miss if you really don't pay attention. This movie will make you think... there is a moral overtone that cannot be ignored. The question seems to be, "Would you kill the one you love to save yourself from death"? Sorry to say that I could not find a trailer for this movie. however, it is still worth a watch!
Stellan Skarsgård 2006's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (in which he plays the undead pirate Bootstrap Bill).
Synopsis: Well worn by years of gangland brutality, veteran detective Eddie Argo prides himself on playing by the book. However, loyalties wane as he and his new rookie partner, Helen, find themselves entangled in a string of violent and horrific killings that are targeting a notorious local gang, forcing Argo to revisit a case he would rather forget. In the midst of mounting terror, the calculating killer stays focused on the ultimate goal--coerce Argo to pay for his previous mistakes and answer the ultimate question: would you kill the one you love to save yourself from death?
Length: 104 minutes Director: Tom Shankland
Cast: Stellan Skarsgård Melissa George... Played Josh Hartnett's wife in 30 Days Of Night. Ashley Walters Paul Kaye Selma Blair Peter Ballance Lauren Hood Tom Hardy John Sharian Sally Hawkins
I have always felt there are not enough really good vampire movies out there. I'm hoping that all the vampire overload from Twilight doesn't make the general public sick of vampire movies. It happens so many times, especially with music that when you hear a song on the radio over and over again, you grow tired of it... even if it is a great song. It happened to Hootie and the Blowfish with their CD Cracked Rear View Mirror. So many songs on that CD were played to death by radio that it actually hurt the band on their following CD's... any one even remember any of their other CD'S? That's the point. If you visit this site often, you know my love for vampire movies. I'm not a fan of campy horror, but interesting vampire movies with good acting and a good story line are hard to find. Bela Lugosi's Dracula set the bar very high for the genre. I love traditional vampires, but I do appreciate writers and directors who are willing to explore the genre and bring us new and exciting twist to their vampires... as long as it is within reason. For one thing, there must be a way to kill the vampire... good must overcome the evil. That's why movies like From Dusk To Dawn, Blade, Underworld are such good movies to me. I've enjoyed both John Carpenter's Vampire movies, 30 Days of Night was great in my mind, and Bram Stocker's Dracula with Gary Oldham was a good remake of the original. However, there are so many out there in the vampire genre that are not quality. This leads me to Daybreakers...
This movie has some really quality actors in it with Sam Neill, Willem Defoe, and Ethan Hawke supporting a decent looking movie... at least from the trailer. A virus causes most of the general population to become vampires and that would cause there to be a shortage of human blood in that case. There seems to be battles raging between different vampire clams with the Sam Neill character being the "ruler" of a one of the clans. The trailer looks very promising. The movie comes to theaters Jan. 8th, 2010 and I plan to see it then. Check out the trailer as well as the link to the movies website... I think you will really find this trailer very interesting!
A malicious plague has befallen the human race, transforming the majority of the Earth's population into vampires and draining the world of an increasingly precious resource: blood. Now, it's up to two brothers (Ethan Hawke and Willem Dafoe) to decide what happens next. As the human population nears zero, will the vampires be forced to feast on the few men and women who remain? Or could science hold the key to a less destructive solution?
http://www.daybreakersmovie.com/
Director: Michael Spierig Peter Spierig
Cast: Willem Dafoe Isabel Lucas Sam Neill Vince Colosimo Jay Laga'aia Claudia Karvan Christopher Kirby Renai Caruso Ethan Hawke Mungo McKay Robyn Moore
I guess I need to wrap up my favorite horror movies with a TV show from the late 60's and early 70's. I remember running home from elementary school so that I would not miss an episode of my favorite "soap opera" of all time... Dark Shadows. The Dan Curtis production was NOT your typical soap opera. After all, it had vampires, ghosts, werewolves, and witches. The most popular character without a doubt was Barnabas Collins, played by Jonathan Frid. Barnabas was a very interesting character. He was conflicted with his immortality. He was a vampire through and though, but he longed to be back in the sunlight. He wanted nothing more than to be human again. However, he was cursed. He was a reluctant vampire. He could be very evil, but he mostly wanted his privacy. If left alone, he would not trouble you... but if threatened, he would kill. There were so many twist and great story lines to this show that you were always waiting with high anticipation for the next half hour show. The weekends were a pain because on Friday you were left with a cliffhanger and had to wait till Monday to see what happened! Thanks to Netflix, I have seen over 85 hours of the show. I began with the introduction to Barnabas... in the video below. It has been a great journey down memory lane for me to see the old shows with all its flaws (it was taped live with NO edits!). Starting with the old black and white shows and the introduction of color to TV. Man, I'm old! This show was unique in so many ways and it was a first for its time. That's the great thing about old shows... they were original, interesting, and the story was everything. Nothing like the 200 channels of crap that is on today. Give the video a watch and check out the collection of Dark Shadows on DVD... it is so worth it!
Jonathan Frid AKA, Barnabas Collins! Filled with Gothic mystery and supernatural intrigue, the daytime series "Dark Shadows" became wildly popular after its 1966 premiere on ABC and has earned a reputation as one of the most unusual and enduring programs in TV history. The show revolves around Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid), a guilt-ridden 175-year-old vampire who longs to be human again and returns to his estate after being chained inside a coffin for nearly 200 years.
Director: Lela Swift John Sedwick
Cast: Jonathan Frid Joan Bennett Alexandra Isles Kathryn Leigh Scott Nancy Barrett John Karlen Mitch Ryan David Henesy Dana Elcar David Ford Louis Edmonds Joel Crothers Clarice Blackburn Robert Gerringer Dennis Patrick
"Really nice horror film site. I particularly like your non-traditional blog entries, the history of Friday the 13ths and such. Good content, the layout and design is pleasant and it has a logical layout and flow."
50 year old man with a dream of writing horror novels. One book in the works and several more to follow. Special thanks to my precious wife
Tina for giving me the courage and support to follow my dream!
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