Jonathan Hale: The First American Vampire...

The whole reason I started this blog several years ago was because of this book. My love of horror also prompted me to do it as well. I started this book over 6 years ago and it has been a very interesting journey. TFAV...1630 stands for The First American Vampire and 1630 is the year Jonathan came to America. Jonathan is a traditional vampire, not unlike Dracula. It's not that I am against many of the new creations of vampires over the past 20 or 30 years... like "day walkers" for instance. I love Blade and many other vampire movies where the vampires don't fear the cross or sunlight, but I longed for a good traditional vampire that has a good storyline and interesting characters. Jonathan's twist is that he influences our early American history. I have at least 3 more books that will follow this one dealing with Jonathan’s role in certain important issues that are now a major part of our American history. The second book is complete in a rough draft form and I have been working on it to get it ready to publish. I truly believe that Jonathan is unique in the vampire genre. Not to say that there are not vampire books out there, that may have similarities, but as a whole, it is unique. I have a link below where you can purchase my book. In addition, there is a direct link on the right side column of this blog where you can click on and purchase my book. I’m very pleased with the book and I’m sure you will too… check out the link and see if it is something, you might be interested in!

http://www.publishamerica.net/product88332.html






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Ghost Ship (2002)

One of my favorite areas in the horror genre is ghosts. I will have to say that ghosts may very well be my favorite... except for vampires. I like them because they have a certain creepiness to them that the slice and dice gore movies don't have. The movie Ghost Ship has a mixture of "good" ghost and "bad" ghost. Yes, there is some gore in this movie, but it doesn't rely on gore alone. The set up is usually tension and then a "jump" scene... by that, I mean a scene that leads up from a very tense situation and makes you jump and the end of the situation. I love these parts. Ghost stories need to make you feel the tension in order to come across as scary. Tension and fear are the major components to any good ghost story. Without them, you might as well have a "G" rated movie. For years I have loved being scared when watching a movie because of the almost adrenaline rush I get from it. I’ve told my wife many times after watching a really good, scary movie that I felt the movie in my chest. It was almost as if a weight was placed on my chest from the tension and fear I felt. Sadly, it doesn’t happen near enough these days. So many movies forego the tension and fear for the easy fix of gore. Many times, it’s because the story is weak to begin with and they need the gore in it to have any substance. That’s a shame. If you look through a list of any horror movies, you will find so many that are either badly acted or a crappy storyline. I really wish that were not the case. I think that is why Hollywood doesn’t really respect the genre. Well enough of that rant!

Ghost Ship is well acted and has an interesting storyline that keeps you in the movie. Basically, it’s a ship that has been lost at sea for many, many years and ends up “resurfacing.” A salvage crew tries to claim the ship and it’s cargo of gold… that is when the ghosts begin to “play” with the crew’s minds… and bodies. If you haven’t seen this movie, you really should give it a try… I think you will be quite surprised. Check out the trailer below!



R For strong violence, gore, language and sexuality
Length:
91 minutes
Director:
Steve Beck

Cast:
Julianna Margulies
Ron Eldard
Desmond Harrington
Isaiah Washington
Gabriel Byrne
Alex Dimitriades
Karl Urban
Emily Browning
Francesca Rettondini

Dispatched to recover a long-lost passenger ship found floating lifeless on the Bering Sea, the crew of the Arctic Warrior salvage tug soon becomes trapped inside the mysterious vessel -- which they quickly realize is far from abandoned. But just who -- or what -- is on board remains to be seen. Gabriel Byrne, Isaiah Washington and Julianna Margulies lead the cast in this high-seas horror film directed by Steve Beck.





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Jonathan Hale: The First American Vampire...

Just a quick update... two days ago, I got the proof of my book from my publisher. It took me 5 hours, but I read every word and only found 8 errors. I sent the proof back to them yesterday and received an email from them today stating they received it. They will be getting a copy of the book cover design to me within a week or so. They are moving a lot quicker than I anticipated. I'm very excited and will keep you updated as soon as I hear it! I put a link to my publishers on the right side of my blog so that the book can be ordered from my blog when it is available... hopefully it will not be too much of a wait. I will post more when I hear more!





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Daybreakers...

Daybreakers is an upcoming 2010 vampire film written and directed by Peter and Michael Spierig. The film stars Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe and Sam Neill. Filming took place in Australia from July to September 2007. Daybreakers is scheduled to be released in the United Kingdom on January 6, 2010 and in North America on January 8, 2010

This movie has really captured my interest. I've seen two trailers for it so far and it does look quite interesting. The concept for the movie is that the world is turning into vampires and they need to come up with a blood substitute. With actors like Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, and Sam Neill, you really can't go wrong. With all the hype over Twilight, it will be refreshing to see a movie where there is no sickly white teenagers falling in and out of love. I'm not a Twilight hater, it is just not my cup of tea. I really believe there will be a rebellion again those type of books and movies because people want a true, traditional vampire. I believe people are hunger for the old school vampire. That is why I believe my book will really take off once it's published. I saw Anne Rice on TV not that long ago talking about the Twilight phenomena and she feels that there is room for the innovation of all the "new" things that have been brought into the vampire genre over the past 30 years. Vampires walking in daylight, half vampire and half human, and so many more differences. She believes it is a "good" thing. Personally, I have issues with that. I feel as though there is so much more that can be done in the vampire genre that don't include getting away from the earlier traditions. Vampires can't cross water or look upon the cross. Of course, this won't be solved in a blog post, but it is worth mentioning. Daybreakers looks like a good movie from the trailer... doesn't mean it's a good one, but I have faith. Check out the trailer below and look for it in January...

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?

CAST:
Willem Dafoe ... Elvis
Isabel Lucas ... Alison Bromley
Ethan Hawke ... Edward
Sam Neill ... Charles Bromley
Claudia Karvan ... Audrey Bennett
Jay Laga'aia ... Senator Turner
Michael Dorman ... Frankie Dalton
Vince Colosimo ... Christopher
Christopher Kirby ... Jarvis Bayom
Emma Randall ... Ellie Landon
Michelle Atkinson ... Mother
Robyn Moore ... Forensic Investigator
Mungo McKay ... Colin Briggs
Mark Finden ... Young Vampire Cadet
Selina Kadell ... Debate News Anchorwoman
Renai Caruso ... Coffee Shop Attendant
Joel Amos Byrnes ... Security Guard (as Joel Byrnes)
David Knijnenburg ... Vampire Commuter
Jack Bradford ... Security Guard
Paul Sonkkila ... General Williams
Gavin Coleman ... Vampire Chief
Joel Spreadborough ... Vampire Subject
Peter Welman ... Policeman #2

DAYBREAKERS:






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Jonathan Hale: The First American Vampire...

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!

Dracula... The Greatest Vampire...
http://tfav1630frgodbeyjr.blogspot.com/2008/05/tfav1630.html
http://tfav1630frgodbeyjr.blogspot.com/2008/07/another-tfav-update.html





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Wrong Turn 3 - Left for Dead

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.









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13 Ghost (1960)...

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







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The Haunting 1963...

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







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The Horsemen (2008)

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.








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Saw VI (2009)

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.






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