The Collector... 2009

When you hear some positive hype about a movie, or that people who wrote another movie you liked wrote this one, you go into it with high hopes. This is the case with The Collector (2009). It has the writers from the last three Saw movies. Love them or hate them, I have enjoyed the Saw series. I thought the last one (Saw VI) was very good. However, I was somewhat disappointed in The Collector. First, let me say, that when you introduce a “new” horror character to the world you want that character to be interesting. The character must have a purpose… NOT just the love of killing, but why the love… that is the question that needs to be answered. At some point near the end of a movie there has to be a moment where everything makes sense… questions are answered, and loose ends are tied up… except in the event of a cliffhanger. There were several plot holes that made no sense… the biggest is how the “Collector” booby-trapped the house in such a short time frame. For all the “Saw-like” tricks in the house, it would have taken days, not several hours. This was like a horror version of Home Alone. At the end of a movie, if you are sitting there talking about all the questions you have as to why something was done, well, the movie was poorly written. What you should be talking about is all the sick, twisted, and bloody scenes that explode in your face throughout this movie. At last, too many questions... This is not to say that the movie was not entertaining, it was a “good” movie. The problem was that it was not a great movie. Check out the trailer and if it grabs you… watch the movie. If you like tension and gory… this movie will satisfy that need.

Cast:Josh Stewart, Michael Reilly Burke, Andrea Roth, Juan Fernandez, Karley Scott Collins, Madeline Zima, Robert Wisdom
Director:Marcus Dunstan

2009 R 88 minutes
Desperate to be free of his financial debt to his ex-wife, Arkin (Josh Stewart) breaks into his employer's house to snag a jewel he knows will buy him independence. Too bad for him, someone else has gotten there first in this Marcus Dunston-helmed horror fest. Now, Arkin just wants to survive the night when he finds the house's residents tied up, the house rigged with deadly traps and a masked madman engaged in a deadly game of cat and mouse







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Jonathan Hale: The First American Vampire... Update...

Just wanted everyone to know that my book is now available on Amazon.com. I'm very excited about this and I'm trying to get it on Kindle Books. Kindle will get you the book at a cheaper price online. There are many opportunities out there, but the more exposure my book gets, the better. The story is so important to me. I feel that the entertainment value my book offers is what sets it apart from others in this genre. It is unique and original in so many ways. I have had so many positive comments from those that have read my book and I am so grateful. Copy and paste the link below and check out my book. I will keep the updates coming...

Copy and Paste...http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Jonathan+Hale%3A+The+first+American+Vampire




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Trueblood Season 1...

We just finished watching the first season of Trueblood. After the first episode. I really wasn't hooked, but into the third episode I wanted to watch them all! Most of you know, I love vampires, but being a traditionalist, it is difficult to watch some shows/movies that allow vampires to do things I disagree with. However, Trueblood is so well written and acted, that I find myself understanding their actions. First and foremost, vampires can't have sex. They are dead and you need blood flowing through every organ of your body to be intimate. As the vampire Bill said, "We don't breath." No oxygen, their bodies are dead, and no blood in their dead organs... can't have sex. Enough of my ranting. The show has the best comic relief with a mixture of gore/blood on TV today. The characters are unique and capture your interest. Mind reading, shape shifters, murderer, vampires, and red necks... what more could you ask for. We were told about this show by a friend of Tina's who absolutely loves it. After watching the first season, I can't wait to see season 2. The writing of this show is outstanding. The stories are interesting, funny, and leave you begging for more. Trying to pick a favorite character is impossible because all of them bring so much to the show. Tina's is Tara, the black woman with so much anger and attitude. If I had to pick one, it would be the vampire Bill. He wants to mainstream into human society and drinks "Trueblood" Trueblood is a synthetic blood invented to keep humans safe from vampire attacks. Mainstream vampires are trying to coexist with humans and bring the vampire discrimination to an end. However, all vampires don't follow the "rules." Also, many humans don't believe the intentions of the mainstream vampires are honorable. Distrust, and bigotry exist among both groups. It is a social comment on the way we are today, just with a vampire twist. The show is so original in all aspects and I absolutely love it. If you have Netflix, you can get all of season 1's DVDs. Otherwise your local video store may have them. Season 2 has not been released yet, but when it is, we will be watching!

Mind-reading waitress Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin, in a Golden Globe-winning role) dives into a complicated relationship when she falls for vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) in a world where the undead live openly and drink synthetic blood. Trying to improve their image and legitimize their finances, the out-of-the-coffin bloodsuckers hire PR firms and contribute to influential Republican politicians, among other tactics.

Trueblood Website...
http://www.hbo.com/true-blood/index.html#/true-blood

Mature Audience Only. This program is specifically designed to be viewed by adults and therefore may be unsuitable for children under 17

Director:
Michael Lehmann
Scott Winant
John Dahl
Daniel Minahan
Alan Ball

Cast:
Anna Paquin
Stephen Moyer
Rutina Wesley
Ryan Kwanten
Alexander Skarsgård
Sam Trammell
Michael Raymond-James
Nelsan Ellis

Opening Credits...







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Saw VI

We watched this movie last night with Aaron and Ashley. I have to say that I was so pleased with this film. The story flowed well and the acting was top-notch. Tobin Bell played another huge role in this installment through the avenue of flashbacks. There was a much better way of making sure we knew when the flashbacks took place then in other Saw movies. Jigsaw is an "awesome" serial killer. He brings to the genre a whole new side to the purpose of a serial killer. He never physically kills anyone, but he puts his victims in the position of choosing life or death. Is it revenge that makes Jigsaw do what he does? Yes. However, he does give them hope of living if they pass their test/game. Saw VI answered many questions from several of the other movies. Without giving any details, this movie was well done all the way around. The games were very interesting and the props were innovative. All in all, this was a great movie whether you are a Saw fan or not. You really would want to see all the Saw movies before watching this one. It is a series that ties loose ends with every new movie. It left itself open for another one, and I am very pleased about that. Check out the trailer below and give this movie a watch!

Saw VI
(2009) UR
Special Agent Strahm is long gone, and Det. Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) is now the heir to John Jigsaw's (Tobin Bell) terrifying legacy. FBI Agent Erickson (Mark Rolston) is now hot on his trail, but Hoffman is about to reveal Jigsaw's grand plot. Kevin Greutert directs this next installment of the smash horror dynasty, while Betsy Russell, Peter Outerbridge, Tanedra Howard and Shawnee Smith co-star.

Genre:Slashers and Serial Killers, Psychological Thrillers

Length:
92 minutes
Director:
Kevin Greutert
Darren Lynn Bousman

Cast:
Tobin Bell
Angus Macfadyen
Costas Mandylor
Betsy Russell
Mark Rolston
Peter Outerbridge
Shawnee Smith
Samantha Lemole
Caroline Cave
George Newbern
Tanedra Howard
Tobin Bell






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THE GRAVES

Another look at the After Dark Horror Fest coming out at the end of this month. The Graves is an interesting look at two sisters trying to survive a bunch of lunitics in Skull City, AZ. I watched The Devil's Rejects last night and love that movie because it is out there and Bill Moseley is in it. Moseley is in The Graves and brings his craziness to this film. Also, Tony Todd has a role... I loved him in Candyman and also the Final Destination movies. He brings a creepiness to every role I've seen him play. There's always a chance that most of these Horror Fest movies will not be that good, but the few that are good will be really good. Check out the trailer and visit the Horror Fest web site for more information! Looks like good stuff!

THE GRAVES
Written & Directed by Brian Pulido

Synopsis:
On their last weekend together, Megan and Abby Graves are lost in a remote part of the Arizona desert where they are lured to Skull City Mine, an abandoned mine town. But they soon learn Skull City is anything but abandoned — and there’s no way out.

The sisters are now prey, forced to unleash their most primitive instincts in a desperate, all-out battle for survival against unspeakable horrors — both human and supernatural.

Can they unlock the terrifying secrets of Skull City in time to save themselves or will they become the latest in a long line of victims?

Stars:
Clare Grant, Jillian Murray, Bill Moseley, Lamb of God singer D. Randall Blythe and Tony Todd.

www.thegravesmovie.com

http://www.horrorfestonline.com/







Tony "Candyman" Todd






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Dread 2010...

I have always enjoyed the anticipation of The After Dark Horrorfest release. I have seen so many of them and for the most part, many have been very good. The problem has been that several are nothing more than "B" horror. Autopsy, The Butterfly Effect 3: Revelations, From Within, Borderland, The Deaths of Ian Stone, The Abandoned, The Gravedancers, Unrest, and Wicked Little Things, have been some of my favorites over the years. It's a viable series and worth taking note of... whether several are somewhat lame or not. Clive Barker is godlike to me in the horror genre. Hellraiser has my favorite horror charater in Pinhead. I have seen all 8 of the Hellraiser movies and the first 3 were the best. The other 5 were "OK", but not up to the standard of Clive Barker. Pinhead pulls all these movies together, but they should have given him more screen time.

The Books of Blood, by Clive Barker are interesting and highly entertaining. Midnight Meat Train was awesome! After seeing the trailer and reading the synopsis, I am very eager to see this film. Dread is based on our fears and that concept is exciting. Check out the trailer and look for this movie this month!

DREAD
Logline:
Dread, the second in the Book of Blood franchise is a stylish horror/thriller about three college students working on a documentary for school focusing on what others dread in life.

Synopsis:
Red-hot young star Jackson Rathbone, fresh from the smash film TWILIGHT SAGA and the upcoming THE LAST AIRBENDER, stars in the stylish horror/thriller DREAD. Stephen (RATHBONE) and Cheryl (Laura Donnelly, INSATIABLE) are college students making a documentary about what people dread in life. But they have no idea that their partner Quaid (Shaun Evans, BOY A, TELSTAR), witnessed his parents being murdered by an axe-wielding lunatic and wants to make others experience his own personal horror. The three set out to document people revealing their life’s most terrifying moments. But Quaid quickly grows bored with mere interviews and decides to take the study to a much more visceral level, causing all three to become vulnerable as they reveal their fears in front of the camera. Just as Stephen and Cheryl realize they have partnered with a madman, they also find themselves subjects of the hideous experiment they brought to life… learning more about fear and dread than any human mind can stand. Clive Barker, the Godfather of modern horror/fantasy and the creator of the Hellraiser and Candyman Series, produced DREAD. His protégé Anthony DiBlasi, co-producer of the upcoming HELLRAISER and executive producer on BOOK OF BLOOD and MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN, masterfully directs DREAD, the second film in the terrifying BOOK OF BLOOD franchise, with mind-blowing special effects from Artem (TROY, TOMB RAIDER 2). For millions of horror fans worldwide, there will be no greater dread than missing this landmark of terror.

Cast:
Jackson Rathbone, Shaun Evans, Laura Donnelly, Hanne Steen

Director:
Anthony DiBlasi









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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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