Zombos' Closet of Horror Blog

It's Not Halloween Yet But It Will Do Anyway 2nd Halloween Contest!

No Trick or Treat? Still tap those feet! It's time again for some really good treats!

Sure, it's not Halloween yet. No whiffs of candy corn, scent of creepy rubber masks, or sting of moonlit, chalk-filled, sock fights; instead, it is hot, steamy and sneezy, and too long a time, and depressing a wait, until the coolness of Autumn whips across your face again. So to get you out of the I-can't-wait-until-Fall doldrums, let's have a It's Not Halloween Yet But It Will Do Anyway Halloween Contest!

But what's the price? You must play a game. First, you must correctly answer the following devilishly difficult questions to win one of three splendidly horrifying prizes. Second, you must email those answers to me, whereupon I will place your name in the Skull o'Chance and perform the voodoo ritual of whatgotcha by the bright light of the morning sun. If the crow caws once, twice, or thrice, as I call your name out loud, so shall you win accordingly.

But is it worth it? Judge for yourself. I promise to make it worth your while. But you must do it quickly or live in regret for the rest of your life.

But beware, you have until July 29th, and you must be over 18 to enter, or else! Winners will be announced August 1st.

FIRST PRIZE -- Zombies, Gore, and More

• Tokyo Gore Police DVD
• Zombie Diaries DVD
• Experiments in Terror 3 DVD
• The Living Dead DVD (9 movies, 3 discs)
• Flight of the Living Dead DVD
• Slither DVD

SECOND PRIZE -- Superheroes and Adventurers (courtesy of Universal Studios!)

• The Incredible Hulk (Edward Norton version) DVD
• The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (Deluxe Edition)DVD
• Flash Gordon (Saviour of the Universe Edition) DVD

THIRD PRIZE -- Big Hairy Ape

• King Kong: Peter Jackson's Production Diaries DVD set
• King Kong (1933) 2-Disc Collector's Edition in Tin DVD set

Here are the questions:

1. Who said "A boy's best friend is his mother?"
2. In which film is the line "You're gonna need a bigger boat" heard in?
3. In which film is the line "You're telling me that I should take my daughter to a witch doctor? Is that it?" heard in?
4. In which film is the line "I've seen enough horror movies to know any weirdo wearing a mask is never friendly" heard in?

Night of the Living Dead Reanimated Poster

Art is dead... yeah, it's all messed up...

"Wild Eye Releasing is pleased to announce the release of the first TEASER POSTER art for the upcoming video art gallery experience Night of the Living Dead: REANIMATED in anticipation of the project's official DVD release in Winter 2009.

"Organizer/Curator of the project, Mike Schneider, designed the poster as a small glimpse into the dozens of styles on display in the project, which features over 100 artists from around the world. Working from the same source, George Romeros’ original Night of the Living Dead, each artist has taken scenes and 'reanimated' them through processes ranging from CGI to puppetry and oil paintings to tattoos. This creates a new viewing experience of a timeless classic."

OFFICIAL WEBSITE
http://www.notldr.com

Classic Horror's Ten Years and Counting

Nate Yapp over at Classic Horror is celebrating ten years of mayhem, terror, and sleaze with a new site design and more...

"Here we are, ten crazy years after a naïve sixteen-year-old started the website that would eventually become Classic-Horror.com. Back then, I just wanted a corner of the Internet to express my half-formed opinions on the genre that I loved. I had no idea that it would still be here ten years later or that it would take me to all the places it has taken me. I have no interest in rehashing the past decade, though. I would like to say that I am deeply grateful to the friends, family, writers, and readers who have helped make Classic-Horror what it is today.

"Over the next few weeks, we'll be running a few special features to celebrate this momentous occasion. However, the first thing you've probably already noticed is that we've changed our look. I wanted to give Classic-Horror.com a touch more visual pizazz, ensure the organization of the site was intuitive, and make the site overall easier to use and enjoy. I think I've succeeded."

Indeed. Happy Birthday Classic Horror!

Monster Mutt Shoots This July

Hollywood maven Scott Essman sends along this information on the upcoming Monster Mutt...

Writer-director Todd Tucker is slated to direct Monster Mutt, a family comedy following the exploits of a family dog, Max. Starring Brian Stepanek, Rhianna Leigh Wryn and Zack Ward, chaos ensues after an evil corporation tests their new energy drink on the lovable dog, which quickly begins transforming into the Monster Mutt. Harvey Lowry will produce as Green Pictures’ third film. Production will begin shooting in July in association with Seth William Meier’s Burnside Entertainment. Tucker and Lowry’s combined efforts of Academy Award-winning Drac Studios (Watchmen, Night at the Museum; Battle of the Smithsonian, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) will be providing all special effects.

Casting has begun with industry veteran Mary Jo Slater. The script was written by Timothy Dolan based on a story by Todd Tucker. The director of photography is Yaron Levy who shot Night of the Demons last year with Harvey Lowry and the Drac Studios team.

Raimi Returns to the Dead

By Scott Essman

Sam Raimi's career is nothing if not wildly dichotomous. The cult Michigan director started in the late 1970s with his underground classic short Within the Woods which led to his first feature, Evil Dead, in 1981. That film was renowned for its unrelenting violence, fast cutting, shaky camera, and no-holds-barred approach to horror. Coming after groundbreakers in low-budget slashers such as Halloween and Friday the 13th, Evil Dead went further with a slightly campier comic eye towards the genre.

Raimi's long-awaited sequel, released six years later, Evil Dead II, had more money and effects work to its name but held onto the same traditions as its predecessor, taking many of the advents of that film to a different higher level of cult comic-horror genius. Then, somehow, Raimi lost his way. Darkman, his attempt at creating an original horror hero in the vein of The Phantom of the Opera, sputtered in its methods, as did a third "dead" film, Army of Darkness, once called Medieval Dead, which lost the edge of the first two Bruce Campbell starrers.

New Wedding for the Monster's Bride

Yeah, I'd scream, too. Risky Biz Blog has a rundown on the--horrors!--remake of the Bride of Frankenstein.

“Bride” has had a series of stops and starts. About five years ago, “American Splendor” scribes Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini were attached to write the screenplay for the Uni/Imagine update. Their concept was to set the picture in contemporary New York, with a young woman dying and then unnaturally brought back to life (Burger’s version is expected to differ significantly from that concept). Jacob Estes, a writer on Spider-Man spinoff “Venom,” also at one point had been attached to write a draft.

Light a torch and storm over to Risky Biz Blog to read more...and be afraid; be very afraid!

Vampire Con 2009 Vamp It Up

Okay, stop looking at her...teeth...and pay attention to this press release. Vampire Con 2009 is winging its way to you August 14-16 in Hollywood...to get your blood boiling.

Vampire-Con 2009, the world’s first convention devoted to everything vampire, has announced its lineup of panel discussions and guests for Sunday, August 16th. The convention swoops into Hollywood, CA for a weekend-long event beginning Friday, August 14th.

Why We Love Vampires: A Brief History of the Undead is a discussion about our recurring cultural obsession with vampires between moderator Steve Biodrowski, editor of Hollywood Gothique and a panel featuring Leslie S. Klinger, editor of The New Annotated Dracula and David J. Skal, author of V Is For Vampire and Draculas, Vampires, And Other Undead Forms.

Things get steamy with Hot Blooded: Vampires & Sexuality, a titillating panel on the allure and sexuality of vampires, discussed by Pam Keesey (author of Dark Angels: Lesbian Vampire Erotica and Daughters Of Darkness: Lesbian Vampire Tales) and
Brian Nolan, David Moretti, Dylan Vox and Peter Stickles from the cast of The Lair, a hot new horror-drama on Here TV about a private gay club run by vampires.

More details about additional panel discussions and guests will be released as available. “Our selection of panel guests and moderators reflects Vampire-Con’s goal to include everyone who has an interest in vampires,” says co-producer Lotti Pharriss Knowles. “This is a subject that has the attention of everyone from literary scholars to pop-culture junkies, and there is something at Vampire-Con for everyone who falls within this spectrum.”

The panel discussions will be held on Sunday, August 16th at The Music Box Theatre @ Fonda in Hollywood, where guests will find their inner-vampire on two floors of vendors, SFX make-up demonstrations and contests. The evening will transition into Vampirella’s ® Ball, a heart-pounding 21 & over danse macabre.

From Dracula to Twilight, Vampires have provided an ageless mythology that taps into our cultural pulse. As new generations become fans, Vampire-Con celebrates these scary and sexy creatures that capture our collective imagination.

For more information, visit www.vampire-con.com.

Thrillerfest 2009 In NYC July 8-11

It's a thriller! Here's the official press release...

THRILLERFEST 2009 BRINGS MASTERS OF THRILLS, CHILLS, MURDER AND MAYHEM TO THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS

Literature’s most thrilling artists hit New York City's Grand Hyatt. The city’s dark alleys will get even darker when the most spine-tingling and pulse-pounding event of the year for fiction’s most popular genre returns to the Big Apple.

ThrillerFest 2009 promises to be the biggest yet with over 200 of the best-loved and bestselling authors invading The Grand Hyatt in New York City from July 8-11 for a four-day extravaganza to mix and mingle with fellow shock-smiths, budding writers and fans.

Now in its fourth year, ThrillerFest is the brainchild of International Thriller Writers, Inc (ITW).

One of the highlights of the event is the coveted ThrillerMaster Award, recognizing outstanding contribution to the thriller genre. This year’s winner is noted author David Morrell, widely considered the “father” of the contemporary action novel with his 1974 debut First Blood (which introduced the character of Rambo to the world). The award celebrates Morrell’s amazing career, spanning 37 years and 28 novels published in dozens of languages across the globe. "He's the finest thriller writer working today," says Steve Berry, one of ITW's current co-presidents. "Every one of us owes him a debt of gratitude and many, myself included, learned how to craft a novel from studying his work. He is, quite simply, the best."

The prestigious Silver Bullet Award, recognizing outstanding achievement in the encouragement of literacy and the love of reading, will be presented to the #1 New York Times bestselling suspense novelist Brad Meltzer (The Book of Fate). Recipients are chosen on an annual basis representing the corporate, literary and entertainment worlds with past winners including authors David Baldacci and R.L. Stine, publisher Tom Doherty, actor Tony Plana (Ugly Betty), the Nestle Company, Capital One and Macy's.

The Burrowers (2008) Not Deep Enough

ZC Rating 3 of 7: Good

It came to this: a setting sun lingering at the warm edge of night, watched from three rocking chairs indecisively teetering back and forth on their compass tips, saddled by three bored and restless riders of the stiff slatted pines.

In between a dot and a dash rode Zombos, Lawn Gisland, and me, to nowhere in particular as we traded silences and hiccups on the terrace. The footfalls of summer could be heard bounding up the steps, bringing with them the sizzle of barbecues, giggly splashes from pools, and monotonous drone of air conditioners humming through hot, molasses-sticky, nights where forgotten candy bars melt in jean pockets, mosquitoes dance to the crackling of ice cubes in sweaty glasses of lemonade and iced tea and soda, and texting fingers Keystone Copp their slippery grasp on warm cell phones.

"I am not looking forward to estivating by the seashore or anywhere near a barbecue," said Zombos, absently swirling the iced tea around in his glass.

"Mind chewing on that a bit more for me?" asked Lawn Gisland, lazily swatting a fly off the pitiado floral rose on his right boot. He yawned larger than a barn door opens and stretched his long legs out in front of him. Former movie cowboy and now traveling circus rodeo star, he was never one for estivating in all his long ranging years.

"Pass the summer," explained Zombos. "Estivate means to pass the summer."

We stared off into the waters of Long Island Sound as it grew dark. Zimba brought us another round of iced tea. Lawn took the half-lemon, cut just for him, and squeezed it between his massive fingers. We often joked that if he wanted so much lemon in his iced tea he should be drinking lemonade.

"Oh, I almost forgot, this came today," said Zimba. She held up The Burrowers DVD.

I jumped up faster than Zombos. "Last one in is a really bad egg!" I said, snatching the DVD.

Zombos and Lawn quickly followed me as we hurried to watch this Western horror tale.

 

Lurking monsters spoil the tranquil Western Plains in J.T. Petty's The Burrowers; an almost refreshing mix of creature-feature, saddle-sores, and the American Old West. I say almost because, while Petty mines the bitter social climate between Indian and settler after the Trail of Tears and the demise of the bison--a once plentiful food source for both Indians and, more importantly, those monsters--he does not dig deep enough into his characters nor embellish their actions to make this the definitive terror on the range Wild West story.

Homesteaders are massacred during the night. A search party is quickly formed to go after the Indians who everyone assumes butchered the men and kidnapped the womenfolk. While you may be tempted to draw comparisons to John Ford's The Searchers, that would be a bad trail to follow. Ford composed an emotionally-charged journey that eventually forces one man to confront his prejudicial demons, and filmed it against sumptuous vistas of sky and land where the deer and the antelope play. While Petty uses his budget-lens quite well to show the desolation across vast distances and makes his assembled posse just as calloused, with similar prejudices, its riders and their intentions pale in comparison. No one worth a tinker's damn stands out from the tumbling tumbleweed to take the bull by the horns or, in this case, the ugly as a mud fence Burrowers by their withers in his video game deep direction.

Jonathan Maberry On Vampire Hunters and Other Things

It is always a pleasure to speak with Jonathan Maberry, one of the hardest working authors on the scene today. He stopped by the closet recently to discuss comic book writing and his other projects...and pay close attention to that brief mention about a novelization in the works for an upcoming movie. It's something to howl with delight about...

 

I was all set with a bunch of questions regarding your Marvel Comics scripting, but you've answered them already. There is one thing I'm curious about: how did you handle the panel by panel flow of the comic story, and how detailed were your scripts for the artist?

In the gap between Marvel reaching out to ask me if I wanted to write for them (world’s dumbest question) and getting my first assignment, I read a boatload of comics and studied the modern form. Comics have evolved since the days when I first read them. I took a few and practiced writing the scripts for them. Kind of a retro-engineering approach. Then Marvel sent me some sample scripts. Turns out I was pretty close to the mark.

But there’s more to it than that, of course. Like anything there are tricks to the trade that the most experienced comic book writers know. Guys like Garth Ennis, Steve Niles and Alan Moore make it look effortless, but there’s a lot that goes into it.

It’s also a team process. The writer pitches a story to the editor, who usually makes a few changes to more smoothly fit it into the long-range plans for that title and to work it into the overall continuity of Marvel. Then the writer hands in a beat sheet that outlines the story based on where the story points will fall on the pages. When that’s approved, the writer does the script. My first story was a 32-page special (Punisher: Naked Kill), my second was an 8-page Wolverine short (Ghosts, the back-up feature in Wolverine: The Anniversary).

The writer decides on the number of panels per page and gives the artist an idea of what should be in the panels. That sounds simple, but it isn’t. For some panels you can be very simple, like:

Tight on Black Panther as she reacts.

Some panels require much more direction, like:

Inside Deadalus Tower MICKEY FANE is introducing the place to some prospective customers. He’s tall, handsome in an oily way. A Tony Stark on the Dark side of the Force. Nicely dressed, big smile, rings, expensive watch. He’s center stage talking to two Middle Eastern-looking men in dark suits. Behind him we see Frank and Dirtbox coming through the revolving door. The lobby of Deadalus Tower is polished marble, brass, huge windows. Lots of people, a security desk with guards.