the thing (1982) - john carpenter's storyboards

John Carpenter's movie 'The Thing', freaked me out years ago (and still does to a degree), when the (spoiler alert!!!) exploded head turns into a spider like creature.
Above are some of the storyboards from that sequence, and the complete set can be found at my comic blog (here), or at the main site of The Thing, along with many other of the movie's storyboards.

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american horror story - freak show

I'm loving the new series of 'American Horror Story - Freak Show' at the moment, it's been at turns, funny, scary, strange and clever, and l also think that it was a great idea to add contemporary songs into the mix,as well as having Elsa Mars dress as Bowie.
Two are featured above.  David Bowie's 'Life on Mars' and Fiona Apple's 'Criminal' (with the original videos as well).
As for the evil 'Twisty the Clown' earlier on (played by John Carrol Lynch) - he was one of the best characters l have ever seen on TV, and it was superb the way the viewers were made to feel sympathy towards him at the end, despite all the nasty and horrible things that he had done. That was an inspired piece of acting and writing.
The full list of all the music played in the series can be found here, and l am certainly going to miss the show once the series has ended.

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penguin horror books re-imagined

These Penguin books are a collaboration between art director Paul Buckley, and the film director Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth amongst others). They look so good that they make me want to go and buy them again (which l suppose is the point).

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the new evil dead film

I'm looking forward to this film a lot, and the new poster is certainly building my hopes up.  The new 'Evil Dead' - Out next year.

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colour footage of boris karloff as frankenstein's monster

Here's something you don't get to see every day.  It's colour footage of Boris Karloff's portrayal of the monster for the Son of Frankenstein 1939 film. The green make up is so it shoots better in black and white (I think).  Good to see Boris horsing around in the outfit.

zombie audrey hepburn

I know Halloween has passed and l have already posted a great 'Venom' make up photograph, but this Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffany's costume and make up by Kiana Jones deserves to be seen.  That is what l call taking it seriously.
More about it can be found here.

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the shining - original photograph

Everybody must have seen 'The Shining' by now.  It's a stone cold classic of the horror / psychological movie genre.  Contained within it is a touched up 1921 photograph featuring (supposedly) Jack Torrence (Jack Nicholson) at the Overland Hotel.  The top photograph reinstates the man who was replaced (name unknown). Good work by whoever did it.

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ellen ripley - believe it or not

This silicone sculpture looks amazingly life like, and just a little bit spooky.  It's of Ellen Ripley from the Alien films (Sigourney Weaver) and it is by Steven Scott (who's Facebook page is here).   Some people are just so talented it is sickening (or at least sickening to me).  Bastard!

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the new evil dead trailer

I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooo looking forward to this film.  Evil Dead is one of my favourite films, even if the effects are rubbish and it has really dated.  I just hope the new version isn't a let down (or there will be trouble!)

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venom halloween make up

Venom is one of the best comic creation of the last few years, and this makeup featuring the Venom face looks pretty good and would be ideal for Halloween.  You'll just have to hope it doesn't become part of you and unable to get off afterwards.

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countess dracula (1971) - peter sasdy

Countess Dracula is based on the real life exploits of Countess Elizabeth Bathory, and stars Ingrid Pitt as a woman who tries to remain young by bathing in murdered young girls blood.  She then discovers they have to be virgins, and is helped in her gruesome task until it all goes wrong at her wedding.
Was it made by Hammer?  Check
Are there buxom wenches?  Check
Are there scared peasants?  Check
Dramatic castle?  Check
Horse drawn carriages?  Check
Are there topless scenes? Check
Are there killings?  Check
True (ish) story?  Check
Dramatic acting?  Check
Any good?
Nope - not at all, even if Ingrid does go topless, it's not worth watching.  Certainly not one of the better Hammer films, and she's not even a vampire. Just skip through to the saucy bits if you are that bothered, but you'd have to be desperate, like when l was 14 or 15. Not because of what Ingrid looks like - she was always proud about showing off her body.
Hence this publicity shot from The Vampire Lovers - a much better film (if you are 14 or 15)

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wake wood (david keating - 2011) and the woman in black (james whatkins - 2012)

HAMMER TIME!!
I don't usually watch that much horror, although l used to be a big fan when l was a nipper, buying Monster magazine, making models of Dracula etc and trying to catch all the Hammer House of Horror movies (with varying results).  The old films were great, lots of over the top and sometimes camp acting, and with copious amounts of blood and gore (plus bare boobs).  These two films are both recent Hammer efforts, and both of them had their moments, but to me at least, The Woman In Black was much superior (even without the boobs).

Wake Wood has a young girl being attacked by a dog and dying from her injuries. The parents move to a small village, and then discover a way to bring her back from the dead for three days only, so they can 'say their goodbyes', as long as she hasn't been dead for longer than a year.  Go on - you know what's going to happen don't you?  Of course they lie because her death occured just over a year before, so there are naturally consequences because of this.  It had homages to 'Death in Venice', and some decent moments, but it wasn't scary in the least.

However......

The Woman In Black featured Harry Potter himself (Daniel Radcliffe) as Arthur Kipps, heading to another small village in search of documents regarding an old estate and will.  He is made to feel not welcome, but carries on with his job, heading to the remote house on a deserted island.  Children have been dying in mysterious circumstances, and he starts to hear (and investigate) strange noises, sightings, and general disturbances in and out of the home.  There are some good jumpy moments, and although the film had many classic horror moments, meaning you (OK, me) could forecast some of the shocks and plot developments, it was still done in a good way and, especially when contrasted with Wake Wood, was one of the better recent horror movies l have seen.  Screenplay was by Jane Goldman (Jonathan Ross' wife), and much as l am against nepotism and jobs for boys (or girls) due to fame and connections (a pop column at 16 for example), she must be praised for doing a sterling job.  As for Radcliffe, he was mostly silent and looking scared (yet brave), and it was difficult to tell what kind of performance l was witness to, but overall, l would say adequate, but nothing special.

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the broken (2008) - sean ellis

A horror movie where doppelgängers come out of a broken mirror and try to kill off the original people, The Broken wasn't scary or interesting enough for me, and the story seemed too stylised and could have done with some more gore (or maybe that was just me).
It featured the father from 'Six Feet Under' (Richard Jenkins), and had Lena Headey as Gina McVey (a 'beautiful' radiologist), who tries to put the missing pieces of her life together after a car crash (what a metaphor) and work out what has been happening to herself and her family (but with a twist at the end).
Not that impressed really.

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