Hi Bryan Here…

IGN has the image of the new poster for Marcus Nispel’s “Conan: The Barbarian” remake.  This poster just reeks of BADASS!  It has an epic battle scene, fire, blood, swords, and axes.  I have not seen a hardcore movie poster like this in quite some time.

A couple of decades before Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland made audiences scream and laugh at the sight of zombies eating your flesh and brains, Return of the Living Dead paid tribute to the horror frenzy of Romero Zombie films that came before.   This same year Romero would release his most gruesome film, “Day of the Dead”.  Early on in production, the producers and director wanted to make a film that was sort of a homage to the 1969 classic Night of the Living Dead.  It is a tribute to that old Drive -In Horror movie era.

Now the first time I saw this film was when I was about twelve years ago and my cousin had a copy on VHS.  We sat down and watched it, and my jaw dropped on how crazy this movie was.  We had to turn off the movie ever so often when his parents would come in the room so that they wouldn’t see us watching blood and guts and tits.  All necessary things to have in a horror movie by the way.

Merely chalking Return of the Living Dead as a horror comedy really doesn’t do this justice.  This really is the ultimate 80′s horror film from my youth.  It has some genuinely freaky moments, some over the top gore and a ghoulish sense of humor.  If you’re not laughing at a naked, frozen cadaver sprinting towards a screeching homeless guy or one of the characters discovering that movies lie about how to kill zombies, then surely you’ll chuckle at reanimated corpses chanting “brains” or roll your eyes when another character gives his short soliloquy about his look being a lifestyle.  I mean this movie has it all.  This a must own for anytime of the year.

The Picture Quality

Back in 2007, a big Collector’s edition of this movie was released and the director worked on remastering it.  This seems to be the same transfer on bluray which is a good thing.  It looks clear with the same feel as an 80′s movie.  It is presented in 1080p in 1.85:1.  Facial close-ups are great and the contrast is bright that gives the visibility of objects in the background some depth and clarity.  Some of the black levels are not consistent with the rest of the film but it is barely noticeable.  It is a great release but it would have been nice for a new HD transfer.

The Audio Quality

This release comes with a DTS-HS audio track which is the best out of all previous releases.  But since it was recorded in mono, do not expect somethingAMAZING.   It doesn’t pack a punch that would scare you out of your seat like newer recorded movies would do, but for mono quality, it does the trick.  It brings you back to that nostalgic 80′s era.

The Packaging

This is where my MAJOR gripe comes in.  The cover art for this release is NOT the awesome art that we are all used to.  Instead we get the decayed text in red with a one zombie jumping out at you towards the bottom of the cover.  What was wrong with the zombie punks in the graveyard?  That is an iconic image.  Why didn’t you keep that?  It is overall a very unattractive cover.  They should have kept it original.  The discs main menu is pretty cool though.  It zooms through the graveyard where their are full motion clips on all the tombstones with some instrumental music playing.

Extras

If you own previous editions, then all of those features were transfered to this release.  This is a good thing, because the extras are heavy plenty of them.

Disc One

• Audio Commentaries — Two separate feature-length tracks are ported over from the earlier DVD releases. First up is director Dan O’Bannon and production designer William Stout. Immediately, things are off to a good start, as before introducing themselves O’Bannon is compelled to tell viewers that this film is absolutely based on true facts. Despite being a very scene-specific commentary, both men are talkative and crack jokes at one another as well as about the movie. O’Bannon, of course, spends more time explaining the origins of certain lines and working with the cast, while Stout examines the look and prop design, offering some great anecdotes behind the production. Overall, this is an enjoyable and informative commentary track that’s worth a listen. Our second audio track features Stout once more, and he’s joined by cast members Don Calfa, Linnea Quigley, Brian Peck, Beverly Randolph, and Allan Trautman. Although not as energetic as the previous selection, the group is quite chatty with nary a moment of silence. Everyone offers minor quips about the production and behind-the-scenes stories, from casting to wardrobe. They even throw in a few compliments to the crew and Stout’s work, and there’s also an interesting comment about Ed Gein’s death at around the same time as shooting. We also learn that Quigley’s dancing scene on the set was while Vanity 6′s “Nasty Girls” played in the background. The discussion offers a fun listen with several good tidbits spread throughout and one strange moment of weirdness.
• “The Dead Have Risen” (SD, 21 min) — A short retrospective with cast members sharing their experiences working on the movie. Although it’s mostly a whole lot of praising, there is the occasional comment about the characters and preparation that makes it worth a look.
• “The Decade of Darkness” (SD, 23 min) — Made up mostly of interviews with various filmmakers, including a few funny bits with Elvira, this piece is an awesome look back at the 1980s, a booming decade of some of the wildest and creative horror movies that has yet to be matched.
• “Designing the Dead” (SD, 14 min) — Director Dan O’Bannon talks about how he came to work in the film industry and how the script for this movie landed on his lap. Along with William Stout providing a historical setting, O’Bannon also shares his reasons for changing the original concept into a comedy.
• Trailers (SD) — Two theatrical previews are offered here: a green band version dubbed the “Bloody Version” and the red band called “Even Bloodier Version.”
• Zombie Subtitle Stream — This is much like a separate subtitle track for when zombies scream. And all we see is the words “aaarrrgghh!!” every once in a while on the screen. It’s nothing wholly exciting.
• In Their Own Words: The Zombies Speak — This is a pretty weak attempt at comedy, pretending like zombies are making random comments at the movie.

Disc Two

• DVD — A standard definition copy of the film is also included in the package with the same assortment of special features.

Overall, I think this is a solid release, but I do not think it will be the last one.  I do like the fact that you get the DVD and Bluray with this purchase.  The audio is the best you will have so far with this release and the picture is solid.  This is truly a gem of a film and a must own for any horror fans.

Make the purchase by clicking the link/picture below in time for Halloween.

Adam Green is one talented young filmmaker.  He caught my eye with his 1st film, “Hatchet”.  Then I kept hearing about this movie called “Frozen”.  I did not initially know what it was about, then I heard through some sources that it was about three college kids who get stuck high up on a ski lift.

After hearing this, I thought, that’s not that bad, they could survive a night.  How could you make an interesting movie about that?

Well Adam Green did and he made one hell of a fun and tense movie.

It begs the question, what would you do in a terrible situation to stay alive?

So I’m going to flat out say it…these three main characters are in Frozen are STUPID.  It is their own fault they are stuck up there and the decisions they make are ridiculous, but without these stupid decisions, we would not have a FUN film.  So keep that in mind while watching the film.  And you know that there are a lot of dumb people in this world that will do the insanely stupid shit these kids do.  That said, I find this film fairly realistic and a hell of a lot of fun.

This is one of those films that is so full of suspense that you might actually sweat and that whoever you watch it with will spend the entire time during the movie and after telling you what they would have done in that situation.

I personally think that this would be cool as hell as a stage play.  Like a one setting type of scenario of survival.  Would be AWESOME.

This is a film to watch with a big audience.  So get your friends over and pop this into your player and take joy in all the screams and people gripping each other, because it WILL happen.

The movie is scary, vicious, tense, and so much fun to watch with people to see them EEEK and claw at you in horror.

Pick this up below.

The Movie: The epic legendary film that spawned Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness and gave the world Bruce “Man-God” Campbell.  Riddled with humor, genuine scary moments, and buckets upon buckets of blood and gore bring you this amazing achievement in movie making.  This marks the directorial debut of Sam Raimi.  Known to most as the director of the Spider-Man movies.

This movie was made on a budget that would equal the coffee supply on a James Cameron movie for one day.  It was made with friends and family over the matter of twelve weeks and sometimes only having a crew of five people and that was including actors.  Sam’s creative use of the camera and genuine talent for terror blasted this film to cult status quickly.

The story you have seen and heard a million times before.  Group of college kids got to a remote cabin in the woods for a weekend for some fun and romance and they unearth a horrible EVIL that possesses the living into flesh eating cannibals who can fly.  The only way to kill one of these undead people is by total dismemberment.

Our hero of the movie is not your typical hero.  He is a man played by Bruce Campbell named Ashley Williams who works at S-Mart in the housewares section.  Just a regular guy who basically gets tortured throughout the movie.

Bruce Campbell and his chin are fantastic throughout this film and the two that followed.  He brings his charm and one liners that have stood the test of time and will continue to do so.

Evil Dead deserves the most consideration and adoration.  Not only because it was made by friends on a cheap budget, but for how creative everyone was with what they had and how it is a genuine awesome film in every way and still continues to be one of the scariest films and goriest films of all time.

The Packaging: Brought to you by Anchor Bay in this Limited Edition bluray/dvd 2-disc set, the bluray is on BD50 and the second disc has all of the special features.  Once at the great full motion menu screen you can choose between two aspect ratios.  1.33:1 and 1.85:1.  One is enhanced and one is not.  The enhanced one, well, enhances the original copy so it is not so shaky.  But you know the shakiness of it all makes it that much better.

The Picture and Sound: This is by far the best copy of this movie I have ever seen and heard and believe me there has been tons of releases of this movie.  The blacks are incredibly deep and accurate and shadows are better than expected.  There is still grain but by no means does it take away from the picture itself and it adds to the gritty cinematic experience.  There is excellent saturation in color throughout the film and this is a prime example of how HD transfers should be.  I’m speaking to you “Asshole” George Lucas.  The vocals are beautifully precise and clear and never overwhelmed by stinging loud pops or action scenes.  The off screen atmospheric sounds are astounding and gives the film it’s frightening presence.  For fans of this film, this truly is the ultimate edition to own.  Again, it has never sounded or looked this great.

The Extras: Anchor Bay releases a 2nd disc of features that could be found on all the previous discs before.  Sad I know, but this tells me that this is not the final all Ultimate Edition of Evil Dead we will see.  Quite a bit of fun in these extras.

The only thing new on here is on the blu ray disc which has new commentary with Bruce Campbell, Sam Raimi, and Rob Tapert which is exclusive to this bluray release.  Now if you have not heard Bruce Campbell commentary before, his commentaries on movies are legendary.  They are roll on the floor laugh out loud funny.  It is a highly informative track that covers funny anecdotes and the horrors of making this film over four years.  I will say this is not the funniest commentary I have heard for it, but it is worth it.

A 54 minute documentary of interviews of some of the cast and other filmmakers of the horror genre weigh in on their love for the movie.  It is called “One by One We Will Take You: The Untold Saga of The Evil Dead”.  You will see some very cool behind the scenes acting and flubs, the history of making the movie, and the reaction to the movie upon release.

Next is “The Evil Dead: Treasures from the Cutting Room Floor” which is an hour long of deleted scenes and alternate takes which some I have never seen before.  some really cool gory stuff in here.  A must watch.

Then onto “The Ladies of the Dead Meet Bruce Campbell” which is where Bruce sits down with the three ladies of the film in present time and discuss the making of the movie.  Tons of hilarious anecdotes and confessions are made here.  Very entertaining. This runs about 30 minutes.

Next is “Discovering The Evil Dead” which is a cool feature that tells in 13 minutes how this movie made history and went on to success.

Next up is the 20 minute “Unconventional” which has the stars joined by Rob Tapert and Ted Raimi now and shows them discussing their insights and careers in the horror genre.  Really great watch.

The 12 minute “At the Drive-In” extra shows the entire cast at an outdoor screening of Evil Dead in Chicago giving away dvds to fans who answer trivia.  Pretty funny.

This 30 minute “Reunion Panel” is an extension of the previous extra which is basically a Q&A session.  Great great stuff here.

This short two minute feature entitled “The Book of the Dead: The Other Pages” shows Ash looking through the entire book and seeing every page.  Really creepy and cool artwork you have never seen.

An even shorter 1 minute make up test is shown.

Trailers of the film.

This is a must own for any fan of the horror genre or Bruce Campbell fan.  This bluray looks tip top and I am looking forward to showing friends this after midnight.

So I finally got to take a look at the horror movie “Trick ‘r Treat” and if you know me, then you know I am a cinephile.  Meaning I will see pretty much everything and also that I have a large affection for everything HORROR.  Over the last several years, it has been difficult for me to thoroughly enjoy a great horror film.  There are only a few exceptions.  I do not know if it is my childhood love for Halloween or my extreme passion for everything Horror, but this movie “Trick ‘r Treat” is the best Horror film to come out in years.  Now that is something to take notice of coming from me.

I really didn’t know anything going into this film other than it was a horror film about Halloween and that it followed several story lines and all connected at some point during the movie.  Kinda like “Pulp Fiction”.  I was hoping for genuine scares, comedic moments, blood, excellent death scenes, and even more blood.  I can safely say, that I received all of that plus more.

Trick ‘r Treat is basically a throwback to old Halloween Horror films and the traditions and holiday rules we all have grown to know.  It covers it all in this movie.  It connects several stories through out the movie through a very creepy little villain who is not named, but wears a scarecrow mask.  This little villain is so frightening that he will instantly haunt you for years to come.

We follow a group of spunky college girls, a psychotic principal, a horrific school bus  accident, a mean spirited child prank, a newly wed couple, and an old man’s strange intruder all with one directive.  Do not break the rules of Halloween.

This has quite a spectacular cast.  Brian Cox and Anna Paquin lend their talents to this film as well as several others you will recognize here and there.  The actors really helped this movie take it to the next level.

I cannot believe this film was not given its due date.  Only released straight to home video, this movie should have had a better marketing team and gotten into every theatre at the Halloween time.

I really have nothing to complain about in this movie.  It was everything I wanted in a horror movie.  This film will be a staple of horror film marathons and played round the clock come Halloween time.

See this movie as soon as you can and let me know what you thought of it.  I loved talking about his movie after I watched it.  Every single detail about it.  It was a hell of a lot of fun.

Buy the movie HERE.

George Romero has given us some of the best, if not the best films in the zombie genre.  Hell, he invented the genre.  He has given us “Night of the Living Dead” , “Dawn of the Dead” (my personal favorite), and ” Day of the Dead”.  Some twenty years later the man returned to the zombie genre and gave us “Land of the Dead” which was good on its best day.  Then he gave us the Blair Witch/Cloverfield inspired “Diary of the Dead” which I thought was fantastic.  A true return to his political and class statements on society as he did with the earlier films of his career.

Now with “Survival of the Dead” we get a new look into the world of Romero’s zombie  universe.

Now I have been hearing quite a bit about this while it was being made, and sadly it did not get a theatrical release but maybe a handful of theatres across the states.  But non the less I was looking forward to seeing it.  If anything, Romero still finds the most creative and brutal ways to kill zombies so I would most likely get lucky and have a few cool blood spattered death scenes.

From most of the reviews of this I have read, it seems that most people down right hate this latest installment and they feel that Romero has lost it as a filmmaker and they wonder if he ever even had it.  I whole heartedly disagree.  I think his latest film “Survival of the Dead” is quite good.  Not his best, but still quite good and a great addition to the evolution of the zombie franchise.

This film takes place a little while after “Diary of the Dead” took place and takes one of the smaller characters from that movie, in this case military personnel, and follows their journey through the world zombie infested lands.

Meanwhile, there is an island not too far from the New England coast where people live with very few flesh eaters still roaming around.  On this island are two families that have lived on this island for quite sometime, even before the zombie outbreak.  It sort of plays out like a Romeo and Juliet type of scenario where these two prosperous families hate each other for their disagreements on what to do with the zombies.  One side wants to completely eradicate and kill every zombie whereas the other side wants to use the zombies for chores and slaves and keep them around and see if they can find a cure or to see if they can get the zombies to start eating animals instead of humans.  Personally, I think that is a pretty good story line set up and that it takes the “Dead” franchise into another evolution of what might happen if faced with these circumstances.

So the leader of the family that wants to eradicate all zombies is exiled to the mainland and a few of his cronies follow him there.  This is where the military personnel meet with him and they both decide to hitch a ride back to the island now packed with soldiers and weapons to gain control back of the island.

As you may be wondering, more zombies attack when let loose and quite a few deaths ensue, but not only from zombie attacks but from stubborn humans killing other humans which is a sad tale but also a true one.

As this film ends we are left with quite an amazing picture as to what is in store next for the evolution of zombies and how the rest of the human population will deal with it.

The death scenes are a plenty with  some great gore effects.  Sadly, Romero has not hired Tom Savini to do actual makeup for most of the gore, instead we get CGI gore which I hate, because it always looks ridiculous and stupid.  But, when people get ripped apart and their guts spill, it is all real make up and gore which put a smile on my face.

In all i thought this was a solid add to the franchise and look forward to whatever sequels Romero tends to make and to see his social commentary on society put into his work.  Kudos to you Romero.

In addition, you will get an AWESOME intro to the movie by Romero himself with zombies in the background working on the movie set and destroying things and when the zombies destroy things and interrupts Romero, he gets his sweet sweet revenge.  It is really funny.

Buy the movie HERE.