Hey, kids! Friend of the Shotgun Terence Muncy let us know that his zombie film, HELL WALKS THE EARTH will be showing again in Indianapolis this week.

Here’s the bullet from Terence himself:

In the small town of Darksyde , Mike Torrance is suffering…
His fiance , Crystal Williams has recently died in an automobile
accident… Just as he begins to believe that he can take the pain
no more, He uncovers a family heirloom that will change this town forever…
Unlocking the secrets of his family’s past

Mike unleashes a vile curse that releases the dead from their
graves and transforms the men and women of Darksyde into
abominations of life….

Show Times and Info:

Warbranch Productions Presents . . .

An Encore presentation of “Hell Walks the Earth”

Thursday, May 1st at Key Cinemas
4044 S. Keystone Ave. at the corner of Keystone and Hanna

Showtimes: 7:30 and 9:30pm
General Admission is $3

Find out about the film at http://warbranchproductions.com and www.myspace.com/wbranch1974

I found out a couple of weeks ago that my first foray into comics, ‘Breakfast’, is going to be reprinted this summer in NEGATIVE BURN #20 from Desperado Publishing.


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For Immediate Release

April 9, 2008

SEAN PATRICK FLANERY JOINS ILLUSTRIOUS CAST OF “BUMP”

Star of “The Boondock Saints” and “Young Indiana Jones” attached in the role of “Brett”

Another casting coup today from producer Scott Licina, who is proud to announce that Sean Patrick Flanery, known to movie goers worldwide for his brilliant work in the cult classic film “The Boondock Saints”, will take on the role of Brett in the adaptation of the hit comic book mini-series, Bump. Mr. Flanery joins the previously announced Ashley Laurence (“Hellraiser”) and Tobin Bell (“Saw”), with special effects master and director Robert Kurtzman at the helm.

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The official release:

For Immediate Release

April 8, 2008

ASHLEY LAURENCE JOINS CAST OF “BUMP”
Star of “Hellraiser” films attached in the role of “Elaine”

Producer Scott Licina announced today that Ashley Laurence, best known to horror audiences worldwide for her work in the fan-favorite “Hellraiser” series of films, will take on the role of Elaine in the adaptation of the acclaimed comic book mini-series, Bump. Ms. Laurence joins the previously announced Tobin Bell (“Saw”), who will also produce. Horror icon Robert Kurtzman will direct.

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THE SCREAM FACTORY IS HERE!!!

Basics here.

MySpace and directions on free comics downloading here.

Dig it.

The year was 1987 and “The Lost Boys” was one of my most favorite movies ever! The flick had high-flying action, scares galore, giggles-a-plenty, sexiness to spare, and not one, but two Corey’s! As a young impressionable teen it was nearly impossible not to love this horror film (remember how cool the main girl was? Her name was Star people! Now that is the very essence of awesome!).

Flash forward to today (21 years later - I am so old!) and a sequel to “The Lost Boys” is just now hitting the streets? And not only a new vamp-filled movie but a comic book too? What took so damn long? It’s not like this movie has aged to become a cultural milestone like Indiana Jones - who arguably is an American Icon and whose new movie is also finally coming out 20 years later. Many of ”The Lost Boys” past radicalness (hair via glam rock band anyone?) is now the very definition of cheesiness.  I fear - more so after seeing the new film’s trailer (see it below) - this blood-thirsty boat has sailed!

The sequel’s biggest offensive (from what I can gather from the trailer); Vampire skateboarders. Yes, please let that sink in a bit…ok, really, Vampire freakin’ Skateboarders? Oh man, gag me with a spoon! How in the world can this even be considered cool today? Sure skateboards are still uber pops and all, but terrifying creatures of the night on a wooden board with four wheels soaring through the air? Not so much. (Plus, isn’t it an occupational hazard for these bad boys to be riding on wooden boards seeing as how the wood of their boards can be used as weapons against them? Not too smart these 2008 vamps.) Quite possibly, in 1987, these X-Game outsiders could have been the ultimate in cool, but today; dorky and goofy is more like it.  

Oh, hell, why am I even raging against this toothy machine? I know I’m just gonna see it opening night, vampy Tony Hawk and all. Hopefully with my expectations set as low as possible I might just find a smidge of enjoyment. Hopefully.

Click here to scope out the happs on the new flick:

http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?id=1583178&vid=215372

What, huh? A remark is being made of the old-timey horror movie “The Wolfman?” Yup, ‘fraid so, and this new version stars non-other than Oscar winning actor Benicio Del Toro.

Whoa! So do we really need this remark? As talented an actor as Del Toro is, and as awesome as this shot looks of him all scary and wolfed-out, I am rather surprised that this is even being made in the first place. Couldn’t we just get some fresh, ultra new, totally hip werewolf movie,? Maybe a spin on the typical werewolf flick? I guess not. This is just what we movie-watchers need I suppose, another retread of an old classic. When will Hollywood ever learn?

Friend of the site Robert Kurtzman posted a rather interesting bulletin via MySpace. For those who don’t know, Robert Kurtzman is the legendary filmmaker known for creating From Dusk Til Dawn (check that story credit) and knocking out the FX for fan-favorites like Evil Dead 2. His film The Rage was the subject of the Beneath the Valley of the Rage comic book that I was the Associate Editor for via Fangoria Comics.

And The Rage is what he decided to talk about today . . .

“The RAGE has been on the Top New Horror releases on Amazon. com for the past several weeks. Available at the great price of 9.99, The RAGE has 3 hours of entertainment value packed into one special addition DVD.

Available in rated and unrated versions.

If you’re a horror fan or drive-in movie freak like me, then make sure you check out the THE RAGE with friends and have a great time hooting and hollering at the screen.

Support Indipendent Filmmaking!”

The Rage is 100% ShotgunReviews approved. Enjoy.

Today I want to run through a few quick-hit reviews of some recent releases that I’ve quite enjoyed.

Aspen Showcase:  Grace #1 (Aspen MLT) Written by Vince Hernandez; Art by Sana Takeda.The Aspen Showcase titles will feature one particular character from Aspen’s various regular titles including Soulfire, Fathom, Shrugged, and their new properties to come. Think of it sort of like those old anthology titles from Marvel Comics like Marvel Spotlight or Marvel Premiere. This first issue feature’s Soulfire’s heroine Grace as she journeys throughout time from the period of the Crusades to the year 2200, looking for a return of the age of magic. Highlighting the issue is simply gorgeous artwork by Sana Takeda with a moderate Manga look. Grade B+

Halloween: Nightdance #2 (Devils Due) Written by Stefan Hutchinson; Art by Tim Seeley. I really love Tim Seeley’s art and have been a fan for some time now. His rendering of Michael Myers is very well done. Michael is cold and almost mythological in this series. Hutchinson is doing a nice job presenting Michael’s driving madness, particularly in the way be painted one victims face like a clown before cutting her throat. But I’m having trouble wrapping myself around the convoluted storyline. The running first-person narrative from multiple characters makes the storyline difficult to follow. This series has enormous potential but needs to pickup up the juice a little bit moving forward. It was a boon for Devil’s Due to nail down the rights and it would be a shame to toss it away. Grade C

Urban Monsters #1 (Image Comics) Written by Will Wilson and Joanne Moore; Art by Tone Rodriguez and Rick Ross. Combine monsters with a good ol’ fashioned buddies on a road trip, and you’ve got Urban Monsters. Monsters are real and live in our world but they are strictly second-class citizens, doing the kind of drudgery work that no one else wants to do. Randy is a fishman, Eddie is a zombie, Arnaud is half man half goat beast, and Bet is a Sasquatch-like creature. When Randy and Arnaud read about an open casting call for monsters in Variety, the four friends hit the road from New York, heading to L.A. for what they hope will be fame and fortune. The buddy road trip plot is usually always fun and toss in monsters and you’ve got yourself an enjoyable first issue. I was surprised by the art as I thought they might go for a more minimal, cartoony look, given the subject matter, but the art was a real strength. I’m definitely looking forward to the rest of the series. Grade A-

This year at MegaCon in Orlando, Florida, 803 Studios releases the second issue of their annual anthology SEQUENTIAL SUICIDE. This year’s anthology, entitled ‘SLOP’, contains fourteen stories from the folks at 803 Studios as well a mixture of new creators seeking to make their mark in the comic book industry–including yours truly.

I created a trailer of sorts last night.

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After Buffy the Vampire Slayer deserted me a few years ago I found myself lost, delirious, and helplessly longing for a show to satisfy my jonesing for scary good monster fun, and the superhuman peeps who fight and kill them. Thank the evil devils below that Supernatural, now in its spooky third season on the CW, existed to comf0rt me and ease me through my Buffy withdrawals.

Although the show has never replaced the humor, pathos, and wonderment of my dear Buffy, it has succeed in being a new, beloved entity all its own; offering gripping, intelligent, fright-filled episodes that never cease to delight and scare the shiz outta me! Much like Buffy, this show never seems to get the press, fan support, or newsworthyness it deserves. The show has as rich and as exciting mythology as Buffy, and it offers loads of human drama that manages to lift the basic premise past its monster of the week format.

Plus, mega hottie alert: the show has twisted “hunters” Dean Winchester, played by the smoldering sexy Jensen Ackles (yummy with a spoon!), and his kid bro Sam, sweet-faced Jared Padalecki, seeking out and saving people from the things that go bump in the night! With only three more episodes left until the writers’ strike is over, say it ain’t so, Supernatural needs to be treasured more than ever! If you haven’t seen an episode yet, totally download them on iTunes, ‘cause sexy evil chasers never go out of style!  

All praises due to Bloody-Disgusting for making me aware of this.

MARVEL ZOMBIES THE MOVIE

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A U.S. spy satellite will be falling out of orbit soon. It may contain hazardous materials.

Does that sound vaguely familiar to anybody?

In the interest of public safety, I now post this oversized document.

The reaction of the Shotgun staff to Cloverfield remains quite positive. Many staffers are also looking forward to the latest Romero living dead opus, Diary of the Dead, which uses the same style of handheld verité camera techniques. Considering the similarity in shooting, we fully expect that a plethora of critics will think that they are clever and refer to the new Romero film as Zombiefield.

That’s why we’re trademarking* the phrase, Zombiefield as it relates to film description! It’s too late, Manohla Dargis! Sorry, Ebert and Roeper! Anytime you want to invoke the phrase Zombiefield as a comparison point, you’re going to have to pay! Present your cash, bitches! Present your cash!!

*Trademark pending clearance of paperwork, and whether we actually feel like paying over $300 just to extend a comedy bit.

Chad Michael Ward’s “Autopsyrotica” was one of the most interesting art books that’s had crossed my desk in a long time.  Darkly haunting, viscerally intimidating, Wards blend of digital photography and art overstepped all boundaries.  Ward is now back with his latest visual indulgence entitled “Devilengine” published by NBM.  The digital art medium has given birth to a new generation of genius artists who create well outside the normal confinements of fantasy art and Ward is among the leaders.  Part horror, part erotica, and part fantasy, his work shuns traditional labels and stands on its own…it just…IS!

Devilengine is 80 pages of decadent, and often unearthly delights that terrify even has they mesmerize the viewer.  The first piece to catch my eye is the demonic “The Unholy Trinity.”  The face of a Catholic priest is photographed with three distinct expressions, each showing another level of savagery, and then morphed together as one giving the subject three perfectly blended faces.

Angels and demons play a central role in Wards art but he puts his own special perspective on them, humanizing them to a degree that often makes them more imposing.  “The Ethernaut” gives us a shining angel which nearly blinds the reader with her shimmering hair and luminescent silver gloves and breastplate.  The book includes art that Ward has done for numerous projects including DVD cover art, gaming book covers, and more.  Ward’s art can probably sucker you into renting even the lowest grade B movie.

The final chapter are untitled pieces of perhaps his darkest, yet most enthralling work.  These include nude photography that is the anti-glamour response to typical art collections.  These women are dangerous and yet powerfully seductive.  The model called Cenopussy is shown spattered in what we will assume is buckets of blood with her fingers down her throat as if she’s gobbling down the last bit of something…or someone…Deviengine may not be for everyone, but for those with a taste for the dark side of things and a truly talented artist, this is one you must not miss.  $18.95 from NBM