Horror - Colin Firth - Vampire?

It would appear Colin Firth is to don the fangs to star alongside Nicole Kidman, in Stoker currently in production.
It concerns a young girl, who has recently lost her father, whose mysterious and sinister uncle turns up at the house.  The screenplay was on 2010's Black List of best unproduced scripts.

For some reason, I really want to hate this - Firth and Kidmann, it could be a proper luvvie fest - but it's directed by Oldboy's Chan Wook Park who made the excellent vampire flick Thirst, so it could be very good indeed.

Horror - Wake Wood

In cinemas 25th March, Wake Wood is the latest entry from the newly ressurected Hammer studios.


Starring Aidan Gillen from The Wire and one of my favorite actors, Timothy Spall this looks quite interesting.  Gillen and his wife, grieving over the death of their daughter, move to a remote village where the locals practise Pagan rituals.  The leader, Spall, says he can bring their daughter back from the dead for three days only.  But what will happen when their time is up?
I'll be looking out for this one.

Horror - Legion

Change of plan, I was going to watch I Saw The Devil but ended up watching Legion instead.
Wish I had stuck with original plan to be honest.

Legion starts off fairly slowly and slows down cosiderably after that.  To say that Legion suffers from pacing problems would be like saying A Serbian Film suffers with child protection issues.
The plot centres around Michael, Paul Bettany, a fallen angel sent to protect an unborn child who (obviously) is humanity's last hope for redemption.  God has had quite enough of us miserable sinners, and had sent down an apocolypse to sort us right out! 
With Dennis Quaid as a drunk-who'll-turn-good-in-the-end, a stereotypical yuppie couple, and a token black gang banger character, this film is not shy in shallow charcter development.  There is so much charcter development in fact, that the film drags on between set-pieces interminably.
I'm not a philistine, I expect at the very least some talking in a film.  Dialogue could be considered quite important in driving the plot along.  But when an action sequence is followed by twenty minutes of talking, another three minutes of effects driven action and then another fifteen minutes of slow paced chatting I began to get a little bored.
The action scenes are quite enjoyable with possesed mortals with shark like eyes and teeth scuttling around on the ceiling, foul-mouthed grannies and demonic children, this certainly had it's moments, but unfortunately I found the flagging exposition not to my disposition.

Horror - I Saw The Devil

I'm watching this Korean serial killer movie later...


Looks good, I'll let you know how it performed.

BTW, if any of you haven't voted for me here then why the Hell not?  You bring the House of Cyclops much shame!
Sorry, been watching too many Japanese Yakuza flicks lately. 

あまりにも多くの暴力団

Horror - Name That Film Take 13

Here's this weeks selection of flicks to keep you guessing.  As always, there's nothing here to cause you too much consternation.
Easy...

(That should've been 'Really really easy!)

Medium...

And Hard...

Simple enough, eh?

Horror - Beyond The Limits

I had popcorn, I had wine.  I had Olaf Itttenbach's Beyond The Limits to enjoy.  I'd heard it was extremely gory - even hard to stomach in places, and that the second half was beautifully shot.  But what i found beyond the limits (of my patience) was the acting. it was truly abominable.  I'm sure the recomendations were sincere, but I had to turn this movie off, as the performances were so appaling (and bear in mind, I'd just watched Bad Lieutenant - Port of Call New Orleans with Nicolas Cage and Val Kilmer, so I know what I'm talking about here!)
I admit, it was the second half of this film I'd heard was worth watching - when the action shifts from present day Los Angeles to the Middle Ages, where a priest is chased and then tortured in the name of the Inquisition.
Wait until I get to the bottom of this very nice bottle of Chardonnay Semillon, and I'll perservere - and let you all know how gruesome this film really is.

Horror - Vote For Me!

Apparantly I am up against Dr Blood's Video Vault in a horror blog face off.  Flip! Okay, probably Dr. Blood is a worthier entry to the horror blogosphere than I, but if you like this blog, then show it some love.  Give me a vote here.

Horror - Name That Film Take 12

I quite enjoyed the last quiz, hopefully you'll enjoy this one.
Same rules, different films.
Easy...

Medium...

And Hard...

And before any wiseasses say that the hard's not hard, I know.  It's hard to some, just not you hardcore gorehounds.
Having said that, enjoy (these are all still taken off my shelf and so are films I've enjoyed enough to actually buy!),  and I wonder if this will last more than a day...
 

Horror - Answers

Sorry to leave you all hanging, I was drunk.
The answers were
Hard -   Nekromantik
Hard -   Inside
Even Bloody Harder -   It was... Blood On Satan's Claw.

Well done to those who knew.  You clearly know your stuff, you nerds you!

Ok, a new quiz tomorrow, hopefully.

Horror - Name That Film Take 11

So, because Smarty-pants' like Jason, Giovanni, Dr,Morbius, Eternity Kidz, Jinx et al are just too damn good at guessing the films I put up, here (as a one off) is a special Hard, Hard and Hard edition of Name That Film.  Who has the cajones to correctly name all three films...?
Hard...

Harder...

Even Bloody Harder Still...

I'm laughing to myself, because I know you'll get them all, despite my claims of their dificulty!

Every still I've put up so far is from a horror film I have in my collection, so does that make me very sad or you lot even sadder for guessing them within hours of me posting them? hmmm.

Probably, just me.

Horror - Name That Film Take 10

Last weeks answers were...
Easy - The Ring
Medium - The Evil Dead
Hard - Amer
Well done to those who knew.
And here, a few days late, is this weeks quiz; who knows the most?
Easy...

Medium...

And Hard...

Once again, none are too hard really, just a bit of fun to prove what clever sticks you all are!

Horror - Name That Film Take 9

Here we go again.  Another week, another mild diversion of your time. Guess the three horror films from these stills.  No prizes, just my unending respect for being a massive cinephile.

Easy...

Medium...

And Hard...

These should cause you no problems at all, they're all fairly simple.

Horror - Valentines

I know it's a day late, but here's a Valentines Day treat for the ghoul in your life.

Made specially for The London Dungeon by the Black Cherry Bakery.

Give them your heart.

Horror - Name That Film Take 8

After another underwhelming response (I'm not discouraged) its that time of week again.
But first, the answers to last weeks comp.
Easy - Salem's Lot
Medium - Bubba Ho-Tep (only Mark at The Guano Gallery got this one)
Hard - Mr Vampire (a classic!)
Obvious really, weren't they?

So here's this weeks pictures to guess.
Easy...

Medium....

And Hard....

Good luck guessing, and remember - it's just for fun.

Horror - Name That Film Take 7

It's your last chance to prove how horror savvy you all are!
The answers to the last Name That Film contest will be posted tomorrow. Either no-one's interested or no-one could get them.
Hopefully, the next one will provoke more of a reaction!

Horror- The Troll Hunter

Well, The Troll Hunter was watched, and it didn't let me down.
Filmed in the hand-held Blair Witch 'found footage 'style, with a young student film crew out looking for their first big scoop, this could've been a cliche from start to finish, but with some decent actors this was turned into something rather good.  A knowledge of Scandinavian fokelore is not essential (you just need to appreciate that they've been telling stories about Trolls for thousands of years in Norway) for you to enjoy this one.
Funny, great special effects and exciting, this is one I will be showing my kids (there's nothing too gratuitous here) once I get them used to reading subtitles while viewing a film, and you should too.
This is a film that all kids should see - when I was a kid I watched The 7th Voyage of Sinbad or Murder, Mystery, Suspense and these were scary and exciting, but not gory or unsuitable for minors.  This is what The Troll Hunter reminds me of.  Good, old fashioned thrills.

Horror- The Troll Hunter

Look at what I'll be watching tonight!

I mean, the film can't be as good as the poster, can it?  I'm looking forward to this one.

P.S. Any guesses at the Name That Film quiz below?  I thought they were all quite easy

Horror - Name That Film Take 7

Okay, here we go again.  Bit rushed so they're not as difficult as I'd hoped for, the next lot will be better.
Easy...

Medium....

And Hard....

These three shouldn't give you lot any trouble.  Good luck.

Horror - Watchmen

No, not that Watchmen (don't you know what sort of films I watch by now?).
No, this Watchmen stars Simon Yam, who also stars in Midnight Beating - a movie that seems to be taking forever to come out.
Apparently, getting horror movies past the censors in China is a real chore, but more and more directors are pushing the bounderies over there.  Good luck to them I say, oh and kung hei fat choi to them too.

Horror - I'll be back

Sorry, I've been a bit slack with this blog over the last week, between trips to the theatre, the pub and work I've had no free time. Rest assured there will be some drivel soon.

Not Horror - Endhiran

Okay, it's not horror and it shouldn't be in this blog - but I just had to share this with any of you that hadn't seen it.
It's the finale of Endhiran, the most expensive film in Indian cinema history, and it's absolutley mental.
Please, watch and enjoy...

Horror - Name That Film Take 6

I've decided to up the ante a little.  There's three to guess now; easy, medium and one that's a little harder.
As before, there's no prize I'm afraid it's just for fun, and the respect gained by being the biggest horror geek out there.
First, the easy...

Then the medium....

Then the hard.....

Good luck with your guesses.

Horror - Action Figures

I know, I'm being a big kid, but check out these brilliant American Werewolf figures you can get from Starstore

I'm very tempted...

And now I've just seen this at Monster Galaxy

A snip at only $1800.  I don't think the family would appreciate this on the wall though.

While you're there, take a look at the full size werewolf they've got for sale.  It's 8 feet long for Christ's sake!

Horror - Mr. Rogers

Thanks Mark at The Guano Gallery for sending me this...

Horror - Name That Film Take 5

Here's one which any self-respecting horror fan should know.


An intelligent film, that's almost a kids horror movie.

Horror - Name That Film Take 4

No-one even attempted the last one (it was Rare Exports, by the way) but I'm not discouraged.
Here's a shot of one of my favorite films of all time, but can you name it?

Come on, it's easy!

Horror - Outcast

Well, I finally got round to watching Outcast, and I was quietly impressed.
A pair of believable young leads, my favorite Scottish hard-man James Cosmo, and a big viscious monster - you can't go wrong.
But James Nesbitt is the man who really makes this film stand out.

By turns derranged, psychotic, incompetent and murderous with rage he plays a man heavily tattooed with mystical Romany symbols, charged with the task of tracking down and killing a woman and her son who are in hiding on a Glasgow housing estate.  Kate Dickie is excellent as the domineering mother who will do anything, including black magic, to protect her son.
Nesbitt exudes menace as he grows ever nearer the pair, and add to that the unseen beast that prowls the estate at night, picking off the locals in grisly ways, then you know the end is going to be bloody.
Director Colm McCarthy and his brother Tom build the tension nicely, and there's a sense of all the characters being lost and knowing they aren't going to find the happy end they want.
Overall, not the best British horror film ever, but no-where near the worst.
Recommended.

Horror - Lynch

Today, I've been left to my own devices, so should I clean the house or watch a David Lynch double-bill?

Mulholland Drive...

Followed by Blue Velvet...

There's always an undercurrent of menace in Lynch's films that I find unnerving.  No-one else's movies have the same disquieting effect on me as his.  Like a slow, rumbling nightmare.

So, cleaning or Lynch?  Cleaning or Lynch?

Horror - Name That Film Take 3

Today is what feels to me like a very rare thing, a day off work.  So I will be watching a film, but can you name it from this still?

Horror - Gary's Garden

New series Gary's Garden starts on February 14th.

Looks silly but fun.

All the details can be found here

Horror - The Glass Man

I'm a fan of Andy Nyman.  He was great in Charlie Brooker's Dead Set, and I really enjoyed seeing him live in Ghost Stories (he's a renowned expert on mentalism don't you know, co-writing and directing Derren Brown's stage shows).  Now he stars in The Glass Man, a film about a man who is given an offer he can't afford to refuse by a debt collector, the terrifying James Cosmo (Trainspotting).  Neve Campbell plays Nyman's wife.

Looks good.

Horror - The Walking Dead Season 2

If you, like me, were hooked on The Walking Dead and extremely frustrated at the news that it would be a year before next season, then you can breathe a sigh of relief.

Sources close to AMC have revealed that Season 2 will come in July, as there is too much competition on TV in November.  AMC have not confirmed this however, so don't get your zombie-slaying gear ready just yet - just keep however many fingers you have left crossed.

Horror - Condiments

Thanks to Mark for pointing me in the direction of these.

Your ketchup or mustard too plain?  Do they need horrifying?  Then check out these heads to spruce them up a bit.

You can buy them (and loads of other cool stuff) here at Who Killed Bambi?
Just take a look at their jewelry for the emo/serial killer victim in your life...

Horror - NameThat Film Take 2

Ok, an easier one as no-one had a clue about the last one.

I watched this last night with a bottle of wine and some popcorn, but what's it called?

Horror - Name That Film

Right, I'm about to watch a film before I go to bed, but I want you to name it from this still...

I know it's difficult, but I didn't want to make it too obvious, and I trust all you horror fans out there to get it right.  Clue?  Its Japanese, fairly creepy, made in 2006.  I wont say who stars or directed it, 'cos you'll simply imdb it!

There's no prize I'm afraid, it's just for fun.  If anyone gets it right they can have the kudos of being even geekier than me.