Horror DVD Overload

This year I hit up a bunch of different stores to check out their horror DVD displays and spent way too much money. Here's what I got at each store and how much they cost:

Zellers

Zellers has a bunch of DVDs for $2.99. They have that all year long, so it's not a big deal, but they have more horror movies than usual. But most of them are straight to DVD crap, like most of the ones I bought.

Twisted Sisters $2.99
Blood Trails $2.99
Demonic $2.99
Cry Wolf $2.99
Cut $2.99
Return to House on Haunted Hill $5.99
Saw II $2.99

Walmart

Walmart had an awesome display of DVDs (with the exception of the 100's of Twilight DVDs). But they just set it up about a week ago (I went there a few times in early October) and it's already pretty picked over. The shelves were practically empty, but I managed to pick up a few things....

Amityville II: The Possession $6
Amityville 3-D $6
Candyman 2: Farewell to the Flesh $6
Swamp Thing $6
Child's Play $6
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers $5
Graveyard Shift $5
Silver Bullet $5

HMV

I received a $50 HMV gift card for my birthday, so I will probably buy more DVDs before Halloween. Most of their horror display is comprised of the Saw series (which are $6 each) and The Horror Legacy Series and The Horror Society: Horror Film Series, which are repackaged classics for $10 each. Check out this article for the full list of films. They also have a few DVDs being sold at $6.66.

Happy Birthday to Me $9.99
Saw $6
The Stuff $6
Twilight Zone: The Movie $8

The Beat Goes On

I also received a $50 Beat Goes On gift card for my birthday. I usually just buy DVDs from the cheap bin because a lot of the movies there are pretty expensive considering they're used. All the DVDs I want the most are on my Beat Goes On wishlist, and their website e-mails you when it comes in stock. I just ordered 2001 Maniacs from their website.

Amityville 4: The Evil Escapes $3.99
The Breed $4.99

The Bargain Shop
 
My mom took me here to buy me a pair of jeans for my birthday and she also ended up buying me these two DVDs and a DVD shelf (which I have already filled). They have a bunch of 2 for $10 DVDs.

Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare $5
The Dark Half $5

My Movie Schedule

Since we have no Scream channel in Canada anymore, and virtually no horror movies playing this week, I've come up with my own movie schedule. I've created a theme for every day of the week related to Halloween. Since I have to work, I will probably only have time to watch two movies a day. Except today and Saturday, when I will watch at least five movies. I probably won't review all of them this week, but I will eventually. I left Wednesday blank because I haven't decided what to watch yet.

Haunted House Sunday

I just bought all of these DVDs and really want to see them, which is why I included them. I've seen bits and pieces of them when I was younger but I barely remember. I might watch the original and the remake if I have time, but I've seen both films quite a few times so it's not a big deal if I don't.

Amityville II: The Possession - I heard that this one is the best of the series.
Amityville 3-D - This one features Meg Ryan.
Amityville 4: The Evil Escapes - The ghosts from the Amityville house haunt a lamp!
Amityville: It's About Time - This time a clock!
Amityville: The Next Generation - And now a mirror!

Candy Monday

I'm kind of cheating here because Candyman doesn't have anything to do with candy, I just like to watch Candyman every year for Halloween. But candy is the foundation of Halloween and I thought I should include it somehow. Trick 'r Treat had a creepy scene involving candy, if you're looking for one. I would've included Candyman 3: Day of the Dead, but I couldn't find it at any stores.

Candyman - One of my favourite horror movies.
Candyman 2: Farewell to the Flesh - From what I remember this was an okay follow-up. And it stars Kelly Rowan (from The O.C.)!

Creepy Crawly Tuesday

I'm buying Night of the Creeps when it's FINALLY released to DVD on Tuesday and I'm going to watch it immediately. So I came up with Creepy Crawly Tuesday to go with it.

Night of the Creeps - This is one of the best horror movies I've ever seen.
Creepshow - I chose this one for my favourite segment, They're Creeping Up On You! And the name is fitting too.
Creepers - Also known as Phenomena, this Dario Argento film stars Jennifer Connelly as a girl who loves bugs.

Pumpkin Thursday

Nothing says Halloween more than a pumpkin. These films were the only ones I could think of that had anything to do with pumpkins.

Pumpkinhead - Pretty creepy film.
Halloween III - I chose this one for the jack-o'-lantern masks. I wanted to watch this Halloween film on a different day from the others because it has nothing to do with Michael Myers but is pretty creepy when you don't associate it with the Halloween series.

Devil's Night (Friday)

For Devil's Night, instead of egging houses, I'm going to stay at home and watch movies featuring the Devil (or demons).

Satan's Little Helper - Awesome film about a kid who helps Satan to kill people on Halloween.
Night of the Demons - Teens have a party at an abandoned funeral home on Halloween. Fun flick.

Halloween (Saturday)
Instead of dressing up or going to a party, I'm just going to stay at home and watch horror movies while eating candy (I'm boring, I know).
Ernest Scared Stupid - This movie terrified me as a kid. Now it makes me laugh.
Halloween - I don't really need to explain this one.
Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers - This is the only Halloween film I haven't seen and I just bought the DVD. It stars Paul Rudd!
Halloween: H20 - I love this movie. It stars Josh Hartnett!

I will probably watch more movies than that on Halloween, but I'll just choose whatever I feel like watching that night.

Halloweek II

I know most people dedicate the entire month of October to Halloween, but I have so much going on in October (Thanksgiving, my birthday, my brother's birthday, my roommate's birthday, my best friend's birthday) I'm only going to dedicate a week, as I did last year.
Today I will begin Halloweek II. Everyday for the rest of the week I will do a Halloween-related post. Happy Early Halloween!

BOOK NEWS: Leisure Horror 2010

Over at Horror World, they posted Leisure Horror's 2010 publishing schedule. Here it is:

JANUARY 2010

BLIND PANIC by Graham Masterton
STRANGE MAGIC by Gord Rollo

FEBRUARY 2010

DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN by Brian Keene
SCISSORS by Ray Garton

MARCH 2010

FRIDAY NIGHT IN BEAST HOUSE by Richard Laymon
SNOW by Ronald Malfi

APRIL 2010

CREATURES OF THE POOL by Ramsey Campbell
DWELLER by Jeff Strand

MAY 2010

SPARROW ROCK by Nate Kenyon
THE BRIDGE by John Skipp & Craig Spector

JUNE 2010

JOYRIDE by Jack Ketchum
NIGHT SOULS by L. H. Maynard & M. P. N. Sims

JULY 2010

THE KILLING KIND by Bryan Smith
WOLF’S BLUFF by W. D. Gagliani

AUGUST 2010

A GATHERING OF CROWS by Brian Keene
SIREN by John Everson

SEPTEMBER 2010

FUNLAND by Richard Laymon
VALLEY OF THE SCARECROW by Gord Rollo

OCTOBER 2010

WITCH WATER by Edward Lee
THE FLOATING STAIRCASE by Ronald Malfi

NOVEMBER 2010

DESCENDANT by Graham Masterton

DECEMBER 2010

FRUITING BODY by John Skipp & Cody Goodfellow

I'm excited to read Joyride, Strange Magic, Dweller, Scissors and the Brian Keene books. I'm upset that I spent a lot of money to buy The Bridge on eBay. Oh well, I'm still looking forward to 2010!

MUSICAL NEWS: The Toxic Avenger Muscial

The Toxic Avenger Musical is coming to Toronto! Preview performances will run from October 20 - 31 and tickets will only be $15 each. Regular performances begin November 1 and tickets will be $20 - $41.50, depending on the location of your seats.

I desperately want to see this, but I don't know anyone who likes musicals. It stars Diana DeGarmo (the runner-up in American Idol season three who should've won instead of Fantasia Barrino) as Sarah.

Here's a promo video:

MOVIE REVIEW: Zombieland

I finally got to see Zombieland last weekend. Although it was pretty funny, it wasn't as hilarious as I heard it was and there weren't enough zombies.

Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), a wimpy nerd, is traveling across the country to find his parents when he meets Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), a tough guy obsessed with finding a twinkie. They come across sisters Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) who are on their way to an amusement park which - rumour has it - is zombie-free. And the group decides to travel together and then go their separate ways.

As a comedy it was pretty good. I didn't laugh as much as I anticipated. But the celebrity cameo made me laugh so hard I choked on the Mini Eggs (now available all year long!) I smuggled into the theatre. And Tallahassee's twinkie obsession was hilarious. If I survived a zombie apocalypse I know I would be obsessed with finding my favourite candy (possibly Mini Eggs) too. And the dialogue was quotable ("Nut up or shut up," for an example), as were Columbus's rules to survive in Zombieland.

As a zombie film it was a letdown. Granted, the zombies featured were pretty creepy (especially the clown zombie) and the kills were good, but there were barely any featured. And you would think that in a world populated by mostly zombies, you would come across more of them. It seemed like the entire world was wiped out instead of turned into flesh-eating monsters.

The characters were extremely likable, but the girls' stupidity got on my nerves. They were always in trouble, needing the guys to come to their rescue. It especially annoyed me in the amusement park scene. Good thing Jesse Eisenberg worked at an amusement park in Adventureland is all I can say....

Overall, Zombieland was pretty funny but didn't have enough zombies. But I'll still give it a 4 because the celebrity cameo was so funny.

Rating: 4/5

BOOK NEWS: Hollywood Monster: A Walk Down Elm Street with the Man of Your Dreams

Too bad I forgot about this book when I was blowing the money I received for my birthday. I guess I'll have to put it on my Christmas Wish List. Anyway, Hollywood Monster: A Walk Down Elm Street is Robert Englund's autobiography. Right now on FEARnet you can read excerpts from it. They're going to be posting full chapters from the book until until the premiere of Fear Clinic, which stars Englund. Here's the book description:

You've seen him in the A Nightmare on Elm Street series — and in your darkest dreams. The sadistic killer with the flame-charred face. The knife-blade claws. The razor-sharp wit. Freddy...But you've never seen him like this. Unflinching. Uncensored. Unmasked.

Meet Robert Englund, the award-winning actor best known for his role as Freddy Krueger — the legendary horror icon featured on the American Film Institute's "100 Greatest Heroes and Villains" roster — a character as unforgettable and enduring as Bela Lugosi's Dracula and Boris Karloff's Frankenstein. Now, for the first time, the man behind the latex mask tells his story in this captivating new memoir, published to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the first A Nightmare on Elm Street film.

You see, Robert Englund is no monster at all, but a deeply funny, charming Hollywood veteran. Packed with Robert's hilarious stories, playful self-deprecation, and a generous helping of never-before-revealed A Nightmare on Elm Street trivia, Hollywood Monster offers an unparalleled look at the beloved film icon. With insider savvy and gallows humor, Robert recounts his audition for Wes Craven, the inspiration for Freddy's character, the grueling makeup sessions, his soon-to-be-famous costars, the often disastrous on-set blunders, and the wave of popularity that propelled this humble California surfer kid all the way to the top.

Of course, fame and fortune as Freddy came years after the young actor shared a trailer with screen legend Henry Fonda, was punched in the face by Richard Gere, took down Burt Reynolds, andmuscled his way between Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sally Field, and Jeff Bridges.

But soon after his high-profile stint in the groundbreaking TV miniseries V, Robert Englund took on the most celebrated role of his career — the macabre and wisecracking killer who quickly became a household name. From the moment Freddy Krueger dragged his claws across a rusty pipe in the opening dream sequence, a legend had been unleashed — and a star was born. This is his story.

And here's a video where Robert Englund talks about his book:

DVD REVIEW: Child's Play (Chucky's 20th Birthday Edition)

The other day I bought Child's Play (Chucky's 20th Birthday Edition) from Walmart for $6.00. I mostly wanted it for the Special Features. So instead of reviewing the movie - because I know everyone has already seen it - I'm just going to review the Special Features.

Evil Comes in Small Packages is a group of vignettes featuring Don Mancini, Tom Holland, John Lafia, David Kirschner, Kevin Yahger, Chris Sarandon, Brad Dourif, Catherine Hicks and Alex Vincent talking about their experiences on the set and how Chucky was brought to life.

The first vignette, The Birth of Chucky, is about the Child's Play script and how the story was developed. The second, Creating the Horror, is about the casting of the characters and their experiences on the set. The third, Unleashed, is about the release of the film.

Chucky: Building a Nightmare is a short feature about how they made Chucky. Everyone I previously listed were included, with the addition of FX experts Tom Savini, Tom Woodruff Jr. and Alec Gills.

A Monster Convention is a recording of a cast reunion panel at Monster Mania 2007, featuring Alex Vincent, Catherine Hicks and Chris Sarandon.

There is a vintage featurette included titled Introducing Chucky: The Making of Child's Play, filmed when they were making the movie.

The theatrical trailer is also included. And there is a photo gallery which is mostly comprised of stills from the movie, but also includes a few interesting pictures taken on the set.

There are also a few different commetaries. One featuring Alex Vincent, Catherine Hicks and Kevin Yahger, one with David Kirschner and Don Mancini, and a few on selected scenes with Chucky.

Here are some interesting things I learned about Child's Play:

• It was inspired by the Living Doll episode of The Twilight Zone. Don Mancini wanted to write a script where the doll was treated as a full-fledged character.
• The original script was titled Batteries Not Included, but was changed to Blood Buddy when they found out that Steven Speilberg was making a movie of the same name.
• In the original script Good Guys dolls were filled with synthetic blood. Andy cut his finger and Chucky's to do a blood brothers ritual and that is when Chucky came to life. Chucky's killing spree was a supernatural manifestation of Andy's ID, murdering people who Andy felt unexpressed rage towards.
• The original script was a dark satire of children's marketing. Karen Barclay was supposed to be the advertising executive behind the Good Guys campaign to make the satire more obvious. But her character was changed to a recently divorced single mother so Andy would appear troubled and the audience wouldn't know if he was crazy or if Chucky was real.
• They considered putting a beard shadow on Chucky to show his change from plastic doll to living doll.
• They were going to only use Brad Dourif for the opening scene and then hire a woman to do Chucky's voice, but it sounded horrible so they begged Dourif to come back.
• Catherine Hicks met her husband, Kevin Yahger, on the set. They have been married for 17 years and have one child.

Overall, the Special Features are interesting and a good length, all of them being 10-15 minutes long. But Don Mancini mentionned that the original film was well over two hours long and it was cut down to an hour and a half. And I'm pretty disappointed that they didn't include any deleted scenes, since those are always my favourite part of Special Features and usually the only part I watch. If you're a huge Child's Play fan the Special Features are definitely worth buying the DVD (it's only $6). But I'm going to give it a 4 because of the lack of deleted scenes.

Rating: 4/5 (I would give Child's Play the film 5/5)

WTF FEARnet?!

So I just went on the FEARnet website to watch a movie and all that comes up is a black screen saying: "The video you are trying to watch cannot be viewed from your current country or location." Um, I've been watching movies on FEARnet since I discovered it in JULY! And suddenly in October I can't watch them anymore because I live in Canada.

Canadians get gypped when it comes to horror T.V. Our horror channel Scream just changed to Dusk, a thriller/suspense channel, while Americans get Chiller and SyFy. And just look at this post from the awesome blog Day of the Woman. She gives a rundown of the Halloween horror movie marathons on American television. SyFy is having 31 Days of Halloween, ABC Family is airing 13 Nights of Halloween, TCM is showing 48 Hours of Horror and AMC has Fearfest.

Here's what Canadians have to look forward to. Our version of the SyFy channel, Space will be airing The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake and Halloween II on October 31. Dusk has a few okay movies playing during the week before Halloween. I'll probably watch Terror Train and The Watcher in the Woods. On Halloween night CTV will be showing The Rocky Horror Picture Show and The Mothman Prophecies. The rest of the Canadian channels I looked at didn't have their schedules for October 31 up yet, but none of them are showing horror movies this week. Why can't any Canadian channels have Halloween movie marathons like the American channels listed above?

Sorry, for the rant. My point is that FEARnet was the one place I could actually watch horror movies but now I can't. Oh well I guess I buy enough horror DVDs to watch anyway. I'm just going to make my own horror movie marathon. That's what I usually do anyway, but it would be nice to have a few good movies on T.V. to watch. I'll have to choose which ones I'm going to watch and post my list later.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today is my birthday! I'm 22 now! And yes, I did buy myself Happy Birthday to Me on DVD on my birthday. I also got a $50 HMV gift card and a $50 Beat Goes On gift card, so I'll probably get lots of new horror DVDs. I can't wait until Night of the Creeps comes out next week!