A Tale of Nobody (2014) short film review.

A Tale of Nobody is one of those rare accomplishments. A short film that actually grips the viewer, tosses in comedy, horror and raw emotion, and has a story that genuinely affects those watching it. What Derek Huey and Ivan Henriquez have done really is breathtaking, and is incredibly hard hitting with the portrayal of a man who seems to have lost everything he lived for.

A man (Nobody) gets an early morning call from his girlfriend. This starts Nobody on a descent into at first sorrow, but this emotion gives way to darker, more violent behaviour.

The feeling of uneasiness this short film creates is amazing in such a short running time. You will find yourself laughing, but then questioning yourself, asking whether what is happening is really funny or tragic. The unravelling of the main character "Nobody", played by Derek Huey is a downward descent through a spectrum of emotion culminating in....well....you are just going to have to watch yourself.

For a short running around nine minutes, "A Tale of nobody certainly puts it's viewers through the emotional wringer, and not at any point of the short is your attention taken away from the plight of Nobody. We the viewers are along for the journey, and it will make you feel for the main character, whether you invest in him or not.

This is the beginning of things for Derek Huey, and after his hilarious cameo in Conjoined, and his emotionally wrought performance in A Tale of nobody, I cannot wait to see what he has in store for us next. This guy is talented, both in front and behind the camera, and his voice needs to be heard by all!

You can check out "A Tale of nobody" for yourself by clicking HERE.

Darkest regards......Dani.

MJ reviews Rimwipe.

It takes a certain type of band to cover a GG Allin track, a band that is not afraid to offend, anger and amuse those who take the time to listen to them, a band with that rare combination of pure aggression and a great, yet dark sense of humour. Rimwipe are exactly that band, and they're going to tear you a new asshole.

Within the last few months alone these guys have managed to compile a rather large catalogue of tracks, almost all of them clock in at less than two minutes, and they're certainly not easy listening. Each track is a crust-punk infused ball of rage that I'd love to see performed live as epic mosh pits are guaranteed. Their sound may not appeal to the masses but then no one is asking them.... this is music for the angry outcasts, the people who know what's wrong with the world and they're pissed off and they can't help but laugh at the cretins that populate the planet. This is the band that's laughing along with you.

If i were to recommend the songs that stood out for me, I'd suggest "Vaginasaurs" for it's ability to get stuck firmly in your head as well as the fact it's bloody hilarious. "Poke her Face" is a song I think everyone in the world should hear at least once. "Corpse Tickler" and "Fetus Fajitas" are great examples of what these guys can put together both musically and lyrically in a 30 second assault on the ears. "Internet Threat" will remain my favourite response to online douchebaggery in the history of... well, ever. However, my favourite track is "Close the Window" with a mellow vocal leading to an ear splitting climax of screaming, making something seemingly mundane into something so much more.

Essentially, if you're looking for the perfect soundtrack to a dinner party then you are somehow lost here, turn around; you're a long way from Kansas. However, if you're angry, like your music fast and loud, have the sickest sense of humour and you're looking for hilarity and brutality served up in bite-sized portions then you may well have found your new favourite band in Rimwipe.

MJ.

You can visit Rimwipe's Youtube channel by clicking HERE.

You can "Like" Rimwipe's Facebook page by clicking HERE.

New Black Label Society album!!

Zakk Wylde has today announced that a brand new Black Label Society studio album 'Catacombs of the Black Vatican' will be released in Europe on April 7th 2014 via Mascot Label Group.

Mascot Label Group are honoured to welcome the band to the label, having recently signed BLS exclusively for European territory. The band will join, amongst others, Joe Bonamassa, Volbeat, Gov't Mule, Beth Heart, Vanderberg's MoonKings, Black Country Communion and Kenny Wayne Shepherd on the Rotterdam-based record company's roster.

'Catacombs of the Black Vatican' is Black Label Society's first studio album since 2009's 'The Order of the Black', which debuted at number 4 on the Billboard top 200 chart.

Since their late nineties inception, Black Label Society, formed by guitar legend Zakk Wylde, has been at the forefront of their genre. Their taste for hard riffs and blazing solos has resulted in a slew of hugely successful albums and a reputation as one of the most powerful live bands of their generation.

 Zakk Wylde, who has been called one of the true guitar heroes in modern history, served as Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist for over 20 years, in addition to his work with BLS. This collaboration led to a string of multi-platinum albums, including Osbourne’s biggest selling "No More Tears," for which Wylde wrote all the music.

Bestowed with such accolades as "Metal Guru" from the recently held Classic Rock awards in the UK, "Golden God” by Metal Hammer and the “Best Guitarist” Award from Revolver Magazine, Wylde has proven time and time again that his songwriting, guitar prowess, and on-stage persona, along with his larger-than-life personality, have made him a force to be reckoned with.

Darkest regards......Dani.

Cemetery Temple Indiegogo Campaign.

Derek Huey, the man behind the upcoming short film 'The Tale of Nobody' (which I have already been lucky enough to see a rough edit of, and have a lot to say about it, but that comes later) is going to make another short. It's premise sounds exciting, interesting, and in the hands of Dee Man, anything is possible.

The new short film will be called 'Cemetery Temple, and you can visit the projects Indiegogo page by clicking HERE.

The director had this to say about the film. "The film is about a group of teenagers who play with a Ouija board on top of land that is built on a mass grave site". He goes on to say that his intentions with the film are to "Scare the shit of the audience".

Not only are the perks for donating incredibly generous, but there is also a 'suggest a perk' option, where people suggest a perk, and if the filmmakers like it, they will add it to the list of perks already available. For those who donate $20, they will receive a digital release of the movie, and a physical copy later on. There are also walk on roles available, amongst some of the best perks I have seen available.

Those who know Derek Huey, know that he loves gore. So if enough money is made, he has promised to "keep the gore coming".

Support this film how ever you can. Donate and/or share. The total wanted is £2,000, not 12,000. Let's help this short film get made, because if Derek's debut short is anything to go by, we are in for great things!!

Darkest regards......Dani.

The Cold Eyes of Death (2013)

The Cold Eyes of Death is a low budget short horror film which takes influence from both psychological Italian gialli of the sixties and seventies and the supernatural Italian horror of the eighties. With an experimental D.I.Y charm, this film puts the emphasis on atmosphere and visuals rather than todays typical gore and sleaze. Maestro Fabio Frizzi's soundtrack, whose works include Lucio Fulci's Zombi, The Beyond and City of the Living Dead, is the driving force that connects avant-garde shots and chop shop editing into something fans of the aforementioned genres can enjoy.

Beware. The Cold Eyes of Death are watching!

You can view the short film by clicking HERE.

Darkest regards......Dani.

Top Ten Films of 2013.

I see many many lists on social networking sites listing peoples top 10 films of 2013, so I thought I would share mine with you all. Now what may surprise some of you, is that not all of them are horror films. I do actually watch and enjoy other genres of film, but horror is my true cinematic love. So, without further ado, here is my top ten list of 2013, in no particular order.

1:- Star Trek Into Darkness.

While I have never been a huge fan of Star Trek (The Alien that used to be shown during the end credits of the original series scared the living hell out of me in my younger years), the Redux impressed me, not to a great degree, but enough to warrant interest in checking out the sequel. I suffer from an incredibly short attention span, and seeing as Star Trek Into Darkness is on for two hours, I thought I may very well grow increasingly bored with the movie, but hell, it certainly managed to keep me entertained. It is an action packed, thrilling Sci Fi movie that has so much more to it than the lacklustre film that came before.

2:- Pacific Rim.

Giant monsters versus giant robots? How is it possible that anyone could dislike this film? Possibly the best movie of the year, Pacific Rim brings those two loves of mine that I used to obsess over as a child (monsters and robots) and puts them in some of the most breathtaking and destructive battles I have ever witnessed. I also had the pleasure to see the movie in 3D, and I have to say, for once it actually worked to the films advantage instead of it being a gimmick.

3:- The Conjuring.

I really don't get all the hate James Wan seems to receive. He manages to take his films to an incredibly tense level, and doesn't feel the need to use cheap shocks or fill his movies with unnecessary gore. The Conjuring was incredibly effective in its use of sound, strange camera angles and jump scares which hit every time. I was really impressed with this movie in every way, and it's nice to see someone still trying to make effective scare machines in this day and age. This is certainly one of the most effective and shocking haunted house/exorcism movies I have ever seen.

4:- The Raid.

Having been a lifelong fan of Martial Arts movies, nothing had impressed me since I had seen Ong Bak. Ip Man came close, and the sequel was a lot of fun, but nothing had the impact that the original Ong Bak had on me. The fights were so brutal, so real that you could feel every hit. I had heard many things about The Raid, calling it one of the greatest action films of all time, and after viewing it, I am hard pressed to disagree. The fights were incredibly tense, and it was my first introduction to the martial art of Pencak Silat, which is possibly one of the most visually striking forms of fighting I have seen. The film is pure adrenaline from the opening credits, and it just amps up the action throughout it's running time, leaving the viewer breathless and gasping in amazement.

5:- Dredd.

Yes. I was also an avid reader of 2000 AD as a child, and I always had a soft spot for Judge Dredd (although my soft spot for Judge Death was much bigger). The Stallone fronted Judge Dredd was such a let down. Gone was the merciless Judge, only to be replaced with a "nice guy" who even removed his helmet (something which Judge Dredd never does). This film redresses the balance, and gives every fan of Dredd what they wanted. Pure unadulterated action.While in some respects it is similar to The Raid, Dredd is another breathtaking film in the action genre. Judge Dredd is the grimacing, merciless judge he has always been in the comics, and he never removes his helmet. (It might seem like a little thing to some, but to a fan such as myself, it's a big thing). He is also a total badass that goes through so much during the movie, it's difficult not to love this representation of the character, and the film as a whole.

6:- You're Next.

You're Next bought something different to the table. While it began as a typical home invasion movie, the film metamorphosed into something else entirely. It was brutal, funny and shocking all at the same time. I am not going to say too much about this one, for fear of giving away any of the plot. The music is also worthy of a mention, as it sounds like it's straight of an Italian horror picture of the 70's. This film really was so much fun.

7:- V/H/S 2.

Anthology movies, especially ones that have been released in the past few years, seem to get a lot of stick. I enjoyed the original V/H/S, and while it wasn't breathtaking in any way, shape or form, it did show that a huge budget wasn't needed to produce an effective little slice of horror.  The sequel took everything the original offered up, and increased it infinitely. More gore, more scares and one less story (which really did mean that the quality of stories was improved). The sound design on the final segment was incredible, and had my stomach turning at the appearance of the creatures terrorizing a family. Scary stuff indeed.

8:- Big Ass Spider.

Sometimes a movie comes along that is so good, it reminds you of why you like movies so much. Big Ass Spider is one of those movies. Everything about it is cinematic gold. The comedy, the horror, the action, everything is pulled off with such an air of perfection, it is impossible not to be impressed by everything this film is about. It really does have absolutely everything a movie needs. If you haven't seen it yet, go get it. There isn't a chance you could be disappointed.

9:- Kick-Ass 2.

The first Kick-Ass film disappointed me. I think it was because the ending was changed drastically from the comic book, coupled with the fact it just wasn't violent enough. The only thing that really grabbed my attention was Nicholas Cage channelling Adam West when he wore his Big Daddy costume. The second film improved everything the first film layed out, while also increasing the level of violence and humour. Again, it combined things from many genres to make an incredibly watchable and enjoyable film, with some of the most quotable lines in any movie in 2013.

10:- Curse of Chucky.

I love Chucky, at least in the first three Childs Play films. Bride of Chucky was fun, but substituted scares for comedy, to a rather lukewarm reception from me. Seed of Chucky was just an excuse for bad taste humour to be explored and exploited, and was the east impressive entry in the franchise. Curse of Chucky on the other hand, is an incredible return to form. You don't even get to see much of Chucky, and that certainly helps build up the tension of the film. The kills are brutal, and Chucky is evil again. What more could a fan of Childs Play want? Oh, and I have to mention the scene after the credits. I absolutely loved the cameo, and the outcome of that scene!

There you have it. not much horror, independent or otherwise, but these are the films that have stood out the most over the past year. Let's hope 2014 brings many more excellent cinematic adventures for us all to be taken on.

Darkest regards......Dani.

Grudges, socialising and the horror community.

First of all, let me begin by wishing all my readers a happy new year. I hate to begin the year with what could be seen as a negative blogpost, but I do wish to address certain issues that are becoming commonplace amongst certain members of the horror community.

Now, I kept hearing about a podcast called 'The Wolfpack', and decided to check it out. I honestly wish I hadn't. For forty five minutes, a man who has an imaginary celebrity status moans and whines about women, the Soska sisters and Women in Horror month. Who should appear on this display of sexism, but Dr. Blood, who gave his services as a guest. Throughout the forty five minute show, they belittle women in horror in every way possible, and it sickened me.

What sickened me even more, was the host of this show. A writer who thinks that he is worshipped by Friday the 13th fans (I have been a Friday fan for many years, and have never heard of this guy beyond these podcasts) and considers himself a big shot in the horror community. His name is William Pattison/Eric Morse.

Let me throw something in here for starters. I agree that everyone should be able to hold their own opinions, and that no one should be criticised for anything they say when expressing their thoughts. But when these thoughts exist on pure fantasy, something needs to be said. The amount of hate that seeps from every podcast is shocking to say the least. The don't seem to have anything good to say about any female member of the horror community. It's like listening in to a conversation from the fifties. The basis for their arguments against women are even more pathetic than the whining that goes on throughout the podcast.

A few more podcasts, with pretty much the same things being said over and over again have been posted, but unless you want to be bored and/or offended by what seems to be a couple of men who have never had any luck with the opposite sex throw out their anger with the simplest of insults, reasons and excuses on why women shouldn't be in the horror industry you have ever heard, feel free to click here to check these podcasts out.

I decided to confront William Pattison about what he was saying about the Soska sisters, after I managed to get an interview with them and found them to be polite, honest and incredibly passionate about the genre they work in. After making a comment on his post, he blocks me. That's right. He blocks me right away, after telling me the situation with the Soska's is a zero tolerance subject for him. What I guess this means, is that William Pattison can spout as many lies about the Soska's as he wants. But as soon as someone disagrees with his views, or can disprove comments he has already made, he isn't willing to even acknowledge these things.

This minority group also seem to attack something they call the 'horror socials'. Now please, feel free to correct me if I am wrong, but isn't socialising with people with the same interests one of the great things about being a part of the horror community? I enjoy talking to people across the globe about films I have seen and films I haven't even heard of. It's a great way to discover new movies, new directors and new friends. it just seems like William Pattison is an elitist who thinks he is owed something by the horror community because he wrote a few Friday the 13th books that didn't even involve Jason, and were aimed at teens (that's right. Teen fiction). He seems to think he has been dealt a massive disservice, and underneath all this boiling hatred for women and the horror socials is someone looking for acceptance.

What William Pattison needs to realise is that by being so sexist and hateful, he is never going to gain the acceptance of anyone. No one wants to deal with drama every single day. No one wants to listen to a person spout hatred and lies. The horror community, while being fractured and full of opinionated people such as myself, is a community, and does try to remain friendly and welcoming of everyone. But if you are going to constantly spout hate, and not get over something that happened three years ago, then I am pretty sure there are more people laughing at you than there are supporting you.

That isn't to say everyone in the horror community is going to agree with this post. I might very well be the only person who feels like this about these two people. But I felt I needed to share my views on this situation that seems to be growing out of all control.

Let 2014 be a year that brings the horror community even closer together no matter what genitalia you have, or what your taste in horror is. We all love this genre, and none of us should be moaning about the things we hate. We should all be promoting the things we love.

Darkest regards......Dani.