'Tis the Season!

'Tis the season once more, dear reader.  The yule tide has rolled in to fill us with the holly jolly-ness of another Christmas.  Oh, the fond memories and feelings that fill me when I think of Christmases past.  I remember the house decorated with strings of glowing lights, the tree so beautifully adorned and the presents wrapped with care beneath it.  I was too young, too innocent, to recognize the incredibly creepy prospect of a fat man in a red suit gaining surreptitious entrance to your home in the dead of night to reward good little boys and girls with gifts crafted by his legion of elves.  But only if you're good, mind you!  And I was very seldom good.

A conversation I remember having with my mother when I was a boy:
Me: "How does Santa get into the house since we don't have a chimney?"
Her: "He can pass right through the door...like a ghost."

Now that's scary!

Forget shaking the packages in a furtive attempt to surmise the mystery inside, I was far more devious.  I would sneak to the tree and skillfully tear away tiny pieces of wrapping paper in order to glean a peek at my perspective gifts.  I would relentlessly interrogate my grandmother until she spilled the beans.  I eavesdropped on my mother's conversations with her friends.  The mystery was too much.  It gnawed at me.

Then my mother became an atheist.  So long, St. Nick.

As materialistic as I might have been (may still be), there was always something about the season that filled me with an effulgent feeling.  Christmas was special.  I felt a kinship with my fellow man.  I was brimming with goodwill.  I thought the best of people.  All was right with the world.  That kind of optimism and warmth quickly faded with maturity and I turned into the cynical curmudgeon I am now.  Still, memories of those warm feelings return at times and I'm reminded that Christmas is about giving.  Too often we celebrate the holiday with feckless materialism and greed.  It is truly better to give than receive.  It's the kind of selflessness that nourishes the soul and is too often overlooked.  I'd like to wish each and every one of you a very happy holiday season and a Merry Christmas!  That is, unless you've been naughty....

Feel free to share your own fondest Christmas memories in the comments section below.

Blu-ray #MovieMagic Giveaway (CLOSED)

Want the chance to win one of these awesome Blu-rays courtesy of Blu-ray #MovieMagic?  

• The Little Mermaid - Diamond Edition 

• The Lone Ranger 

• Monsters University 

• Angels Rising 

• Rise of The Guardians 

• Despicable Me 2 

• Turbo 

• Grown Ups 2 

• Wizard of Oz 3D 

• The Wolverine 

• Star Trek: Into Darkness 

• White House Down 

• Fast 6 

• Pacific Rim 

• After Earth 

• Man of Steel 

• Red 2 

• World War Z 

• 2 Guns 

• Weeds: The Complete Collection 

• Predator 3D

It's simple.  Follow these three steps:

1.) Follow my blog (located in the sidebar). 

2.) Share this blog post on your favorite social media platform.

3.) Leave a link to the shared post in the comments section below, along with your contact email.  

It's that simple!  Now read up about Blu-ray #MovieMagic and check out the #MovieMagic app below.  The winner will be notified by email on 12/15.  Winner will receive one of the above listed Blu-rays, drawn randomly.  Contest is open to the U.S. only.

About Blu-ray #MovieMagic:

You Haven’t Seen Your Favorite Movie Until You’ve Seen the Special Features! 

This Holiday rediscover the #MovieMagic behind your favorite films. Blu-ray offers exclusive special features that put you in the filmmaker’s chair, with a behind-the-scenes access to all of the magic: Special effects, talent interviews, alternative endings, unreleased scenes, bloopers, and more! 

With a Blu-ray combo pack, you can enjoy your favorite films in high-definition whenever and wherever you want. You can keep the Blu-ray disc in the living room, DVD in the car, and the digital copy on your phone for when you’re on the move! 

Grab your favorite movie lover a Blu-ray this holiday! 

Highlights: 

• With the combo pack you can take your favorite films wherever you go. You can keep the Blu-ray disc in the living room, DVD for the car, and the digital copy on your mobile phone while on the move! 

• Blu-ray lets you to watch your favorite movies with unmatched sound and video that is SIX TIMES the quality of DVDs! 

• Blu-ray offers the most premium possible in home entertainment experience 

• You don’t have to worry about the buffering that happens with streaming videos 

Contest rules:

Each household is only eligible to win ONE #MovieMagic Title via blog reviews and giveaways. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Contest open to the U.S. only.


Shameless self-promotion:
*LIKE me on FACEBOOK.
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*SUBSCRIBE to my YOUTUBE channel.

Have a great Holiday season!

Release Date Set for New FRIDAY THE 13TH Sequel/Reboot!

Exhibitor Relations announced on their Twitter (@ERCboxoffice) yesterday that Paramount has officially set a release date for their upcoming FRIDAY THE 13TH sequel for March 13, 2015.  However, according to Exhibitor Relations the next FRIDAY film will not be a sequel at all, but another reboot of the franchise.

Whether or not the film will deal with "found footage" or not has yet to be announced, and release dates are apt to be postponed or dropped entirely.  So, until further information regarding the film is released, as my grandmother would say, don't count your chickens before they're hatched.

Sound off in the comments sections below.  Are you cool with another reboot?  Is "found footage" the right way to do it?  Let me know what you think. 

SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT Returning to Theaters

Justin Beahm, author of the upcoming HALLOWEEN: THE COMPLETE AUTHORIZED HISTORY, is teaming up again with Screenvision (who he previously partnered with on the HALLOWEEN theatrical re-releases) for another big screen genre event: SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT, opening on December 4th in theaters across the country. Fangoria is the other partnering entity this time around. The film boasts an all new HD transfer and see the theatrical poster above.

New trailer link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H2XzS0j4CU&feature=youtu.be

Fangoria Presents unwraps Charles E Sallier Jr.’s 1984 holiday cult horror classic SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT, in theaters this December! SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT tells the tale of Billy Chapmen, orphaned at five after witnessing the murder of his parents at the hands of a Santa suit-clad madman on Christmas Eve. Now eighteen and out of the brutal grip of orphanage nuns, Billy is forced to confront his greatest fear, sending him on a rampage, leaving a crimson trail in the snow behind him. Fangoria Presents, in conjunction with Screenvision, delivers this seasonal slasher essential in a stunning new HD transfer for the ultimate experience in ho-ho-horror!

The list of participating theaters is growing by the day, and can be found at www.fangoriaonscreen.com.

FRIDAY THE 13TH & HALLOWEEN Found Footage Sequels?

"Found footage" sequels to both HALLOWEEN and FRIDAY THE 13TH have been rumored for years.
Unfortunately those rumors are very true.  Peter Bracke, author of CRYSTAL LAKE MEMORIES, confirmed it on THE SAUSAGE FACTORY (videos below) and several filmmakers have corroborated that they've been approached by The Weinstein Company and Paramount to bring audiences "found footage" sequels to both popular franchises.  Though the idea of either horror franchise adopting the now tired gimmick sounds like an abysmal idea, both studios appear keen on the idea and are actively pursuing making both films a cinematic absurdity. I mean, reality.

"Found footage" movies only work if we believe what we're seeing is really happening or could potentially happen.  Films that deal with paranormal subject matter - PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, for instance - work nicely inside this milieu.  Slasher movies?  Perhaps.  Slasher movies involving characters like Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees?  NO!  The HALLOWEEN franchise dabbled in such "real world", techie terrain with HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION and we see how that turned out.  A chill ran down my spine just thinking about it.  We know Michael and Jason are, for lack of a better word, fake.

Why either studio won't simply make a film featuring these two genre favorites doing what they do best, sans gimmicks (remake/reboot/3D/found footage) is beyond me.  It's not like these movies are rocket science to make.  Give fans what we want.  Not a tired gimmick.

What say you?  Leave your thoughts on the topic in the comments section below.  And check out our FRIDAY THE 13TH MEGASODES with special guest Peter Bracke:

SLEEPAWAY CAMP Uncut Blu-ray from SCREAM! Factory

SCREAM! Factory announced yesterday their plans of releasing one of my all time favorite 80's slasher movies, SLEEPAWAY CAMP, not only to Blu-ray, but in its uncut form next year!

Here's what SCREAM! Factory had to say about it on their Facebook:

"Happy Halloween everyone! We are super excited to announce to you on this special day that we will be releasing the original uncut SLEEPAWAY CAMP film on Blu-ray for the first time next Spring!

This will most definitely be a Collector's Edition (new art is being worked on it as we type) and is planned to come loaded with great extras that will be announced at a later date. We love this film and will certainly aim to please fans of Angela, Aunt Martha, cussing cousin Ricky, Judy, Meg and the rest of Camp Arawak's memorable counselors and campers."

Judging by past "Collector's Editions" from SCREAM! Factory, fans of this film can surely expect a pristine HD transfer with oodles of extras.  I personally can not wait!  What say you?

Check out my review of the SLEEPAWAY CAMP series below.

Halloween Night Movie Recommendations

'Tis the season once more, dear readers.  Though we've seen a dismal showing of horror films in cinemas this Halloween season, television remains ripe with (albeit heavily edited) horror movie marathons. But it's the same movies every year!  I mean, who watches HALLOWEEN on Halloween?  How boring!  I say, this year try something different.  Die a little!  I mean, live.... Never mind.

Behold, my list of recommended movies to watch this Halloween:

5. THE FOG (1980).  Try another Carpenter flick instead of HALLOWEEN this year.  Go for his follow-up, THE FOG.  It's a kind of supernatural slasher movie with just as much atmosphere and (almost) suspense as his aforementioned masterpiece.

4.  CREEPSHOW (1982).  No Halloween movie marathon is complete without at least one anthology. Why not go with the mother of all horror anthologies, CREEPSHOW.  The film brought together two horror heavyweights in Stephen King and George A. Romero.  The result is an EC comic inspired near-masterpiece.

3.  GATES OF HELL (1980).  Splatter master Lucio Fulci takes us on a guided tour of hell, including all the accouterments - excessive violence and gore - that we've come to expect from the late director.  The film looks and feels like a dreadful nightmare in which even death provides no escape. AKA, CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD.

2.  TRICK 'R TREAT (2007).  I said no Halloween movie marathon is complete without at least one anthology.  I say, go all out and add a second to the list.  TRICK 'R TREAT cries out to be added to your Halloween movie marathon.  Set on Halloween night, the film features four interwoven stories of the macabre.  Why this movie didn't get a theatrical run has baffled horror fans, but, good news, a sequel is in the works!

1. NIGHT OF THE DEMONS (1988).  This one needs no explanation.  Set on Halloween night, a group of teens attend a party at an abandoned funeral home only to awaken an ancient evil that possesses them one by one. The film features an excellent cast, great practical make-up effects, a creepy-as-hell atmosphere and black humor throughout.  The film is a classic.

What say you?  Leave your own Halloween movie night recommendations in the comments section below. Make sure to follow my blog (located in the sidebar) to be notified of future blog posts, giveaways and various other inane ramblings of mine.

Have a very safe and fun Halloween!