The B-Movie Film Vault BLOG!

Hudson Horror Show returns in May; new Fright-Rags tees; Vault updates!

2012-01-27T01:06:00.006-05:00

GET TICKETS NOW!

The Hudson Horror Show IV: A December to Dismember was a resounding success last month so it is no surprise that it is coming back on Saturday, May 19th to the Silver Cinemas South Hills 8 theater! Last time they wowed me (and all those that attended) with a solid line-up that included "Werewolf vs. the Werewolf Woman," "Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla," "The Beyond," "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," "Rolling Vengeance," and "Silent Night, Deadly Night!" This time, they are bringing out even bigger guns, featuring the likes of George A. Romero's "DAY OF THE DEAD" and Don Coscarelli's "PHANTASM!"

Tickets can be pre-ordered right now (via PayPal) over at www.hudsonhorror.com for $26.00. If you don't pre-order (you'll wish that you had) you will have to pay $30.00 at the door and watch as all the people who pre-ordered their tickets online, file into the theater before you, and get the best seats. Also, be sure to bring extra money for the vendors who will be selling a vast array of DVDs, Blu-rays, DVD-Rs, action figures, comics books, etc!

I can't wait to see what the other three (four?) films that make up this show's already impressive roster. (I'm personally hoping for another kaiju film, or maybe a crazy Shaw Bros. flick like "Infra-Man!")

Also of interest to all you Horror fans out there, are the three new t-shirt designs from those magnificent folks at Fright-Rags! They've got a Limited Edition THE WOMAN tee available now; there's only 200 in existence and they are $24.95 apiece! Also new to the Fright-Rags catalog is a really cool shirt design for Adam Green's "Frozen" ($21.95) and the hilariously awesome parody tee, "Zombie Wars" (also $21.95)! Check out all the designs below, then head over to Fright-Rags and treat yourself. Go ahead, you've earned it!

Only 200 available! Order NOW!

Warning: This shirt may give you hard nipples!

Zombies Wars: A New.... BRAAAAAINS!

Lastly, I have been working on the Vault a LOT lately. Some of the stuff you can easily see (the RSS Feeds on the home page for instance) but a lot of it has been technical stuff behind the scenes to keep the site running smoothly. Everything is tuned up now, so I can finally add some new content! Expect a new article (about my day at the Hudson Horror Show IV) and new review (ROBOT MONSTER IN 3D!) to pop up on (hopefully) Monday! With that stuff completed, I can look to the future which involves a hefty checklist of things I want to accomplish before 2012 ends including:

Add screencaps to any and all reviews on the site that are currently lacking them.

Fixing up and posting all of the old reviews from the dusty Vault archives.

Setting up a regular update schedule so the site doesn't lay fallow for months at a time.

Get some guest writers to contribute to the Vault. (I can't pay you, but I can send screeners your way. Work for freebies!)

Record some new podcasts; maybe bring some "guests" onto my show. (Guests being fellow movie nerds.)

Record and edit some video reviews for my Youtube Channel. (Along with continuing my Riff Brothers web project.)

Start doing interviews with folks in the (b)film industry!

Yeah... that's quite a bit, but hey, it's a new year and I really want to make a commitment to building The Vault into something much bigger. So far, 2012 has proven to be a great year and I have high hopes that I can accomplish most, if not all of the items on my lengthy checklist. Wish me luck and keep fighting the good fight fellow b-movie lovers! Blog ya later!

STOP SOPA AND PIPA!

2012-01-18T01:15:00.001-05:00

THE BATTLECRY THAT COULD SAVE THE ONLINE WORLD!

Greetings b-movie fans! I make it a point to NOT discuss religion, sports, or politics on this blog because, well quite frankly, they are topics that cause arguments and/or severe boredom. But now, I and many others have been awoken from our slumber by a threat that stands to ruin the internet for all of us Americans. The freedom to share information, pictures, videos, and ideas is at stake here, and it is time we all pulled together and did our part to stop SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act) from becoming part of our nation's legislation.

Essentially, these bills which are meant to "deter piracy," give corporations (particularly companies in the entertainment industry) the power to get "infringing" sites BLOCKED from the web. (I guess this is sort of a thank you letter from Congress to the companies that helped Reps and Governors fund their way into the seats they will most likely lose if either bill is passed... but I digress.)

Essentially the web will be CENSORED and sites will be blocked from American web-surfers, based on whether or not a company like... oh, say... SONY believes that a site has infringing material. This essentially renders the Fair Use Law moot and means that any website on the internet, be it Wikipedia, Youtube, Facebook, or sites like The Vault or even Badmovies.Org could be blacklisted and banned by the powers that be.

That is why, for most of today, dozens (hundreds? thousands?!) of blogs and websites (including reddit, Google, and Wikipedia) will be "blacking out" to protest SOPA and PIPA. With that said, between 8AM and 8PM the Vault, The Riff Brothers blog, The Casual Gaming Blog, the Genre Watch blog, Radiation-Scarred Reviews, and Bill's Beta Ray Blog will be unavailable.

If you have a blog or website, make sure you do your part to spread the word about SOPA and PIPA, and do what you can to open the eyes of everyone else around you. Contact your congressmen (and women) and tell them to STOP SOPA AND PIPA before they totally f*ck up the last bastion of absolute freedom in the world!

For more information, check out this article and this article. Knowledge is power after all. Also, for more SOPA related rants from yours truly, FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER!

FRIDAY THE 13TH MIDNIGHT MADNESS: Donate to charity and win prizes and/or pre-order an awesome new Fright-Rags Jason Voorhees shirt!

2012-01-13T00:04:00.001-05:00

At midnight tonight (Eastern Standard Time), there will be two things you will absolutely NEED to do. First off, you will need to donate $5.00 (via PayPal or credit card) to the SCARES THAT CARE charity drive. Not only will you be doing a great thing (some of the money is going towards a family who's young son is a burn victim) but you can win some truly awesome stuff like an X-BOX 360, a Kindle, passes to various conventions and events, celebrity autographs, and more! Here are the full details on how you can help out someone in need, build up some good karma, and possibly win something cool in the process:

HELP THREE FAMILIES WHO ARE IN NEED OF OUR SUPPORT! DONATIONS FOR THIS EVENT NOW BEING ACCEPTED! (Scares That Care! is an IRS approved, 501 (c)(3) charity.)

During our first Friday the 13th Donation Day, we raised $2,200. During our Halloween event, we raised $1,220. This all comes from our fans simply logging in and donating a minimum of $5.00. When we have the kind of support, we can accomplish great things!

Donate Via Paypal - scares_that_care@yahoo.com
Or call toll free 1-855-666-2275 with your credit card, and speak to me directly to make your donation! (PLEASE NOTE - I work a full time day job. All calls will be returned to accept your donation. Please leave a message and I will call you back, or simply call after 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time!)

Please invite your friends! We are now able to accept credit cards as a form of payment; we will be drawing random donor names, so that I can give away the following:

XBox 360
Amazon Kindle
Autographed Kane Hodder Picture as "Jason Voorhees"
Handcrafted Hockey Mask - signed by Derek Mears
Autographed Robert Englund photo as Freddy Kruger
Autographed John Waters Book
Three(3) single day passes to "Blood On The Beach" Convention
One pair of VIP passes to the "Monster Mania" Convention
Three pairs of passes to "Days of The Dead" Convention.
Three pairs of passes to the "Dead Winter" Convention
One pair of passes to the "Horror Realm" Spring Break Massacre Show
One pair of passes to the Horror Realm Convention in September
HorrorDecor.com Gift Pack

And many other prizes!

For every five dollars donated, an entry number will be assigned. The more you donate, the more chances you have to win! Yes, you can donate multiple times during the event if you wish!

"Scares That Care!" is an all volunteer organization, which means that one hundred percent of your donation will go to those who need it. All donations are tax deductible!

I've already donated my five bucks, so you best hop to it b-movie fans! Before I move on I'm gonna wait until you've made your donation..... Did you do it yet? Yes? Good jobby! Now on to the next most important thing ever! FRIGHT-RAGS is taking pre-orders, beginning at midnight tonight and ending at 12:00 AM (EST) on Monday, January 16th, for their new GI JASON tee and hoodie! As mentioned in this previous post, the t-shirts will be $25.95; the hoodies will be $49.95, and will come in all sizes! Let's take one more look at this bad-ass shirt, designed by Jason Edmiston:

CLICK HERE AT MIDNIGHT TO PRE-ORDER THIS BADBOY!

That's it for now; stay tuned for some new stuff at the Vault and its satellite blogs!

JANUARY CONTEST AT THE VAULT! WIN RAY HARRYHAUSEN DVDS!

2012-01-07T15:01:00.000-05:00

While perusing this amazing book (a huge thanks to my friend Adam for hooking me up with it!) I realized I had a few Ray Harryhausen DVDs just sitting around and collecting dust, and decided that they needed a home. Therefore, through the month of January, you can enter to win any ONE of these THREE Harryhausen classics: 20,000,000 Miles to Earth, IT Came from Beneath the Sea, or Earth vs. The Flying Saucers!

Rules:
Send me an e-mail at vault_master@bmoviefilmvault.com with your preferred Harryhausen film of choice in the subject line. Include your name, mailing address, and in a few short sentences, tell me about your favorite monster or moment from a Ray Harryhausen film. Simple enough right?

You can put in an entry for each movie, but you will only walk away with one. Winners will be selected at random on January 31st. Prizes will be mailed out promptly on February 1st. For more info on this contest and to see me ramble on incoherently, check out the Youtube video below:

And don't forget to like the Vault on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, or subscribe to my Youtube channel! Get those entries in folks and good luck!

Limited Edition Fright-Rags tee & hoodie coming this Friday the 13th + cool b-movie fan fiction!

2012-01-06T14:34:00.004-05:00

If none of you are familiar with Fright-Rags or Canadian artist Jason Edmiston visit their sites and take in all the glory. Go ahead, I'll wait.... pretty damned cool stuff right? I count myself lucky that I actually own some of Jason's artwork; it was pricy but 100% worth it and is now sitting above my TV in my living room.


Night of the Creeps vs. The Monster Squad poster. Signed by Jason Edmiston, director Fred Dekker, and "Creeps" star Tom "THRILL ME!" Atkins! If you want your own, or any of Jason's other artwork, visit his Etsy store HERE!

Anyway, my point of all this is to announce that Fright-Rags and Jason Edmiston have teamed up to bring us all an awesome Limited Edition t-shirt/hoodie that will only be available next weekend starting at 12:01 AM EST on Friday the 13th and ending at midnight the following Sunday. This is a pre-order so it won't run out, all shirt sizes will be available for both men and women, and pricing is as follows: T-shirts are $25.95 / Hoodies are $49.95. Since this is a pre-order item, it could take up to four weeks for your item to arrive. Oh jeez... almost forgot to show you what it is that you can pre-order. You ready for this? I hope you are fellow nerds:

He'll get you on the land, the sea, or air!

I'm all ready to pre-order mine next Friday, you should be too! Maybe it if goes over well, we'll get a whole line of GI slashers! Sky's the limit as far as I'm concerned!

Also, before I close out this blog post, I wanted to share some b-movie fan fiction that was sent my way a few days ago by a writer named Tommie Johnson. It's a nifty little short story about the creation of a new team of heroes for a secret government group called the OIMC (Official Institute of Monster Control).

Its set in a universe where Japan is abandoned to due constant kaiju attacks, genetic body modification is all the rage with the kids, and Tromaville is a legit place and popular tourist attraction. Needless to say, I totally dug it. Give Tommie's A World of Schmucks and Monsters a quick read won't you? And see if you can pick out all the references to b-cinema he's packed into this monster-filled tale.

Well, I've got this entire day to myself, so before I chillax and do whatever it is that I want to do, I have some errands to run and some chores that need doing. Later tonight I will be posting a video on Youtube announcing a new contest at the Vault, and maybe I'll even get some writing done. (I've got a half-finished account of my trip to the Hudson Horror Show last month that needs completing... among other things.)

Have a good weekend everybody and check back soon for new content!

Silent Night, Deadly Night contest winner has been chosen; Chicago Fear Fest now calling for entries!

2012-01-06T02:11:00.003-05:00

Well I've finally picked a winner for last month's Silent Night, Deadly Night giveaway! After perusing photos of the six entrants who wanted to get their hands on the entire SNDN franchise, I finally settled on the gentleman that is featured in the images below.

PUNISH!

NAUGHTY!

The fellow in the Santa garb, and WINNER of all five Silent Night, Deadly Night films is Chris Laycox from Cambridge, Massachusetts! Congrats on your victory Chris; you are now permitted to act smug! Your movies will be shipped tomorrow; expect them early next week!

With that contest concluded, you may be wondering, "Jordan, will you be doing one for the month of January?" Well yes indeed! I will be announcing details very soon and... what's that? You're curious to know what's at stake this time around? Well... I didn't want to ruin the surprise but... it involves... Ray Harryhausen.

Moving on then, I received an e-mail about an all new indie Horror film festival in Chicago, IL called CHICAGO FEAR FEST. They are currently looking for entries, so if you have a short or feature-length Horror film, this is the place to send it! Here is the press release I was graced with earlier today:

CHICAGO’s newest indie horror film fest announces a call for entries! CHICAGO FEAR FEST

APRIL 13-14, 2012

MUVICO THEATERS ROSEMONT 18 ROSEMONT, IL
www.chicagofearfest.com

CHICAGO, IL – January 1, 2011
Chicago may be known as the “Second City”, but Chicago-based Horror Enterprises Flashback Weekend (Horror Conventions & Drive-In Film Fests), Horror Society (web based horror news & Horror film fests), Sinister Visions (horror website & graphic design), and Zombie Army Productions (Haunted House design & film production), are working to establish Chicago as the 1st city of Horror!

The weekend of April 13-14, 2012, these four Titans of the Chicago Horror Community and Muvico Theaters are teaming up to present CHICAGO FEAR FEST, a major two day indie horror film festival. All of the festival selections will screen at Chicago’s premiere movie going experience; the Muvico Theaters Rosemont 18 located in Rosemont, IL.

CHICAGO FEAR FEST will showcase the very best in cutting edge independent horror films. The lineup will include short films, feature films, celebrity guests, panel discussions, and Q & A’s. Festival after-parties will be held in Bogart’s, a full service bar and grill located on the second floor of the Muvico Theaters Rosemont 18.

Films will be judged based in 3 different categories: Best Feature, Best Short and Audience Favorite. The winning director of each category will be invited to appear as a featured celebrity guest at the Flashback Weekend Chicago Horror Convention to be held August 10-12, 2012 in Rosemont, IL.

CHICAGO FEAR FEST will be a celebration of the art of indie horror film making by encouraging and supporting independent filmmakers from around the world. CHICAGO FEAR FEST and Muvico Theaters are committed to promoting excellence in independent filmmaking by fostering a community of filmmakers and encouraging an appreciation of independent film.

We are accepting film submissions from horror filmmakers now! This is your chance to get your film screened in Chicago in front of an audience of high profile media, film critics, film-making industry professionals, and horror fans!

For more information about the festival and for film submission, please visit our website at WWW.CHICAGOFEARFEST.COM and follow us on facebook and twitter!!

That's it for now but expect all sorts of updates and new content to appear across the vast B-Movie Film Vault Empire soon! And to fully keep up to date on what I'm doing, watching, eating, or thinking, be sure to like the Vault on Facebook and follow me on the Twitter!

Six Fright-Rags tees back from the dead, new Riff Brothers stuff, a plea from Underbelly, and more!

2012-01-04T12:53:00.002-05:00

First off, HAPPY NEW YEAR b-movie fans! This is the very first blog post of 2012 (and truthfully, the first thing I've written in quite a while) so I'll kick it off with a ton of news regarding the Vault and some of its closest friends. First off, lets take a gander at what Fright-Rags has to offer at the moment:

Those glorious folks over at my favorite Horror t-shirt company have just brought six old designs back from the dead. You can pre-order any of them between now and January 8th, and get a nice 15% chunk off the final price! CLICK HERE to do some shopping! (Me? Well I ordered the "They Live" and "THRILL ME!" tees because my old ones are in pretty rough shape. Thank God they came back into print!)

Also, keep your eyes peeled next week, because I have a strong feeling that the Fright-Rags crew are going to be releasing something AWESOME on FRIDAY THE 13TH! Will it be a new Jason Voorhees poster? A shirt design? A huge collector's edition gift set? Guess we'll just have to wait until next Friday to know for sure!

Next up, my other web project, THE RIFF BROS., has done a crossover with a gent named Derek Huey. Derek is the mastermind behind the no-budget "The League of Science" web-series and invited us to poke fun at episode one of his show. So far it has been well-received (though I'm sure actor David Sitbon may want to throttle us) and it looks like we'll be doing the next three episodes. Until we get those completed, check out League of Science with Riff Bros. Commentary:

And speaking of web-series, UNDERBELLY is looking to storm the internet in 2012. They are regrouping, setting up a set "broadcast" schedule (every Thursday starting in February) and are looking for input from fans and viewers. Check out their latest vid, then send them some comments and help 'em get things sorted out for the new year:

Finally (for the moment) there's a helluva good deal going on over at HORROR MOVIE EMPIRE! They are currently having a sale on Synapse, Impulse, and Panick House DVD & Blu-ray titles: DVDs are $10, Blu-rays are $12, and DVD/Blu-ray combos are $15! This sale ends on January 8th so take advantage. Oh, and you get FREE SHIPPING TOO! CLICK HERE to start shopping! (Note: This site is a "one-man operation" and due to the large volume of sales, the owner is about a week behind on mailing out orders. So if you buy some stuff, prepare to wait a bit for it.)

Well that's all I've got for you at the moment. I'll be announcing the winner of last month's SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT GIVEAWAY tonight/tomorrow and I'll also be working on podcasts, videos, articles, and reviews. 2012 is going to be a landmark year for The Vault and its mini online empire, and the only way for that to happen is for me to get up off my lazy arse and get things done!

So Happy Belated New Year everyone! Here's hoping that 2012 is a good one for all of us!

Site updates, new contest, and Hudson Horror Show!

2011-12-07T12:32:00.002-05:00

Hey all, its been a while and I sincerely apologize. The last few weeks have been crazy and between coming down with a cold (which is still hanging on despite the best efforts of modern over the counter medication and other remedies), my full-time job, and heading off to Poughkeepsie, NY last weekend for the Hudson Horror Show, I haven't really had time (or the energy) to do much.

But now I'm feeling better, and nothing is really going to be preoccupying my time now that Christmas is mere weeks away, so I plan on getting some reviews typed up (for the Maniac Cop trilogy especially, since I missed doing so last month during the much-touted [by me] MANIAC COP MONTH), maybe a podcast, a few videos/vlogs, as well as an article or two.

And what is wrong with everybody these days? I give away FREE STUFF and almost no one enters to win it? Last month I only had a handful of entries for a brand new MANIAC COP BLU-RAY (won by G.W. Sherwood of Pompano Beach, FL! Congrats sir!) and now this month I'm giving away the entire SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT FRANCHISE ON DVD! (Note: The first two films are OOP and ridiculously expensive, so I'm burning copies of them to complete the set.) And thus far... NO ONE HAS ENTERED!

CONTEST RULES:
1.) Like the Vault on Facebook. CLICK HERE to make it so.
2.) Send me an e-mail at vault_master@bmoviefilmvault.com with something in the subject line stating your intentions. E.g. - SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT CONTEST.
3.) Along with your name and mailing address you must include a photo of A.) YOU dressed as a killer Santa or B.) YOU being murdered by Santa (can be photoshopped).
4.) Entries must be in by Christmas Eve. Winner will be selected on Christmas Day. You should have ALL FIVE SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT films before 2011 ends!

So seriously, ENTER NOW folks! Its an easy contest and the prize is well worth it!

Enter or else HE will find you!

Finally, before I head off to work today, I have to tell you about how awesome the Hudson Horror Show was. I'm in the process of typing up a full article about my adventures there but I want to at preface that here by saying that this film fest was amazing. It was well-organized, had some cool vendors, and the crowd was fantastic.

Aside from a couple drunks, everyone was polite and not too rowdy, and we all totally dug the trailers and films being projected onto the big screen. There were a few filmstrip snafus but the projectionist got the problem fixed ASAP and yours truly finally got to see a legit, classic Godzilla film on the big screen, AND flex my useless kaiju knowledge muscles in a quick giveaway! I had a blast and I'm definitely going back next Spring!

Well that's all the news that's fit to print; I gotta run. Check out the Vault over the next few days and good luck with your Christmas shopping. (There's only what... sixteen shopping days left until Christmas arrives?) Blog ya later!

WIN A BRAND NEW BLU-RAY OF MANIAC COP!

2011-11-16T02:09:00.001-05:00

Yes, you read that correctly, you can win a brand new Synapse Films' Blu-ray of MANIAC COP from yours truly. How do you win? Well, first of all LIKE THE VAULT OVER AT FACEBOOK! Then watch the videos below to get full details on winning the Blu-ray:

Look for a new full-length review for MANIAC COP at the Vault this weekend and expect more updates and videos as well!

The 4th Annual Hudson Horror Show is coming!

2011-11-12T01:58:00.002-05:00

For those of you living in or around the Poughkeepsie, NY area, I am extremely jealous. On December 3rd (a mere three weeks away) you get the chance to celebrate the Horror genre in style at the HUDSON HORROR SHOW IV!

The event kicks off at high noon with a six-film marathon featuring 35MM prints of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT, THE BEYOND, ROLLING THUNDER, THE WEREWOLF VS. THE VAMPIRE WOMAN, and... a SECRET SIXTH FEATURE FILM! Amidst the films there will be vintage drive-in style trailers and there will also be various vendors peddling their wares (shirts, DVDs, collectibles, etc.) so bring some extra cash!

I'm definitely thinking of attending this event (requested that Saturday and following Sunday off from work just in case) and urge all of you reading this to do the same if possible! Remember folks, the show's on Saturday, December 3rd at Noon! Advance tickets are $26; tickets at the door are $30.00. This will all take place at the SILVER CINEMAS at the SOUTH HILL MALL, and don't b*tch about the price because you are getting SIX movies for your cash plus a night full of memories that will last you a lifetime. Mark that weekend on your calendars and maybe, just maybe, I'll see some of you there!

Wait what? You're not familiar with some (or God help you, ALL) of the films in the lineup? Well here's a promotional trailer for the show, that'll give you a taste of the awesomeness you can expect:

Underbelly-palooza!

2011-11-11T13:05:00.003-05:00

Since I've been remiss to pass on the Underbelly goodness that I enjoy (for the last month and half or so) here are the last four videos posted by these brave and funny souls including in no particular order: Their Halloween episode where trick-or-treaters get candy at the homes of several video game characters, their coverage of the latest NY COMIC-CON, their visit to a book-signing for Maddox's "I'm Better Than Your Kids," and finally a brand-spanking new video kicking off "Zelda Month" that has a wonderfully shocking (and romantical) ending. Check 'em all out below!

Stay tuned for new stuff everyone because November is MANIAC COP MONTH at the Vault! Expect reviews for all three films in the franchise, PLUS enter to win a BRAND NEW Maniac Cop Blu-ray (details on the Vault's main page). Also I have some news coming up about several cool events, and I'll be posting more videos on Youtube as well. It's gonna be a busy month so stick around b-movie fans!

Thoughts on film piracy + legit PIRANHA 3DD teaser!

2011-10-19T03:01:00.007-05:00

As I was scouring the web earlier tonight, I came across two interesting things. First off, an article over at FREDDY IN SPACE concerning illegal downloading caught my eye. (READ IT!) John makes some good points and touches upon all the excuses that many folks use to rationalize what they are doing. Downloading a film for free (whether it be a shitty bootleg of a recently released Hollywood film that was shot with a camcorder, or a DVD rip) is wrong, plain and simple.

Now yours truly is no angel as I have dabbled in piracy myself, but I stay in the "gray" areas and focus my efforts on downloading obscure, rare, and out of print movies that I cannot simply purchase at a store, online or otherwise. That still doesn't make it right, but in some cases, it is the only option I have. I see it as the equivalent of buying a homemade DVD-R, that contains a VHS-rip of some obscure 80's horror flick that has long been out of print. So for any of you high and mighty "I never illegally download anything" folks who pick up fan-made DVD-Rs online and at conventions, well... you are technically pirates as well.

Anyway, the second thing that prompted me to share some thoughts and opinions on this matter was the new short that "Hatchet" director Adam Green created. It's a funny (and gory) PSA talking about the inherent dangers of illegally downloading films off the web. Give it a look; it's great!

Piracy is nothing new, especially on the web, and I doubt anyone really thinks about the possible repercussions. No, not the repercussions that you'll suffer if you get caught (fines and threats of actual jail time), but the ones that affect the film makers, actors, special f/x teams, and all those involved in creating the movies you decided you just had to watch for free. Yeah, I'm getting preachy, but it bugs me, especially when guys like Eli Craig (director of "Tucker & Dale vs. Evil") discover their movie has leaked out onto the web long before they were able to find a distributor. That's not cool.

Film piracy is chugging along with no end in sight (unless Net Neutrality ends and/or laws are passed that will block certain sites from the American public) and studios are fighting a seemingly impossible battle against the army of digital buccaneers that are plundering their film libraries. So how should the powers that be in Hollywood fight back? Should harsher consequences be implemented for those that are caught? Should a privatized web-police force be set up to go after illegal downloaders? Ummm.... NO.

Submitted for your approval, here are a few ideas I have that will not only help Hollywood battle online piracy, but will also benefit us consumers too.

1.HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS NEED TO BECOME "THRIFTIER."
If it's one thing I've noticed, it is that movie budgets are becoming pretty damned ridiculous these days. Here's a word of advice to all the big studios in Hollywood: Scale back your production costs! And while you're at it, stop spending so much damned money on advertising! If a film cost $20 million to make, don't attach another $20 million dollars in advertising fees to it! Now the movie will have to make back MORE than double its budget for you to see a profit!

If studios manage to get their crazy spending under control, the savings will eventually trickle down to consumers. Theater ticket prices (and maybe even concession prices) will go down, and the cost of a brand new DVD or Blu-ray on their initial release days may drop as well. Making films is a business, therefore studios should cut costs and increase revenue. Now this sounds easy on paper, but I'm sure there's tons of red tape that would make this simple solution next to impossible. Still, think it over Hollywood.

2. EASE PUNISHMENTS ON OFFENDING PIRATES
What? Go easy on those that would engage in digital piracy? Are you mad?! Well... no, I don't think so. The voices in my head say I'm perfectly fine. All kidding aside though, studios and the MPAA (who gave them all the power they have anyway?) need to chill out with their hefty fines and whatnot. Instead of charging several thousand dollars because someone has a few movies on their hard drive after visiting The Pirate Bay, why not force the downloader to pay the freakin' cost of a legal digital download or DVD? That way, they have "purchased" the film and can keep it, you turn a small profit, and walk away looking like less of a douchebag.

3. MAKE ALL DVDS & BLU-RAYS REGION 0
Who was the moron was that decided that there needed to be a whopping six (seven if you count Region 0) DVD regions in the world? That is just stupid as Hell! It is not fair to consumers when a film is available in a foreign country that is not available here. For that one reason alone, many people download foreign films off the web since they sometimes take months, even years, to reach the United States. Make all discs playable worldwide and piracy will take a hit in the gut.

If I can buy any movie I want, from any country on Earth, without having to own special equipment, that'd be amazing. Some companies already do this (Blue Underground) and it'd be awesome if others would follow suit. Then again... there's probably lots of red tape that would stop this from happening, since multiple distribution firms worldwide probably own the rights to various movies in each region (which is why the U.K. can get a "House" boxed set and us Yanks can't). If everything went to Region 0, I suppose it would most likely put a lot of them out of business. For that reason alone, this will probably never happen, but hey... the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.....

4. DIGITIZE ENTIRE FILM LIBRARIES; EMBRACE DIGITAL DOWNLOADING
One thing that always brings me back to the seedy world of movie downloading is the fact that there are so many films that are out of print, or just completely unavailable anywhere. Studios need to start going through their vaults, pull out everything they can, and convert them into a digital format. Not only will this help preserve many older, lesser known titles for decades to come (its always good to have a backup copy) but once this task is completed, the films can be sold to curious consumers.

Entire film libraries can then be streamed for a small fee, or downloaded for a bit more money, or customers can pay full price and either receive an actual DVD in the mail, or download a disc ISO and burn it themselves.

Warner Bros. does something like this with its own "burn to order" DVD service, however, the prices are high and the films are burned to DVD-R discs. (Wait a minute.... now studios are bootlegging their own flicks for a profit?!) Its a great idea, but who wants to pay twenty bucks for a DVD-R of "The Green Slime," especially if it's easy to download off the web, and readily available at a vendor's table at a convention? (Totally a rhetorical question by the way.)

To sum up this idea: Make more films available to your customers, keep the pricing reasonable, and make it readily and easily available in a digital format. Get it? Got it? Good!

Now these are just a few ideas that hit me, and its doubtful that any of them would ever be implemented or actually work (#2 and #3 would totally work by the way), but I felt that I had to throw my two cents in after reading what John had to say. If you agree with me, or disagree with me, or have ideas of your own to fight piracy while simultaneously benefiting consumers, be sure to comment below or over at the Vault's Facebook Page.

Finally, before I go to bed, I'd like to let you see the fun teaser trailer for PIRANHA 3DD that was unveiled during yesterday's airing of the SPIKE SCREAM AWARDS. It looks like so much fun, with tons of big ole boobies bouncing around, and lots of killer CGI fish, and.... Ving Rhames with SHOTGUN LEGS! Give it a look, then weep because it has been shelved by those idiots over at Dimension until sometime next year:

Well it's pretty late here in my neck of the woods and my eyes are trying to close without my approval, so I bid you all a good night.

Big Screen News: See Fulci's ZOMBI in theaters this weekend; PIRANHA 3DD delayed til 2012?

2011-10-17T23:17:00.002-05:00

Ok, tonight I have good news and bad news regarding some awesome cult films that are hitting the big screen. First up, Lucio Fulci's ZOMBI, which is coming out in a deluxe 2-Disc "Ultimate Edition" Blu-ray from Blue Underground on October 24th (pre-order it HERE), is getting a limited nationwide theatrical release on October 21st and 22nd. (And on other dates, which will be noted on the list below.)

If you live in or near any of the following cities, I envy you. I've seen ZOMBI (a.k.a. Zombie, Zombie Creeping Flesh, Zombi 2) on the big screen once and it was a magical experience.

Here's the list of lucky cities who will get to enjoy the flesh-eating, eye-gouging, and shark-battling insanity of Fulci's most notable film:

ALBUQUERQUE
Guild Cinema (Oct. 28 & 29)

ATLANTA
Plaza Theatre (9:30pm, Oct. 21 only)

AUSTIN
Alamo The Ritz (9:30pm, Oct. 24 & 7:00pm, Oct. 31)

AUSTIN
Alamo S. Lamar (7:00pm, Oct. 30)

BOSTON
Coolidge Corner Theatre

CHICAGO
Music Box Theatre

CLEVELAND
Capitol Theatre (Oct. 15)

DALLAS
Landmark Inwood Theatre

DENVER
Landmark Esquire

DETROIT
Landmark Main Art

HOUSTON
Landmark River Oaks

JACKSONVILLE, FL
5 Points Theatre (11:30pm, Oct. 21 only)

KANSAS CITY
Tivoli Cinemas (9:00pm)

LAS VEGAS
Theatre 7 (7:00pm, Oct. 31)

LAWRENCE, KS
Liberty Hall (10:00pm, Oct. 21 only)

LOS ANGELES
New Beverly Cinema

MESA, AZ
The Royale (10:00pm, Oct. 21 & 9:00pm, Oct. 22)

MINNEAPOLIS
Landmark Uptown (Nov. 4 & 5)

NEW YORK CITY
Landmark's Sunshine

OTTAWA, ONTARIO
Mayfair Theatre (11:30pm, Oct. 21 only)

PHILADELPHIA
Landmark Ritz Bourse (10:00pm)

PITTSBURGH
The Oaks Theater (11:59pm, Oct. 21 & 7:00pm, Oct. 22)

PORTLAND, OR
Hollywood Theatre (9:30pm)

SACRAMENTO
Crest Theatre

SAN ANTONIO
Alamo Westlakes (10:00pm)

SAN DIEGO
Landmark Ken Cinema

SAN FRANCISCO
Roxie Theater (Various Times, Oct. 29 - 31)

SEATTLE
Landmark Egyptian
(Ian McCulloch in person on Oct. 21!)

ST. LOUIS
Hi-Pointe Theatre

ST. PETE BEACH, FL
The Beach Theatre

TORONTO
The Revue Cinema (Oct. 22 & 31)

TUCSON, AZ
The Loft Cinema

WASHINGTON, D.C.
Landmark E Street Cinema

WICHITA, KS
Warren Old Town Theater (7:00 & 9:00pm, Oct. 24 & 25)

WINCHESTER, VA
Alamo Drafthouse Winchester

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA
Park Theatre Cafe (8:00pm, Oct. 13)

YELLOW SPRINGS, OH
Little Art Theatre (9:00pm, Oct. 22 only)

Sigh.... the closest place to me is Philadelphia, but I don't have the money or the time to rush down there this weekend. Well... at least I saw it in a theater once in my lifetime, I guess I should be content with that. CLICK HERE to visit Blue Underground's website and double check to see if they added any other screening locations or changed movie times between now and Friday.

Anyway, the next bit of news is not so joyous. John Gulager's PIRANHA 3DD will not be in theaters next month. Renn Brown over at CHUD.com has reported that the film was unceremoniously yanked from its original release date and shelved by the powers that be at Dimension. While some speculate that they are saving it for a (perhaps) late Spring/early Summer 2012 release (which makes some sense), others say that it will probably go straight to DVD. This sort of bums me out because even though I didn't actually like the previous film, I still had fun watching it, plus I was actually anticipating the sequel, which looks to be completely batshit insane. I want to see Ving Rhames return as a paraplegic with guns for legs dammit!

I'll post more info about the eventual solid release date for PIRANHA 3DD. Here's hoping to see it sooner rather than later.

Help indie film maker complete "CURSE OF THE PHANTOM SHADOW." Watch "KIDS GO TO THE WOODS... KIDS GET DEAD" free for a limited time!

2011-10-17T11:41:00.000-05:00

I always do what I can for independent film makers who are either trying to promote their films, or find funding to complete their project. And speaking of which, I received an e-mail today from a one Mark Ross, who is currently working on a retro tribute to pulp heroes and classic serials called CURSE OF THE PHANTOM SHADOW. He has paid for most of the movie out of his own pocket, but he needs just a little more help to complete it. Mark is trying to raise $5,000 to finish his film and needs your help to get there.

Head on over to his Kickstarter page and pledge a dollar or more towards CURSE OF THE PHANTOM SHADOW. You'll need a credit card and you WON'T be charged unless he hits his goal. I know the economy is tough (believe me I know) but will donating a buck really put a dent in your bank account? Also, if you donate more ($25, $50, $100, etc.) you will get listed in the film's credits and get all sorts of cool goodies. I've said all I can, so let Mark and company try to convince you with some footage from their project:

I think it looks pretty damned cool and will gladly pledge some money towards it. And.... there. I pledged $25.00! Good luck Mark; hope you guys pull enough funds together!

Speaking of indie films, the folks behind KIDS GO TO THE WOODS... KIDS GET DEAD are showing their film for free over at their official website (for a limited time). CLICK HERE to watch this shot-on-digital-video Horror flick. If you like what you see, you can buy the DVD (with a bunch of extra features) for $8.99, or download it to keep for $3.99. CLICK HERE to purchase the film and support independent cinema!

Stay tuned for some actual new content at the Vault, and get ready because Halloween is now less than two weeks away! Blog ya later b-movie fans!

Halloween Giveaways! Win "The Omen" on Blu-ray or "Basket Case 2" & "Terror in the Aisles" on VHS!

2011-10-15T15:05:00.003-05:00

I'm currently having a pair of giveaways at the Vault. Starting today, and ending at midnight EST on Oct. 26th, you can enter to win either a Blu-ray (opened but never watched) of "The Omen," or two VHS tapes (previous rentals hailing from the 80's!) of "Basket Case 2" and "Terror in the Aisles." How do you win either prize? Well, it is actually quite easy!

First, if you are on Facebook CLICK HERE to "like" The B-Movie Film Vault. Go ahead... I'll wait. Huh? You don't have a Facebook, but have a Twitter? Well, shucks, I'm on there too! Follow me: @BMovieFilmVault!

Now that you've done that, (and hopefully shared my site with a few friends) send me an e-mail at vault_master [at] bmoviefilmvault [dot] com with OMEN BLU-RAY GIVEAWAY and/or HORROR VHS GIVEAWAY in the subject line. In the body of your e-mail, include your name, address, and if you're aiming to have the Blu-ray, include a few sentences describing your favorite scene from the movie.

I will be collecting entries until the end of October 26th, then choose winners at random, announce their names, and mail out their prizes ASAP. (The goal here is to have your stuff arrive on Halloween!) So get those entries in now while there is still plenty of time and good luck Horror fans!

Oh... wait... what's THIS? There's another giveaway? Well ... yeah, actually. To help spread the word about my other web project, THE RIFF BROTHERS, I am giving away five DVDs! First place gets TWO riffed films of their choice, our long lost, never-before-seen Halloween Special from last year, and an autographed photo. Two runners up will walk away with copies of our Halloween Special. For full details on how to win, and to see the list of films you can choose from CLICK HERE! Thanks for entering and good luck!

Underbelly's FIVE WORST MOVIE MONSTERS + AWESOME DVD & BLU-RAY DEALS!

2011-10-13T12:17:00.002-05:00

Halloween will be here in just over two weeks (YAY!) and its time to get in the spooky holiday spirit. Submitted for your approval, here is Underbelly's first Horror-themed video for the month, featuring five of the worst movie monsters to ever grace the silver screen. Check it out!

It warms my heart to see them back in action after the Flood of 2011. Welcome back Underbelly crew!

Next up, here are some awesome deals on Horror flicks from Amazon.com and the awesome folks over at Shout! Factory. Right now on Amazon, you can pick up the "Omen Blu-ray Collection" for a whopping.... $19.99! Four movies, lots of extras, and perfect picture and audio for only twenty bucks! You can't beat that! CLICK HERE to order yourself a copy. C'mon, Halloween's around the corner... TREAT yourself!

Next up, Shout! Factory is selling off bundled DVD and Blu-ray packs of their Roger Corman Cult Classics and Elvira Movie Macabre lines. They have four main deals going right now, the latter of which is super-expensive but damn well worth it. Here are the offers with prices; click on the links for more info!

1. Elvira's Movie Macabre Double Features Bundle - 6 Double Feature DVDs, 12 movies = $42.00 + s/h
2. Elvira's Movie Macabre Singles Bundle - 6 DVDs = $35.99 + s/h
3. Roger Corman Blu-ray Bundle - 4 Discs = $59.99 + s/h
4. Roger Corman Mega DVD Bundle - 20 Films, 13 discs = $149.99 + s/h

YOU WANT THIS! DON'T DENY IT! CLICK THE IMAGE TO ORDER!

You can never have too much Corman!

Well that's all for today! New stuff is coming to the Vault and its satellite blogs soon! Stay tuned! 19 more days until Hall-O-ween! SIL-VER, SHAM-ROCK!

Avengers Trailer is GO + New FRIGHT-RAGS tees!

2011-10-11T10:40:00.000-05:00

Been a while since I posted anything, so here's a dose of awesome to kick off your Tuesday. First up, the 100% official trailer for next May's THE AVENGERS has hit the web and it looks amazing! Robert Downey Jr. looks like he'll be bringing his A-game as Tony Stark, and will provide a good foil for fellow Avenger Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America. Check out this trailer and get excited:

CLICK HERE TO WATCH IT!

(Video was too big to embed on my blog.)

Now for something more holiday oriented. Those magnificent folks over at Fright-Rags have released SIX new horror-themed tees that are cool as hell, plus they are briefly re-releasing their much-loved "We Belong Alive" shirt design. All sales of that shirt will be donated to the ongoing war against breast cancer. (Forget saving the whales; save the boobies!) Check out the designs below then pony up some dough before they are gone!

Buy this for a very good cause.


"I'm gonna sleep in your bloody carcasses tonight!"

Laid to Rest 2: Electric Boogaloo

Is there someTHING in my teeth?!

Your bones will stay crunchy in milk!


The chocolatey goodness will drive you MAD!

Snap, Crackle, BRAIIIIINS!

All shirts are $19.95 (plus shipping and handline), except for the extremely limited (200 shirts only) Rue Morgue THING tee and the limited edition "We Belong Alive" design. Both of those bad boys are $24.95 apiece, and well worth it!

Well that's it for today b-movie fans. I'm going to try and get off my lazy arse and get some new content up on the site soon (this is after all, my month to shine). I'm thinking a few new reviews and maybe a podcast on the main site, along with some fresh new content here at the main Vault blog and over at Genre Watch, The Casual Gaming Blog, and The Riff Brothers should sate you as October rolls onward. Check back soon for new stuff and if you haven't started watching Horror flicks daily, you best start because there's only "twenty more days 'til Hall-o-ween! SIL-VER SHAM-ROCK!"

New Capsule Review: Conan the Barbarian (2011)

2011-09-01T03:54:00.000-05:00

I finally completed my review for CONAN THE BARBARIAN and it is not an overly positive one. I really did give it a chance, and I gave my buddy Bill the benefit of the doubt because he was so positive that I would like it. Unfortunately in the end, the film did nothing but disappoint me. Give the review a look and then decide for yourself if you want to see Momoan the Bore-barian in action.

Oh and check out this totally hilarious video I found on Youtube. It pretty much sums up my feelings towards the new Conan:

Bad Movie Challenge: Conan the Barbarian (2011)!

2011-08-27T10:24:00.001-05:00

Conan tries to deflect bad reviews with his sword.

Earlier last week my buddy and fellow blogger Bill (of Bill's Beta Ray Blog fame) saw the new "Conan the Barbarian" and was raving about it. He really enjoyed it. Thinking that perhaps I was too harsh in my earlier assessment of the film's trailers, I decided to look up "Conan" on IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes and discovered that not only did the majority of film critics and reviewers hate it, but so did quite a few fans. (Enough "Average Joes" enjoyed it enough to give it a, currently, 5.4 over at IMDB.)

I taunted Bill with excerpts from various reviews that spewed venomous comments about the film. He became agitated and fought back against me, saying I couldn't really judge the movie unless I had seen it for myself. And thusly, a challenge was (seemingly) inadvertently laid before me. I told Bill I'd go see the film this weekend but NOT in 3D, and would follow it up with a review. The former I'm doing to appease my friend because quite frankly, I don't really want to give ANY money to this movie: I'm pretty sure it is going to suck. (Sure the critics hated it but the box office numbers never lie: This flick is a bomb!) The latter I'm doing because I need to get back to writing, plus bashing this film will provide me with some catharsis for the pain I'll most likely endure.

So in a few short hours, I will be sitting (by myself because no one will share the pain with me) in a theater and watching the CGI exploits of Momoan the Barbarian. Will I end up hating the film? Will I kinda-sorta like it? Will I have a huge change of heart and praise it as one of the best movies of the year? Well if you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you'll know later tonight. Otherwise, stay tuned for my capsule review!

Vault Empire Updates + Underbelly goes to OTAKON!

2011-08-08T12:13:00.000-05:00

The Summer is coming to a close and soon the members of the Vault Empire will all be huddled indoors with nothing more to do than watch movies, read comics, play games, and write about it. Until then, updates will continue to be sporadic for most of us. And speaking of updates....

GENRE WATCH

MMA ADDICT

UFC 133 (Preview)

RADIATION-SCARRED REVIEWS

There's some new Genre Watch goodness hitting the web tomorrow with a roster of released for this week PLUS a special post on three upcoming Blu-ray releases that will make your mouth water and won't break the bank! Amazon has some amazing deals coming up so don't miss out!

That's it for myself and my fellow Vault Empire bloggers so I will now leave you with the latest episode of Underbelly, where the crew heads to OTAKON to check out the cosplay fun!

FOUR NEW FRIGHT-RAGS TEES REVEALED! GET 'EM WHILE THEY'RE HOT!

2011-07-28T11:43:00.000-05:00

The awesome team at Fright-Rags, just unveiled FOUR NEW T-SHIRT DESIGNS that are guaranteed to make your mouth water. Check 'em out:

Blood Diner

Dog Soldiers!

Jordy Verill from CREEPSHOW!

THRILLER - A Cruel Picture.

As always, each shirt comes in a variety of sizes (Small to XXXL) and each one runs at $19.95 and is totally worth it! Also, Fright-Rags has gotten three of their most asked for shirts back in stock. If none of the shirts above are your thing (which I highly doubt) then maybe you'd like their amazing CRITTERS shirt, or their Nightmare On Elm St. "You're All My Kittens Now" parody tee, or maybe even their amazing Jeff Zornow drawn, BOGUS tee, which features the heroes and villains of "Night of the Creeps" and "The Monster Squad!"

Also also, don't forget to check out the two awesome "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" posters they have for sale! Get your limited edition poster before they are GONE!

Superhero Pic Mania! Judge Dredd, Ghost Rider, and The Avengers!

2011-07-26T02:27:00.000-05:00

Next year is shaping up to be another excellent year for superhero cinema, and lucky for you, I scour the web (mainly CHUD.com because they are 100% awesome!) for new movie news daily. Tonight I came across some images from three of next year's biggest superhero films. Or well... images from next year's biggest superhero event film and two lesser comic book films that may please their respective fans and hopefully make up for past cinematic transgressions against said heroes. Anyway, here's the good stuff:

THE AVENGERS

Some Assembly Required!

A CLOSER LOOK:

The Voluptuous Black Widow.

"I Am IR-ON MAN!"

HULK SMASH!

CAP-TAIN AM-ER-I-CA!

Ride the Lightning with THOR!

HAWKEYE! Where's the goofy purple costume?


NICK FURY gets the motherfckin' Avengers motherfckin' assembled!

So there's the good news. Now onto the bad. Here are some photos for the upcoming JUDGE DREDD and GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE. Behold the awfulness of Karl Urban in a majorly stripped-down Judge uniform:

Thousands of Dredd fans have that same look on their face...

Lastly here's a few pics from the next Ghost Rider, starring Nicholas Cage and Idris Elba:

Meh.


Cool! Heimdall's in this movie!

The shot of Ghost Rider is OK; I'm sure he'll look much cooler in action. As for Idris Elba being in this movie... I'm all for it. Regardless of how the hardcore Norse-lovin' fanboys felt about him play Heimdall in THOR, even they had to admit that he was great as the all-seeing gatekeeper of Asgard. I'm not sure who Idris will be playing, but I'm pretty positive he'll be totally bad ass!

A big thanks to CHUD.com for posting all of these pics; you guys rock! Be sure to visit them DAILY for news, reviews, and articles about film, comics, TV, and video games!

More blog posts and other goodies are coming soon so stay tuned b-movie fans!

Vault Empire Updates + New Underbelly episodes + Mortal Kombat Legacy: Episode 9!

2011-07-24T23:33:00.001-05:00

I have yet to get my lazy ass in gear and type up some new content for The Casual Gaming Blog, Genre Watch, or The Vault itself, but that will be changing soon. In the meantime, here's some stuff to read from some of my fellow pop culture bloggers:

Beta Ray Blog

MMA Addict

Radiation-Scarred Reviews

Forbidden Adventure (1935)

In Underbelly news: They are focusing heavily on Final Fantasy this month and have been out and about at the latest Wizard World con. Check out all their new videos below:

Lastly (for now), Machinima finally released the latest webisode of Mortal Kombat: Legacy onto Youtube. Wether you've seen the rest or not, it doesn't matter, because CYRAX and SEKTOR turn into bad-ass robo-ninjas in this episode. Prior eps have gone through brief intros (and backstories) for Mileena, Kitana, Johnny Cage, Raiden, Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Jax, Kano, and Sonya Blade, and they are pretty impressive to say the least. (Actual martial artists AND Hollywood actors?!) Check it out for yourself:

That's all I've got to share for now. Enjoy the vids, reviews, and articles, and prepare for new stuff very soon! Blog ya later b-movie fans!

B-Movie Film Vault Empire Updates!

2011-07-16T13:11:00.001-05:00

Here's the latest batch of posts, articles, reviews, etc. from the small conglomerate of blogs that makes up the Vault Empire:

THE CASUAL GAMING BLOG

THE MMA ADDICT

The Genre Watch blog will be gearing up for weekly updates again soon; there will be a new review for "Godzilla: Goliaths and Gangsters #1" at the Beta Ray Blog within the next few days; Bill from Radiation-Scarred Reviews is on sabbatical from writing for a little while as he enjoys the Summer and spends some quality time with his lady.

Stay tuned for more bloggage; enjoy your weekend!

Back to the grindstone + Vault now on Twitter!

2011-07-12T23:30:00.000-05:00

Hello all. Sorry I haven't posted ANYTHING new in a few weeks. I came down with a bad cold and it held on for nearly two weeks, plus I've just been busy enjoying the Summer sun. However, I've been bitten by the writing bug again and plan on adding a lot of new content to all of my sites and blogs. Here's what I've got going on so far:

Genre Watch - I'll be getting back on track with this very soon! I've gotten the format down to something extremely simple now, so it doesn't take as long as it used to to write up each post. The problem is that I can't seem to stick to the weekly posting schedule for more than a month.... maybe I should simplify it even more?

Casual Gaming Blog - I'll be posting a new, five-part article entitled FIVE NES GAMES THAT SHOULD BE MADE INTO MOVIES! After that, I'll be tackling a list of films based on games that NEED to be remade! I also plan on jumping back into posting weekly (perhaps monthly) updates on new game releases as well.

The Vault - New reviews! I freakin' promise! I nearly finished by review of "Super 8" but got too distracted to complete it. I'm still more than open to having guest writers add content to the site. If you want to write for the Vault, drop me an e-mail at vault_master[at]bmoviefilmvault[dot]com!

Bill's Beta Ray Blog - I'm going to be doing a review for issue one of "Godzilla: Gangsters and Goliaths." This five issue series is off to a helluva start and I can't wait to read the next one! I'm still awaiting my issue of Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters #3, but I managed to get my paws on #4 and I'm really digging it. Oh, and as always, the Zornow cover art is phenomenal. The Eric Powell cover art... stills sucks balls.

The B-Movie Film Vault Blog - I plan on trying to match the number of posts from last month. It felt good to update almost daily and really helped get me in the mood to write again. Expect a buttload of bloggery in the future!

The B-Movie Film Vault Forum - Still making some posts in there and always trying to generate interest in it. Needless to say, out of all the things I've tried with my site, the Forum was always the biggest failure. If you have a heart (and some free time) start an account and get posting!

Finally, before I venture off to do a bit o' writing before bed, I would like to announce that The Vault is now on Twitter. I'm not quite accustomed to it yet, and I'm not a hardcore "tweeter" at the moment, but I'm sure I'll be abusing it thoroughly in the coming weeks. To follow me just click on the button below!

Follow @BMovieFilmVault

Check back soon for new stuff!

Latest Vault Empire Updates; new episode of Underbelly; Rifftrax Live coming in August!

2011-06-26T02:09:00.005-05:00

Greetings everyone; your friendly neighborhood Vault Master here with a few things to share with you. First off, check out my rockin' "digital badge" that I just received in an e-mail the other day. I got this for donating a dollar to the "DETROIT NEEDS ROBOCOP" project. Essentially, some crazy folks decided that they want a RoboCop statue built in the middle of Detroit. Against the pleas of Detroit's mayor, more than enough funds were pulled together to make the (1:1 scale) statue a reality. It is currently in the process of being molded (or is it being sculpted?) and should make its triumphant unveiling next year at Wayne State University's TechTown campus!

Directive 4: Donate to worthy RoboCop-related projects.

And now onto the latest updates from the B-Movie Film Vault Empire:

Genre Watch

Genre Watch - June 2010 (Week of 06/19 - 06-25)

MMA Addict

UFC: Marquardt vs. Story. A Preview.

I know that isn't much, but fear not for Summer is here and all of us under the Vault banner are taking more time out to relax and enjoy the sunshine. We have not gone quietly into the night, we have not yet surrendered without a fight! More new stuff is coming from ALL of us, I promise!

And now for something truly entertaining... and random. I have become a huge fan of Underbelly and this latest episode caps off their "superhero month" perfectly. In this episode, Newt dons a costume and prepares to become the next legendary superhero whose exploits will make tales worthy of contemporary comic books! Prepare for the coming of...... UNDERBULLY!

Finally, here's some kick ass news that I've been sitting on for at least a week now. (I would have posted about it sooner but I sorta forgot.) The Rifftrax crew (i.e. Mike Nelson, Bill Corbett, and Kevin Murphy) are bringing fans another dose of RIFFTRAX LIVE on August 17th! The movie of choice this time? "JACK, THE GIANT KILLER" featuring Kerwin Matthews and various stop-motion creatures that look like horrific versions of Gumby characters. Feast your eyes upon the trailer!

I actually loved this movie when I was a kid but I'm more than willing to sit down and watch it be verbally torn asunder by these three demigods of movie riffing.

Well that's it for tonight folks. I currently have a LOT of stuff I want to write about; I have it all up in my thick skull, I just need to get it down on paper.. err... I mean Wordpad. Besides some new movie reviews (like the horribly belated ones for "Super 8" and "Troll Hunter"), I have some new articles in the works (including two new "Indie Films You Should Be Stoked For" articles plus some new stuff for the Casual Gaming Blog) and the outline for a new podcast. Stay tuned for more blogging and whatnot as the days go by!

Oh, and before I forget, be sure to head on over to FREDDY IN SPACE! This frequently updated Horror blog has now reached its THIRD YEAR ONLINE and garnered a good cult following, and deservedly so: its webmaster consistently delivers quality articles and reviews, and frequently has awesome contests! Make sure to bookmark Freddy In Space.com right now and visit it often!

G'night everyone!

Guillermo del Toro's PACIFIC RIM!

2011-06-23T11:46:00.002-05:00

For any of you that follow film news religiously, you probably were saddened to hear that Guillermo del Toro will NOT be directing an R-rated "At the Mountains of Madness." This is because Universal (who was recently hemming and hawing over the budget of Ron Howard's proposed "Dark Tower" series) refused to budge on the rating; they feel that they are taking a huge financial chance on a Lovecraft-themed film and didn't want to lose out on the teenage crowd. (And as we all know... today's youth just loves H.P. Lovecraft. That was sarcasm by the way. 90% of kids today have no idea who Lovecraft is... unless they managed to see Cthulhu's appearance on South Park.)

"Universal.... you are forcing my hand. Give me an R-rating or else...."

In any case, Guillermo hopped from his dream project to something infinitely cooler (in my eyes): A little film called "Pacific Rim." Set to start filming at the end of this year (for a Summer 2013 release), the film already has Idris Elba (Heimdall from "THOR") and Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy) attached (with Charlie Day interested in a role as well), and features one of the coolest storylines ever. From Slashfilm's latest news article:

Set in a future in which malevolent creatures threaten the earth, the planet must band together and use highly advanced technology to eradicate the growing menace. This project will give the Hellboy filmmaker the opportunity to create two worlds. The first is an alternate version of Earth in the near future, decades after a historic date in November 2012 when the first kaiju, a towering Godzilla-like beast, emerged from a hole in the Pacific Ocean and attacked the city of Osaka, Japan. The second is “The Anteverse,” another universe on the other side of that gaping portal, 5 miles below our ocean’s surface. Since the first attack, the rim has been “spitting out” a variety of gigantic monsters at an increasing rate, which then stride out of the ocean and begin destroying sea-bordering cities, like Tokyo and Los Angeles. In order to combat these monstrous, otherworldly menaces, the military developed the “Jaeger” program, which trains teams of two pilots to jointly operate massive, building-sized mechanized suits of armor and high-tech weaponry.

Yes, you read that correctly folks, a portal to another dimension opens beneath the Pacific and spits out GIANT MONSTERS! To protect ourselves, humanity builds GIANT ROBOTS (mecha to be more precise) to combat these invading kaiju! This is kind of a shocker as giant mech/robot films (and TV shows) are almost primarily an export of Japan. Actually, the only real shock about this is that American film companies haven't jumped on an idea like this before; the only real mecha-moments we've had in our movies hail from the films of James Cameron (e.g. Aliens, Avatar) and the Wachowski brothers (e.g. "Matrix Revolutions").

Once again, "Pacific Rim" begins production later this year (shooting starts in September/November) and for some reasons will be held up until NEXT Summer. I'll be posting more news on this as it happens. In the meantime, enjoy the opening of "Evangelion: Neon Genesis," one of the most well known mecha vs. monster anime shows of all time:

New Fright-Rags tees; New Underbelly videos; Closed For the Season coming to DVD; 15 Movies that Can Also be Watched Backwards!

2011-06-22T11:42:00.001-05:00

Good afternoon b-movie fans! It is a gorgeous day in the neighborhood (well... sort of) and I have plenty of cool things for you to check out today. First up, the gang at FRIGHT-RAGS dropped me a line to let me know that they have three new shirts available PLUS a rockin' "Friday the 13th" poster. The new shirts feature ye olde logos of several horror magazine publications and came about as a result of the popularity of their recent Rue Morgue t-shirt release. Check this stuff out!

3D! AHHHHH!

Next up: NEW UNDERBELLY VIDEOS! The first has the Underbelly team visiting the New Jersey Renaissance Faire (wow, these LARPers are verily tripping over their tongues while talking to the hostess of this episode) while the second is an attempt at vindicating "The Man of Steel." Watch and subscribe!

This morning I also got word from director Jay Woelfel that "Closed for the Season" (read my review of the rough cut HERE) is done and finally being released on DVD on AUGUST 26TH. I've been eager to see the final product, so I shall definitely be picking up a copy and you should too. (Support independent cinema!) The DVD will have an audio commentary by writer/director Jay Woelfel, deleted scenes with (optional?) audio commentary, multi-part behind-the-scenes featurette, two tour videos of Chippewa Lake from 1993 and 2008, and Webisodes. The film will be featured in 2.35:1 widescreen, with Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound audio. This is a lot of love for a small film like this (kudos to MTI Home Video) and I'm excited to check out all the special features but... did they really have to use that generic photoshopped cover? The original poster art, in my opinion, is far superior.

Finally, I found something rather fun over at Unreality Magazine. They posted an article recently called "15 Movies that Can Also be Watched Backwards." CLICK HERE to check it out and prepare to laugh; make sure you're not drinking or eating anything while reading this stuff.

Well that's it folks; I gotta get my butt to work. When I get home tonight, I'll be doing a bit more writing and should at the very least, have a new Genre Watch up for you! Enjoy the rest of this whimsical(?) Wednesday!

Youtube-a-palooza: Singing Russians, Leslie Vernon's Return, Troll Hunter Strikes Back, & Troma Taunts us with Toxie!

2011-06-22T00:19:00.003-05:00

It's been a long couple of days b-movie fans; my apologies for not making any new posts (or adding new content). Saturday was a marathon of parties, starting with a birthday party for my (now) four year old niece Lily, where I was taken down by a vicious pack of children, as a pride of lions would bring down a caribou. Following a short visit to my buddy Adam's graduation party, I ended my Saturday at an engagement party (Congrats to Josh and Lorraine!) where I got SLOSHED.

In any case, it has been back to the ole grindstone for yours truly since that busy weekend, but tonight I've managed to reserve a bit of energy in order to bring you a dose of awesome. Here are some cool videos that are bouncing around Youtube at the moment that will most assuredly bring a smile to your face.

First up, how about a little music to brighten our spirits? Ever hear of that catchy song "Istanbul (not Constantinople)?" Well here's a new version of it as sung by THE BAD ASS RUSSIAN:

Wait... did I see a "Baseball Fury" from "The Warriors" sitting at the bar? I did! I did!

Next up is a video featuring actor Nathan Baesel (in character as Leslie Vernon) asking fans to help him raise funds for the prequel/sequel/remake of "Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon" (one of my favorite genre films). If you've failed to see it, definitely check it out. It does a wonderful job at deconstructing slasher films, then uses those same cliches to create a completely satisfying slasher movie climax! Here's hoping this new film comes to pass; check out the video below then CLICK HERE to donate to this worthy cause:

This next video is a fun little parody created by the special effects guru behind the creatures in Norway's awesome mockumentary TROLL HUNTER. This "explains" why one of the creatures in the film has only one arm and it is just so monumentally awesome. Check it out; then get your paws on a copy of TROLL HUNTER and watch it!

Finally, here's something that truly blew my mind tonight. I discovered the first ever teaser trailer for Troma's upcoming TOXIC AVENGER 5: THE TOXIC TWINS. While I was immediately jumping for joy, I was saddened to learn that they haven't even written the damn movie yet. Still, its a nice way to let us fans know that it is eventually going to happen, and... HEY! They used Toxie's original voice from the first movie! COOL!

Hope you enjoyed all of those videos folks. Stay tuned for more posts (and hopefully new reviews and whatnot at the Vault) and... oh wait, I have one more thing to say....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO UWE BOLL!


100% funded by Nazi Gold.

THE RED SKULL REVEALED; SPIDER-MAN PORNO TRAILER RELEASED; INITIAL THOUGHTS ON "THE GREEN LANTERN!"

2011-06-17T03:35:00.002-05:00

Yikes, I've been blogging like crazy lately... I hope this urge to write constantly continues!

I just got in the door from seeing "Green Lantern," but before I get into that I'll share some cool movie news with ya'll. First up, here is a photo of Hugo Weaving as Captain America's stalwart nemesis, THE RED SKULL:

God he looks freakin' awesome! While I'm still not one-hundred percent sold on the look of Captain America's WWII costume, I have no complaints about the Red Skull.

Next up, here is the all new trailer for Vivid Entertainment's next Super-Hero Porno: SPIDER-MAN - THE XXX PARODY! Apparently Vivid did a HULK porno that got rave reviews, so they decided to continue bastardizing America's mythological heroes by having them bone the comic book gals us nerds always fantasized about.

The list of characters consists of Peter Parker/Spidey, The Kingpin (played by... Peter O'Tool? Hahahahaha!), Electro, Gwen Stacy, Mary Jane Watson, Betty Brant, Black Widow, J. Jonah Jameson, Robbie Robertson, and Flash Thompson. (There's no way Marvel would OK this, so I'm assuming they are utilizing the same law that allows Weird Al to parody the work of other musicians.) And this isn't some project done on the cheap folks... this is a full feature-length film, with hardcore sex and CGI f/x! I'm not kidding; watch the trailer:

Finally, before I head off to bed, let me chat a bit about "Green Lantern" while it is still fresh in my mind. I went into the theater with lowered expectations (thanks to a heads up from Newt from Underbelly) and that helped me to not hate this movie. At best, the "Green Lantern" is a mediocre superhero film that only succeeds in being an entertaining cinematic experience because of its failures. (There are a lot of scenes here that are supposed to be dramatic, but ended up giving the audience a good laugh.)

"This suit is too dull. Let's 'improve' it with a few million dollars worth of CGI!"

Ryan Reynolds stars as Hal Jordan, a cocky fighter-jet pilot who ends up getting a Green Lantern ring from a dying alien named Abin Sur. Hal eventually learns how to access the ring's power, and makes a trip to the planet Oa where the audience is given a bunch of expository information. (If you know absolutely nothing about The Green Lantern, this section of the film will get you up to speed.) He is told of the Lantern Corps origins, and briefly trained in combat by fellow "emerald knights," Kilowog and Sinestro.

After being defeated (i.e. humiliated) by Sinestro (who literally goes all Captain America on Hal at one point), our hero goes back to Earth to mope around until he gets a taste for superheroics and receives some tender advice from his love interest. Finally accepting his role as a Green Lantern, Hal must defend Earth not only from his first major foe, Hector Hammond (the lovechild of Professor X, John Carpenter, and The Elephant Man) but also an evil fear-devouring monstrosity known as Parallax. Will Hal be able to save Earth (and his girl) from the world-devouring Parallax? Will Sinestro foolishly try to utilize the power of the Yellow Ring if Hal fails in his mission? Truthfully, you probably won't really give a damn.

This movie will be a major letdown to the hardcore Green Lantern fans, and just plain "meh" for everyone else. (Except kids; they'll probably love the sh*t out of this movie.) The characters aren't really all that interesting (except for Peter Sarsgaard as Hector Hammond), the whole subplot involving Hal's psychological issues is pretty generic and handled rather clumsily, Blake Lively is cute to look at but doesn't prove to be much more than a damsel in distress, and the effects.... Christ the effects are really a mixed bag.

CAN YOU DIG IT?!

Mere months ago I saw Marvel's "THOR" and was blown away at how well that movie brought Asgard to life. It was done so well, and the film itself managed to find a good balance between spending time on Midgard (Earth) as well as Asgard. "Green Lantern" attempts to do the same, but fails miserably. And Oa, though cool to look at, seems more like something you'd see in a video game cut scene; it fails to pull you in and make you believe that it is a real place. Also, a lot of the CGI in this is laughable; you'd think the effects artists could have done a better job, especially when given some extra time and around nine-million to do some "touch up work" mere weeks before opening day.

Overall, "Green Lantern" is a lousy start for a new superhero franchise because it fails on so many levels. However the final battle between Hal and Parallax (the giant fecal space-octopus) is admittedly cool, and Peter Saarsgard gives a memorably goofy performance as the whiny big-brained Hector Hammond. (Sarsgaard is so over the top at times and results in many of the films unintentionally funny moments.) If you're dead set on seeing "Green Lantern," then I highly suggest you catch a matinee of it. Otherwise, save your money for next month's Summer blockbusters or, better yet, go see "Super 8" instead.

John Carpenter as The Elephant Man in "Green Lantern."

Oh yeah, I almost forgot! There is an extra scene that takes places shortly after the credits begin to roll. For those of you who know the Green Lantern mythos, you won't be surprised at what happens: Sinestro takes possession of the Yellow Lantern ring (that the Guardians stupidly created) and is engulfed by the power of FEAR! So Hal and the rest of the Green Lantern Corps will now have to contest with the "Sinestro Corps" if the sequel gets made... and it most likely will. Here's hoping that Warner Bros. and DC do a better job with the story and effects (and characters) the second time around.

"Detention" and "Monster Brawl" trailers; short rant about "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."

2011-06-16T11:35:00.006-05:00

Hey all! Just discovered a trailer for a new Horror/Comedy called "Detention." The first half of the trailer makes the movie look like a typical teen/high school comedy, and then people die! It actually looks pretty entertaining and I wouldn't mind giving it a look. Check out the trailer and see what you think:

That whole "Heath Ledger" joke caught me off guard and gave me a good laugh. ("What? Too soon?") In fact, it seems like this movie is going to have a lot of witty banter; I'm very curious about this one, and have added it to my "movies I need to see" list. (Yes I actually do have one of those.)

Next up is a trailer for an indie film called "Monster Brawl," a film where various legendary monsters battle it out in a wrestling ring to become the mightiest monster of all time. The lineup includes "Frankenstein," "Cyclops," "The Mummy," "Witch Bitch," "Swamp Gut," "Lady Vampire," "Zombie Man," and "Werewolf" and only one will survive this "fight of the living dead."

Hahahaha. "Monster Brawl" was an official selection of the Fantasia Film Festival this year and it looks totally ridiculous (holy shit! Jimmy Hart?!) but should be a fun watch. Visit the OFFICIAL SITE to learn more about the film and its mon-stars. There's no release date yet for this film, but it has been picked up for distribution so I'm thinking it'll get a release sometime in September or October.

Lastly, I need to get something off of my chest. "Super 8" has given me a craving to go back and revisit some of my favorite Spielbergian films from my childhood. I really wanted to watch "E.T." but I don't own it and NetFlix isn't streaming it at the moment (bastards!). So I opted for "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" instead. I haven't seen this particular alien film in well over a decade, and it is surprising how much I didn't recall.

It's a great movie and Spielberg was at the top of his game when he wrote and filmed it. The film triggered my superhuman "nostaglia sense" and I felt like a kid again; it had me reminiscing about watching this film late one Summer night on The Disney Channel, long before it became cluttered with horrible "tweener" sitcoms.

However... after mulling it all over, I've come to a huge conclusion: The alien beings in this movie are complete dicks! (Note: SPOILERS AHEAD!)

"People of Earth..... F*CK YOU!"

First off, lets discuss how they first make their presence known to the scientific community in the film. The aliens come down and drop off a half-dozen World War II fighter planes, still in mint condition. Later, during the climax, they release all of their human captives, including the pilots of those six planes! While this is all well and good, you have to stop and consider this: The pilots have not aged; they've been missing for nearly forty years; everyone they knew is either old or dead; everything they knew is now either changed or gone.

These guys are going to have to adapt to (what they would consider) a more futuristic world with no family or friends to help them! (And that's even if they are allowed back into society; methinks the military would probably just keep them bottled up somewhere for vigorous questioning for the remainder of their lives.)

Secondly, along with giving (most likely) hundreds of people a bad sunburn, they also implant a sort of post-hypnotic suggestion in various folks, compelling them to come meet their eventual conquerors for a friendly chat at Devil's Tower in Wyoming. One of said folks is Richard Dreyfuss' character Roy Neary.

After his brief encounter with a U.F.O., Roy begins to have a near psychotic breakdown. He sees a certain mountainous shape in everything and tries to unlock the mystery behind it. He continuously creates a mountain-like shape out of everything and anything he can, whether it be shaving cream, modeling clay, or delicious mashed potatoes.

"This means something...... most likely divorce."

This causes him to act a wee bit crazy and it wrecks his entire life. He loses his job, his wife takes the kids and runs off (mainly because she's terrified), he destroys a good portion of his house to create a huge scale model of Devil's Tower, the neighbors think he's insane, and he seems pretty OK with it all once he discovers where Devil's Tower is.

He just picks up his stuff and drives off to Wyoming without a single thought, and risks life and limb to escape from military custody and witness the first contact between man and extraterrestrials. In the end, his reward for having his life on Earth completely destroyed, is to be chosen by his tormentors to go with them into outer space, where he is quite likely to be brutally (and frequently) anal-probed.

Finally, because they probably couldn't bear to leave Earth without giving us technologically inferior humans a final "f*ck you," the aliens totally snub the government's elite chosen crew of abductees. A group of personnel that we briefly see a few times throughout the film, were hand selected to go up to the stars and learn more about the aliens.

Their identities are taken, they are given a quiet moment of prayer, and then marched up to the mothership (with Richard Dreyfuss following gingerly along). The aliens approach the group of would-be galactic travelers, grab Richard Dreyfuss, and take off. ("Wait! Guys! You just unloaded about four dozen other kidnap victims, I think you have room for eight more people! Oh come on? Really?! You chose Richard Dreyfuss over US?! F*CK YOU ALIENS!")

And these are just the main indications that the superior race of beings that visits Earth in this film is made up of assholes. They also bait police officers into a "car chase," which ends with one cop driving off a cliff. (We never know what happens to this bit part character, so I'll assume he died in a fiery inferno of screaming metal.)

And they also kidnap a child and drive his mother as equally insane as Richard Dreyfuss. Do we, the people of Planet Earth get an apology for any of this, or even demand one? Hell no! They just mess with us, destroy lives and property, then wave goodbye. And we practically thank them for it! And for that, I guess we deserved to be on the receiving end of the antics of these visiting galactic fratboys.

Well that's my rant about "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." Its a classic, and a great film overall with all the right Spielbergian touches that made cinema of the 70's and 80's awesome. If you haven't seen it, or just haven't see it in a while, give it a watch. It is still widely available and currently streaming on NetFlix!

Check back tomorrow night for two new capsule reviews and enjoy the rest of this gorgeous Thursday!

Vault Empire Updates; "Super 8" and "Troll Hunter" reviews coming this weekend; "Green Lantern" opens Friday!

2011-06-15T10:19:00.000-05:00

Here's the latest batch of reviews and articles from the small, but mighty collective of blogs that makes up the B-Movie Film Vault Empire:

Bill's Beta Ray Blog

Cosmic Links

Casual Gaming Blog

Hardware Review - Gtron NES USB Controller for PC/Mac

Genre Watch

Genre Watch - June 2011 (Week of 06/12 - 06/18)

Radiation-Scarred Reviews

The Thirsty Dead (1974)

I'm still slowly getting my reviews for "Super 8" and "Troll Hunter" typed up (wish I wasn't so damned tired after I got home from work) and plan on having them completed and posted by Friday. Both movies are getting high ratings from yours truly, and if you have the time and the money, please go see both; please help support GOOD cinema!

Also, I'm probably going to go see the "Green Lantern" this weekend. It looks pretty damned cool and seems like it will be a faithful adaptation of the DC comic hero. To get psyched up, watch this trailer:

"In brightest day, in blackest night. No evil shall escape my sight. For those who worship evil's might, beware my power... GREEN LANTERN'S LIGHT!"

Spielberg's dark obssession with aliens and robots revealed!

2011-06-14T12:07:00.002-05:00

As I've continued to work on my review for "Super 8" (coming soon I assure you!), I thought to myself, "Man, Spielberg sure likes his alien movies." Off the top of my head I recalled "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," the remake of "War of the Worlds," plus he had aliens show up in both "A.I.: Artificial Intelligence" and "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." And then I checked his IMDB page......

Films Spielberg has directed that somehow involve alien beings:
1964 - Firelight
1977 - Close Encounters of the Third Kind
1982 - E.T. - The Extraterrestrial
2001 - A.I. - Artificial Intelligence
2005 - War of the Worlds
2008 - Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Well nothing at all alarming there right? I mean the guy has done "Jurassic Park," "JAWS," "Schindler's List," "Saving Private Ryan," and an entire spectrum of films from nearly every genre. But then you look at the films he has produced / is producing, and the alarm bells start going off.

He's smiling because he's thinking of aliens and robots right at this very minute!

Films and TV series that Spielberg has produced, that somehow involve aliens:

1982 - E.T. - The Extraterrestrial

1987 - *batteries not included

1997 - Men in Black

2001 - Evolution

2001 - A.I. - Artificial Intelligence

2002 - Taken (one episode)
2002- Men In Black II

2007 - Transformers

2009 - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

2011 - Super 8

2011 - Terra Nova (Pilot episode)

2011 - Transformers: Dark of the Moon

2011 - Cowboys and Aliens

2011 - Falling Skies (8 episodes)

2012 - Men in Black 3

And let's not forget the Spielberg-produced remake of "When Worlds Collide" that is coming out next year. No aliens, but humanity is about to be taken out by a rogue planet. However, there's a second, life-sustaining planet riding shotgun with it. Will some people (enough to repopulate) manage to make it to the other planet before Earth is eradicated?!

In any case, one really has to wonder.... what is Spielberg's sudden obsession with alien movies?!?!

There is only one answer: SPIELBERG IS AN ALIEN!

Also, Steven seems to have a spin-off obsession with robots now as well. Once again, allow me to list some films to prove this point:

Spielberg-directed robot movies:

1971 - Duel (I'm grasping here, but c'mon, it has a killer truck! It could be a robot in disguise...)

2001 - A.I. Artificial Intelligence

2002 - Minority Report (spider-bots!)

2005 - War of the Worlds (the alien "tripods")

2013 - Robopocalypse

Spielberg-produced robot movies:

1987 - *batteries not included

2001 - A.I. - Artificial Intelligence

2007 - Transformers

2009 - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

2011 - Transformers: Dark of the Moon

2011 - Real Steel (Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots: the Movie!)

2013 - Robopocalypse

Ok yeah I may be really reaching here, but there's no denying that The Spielberg has suddenly gotten a huge hardon for robots and aliens lately. I'm not really complaining though because I too enjoy robot and alien cinema (which this has been a landmark year for), but I have to admit that its a bit eerie that he's directing and producing so many in so short a time. If you're worried about aliens, then continue to watch the skies. Me? I'm going to watch The Spielberg instead.....

Poster-ama! Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers, Captain America, Super 8!

2011-06-13T23:02:00.001-05:00

Got home from work and discovered a slew of cool movie posters all over the web. First up is the teaser poster for next year's highly anticipated "The Dark Knight Rises."

Hmm.... looks very cool. Batman is floating over Gotham with his cape while numerous helicopters surround him. The only thing that looks a bit off is the bat symbol embedded in the shattered window we're supposed to be gazing through. Did he leap through the window and leave a cartoonish outline of his body in it? We still have a full year before we gaze upon the awesomeness of this latest film in the new Dark Knight saga, but it doesn't hurt to start getting fans excited now, right?

Next up is a super-cool retro poster for Marvel's upcoming Captain America (in theaters on July 22nd):

WOW! That is too damned cool! I would love to have this poster framed and hanging in my movie room! Cap punching out Hitler is a great touch, giving a nod to cover of the very first issue of Captain America! Seeing stuff like this makes me feel all warm and gooey inside; it is nice to know that some film companies really know how to promote their movies!

Next we get a first glimpse at next year's The Avengers, fully assembled with Captain America, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and The Mighty Thor:

I'm still not sure how this will pan out with Mark Ruffalo taking over for Edward Norton as Dr. Bruce Banner (aka The Hulk), but I can't help but be excited for this movie. This is an unprecedented feature film that will pull together characters from (at least) four different Marvel films. Here's hoping that it actually works!

Finally, here's a fun poster created for the short Horror film the kids in "Super 8" made, called "The Case." (Note: Do not leave after the end credits roll for "Super 8." Stick around and you'll be presented with the completed "kid made" horror short, "The Case.")

Wow.... as if I didn't love "Super 8" enough already...... This poster was created by Yehudi Mercado; you can see the creation of the poster, and check out his other drawings and animations over at his blog, SUPER MERCADO!

SUPER 8 Tops the box office. New content coming soon!

2011-06-13T00:17:00.002-05:00

Poster art by Drew Struzan.

Hey all! Just a quick post here to keep you all in the know about what I'm up to and to share a little movie news while I'm at it. I'm currently working on two capsule reviews for "Super 8" and "Troll Hunter," and should have them up within another day or two. I caught both movies this past Friday, which made for a day of purely awesome cinema.

Speaking of "Super 8," it is currently numero uno at the box office, pulling in a pretty decent $38 million this weekend. This is good news for J.J. Abrams and company, seeing as how the film only cost $45 million to make. (From here on out, its all profit!) If the film continues to do well (which it probably won't because the fickle general public is going to send "The Green Lantern" to the top spot next week) it'll be a victory for everyone, and might send a message to Hollywood that we the people of these United States are willing to pay to see a GOOD movie!

That ISN'T a remake or comic book adaptation!

And that ISN'T in f*cking 3D! (Cue short rant.)

Damn you Hollywood, stop giving us gimmicks and soulless effects-filled tripe, and give us some damn stories with likeable characters that we can relate to! Is that too much to ask?!

"Super 8" is a fantastic movie; I highly recommend it! It relies on a great cast to move things along (greatest cast of child actors I have seen in a film since, well... the 1980's!), and is for the most part, family friendly. The soundtrack (and score) are great, the acting is fantastic, the effects are well done (though I really, REALLY wish they did some practical effects to bring the film's mysterious creature to life), and it manages to hearken back to a better time in cinematic history that I like to call the "Amblin Era." Go see it!

Check back soon for new reviews and more!

Latest Vault Empire Updates; Platinum Dunes calls it quits on Horror remakes; Tucker & Dale vs. Evil gets a distributor; Teaser for New Fright-Rags t-shirts!

2011-06-09T10:36:00.002-05:00

Everyone within the B-Movie Film Vault Empire has been hard at work lately, bringing you new content as often as possible. Here are all the latest articles, reviews, and musings from our small (but mighty) collective of blogs:

Bill's Beta Ray Blog

UPDATED: DC Comics Reboot / Relaunch Reaction

The Casual Gaming Blog

Genre Watch

Genre Watch - June 2011 (Week of 06/05 - 06/11)

MMA Addict

UFC 130 Musings

Radiation-Scarred Reviews

And now the news....

According to Bad Ass Digest in a recent article, Platinum Dunes (though they've been given the greenlight for sequels to their remakes of "Friday the 13th" and "A Nightmare on Elm St.") is apparently going to distance themselves from the Horror genre. As announced in this really cool video, which features Platinum Dunes' very own Brad Fuller, saying it like it is, the bomb is dropped at the 9:44 mark in the video, after Fuller finishes discussing how disappointed he was with the remake of "A Nightmare on Elm St." For many Horror fans, this is fantastic news, but I'm kind of disappointed as I was actually hoping for another chapter in the rebooted "Friday the 13th" series. Still.... its really satisfying to know that PLATINUM DUNES IS NO LONGER DOING HORROR REMAKES!

In other news, TUCKER & DALE VS. EVIL got a distributor! Magnolia Picture's very own Magnet Releasing label has snatched up the rights and we will all FINALLY get to see this movie that has been praised, hyped, and begged for since the middle of last year! Magnet is releasing "Tucker & Dale" in select theaters (probably only in LA and NY, which is utter bullsh*t!) on September 30th, and will also be releasing it via various Video on Demand services on August 26th! I'm guessing that they'll put it out on DVD and Blu-ray sometime in October, and you best believe that I'll be buying it once its available!

Finally, I'd like to share with you a teaser photo of a new t-shirt design from those awesome guys and gals at FRIGHT-RAGS! This is only one of five new tees they will be releasing, and I can't wait to see the rest of them! (The rest will be unveiled next week!) Behold fellow Horror and Sci-Fi nerds..... ZOMBIE WARS: THE LIVING DEAD STRIKE BACK!

Well that's all I've got for you today b-movie fans! Check back soon for more cool stuff at the Vault as I continue to celebrate its 11th year online, and enjoy this gorgeous Thursday!

Vault turns ELEVEN; New (old) Review for "The Beast Within;" New Underbelly Video!

2011-06-08T01:04:00.005-05:00

As of June 6th this year, The B-Movie Film Vault has been online for ELEVEN YEARS! To celebrate this milestone, I present to you a refurbished review for the 1982 creature feature, THE BEAST WITHIN. This movie features a veteran cast of character actors, some cool old school practical f/x, and a rather intriguing storyline that puts a grotesquely different spin on rape & revenge cinema! (Also, I finally got my groove back a bit and put up a new GENRE WATCH article. CLICK HERE to see what's new in stores and theaters this week!)

Also, I wanted to share the latest episode of Underbelly. The writers and cast of this web series have teamed with VSauce, and in their first co-op episode, Underbelly's very own Newt shares his comic book knowledge with VSauce's Michael (and viewers). Newt delivers a list of the SIX WORST COMIC VILLAINS EVER, which is made up of some of the goofiest baddies I've ever (or rather, never) heard of. Check out the video and don't forget to subscribe!

Well I'm off to do more writing. I'll be posting a new article soon over at the Casual Gaming Blog soon (be sure to head over now to read Derek Miller's continuing Top Ten List of classic NES Wrestling games), will be maintaining my weekly vigil at the Genre Watch blog, and I plan on getting some more reviews, articles, and maybe even a podcast or two added to the Vault archives before this month is through! Stay tuned for more awesome stuff b-movie fans! Blog ya later!

Underbelly presents its list of THE WORST SUPERHEROES!

2011-06-03T15:45:00.001-05:00

Youtube is full of new and exciting (and entertaining) content these days, and one of the several web-shows I follow is UNDERBELLY. They cover everything in pop culture, from movies, to comic books, to video games, and they do it with their tongues firmly in cheek. Their latest video picks out numerous comic book heroes that are for the most part, just plain stupid.

There's MATTER-EATING LAD (he can eat through anything), EXTRANO (gay Mexican magician who battles THE HEMO-GOBLIN, a vampire that spreads A.I.D.S. to minorities), SQUIRREL GIRL, and several other bargain basement/bad idea superheroes. (Although, I have to admit that MAN-THING does not belong on the list. Although his name is highly suggestive and he's been eclipsed by DC's Swamp Thing, he has been getting plenty of action lately in Marvel's THUNDERBOLTS series.)

Without further ado, here is the latest Underbelly episode that is kicking off their month-long celebration of superheroes:

If you liked what you saw, then subscribe to Underbelly on Youtube, "like" Underbelly on Facebook, follow their Twitter feed, and don't forget to swing by their IMDB page too!

TCM delivers some classic monster goodness in June + new podcast for all you cult movie fans to listen to!

2011-06-03T00:13:00.002-05:00

Egads! It's been a long time since I last posted on this here blog, and it has been almost as long since I've written a review or article. (Speaking of which, CLICK HERE to read the last article I posted: Indie Films You Should Be Stoked For: Vol. II!) Rather than go into why I've been "slacking," let us pretend that I was cryogenically frozen for a month and have only now thawed out because someone accidentally unplugged the freezer I was trapped in.

Anyway, while I recover from my severe case of freezer-burn, and prepare to write up some new content to celebrate the Vault's ELEVENTH YEAR ONLINE (as of June 6th!), here's some interesting stuff to distract you:

First off, TCM announced last week, with a really cool trailer I might add (scroll down to watch), that they are celebrating June by having "DRIVE-IN DOUBLE FEATURE NIGHTS" every Thursday of this month. They have thirty films queued up for fans of classic monster cinema, and have already gotten things underway with a delightful combo of Godzilla and dinosaur films. I actually sat down and watched "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" and "Rodan" with my dad earlier tonight and.... it was really cool.

In all the years I've known him, we've spent very little time watching movies together. (He kind of looks down upon my obsession with cinema, especially "those weird movies" I have, if only because he doesn't understand it.) But tonight, we sat there and quietly watched (and occasionally laughed at) two classic kaiju films in the living room, and dare I say.... my old man enjoyed them. (To paraphrase Indiana Dundee himself: "Rodan was ok.... but Godzilla was much better.") Excuse me, while I mark this day down on my calendar and send a thank you letter to the staff of TCM.

If you missed tonight's impressive lineup, have no fear because there's plenty more monster movies on the way over the next four Thursday nights in June. For the full lineup of movies being featured this month, CLICK HERE!

The next item of interest on my list is a fairly new podcast by the CULT MOVIE CABAL. These guys choose two or three cult/b-flicks, watch them, then record their thoughts on the wonders (or horrors) that they have seen. I've listened to several and I'm enjoying their podcast so far, so be sure to check 'em out and subscribe! In fact, check out their latest podcast now and see if the Cult Movie Cabal is right for you.

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Well, I'm going to head off for a bit and do some writing and website tinkering. Since Monday marks the Vault's 11th year online, I'll most definitely be trying my best to add a good chunk of new content to the site. So keep your eyes peeled for new stuff, and enjoy the month of June, because Summer is about to begin, there's gonna be cool movies out in theaters, and plenty of awesome stuff to watch on TV! Blog ya later b-movie fans!

Happy APRIL FOOL'S DAY!

2011-04-01T11:19:00.000-05:00

Today is April 1st, and that means.... ? Well yeah, people get their pension and social security checks in the mail, duh. It also means that you should beware, for today is the day of jokes and pranks! Why? Well apparently nobody really knows (see Wikipedia), though apparently we can blame Noah for it? (The Great Flood was simply a prank gone wrong, wasn't it Noah? WASN'T IT?!)

To celebrate this throwaway prank day, here is a trailer for the original APRIL FOOL'S DAY, a slasher film that turns out to not be a slasher film... which is why its called April Fool's Day, because it fooled people into going to see it. Still, its a piece of horror history and should be given SOME love:

Also, in honor of April Fool's Day, those magnificent bastards at Fright-Rags have released two HILARIOUS shirt ideas that look awesome and will tickle your funny bone. First up....


You're all my KITTENS now!

Hee hee! Show people the softer side of Fred Krueger with this adorable "YOU'RE ALL MY KITTENS NOW" t-shirt! It comes in all sizes (Small to XXXL) and goes for $19.95! The other new goofball design is pure genius:

The (completely) Lost Boys!

Hahahahahaha. Own this shirt that begs the question, "What if the Lost Boys really were lost?" This one also goes for $19.95 and comes in all sizes.

That's all the April Fool's news that's fit to print, so here's some website news to bore you with.

* I am nearly done getting the Vault back on its feet. I'm still restoring posts to both Radiation-Scarred Reviews and MMA Addict, but once those are done I am going to be writing a heap of new content. I've had so many ideas bouncing around my skull lately that I need to get them down on paper! Or... well, Wordpad anyway.

* I was just interviewed from a gentleman from Flush the Fashion.com about b-cinema for their ongoing MONSTER MOVIE MONTH series of articles! Hopefully yours truly doesn't come off as a moron. I'll be posting the interview as soon as it is uploaded to the web!

* I've had offers from several folks to contribute reviews to the site and have given them the OK. If you would like to contribute reviews or articles to The Vault, drop me an e-mail at vault_master[at]bmoviefilmvault[dot]com! The only upside (besides having your writing published on the web for all the world to see) is that I can send some movie screeners your way for reviewing purposes!

* I've had a few advertising offers for the Vault this past week so you may see more ads and whatnot around the site. The Vault easily pays for itself at this point (mainly from Amazon.com commissions, which have really dried up lately) but I can really use some extra cash to pay some bills. If I do accept some new advertising offers on the site, I will try to keep them relatively minimal, because I for one hate going to websites that are practically CONSUMED by ads! (And I promise right here and now.... NO POP UP ADS! EVER!)

Well that's about it for the time being. Stay tuned for new content, refurbished old content, and the triumphant return of Genre Watch and The Casual Gaming Blog!

VOTE IN THE "RONDO HATTON CLASSIC HORROR AWARDS!"

2011-02-14T00:01:00.000-05:00

I have always heard of this, but have failed to cast a ballot... until now! Fellow cult and b-film fans, now is the time to exercise YOUR patriotic and vote for the best of the best in all things Horror-related this year! Read on to learn how to cast your ballot and see all of the nominees:

Here is the official ballot for the NINTH Annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror awards, recognizing the best in monster research, creativity and film preservation.

The Rondos, now in their ninth year, are fandom's only classic horror award. They are decided by fans, for fans. Every Rondo nominee below is being recognized for a significant achievement in the genre during the year of 2010. So take a look at the ballot and please let the nominees know how much we appreciate their work by voting.

HOW TO VOTE:

-- All voting is by e-mail only. Simply copy this ballot and send an e-mail with your picks to me (David Colton), at taraco@aol.com by midnight, March 27, 2011.

-- Winners will be announced Monday night, March 28, 2011 at rondoaward.com and here at the Classic Horror Film Board.

THE RULES:

-- One vote per person, please.

-- Every e-mail must include your name to be counted. All votes are kept strictly confidential. No e-mail addresses or any personal information will ever be shared with anyone.

-- Important: Feel free to spread the word about Rondo. You can find Rondo banners here: Rondo banners. But please remember that organized voting campaigns (duplicated ballots, mass e-mailing efforts, getting strangers to vote), are prohibited and can result in a warning and even disqualification. Let's keep this a fun vote of monster fans.

-- And no, you do not have to vote in every category.

AGAIN HERE'S HOW TO VOTE: E-mail your selections from the ballot (cut-and-pasting the whole thing works fine), or you can type them into a separate e-mail, below to David Colton at taraco@aol.com. And please remember to include your name so your vote can be counted.

ACCURACY WATCH: No document this complex can be free of errors or mistakes. So if you see something wrong, either minor or appalling, e-mail me and I can fix it in the opening hours or days.

So thanks again to the thousands who have voted every year. We look forward to hearing from you again. And now the ballot. Thanks everyone!

-- THE NINTH ANNUAL RONDO HATTON CLASSIC HORROR NOMINEES --
This year's awards are dedicated to the memories of Gloria Stuart,
Ingrid Pitt and Verne Langdon

1. BEST MOVIE OF 2010

-- THE BLACK SWAN
-- THE CRAZIES
-- DAYBREAKERS
-- DEVIL
-- HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART ONE
-- INCEPTION
-- LAST EXORCISM
-- LEGION
-- LET ME IN
-- MONSTERS
-- PIRANHA 3D
-- PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2
-- PREDATORS
-- SHUTTER ISLAND
-- SPLICE
-- TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE
-- THE WOLFMAN
-- Or write in another choice:

2. BEST TV PRESENTATION OF 2010

-- DOCTOR WHO, 'The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone,' BBC, 4.24.10-5.1.10. Horrors abound in a battle against the Weeping Angels. 'I'm nine hundred and seven. I don't get older, I just change.'

-- FRINGE, 'Over There, Part 1 and 2,' Fox, 5.13.10-5.20-10. To prevent a collision of two worlds, Walter and Olivia visit the alternate Earth. 'You did cross universes twice to save my life. That's gotta count for something, right?'

-- GLEE, 'The Rocky Horror Glee Show,' Fox, 10.26.10. The conflicted high schoolers go 'Time Warp' for Halloween. 'Michael Rennie was ill the day the earth stood still.'

-- LOST, 'Across the Sea,' ABC, 5.18.10. As the final episode neared, the eternal story behind Jacob and the Man in Black was revealed. 'There is nowhere else. The island is all there is.'

-- SHERLOCK, 'The Great Game,' BBC, 8.8.10. A Rondo-like villain challenges the Great Detective in this modernized version. 'You've gotta help me, Mr. Holmes. Everyone says you're the best. Without you, I'll get hung for this.'

-- SMALLVILLE, 'Absolute Justice,' CW, 2.9.10. Scripted by Geoff Johns, Clark is joined by Dr. Fate, Hawkman and other Justice Society legends. 'Those messages between me and Black Canary are purely platonic.'

-- SUPERNATURAL, 'Live Free or TwiHard,' CW, 10.22.10. With a sly nod to 'Twilight,' a vampire vs. werewolf conflict emerges. 'Dude, you reek. You're like a walking hamburger.'

-- TRUE BLOOD, 'It Hurts Me, Too,' HBO, 6.27.10. Shifting alliances in the vampire collective take a shocking head turn. 'How come nobody tells me any of this?'

-- WALKING DEAD, 'Days Gone Bye,' AMC, 10.31.10. Opening episode finds zombies deep in Atlanta. 'Hey, you in the tank. Cozy in there?'

-- Or write in another choice:

3. BEST CLASSIC DVD

-- CRACK IN THE WORLD (1965)
-- THE CYCLOPS (Warners Archives)
-- KING KONG (1933; Blu-Ray)
-- M (1931; Blu-Ray)
-- THE MAGICIAN (Bergman; Criterion Blu-Ray)
-- THE COMPLETE METROPOLIS (Kino)
-- NIGHT OF THE HUNTER (Criterion Blu-Ray)
-- VAMPIRE CIRCUS (1972)
-- THE WOLF MAN: SPECIAL EDITION (1941)
-- Or write in another choice:

4. BEST DVD COLLECTION

-- LON CHANEY SIX-FILM COLLECTION (Warner Archives: He Who Gets Slapped, The Monster, The Unholy Three, The Unholy 3, Mr. Wu, Mockery)
-- FANTOMAS: THE COMPLETE SAGA (Kino) Five-film set of crime thriller silent serials from 1913-14.
-- HAMMER FILMS: ICONS OF SUSPENSE: (Stop Me Before I Kill, Cash on Demand, Never Take Candy from a Stranger, Maniac, The Snorkel, These Are the Damned)
-- SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE: The Complete Television Series (52 episodes of rare 1955 series)
-- THRILLER: THE COMPLETE SERIES. All 67 episodes, including 27 commentaries.
-- TWILIGHT ZONE: Seasons One and Two (Blu-Ray). Dozens of new commentaries and features.
-- WARNER BROS. HORROR/MYSTERY (Find the Blackmailer/The Smiling Ghost, Sh! The Octopus/The Hidden Hand, Mystery House/The Patient in Room 18)
-- Or write in another choice:

5. BEST RESTORATION

-- CAT AND THE CANARY (1939): Finally available as part of Bob Hope Collection.
-- DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW: Rarely has a made-for-TV movie looked this good.
-- GAMERA Sequels: vs. Barugon, Gyaos, Viras, Guiron, Jiger (Shout!) all in widescreen, Japanese versions.
-- THE GREEN SLIME: Warner Archives features longer American version.
-- JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS (Sony Blu-Ray) Special effects, flaws and all, star in this ultimate upgrade.
-- THE MAGICIAN (Criterion Blu-Ray): Sparkling print of 1958 Ingmar Bergman classic.

-- METROPOLIS (Kino). Discovery of another 25 minutes of lost footage is a revelation.
-- PSYCHO: 50th Anniversary Edition: Blu-Ray offers richer images, music and sound effects.
-- SPIRITS OF THE DEAD: Arrow Films' Blu-Ray is restored throughout; English audio includes Vincent Price opening and closing narrations.
-- THESE ARE THE DAMNED: Hammer 'Suspense' set features most complete version.
-- TWILIGHT ZONE Seasons One and Two (Blu-Ray): Episodes shine in high-definition.
-- Or write in another choice:

6. BEST COMMENTARY

-- Ron Borst, Gary Gerani, THRILLER, 'Waxworks.'
-- Director Frank DeFelitta, screenwriter J.D. Fergelson, DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW.
-- Gary Gerani, Lucy Chase Williams, THRILLER, 'Mr. George.
-- Ray Harryhausen, Tony Dalton, JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS
-- Tim Lucas, David J. Schow, Ernest Dickerson, THRILLER, 'The Grim Reaper.'

-- Martin Grams Jr. TWILIGHT ZONE Season Two Blu-Ray, 'King Nine Will Not Return.'
-- August Ragone, Jason Varney, GAMERA VS. BARUGON
-- Stephen Romano, STAR CRASH (1978)
-- Tom Weaver and Michael Hoey, NAVY VS. THE NIGHT MONSTERS
-- Marc Scott Zicree, TWILIGHT ZONE Season One Blu-Ray, 'Time Enough at Last.'
-- Or write in another choice:

7. BEST DVD EXTRA

-- AURORA MONSTERS: 'Zacherley Behind the Scenes' features outtakes and more.
-- CRONOS: 'Welcome to Bleak House.' Guillermo del Toro leads a tour of his home and memorabilia.
-- M (1931 Blu-Ray). Once believed lost, included is the 92-minute English version, dubbed and with different scenes.
-- MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 Vol. XVIII: 'No Dialogue Necessary,' the making of The Beast of Yucca Flats, a half-hour featurette.
-- NIGHT OF THE HUNTER: 'Night of the Hunter,' 2.5 hours of outtakes show how Laughton directed.

-- PIRANHA (1978), 'The Making of Piranha,' featurette with Corman, Dante, Dick Miller.
-- STAR CRASH (1978): 73-minute interview with Caroline Munro.
-- TWILIGHT ZONE: Season One Blu-Ray: 'The Time Element,' a 1958 episode of Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse by Rod Serling.
-- VAMPIRE CIRCUS: 'The Bloodiest Show on Earth: Making of Vampire Circus,' 30-minute featurette.
-- THE WOLF MAN SPECIAL EDITION (1941): 'Pure in Heart: The Life and Legacy of Lon Chaney Jr.' 37-minute featurette.
-- Or write in another choice:

8. BEST INDEPENDENT FILM OR DOCUMENTARY (Click on video link to see clip or trailer)

-- ATOMIC BRAIN INVASION, directed by Richard Griffin. Send-up of 50s sci-fi paranoia, including an alien plot to kidnap Elvis. Video link
-- AURORA MONSTERS: The Model Craze That Gripped the World, directed by Cortlandt Hull, Bill Diamond, Dennis Vincent. A look at the creators of it all. Video link
-- THE DEAD MATTER, directed by Edward Douglas. A vampire relic is used to raise the dead. Video link
-- EVAN STRAW, directed by Michael Legge. Cast of this tale of the paranormal includes Danielle Gelherter. Video link
-- LET THERE BE LIGHT: The Odyssey of Dark Star, directed by Daniel Griifth. Two-hour documentary part of Dark Star, Hyperdrive Edition. Web link

-- LOST SKELETON RETURNS AGAIN/DARK AND STORMY NIGHT, both directed by Larry Blamire. Zany double-feature sends-up sci-fi, jungle adventure and creaky old dark house movies. Video link1 Video link2
-- THE ROCK: THE ED WOOD OF THE 21st CENTURY, edited by Strephon Taylor. The movie madness of David 'The Rock' Nelson. Video link
-- SHADOWLAND, directed by Wyatt Weed. A girl on the run and suddenly, a vampire. Video link
-- THE BEST OF TRAILERS FROM HELL, VOL. 1, commentaries by Joe Dante. John Landis, Eli Roth, others. Video link
--THE WILD WORLD OF TED V. MIKELS, directed by Kevin Sean Michaels. Narrated by John Walters. Video link
-- Or write in another choice:

9. BEST SHORT FILM (Click on video link to see clip or trailer))

-- THE DEVIL AT LOST CREEK, directed by Raymond Castile. Children tap three times to attract a haunting monster. Video link
-- DREADFUL HALLOWGREEN SPECIAL, directed by Cameron McCasland and Rebecca Paiva. Featuring Dr. Gangrene, Penny Dreadful and Count Gore DeVol. Video link
-- THE FURFANGS, directed by Andrea Ricci. Furry invaders cause suburban trouble. Video link
-- MUMMY IN THE MAZE, directed by Brian C. Nichols. The monster hunting Nichols family encounters terror with all the wrappings. Photo link
-- UNITED MONSTER TALENT AGENCY, directed by Greg Nicotero. Spoof of the Universal Monsters, re-created in living black-and-white. Video link
-- VOLKODLAK, directed by Bjorn Egil Eide. Silent short evokes a time of vampires and fear. Video link

10. BOOK OF THE YEAR

-- THE ART OF HAMMER: Posters from the Archives of Hammer Films, by Marcus Hearns (Titan Books, hardcover, 192 pages, $75). More than 300 posters, some iconic, some obscure.
-- CONFESSIONS OF A SCREAM QUEEN, by Matt Beckoff (BearManor Media, softcover, 260 pages, $19.95). Fifteen actresses from Fay Wray to 1980s heroines.
-- A CRITICAL HISTORY AND FILMOGRAPHY OF TOHO'S GODZILLA SERIES (2nd edition), by David Kalat (McFarland, hardcover, 286 pages, $55). Revised and updated version of an analysis of Toho's biggest star.
-- DRACULA IN VISUAL MEDIA: Film, Television, Comic Book and Electronic Game Appearances, 1921-2010, by John Edgar Browning and Caroline Joan (Kay) Picart (McFarland, softcover, 312 pages, $45). Compilation of credits and more, a vampire king's undying legacy.

-- FORRY: The Life of Forrest J Ackerman, by Debbie Painter. (McFarland, hardcover, 224 pages, $45) Biography of the eternal Mr. Monster by a fan and a friend.
-- HORROR FILM AESTHETICS: Creating the Visual Language of Fear,' by Thomas M. Sipos (McFarland, softcover, 288 pages, $35). A look at the cinematic techniques lurking in the shadows of horror films.
-- HOUSE OF ACKERMAN: A Photographic Tour of the Legendary Ackermansion, by Al Astrella, James Greene (Midnight Marquee, softcover, 142 pages, $35). A room-by-room tour of the original Ackerman collection.
-- INGRID PITT: Queen of Horror, the Complete Career, by Robert Michael 'Bobb' Cotter (McFarland, hardcover, 230 pages, $45).

-- LON CHANEY'S SHADOW: John Cheske and the Chaney Mystique, by Suzanne Gargiulo (BearManor Media, softcover, 184 pages, $19.95) Controversial look at Chaney's friend and purported make-up assistant.
-- THE MONSTER MOVIE FAN'S GUIDE TO JAPAN, by Armand Vaquer (Print-to-order, softcover, 48 pages, $15). Veteran Godzilla fan tours the real sites of famous giant monster destruction.
-- MONTE: KING OF ATOM-AGE MONSTER DECALS, by Bill Selby (Last Gasp, softcover, 158 pages, $14.95). Richly illustrated, the tale of the man behind some of the zaniest images of our childhood.
-- MYSTERY MOVIE SERIES OF 1940s HOLLYWOOD by Ron Backer (McFarland, softcover, 324 pages, $45). Inner Sanctum, Crime Doctor, The Whistler and more.

-- NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: Behind the Scenes of the Most Terrifying Zombie Movie Ever, by Joe Kane (Citadel Press, softcover, 308 pages, $16.95). A look at every facet of the production. Includes original screenplay, archival quotes and interviews, and new material.
-- RAY HARRYHAUSEN: Master of the Majicks, Vol. 3: The British Years, by Mike Hankin (Archive Editions, hardcover, 640 pages, $84.95). From Gulliver to Selenites to Titans, the later triumphs of a stop-motion genius.
-- A SCI-FI SWARM AND HORROR HORDE: Interviews with 62 Filmmakers, by Tom Weaver (McFarland, hardcover, 412 pages, $45). Massive interview book lets filmmakers and stars tell stories in their own words.
-- SIX CULT FILMS FROM THE 60s: The Inside Stories by Writer/Director Ib Melchior. (BearManor Media, softcover, 296 pages, $19.95) Behind the scenes from Angry Red Planet to 7th Planet and Reptilicus.
-- THE VAMPIRE'S TOMB MYSTERY, by Dwight Kemper (Helm, softcover, 320 pages, $16.95). Third in series of mysteries with a Hollywood twist: Can Forrest J Ackerman, Tor and Criswell help solve the death of Armand Tesla?.

-- Or write in another choice:

11. BEST MAGAZINE OF 2010

-- Cinema Retro
-- Famous Monsters of Filmland
-- Filmfax
-- Freaky Monsters
-- G-Fan
-- Horror Hound
-- Latarnia Fantastique International
-- Little Shoppe of Horrors
-- Mad Scientist
-- Midnight Marquee
-- Monster Attack Team
-- Monster Bash
-- Monsters from the Vault
-- Paracinema
-- Phantom of the Movies Videoscope
-- Rue Morgue
-- Scarlet
-- Scary Monsters
-- Screem
-- Van Helsing's Journal
-- Video Watchdog
-- Or write in another choice:

12. BEST ARTICLE (Please choose two; one will win)

-- 'The (Almost) Forgotten Films of Richard Gordon: Space Monsters, Haunted Stranglers, Fiends Without Faces and More,' by Richard Gordon. FILMFAX #125. Autobiographical look back at his output in the 1950s.

-- 'Are You Afeared? The Making of Blood on Satan's Claw,' by Bruce G. Hallenbeck. LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS #25. Exhaustive look at the then-shocking and forever sexy Tigon film.

-- 'Bloodstock: Four Days of Stress, Chaos and Wonderment,' by David J. Schow, MONSTERS FROM THE VAULT #27. Like opening a time capsule, vivid memories, characters and photos from the 1977 Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy World Exposition in, of course, Tucson, Arizona.

-- 'The Blu Planet: Return to Ape City -- In High Resolution,' by Bill Cooke. VIDEO WATCHDOG #156. All six films get a fresh look and analysis from very human eyes.

-- 'The Books of Fu Manchu,' by William Patrick Maynard. VAN HELSING'S JOURNAL #11. The history of Sax Rohmer's evil mastermind. Includes an excerpt from Maynard's new Fu Manchu novel.

-- 'The Creature Incarnate,' by Mirek Lipinski, Shade Rupe and Gore-Met. RUE MORGUE #98. An overview of the late Paul Naschy's work, including an interview and top films.

-- 'The Deadly Mantis: A Lot of Bug on a Little Budget,' by Doug Lemoreux. MIDNIGHT MARQUEE #77. Making the case for the most titanic insect of the 1950s.

-- 'The Doctor Is In: A Tribute to John P. Fulton,' by Tom Triman. SCARY MONSTERS #74. How the special effects genius helped make Universal's horrors believable.

-- 'The First Frankenstein: 100 Years of Fear,' by Phil Hall. VIDEOSCOPE #76. A century later, the lost, then found, history of Edison's 1910 Frankenstein.

-- 'Gorilla Man? Even a Man Who Is Pure at Heart ... Can Steal from Himself,' by Michael Mallory. SCARLET #5. The strange similarities between Curt Siodmak's Wolf Man and his Bride of the Gorilla.

-- 'The Greatest Ghost Story Ever Heard,' by Craig Wichman. NOSTALGIA DIGEST, Autumn 2010. The radio history and more of Dickens' Christmas classic.

-- 'Horror in a Christian Century,' By Gary Don Rhodes, MONSTERS FROM THE VAULT #27. Fascinating look at how Christiuan group rated the horror films of the 1930s and 1940s.

-- 'How Do You Solve the Problem of Carmilla? (Part Two),' by John-Paul Checket. VAN HELSING'S JOURNAL #11. Continuing the exploration of lust, twins and vampires.

-- 'Jess Franco's Declaration of Principles: How to Read the Early Films 1959-67,' by Tim Lucas. VIDEO WATCHDOG #157. A revised look at both a filmmaker and the cinematic waves he anticipated.

-- 'The Lucky Ones Are Dead, But Not Forgotten,' by Paul and Donna Parlam Anthony DiSalvo and Lawrence Fultz Jr. FILMFAX #125. In-depth look at 'Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster.'

-- 'Moreau: H.G. Wells' Exercise in Youthful Blasphemy,' by Allan A. Debus, MAD SCIENTIST #21. Tracing the evolutionary links between Island of Lost Souls and The Alligator People.

-- 'Uncovering the Mummy Movies of Hammer,' by Bruce G. Hallenbeck, with David Del Valle, John Hamilton and others. LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS #24. Hammer's four incarnations covered scene by scene, inclduing conflicting accounts of who did Christophere Lee's stunts.

-- 'Universal Cult Horror Collection,' by Kim Newman. VIDEO WATCHDOG #155. Atwill, Zucco and Hatton all in the mix in reviews of five-film set.

-- 'Unpublished 1963 Forry Article,' provided by James Van Hise. SCARY MONSTERS #76. Short piece on death of Frank R. Paul includes Ackerman's layouts and notes.

-- 'Video Invasion: Remembering the VHS Boom, Parts 10-15,' by Matt Moore. HORROR HOUND #21-26. Continuing an unprecedented look at the VHS horror wave of the 1980s.

-- 'The Visual Journey of Karl Freund,' by David Alex Nahmod. FAMOUS MONSTERS #251. Exploring the fluid camera and choices of one of classic horror's earliest directors.

-- 'We All Go a Little Mad Sometimes: A 50th Anniversary Tribute to Psycho,' by Gary Giblin. CINEMA RETRO Vol. 6, No. 18. From the casting to the shower scene, an in-depth look at every aspect of the Alfred Hitchcock classic.

-- 'Witchcraft through the Cinema,' by Joseph Winters, SCARY MONSTERS #74. From Haxan to the Craft, a spooky survey of the field.

-- 'The Wolf Man: 69 Years of Terror,' by Robert Aragon. HORROR HOUND #21. Character retrospective accompanied by numerous photos, posters, toys.

-- Or write in another choice:

(Please vote for TWO of the articles above; one will win)

13. BEST INTERVIEW
(Award goes to the interviewer)

-- Allan Arkush: 'Rock 'n Roll Cult Classic,' interview by Terry and Tiffany DuFoe. VIDEOSCOPE #75. On Rock and Roll High School, Corman, Andy Kaufman, Deathsport and more.

-- Larry Blamire: 'Forgetful Milkman's Quadrangle,' interview by Martin Arlt. MAD SCIENTIST #22. Filmmaker proves science is just part of his mad plan.

-- Veronica Carlson: 'Dracula's Most Beautiful Victim Discusses Her Career at Hammer,' interviewed by Mark Redfield. FAMOUS MONSTERS #252. Memories of Cushing, Lee and Terence Fischer.

-- Bert I. Gordon: 'Eye Caramba: The Cyclops Arrives on DVD,' by Tom Weaver. SCREEM #21. All about the see-through one-eyed monster.

-- June Kenney: 'Our Teenage Living Doll,' interview by Paul and Donna Parla (with Anthony DiSalvo and Jim Fetters). SCARY MONSTERS #73. The original hot rod girl remembers The Spider and Attack of the Puppet People.

-- Christopher Lee: 'Royal Blood,' interview by James Burrell. RUE MORGUE #100. A career retrospective.

-- Andres Resino: Interviewed by Mirek Lipinski. LATARNIA FANTASTIQUE INTERNATIONAL #1. Spanish horror star offers memories of Naschy, Jess Franco and others.

-- Ted Rusoff: 'Il Mostro della Fono Roma,' interviewed by John Charles. VIDEO WATCHDOG #159. The 'monster' of dubbing, whose voice can be heard on more than 1,000 European films and TV shows.

-- Kenji Sahara: 'Shine Bright,' interviewed by Brett Homenick. G-FAN #90. A talk with the Godzilla star whose film career far outlasted the oxygen destroyer.

-- Fiona Subotsky: 'Remembering Milton,' interviewed by John Hamilton. LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS #25. Producer's wife on Vincent Price, The Monster Club and a house that dripped blood.

-- Don Sullivan: 'Zombies and Crustaceans and Gila Monsters, Oh My!' interviewed by Bryan Senn. MONSTERS FROM THE VAULT #27. From confronting the monster from Piedras Blancas to singing while the gila monster stalked teens.

-- Vampira: 'In Loving Memory, A Final Interview with Maila Nurmi,' interviewed by Michael Monahan and Sandy Clark. HORROR HOUND Convention Special. Excerpts from two-hour conversation in 2004.

-- Or write in another choice:

14. BEST MAGAZINE COVER

FAMOUS MONSTERS #251
by Basil Gogos

FAMOUS MONSTERS #252
by William Stout

FAMOUS MONSTERS #253
by Kerry Gammill

FILMFAX #125
by Vincent Di Fate

G-FAN #90
by Chris Scalf

HORROR HOUND
Convention Special

LATARNIA FANTASTIQUE INTERNATIONAL #1
by Brianna Wanlass

LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS #25
by Adrian Salmon

MAD SCIENTIST #21
by Don Marquez

MONSTERS FROM THE VAULT #27
by Daniel Horne

MIDNIGHT MARQUEE #77
by Susan Svehla

RUE MORGUE #105
by Gary Pullin

SCARLET #5
by Michael Wilk

SCARY MONSTERS #74 by Terry Beatty

SCREEM #20
by Daniel Horne

VIDEOSCOPE #76
by Kevin Hein

VIDEO WATCHDOG #156
by Charlie Largent

-- Or write in another choice:

15. BEST WEBSITE
(The Classic Horror Film Board, sponsor of the Rondos, is not eligible)

-- Atomicmonsters.com More than a decade of radioactive reviews.
-- Chiller Cinema Home of Dr. Gangrene's Web Lab.
-- Classic-horror.com Dedicated to the history of classic horror.
-- Count Gore de Vol's Creature Features Films, interviews and horror host news updated weekly.
-- Creepy Classics Home of Monster Bash, and classic and rare monster releases.
-- Dread Central Latest news, insider info from the horror industry.
-- Eccentric-cinema One of the earliest of the cult sites.
-- Famous Monsters of Filmland Version 3.0 of the first monster magazine.
-- Fearnet.com Includes daily TV horror listings.
-- HK and Cult Film News In a special world, it helps to be knowledgeable.

-- Horrorhost Graveyard Clips, show listings and more.
-- Horror Society The world of independent horrors.
-- Latarnia: Fantastique International All things Euro; an outspoken Forum, too.
-- Lugosiphilia Yahoo Group Just Bela, by the people who know.
-- Masters of Horror Classic news and updates from a true horrorhead.
-- Mondo Cult Online The world of genre and music, plus a message board.
-- Monster-Mania Forum Offers a window on 21st century conventions.
-- Serial Squadron Their work grows more important every year.
-- Thethunderchild.com Interviews, analysis of sci-fi and horror.
-- Trailers from Hell Joe Dante and top talents offer commentaries on vintage trailers.
-- Universal Monster Army The friendly and knowlegeable headquarters of monster toy talk.
-- Universal Steve The largest Universal archive outside of Hollywood.
-- Witch's Dungeon Multimedia home for Hollywood monsters, history and preservation
-- Or write in another choice:

16. BEST BLOG OF 2010

-- Cinema Suicide A celebration of cheap thrills
-- Cinema Dave A journal of horror and film.
-- Dollar Bin Horror For monster fans on a budget.
-- The Drunken Severed Head Impeccable sense of the outre, an essential stop for monster weirdness.
-- Final Girl Stacie Ponder survives to have the last, bloody but often essential word.
-- Frankensteinia Fun, smart and essential as it keeps the Monster alive.
-- From Midnight, With Love A cult movie reverie with an edge.
-- Gary J. Svehla: Midnight Marquee/Mad About Movies A founding fan on movies very new and very old.
-- The Good, the Bad and the Godzilla August Ragone's G-blog is wise among giant monsters.

-- Groovy Age of Horror Fearless and unexpected.
-- The Horrors of it All When horror corrupted the comics.
-- Mail Order Zombie A resting spot for the undead.
-- Monster Island News Godzilla is just the start.
-- Monster Magazine World A digital home for monster magazines past, present and hopefully future.
-- Monstermoviemusic The soundtracks of our horror lives.
-- Obscure Hollow Gorgeous photos of sets and props show the look of classic horror,
-- Scared Silly The chills between the horror comedy laughs.
-- Secret Fun Blog Preserving the ephemera of your childhood.
-- Shloggs Horror Blog Modern horror talk, with a classic sensibility.
-- The Spectral Realm Where monsters and religion find common ground.

-- Terror from Beyond the Daves An essential, home of the weekend horror host report.
-- The Terror Trap Horror movies from 1925-1987.
-- A Thriller a Day Peter Enfantino and John Scoleri review all 67 episodes, with style.
-- Unimonster's Crypt Musings on the status of monstrous media.
-- Video Watchblog Scaled back, but Tim Lucas' musings are still worth the wait.
-- Zombos Closet All manners of horrors pour out.
-- Or write in another choice:

17. BEST CONVENTION OF 2010

-- Blob Fest (Phoenixville, Pa.)
-- Chiller (Parsippany)
-- Cinema Wasteland (Cleveland)
-- Dragon Con (Atlanta)
-- Famous Monsters (Indianapolis)
-- Fangoria weekend of Horrors (New York)
-- G-Fest (Chicago)
-- Horror-Find (Baltimore)
-- Horror Hound weekend (Indianapolis)
-- Horror Realm (Pittsburgh)

-- Monster Bash (Butler, Pa.)
-- Monster Fest (Chesapeake, Va.)
-- Monster-Mania (Cherry Hill, N.J.)
-- Monsterpalooza (Burbank)
-- Rue Morgue's Festival of Fear (Toronto)
-- Spooky Empire (Orlando)
-- Texas Frightmare (Dallas)
-- Wonderfest (Louisville)

-- Or write in another choice:

18. BEST FAN EVENT OF 2010

-- Blob panic re-enactment. Held at actual theater in Phoenixville, Pa., where movie was filmed (Blobfest)
-- Every 'Thing' Must Go! A shocker as Dan Roebuck, aka Dr. Shock, announces sale of his wonderful monster toys.
-- It's Bob on the phone! Dr. Gangrene uses cellphone to bring the voices of ailing Bob Burns (and Kathy), to the crowd at Wonderfest.
-- 100 Years of Monster Movies. Year-long streaming of films, many with horror hosts, from FearWerx.

-- Night of the Living Dead Reunion. Cast and crew meet again at Famous Monsters Convention.
-- The Pit and the Pendulum, Poe's chilling words performed by Zach Zito at the Monster Bash.
-- The Sivads of March. A four-day celebration at Brooks Musueum of Art in Memphis, honoring the late Watson Davis, aka horror host Sivad.
-- 'The Tutor' project Filmmakers Terrance Zdunich (Repo! The Genetic Opera) and Shem Andre Byron. lead students through a multimedia 14-part production.
-- Godzilla co-star Akira Takarda. Original monster fighter appears at G-Fest in Chicago, tours city.

-- 'Too Many Creeps.' A reading at Wonderfest of Ted Newsom's Lugosi play, featuring David Skal, Frank Dietz, Perry Shields, David Schow, Brinke Stevens. Mark Redfield and more.
-- Tribute to Vampira. World-record gathering of horror hosts descends on Indianapolis to remember the first horror hostess. Sponsored by Horror Hound and Dark Carnival.
-- Women in Horror Month. A convention, online tributes and film festivals in February honor women in all aspects of horror. Begun by Hannah Neurotica of Ax Wound magazine.

-- Or write in another choice:

19. FAVORITE HORROR HOST OF 2010
(Active hosts only; if your favorite is missing, and there are far too many to list here, please write them in)

-- A. GHASTLEE GHOUL (Ohio)
-- THE BONE JANGLER (Illinois)
-- KARLOS BORLOFF (Monster Madhouse, Washington, DC)
-- COUNT GORE DE VOL (Creature Feaures)
-- DR. GANGRENE (Nashville)
-- Dr. MADBLOOD (Virginia Beach)
-- DR. SARCOFIGY (Spooky Movies)
-- GHOUL A GO-GO (NYC)

-- LATE DR. LADY
-- MR. LOBO (Cinema Insomnia, California)
-- ORMON GRIMSBY (N.C.)
-- PENNY DREADFUL (Shilling Shockers, New England)
-- PROFESSOR EMCEE SQUARE IT'S ALIVE, Pittsburgh)
-- REMO D (California)
-- SON OF GHOUL (Ohio)
-- SVENGOOLIE (Chicago)
-- WOLFMAN MAC (Chiller Drive-In, Michigan)
-- ZOMBOO (House of Horrors, Reno)

20. BEST HORROR COMIC

-- AMERICAN VAMPIRE (Vertigo), Co-plotted by Stephen King, tracing the American history of vampires.
-- ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN (Image). Robert Kirkman's bloody saga nears its end.
-- BATGIRL #14, 'Terror in the Third Dimension.' (DC) Is that Bela's Dracula coming off the screen. It seems so.
-- BELA LUGOSI'S TALES FROM THE GRAVE (Monsterverse). Colorful and clever anthology features Bela as a very sinister host..
-- EDGE OF DOOM (IDW). Steve Niles and Kelley Jones team on tales with an EC-twist.
-- THE GOON (Dark Horse). Eric Powell's gritty enforcer gets darker.

-- GRAPHIC CLASSICS: Edgar Allan Poe Revised edition with four new stories.
-- HELLBOY: DOUBLE FEATURE OF EVIL (Dark Horse). Mike Mignola and Richard Corben deliver two horror tales.
-- MOON LAKE (Archaia). Dan Fogler's spooky tales of a place where the moon is closer than you think.
-- PINOCCHIO: VAMPIRE SLAYER and the Great Puppet Theater, by Dusty Higgins and Van Jensen.
-- VICTORIAN UNDEAD (Wildstorm). Before it was fashionable, Sherlock meets zombies.
-- VINCENT PRICE PRESENTS (Bluewater). Anthology includes Witchfinder General tales.
-- THE WALKING DEAD (Image) Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard go far beyond the TV series.

21. BEST HORROR AUDIO

-- BLOODY GOOD HORROR PODCAST Reviews of the new.
-- BLOODY PIT OF ROD Naschycasts are the thing.
-- B-MOVIE CAST Talk and horror history in this podcast.
-- CADAVER LAB HORROR PODCAST Full-length PD films streamed here.
-- CULT RADIO A GO-GO! Pioneer of horror talk and music stations.

-- DEADPIT RADIO Hillbilly horror with a transmitter. No respect at all.
-- HORROR ETC Offbeat is focus of this horror podcast.
-- MOVIE MELTDOWN Podcasts feature caffeinated geek talk.
-- OLD TIME RADIO MYSTERY-HORROR Find classic favorites from the 1910s-50s
-- RUE MORGUE RADIO Horror news, satire and top guest interviews.

22. BEST SOUNDTRACK OR HORROR CD

-- BATMAN 1966 (Intrada). Nelson Riddle's campy scoring.
-- DARK SHADOWS: The Night Whispers (Big Finish Productions). Jonathan Frid returns in this audio recreation of horror soap scripts.
-- EARTH VS. THE SPIDER (Kritzerland). Albert Glasser's taut soundtrack still chills.
-- HYMNS FROM THE HOUSE OF HORROR (Rue Morgue). 17 scare bands in a downloadable compilation.

-- LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES (Buysoundtrax). James Bernard's scary action score.
-- MARK OF THE PYCHO by Psycho Charger (Rotnroll Army). Monster rockabilly.
-- THE NOTHING LIKE VAUDEVILLE SHOW (Swinging Cane). Musical freak show reaches into graveyard.
-- SPOOKY SONGS FOR CREEPY KIDS, by Voltaire (Projeckt Records). Scary music for the horror-hip younger set.
-- THEY WON'T STAY DEAD! (Zero Day). Most complete collection of music from the soundtrack of Night of the Living Dead.

23. BEST TOY, MODEL OR COLLECTIBLE
(Compiled with the help of the Universal Monster Army)

Creature and Julie
by Diamond Select

Elvira by Amok Time

Frankenstein Retro Mego by
Diamond Select and Emce Toys

Frankenstein: Curse
by Distinctive Dummies

The Fly Bobble Head
Amok Time

Twilight Zone Gremlin
by Bif!Bang!Pow!

Karloff bust from set
by Ray Santoleri

The Mummy
by Diamond Select

Psycho: Bates Mansion
by Round 2/Polar Lights

Universal Plush Monsters
by Funko

Zacherley the Cool Ghoul
by Amok Time

WRITE-IN CATEGORIES

24. CLASSIC MOST IN NEED OF RESTORATION OR UPGRADE

Which classic horror film, either released or unreleased, do you think most deserves a restoration?

25. WRITER OF THE YEAR

Who do you think did the best published (or online) work in 2010 to advance the state of classic horror research?

26. ARTIST OF THE YEAR (Pro)

Which professional artist (designer, illustrator, sculptor), did the best work in 2010?

27. ARTIST OF THE YEAR (Fan)

Which amateur or fan artist (designer, illustrator, sculptor), did the best work in 2010?

28. DVD REVIEWER OF THE YEAR

Which reviewer in print or online did the best work in 2010?

29. 'MONSTER KID' OF THE YEAR

Help us choose this year's recipient: Who deserves to be named 'Monster Kid of the Year' for efforts beyond the call of duty to build a better world of gods and monsters? Send us your suggestion.

30. MONSTER KID HALL OF FAME

And finally, help us again: Who do you think should be this year's inductees into the Monster Kid Hall of Fame?

ALREADY INDUCTED ARE: Bob and Kathy Burns, Forrest J Ackerman and James Warren, Zacherley and Vampira, Ray Harryhausen, Ray Bradbury, Alex and Richard Gordon, William K. Everson, Rick Baker, Basil Gogos, Roger Corman, Dick Klemensen, Gary and Sue Svehla, James Bama and Bobby 'Boris' Pickett, Paul and Jackie Blaisdell, Joe Dante, Don Glut, Jack Davis, German Robles and Frank Frazetta; Bernie Wrightson, Ben Chapman, Cortlandt Hull and Dennis Vincent, Ed 'Big Daddy' Roth, Archie Goodwin and Ghoulardi.Ken Kelly, Jim and Marion Clatterbaugh, Bob Wilkins, Calvin Beck, Paul Naschy and Lux Interior. Who should join them?

Tell us your suggestions. We'll pick six more.

Whew! That's it!!!

(Please remember to include your name so the ballot will be counted)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Again, to vote: Type your picks on an email, or simply cut-and-paste the ballot onto an email and put an X by your choices, highlight your choices or leave a claw print!

E-mail your vote, with your name, to taraco@aol.com by March 27, 2011, and watch this space for the winners of this year's Rondo awards!

Thanx for taking the time. Folks work hard to bring you the best in horror and scifi. This is our chance to let them know we appreciate it.

See a sneak screening of RUBBER in NYC on Thursday, February 3rd!

2011-02-02T23:58:00.004-05:00

RUBBER - "Are you TIRED of the expected?"

I just got an e-mail from the folks at Magnet Releasing letting me know that there's a sneak preview of "RUBBER" playing at the IFC CENTER (323 Sixth Ave at W. 3rd St in NYC) February 3rd at 10:30 PM with director Quentin Dupieux in attendance! Seating is first come, first serve; to reserve your spot (or spots if you want to bring a friend), send an RSVP e-mail to RSVP2[at]magpictures.com, and be sure to get there early!

For those of you who are in the dark about this film, here's a quick synopsis and trailer to get you caught up:

RUBBER is the story of Robert, an inanimate tire that has been abandoned in the desert, and suddenly and inexplicably comes to life. As Robert roams the bleak landscape, he discovers that he possesses terrifying telepathic powers that give him the ability to destroy anything he wishes without having to move. At first content to prey on small desert creatures and various discarded objects, his attention soon turns to humans, especially a beautiful and mysterious woman who crosses his path. Leaving a swath of destruction across the desert landscape, Robert becomes a chaotic force to be reckoned with, and truly a movie villain for the ages. Directed by legendary electro musician Quentin Dupieux (Steak, Nonfilm), aka Mr. Oizo, RUBBER is a smart, funny and wholly original tribute to the cinematic concept of “no reason.”

RUBBER gets a limited theatrical release on April 1st (how appropriate) with a DVD (and Blu-ray?) release shortly thereafter. However, you won't have to wait that long because this flick will be available On Demand on February 25th! If you get to this sneak preview, feel free to comment on how the movie was; I'm quite curious about it and am looking forward to giving it a look!

THE B-MOVIE FILM VAULT AND FRIGHT-RAGS AID CANCER VICTIMS! HELP US IN OUR QUEST!

2011-01-30T04:20:00.004-05:00

Before I go into detail here, let me just say that we here at The B-Movie Film Vault are on a separate crusade than our friends at Fright-Rags, but our goals are both very similar. We are trying to help friends and family whose lives have been forever altered by the ravages of cancer.

The battlecry that could save the world!

Currently the crew at FRIGHT-RAGS are having a charitable auction on E-BAY that is chock full of horror memorabilia, such as signed autographs, a latex mask (designed after the cake-craving zombie from "Creepshow"), a various art prints that kick all sorts of ass! There's two days left on this auction (which is currently up to $400.00! Awesome!) and all proceeds will be given to Leisha Davison-Yasol, a longtime Fright-Rags friend. She has been battling an aggressive form of breast cancer for some time now, and your generous bidding on this rather exciting collection of monstrous collectibles would definitely be a huge help to her and her family.

Now, if that's a bit too rich for your blood, but you're still hellbent on doing some good in this world, here's what we have going on at The B-Movie Film Vault. My cousin Ronald Cavalotti passed away earlier this week after losing his fight with cancer. (He won the first round years ago, but the Big-C came back with a vengeance late in 2010.) I never got to know Ron all that well, but now that he's gone, I really wish I did.

He was an insanely generous man to say the least, as he cosigned for my truck over five years ago, when I had next to no credit, and absolutely no one else to turn to. It was a big financial risk on his part, and because of him, I was able to replace my old junker with a decent vehicle. This isn't the only thing he's ever done to help me or my folks (or anyone else for that matter), but its the one thing I thank him for the most.

On the way back from the funeral yesterday, I shed some tears for this great man and his grieving wife and children. I also decided that I needed to do something to help out his family, if only to just pay back the kindness that Ron showed me when he was alive. Therefore I created a donation page HERE at the Vault, with all proceeds going to his family.

Donations will be accepted through PayPal from now until the end of March, and you don't have to get crazy here: A $1.00 donation is perfectly fine. Also, I will be donating any and all commission earnings from my online affiliates after the first quarter of this year (i.e. the end of March). So if you're not too keen on donating cash, you can at least help by shopping through the Vault at Amazon.com, Movies Unlimited, and AllPosters.com. Thanks in advance to and may God bless you for your generosity!

Rest in peace Ronnie... we'll all miss you.

"ALIEN 2: SULLA TERRA" COMING TO REGION 1 BLU-RAY IN MARCH!

2011-01-26T12:40:00.003-05:00

On March 22nd, MIDNIGHT LEGACY will be releasing a long lost cult "classic" to DVD and Blu-ray, namely "Alien 2: Sulla Terra" (a.k.a. "Alien 2: On Earth"). This Italian sequel/rip-off of Ridley Scott's "Alien," has deadly alien organisms reaching our home planet and killing off some scientists in a cave. While it isn't exactly a good movie, I'm super stoked that this cult rarity is finally getting some TLC. Here is what Midnight Legacy promises us for this limited edition release:

Brand new 1.85:1 high definition transfer from the original 35mm negative featuring significant additional footage not seen anywhere in the world.
English language audio fully restored from the original audio masters, and respectful of the original sound design.
Special features include the only surviving trailer from the mega rare Dutch VHS, and effects outtakes transferred directly from the negative B-roll in full HD.
Limited Collector's Edition designed as a true collector's item. Both Blu-ray and DVD come in a Collector's slipcase! Limited to 30,000 copies worldwide!

The release date once again is March 22, and you can already pre-order "Alien 2: On Earth" on Amazon! Get the DVD HERE; get the Blu-ray HERE! Check out the (Dutch) trailer for "Alien 2: On Earth" below and rejoice!

A big thanks to the folks over at HIGH-DEF DIGEST for bringing us this great news!

Hand Prosthetics in Film poster!

2011-01-22T11:57:00.002-05:00

I discovered this amazing poster while surfing around CHUD.com today:

Did your favorite prosthetic hand make the cut?!

This limited edition poster comes in 11 x 17 inch prints and is selling for $25.00! If you have your heart set on getting one, you can pick it up at the Fro Design Co Blog right now! But hurry, because this poster design is limited to only FIFTY prints! Check out the rest of this artist's unique prints HERE. (Ooooohh.... that "Walking Dead" print is so cool!)

Fright-Rags presents... The King Collection! + R.I.P - The Frames Version of the Vault.

2011-01-21T11:10:00.001-05:00

Good morning world! I can't stay too long, got about four inches of snow to shovel off the driveway and front porch before I have to head out to work, so I'll jump right into things.

Firstly, I would like to announce (a few days late, my bad) that FRIGHT-RAGS has just released four new shirt designs based off of four classic Stephen King novels. This "KING COLLECTION" boasts awesome designs for "The Skeleton Crew," "Night Shift," "The Dark Half," and best of all, "Pet Sematary." Check out the designs, then order them, because to not order these would be uncivilized.

THE SKELETON CREW

NIGHT SHIFT


THE DARK HALF

PET SEMATARY

Each shirt is $21.95 and comes in all sizes, from Small to 5XL! Also, if you spend $60.00, the shipping is free, and if you're a first-time customer, you can get 10% your order when you sign up for the Fright-Rags Newsletter! I've dealt with this company for some time now and I guarantee you won't find anyone that is friendlier or more reliable! (A good chunk of my wardrobe is made up of Fright-Rags tees for a reason!) So head on over to their site now to get a better look at the King Collection, as well as the rest of their impressive catalog of awesome shirts, and start ordering!

That was the main announcement for today, but I have other news for all of you regarding the Vault. After thinking about it long and hard, last night I decided to remove the Frames Version of The B-Movie Film Vault. I did not come to this decision lightly as I always found it useful to have two versions of the site, but lately I've noticed that I was just making more work for myself and that no matter what I tried, I never could quite get the Frames version to look right on monitors with higher resolutions. So yesterday, I wiped it off the web (after four hours of scouring the site and removing navigational links on every webpage) and I haven't looked back since. For anyone that utilized the frames version of the site, I apologize, but fear not, for this is just the beginning of a newer and greater Vault!

Well I must go battle the elements and head off to work, so I bid you all adieu! Be sure to keep an eye on the Vault over the next few months because I've got a lot of cool stuff planned and stay tuned for a double dose of "The Green Hornet" next week!

First blog post of 2011 + Updates galore!

2011-01-20T02:37:00.000-05:00

Greetings all and welcome (belatedly) to the Year 2011! After months of taking a break from doing work on the Vault, I am back with a vengeance! First off, here is what's new:

Though it never really took off, I've decided to continue to maintain the IT CAME FROM THE VAULT FORUM; I cleared out a bunch of old posts (and spam), and deleted (or combined) many of the boards and categories. Hopefully this makes the discussion boards a little more appealing, and maybe, just maybe they'll finally see some use. If you've been a frequent reader of the Vault and haven't joined the forums, please do so!
I've added a new appendage to the B-Movie Film Vault called THE CASUAL GAMING BLOG. Along with fellow b-movie scribe Derek Miller (from BadMovieRealm.com), we have been posting gaming news, reviews, and articles since early December. Head on over and check it out won't you?
The B-MOVIE FILM VAULT GENRE WATCH is back! CLICK HERE to read the latest blog post and keep up to date on all the cult-oriented films hitting store shelves, online retailers, and movie theaters! (Note: Nothing worthwhile in theaters this week; "Ernest Triple Feature," "Hey Vern, It's Ernest! - The Complete Series," and two new Roger Corman Cult Classics releases from Shout! Factory are the DVD highlights this week!)

Two new reviews are up on the site. First up is a guest review from Holly "Hobgoblin" Tingey for BURIAL GROUND: THE NIGHTS OF TERROR! The second review is from yours truly and revels in the absurdity of Drew Bolduc and Dan Nelson's "bodily fluid-drenched indie masterpiece," THE TAINT.

I'd like to take a moment to welcome another site into the growing B-Movie Film Vault Empire, namely RADIATION-SCARRED REVIEWS. This site is the brainchild of Bill Adcock, and is chock full of extremely well-written reviews for cult films. I am proud to be hosting this quality website and hope to conquer more of the web with Bill's help as the years tick by. If you haven't visited R-SR.com yet, then head over now to increase your knowledge of b-cinema!

My only problem at the moment is wondering... what the heck do I do with this here blog? At this stage in the game, I don't really need it to help promote new updates or share news (the forums and the Vault's OFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE have that pretty much taken care of), and I prefer to host future articles on my own site so.... what ever will I do with this little chunk of the internet that I have staked a claim on? I have thought about deleting this blog, but that seems like such a waste. I guess it'll just sit here and collect dust until I can find some use for it. (Any suggestions would be more than welcome.)

That's everything for now b-movie fans; here's to a prosperous and eventful 2011!

HALLOWEEN HORROR-THON AT THE VAULT!

2010-10-06T02:45:00.001-05:00

Greetings and welcome to the month of Horror (and Breast Cancer Awareness)! This is the busiest time of year at the Vault and I aim to please this month with the First Annual B-Movie Film Vault HALLOWEEN HORROR-THON! My goal for this project was to watch and review (at least) one horror film a day, right up until October 31st. I've admittedly failed my quest already (not my fault!) but I still plan on packing in 31 mini-reviews until Halloween rolls around. CLICK HERE to check out the first few posts thus far and be sure to keep an eye on that page on a daily basis!

Also, be sure to check out the Vault's popular GENRE WATCH BLOG every week for the latest updates on cult DVD, Blu-ray, and theatrical releases!

And, because I forgot to post about it here before, check out my latest article at the Vault: (SIX) INDIE FILMS YOU SHOULD BE STOKED FOR: VOLUME I!

That's all the new stuff I've got for you at the moment fellow horror fans! Keep checking back at the Vault for new stuff (nearly) every day and start counting down the days to Halloween! (Only 25 days left! Woohoo!)

The Vault Master is HYPED OUT in his latest article!

2010-09-20T00:34:00.003-05:00

I was thinking to myself the other day about movies that are built up with so much hype and end up being less than stellar. I've lost track of how many times I've gone out of my way to see a movie due to its hype, only to be let down, and I'm sure you can relate.

And each time I'm fooled by the evil "Hollywood Hype Machine," I get pissed off, because not only do I lose out on time and money, but I also lose a bit of trust towards the marketers, friends, family members, neighbors, coworkers, or critics that insisted I was missing out.

In my latest article, HYPED OUT: FIVE OVER-HYPED FILMS WHOSE POPULARITY BOGGLES MY MIND, I take a look at five films (four of which came out in the last three years!) that have built up a lot of hype. I've seen all five based on the hype, and I have to say that none of them lived up to it.

Please feel free to comment or share your thoughts on films that you don't understand the hype over. Stay tuned for more new content on the site too b-movie fans; Halloween is drawing nigh (only 41 more days as of my writing this blog post! YAY!) and its the most wonderful time of the year for yours truly, which usually results in new reviews, articles, and more!

MONSTER MANIA XV COVERAGE!

2010-09-11T15:32:00.000-05:00

Egads, it seems like I wrote my tale of adventure about visiting Monster-Mania Con XV weeks ago.... oh wait I did. Yes, I have been sitting on a completed article (complete with nifty photos) for weeks, as well as an accompanying podcast that fills in a few "plotholes" and delivers 25 minutes of John Carpenter soundtracks in the background.

Why have I waited until now to post it all? Well, part of it was pure laziness, but a lot of it also had to do with the fact that A.) I've been splitting tons of firewood by hand on a daily basis, B.) I have a full-time job, and C.) I am just getting over a cold. So I've literally been sick and tired, but I'm on the mend now and feeling great!

So, it is my distinct pleasure to share with you my coverage of MONSTER-MANIA CON XV:
CLICK HERE to read my article.
CLICK HERE to listen to the podcast.
CLICK HERE to share your thoughts (or convention experiences) in the B-MFV Forum.
CLICK HERE for details on MONSTER-MANIA CON XVI!

I may be going to MMCON XVI next weekend. If I do go, you can bet that I'll have another article (and podcast) in the works once I return home.

Have a great afternoon and enjoy the rest of your weekend b-movie fans! Blog ya later!

Fright-Rags LABOR DAY SHIRT MASSACRE!

2010-09-01T00:32:00.007-05:00

I am a devout lover of the awesome horror t-shirts sold by Fright-Rags; their shirts currently make up the bulk of my wardrobe, and that is in no way a bad thing. Each shirt is a work of art, and these guys and gals REALLY know how to cater to their customers.

Sadly, they are "killing off" 14 of their current t-shirt designs in order to make room for newer ones, including "My Bloody Valentine," "Big Trouble in Little China," "Nightbreed," their amazing Tom Atkins "THRILL ME!" tee, and ten others. (Seriously, this makes me want to weep!)

Starting on Friday, September 3rd and continuing on for FIVE days, each of these shirts will be sold off for 40% off their normal price! ($11.97 apiece with free shipping on orders of $60 or more!)

CLICK HERE to check out the awesome teaser trailer for this Labor Day weekend KILLING SPREE of savings, and prepare to spend some money!

New print of "The Evil Dead" possesses Dryden Theatre in Rochester, NY!

2010-08-29T11:44:00.011-05:00

Greetings cult movie fans! My apologies for not frequenting this blog (or my site)! Truthfully I was thinking of putting the kibosh on this here blog because I just don't know what to do with it. But until I figure that out, it shall remain online as part as the ever-growing, and ever-evolving B-Movie Film Vault.

But nevermind that, the important thing right now is "The Evil Dead," Sam Raimi's cult horror classic from 1981. We've all seen this movie numerous times, and many of us have been duped into buying it over and over again by those bastards at Anchor Bay (case in point, the "Limited Edition" Blu-ray is coming out on Tuesday, August 31st), each one boasting something new that the prior release didn't have.

I myself ended up buying "The Evil Dead" three times (VHS, DVD Special Edition, Book of the Dead Edition), which is pretty good considering I bought "Evil Dead II" five times (two VHS tapes, DVD special edition, Book of the Dead edition, and the Blu-ray release) and "Army of Darkness" five times (VHS theatrical cut, DVD theatrical cut, bootleg edition on VHS, then later on DVD, and finally the "Boomstick Edition). Stop raping (me and) the fans Anchor Bay!

In any case, Saturday night I drove up to Rochester, NY (three hour trip mind you) with my girlfriend Tara, and my buddy Greg to see an all new print of "The Evil Dead," made from the original 16MM print. This particular print of the film was lent to the Dryden Theatre (at the George Eastman House in Rochester) by Sage Stallone and Bob Murawski from Grindhouse Releasing.

Joining us for this milestone event was the triple threat of Kristy Jett (of Fright Rags fame), her best friend Laurie, and Bill Adock from Radiation-Scarred Reviews. We combined our forces and feasted at a place called dogTown where I discovered the horror that is the "The Junkyard Plate." (a.k.a. "The Garbage Plate" which is made up of various foods that I would never dare to mix together.)

After filling our bellies with deliciously greasy food, we went to the theater to see, what is in my opinion, the most beautiful print of "The Evil Dead" in existence. (I kind of want to get the Anchor Bay Blu-ray, just to compare the picture quality.)

To kick things off, Kristy got up and did an introduction for the night's feature presentation, and geeked out a bit about Sam Raimi, telling the audience about how he eventually teamed up with Rob Tappert, Bruce Campbell, Scott Spiegel, and everyone else who brought this cult gem into existence. She also shared a few fun anecdotes about Sam Raimi that she heard from folks like Fred "Monster Squad" Dekker and Mark Shostrom.

I got a kick out of Mark Shostrom's tale of his meeting with Sam Raimi to do the makeup f/x for "Evil Dead II." He was so embarrassed by his crappy car, that he parked it a few blocks away, and walked to the meeting, only to later discover that Sam himself drove an equally crappy vehicle. (a.k.a. "The Classic")

After Kristy finished her little speech, the lights dimmed, and a series of cult movie trailers were played to get us all in the right mood. My memory is a bit sketchy, but I think this is the full list of trailers we saw: "Maniac," "Alligator," "Phobia," "The X Y Z Murders," "Venom," "On the Right Track," (with Gary Coleman!) and "Dressed To Kill." Bill and I cheered for "Alligator," and the audience as a whole cracked up during the trailer for [in a whispering voice] "Phobia." (a.k.a. "The Nesting")

Here are some of the aforementioned trailers that I managed to find on Youtube:

And then "The Evil Dead" played.... and all was right in the world. For the next 85-minutes, we all gawked at the most beautiful print of "Evil Dead" I think any of us has ever seen. The crowd in the theater was totally in tune, and we all screamed, shouted, and laughed in unison at the demonic antics of the film's beleaguered stars. It is truly experiences like this that makes three-hour drives to a movie screening totally worthwhile!

As for the film itself, I will say that the image was a bit soft, but compared to all the VHS and DVD versions I've seen, nothing comes close. The picture was clear, the movie was in its original aspect ratio, the audio was fantastic, and I think I have finally fallen in love with this cult classic. (To date, "Evil Dead II" was, and still is, my favorite in the trilogy.) Plus, I can tally up seeing yet another classic horror film on the big screen!

After the movie, we bid our fond farewells to Kristy and company, then departed for our (tortuous) three-hour trek back into Northeastern, PA. And while we're on that topic, many thanks to Garmin for making a GPS that likes to mess with its users. The damned contraption decided that the best course to take on our return home was through a toll road, then down Route 96, through Ithaca, NY. Thanks for making our return trip longer than it had to be! (A-holes!)

Saturday was a blast, and I still can't over how good "The Evil Dead" looked! If it's playing in a city near you, I urge you to go out of your way and see this print of the film; you will most assuredly thank me.

You can get the entire schedule of "Evil Dead" movie screenings by clicking HERE and going to the official Grindhouse Releasing webpage! Cross your fingers that it is playing at an independent theater near you!

As for actual website news: Stay tuned for a double-dose of Monster-Mania Con XV coverage with a (lengthy) article chronicling my adventures, plus a podcast (chock full of John Carpenter scores in the background)! After that, I'll return to my original mission of reviewing Gary Ugarek's "Deadlands: Rising" and "Deadlands 2: Trapped," and finally post Holly Hobgoblin's guest review of "Burial Ground: The Nights of Terror."

After that? Well, if I make it to Monster-Mania XVI, you can expect coverage of that event; the return of some ancient reviews from the olde Vault archives, perhaps another podcast, and my two contributions to a remake-themed roundtable at the end of September!

Finally, I know I haven't been posting much on the blog (or site for that matter), but I'm working towards changing that. If you don't see much action around the Vault, feel free to bug me over at The B-Movie Film Vault Facebook Page. (Now with over 260 "likers" and counting!) At the very least, I check out said Facebook page twice a day and post various links, videos, and b-movie news that should be right up your alley. JOIN US.... won't you?

Win a copy of "Death Race 2000" on DVD!

2010-06-24T03:29:00.007-05:00

Greetings b-movie fans! I just picked up the amazing Blu-ray of Shout! Factory's latest installment in the "ROGER CORMAN'S CULT CLASSICS" film series, namely "DEATH RACE 2000!" Because of this, I find myself having an extra copy of the film just lying around.

The DVD is the old New Concorde release from 2001 and is from my personal collection. I take great care of my DVDs, so this disc is in pristine condition. Here's all the info about the disc...

Approx. Running Time: 78 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Region Encoding: 1 (NTSC)
Format: Fullscreen

Special Features:
Exclusive Leonard Maltin Interview with Roger Corman
Original Theatrical trailer(s)
Cast biographies
Previews of other Roger Corman films
Collectible booklet / dvd catalog inside

So how do you win this DVD you might be wondering?!
Well first off, you must become a fan (or ahm... "liker") of The B-Movie Film Vault on FACEBOOK. (This giveaway is strictly for the Vault fans on Facebook!)

Secondly, send an e-mail to vault_master[at]bmoviefilmvault[dot]com with "DEATH RACE 2000" in the subject line. Within the e-mail include your name, address, and a short one to two-paragraph essay describing the car you'd drive in a real "Death Race." (The more fun, imaginative, and deadly, the better!) This contest is going until July 1st, so sign up as a Vault fan, and get your entries in ASAP!

The winner will be announced on July 2nd; the disc will be shipped soon afterward! Good luck and godspeed Corman fans!

Vault Master's Top Ten Most Ridiculous Shark Movie Moments!

2010-06-20T01:01:00.011-05:00

Greetings fellow b-movie fans, and welcome to a very special top ten list. Since today marks the 35th anniversary of JAWS' release in theaters, I joined forces with like-minded online reviewers to pay tribute to Spielberg's 1975 classic and all the films that followed in its wake. While many of my fellow scribes have been focusing on praising JAWS and other killer shark films, I decided that I'd go the different route and glorify the most absurd and stupefying moments in shark cinema history! So let's dive right in and start off with the poppa of all Summer blockbusters.....

10. JAWS (1975) - THE IMPOSSIBLE EXPLODING SHARK!
Synopsis: A huge Great White dines on the denizens of Amity Island until the police chief, a marine biologist, and an old sea captain, with an axe to grind against sharks, join forces to hunt down the rogue fish.

Most Ridiculous Moment: For a film that relatively stays grounded in reality, it suddenly goes into "ridiculous mode" right at the explosive climax. Chief Brody hangs precariously onto the mast of the sinking "Orca" and fires an old World War II rifle (M-1 Garand?) at a charging Great White Shark that has a tank of compressed air in its mouth. Naturally Brody defies the odds, fires a lucky shot, and blows the offending marine monster to smithereens.

Why It Is Ridiculous: Besides Brody's one-in-a-million shot, there are a few things that just don't add up here. Sharks are known to eat just about anything, hell, they state that earlier in JAWS when Matt Hooper and Brody perform an autopsy on a Tiger Shark. So why didn't the goddamned Great White swallow the air tank? Because having it keel over from a sudden poison-induced heart attack isn't nearly as exciting. (SPOILER: That's how the shark dies in Peter Benchley's novel.)

To further put the kibosh on this scenario, the Mythbusters Team did an episode where they attempted to blow up a scuba tank full of compressed air with a shot from a rifle. Needless to say, it did not create a huge explosion. Check out the full test results HERE.

Still, I would not have the film end any other way. There's something very satisfying about seeing an unexpected hero totally decimate the seemingly unconquerable villain at the end of the film.

9. JAWS 2 (1978) - SHARK TURNED SLASHER!
Synopsis: A second Great White Shark comes to Amity for dinner. Not only is this one bigger than its predecessor, but it is downright diabolical. After terrorizing, and occasionally dining on, a group of stranded teenage boaters, the villainous shark gets its comeuppance at the hands of Chief Brody. Utilizing a powerline that he drug up from the ocean depths, Brody tempts the shark into chomping on the wire, thus electrocuting the offending fish.

Most Ridiculous Moment: The moment when the shark becomes "SCARFACE-JAWS." Early on in the film, the Great White chases after a water-skier and manages to nab her. Then it goes after the woman driving the boat. In a fit of desperation, said woman douses the shark, the boat, and herself with gasoline, then fires a flare gun at point blank range, into the shark's mouth. This blows her and the boat up real good, but only manages to horrifically burn half of the shark's face, resulting in the first ever Great White Shark in need of a "Phantom of the Opera" mask.

Why It Is Ridiculous: The screenwriters decided to make the shark in this film a horror movie slasher villain. First it is physically deformed in the aforementioned explosion, then it scares a man near to death, murders a killer whale, and begins a campaign of terror against a group of teenagers that are out boating. This movie follows slasher film conventions so closely at times that I was waiting for the shark to don a hockey mask during the third act. Heck, I wouldn't have been surprised if it came back to life and dined on Chief Brody's brains after he electrocuted it during the climax.

8. L'ULTIMO SQUALO (a.k.a. THE LAST SHARK, a.k.a. GREAT WHITE - 1981) - WILL THE REAL CAPTAIN QUINT, PLEASE STAND UP?
Synopsis: A thirty-five foot Great White stakes a claim off the shores of Port Harbor. The Mayor naturally refuses to close the beaches so James Franciscus (Chief Brody-lite) and Vic Morrow (Diet Quint) head out in a boat and attempt to bring the murderous shark to justice.

Most Ridiculous Moment: Aside from being so derivative of JAWS (and JAWS 2) that it got taken out of U.S. theaters and banned from seeing a legit release in America? How about casting Vic Morrow as Ron Hamer, a dead ringer for Robert Shaw's "Quint" from JAWS? There's almost no disguising who Vic Morrow is supposed to be, and every time he is on the screen, you can't help but be distracted by his presence. ("Hey isn't that....? Nope. Just Vic Morrow. Sigh....")

Why It Is Ridiculous: As if it weren't bad enough that at least sixty percent of The Last Shark was cribbed from Spielberg's movie, the film makers decide to put a prominent mustachioed actor in the same exact role as Robert Shaw. That alone probably sent Universal into a fit of rage. Plus, Morrow's role is made all the more ludicrous by the fact that he is (usually unsuccessfully) aping Robert Shaw's accent from JAWS.

7. DEEP BLUE SEA (1999) - "THEY ATE ME! A MOTHERF*CKING SHARK ATE ME!"
Synopsis: Researchers in an underwater facility, in their crusade for a cure for cancer and other deadly diseases (because shark's are immune to every disease known to man), mix human and shark DNA, resulting in super-smart undersea predators. Eventually the sharks manage to force their way into the facility, and are soon swimming about and chomping on all the members of the cast that weren't top-billed.... or named L.L. Cool J. Eventually, the last of the sharks attempts to escape out into open sea, and its up to a second-rate rap artist, and a second-rate "Punisher" to stop it!

Most Ridiculous Moment: Oy! There are so many moments in the film that are jaw-droppingly stupid and ridiculous, but I think the real show-stopper here is Samuel L. Jackson's big survival speech / pep talk to the terrified scientists in the undersea lab. His speech is so grand, that everyone in the movie (and probably everyone watching the film) are convinced that survival is an option. And then a fig bucking super-intelligent Mako Shark leaps out of the water behind him. The shark drags Sam Jackson back into the water and chomps the everliving shit out of him, thus crushing anyone's hopes of escaping this insane scenario alive.

Why It Is Ridiculous: Few films are ballsy enough to kill a main character off, especially when he or she is making a speech and attempting to get people to cooperate with one another in order to survive, or just overcome an obstacle. Renny Harlin and friends pretty much said "f*@k that" and decided to not only interrupt Sam Jackson's rousing speech, but do so with a huge CGI shark. It's hilarious and totally unexpected if you're a first time viewer, and pretty much lays the groundwork for what you can expect as this goofy action film plays out.

6. JAWS 3D (1983) - "MANIMAL GRENADIER!"
Synopsis: Michael Brody (Dennis Quaid) and company discover that a Great White has snuck into their Sea World theme park and snacked on a few folks. They manage to capture the beast (which is rather small to be the antagonist of the film, dontcha think?) but alas, it dies in captivity. Turns out that they basically kidnapped and killed "JAWS JR." and soon its much bigger, and angrier momma is out and about and creating havoc throughout the park. Eventually, the shark is destroyed because it apparently couldn't swallow a scuba diver that was armed with a grenade.

Most Ridiculous Moment: There's a lot of scenes that really fit the bill, but I think the winner here is at the explosive climax of the film. During the third act of JAWS 3D, a character named Philip FitzRoyce (played by Simon MacCorkindale, a.k.a. Manimal!) attempts to destroy the Great White by tossing a grenade into its mouth while it is trapped. His plan fails, and he soon discovers himself in the gullet of the mighty fish. But rather than getting swallowed (or even chewed), Philip is crushed within the shark's body and remains visible whenever the animal opens its mouth. Oh, and his lifeless body is still clenching that handy grenade. Naturally Mike Brody notices this at the film's finale, and manages to pull the pin on the grenade, causing the shark to explode! Doh!

Why It Is Ridiculous: Because the shark would have chomped down "Manimal" and swallowed the unlucky S.O.B. whole! If anything, the guy should have pulled the pin when he realized he was about to be swallowed before entering the shark's mouth and having its throat muscles pound him into jelly. Regardless, he would have been swallowed entirely, leaving absolutely no "Achilles Heel" in plain site for the main hero of the movie to take advantage of. Stupid movie sharks; start swallowing your damned victims!

5. JAWS: THE REVENGE (1987) - ROARING SHARK RANDOMLY EXPLODES!
Synopsis: Totally ignoring the events of JAWS 3D, this film has the cursed Brody clan coming together in the Bahamas after one of their own is eaten by a poorly constructed robotic Great White. The shark attempts to kill only members of the Brody household but ultimately fails in its unexplained quest and fuels the ire of Mike Brody's mother, Ellen, who goes out to sea in order to challenge, and somehow defeat, her aquatic foe.

Most Ridiculous Moment: This was a tough call because so many things in this movie are one-hundred percent idiotic such as Reggae Mario Van Peebles, Michael Caine as a character named "Hoagie," and of course, the giant, roaring, telepathic Great White Shark! The moment where the movie totally falls apart under the enormous weight of sheer stupidity occurs right at the end when Ellen drives the front of the boat she's sailing into the side of the leaping, roaring Great White. For some inexplicable reason, the shark EXPLODES! (Or rather, an awfully poor miniature of a shark explodes!) No explosives were utilized in this final, desperate attack on the shark mind you; it just blows up real good because a pointy piece of wood was forcefully jabbed into its body.

Why It Is Ridiculous: There's nothing to explain here. The exploding shark scene (added in because test audiences didn't care for the "shark spews blood and sinks to its death" ending) is completely ludicrous and defies explanation. F*ck this scene, and f*ck this horrible movie!

4. A*P*E (1976) - KOREAN KING KONG VS. JAWS, ON THE CHEAP!
Synopsis: A giant ape escapes from an exploding toy boat and wades toward South Korea, briefly battles a shark, and then wanders onto the coast of South Korea, where it gets into all sorts of trouble. Eighty minutes of terrible 3D effects and bargain basement city-stomping later, the mighty guy-in-ape-suit flips off the Korean military before it is destroyed.

Most Ridiculous Moment: For the sake of being on this list, I have to say that the most ridiculous moment of A*P*E is when the Kong-wannabee fights with a "Great White Shark." (i.e. "King Kong vs. JAWS" with next to no budget.) While this may sound cool, it is actually hilariously embarrassing because the guy in the terrible gorilla suit wrestles around with a DEAD SHARK! Even worse, when the mighty gorilla tears the shark's jaws apart, you can clearly see that the poor shark's mouth has already been pre-cut!

Why It Is Ridiculous: BECAUSE A DUDE IN A CHEAP GORILLA SUIT WRESTLES A DEAD SHARK! Need I say more?

3. SHARK ATTACK 3: MEGALODON (2002) - DISCOVERY CHANNEL FOOTAGE KILLS PEOPLE + "THE LINE!"
Synopsis: A ginormous prehistoric shark goes on a rampage and its up to two good-looking "marine biologists" to stop its reign of terror. This movie is the pinnacle of bad shark movies, featuring some of the most hilariously bad effects you'll ever see and.... the most infamous line of dialogue ever delivered!

Most Ridiculous Moment: It's a two way tie between the awful scenes where the impossibly huge shark eats people and THIS AMAZING EXCHANGE OF DIALOGUE!

Why It Is Ridiculous: The shark attack sequences are so horribly done; it's hysterical to watch! Essentially, instead of using fake sharks (animatronic or otherwise) or using (i.e. stealing) footage from other films, the effects artists for Shark Attack 3 decided to go a different route: They digitally inserted people into the mouth of documentary footage of a shark! Here is the result of that "awesome" idea:

As for "the line," that pretty much speaks for itself. Watch it again won't you?

2. MEGA SHARK VS. GIANT OCTOPUS (2009) - GIANT PREHISTORIC SHARK VS. EVERYTHING!
Synopsis: I stopped watching Sci-Fi Channel originals a long time ago; life is simply too short to waste on them. Case in point: Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus. In this aptly titled "epic," a massive shark and octopus, frozen in ice during their last ancient battle, thaw out and go crazy on humanity. Man's weaponry is useless against these two ancient titans, so a plan is developed to get the two creatures to meet up once again so that they can hopefully fight to the death.

Most Ridiculous Moment: Every damned scene that features the shark pretty much makes the cut. It chomps a battleship to pieces, leaps up into the sky to snag an airliner, and takes a bite out of the Golden Gate Bridge! No, I'm not making this up! Here's proof:

Why It Is Ridiculous: I don't care how big a f*cking shark gets, it will never EVER be able to pull off any of the crazy shit this CGI monstrosity does, including leaping 15,000 feet into the air to snag a plane!

1. AATANK (1996) - EVERY SINGLE SECOND OF "BOLLYWOOD JAWS!"
Synopsis: A giant, seemingly invulnerable shark begins attacking people near a coastal fishing village. Its up to two kung-fu brothers to stop the giant beast before the village's livelihood is forever ruined! :: Cue Hindi song & dance number ::

Most Ridiculous Moment: Every single frame of this movie qualifies! This is the bizarrest take on the JAWS story I have ever seen and despite the lack of English subtitles, I don't think the film would make much sense anyway. Seriously, during the first hour of watching this epic of insanity, there were three song & dance numbers, two kung-fu battles, one attempted rape, and zero scenes involving a shark. The terribly fake fish shows up around the fifty-minute mark and soon becomes a thorn in everyone's side. Check out the video below to see India's JAWS in action:

Why It Is Ridiculous: Because it was made in India, natch!

Well I hope you enjoyed my top ten most ridiculous moments in shark cinema! Be sure to read more shark-related articles, reviews, and more as SHARKATHALON comes to a close! To read everything shark-related that was posted in the last eight days, click on the image below:

SHARKATHLON is coming; plus site updates!

2010-06-11T23:01:00.004-05:00

Greetings b-movie fans! Just a quick update before I head off the web for the night. First off, June 13th - 20th will be chock full of shark cinema goodness during the massive SHARKATHALON online event, which will be celebrating the 35th Anniversary of "JAWS!" Numerous bloggers and webmasters are uniting to write articles and movie reviews of shark films in celebration of the 1975 classic that spawned an entire movie genre, made Steven Spielberg a household name, and began the yearly Summer blockbuster tradition.

My first contribution is now up for this event. It's an old review for JAWS: The Revenge, fully rewritten and given an all new lease on life! Next up I plan on posting a review for the amazingly bizarre and mind-numbingly strange "Aatank" (a.k.a. Bollywood JAWS), and sharing an all new Top Ten List of the most ridiculous moments in shark cinema history!

But I won't stop there folks, oh no! I intend to celebrate shark movies for the remainder of the month (and maybe longer), so keep checking back often for new content!

Also, I forgot to post a link here a while ago for my capsule review for the insipid remake of Clash of the Titans. I really disliked the movie; it was so terribly put together that it made the 1981 original look ten times better! It's coming out on DVD & Blu-ray in the very near future, but if I were you, I'd either skip by it, or just give it a rental. It is most definitely not worth buying.

Well that's it for now, but keep your eyes peeled for the aforementioned Top Ten List this weekend!

Vault Master's Top Ten Ray Harryhausen Creations!

2010-04-02T11:53:00.006-05:00

In anticipation of the new Clash of the Titans (in theaters now!), I sat down and watched the 1981 original, and waxed nostalgic about Ray Harryhausen's still fairly impressive stop-motion effects in that film. Then I began to fondly recall all of the other mythological and prehistoric beasts that he's brought to life and thought, hey, I should do a quick top ten list to celebrate my favorite Harryhausen creations! But doing something like this is more fun when you include a friend, so I invited Bill Adcock from Radiation-Scarred Reviews to join me in my mini quest to honor a true special effects pioneer, and all around awesome guy.

Now, choosing ten creatures, aliens, monsters, and/or dinosaurs from Harryhausen's impressive filmography was not an easy task, and I found myself really hard-pressed to limit my choices. So before I kick things off, here are some honorable mentions that didn't make the final cut:

THE MINOTON - A golden, mechanical Minotaur that was created by the evil Queen Zenobia to be her "hired muscle" in Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger. The poor Minoton does not get to do a whole helluva lot, and ends up getting crushed by a huge stone while serving his creator.

THE DRAGON - Though it defeated the mighty Cyclops in battle, this four-legged, fire-breathing menace from 7th Voyage of Sinbad has since been forever eclipsed by his one-eyed opponent. While the dragon's design is nothing new, Harryhausen's work on this mythical beast is nothing short of fantastic!

THE KRAKEN - Oh yeah, I can hear the complaints now. "The Kraken didn't make it into your top ten? Are you serious?!" Sorry gang, I really enjoy seeing this big boy make his grand entrance in Clash of the Titans, but a huge favorite of mine he is not.

KALI - Egads! Another one that should have made my list, but didn't! This multi-armed menace from Golden Voyage of Sinbad gives the heroic sailor and his crew a lot of trouble, and their battle is one of the greatest sword fights ever rendered on film!

THE YMIR - Yes, he didn't make the list either, though he originally was going to. This has to be the most tragic creature in Harryhausen's filmography, as it comes to Earth only to be poked, prodded, and attacked by just about everyone it encounters, until it eventually flips out and has to be put down. Poor Ymir, we hardly knew ye.

So if those are just the honorable mentions, then what fantastical creatures and beings made the final cut? Well let's take a look!

10. The Flying Saucers
Movie of Origin: Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956)
Factoid: Tim Burton mimicked the design of Harryhausen's saucers in 1996's sci-fi comedy, Mars Attacks!

In the 1950s, alien invasion films were a dime a dozen. This era in sci-fi film making resulted in numerous classics like The Thing From Another World, War of the Worlds, The Day the Earth Stood Still, and Japanese epics, such as The Mysterians, and The Battle in Outer Space. One of my absolute favorites from this time period though is Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, which featured some of the coolest flying saucers ever put on film! The most impressive thing about the alien ships in the film is that they are in constant movement. (Oddly enough the aliens themselves, realized by men in goofy costumes, are far less interesting than their ships!)

These aren't hubcaps or pie tins on fishing line, these are mechanical harbingers of death that rotate in the air and deliver mass genocide with their satellite dish death-rays! While the destruction caused by the aliens' death rays is impressive, the real showstopper is the climax where the alien ships begin to fall out of the air when humanity rallies against them with a secret weapon. Seeing saucers crash into the Capitol Building and the Washington Monument is more than worth the price of admission, and easily earns the film's flying death machines the number ten spot on this list!

9. The Rhedosaurus
Movie of Origin: The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)
Factoid: This movie was based off of a Ray Bradbury short story entitled "The Fog Horn."

When you think of atomic monsters, Godzilla is usually the first cinematic beastie that comes to mind. However, the Big-G and other gigantic atom-age monsters owe a lot of their existence (and success) to the star of 1953's The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms! A (fictional) species of dinosaur known as a Rhedosaurus is awakened from suspended animation after an atomic bomb is tested in the Arctic Circle. Eventually the mighty reptile makes its way to civilization, and throws a prehistoric tantrum when it realizes that us puny humans are now the dominant species on Earth. The dinosaur's rampage finally comes to end at Coney Island, after scientists blast the creature with a gun that fires a special "radioactive isotope."

The Rhedosaurus is one of the first giant monsters from Earth's past to terrorize modern man, following in the footsteps of its forefathers: the totally pissed off Brontosaurus from the original (silent) The Lost World and the immortally beloved giant ape King Kong. The Rhedosaurus was one of Harryhausen's first creations and though it lacked the personality of some of the other creatures he brought to life, it still gets big points for being a huge inspiration to the original creators of Godzilla!

Let that sink in for a minute: Had Ray Harryhausen never created the Rhedosaurus, we may never have had Godzilla! What a frightening idea.....

8. The Giant Octopus
Movie of Origin: IT Came from Beneath the Sea (1955)
Factoid: To save money, Ray Harryhausen only gave the aquatic horror from this film six appendages instead of eight.

One of the earliest memories I have from my childhood is watching all sorts of awesome classic creature features during TNT's Summer "Monster Vision" marathons, way before Joe Bob Briggs arrived on the scene with his drive-in totals and awesomely busty mail girl, Honey. It Came From Beneath the Sea was one of the usual suspects, and I loved to watch Harryhausen's "hex-topus" trash San Francisco and violently slap fleeing citizens into the pavement with its mighty tentacles. For the uninitiated, IT is a classic tale of nature running amok, due to mankind's careless attempts to further scientific knowledge.

Atomic bomb tests at sea have polluted the food source of a giant cephalopod, and have chased the creature from its territorial waters. Now angry as hell, with a massive hunger to boot, the tentacled terror begins pulling ships beneath the sea and eventually besieges San Francisco, where it wrecks the Golden Gate Bridge! After its daring attack, the Kraken-sized octopus slumbers in San Francisco Bay where it is killed by a specially designed torpedo. IT features some of Harryhausen's best work, which belies the limited budget he had, and has some amazing scenes of death and destruction.

Decades later, film makers still have yet to create a giant octopus film that comes close to this Harryhausen epic with all their fancy CGI technology. (Ok, I'll admit that I found Deep Rising enjoyable, but seriously name me ONE other giant octopus flick that is even remotely in the same league.) Sorry foolish mortals, but you cannot outdo "The Harryhausen" with your soulless machines! Mwahahahaha!

7. Medusa
Movie of Origin: Clash of the Titans (1981)
Factoid: Clash of the Titans was the last film that Ray Harryhausen and Charles H. Schneer worked on.

Seeing as how the idea for this top ten list was inspired by the remake of Clash of the Titans, you knew that something from the 1981 flick was going to pop up here. Out of all the mythological beasts from the epic original, none impressed me more than Medusa. With her constantly writhing head full o' snakes, her scaly reptilian boobs, rattlesnake tail, and deadly bow & arrow, she was a real terror to behold! Having watched the original recently, I found it to be a bit long and dull in some parts, and though there are all sorts of beasts in this film (a giant Vulture, Pegasus, Calibos, giant scorpions, the Kraken, et al.), Medusa's portion of the film stands out as the most interesting and atmospheric of the bunch. Medusa is one cold, calculated witch, and proves to be the most menacing monster in the film!

6. Talos
Movie of Origin: Jason and the Argonauts (1966)
Factoid: Talos' design was inspired by Sergio Leone's "The Colossus of Rhodes."

Jason and the Argonauts is probably my all-time favorite Harryhausen flick and boasts one of his most famous and memorable creations: The bronze giant known as Talos. This colossus resides on Crete and is, at first sight, completely harmless. But all that changes when a greedy asshole version of Hercules decides to steal some treasures from the pedestal that Talos is resting on. Said treasures belong to the Greek gods, and as soon as Herc grabs a few items, the mighty Talos awakens and chases after the would-be thief and his shipmates. Jason and his crew quickly set sail in the Argo, but are unable to escape in time as Talos blocks their only route and shakes their legendary boat to pieces. With nowhere to run, Jason and his brave men battle and defeat Talos after discovering its (literal) "Achilles Heel," rebuild their ship, and head back on course for the legendary "Golden Fleece!"

Talos is remarkable to watch, but believe it or not, good ole Ray Harryhausen manages to deliver far more impressive stop-motion monstrosities as this film goes on. You'll be seeing some of them further along, so keep reading!

5. Gwangi
Movie of Origin: The Valley of Gwangi (1969)
Factoid: "Gwangi" is a Native American word for "lizard."

Dinosaurs and cowboys make for a pretty good combo in Valley of Gwangi, which succeeds where its predecessor Beast of Hollow Mountain miserably failed. Gwangi is a total blast and features a variety of cool creatures, ranging from the adorable Eohippus, to the mighty and vengeful T-Rex. The movie starts off a bit slow, but really picks up once a group of cowboys discovers a hidden valley, blows open the entrance with dynamite, and blindly charges into a prehistoric landscape full of dinosaurs. The biggest and baddest of the thought-to-be-extinct denizens is a T-Rex (or is he an Allosaurus?) named Gwangi, and they manage to capture the ornery carnivore in one of the most astonishing moments in Harryhausen history. (The famous "Roping of Gwangi" sequence!) They bring the dinosaur back to civilization to be put on display, but Gwangi breaks free (of course!) and goes on a rampage until incinerated within the confines of a church.

Cripes! When will people learn that showcasing a giant creature for profit is just a plain old bad idea?!

4. Mighty Joe Young
Movie of Origin: Mighty Joe Young (1949)
Factoid: Though Willis O'Brien gets top-billing for the effects, Ray Harryhausen did nearly all the stop-motion effects in this film!

With the success of King Kong it wasn't too surprising that other giant ape films would follow. Mighty Joe Young differs from most of those though, because this isn't the usual story of a creature kidnapped from its home and exploited for money. (Though that naturally does happen when Joe is put on display at a nightclub, where he plays tug-of-war with a group of circus strongmen.) Joe is brought over from Africa, willingly enough, by a woman named Jill Young who raised the gorilla since it was a baby. He proves to be quite docile, until one night when a trio of drunks abuse the poor ape, causing it to go well... apeshit!

Joe trashes the nightclub, and fights a pack of lions (what club keeps real lions on display?!) until Jill finally arrives to calm him down. Seeing as how Joe could very well be a menace to society, an order is given to have him "put down." Jill tries to sneak him back to Africa with a little help from some friends, but the plan gets botched and soon Joe is on the loose in L.A.! Luckily, Joe comes across a flaming orphanage, and rescues all the children from the burning structure, thus putting him in the good graces of the law. Unlike the primal fury exhibited by Kong, Joe is quite gentle and Harryhausen does an incredible job of giving this tamer ape some real character and emotion.

And though it wasn't a financial success in its day, Mighty Joe Young has definitely withstood the test of time and is, to me, just as much a classic as the original King Kong.

3. The Cyclops
Movie of Origin: The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958)
Factoid: 7th Voyage of Sinbad was the first feature film utilizing stop-motion animation to be in color!

Out of all the monsters in Harryhausen's Sinbad Trilogy, the most memorable one for me is the Cyclops from 7th Voyage of Sinbad. This single-eyed mythical monstrosity resided on the island of Colossa, and guards a magical lamp that contains a genie. Sinbad the sailor ends up crossing swords with the mighty Cyclops because an evil wizard named Sokurah steals said lamp and turns to Sinbad and his men for protection.

The brave sailors escape, but have to return to that accursed island because Sinbad's love, the beautiful Princess Parissa was turned into a Lilliputian, and a major ingredient for the cure resides high in the mountains of the dreaded isle. Sinbad manages to blind and defeat one Cyclops, but luckily there was a spare elsewhere on Colossa. However, this second Cyclops doesn't fare much better as it ends up taking on Sokurah's dragon (one of the honorable mentions at the start of this article) and perishing.

Poor Cyclops... he was probably only one more day from retirement....

2. The Hydra
Movie of Origin: Jason and the Argonauts (1966)
Factoid: Jason and the Argonauts was the first 'A' list Ray Harryhausen film, as all his previous movies were double-billed with other "B" movies.

Out of all the Greek myths, one of my favorites was Hercules' battle with the Hydra! Finding that two new heads grew in the place of each one he took, ole Herc was stumped (pun intended!) until his nephew Iolaus said "Hey uncle, use a torch to burn the stumps after you chop off a head." And thusly, Hercules completed his Second Labour. Imagine my delight when I saw Jason and the Argonauts for the first time and saw the multi-headed nightmare come slithering out of a cave to stop the heroic Jason from claiming the Golden Fleece!

Harryhausen's Hydra is yet another testament to his amazing skills, as all seven heads and the creature's tail are constantly moving in some of the smoothest stop-motion animation you will ever see! Although Jason doesn't start lopping off heads, creating an even bigger threat for himself (not to mention a lot more work for Ray Harryhausen), his duel with the Hydra is still extremely satisfying to watch.

1. Skeletal Warriors
Movie of Origin: 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) and Jason and the Argonauts (1966)
Factoid: It took Ray Harryhausen a whopping four months to fully animated the skeleton battle in Jason and the Argonauts!

Many of you already "have a bone to pick with me" over some of my choices I'm sure, but very few of you can deny the awesomeness of the amazing re-animated skeletal warriors seen in Jason and the Argonauts and 7th Voyage of Sinbad. In 7th Voyage the evil Sokurah animates a skeleton that was hanging from the ceiling of his dungeon / workshop of mystical wonders.

The skeletal fiend then grabs a sword and shield, and gives Sinbad a lot of grief. However, as it is a skeleton under the control of a magician, it isn't too bright and ends up falling to its doom, off the top of a staircase that leads nowhere! (Ouch, not a good sign when your undead minions die due to bad evil lair designs.)

While that was indeed an impressive display of visual effects for its time (Hell, I still think its incredible!) Ray Harryhausen totally outdid himself eight years later with the "children of the Hydra's teeth," a.k.a. a group of skeletal warriors! Jason and two of his men, Castor and Phalerus, are cornered at some seaside ruins by King Aeetes who suddenly produces a bag of Hydra teeth which he sews across the ground.

The teeth burrow in and seconds later, skeletons armed with swords and shields pop up and begin battling the trio of heroes. Castor and Phelerus fall in battle, and the beleaguered Jason is forced backwards toward the edge of a cliff. Seeing that he has no chance of victory, her takes a leap of faith off the cliff and lands safely in the sea below while his undead attackers simply vanish, never to be seen again.

These bony bastards are my absolute favorite creation by the mastermind known as Ray Harryhausen. Up to this point, Ray's work has been great, but animating over half a dozen skeletons and having them interact on film with flesh and blood actors must have been a daunting task. Thankfully Mr. Harryhausen managed to pull off the effect nicely, resulting in a fantastic battle to the death that will live on in our minds and hearts for many years to come.

For all you who think CGI is the bee's knees, take a look at this awesome display of old school special effects, and respect them! HAIL RAY HARRYHAUSEN, THE KING OF DYNA-MATION!

Well there's my top ten list of my favorite Ray Harryhausen creations! Feel free to comment; share your thoughts and your top ten lists with me. I'd love to see what you have to say! But most importantly, head on over to RADIATION-SCARRED REVIEWS and check out "Bayou" Bill's top ten list! We generally have the same taste in Harryhausen creatures, but I think you'll be pleased to see that our lists remain fairly different!

I'm seeing the new Clash of the Titans tonight, and have my fingers crossed that it doesn't suck, but beforehand I'm going to watch either the original (again) or Jason and the Argonauts in order to get pumped up!

I guess all I have left to say now is..... "RELEASE THE KRAKEN!"

New Capsule Review: Dinosaur Valley Girls (1996)

2010-04-01T02:11:00.003-05:00

While Steven Spielberg's "Jurassic Park" had its share of rip-offs (like "Carnosaur"), the film also had an effect on the low budget softcore porn / sex comedy market. Movies like "Dinosaur Island" and "Beach Babes From Beyond 2: Cave Girl Island" popped up, as did an often overlooked movie entitled Dinosaur Valley Girls!

In this film, an action movie star named Tony Markham travels back in time to a prehistoric landscape full of stop-motion dinosaurs, comic relief cavemen, and sex-starved cavegirls in order to meet the girl of his dreams. If you're looking for Oscar-winning performances, amazing special effects, or an engaging storyline go elsewhere. However, if you're a fan of boobs and fart jokes, then this just might be the movie for you!

Check back again soon b-movie fans for another new review (for "Bitch Slap!") as well as a co-op article or top-ten list with my main man Bill from Radiation-Scarred Reviews!

New Capsule Review: Closed for the Season (2009)

2010-03-23T02:34:00.004-05:00

For those of you that frequent the site (and blog), you may recall that I have just recently attended Monster Mania Con XIV and saw the world premiere of Jay Woelful's "Closed for the Season." I didn't go into too much detail about the film on my MM XIV blog posts, (with so much going on, I didn't really have the time) so I decided to take it upon myself to review the rough cut of the movie. "Closed for the Season" is a very surreal horror film and constantly messes with the expectations (and minds) of those who watch it. Keep an eye out for this cinematic oddity as it will be hitting DVD later this year.

Stay tuned for more review action as I attempt to put a dent in this stack of review screeners that has been building up on my desk!

MONSTER MANIA XIV: FINAL TWO DAYS and AFTERMATH!

2010-03-15T10:34:00.004-05:00

Tom Atkins truly did "THRILL ME!"

Well I've been home for a few hours; got a belly full of pancakes and sausage, and I'm unwinding a bit before I have to get back to the grindstone at work. This past weekend was quite an experience, and I'm finding myself wanting to go to another convention almost ASAP! It was amazing to meet people I've only seen on film, and though I didn't get to greet all the cult celebs I wanted to, I met enough to give me a lifetime of memories. In any case, here's the rundown of Monster Mania Con DAY TWO and DAY THREE:

I woke up bright and early, intent on getting some grub and hitting up an early screening of "Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives." However, after getting showered up, grabbing cash and my business cards, and then hitting the restaurant downstairs for some breakfast, I totally missed out on that particular film (though I did get to see Malcolm MacDowell and several "My Bloody Valentine" guests chowing down nearby).

After Tara and I had our fill of the delicious breakfast buffet, we wandered off to find Dan and Bill from Radiation-Scarred Reviews. Since they ran back up to their room after breakfast, Tara and I decided to wander into the main Ballroom and take in the final twenty-five minutes of "Silver Bullet," which was part of a tribute to the late Corey Haim.

After watching Gary Busey get tossed around by a lycanthrope that is shot in the eye with a silver bullet by cripped Corey, we finally managed to meet up with the "R-SR guys" and take in a few movies up on the mezzanine level of the hotel. Movie number one was the awesomely fun "House" starring William Katt. Surprisingly my two fellow internet movie scribes had never seen this movie, so it was a treat to watch their reactions to the supernatural shenanigans of this beloved cult classic.

This was quickly followed up with a screening of "Night of the Creeps" which surprisingly had the original "alternate" ending where Tom Atkins' crispy corpse unleashes some brain slugs into a cemetery. (Sorry if I ruined that for anyone.) Once again, I was shocked to discover that Dan had never seen "Night of the Creeps," and I was happy to be present for his moment of "Thrill Me" cherry-popping!

After "Creeps" ended, our foursome took a break and parted ways for a half hour, then rejoined our forces to take in another screening of Jay Woelfel's "Closed for the Season." I was more than happy to see that this screening was packed with people, and a lot of them stayed put this time. Even better, there were no issues with the film this time, so the show kicked off on time.

The movie was still the two-hour cut we saw the previous night, but this time the picture and audio quality were far superior. (Gone were the "too dark" night shots that were a bit confusing during the film's initial screening.) The film still has a ways to go before it is ready for the general public, (I'm thinking a twenty minute chunk should be cut out... though that would be hard to do since there are scenes that are referenced and re-referenced throughout the film.) but the second screening was far more fulfilling and understandable.

After the movie ended, they did a quick Q&A session and revealed that there were some neat scenes that didn't make it into the current cut (and may not be in the final cut) of the movie, and shed a little light on the strange plot of this mind-boggling independent feature. After all was said and done, Bill, Dan, Tara, and I chatted it up with Jay, and got a few pics with the infamous director of "Trancers 6."

Jay Woelfel photo-op after the screening of "Closed for the Season."

At this point, the various Q&A panels were going on downstairs in the ballroom (sadly I missed out on the "Night of the Creeps" reunion panel amongst others), but instead of heading down there, we all ordered some pizza and convened in Bill and Dan's room to nerd out. After chowing down on some Domino's, Bill and Dan snuck off for a secret Low Budget Pictures screening of "Filthy McNasty 4" and met director Chris Seaver.

With nothing better to do, Tara and I grabbed some seats in the main screening room and caught "Return of the Living Dead." I haven't seen it in years, and truly fell in love with this parody of zombie flicks all over again. After the film ended, we went downstairs and waited outside of the main ballroom to see Charles Band's Full Moon Road Show!

Gary Busey suddenly showed up in his PJs (no ice cream this time) to investigate the area and inquired about what's going on. (Or most likely inquired if that "bastard" Charlie Band was in the room at the moment! Hahahaha.) I said hello to "crazy Busey" as he walked by and got a genial "Hey!" from everyone's favorite mad-man.

Not too soon after Gary's departure, Charles Band arrived and filmed everyone standing in line, then vanished back into the ballroom where Dario Argento's Q&A was coming to a close. Ten minutes later, Tara and I got into the (already nearly full) ballroom and managed to save to chairs for Dan and Bill, who were about a mile back in the line.

Once we were seated, we discovered that things were starting to run behind, and sadly Charles Band had to greatly shorten his usually two-hour long show. You could try and blame Dario Argento but really it was because it took the event coordinators A FULL HALF HOUR TO SEAT EVERYONE AND PACK THE ROOM DANGEROUSLY BEYOND CAPACITY! But you know what? It was all freakin' worth it for this:

The show kicked off with the awesome promo reel seen above and people were going nuts, especially when the guitar solo from Guns N' Roses "November Rain" kicked in. Once that ended, the lights came up and Charles took the stage and WOWED the audience with humorous anecdotes about his career, which included his major breakthrough with "Ghoulies" and how the advertisements featuring the creature in the toilet stopped an entire generation of children from being potty-trained, and some great stories involving Gary Busey on the set of "Gingerdead Man."

He followed this up with a promo for the upcoming "Puppet Master: Axis of Evil" (available on DVD and Blu-ray March 15th - check out www.fullmoondirect.com for more details!), and then brought BILL MOSELEY up on stage for some fun! (They worked together on a little futuristic cyborg cheapie called "Crash and Burn.") He then auctioned off an authentic "Puppet Master" chest, full of puppets, for $450 and then a custom built electric chair that was onstage for (I believe) $150, then got to the final act of his truncated show.

Charles finished things off with a little "play" up on the stage made up of volunteers from the audience. It would take a while to explain the gist of the play in full detail but essentially a girl in a werewolf costume (Susan) was the villain, sentenced to death in the electric chair for her/its crimes. The hero of the piece was a musclebound dude named Scott who played the werewolf's brother, while the damsel in distress who gets felt up by the "hero" was played by a busty model named Violetta. And oh yeah, there's a naughty nurse (Meelz? Is that really your freakin' name?) up there for good measure.

Charles gives directions to his cast of characters!

So the plot goes like this: Werewolf is getting fried, sees brother molesting lesbian lover, breaks its bonds, kills brother, prepares to leap into the audience to go on a murder spree, and can only be calmed down by the bare breasts of its chesty lover. And oh yeah... there's a naughty nurse there too.

As a newcomer to the onstage antics of Charles Band I was surprised to see this little scene play out THREE times (they didn't quite get things right the first two times) with Violetta unleashing her hooters to a cheering audience each time! I was shocked, enthused, and amused by this, and luckily got it on (grainy) video! (Said video will be available to all the Vault's FACEBOOK fans within another day or two, so BECOME A FAN OF THE B-MOVIE FILM VAULT FACEBOOK PAGE if you want to see it!)

After roaring applause, Charles exited stage left, and headed off to sell Full Moon swag (at 50% or more off!), meet fans, and sign EVERYTHING he could. He was a very personable fellow, and took time out to talk to everyone and sign everything, AND he even went as far as to apologize to the lengthy line of eager fans multiple times.

He apologized to me personally once I got up to meet him and I told him "Hey, no worries Charles... you showed us boobs! We're grateful!" I ended up getting the "Trancers: Definite Collection," "Gingerdead Man," "Gingerdead Man 2: Passion of the Crust," "Puppet Master Legacy," and "Laserblast" ALL SIGNED, for a mere $45.00! Wow, what a guy! After meeting Charles, Tara and I parted ways with Bill and Dan and hit the hay.

MONSTER MANIA XIV: DAY THREE
The next morning I got an early phone call from Bill, wishing me a safe trip, then prepared to hit the road myself. After a hot shower, I helped Tara take all our stuff out to her car, then headed back inside to scope out the vendors' goods one last time. I ended up getting a screener of "Zombie Hunters: City of the Dead Vol. 1" along with bootlegs of "Alligator II" and "Blood Beach." Afterwards, I double-checked to see if maybe, just maybe I could sneak in and see Gary Busey, but the line was once again too damned long. And so, after some debate, we finally left the Crowne Plaza Hotel in search of food.

And that's pretty much the end of the story folks. While I had originally planned on staying the entire day on Sunday, I realized that I (along with Tara) was completely exhausted. Even though we left earlier than anticipated, it was definitely the best course of action, because driving back through Philly is a bitch and a half, especially if you try to do it during rush hour. And somehow, we managed to miss all the tollbooths from Philly to Scranton. As a result, we had to pay a whopping $29.30 to pass into Scranton at the final tollbooth. (F*CK-ING BULLSHIT!)

Once at Tara's, we told our stories to her folks, showed off our swag and pictures, then settled down and watched "Gingerdead Man 1 & 2" before calling it an early night. Now I'm home, and unfortunately have to get ready for work. It's been a crazy couple of days, and I look forward to regaling everyone at the workplace with tales of Gary Busey's insanity, of memorabilia I obtained, and of the kindly stars that I got to meet and greet for twenty bucks an autograph!

Do I have regrets? Well yeah: I missed all the Q&A panels and didn't meet everyone I wanted to, but you know what? There's always next year! (Or this Summer if I can pull together another $800.00 by August 22nd!) I gotta run b-movie fans, so have a great day! I hoped you enjoyed my coverage of Monster Mania XIV, and really hope that I have in some way convinced you to attend one of these conventions! It's expensive, and can be a total pain in the ass, but in the end, its definitely worth it!

Stay tuned for some Monster Mania related movie reviews and be sure to check out my buddy Bill's Monster Mania coverage over at his blog!

Blog ya later b-movie fans!

2010-03-14T11:49:00.002-05:00

On the way home from Monster Mania. Sadly did not get to have a one on one with Gary Busey.

MONSTER MANIA: DAY TWO and THREE coverage coming soon!

2010-03-14T01:46:00.003-05:00

I... am... worn... out. Hahaha. Day Two of Monster Mania was incredi-mazing, and I really want to sit here and type out the day's craziness for you, but I'm exhausted. I sat through 4 1/4 movies, met Charles Band after enjoying his insane Full Moon roadshow, got a ton of swag (t-shirts, DVDs, and more!) and just enjoyed geeking out with a veritable army of horror fans, who ranged from casual and normal to freaky and disturbing.

But all those stories and more will arrive on this blog tomorrow. For now, I need to get some rest so that I can enjoy the (sadly) final day of Monster Mania.

G'night b-movie fans!

MONSTER MANIA: DAY TWO.... the Beginning!

2010-03-13T09:04:00.003-05:00

Good morning everyone! It's a horrifically lousy day outside, and currently quiet as a tomb inside. I think a LOT of people got super drunk last night and are sleeping off their hangovers. All the better for me because I'm awake and ready to rock. So far my plans consist of getting a hot shower and a hot meal (mmm... pancakes), then either going to track the elusive Gary Busey or take in a movie or two. ("Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives" and "House" are the first two movies to play today! Woot!)

Today is the busiest day of the convention, and hopefully I can take in as many Q&A panels and movies as humanly possible.

Stay tuned for more updates!

P.S. - In a totally unrelated story, I got an e-mail on Facebook from a close friend of mine giving me details about a dream he had last night. Apparently he dreamt that I became THE GUYVER, and helped him battle a town full of Terminators. Afterward, I enjoyed some delicious sloppy joes. How cool of a f*cking dream is that?!

MONSTER MANIA XIV: DAY ONE

2010-03-13T01:15:00.006-05:00

Well it is just about bedtime for yours truly; today has been incredible and I've seen so many amazing things and met so many great people. Here are the details of my adventures from day one of Monster Mania:

A lot of today revolved around killing time as the events, autograph signings, and mass vending did not begin until 5 PM. The morning and early afternoon really dragged on as my anticipation grew. Around 4:30 I met up with Bill Adcock, the mastermind behind Radiation-Scarred Reviews and his good friend Dan. Bill, like my girlfriend Tara and myself, is a convention newb, but luckily it was familiar territory for Dan.

Our first mission was to scope out the swag that the vendors were selling. Everything from movie posters, to DVDs, to t-shirts, custom artwork, and custom sculptures was on sale and I went a bit crazy and spent far more than I had intended. I ended up snagging mini-posters of "Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood," "My Bloody Valentine," and "Night of the Creeps," along with a one-sheet of Harry Warden, armed with his trademark weapon of choice; a pick-axe.

I also picked up a gift for my best bud Chris (which I can't divulge on here, in case he were to read this blog post), an awesome sculpture of THE STUFF (made from stone and a dixie cup! lol), and a replica Necronomicon! I also splurged and got the entire WEREWOLF TV series (on DVD-R), Kung-Fu Cyborg, and Evil Dead: The Musical for a mere forty bucks!

After an hour of gawking at the rows and mountains of cool stuff to buy, I made my way into the first room of celebrity guests. My first stop, with newly purchased "My Bloody Valentine" poster in hand, was Peter Cowper, the Canadian actor that portrayed the original maniacal miner himself, Harry Warden.

Peter was a great guy, very interesting to talk to, and shed a little light on the fact that despite IMDB's claim that "My Bloody Valentine" was his final movie credit, he has actually had a steady acting career up in Canada. I had originally intended to have the remaining eight cast members of "MBV" sign my poster, until I realized that it was TWENTY BUCKS A SIGNATURE! (Holy f*ck was I surprised!)

After thanking Peter, I ventured onward to Kane Hodder's line, and let me tell you, this guy is one of the nicest people you could meet. I got him to sign the "Friday the 13th Part VII" poster for me (as it is my most favorite film in the series), talked about his upcoming films ("Hatchet 2" is coming soon, with more of Kane Hodder as Victor Crowley's dad and a much bigger dose of Tony Todd goodness. Also be on the lookout for a small role by makeup f/x and puppeteer master, John Carl Buechler!), and got a picture with the former Jason Voorhees. (By the by, before putting me in a stranglehold, Kane told me that he'd go easy on me seeing as how he once choked a fan until he passed out at a previous horror movie convention! How friggin' awesome is that?!)

After that, I hit up Jake Busey for an autograph. He was kind of cool, but I got the feeling that he didn't really want to be there. (Also, he was the only guy charging for photographs, and was trying to pawn his "Starship Troopers" armor for $7,500!) To be honest though, he was very kind and pretty receptive during our conversation and I think the only reason he felt a little uncomfortable is because his dad, the amazing Gary Busey, was getting lots of love.

Jake told me that he's got a new movie coming out called "Cross," and that he now has a little brother (that's right folks, Gary Busey is BREEDING again!), and that we can expect a reality show that follows the exploits of the Busey clan in the not-to-distant future. During our conversation, Gary glanced over at me, and shouted "That's my son!" I replied, "Yeah I know, he's quite a guy!" Gary's reply: "You're DAMNED right!"

Afterwards, I left the room (passing up the chance to meet several stuntmen, Thom Matthews from the first two "Return of the Living Dead" films, AND Bill Moseley.) dropped off my collectibles in the hotel room, and ventured back downstairs to another room full of celebrities. With my funds rapidly depleting, I opted to seek out Tom Atkins for an autograph. As I waited in line, I noticed that Tom and his "Night of the Creeps" co-stars were getting a good amount of lovin' from the fan community, as were Malcolm McDowell, Dario Argento, and William Katt. However, I glanced to Tom's left and saw a very lonely and obviously bored Bruce Abbott. Seeing the man's plight, I declared to myself that I would pay a visit to his table and get his signature on something.

After some time passed, and I was getting closer to my rendezvous with Tom Atkins, I heard someone say, "Hey look, it's Gary Busey." I turned around and saw Gary stroll into the room with an entourage of five people. He made his way over to Malcolm McDowell's table and chatted it up with the English actor, while Busey's "bodyguards" pushed fans back until the conversation was over. After that, Gary headed our way, and conquered Tom Atkins' table for a few minutes. (They both starred together in "Lethal Weapon.") Eventually, he moved on, but I would see him later on in yet another classic Busey moment.

Eventually I got to meet and greet Tom Atkins and he is one of the nicest guys in the world. He signed my poster, chatted it up about his next big-screen role in a revenge/thriller called "Drive Angry," got a photo with me, and coolest of all, CALLED MY BUDDY RYAN at his comic shop and spouted out a few one-liners! ("Hello? Ryan? This is Tom Atkins. Thrill me... 'cause it's Miller time!")

After that, I cruised over to Bruce Abbot's table and chatted with him. He was a super-nice guy, and his acting career is still alive and well. Sadly though, he claimed that we may never see "House of Re-Animator." After getting a photo and having him sign a bad-ass picture of himself as Dr. Dan from "Re-Animator," Tara and I dropped off our swag in our hotel room, hit up a buffet, and then caught the 8 PM world premiere of "Closed for the Season."

Alas, things were not meant to go well for the first audience viewing of Jay Woelfel's newest film. The movie refused to play, so Jay, stars Damian Maffei and Joe Unger, and two of the films producers (Jay Ellison and... what was that other guy's name? John maybe?) came up front and did an impromptu Q&A session to keep people interested.

About a half hour later (yeah, I felt terrible for these guys) the movie finally began to play and boy was it a doozy. I'm still sort of on the fence about it, as it is two hours of complete insanity that is borderline impossible to explain. Essentially it a film about two people trapped in some sort of limbo (at a creepy, abandoned amusement park), and their attempts to survive attacks from mobsters, alligators, a lake monster, and an evil carny that seems to be running the quasi-supernatural show.

Now, I already felt bad for Jay and company because the film didn't start right up due to technical issues, but I felt even worse when I noticed a good chunk of the audience had vanished by the halfway point. Admittedly, the movie runs a bit long, and doesn't really explain to us what is going on, nor does it give us many hints. I believe that this lack of traditional narrative scared a lot of people off, but truthfully I think they missed out. Big time.

Actor Joe Unger (who was sadly missing by the time the film ended) was AMAZING as "The Carny." His character is hilarious, mysterious, and menacing all at the same time, and its Joe's acting that kept the film moving along and kept us hardcore moviegoers glued in our seats. After the movie ended I promptly went over and introduced myself to Mr. Woelfel and his fellow film makers.

Because I am a smooth criminal and all (wow, I can almost FEEL all those rolling eyes) they hooked me up with a free t-shirt, and thanked me, and Tara, and Bill, and Dan for sticking around for the entire movie. I think that it meant a lot to them, seeing as how everyone else ran off to either get drunk or watch a Dario Argento movie instead. Also, I ran into a film producer/director named David Boorboor who is currently working on an indie supernatural horror feature called "Underground." I gave him my contact info (via my crappy, homemade business card!) so hopefully I'll hear from him in a few months concerning the progress on his latest feature.

At this point it was 10:30 PM and "My Bloody Valentine" (the director's cut no less) was next on the menu. However, I opted to have a few tasty alcoholic beverages with Tara and my new friends, to share stories and just take in all that we've seen today. Along the way we were joking that Gary Busey was probably lurking about, robbing each floor's ice machine until there were no cubes left for the rest of us? Why would we think that he'd do that? Because he is hilariously eccentric, that's why!

Just as we began discussing this Dan says "speak of the devil," and as we turn, we see Gary Busey, at the main desk in the lobby, wearing his PJs, and holding two (possibly even THREE) styrofoam cups full of ice cream! I kid you not! We had a good laugh at this sight, and watched Gary take his prize and rush off to the elevators. (Methinks Monster Mania is quickly turning into BUSEY-CON 2010!)

To cap this already great day of, Tara, Bill, Dan, and I hung out and talked about nerdy stuff while tipping back a few, and now here I am, polishing off a lengthy blog post and ready for bed. Wow.... what a fan-friggin'-tastic day!

Day Two of Monster Mania promises even greater things with multiple Q&A sessions, movie screenings, a tribute to the recently deceased Corey Haim, Charles Band's Full Moon Horror Road Show, and finally a midnight screening of "Rocky Horror Picture Show!" As if I wasn't already suffering from sensory-overload....

Well I'm off to bed b-movie fans; stay tuned for more updates tomorrow, during day two of MONSTER MANIA XIV!

2010-03-12T13:11:00.004-05:00

Was just eating lunch, and casually glanced over to my left and saw DARIO ARGENTO! Also, wearing my "Friday the 12th" tee; didn't actually realize that today was Friday the 12th! BOOSH!

MONSTER MANIA XIV: THE FINAL COUNTDOWN TO GLORY!

2010-03-12T10:28:00.004-05:00

Well today is the day b-movie fans; Monster Mania kicks off in approx. six and-a-half hours! I scouted out the area ahead of time last night and know where I have to go to see the movies and meet the guests; most importantly, I know where the bar is. (HA!) I'm freakin' stoked (and hungry); 5 PM can not get here soon enough.

I'm also looking forward to meeting up with my main man Bill from Radiation-Scarred Reviews. Not only will this convention be a first for me, but this will also be the first time I meet a fellow online movie scribe. Together, we shall conquer Monster Mania XIV! Mwahahahaha!

Stay tuned for some bloggage from my cell phone, and expect a few photos to creep up on here at the end of the night.

Blog ya later gang!

2010-03-11T20:46:00.002-05:00

Just drunkenly introduced myself to Jake Busey. Sorry Jake. Hahahahaha!

The anticipation is killing me: A day early for Monster Mania XIV!

2010-03-11T18:16:00.003-05:00

Well I got here at the Crowne Plaza Hotel at about 1 PM, and my mind has been reeling ever since. Even after hitting up IHoP for some delicious pancakes, a quick visit to Wal-Mart (yeah, I come all the way to Jersey and where do I go? Wal-Mart of course!), and seeing (and enjoying) the fairly decent remake of "The Crazies" (it has flaws up the ying-yang, but it is definitely a step up from George A. Romero's low budget classic) I can't actually wrap my mind around the fact that I'm here. I am so excited; this is like a borderline religious experience for someone like myself.

Seriously, I just saw MALCOLM MCDOWELL signing in for his room down in the main lobby, and I swear to God I heard angelic voices sing "Hallelujah!" All I could do, was stand there stupidly with my jaw agape, as he genially checked in. Did I want to rush over and attack him with handshakes and fanboy praise? Oh hell yes! But I didn't; I'm saving all that for tomorrow.

In any case, I'm going to hang out in my room for the rest of the night, though I make no guarantees that I won't sneak downstairs at some point to scope out any other celebrity arrivals.

Well I best be going; stay tuned for more updates b-movie fans!

MONSTER MANIA TOMORROW! WOOOOHOOOOOO!

2010-03-11T17:52:00.002-05:00

Malcolm Mcdowell sighted!!!!!

2010-03-11T17:38:00.002-05:00

Just saw the remake of the Crazies. Actually liked it better than the original. Back to the hotel for some R and R.

2010-03-11T12:39:00.002-05:00

Just about to enter the hive of scum and villainy known Philadelphia. Just kidding Philly; I love ya.

2010-03-11T11:01:00.002-05:00

On the road now. Tara nearly took a wrong turn..... WITH A GPS GIVING HER DRIVING DIRECTIONS! I see dark times ahead....

MONSTER MANIA XIV THIS WEEKEND!

2010-03-10T00:35:00.005-05:00

Hey b-movie fans! It's been a while since I posted new content at the Vault, but you'll have plenty to read over the weekend because I am headed to Cherry Hill, New Jersey to get crazy at the 14th semi-annual Monster Mania horror convention! (Visit the official site HERE.) I've never been to a convention of any kind before, so this will be an altogether new experience and I'm extremely excited. If any of you Vault fans / frequent readers are going to Monster Mania, let me know and maybe we could meet up and double our chances of having fun or getting assaulted by Gary Busey!

Well I gotta get some stuff packed and take care of a few things; I want to be able to take off Thursday afternoon with not a care in the world. Keep an eye on this blog because I'll be taking my laptop along (free wi-fi at the hotel!) to bring you updates on all my Monster Mania adventures! So even if you can't be there, you can experience everything vicariously through me!

Stay tuned for reports from the front lines of geekdom this weekend! Blog ya later!