As a guy with a wide range of interests, simply one listing of links to websites I enjoy just isn't enough!
Xenorama - Xenorama is "The Page of Heroes and Monsters," along with an amazing article about an alternate version of The War of the Gargantuas.
Side Order of Ninjas - Funny and entertaining reviews of strange and amazing films.
Hauntcast - The internet's premier online radio station for home haunters and Halloween enthusiasts.
Grindhouse Database - The cult movie community's answer to the Internet Movie Database.
Weird NJ - Strange destinations and urban legends from New Jersey.
Home Haunt News - News and reviews no haunter should be without!
alt.horror.cthulhu - One of the few newsgroups out there that has regular, non-spam activity.
Skook - Tons of great artwork, including modernized (but faithful) renditions of Paul Blaisdell creations.
Tomb It May Concern - If Yor Week isn't enough to convince you to read this, I don't know what will.
Tough To Kill - An amazing look at European action flicks by Paul Cooke and the owner of the above site.
Home Haunter's Haven - The name says it all.
The Laughing Reindeer - Back in the day, there used to be a website called "Monster Shindig" that reviewed horror movies, roadside attractions and the like. Although it died, one of its creators set up this blog. Did I mention that he was one of the people responsible for Carnivore?
Monster Shindig - I found this while looking for information about the now-defunct monstershindig.com. It's not related, but still seems cool.
3B Theater - Any bad movie review site inspired by Strange Brew is okay with me!
Pink Tentacle - Crazy 'n cool stuff from (and related to) Japan. The entry about Polish posters for Japanese monster movies is a must-see!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Free (Legal) Download: Werewolf Cult Chronicles
It's been a long time since the Front Office showed how to get a free download of the movie Pig. Too long, in fact. That's why I'm stepping up to the plate with another free movie download. This time around, it's an interconnected series of short films called The Werewolf Cult Chronicles.
Although filmed in Sweden during the early 2000's, the series itself is in English and spans a variety of time periods and countries, from 1916 England to Canada in the year 2019. Although the idea for the series came to creator J. Pingo Lindstrom in 2000, it was not until 2003 that the first installment was released. Said installment, Chimera, pits unsuspecting soldiers against a werewolf during an attempted rescue mission. While its low budget gives the series a rough start, director Mike A. Martinez still manages to deliver some effective and creepy scenes. The opening sequence alone is a must-see and does somewhat balance out the fact that only one of the werewolf's hands (or is that paws?) is seen for the bulk of the creature's rampage. However, later installments of the series do show more of their lupine stars.
According to the official website, where you can also find the downloads, The Werewolf Cult Chronicles is allegedly responsible for the creation of both the first Swedish werewolf movie and the first Swedish Vietnam war movie! And to think, they're kind enough to let you download it for free. As it has a Creative Commons license, it might be worthwhile for budding horror hosts to ask the filmmakers for permission to use the films on their program rather than use the same old (and sometimes legally dicey) public domain films that everyone seems to be using these days. Said host shouldn't let the recentness of the films bother them, as the older hosts they seek to emulate used films that were relatively recent. After all, 1950's horror hostess Vampira showed movies from the 1930's, the equivalent of a modern host showing films from the 1980's. In fact, the legendary Svengoolie played 1999's Ragdoll in 2004!
As always, Gravedigger's Local 16 is not to be held responsible for anything that may occur (be it good or bad) as a result of downloading from any links given here. Attempt at your own discretion. Blah blah blah...
Although filmed in Sweden during the early 2000's, the series itself is in English and spans a variety of time periods and countries, from 1916 England to Canada in the year 2019. Although the idea for the series came to creator J. Pingo Lindstrom in 2000, it was not until 2003 that the first installment was released. Said installment, Chimera, pits unsuspecting soldiers against a werewolf during an attempted rescue mission. While its low budget gives the series a rough start, director Mike A. Martinez still manages to deliver some effective and creepy scenes. The opening sequence alone is a must-see and does somewhat balance out the fact that only one of the werewolf's hands (or is that paws?) is seen for the bulk of the creature's rampage. However, later installments of the series do show more of their lupine stars.
According to the official website, where you can also find the downloads, The Werewolf Cult Chronicles is allegedly responsible for the creation of both the first Swedish werewolf movie and the first Swedish Vietnam war movie! And to think, they're kind enough to let you download it for free. As it has a Creative Commons license, it might be worthwhile for budding horror hosts to ask the filmmakers for permission to use the films on their program rather than use the same old (and sometimes legally dicey) public domain films that everyone seems to be using these days. Said host shouldn't let the recentness of the films bother them, as the older hosts they seek to emulate used films that were relatively recent. After all, 1950's horror hostess Vampira showed movies from the 1930's, the equivalent of a modern host showing films from the 1980's. In fact, the legendary Svengoolie played 1999's Ragdoll in 2004!
As always, Gravedigger's Local 16 is not to be held responsible for anything that may occur (be it good or bad) as a result of downloading from any links given here. Attempt at your own discretion. Blah blah blah...
Friday, January 28, 2011
Marik Plays Bloodlines
Once upon a time, there was a Youtube user called LittleKuriboh who had an idea. He would reedit episodes of the anime series Yu-Gi-Oh! into shortened parodies. Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Abridged Series became a smash hit and spawned countless other abridged series, along with some spin-off channels.
Despite not being a fan of the anime, I absolutely love Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Abridged Series, even to the point where I've occasionally slipped some injokes about it into entries here. So when I found out LittleKuriboh had recently started a horror-related project, I was thrilled. Said project is a humorous play-through of the video game Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines by the now-defunct Troika Games, done entirely in-character as the parody version of Marik Ishtar. The commentary by "Marik" (and his friend Bakura) is extremely funny and includes several references that are bound to please horror fans, with only a few injokes about the abridged series scattered throughout. Although it's mostly new-viewer friendly, it should be noted that some of it is somewhat NSFW.
If you liked the above first installment, you can watch the rest of the series at its official Youtube channel. Some might ask "Why doesn't this guy drop the injokes and just play the game as himself?" Thing is, he made a video showing why that would be a bad idea. So please, give this video a chance. I doubt you'll regret it!
Despite not being a fan of the anime, I absolutely love Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Abridged Series, even to the point where I've occasionally slipped some injokes about it into entries here. So when I found out LittleKuriboh had recently started a horror-related project, I was thrilled. Said project is a humorous play-through of the video game Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines by the now-defunct Troika Games, done entirely in-character as the parody version of Marik Ishtar. The commentary by "Marik" (and his friend Bakura) is extremely funny and includes several references that are bound to please horror fans, with only a few injokes about the abridged series scattered throughout. Although it's mostly new-viewer friendly, it should be noted that some of it is somewhat NSFW.
If you liked the above first installment, you can watch the rest of the series at its official Youtube channel. Some might ask "Why doesn't this guy drop the injokes and just play the game as himself?" Thing is, he made a video showing why that would be a bad idea. So please, give this video a chance. I doubt you'll regret it!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Tuesday uEtsy: Team Welser
[Etsy.com's tagline is "Buy, Sell, and Live Handmade." Coincidentally, there's a lot of spooky on Etsy, and each Tuesday, we highlight one of the sellers. If you're looking to spruce up your look, redecorate your tomb or get a gift for that special something in your afterlife, Etsy.com is a place for spooky econo.]
Team Welser (http://www.etsy.com/shop/swelser)
Winter has been overwhelming this time around. Unexpected snowfalls and negative temperatures have made the ground stubborn and unreceptive to any shovel-ready arguments. Thankfully, we’ve been very lucky this passing time. Haven’t heard of any major deaths or need for digging. Instead, it’s been a time for hibernation. A lot of people are staying indoors to avoid the winter altogether. A lot of movies watched, we suspect.
With that, we’re gland to display Team Welser for the first Tuesday uEtsy for 2011. Featuring the artwork of Mark Welser, Team Welser’s store has a wide variety of Welser’s original artwork of well known movies. These 50’s & 60’s throwback renditions of eighties and nineties cult and horror movies capture the essence even though the art is of a prior era. Take this print of ‘The Return of the Living Dead.’ Those who have seen the movie recognize the character played by Linnea Quigley, and how Welser’s design captures both the sex and the horror of this movie.
Among classics like ‘Hellraiser’ and ‘Friday the 13th,’ Team Welser also have covered modern horror flicks (soon-to-be-classics) like ‘Shaun of the Dead’ and ‘Zombieland,’ seen below. Poinsettia says that ‘Zombieland’ is one of her favorite movies. We couldn’t say. Our line of business has us deal enough with the departed that any kind of idea of ‘the dead rising from their graves’ indicates a poorly done job on the gravedigger’s part. Poinsettia, after finding out that we remain unaware of the seminal performance by one Woody Harrelson and company, has insisted we Netflix it. She brought it up again when she and the Freakshow family came around for the Union holiday parties. Loretta and Bernie are doing well, fyi.
Team Welser doesn’t just offer up movie posters and prints. Their store also has portraits of well known comic book superheroes and famous monsters. Along with the lovely soon-to-be Mrs. of the monster, you can find prints of the Wolfman, Dracula and the Frankenstein creature himself.
A talented comic artist, one of the specialties offered by the Team Welser Etsy store is the Custom Comic Book Cover ‘Save The Dates.’ Since most weddings occur when the ground isn’t covered in two-to-four feet of snow and ice, the Front Office has received a few save-the-dates, making sure our calendar is well populated before we can escape and say that we had no idea that someone was getting married THAT weekend. Make sure that your wedding doesn’t get ditched like what we do to others by employing Team Welser to make custom Kirby-esque covers that make sure YOUR guests will not only remember the date, but actively count down until you say EXCELSIOR I DO! to your loved one.
Be sure to check out the Team Welser store for all the items showcased here and more. As well, Mark Welser has a Deviant Art account (markwelser.deviantart.com) and you can find him on Facebook @ http://www.facebook.com/markwelser. And you can find a new Tuesday uEtsy here next week.
Team Welser (http://www.etsy.com/shop/swelser)
TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE vintage style movie poster
Winter has been overwhelming this time around. Unexpected snowfalls and negative temperatures have made the ground stubborn and unreceptive to any shovel-ready arguments. Thankfully, we’ve been very lucky this passing time. Haven’t heard of any major deaths or need for digging. Instead, it’s been a time for hibernation. A lot of people are staying indoors to avoid the winter altogether. A lot of movies watched, we suspect.
With that, we’re gland to display Team Welser for the first Tuesday uEtsy for 2011. Featuring the artwork of Mark Welser, Team Welser’s store has a wide variety of Welser’s original artwork of well known movies. These 50’s & 60’s throwback renditions of eighties and nineties cult and horror movies capture the essence even though the art is of a prior era. Take this print of ‘The Return of the Living Dead.’ Those who have seen the movie recognize the character played by Linnea Quigley, and how Welser’s design captures both the sex and the horror of this movie.
The Return of the Living Dead vintage style 5X7 print
Among classics like ‘Hellraiser’ and ‘Friday the 13th,’ Team Welser also have covered modern horror flicks (soon-to-be-classics) like ‘Shaun of the Dead’ and ‘Zombieland,’ seen below. Poinsettia says that ‘Zombieland’ is one of her favorite movies. We couldn’t say. Our line of business has us deal enough with the departed that any kind of idea of ‘the dead rising from their graves’ indicates a poorly done job on the gravedigger’s part. Poinsettia, after finding out that we remain unaware of the seminal performance by one Woody Harrelson and company, has insisted we Netflix it. She brought it up again when she and the Freakshow family came around for the Union holiday parties. Loretta and Bernie are doing well, fyi.
Zombieland vintage style 5X7 print
Team Welser doesn’t just offer up movie posters and prints. Their store also has portraits of well known comic book superheroes and famous monsters. Along with the lovely soon-to-be Mrs. of the monster, you can find prints of the Wolfman, Dracula and the Frankenstein creature himself.
Bride of Frankenstein poster 11x17
A talented comic artist, one of the specialties offered by the Team Welser Etsy store is the Custom Comic Book Cover ‘Save The Dates.’ Since most weddings occur when the ground isn’t covered in two-to-four feet of snow and ice, the Front Office has received a few save-the-dates, making sure our calendar is well populated before we can escape and say that we had no idea that someone was getting married THAT weekend. Make sure that your wedding doesn’t get ditched like what we do to others by employing Team Welser to make custom Kirby-esque covers that make sure YOUR guests will not only remember the date, but actively count down until you say EXCELSIOR I DO! to your loved one.
Custom Comic Book Cover Wedding Save The Dates
Be sure to check out the Team Welser store for all the items showcased here and more. As well, Mark Welser has a Deviant Art account (markwelser.deviantart.com) and you can find him on Facebook @ http://www.facebook.com/markwelser. And you can find a new Tuesday uEtsy here next week.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Tales of Cthulhu
Cthulhu is an interesting case in the world of horror literature. Although easily the most popular of Lovecraft's creations, so much so that the Lovecraftian interconnected literary universe is referred to as the Cthulhu mythos, he actually doesn't make many actual appearances in the bulk of mythos tales. In H.P. Lovecraft's original stories, Cthulhu only appears once in "The Call of Cthulhu," then is only referenced in other stories. The closest thing to another physical appearance is the account of the star-spawn of Cthulhu's battles with the Elder Things in "At the Mountains of Madness."
The reason for Cthulhu's scarcity is most likely due to both Lovecraft's preference to suggest horror rather than show it outright and the phrase "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn." Those who have read the "The Call of Cthulhu" know that it means which translates as "In his house at R'lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming." As a being who can only awaken "when the stars are right" to destroy the world as humanity knows it, it makes little sense to have Cthulhu constantly awakening. Having a human protagonist repeatedly defeat him would destroy all sense of the Great Old One's menace and having Cthulhu fulfill his destroy would drastically reduce the amount of stories that could be written in the same universe. No, it is far better to have Cthulhu wait silently in the background, as the idea of his rising is far more frightening than a story about it could ever be.
That said, Cthulhu is a very impressive monster and the temptation to use him in a story must be enormous for Mythos writers. Many have picked up where Lovecraft left off, with stories ranging from straight horror to pure comedy. One of the more infamous ones is August Derleth's "The Black Island," wherein an atomic bomb is dropped on Cthulhu! Although that tale is sadly unavailable online, I have gathered a nice little collection of other stories that involve Cthulhu in one way or the other:
"From the Parchments of Pnom" by Clark Ashton Smith is more of a description of the contents of a fictional book than it is a story, but it does offer some insights on Cthulhu, including a family tree!
Although sadly incomplete, the preview for Ian Watson's "The Walker in the Cemetery" is enough to whet the reader's interest. Like all the stories in the Cthulu's Reign anthology, "The Walker in the Cemetery" deals with what happens to the world after Cthulhu rises. However, this story is unique in its depiction of Cthulhu. Not only does it feature multiple aspects of Cthulhu in various sizes, but a seven foot tall one traps a bunch of tourists in a never-ending Genoan cemetery and starts to slowly pick them off. Just keep in mind that it comes off more as a 80's European gore movie (with some Rose of Iron thrown in for good measure) rather than a straight Lovecraft story.
Nick Mamatas' full-length novel Move Under Ground also deals with Cthulhu's awakening, this time done in Jack Kerouac's Beat style. In fact, Kerouac is one of the main characters!
Neil Gaiman takes things in a more humorous direction in "I, Cthulhu." In it, Cthulhu tells his life story to a servant with a very familiar last name.
"A Colder War" by Charles Stross takes us to an alternate version of the Cold War, one where the Russians have a secret weapon from a sunken undersea city...
Although Cthulhu only has a minor appearance of sorts in Bruce Turlish's "The Final Pronunciation," the importance of it cannot be denied and it has dire consequences for everyone involved (although not in the way one would expect).
Did you like the artwork used at the beginning of this article? It's by a very talented artist named Cyril van der Haegen and has been used on the box art for the Call of Cthulhu Collectible Card Game published by Fantasy Flight Games. Both Fantasy Flight Games and the artist were kind enough to let me use that painting in this and if you like it, I hope that you'll at least visit their websites (if not buy a copy of the game). Interestingly enough, said card game has "story cards" in it, which could potentially let players create their own tales of Cthulhu...
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
12 Interesting Things About Gigan
Hailing from Space Hunter Nebula M, the cyborg monster Gigan is one of the odder-looking members of Godzilla's rogues gallery. With his massive hook-claws, visored eyes and chest-mounted buzzsaw, Gigan has made quite an impression on fandom since his first appearance in 1972. In recognition of this popular daikaiju, here's a collection of interesting trivia ranging from basic facts to obscurities known by only the most hardcore of fans:
1. Although his first onscreen appearance was in Godzilla vs. Gigan, the character was originally supposed in the never-realized
Godzilla vs. the Space Monsters: Earth Defense Directive, which was retooled as The Return of King Ghidorah before the project got canned. However elements from those scripts were used in Godzilla vs. Gigan (which is reflected in the film's Japanese title, Earth Destruction Directive: Godzilla vs. Gigan) and Godzilla vs. Megalon.
2. Despite what some might think, the name "Gigan" was not chosen due to its connection to the word "Gigantic." Although it is true that the term "Gigan" has been applied to giant monsters before, Gigan's name might actually be a play off the Japanese term for "artificial eye."
3. Although Gigan is shown shooting a laser from his forehead in video games and the poster art for Godzilla vs. Gigan and Godzilla vs. Megalon, this power was never used in any of Gigan's film appearances until 2004's Godzilla: Final Wars. The reason for this is explained here.
1. Although his first onscreen appearance was in Godzilla vs. Gigan, the character was originally supposed in the never-realized
Godzilla vs. the Space Monsters: Earth Defense Directive, which was retooled as The Return of King Ghidorah before the project got canned. However elements from those scripts were used in Godzilla vs. Gigan (which is reflected in the film's Japanese title, Earth Destruction Directive: Godzilla vs. Gigan) and Godzilla vs. Megalon.
2. Despite what some might think, the name "Gigan" was not chosen due to its connection to the word "Gigantic." Although it is true that the term "Gigan" has been applied to giant monsters before, Gigan's name might actually be a play off the Japanese term for "artificial eye."
3. Although Gigan is shown shooting a laser from his forehead in video games and the poster art for Godzilla vs. Gigan and Godzilla vs. Megalon, this power was never used in any of Gigan's film appearances until 2004's Godzilla: Final Wars. The reason for this is explained here.
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