Editorial

Need to ask a favor, folks. Here’s the deal: Months ago my wife and I and our friend John, whom you will meet later, decided to utilize our precious vacation time to rent a car and drive from our native Kentucky to Colorado. The goal was just to see what happened along the way. We departed on a Friday night with no reservations and a minimum of must-see destinations (the Badlands were imperative; the rest could be bypassed according to our whims at that time, at that moment).

Jason Voorhees is a household name, there’s no arguing. Everyone may be familiar with the summer camp slasher’s iconic look as far as the hockey mask goes, but it’s a lot harder to find a definitive consensus on Mr. Voorhees’ most successful incarnation. It changes as often as the weather, and much more dramatically, to boot.

Well, folks, 2011 is officially in the can, and surprisingly it wasn't such a horrendous year. It was definitely better than 2010, which was a huge step up from the putrid 2009. We laughed, we applauded, we were left dumbstruck, and of course we were infuriated. Read on for our cheers and jeers!

"Derek Mears is the nicest man in horror." The above quote was said directly to me by Nick Principe (Laid to Rest, Chromeskull: Laid to Rest 2) at Rock and Shock about his fellow twin tower, Derek Mears ... but we'll get back to that.

First off, consider me to be a full-fledged obsessive fan of John Carpenter's The Thing. It was one of the formative films of my youth and remains to this day one of my all time favorite movies...period. It's an expert examination of escalating paranoia and pressure-cooker suspense with a stellar cast, nimble and effective screenwriting, dread-soaked photography and score, and expert finely-tuned direction that never missteps once. All of this, and one of the most kick-ass "downer" endings that earns its hard-won finality from a film whose tone signals death and resigned self-sacrifice from the very get-go.

"Welcome to my nightmare." Alice Cooper had a big impact on the impressionable mind of the young Doctor Gash. One of my earliest, yet most personality molding television memories as a child was watching the infamous Alice Cooper episode of "The Muppet Show," which aired on March 28, 1978.

"Not bad for a human." Do you recognize that voice on the Verizon Droid commercials? That is the voice of a badass. That is the voice of Lance Henriksen. And "Not bad for a human" is not only one of the more memorable lines ever delivered by the man, whose career has spanned a veritable library of film, it's also the name of his biography. And a full biography it is.

Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, during the 1970's was a trip, man. Since Halloween is right around the corner and I'm feeling kind of nostalgic, I thought I'd share with you cats a quick trip down memory lane. Some will find it badass, some silly, and some will drink in the good memories with me. Dig it!

On September 30, 2011, Universal Studios brings us the newest offering in mind-bending thrills with the release of Dream House, directed by Jim Sheridan and starring Daniel Craig, Naomi Watts and Rachel Weisz. It's the tale of a family relocated from the bustle of New York City to a serene New England town. Once moved into their "perfect" home, the family soon see everything begin to come unraveled as the past comes back to haunt them.

"You've got the body…I've got the brains." That was the scene that did it for me. We've all got our favorite Freddy Krueger moment ... Nancy in the bathtub, Johnny Depp getting sucked into the bed, the cockroach transformation scene or even "Welcome to prime time, bitch!". But the one that stuck with me was Krueger peeling back the top of his head, revealing a pulsing brain, while reciting that line to a screaming Jesse in A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge.

Ten years ago true horror reared its head and thousands were lost. Thousands more were left in mourning. Thousands still are out there fighting for what we love and what we have lost. At this time we here at Dread Central would like to take a moment to reflect on and honor the memories of our friends and family who were lost to us a decade ago. You'll always be close to our hearts.

To celebrate the upcoming release of the new psychological terror-filled tale Straw Dogs, Dread Central has decided to take a look back at movie characters who, like that film's David Sumner, have been pushed too far.

Who the hell is Kane Hodder? I distinctly remember saying those exact words. Picture it, a young, 14-year-old Doctor Gash. Here I was, not even an intern yet, preparing for a visit to my hometown cinema, The Community Theater, to see Jason Voorhees' newest offering, Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood.

FX has been creating quite a buzz with its slew of promotional spots for the chilling upcoming series "American Horror Story." You know the ones I'm talking about, with the pregnant woman in the path of a creepy looking thing in a latex suit, the presumably dead looking baby doll (or baby?) and the mysterious arms playing cello on people's bellies. Intrigued word of mouth has definitely been circulating, and in just a few short weeks we'll get a chance to engorge ourselves with what looks to be a veritable feast for the eyes.

The Tip of the Scalpel tribute is awarded to individuals who have impressed the genre community with their contributions to the world of horror. Our first honor goes to Bill Moseley.