So here it is already Labor Day Weekend, 2008. Man, it seems like just a few days ago I was peeling July off the calendar as we entered the month of August. But no, it really is time for the August 23-29, 2008, Weekly Wrap-Up. And while Labor Day may have started out as a way to exhibit “the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations” (according to Wikipedia), I’m going along with the modern interpretation of it as a day of rest for working stiffs and putting out a slightly condensed version of the Wrap-Up so I can get a jump on the relaxation part of the holiday. Stay safe, everybody, and enjoy whatever festivities you plan to engage in!
Conventional wisdom holds that movie titles should be clean, clear, and to the point. Most people would probably agree that worrying about punctuation shouldn’t factor into the equation. Apparently no one mentioned that fact to the minds behind Perkins’ 14, one of this year’s After Dark Horrorfest entries. I have to admit I like their maverick attitude … along with the exclusive first look we got of the Craig Singer-helmed flick. We also got a better peek at the Horrorfest III poster. Moving the fest up to January was a smart move; hopefully Perkins’ 14 and the other offerings will help raise the quality of the fest up a few notches over last year’s.
Two 2008 films that were of high quality are The Strangers and Hellboy II, particularly the latter. A sequel to Hellboy II is practically a given — everyone wants to see Big Red’s final chapter — so reading Ron Perlman’s own words that he “wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a third” was a welcome relief. Not so reassuring was the news that a Strangers 2 is on the way as well. If ever a movie was free-standing, The Strangers was it. I felt it told us everything we needed to know about the killers (proving that less is more), even if it did totally fall apart towards the end. But as we know all too well, the studios only care about the next big franchise even as the fans clamor for something new instead.
Horror hybrids are certainly nothing new, and one of my favorites is horror/sci-fi. Done right, it raises pertinent social issues along with the hairs on the back of your neck. One project that looks to have pretty good potential is Plaguers, directed by Brad Sykes. We recently got a slew of pics, including the new poster, and an update from Sykes. Steve Railsback on a spaceship fighting an alien virus that turns people into raging, demonic creatures!?! … You had me at hello!
We also got a batch of images from The Ghosts, an Aussie indie that mixes together a kidnapping with a haunting in the Outback. The producers promise “old school special effects in a cross between Shlock Horror and the American Western to create an all-new experience in Australian horror.”
Speaking of old school, it doesn’t get much more vintage (or shlockier) than the Friday the 13th series of films. During the past week our own Uncle Creepy took part in the filming of His Name Was Jason, a new documentary about the legacy of F13 and all of its sequels. The word on the street is that he was in rare form (why doesn’t that surprise me?), and while we wait for the finished product to air on Starz next February in conjunction with the release of the remake, click here to see some photos from UC’s taping.
Along with being interviewed, Creepy also took some time out to conduct a couple of interviews of his own. Joel Soisson (new Pulse sequel), “” target=”_blank”>Jeremy Kasten (The Wizard of Gore), and the always engaging Reggie and Gigi Bannister do what horror aficionados do best: discuss this genre we all love so much and the projects that enable them to keep working in it. Butane, too, pulled interviewer duty this week and conducted a Q&A with the co-creators of the Minions of Ka zombie epic, Mike Furno and Dave Wilbur.
If you’re a regular reader, you know how partial to vampires I am so of course mention must be made of Alex Proyas’ upcoming “realistic” Dracula: Year Zero project. Origin tales are all the rage right now, and if anyone can breathe some new life into old Drac, it’s Proyas. Expect to hear a lot more about this one as the details come together.
Considering how much I love vampires, you wouldn’t think I’d be especially fond of those who hunt and kill them, but in one case I have made an exception: Buffy. So when MTV reported that a three-minute version of the pilot for “Buffy the Animated Series” had shown up on YouTube, this Woman definitely sat up and took notice.
Aside from Labor Day, another good sign that fall is almost upon us is the first press release from Universal Hollywood with details about this year’s Halloween Horror Nights. One new, highly anticipated attraction is “Nightmare on Elm Street: Home Sweet Hell”, a painstaking recreation of the Krueger house at 1428 Elm Street. Even better, all the returning favorites are supposedly “amped up” including “Terror Tram: The Nightmare Tour”, which is doubling in length, “Friday the 13th: Camp Blood,” and “Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Back in Business.” Whether you’re in California or Florida (more details on the Orlando event are forthcoming), this is one event you don’t want to miss!
Unfortunately, I had to miss the event that comprises the Woman’s Story of the Week: Embodiment of Evil Premiere Report! Yes, I’m writing about that crazy Brazilian known as Coffin Joe again. He’s just too cool and evil to ignore! What we have here is a first-hand report on the premiere of Encarnação do Demônio (aka Embodiment of Evil) from Ray Castile himself. Ray plays a young Zé do Caixão during a flashback sequence in the new film and was kind enough to provide a bird’s eye view of the goings-on in São Paulo. For more, be sure to check out our audio interview with Ray Castille conducted right after he finished filming.
