Proving that horror fans have a heart — and not just one that they ripped out of some hapless victim’s chest — Eli Roth recently agreed to appear in an ad for PETA urging people to report acts of violence and cruelty perpetrated against animals. Roth, who bashed heads as an actor in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds and as a director in both Hostel films and Cabin Fever, shows off a more sympathetic side in the new PSA.
Wrapped up by an animatronic snake, Roth smiles into the camera and looks like he would have been right at home alongside Ice-Cube and J.Lo on the set of Anaconda.
It’s been a big few weeks for the filmmaker. He had a small role in last weekend’s surprise hit, Piranha 3D, and this weekend sees the debut of The Last Exorcism — a film he produced. All that plus a PETA ad? Looks like our Eli has totally made the bigtime.
Click the image above for a larger (and easier to read) version of the Public Service Announcement.
In the realm of Jaws knock-offs, two films stand above all others Enzo Castellari’s Great White – which never got a legitimate American release because Universal sued Castellari and company and won – and Joe Dante’s Piranha. Piranha also felt Universal’s legal wrath according to legend, but the studio apparently backed down after Jaws director Steven Spielberg saw the film and loved it. Of the two films, I really love Castellari’s more – but Dante’s Piranha is a lot of fun as well.
When two kids decide to skinny dip in a pool at an abandoned military facility, they get more than they bargained for. The pool isn’t empty – it’s home to a pack of genetically mutated piranha. Seems Dr. Hoak (Kevin McCarthy) has been carrying on his research even after the government pulled the plug. When a skip tracer, Maggie McKeown (Heather Menzies) is sent to find the missing kids, she meets alcoholic mountain man Paul Grogan (Bradford Dillman). Dillman is coerced into taking her to the military base and before you can say “eco disaster”, Maggie’s drained the pond and released the carnivorous fish into the nearby river. The fish (which can also live in salt water) eat their way toward the ocean (including run-ins with kids at a summer camp and a rich folk at a swanky new resort on the river) while Paul and Maggie race desperately to keep them from getting to the sea and the world beyond.. Oh yeah, the military isn’t really all that interested in stopping this threat – nor is the evil doctor played by genre legend Barbara Steele.
Forbidden World, the third film in producer Roger Corman’s unofficial trilogy of Alien clones (following Inseminoid and Galaxy of Terror), is arguably the sleaziest of the bunch. Featuring naked women, a slimy tentacle monster who feels like the inspiration for nearly every hentai anime film to emerge in the past two decades, and some surprisingly decent gore, these are fine examples of why Corman’s productions are still revered when so many other cheapie exploitation films from the same era have faded into obscurity.
In typical Corman fashion, Forbidden World was made fast and cheap. The sets from Galaxy of Terror had yet to be torn down, so the maverick producer gave editor Allan Holzman a challenge – take a day and see if he could shoot something interesting. Holzman, looking to break into directing, ran with the opportunity. He recruited actor Jesse Vint and shot over 90 set-ups in a single day. Corman then viewed the footage and liked what he saw – and Forbidden World was given the greenlight.
It’s not a horror post, but since many a horror geek loves both Star Wars and tattoos, this might be good for you.
Star Wars Celebration V — a mega-event celebrating all things Star Wars — is set to take place in Orlando on August 12th through the 15th. Guests like George Lucas, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew, and those guys who worked the Jabba the Hutt puppet will be on hand for autographs, panels, and loads of photo ops. If you should find yourself at the show and itching for some fresh ink (Star Wars or any other kind…) be sure to check out my good friend Thomas Kersnowsky. Thomas will be slinging ink during the event and will gladly help you memorialize your love of all things Lucas — yes, even the Ewoks if that’s what you’re in to.
Swing by and say hi — and tell him you found him through the site. I’m sure he’ll give you a discount. May the Force by with you!
I’m so hyped up for AMC’s The Walking Dead that I can’t even think straight. Frank Darabont bringing Robert Kirkman’s fantastic zombie comic book to television? Yes please.
We’ve had an earlier clip of behind the scenes footage, but today at Comic-con we got our first real look at the show. It looks amazing. It looks better than most zombie movies, and if you love the comic, then I think you’re going to be really pleased with the show when it debuts in October. My only complaints with this clip are A. it’s not the best quality, B. someone will probably pull it down any minute now, and C. it shows a little more of the show than I’d like — and I really just want to watch the whole thing right this minute.
Enough blathering from me, though — scroll down and behold the awesomeness for yourself. And yes, you really did just get two posts in one day. I’m on fire…it’s like last year or something.
Holy Christ has it been forever since I posted here. I’ve got no good excuse, except that Horror Squad keeps me busy.
If you’ve been eagerly awaiting the day when Jigsaw’s series of Saw films would finally draw to a close, this could be your lucky day. The new trailer for Saw 3D is now online (thanks IGN!) and it’s promising to be the end of the line. I’m happy about this because I’m pretty fucking sick of covering these movies every year. Contrary to popular opinion, they’re not the worst thing out there — but clearly, this is an idea that’s been run into the ground. It’s time to move on.
Of course, like any old school horror fan, I’m wary of this. Once upon a time Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter was supposed to be the end of Jason and we all see how that worked out…
I could see Saw 3D making a truckload of money and Lionsgate demanding another film — so hold off on those “Jigsaw is dead!” parties for now.
In other news, the film has shifted from its October 22nd release date to the 29th instead — clearly to avoid opening against Paranormal Activity 2, a film that kicked Jigsaw’s ass all over the box office last year.
Scroll down a bit further and check out the new trailer for yourself. Remember — the Traps Are Alive!!!
Fangoria, the long running horror magazine that many of us grew up on, is looking to broaden their horizons yet again. They’ve teamed up with Lightning Media to create the brand new Fangoria Frightfest. Think After Dark Horrorfest or the Ghosthouse Underground releases and you’ll know exactly what’s in store.
Fango and Lightning have combined forces to bring you eight new horror flicks on DVD, VOD, and Digital Download. One of the films, chosen by viewers, will get a big screen theatrical release next month. So, after you’ve viewed the flicks, be sure to head over to the official site and make your voice is heard. To help set the tone, I’ve got a look at the cover art for each of the new DVD releases — and I must say, the majority of them are really pretty cool looking.
Check out the gallery for a better look at the artwork after the break as well as the plot synopsis for each title.
It’s hard to believe that Death Race 2000 is 35 years old now, but it’s still just as much campy fun as it was back in 1975. It’s a relic of a bygone era, yet its odd social commentary is just as relevant today as it was back then – perhaps even moreso. In this regard, Death Race 2000 is sort of like Romero’s Dawn of the Dead – it’s not as good a film overall, but it is eerily prescient in predicting the future.
While we’ve passed the year 2000 without an event like the Transcontinental Road Race – a cross country rally where cartoonish drivers and their navigators travel from one coast to the other while scoring points for running down innocent pedestrians – the film’s commentary on the media and sensationalism of violence as entertainment seem quite valid. Maybe that’s a stretch on my part, but I don’t think so – I think some of the most profound commentary on our society was reflected in the cult films of that era.
While perusing the ol’ Interweb for stories this morning, I stumbled across this cool trailer for director Bradley Scott Sullivan’s I Didn’t Come Here to Die (thanks Twitch!). This is the first I’d heard of the film, which was shot entirely on a Panasonic Lumix GH1 DSLR camera. Filmed in an around the movie hotbed of Austin, Texas, this one looks pretty cool. It’s got a slasher vibe as a group of kids head out to do some volunteer work, only to learn that no good deed goes unpunished. Looks like it has some good gore, and as Twitch points out there’s one dude in the cast who looks a lot like a young Christian Bale.
There’s no official release date for I Didn’t Come Here to Die yet (the trailer just says “2010″), but you can keep up to date by checking out the film’s website.
Peep the trailer below and let me know what you think in the comment section.
Sorry for the long delay between posts — I’ve been doing a lot of stuff over at Horror Squad (and if you’re not checking me out there, you should be — it’s extra content) and I’ve not had a bunch of free time. I’m back today though, with more Walking Dead goodness.
Pictured above is the first production photo from AMC’s new series — based on Robert Kirkman’s comic set after the zombie apocalypse. Greg Nicotero of the mighty KNB Effects did the zombie design and it looks amazing. Director Frank Darabont concurs, saying “Greg Nicotero is absolutely out-doing himself. The work he is doing is beyond what one could hope for. Our Zombies kick ass!”
The series is set to debut on AMC later this year.
