“Embodyment” Comic Review

I sat down and read the first issue of Dan Emerson’s “Embodyment”. Dan is a playwrite and the writer for the upcoming HMF Productions short film “Silent Breath”. “Embodyment”is an Sci-Fi/Horror Indie comic book that Dan has written and published himself. The art is done by Vasilis Saroglou and it has a life all its own.

The story when combined with this art style, can really pull you in. In my case it took me back to the writings and ideas of Richard Matheson (I Am Legend) and his work during the “Paranoid Fifties” when the threat of nuclear war was on everyone’s mind all the time.

The story so far centers around a teenager named Eric, who suddenly finds himself being more intelligent than even he realized he could be. However, just as Eric is beginning to realize what might be going on, things take a turn.

The art style with this narrative put me into a feeling of someone in an erratic state of mind trying to convey everything they need to in a short time. It drives the movement and flow of the entire first issue.I’d say it makes the first issue.

If this formula continues to be followed, Mr. Emerson could very well have a cult following for this comic. I for one can’t get over the cliffhanger of the first issue. I NEED to know what happens going forward. Too many questions that need answers already. I think we’re all in for a very fun ride with “Embodyment”.

You can get your own copy of “Embodyment” at Something From Nothing Comics for only $5.00 USD.

Share with your friends

8 Horror Games to Play in October

October is the scariest month of the year, or at least portends to be. With Halloween on the 31st and a month’s worth of decoration, horror movie releases, etc. leading up to it, this is simply the time when we like to scare ourselves a little bit. And while we tend to do this mostly through movies, television, and the occasional scary story, we can also do it through games. In that spirit, here are eight horror games, across various gaming platforms and mediums, that you might enjoy playing this Halloween season.

1. Outlast 2

Outlast 2 came out in April of 2017 as the follow-up to one of the better console horror games we’ve seen this decade. It was equal to the task and then some. As a first person survival game based largely on psychological thrills, it’s more about atmosphere than anything else, and this is the one aspect of the game – and its predecessor – that simply can’t be questioned. Prepare to be genuinely freaked out!

2. The Land Of Pain

The Land Of Pain is primarily a PC game, and is set up as a 3D exploration adventure. The basic setup is that you’re in first person attempting to escape a dangerous monster in a creepy (though not entirely stereotypical) horror setting including caves, forests, abandoned buildings, and so on. It could easily have been built as a generic escape puzzle, but as one review states, it instead focuses on exploration and running away to satisfying effect. All in all it’s a fine game, gently scary and just challenging enough.

3. Granny

One of this list’s simpler games in terms of design and execution, Granny may also be the scariest. This is a surprise hit of a mobile game in which “Granny,” a freaky old lady wielding deadly objects, is seeking you out within a spooky house. In the first person you must simply hide and try to make your way past her, despite the fact that she hears almost everything you do. As a free mobile game it’s well worth a download, and if you play it with headphones in and the lights off you might legitimately jump in fright.

4. Dark Meadow: The Pact

Like Granny, this is a mobile game, and in this case one that’s been around for a while. Described in the iOS store as a dark fairytale of intrigue and mystery, it’s not so much an outright horror experience as an exploration adventure with a little bit of everything. There’s a touch of humor, a touch of horror, a nice set of challenges, and a beautiful world you get to play around in as you attempt to survive a hunt by mysterious creatures and a strange witch.

5. Year Walk

Yet another mobile game, and another free one, Year Walk is a popular choice, and a true gem in mobile stores. Developed by the somewhat bizarre gaming company Simogo, it’s a nightmarish game in which you basically set out on a quest through spooky woods in the night. Rather than going with generic settings and familiar animations though, the game employs a 2D style and an almost cartoonish look – to genuinely spooky effect. The gameplay is simply that of a point and click, screen-by-screen exploration, but riddling out progression is tricky and there are moments that will actually chill you.

6. Jekyll & Hyde Slot

This is a little different, as an online slot arcade rather than any sort of action or adventure game. However, if you look at prominent online casinos these days most of them boast of extensive game selections, within which you can find all sorts of themes. Among those is Jekyll & Hyde, an iconic horror tale. Nothing about a slot machine’s gameplay is particularly scary, but the theme is well-realized, with a gothic, semi-Victorian backdrop and various characters and symbols reminiscent of the tale. It’s a nice casual play during the Halloween season.

7. Forgotten Memories: Alternate Realities

This is a mobile game, and one with a familiar setup that, if you’ve made it to this point in this list, you’ll realize is fairly common in horror gaming. You start off in a strange place with no idea how you got there, and need to accomplish your goal – in this case, finding a missing child – to get out. With so many games following this basic setup it’s the ones with the best atmospheres and most challenges that tend to stand up, and Forgotten Memories stands out in both of those areas. Like Granny or Year Walk, this isn’t a lighthearted horror experience either, but rather a strange game that can actually get you somewhat unsettled.

8. Call Of Cthulhu

This game hasn’t actually been released yet, but suffice it to say it looks like it could be a new horror gaming classic. Designed by Focus Interactive for major consoles and PCs, it’s an adaptation of the old pen-and-paper game, and the gameplay looks extraordinary. We expect a game-changing RPG in an incredibly rendered world, and what should be a genuinely scary setup.

Share with your friends

HMF Admin’s Top 5 Must Watch Movies for Halloween

So we admins got together and decided to put together a collection of each of our Top 5 movies we watch for Halloween. Each Admin chose 5 films. So you’ll get to know a little bit more about each of the admins who run things. Without further ado, here are the picks from each of our Social Media Admins.

 

Josh Mabe

Halloween

Trick r Treat

Hocus Pocus

Earnest Scared Stupid

The Craft

 

Stephen Ingves

The Exorcism Of Emily Rose

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (‘74)

Tarantula (‘55)

Carrie (‘76)

A Nightmare On Elm St 4

 

Scott Lake

Behind The Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

The Final

Hellraiser

4/20 Massacre

Eden Lake

 

Karen Parker

Trick r Treat

House of 1000 Corpses

Night of the Demons 2

Halloween 2

Hell House LLC

 

Zakk Thomas

The Exorcist III

Hereditary

Halloween III

Pumpkinhead

The Autopsy of Jane Doe

 

Brandon Harris

Trick r Treat

Pet Cemetery

Salem’s Lot (1978 Original)

Halloween 3

Halloween (1978 Original)

 

Allison Brooke

Hocus Pocus

Casper

Trick R Treat

Halloween 1978

Rob Zombie’s Halloween

 

Amanda Blake

Nightmare on Elm Street

Terrifier

Repo! The Genetic Opera

House of 1000 Corpses

The Shining

 

Veevee Davis

Trick ‘r Treat

The Collector & The Collection

Dolls (1987)

The Conjuring

Hostel 1&2

 

Jazmin Casillas

Prom Night

Halloween

Misery

Carrie

The Thing

 

Sami Becker

Hocus Pocus

The Addams Family

Beetlejuice

Halloween 1978

Trick r Treat

 

Honorary Mention

“Teddy”

By Josh Mabe

There ya have it Freaks! Will our choices be the same next year or will we have  whole new crop of films?

Share with your friends

PG-13 Rated Horror Films

Originally Published in Morbid Media Magazine, 2006

By

Shawn Baublitz

 

When I look back at horror movies I love, I think of “The Evil Dead”, “Scream”, “Friday The 13th”, “Nightmare on Elm Street”, “Hellraiser” and all of the classics. What I do not think about is “The Boogeyman”, “Dark Water”, the “War of the Worlds” remake or the “When A Stranger Calls” remake. All of which were PG-13.

I might be a horror snob. When I think horror I think about blood, guts, partial nudity,heavy metal music and senseless violence. I want the hero, male or female, to kick ass. I do not want implied scares or actors walking around whining about every little thing. I know people who really like horror, want to see Ash chopping a demon’s head off with a chainsaw while yelling  “Hail to the King, baby”, Jason ripping a half naked woman apart with a pair of hedge clippers; or zombies infesting a city with only food on their minds.

There are people out there that can still make good horror flicks. I enjoy the “Saw” franchise, “Shaun of the Dead” and the “Dawn of the Dead” remake, but each one of them has something in common. They are not PG-13. With all of these horror films going for the scary PG-13 rating, nothing good is or will be coming out. Studios look for the under 17 year old market for movies while pushing out the people that love real horror.

Until PG-13 films start tanking at the box office we will get Emo characters moping around, or whatever big breasted new comer screeching out bad lines. Horror is not for the Teens or early teens.It is for those that can take a real scare. Let the kids have time as kids while the more grown-up enjoy the real horror of seeing a man saw his own leg off.

Share with your friends

Review for “Hell’s Kitty” (2018)

“Have you ever performed an exorcism on a cat?”

 

Director: Nicholas Tana

Cast: Dale Midkiff, Doug Jones, Adrienne Barbeau, Ashley C. Williams, Kelli Maroney, Courtney Gains, Barbara Nedelkajova, and Michael Berryman

Review By: Amanda Blake of Horror Movie Freaks

What a purrrrrfect reason for dog lover’s to hate cats even more. I, myself, am a cat lover and have 2 of my own. This movie made me question their loyalty just a little bit more than normal.

You know how everyone always says cats are demonic, evil, and out to plot the death of humans? Well, about the same scenario here. Take a cat named angel, infuse it with a demon, and her human is a Hollywood writer looking for love. Doesn’t sound extremely menacing, right? Wrong. This pussycat has an especially terrifying bond to her human that causes lots of mayhem for him.

I went into this movie thinking “Cujo”, kitty style. Boy, was I ever wrong. I was very delightfully wrong. The cast for this movie is incredible. But, even with this amazingly star-studded film, they don’t even mount up to the real star, Angel.

It has to be rough trying to make a living in Hollywood as a writer to begin with. The trials this poor man has to go through just to get a date and have them running out screaming a short time later, makes you wonder if having a pet is worth it. I suppose if it’s possessed, that would probably be a different story and you would try to just be rid of the pet. This poor man tries over and over again to save his beloved pet to no avail.

On top of all of that, you have a friend that lives next to you and barges in whenever he feels like. He even tries to help. The humans went through hell for this seemingly innocent kitty cat.

I really did enjoy this movie. It is definitely something new, bold, and more original. The acting was awesome, how could it not be? The cat was amazing, what cat isn’t?

It’s the perfect amount of cheesiness, mixed with bad jokes, blood, and chaos. You have never seen this all-star cast like this before…well, maybe…but I can’t let you in on that one. You will have to see for yourselves and I highly suggest you do! It is a fun, furry movie that will leave you wondering, “Is my cat possessed too?”.

You will be able to catch this purrrfect piece on VOD on March 13th, and DVD on March 27th, 2018.

 

      

 

 

 

Share with your friends

Review for “The Lullaby” (2018)

Director: Darrell Roodt

Cast: Brandon Auret (Dr. Timothy Reed), Reine Swart (Chloe van Heerden), Thandi Puren (Ruby van Heerden)

Review by: Amanda Blake of Horror Movie Freaks

In theaters and VOD – March 2nd, 2018

Is motherhood all it’s cracked up to be? It may not be for this new mom, Chloe. She ran away from home and came home to have a new baby. How did she end up in this predicament? Her mom, Ruby, does not agree with the decisions of this young mother, but she does seem to stand by her side. She tries to help her as she learns to now take on the motherly role. Chloe seems to be in for more than just being a new mom though. How normal is normal after giving birth your first time? I’ll let you decide.

The actors and actresses were fantastic. It all seemed so real, it was as if it was happening directly in front of me, no screen involved. Everyone seemed genuinely scared at all the right moments. The jump scares actually got me a little bit. I would feel like something was gonna happen at a certain point but it was timed to take you off guard, and it worked. I don’t get caught by jump scares, ever. This time I did a few times.

I love when movies take place in a smaller filming space as it seems more personable and leaves you wondering just how they are going to do anything with such a small space. This one really pulled it off. It’s out in the middle of nowhere in this small town, there was a couple extra locations but they were only used for a short time for what was needed. There was also no unnecessary dialogue that had nothing to do with what the movie was about.

I wish there was a little more back story to better explain what I was watching and a little more backstory on the character development as well. Everything happened very quickly. On the other side though, as quickly as everything happened, the whole movie kept up the pace. There was a little bit of downtime but only to lead into the next happenings. I’m not even totally sure of myself as to whether I figured it.

There is a plethora of different things that happen that takes you deeper into the movie and the mindset of this new mom. It all leaves you wondering what you just watched and what all just happened. I’m still at this point trying to put everything together to try to make sense of it all. That’s another thing I love about these types of movies though too. They leave you guessing and wanting to watch it more to see if you’ve missed anything else in there that may give you more clues.

All in all, every movie has its ups and downs, this one definitely had a lot more ups than downs. I really enjoyed it. Definitely worth it! If you want to question your own sanity, you’ll love it too!

9/10

 

 

Share with your friends

Flay (2017) Movie Review

Directed by Eric T Pham
Written by Matthew Daley
Starring Elle LaMont, Dalton E. Gray, Johnny Walter, Violett Beane, Noé de la Garza

“After the death of her mother, an estranged daughter struggles to save her brother, and those around her from a malevolent faceless spirit.”

Despite what the misleading poster wants you to think, the first thing you should know about this movie is that it is about a chain. A killer chain. We know it’s a killer chain because of the red-tinted POV whenever anyone goes to touch it. These aren’t fancy chains, they’re just your standard haunted object chain that exudes a rippling CGI visual distortion chain. According to the intro monologue and montage an old Indian shaman was captured, chained and had his face flayed off so he put a curse on the chain as revenge. None of this was explicitly shown, in fact nothing is really explicitly shown in the movie.

If we compare this film to the Don Dohler’s formula of Blood, Boobs and Beasts we get a few drops of blood in the True Blood copycat title sequence. There are ample amounts of cleavage shots and even a flash of side-boob. And the beast? Well, you know what Slenderman looks like right? Just add more distracting CGI distortion to his face and you’ll get the idea.

Once out of the title sequence, the whole old Indian shaman flaying thing is discarded until tenuously recalled in the last fifteen minutes of the movie.
What we get for the most part is a bunch of admittedly earnest and sincere actors trying their best within their cliched roles. We’ve got the stoner, the slut, the nerd, the older sister, the handsome cop and a mother who dies by jump scare. It’s the soundtrack that is the real star here though. Hardly original but in keeping with the rest of the movie. It’s full of all the classic horror movie score tropes but elevates the film above it’s limitations with a solid sense of atmosphere. Although the film relies too much on the music to build the tension rather than what’s on screen.
The main problem is that this film it has many potentially great ideas and motifs that aren’t really connected that well throughout the story or just dropped altogether. There’s the haunted chain, an ongoing spooky water motif and there’s “Slenderman” and his soaking wet, long black haired and voyeuristic pal who is also afflicted with the same distorted facial CGI curse. These elements come and go through out but all seem disjointed until explained at the end.

What really hamstrings this film is it’s over reliance on CGI embellishment.
For all it’s faults, this film still has it’s own charm and sense of humor and stands proud on it’s PG-13 feet. I just wish there was more flaying. Might be time to rewatch Martyrs.

Flay is on VOD March 6th.

Flay Movie Opening Title Flay Movie Screenshot - Haunted Chains Flay Movie Screenshot - Heroine vs Bogeyman Flay Movie Screenshot - Typical Teen-kill Characters

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVcwdZLv3i4

All screenshots taken from the trailer.

Share with your friends

Review for Savage

Review By: Amanda Blake of Horror Movie Freaks

Director: Emir Skalonja

This movie starts out with a little explanation of how the world has gone into an apocalypse, a modern-day apocalypse. It’s not your typical end of the world, here come the zombies type of apocalypse either. It is a very believable scenario, where the world has gone into anarchy and people are out for themselves. In particular, you have a small group that the movie is centered on that consists of a man, pregnant woman, and their friend. On the other side you have a small group of hungry cannibals (no, not zombies, I already said that).

I love that this movie was very realistic, there was some cheesy parts, but that’s what makes a movie great. You definitely have to have those bits. The fighting even had me on edge. It was so realistic and the characters did not have unlimited stamina. You know, they have this incredible wire work fight, jumping off walls and over people, never ever get tired out, always the same. Not this movie.

The soundtrack was absolutely killer. It was a little overbearing on what dialog there was, some parts were harder to hear than others, but really did not affect the movie itself. That’s another thing, it was not filled up with a bunch of dialog that wasn’t needed. It was very straightforward.

The survival style was also awesome. You had the people that went out and scavenged for food, then you had the “others”. They preferred their food raw and bloody. I mean, if you were out on your own with no other way to eat, how are you going to eat? These guys were very resourceful. This brings me to another part, being resourceful. Another much needed piece to a good survival movie. The guy didn’t run around with a gun, with unlimited ammo (how annoying when that happens, right?). He used a knife and his fists for the most part. He grabbed what he could along the way, as you watch the hunted become the hunter.

Overall, this movie was filmed uniquely and made it one of a kind. I really enjoyed it myself. It was well done. I was left wanting to see more and hope to see more someday.

I give this movie an 8/10! It’s definitely worth a watch, especially if you’re looking for a good, violent survival movie! 

Share with your friends

Living Among Us (2018)

 

Releasing: February 2nd, 2018

By: Amanda Blake from Horror Movie Freaks

Director: Brian A. Metcalf

Vampires have played a huge role in millions of fans lives over the years. We all wanted to be either vampires or werewolves, right? Always thinking, “How awesome would it be if we could live forever, suck out the life force of our enemies, and never die?”, or “What if we had fur, could transform, and just live in the wild?”. Living Among Us may have brought us exactly that. They bring us into the home of a sect of vampires, invited by the sect leader, that have just stepped into the light (not really, that would kill them?). A crew from a local news team are going to find out exactly what it’s like to live with vampires. What could possibly go wrong?

This modern day take on vampires is new and refreshing. It’s not your regular run of the mill fangs. They say they have become civilized and only want to co-exist with humans. The sect leader, Samuel (William Sadler), even goes to the media to talk about it. He is a very convincing character and really makes you believe that’s all he wants.

The vampire family consists of an interesting mix of characters, even bordering dysfunctional: The father, Andrew (John Heard); The mother, Elleanor (Esmé Bianco); and their two sons, Blake (Andrew Keegan) and Selvin (Chad Todhunter). They each carry their own quirks. Andrew always feels like he’s hiding more than he’s telling, and that one wrong move would literally kill you. Elleanor is beautiful, eloquent, and charming. I often found myself thinking that she is the perfect host. A little secretive and the wrong questions made her seem more menacing. Blake was such an energetic character. I very much enjoyed this character. He made me feel like all he wanted to do is show the world how they live. He also always had this slightly sadistic feel to him. Then you have Selvin. Selvin was awkward. He made me feel like he was a ticking bomb that was going to go off at any time.

The news crew consisted of: Mike (Thomas Ian Nicholas), Carrie (Jordan Hinson), and Benny (Hunter Gomez). This group made things so relatable. Mike and Carrie being an on again, off again couple, arguing throughout their whole journey with Benny off to the side, who decided to document absolutely everything. The pressure of not getting along with someone, constantly being watched, and staying with vampires would create the perfect tension for everything to go wrong.

Overall, this movie kept me interested. I loved the fact that the movements with the different cameras were very well done, not so shaky, and they were in focus perfectly. This is by far one of the best documentary films I have ever seen. It kept me on the edge of my seat, the suspense was amazing and perfectly matched with the music, and the special effects were incredible.

They did a great job with the pace. It started out slower, you got to know each character, and you had time to take in the story. It even felt more realistic and explanations within the movie actually made sense. I really felt at times, like I was even a part of the movie. It also fascinated me the way they even captured what the world is like today with technology, politics, and how media is all about ratings.

I really do not have anything bad to say about this movie. It was one hell of a horror flick that I suggest everyone sees, even if only once in your life.

I give this movie a solid 10/10!

Share with your friends

Hollywood Vs. The Indie Filmmaker

These days we have so many big budget blockbuster films hitting us at every angle, that the true unseen genius passes us by almost without a thought. The art of independent film making has turned into the last bastion of true original content for filmmakers, and those of us who want to see something more original. Don’t get me wrong, the Superhero Blockbusters and Science Fiction Epics are fantastic to watch and experience, but the love of originality is fading from Hollywood. The suits in Hollywood would rather latch onto a title that has already been made once, or onto a Comic Book or some other form of written word for their next film, instead of looking to those in the Indie world for new and original content.

 

We have filmmakers out there however, like George Cameron Romero, Michael Junkin, Matthew Ward, Conrad Faraj, Itai Guberman, Kyle Hester and so many others, that see the issue and are all working towards bringing more new and original content to the people. I for one cannot wait. Cameron Romero, just announced “Rise of the Living Dead”, a prequel to 1968’s “Night of the Living Dead”, which was filmed by his father George A. Romero. Cameron aims to show us a film that is right up there with Night, and with George A. Romero, calling the script “genius”,  I think it is a safe bet that that will be exactly what we get. Matthew Ward just wrapped on his latest Feature film, “The Rave”. He had Conrad Faraj (“Little Thieves”, “The Colours of Desire”, “You Will Go Darker”) working on Camera, and Michael Junkin as his Second Assistant Director. I for one was on set for several scenes and I can say “The Rave” Will be a true Indie offering. Michael Junkin is as well writing shorts and features and I am quiet sure they will be excellent stories brought to film.

 

So what is an Independent Film and what is a Hollywood Blockbuster? The main difference comes down to budget and resources. A Hollywood film can get upwards of hundreds of millions of dollars and all the resources they need, just a phone call away, while Indie filmmakers have more obstacles to deal with. Obstacles like having to crowdfund your entire film project, or endless meetings trying to find investors to help reach the budget as well. Once you get the budget, there is still the fight of getting everything you need together. The cast, the cameras, lights, audio recording gear, the list goes on and on. So a Hollywood film can get a massive budget and a nice length of time to film in, while an Indie project may only get a few thousand dollars and have to film everything in 14 days. The challenges offered to Indie Filmmakers, means they are going to pour more heart and soul into their production than most Hollywood films would even attempt today.

 

One of the biggest areas for Indie Film making falls in the Horror Genre and there is no shortage of ideas out there. Its getting them filmed and distributed that is the biggest obstacle. An obstacle I see several filmmakers dealing with for whatever projects they are working on. You can find an active GoFundMe for Kyle Hester’s “Preacher Six” at the Preacher Six GoFundMe you can even find a Patreon account where you can learn and get tips from George Cameron Romero over at George Cameron Romero’s Patreon, where getting in on one of these would be a great thing for any budding filmmaker.

 

You want to know the great thing about Crowdfunding an Independent film? Its a way for the little guy, the viewer, YOU to get in on the ground floor of a movie! Depending on the level you pay in on the film, you can get all kinds of sweet benefits. Name in Special Thanks, your own Producer Credit listed on IMDb, walk on rolls, speaking parts, signed copies of scripts and so much more. Now, I’m not telling you to not watch your favorite Superhero, or to go enjoy a couple of hours watching dog fights in space between awesome star fighters. I’m merely suggesting you take some time and go outside of your comfort zone and watch an Indie film. You might be surprised how a film that only took $5,000.00 can touch you even deeper than a $50,000,000.00 film can.

Share with your friends