Five Kick Ass Final Girls Of The 1970s

So far so good, in this series I have outlined the women of horror, that have kicked some major big bad evil killer butt from the 1980s to the 2000's and since it has been a while i thought that it might be kind of fun to do the 1970s!

Now the truth is, is over the decades there have been a ton of amazingly talented women that have taken on some of horror movies worse villains, and so it was hard to cull it down to 5, but here is what I believe them to be:

At number 5: Kyle Richards (Eaten Alive).

Kyle Richards as seen in, 'Halloween' (1978). 

Kyle Richards... Now you might not think it... I mean last I heard, Kyle Richards has mostly been doing reality tv these days, but when she was a kid, she did a lot of horror movies, and in each one... (At least the ones that I have seen,) she has last to the end of each one of them... And thus I think she definitely deserves a place!

For more information on Kyle Richards, please check out these scene from: Eaten Alive (1977):

At number 4: Linda Bliar (The Exorcist).

Linda Blair in, 'The Exorcist' (1973)!

Now let's be honest here, The Exorcist is one of the most famous horror movies of all time, and with Linda Blair having starred in the first two, she definitely deserves her place in this listing of 5 kick ass final girls of the 1970s!

For more information on her work, please check out these trailers for: The Exorcist (1973) & Exorcist 2: The Heretic (1977):

With number 3 we have: Marilyn Burns (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre).

Marilyn Burns as, 'Sally Hardesty' in one of the most famous scenes in horror movie history in, 'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre'!

Marilyn Burns... Now I am sad to say that this amazing talent, who really did a majorly awesome job of being a final girl in the 7os, as well as having maintained a role in horror movies ever since, has past away earlier this year, but if you haven't seen her work, you should, she totally rocks in just about everything she did!

For more information on Marilyn Burns, please check out this trailer for: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974):

Next up on the block, at number 2: Sigourney Weaver (Ghostbusters).

Sigourney Weaver in, 'Alien' (1979)!

Sigourney Weaver, her role in the Alien movie series has been truly prolific, and after having been in 2 prolific Science Fiction series (the Alien movie series, and the Ghostbuster movie series,) she is definitely one that is worth mentioning for her role in helping bring the Alien movie series to the world in 1979!

For more information on Sigourney Weaver, please enjoy this trailer for: Alien (1979):

And finally, at number 1: Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween).

Jamie Lee Curtis as: 'Laurie Strode' in, 'Halloween' (1978)! 

For Jamie Lee Curtis, I am mentioning her here, because besides the fact that she helped create a series that to the day is still beloved by fans all over the world, her work in the horror movie world in both the 70s and 80s was truly remarkable!

For more information on Jamie Lee Curtis, please enjoy this trailer for: Halloween (1978):

The truth is, is there are a ton more, but I would personally say that these girls truly kicked some bad boy butt (or some monster butt)!

The First Five Video Game Console Series.

Hey guys, so you have seen me do a lot of the history of video games, and well I got to thinking here recently... I personally love history, I love the history of video games, I have played some video games that have gone back to the mid 70s, and so I was thinking, well since these video games systems are so far removed, that you guys might like to see what came first... With the first five video game consoles series!

At number 1: The Magnavox Odyssey.

The first the world has ever seen!

Now this controversial video game system is universally considered to be the first video game console to have ever come out, having been released by Magnavox in 1972!

As for the second one to come out we have: Tele-Games

The Sears, 'Tele-Games' console was a console dedicated to, 'Pong'!

This system was a dedicated system that was developed by Atari in 1975 and released through Sears... And was the first real direct competition for Magnavox's, 'Odyssey' system... So much so, that I believe this system may have been partly responsible for Magnavox taking Atari to court over Atari's Pong game.

At number 3: Binatone TV Master

This is one of the models of Binatone's, 'TV Master' TV Game system. 

This system was Britain's move to the world of, 'Video Games', you see around the mid 70s, Binatone would release it's Binatone TV Master... This would grow the market by about 5 times in the first 2 years... As another side note, there was more then one model of this particular gaming system, which would be licensed by, 'Magnavox' for the United States!

Now the next one, and the fourth on our list, we have the, 'Coleco Telstar' (Model 6040).

The first of the Coleco series.

This one was the first of the video game systems that would be created by Coleco as part of their move over from processing shoe leather in to the video game market... This first video game system, which would be released in 1976 is a dedicated video game console with 3 pong variant games on it (Hockey, Handball & Tennis,) and this game it appears had 2 paddles as controllers...

This may have  been the first model, but it certainly would not be the last, with Coleco releasing 13 more video game consoles under the, 'Telstar' name!

And last, but certainly not least, we have a name you might recognize, with the Color TV-Game 6, that was released by Nintendo back in 1977!

Color TV-Game 6... Dull name, but before Nintendo's game systems we all know and love like, 'The Wii', or 'The DS', one of the earliest was, 'Color TV-Game 6'!

Before Nintendo released it's now legendary systems, such as: 'The Nintendo', 'The Super Nintendo', 'The Wii' or, 'The DS', or any of it's other classic video game systems from it's long list of amazing video game systems, Nintendo released the, 'Color TV-Game 6'... Well a dull name, but along with the other model in this line... Including: Color TV-Game 15, Color TV-Game Racing 112, Color TV-Game Block Breaker & Color TV-Game, would help to create the video game revolution we all know and love!

For more information:

Five Classic Movie Posters For Five Classic Monster Movies

You know I have always considered myself to be something of an aficionado when it came to horror and science fiction movies, I mean I have been watching horror and science fiction movies for decades... Little did I know how truly wrong I was... For the past few years I have been diving in to all sorts of, 'B' Horror & Science Fiction movies as well as all sorts of other types of lesser recognized sub genres that are out there... And the one thing that over all else that I have come to realize, is the fact that there is a lot more then even I thought that I knew... And I look forward to watching more and more of them!

With that in mind, I thought that you guys might enjoy the artwork on some of these movie posters for some truly classic, 'B' monster movies! So enjoy!

At number 5: Them! (1954):

A true classic, and one of Leonard Nimoy's first movies! 

For number 4: DeepStar Six (1989):

A classic movie about a Sea Monster attacking an underwater base!

Next on the block, at number 3: Godzilla (1954):

The first movie that has led to a historic movie series!

At number 2: Kingdom Of The Spiders (1977):

A great B Movie starring William Shatner!

And last but certainly not least, at number 1: The Mighty Peking Man (1977):

The Shaw Brothers's, 'King Kong'!

There are a ton more out there, I just thought that you guys would enjoy these!

Four Prolific Musicians/Bands Whose Contributions Helped To Define Heavier Music In The 20th Century!

There are and always will be some truly spectacular musicians out there that really know what the hell they are doing, and it really shows... But in all truth, there are a particular subset of musicians out there that I would say their music is so prolific that even decades after they broke up and or died, that these bands are still heavily influencing new musicians all over the world... So I thought I would let you guys in on a couple of these...

At number 4: Elvis Presley (1935 - 1977):

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="240"] Elvis Presley... 'The King Of Rock' now and for ever![/caption]

Now here is a guy that not only had some amazing tunes that really rocked, but when he was still alive, his music helped trailblaze the, 'Rock 'N Roll' genre from being something that annoying old people tried their very best to outlaw, to being a respectable musical form the people admired... And still do! When he was alive, Men wanted to be him, and women wanted to be with him... In the end he had been crowned, 'The King Of Rock' before he died, and to this day he still holds that title!

For more information on, 'Elvis Presley' please enjoy this song:

[embed]http://youtu.be/gj0Rz-uP4Mk[/embed]

For number 3: The Beatles (1960 - 1970):

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="434"] The Beatles... Truly a force to be reckoned with![/caption]

The Beatles... When these guys were together, like Elvis Presley, were people that were frowned upon by old people, but they also held the interests of their ever growing fan base... But as for Elvis making the way for, 'The Beatles' and other bands and musicians to make there way in to the genre in an era of respectability, The Beatles didn't do that... They both had very distinct sounds, but in the case of, 'The Beatles' I am going to have to say that these trailblazers were really the direct ancestors of the modern, 'Metal' scene!

For more information on, 'The Beatles' please enjoy this song:

[embed]http://youtu.be/_HONxwhwmgU[/embed]

For number 2: Michael Jackson (1958 - 2009):

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="460"] Michael Jackson is truly one that will be missed...[/caption]

Now this guy was something different... I mean he had his harder music, but as for Michael Jackson... He had the tendency to meld Rock 'N Roll, with Pop/R&B type of music in a  pretty fun melding... And ultimately rather he was doing Disco (which it does seem like he did a lot when he was kid, or playing his more heavier stuff, Michael Jackson was crowned the, 'King Of Pop' before he died, and at this point it is pretty safe to say that he still owns that crown!

For more information, 'Michael Jackson', please enjoy this song:

[embed]http://youtu.be/dsUXAEzaC3Q[/embed]

At number 1: Nirvana (1987 - 1994):

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="533"] At truly prolific band that is missed...[/caption]

The truth is, is that I am not putting these guys up at number 1 on the strength of their music (all though there music is pretty awesome), in this case I am giving them the number #1 spot because these talented musicians, when they were all still apart of, 'Nirvana' were producing music that was so good that it helped pave the way for, 'Grunge', and it is the type of music that has remained extremely popular even after decades after the band dissolved itself!

For more information on, 'Nirvana', please enjoy this song:

[embed]http://youtu.be/G3qRYGopZMU[/embed]

The Shinning (1977) - Stephen King - Book Review

[caption id="attachment_415" align="alignright" width="350"] Official Score = 4 Devils[/caption]

You know one of the things that I like about Stephen King and his novels, is that in an of itself, each individual novel has it's own separate and distinct story line separate from the other, but in the end, his novels are set up in such a way as to permit individual story lines to connect together, and when he does so, it makes that story that much better!

With that said, there is a novel that I can't wait to read that recently came out by the master of the macabre that is actually the sequel to one of his earlier novels... This novel is called, 'Doctor Sleep', and the original being, 'The Shinning' (1977)!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="160"] A truly classic novel that rocks![/caption]

Now this book truly rocks! It is one one of those novels that from just about the beginning to the end, your on the edge of your seat, and as Stephen King guides the reader deeper in to the story, you end up getting more and more on the edge of your seat, and as you follow Jack Torrance, and his descent in to madness... Well let's just put it this way... You aren't going to want to read this novel late at night!

As for the story it's this, the story tells of how the Torrance family takes over the, 'Overlook Hotel'  as the caretaker for the off season... Now this Hotel has a supernatural secret about previous caretakers, and when Jack Torrance finds out about it, his slow descent in to madness, will be something that he and his family will never forget!

As a side note that I think you might find interesting if you haven't actually seen it yet, is that in 1980 Stanley Kubrick (Full Metal Jacket) & Jack Nicholson (Little Shop Of Horrors) along with Shelley Duvall (Annie Hall) & Scatman Crothers (Transformers: The Return Of Optimus Prime) would go on to make the first and still most famous big screen adaption of the movie!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="150"] Jack Nicholson as, 'Jack Torrance' in, 'The Shinning' (1980)![/caption]

 

In the end guys, this book is freaking awesome, I mean the movie was good... The book was better, and if you give it a chance, I think you might really like it... I know I did!

The Continued Relevance Of Dead Superstars

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Presley hits are still being released decades after his death![/caption]

Sadly some of musics greatest most historically memorable musicians, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, most of the Beatles... Etc, etc... Have passed away...

It is one of those unfortunate situations in the music scene today... Don't get me wrong, there are still many great musicians out there, but in the case of who I am talking about are those people who were sort of trailblazers that made their specific genres what they are today!

These are the people with whom most musicians may have grown up listening to, but some of them were the inspiration behind a lot of the modern musicians that are around today!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="463"] The BEatles playing live are just one example of the trailblazers that are still relevant today, decades after they stopped making music together![/caption]

There is also another side to these guys that I thought that you guys might find to be rather interesting... The fact that sometimes decades after they stopped being able to produce music, not only are these people having regular posthumous albums being made in their names, but some of them are starting to have a high number of awards and #1 hits posthumously!

A great example of this is, Elvis Presley!

Between 1977 & 1981 10 singles from the King Of Rock were released as #1 hits... Graceland has become one of the most well visited homes in the United States (just behind, 'The White House'.) And after the King passed on, he was inducted in to four different music hall of fames, including: the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame (Which he was inducted in to in 1986), the Country Music Hall Of Fame (which he was inducted in to in 1998), the Gospel Music Hall Of Fame (2001) & even the Rockabilly Hall Of Fame in 2007!

Another great example is, The Beatles... Don't get me wrong, I know that they are not all dead, but most of them are, and they have been broken up since the 1970s... But that didn't end it for these guys... You see, after the break up all four of them would continue to make music as solo artists, but not only that but they each one of them would collaborate at one time or another.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="460"] The Beatles & their family reuniting after the death of John Lennon in 1980.[/caption]

As a matter of fact, after John Lennon died in 1980, the remaining Beatles along with Linda McCartney would come together to make a tribute album in honor of their fallen friend!

And the most latest that I discovered is, 'Michael Jackson'... It looks like the King Of Pop will be back entertaining audiences one last time in his second posthumous album called, 'Xscape' which was recently release on May 2nd 2014!

For more information on these guys, and the music they made, please enjoy these songs that were arranged for posthumously albums: Elvis Presley, The Beatles & Michael Jackson!

http://youtu.be/Aa3ZGXRBS-Y

http://youtu.be/_0O0BkKdMx0

http://youtu.be/zqdxYJ3uXuQ

 

The Mighty Peking Man (1977) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_325" align="alignright" width="263"] Official Score = 3 Devils[/caption]

One of the areas of the world of movies that I have to admit that I am not all of the familiar with is foreign films... Just never really in my wheelhouse... That is until recenlty...

You see, although this isn't my first foreign film that I have ever seen, last year I was doing a guest recommendation on AwesomeBMovies.com, and decided to do a Martial Arts B Movie... (Something that I had up to that point never really done,) and I ended up coming across the Shaw Brothers classic, The Flying Guilotine (1975)!

Well of course I had heard of the, 'Shaw Brothers', and the fact that they are the geniuses behind some of the best Chinese B movies to come out of China in the 1970s... I had never seen any of their work though... And when I did, well I have to say that I was extremely impressed!

You see, one of the great things about 70s martial art films is just the universal cult status that is generally (and unfortunately) ignored by the mainstream due to the low budget nature that lends itself to bad dubbing, incredulous special effects, and stories that (unless you are able to suspend your disbelief ) are usually considered to be pretty bad...

Well the truth is, is I found that, that was a lot of the charm of, The Flying Guillotine, and it was also a lot of the charm of the next Shaw Brother's film that I saw, but the other thing that I was really impressed with about this movie is the fact that this movie had a great story to fall back on, some awesome talent, and the special effects all considering were pretty top drawer in this movie... This movie being the B movie adaption of the classic, 'King Kong' movie, The Mightly Peking Man (1977):

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="228"] A fantastic Chinese Sci-fi/Horror movie![/caption]

Written by: Kuang Ni (Five Deadly Venoms) & Directed by: Meng Huo Ho (The Flying Guilotine). Starring: Evelyn Kraft (Lady Dracula), Danny Lee (The Killer) & Feng Ku (Sien Nui Yau Wan Il Yan Gaan Do).

Known as, 'Goliathon' in the United States, this movie was made following on the coat tails of the popularity that was following, 'King Kong' at the time, and told the story of how Johnnie Fang (Danny Lee) is a down and out explorer, who well to say the least was having some girl problems...

Well when it looks like the fabled, 'Peking Man' is discovered in the jungles of the, 'Himalayas', he is contracted with a team that includes Lu Tiem (Feng Ku) (who is Johnnie's employer, who wants to go in to the jungle to find this illusive beast and bring him back to Hong Kong as an attraction to make money...)

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Johnnie Fang & Lu Tiem as they are beginning their journey in search of, 'The Peking Man.'[/caption]

Well of course the expedition starts off bad, when at one of the local villages, a herd of Elephants stampedes in and starts killing off his team bit by bit... It will take Johnnie and his team shooting some of them down to stop that.

Well the carnage on the expedition continues with a lion attack, as well as some of the members of the expedition falling off a cliff! Well Lu and the rest of the team decide that it is not safe enough and take off, leaving Johnnie to fend for himself...

And to make matters worse, when Johnnie does end up finding the, 'Peking Man', it turns out that it is a giant ape (the size of some tall buildings), and that this beast nearly kills him. The beast stops though when his friend (a girl by the name of, 'Samantha', who had been living in the jungle since her parent's plane had crash landed there as a kid,) intervenes.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] The Peking Man finds Johnnie...[/caption]

Well after nursing his wounds, Johnnie makes the fateful decision to convince Samantha to have the both of them, and her larger then life furry friend return to Hong Kong together... This is a mistake that the people of Hong Kong will never forget... And this trip to Hong Kong will be one that, 'Johnnie', 'Samantha' and, 'The Mighty Peking Man' will never forget either!

I mentioned above what I liked about this movie, now here is what I didn't... The main problem that I had with this movie is it is a little slow moving at first... Fortunately though when it picks up, it really does and carries through out the rest of the movie real nicely...

In the end though, if you are more in to mainstream sci-fi or horror, then this one probably isn't for you, but if you like the B movie versions of these genre's, then I think you guys might enjoy this one!

http://youtu.be/kWFnvRHa1EQ

A Major Contribution To Horror And Science Fiction Movies: The Soundtrack

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] James Horner composing music for a soundtrack to a movie.[/caption]

You know I will be honest with you and say that one of the biggest contributions that the music industry has given to the world of film, rather it be on the big screen or on the small screen is the, 'Soundtrack'!

You might be asking yourself though... Well what about, 'Musicals'? Well the truth is, is that there are some great musicals out there, I am going to have to say though that Soundtracks really take the cake when it comes to the more important of contributions... There are a couple of reasons for this:

1. Universally, rather it be on the big screen or on the small screen Soundtracks compliment the movies or TV series that they are supposed to go to pretty nicely!

2. Now this is just my opinion, but almost every musical TV episode, or music based TV show that I have ever scene has always and so far from what I can tell, will always universally suck!

And this is pretty universally true for the horror & science fiction genre as well!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Believe it or not, a truly fun soundtrack![/caption]

What I mean by this is that rather it be on the small screen or on the big screen, Soundtracks tend to play an extremely important role in the production they are connected to. A couple of great examples of this:

A: Psycho (1960): Universally, the arrangement that music composer, 'Bernard Hermann' put together for this classic horror/thriller by: Alfred Hitchcock (Vertigo) was so well made that in a lot of respects, I think with out this maestro's work, this movie would never have become the insane cultural icon that it is today!

B: Star Trek... I know, I know, I do tend to use this example an awful lot, but it is true! I mean no matter who the composer or musicians are, who are associated with the latest movie or TV series, generally speaking truly help make the movie the historic epic that we all see on the big screen!

Now those are a couple of great examples of some soundtracks that have totally helped make these Horror or Science Fiction movies the true masterpieces that they were when they first came out, and the cultural icons they are today!

And there is another side of soundtracks that I thought that I would mention here that are really important... That is the talent they bring in to work on these movies!

Rather they be composers like, 'John Williams' (Jaws), or heavy metal super stars like, 'Rob Zombie' (Halloween), producers generally bring in some truly amazing talent! A couple of examples are as follows:

John Williams' score from, Star Wars - Episode 3: A New Hope (1977):

http://youtu.be/2Mo0dSHFGPg

Rob Zombie's 'House Of 1,000 Corpses' from the movie he directed with the same title:

http://youtu.be/WT_f2UFNj3U

Charles Bernstein's famous score from, A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984):

http://youtu.be/tn_DjzN8410

5 Classic Japanese Commercials For 5 Classic Video Game Systems

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="427"] Nintendo is one of the most historically relevant video game manufacturers of all time... Most of the video games & consoles that we all grew up with had their beginning largely in Japan![/caption]

You know, most people may not know this, but for most of the 20th century, and even today (although not as much today, as it had been in the past), but Japan was the dominating force behind Video Games and their consoles...

Nintendo is a great example of this... Even though, 'Nintendo' and it's accompanying video games and consoles are all over the world, and are still a dominating force in American Video Gamming... The company was formed in Japan with just about all of the generations of their video games originating in Japan.

Sega is another good example of this, It is true that Sega doesn't really do video game consoles anymore, but they still do video games, and just about all of that also has it's roots in Japan as well!

So I thought that it might be fun to see, 5 Classic Japanese Commercials For 5 Classic Video Game Systems:

Color TV Game (1977 - 1980):

http://youtu.be/hvEQIjSNbv8

Famicom (1983 - 2003):

http://youtu.be/2Ll4XbatNB4

Sega: Master System (1986 - 1996):

http://youtu.be/DHReBmIKscs

Atari 2600 (1977 - 1992):

http://youtu.be/0YLwftwWZlQ

Playstation (1994 - 2006):

http://youtu.be/BEuBYE6je_U

Hell Yes, 70s Horror Movies Are Still Relevant

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] 'Pluto' (Michael Berryman) with, 'Brenda Carter' (Susan Lanier) in this scene from the classic 70s horror movie, 'The Hills Have Eyes' (1977).[/caption]

The short answer is... 'Hell Yes!' Of course 70s horror movies are still strongly relevant to the new generation! I mean a world that has for the most part not only forgotten the trailblazers of any genre during the silent era, pretty much all the way up to the classics that helped define a lot of modern movies... Hell Yes 70s horror movies are still relevant!

If horror is to survive and not drown in the soup of over rebooting or remaking of the genre (essentially just putting a newer face and untested (and I hate to say it), but at least some of the time disinterested talent to try and re-create the mastery and artistic vision of the trail blazers like, 'Alfred Hitchcock', 'John Carpenter' or any of the other true masters of horror...) We as the fans of the true classics have a duty to remind this new generation of horror fans that before, movies like, Tobe Hooper's truly classic horror movie, A Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) was being remade in 2003, that there was a classic little horror masterpiece that no one wanted to give the time of day to (so much so that during production of the movie, at least one time they had to close down production of the film for lack of funding!)

[caption id="attachment_2023" align="aligncenter" width="471"] Leatherface both from the 1974 version as well as 2013 version.[/caption]

Now before I go on I should probably say this, there are a some decent enough horror movie remakes, as well as originals that are coming out in the modern day (there is at least one remake, believe it or not that I would say is even better then the original... Shocking but true!) All I am saying though is that in an age where CGI has slowly taken over the horror genre, and where remakes seem to be mostly taking over, and the horror movies of the 70s that I believe are what helped make the genre what it had been for so long loosing their power, that some one has to stand up and say, 'Hell Yes 70s Horror Movies Are Still Relevant!'

In the end, I guess what I am really trying to say folks is to remember the classics that made 70s horror great, and don't forget to pass them on to the next generation, and keep these awesome classics alive for the next generation to enjoy... So stand up with me and say, 'Hell Yes 70s Horror Movies Are Still Relevant'.

Here is just a few classic trailers to wet your whistle with:

http://youtu.be/FS5hvqyeKfI

http://youtu.be/deJWUkiS42U

http://youtu.be/fYhceVkQGUk

5 Great Musicians Taken Before Their Time!

You know, you would think that one of the most dangerous art forms to work in would be like, 'The Circus' or, 'Daredevil Stunt Work' and the truth is, is that those are some of the more dangerous art based professions to work in, but the truth is, is that I wouldn't say that these are the only dangerous art professions at all! Oddly enough, believe it or not, I would say that becoming a famous actor at a young age, or being a musician are some of the other ones!

Now I am not saying this because the professions is inherently fraught with risks, and thus you should not be working in these professions...

No, I guess what I am trying to say is that these professions are definitely not the most risky jobs in the world (Any job more or less has a slight degree of risk associated with it, but acting and music are by far some of the least professions fraught with peril!) No in this case what I mean is that they are some of the most dangerous because they have some of the biggest pitfalls there are! And because of that we have lost some truly phenomenal actors/actresses and musicians in the hole!

And that is why I thought that I would honor some of the great musicians that died before their time with this list of, '5 Great Musicians Taken Before Their Time'!

At number 5: Michael Jackson (1958 - 2009).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="562"] Michael Jackson (1958 - 2009)[/caption]

Michael Jackson entertained audiences all over the world since he was a kid, to this day he is still a beloved artist by legions of fans all over the world... Unfortunately though, when Michael Jackson was preparing for his swansong tour, he passed away due to an accidental overdose!

http://youtu.be/h_D3VFfhvs4

At number 4: Darrell 'Dimebag' Abbott (1966 - 2004):

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Darrell 'Dimebag' Abbott (1966 - 2004)[/caption]

This guy has kicked ass in many bands including such bands as: 'Pantera', but unfortunately his career was cut short when while on stage performing with, 'Damageplan' he was murdered...

http://youtu.be/cvHDSTf3At4

At number 3: The Big Bopper, Ritche Valens & Buddy Holly...

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="516"] Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper & Ritchie Vaiens, 3 legendary musicians that will never be forgotten![/caption]

In a lot of respects, these guys could be said to be the direct ancestors of a lot of the modern rock 'n roll scene! So it is a shame that when they were tired of taking their tour bus, Buddy Holly chartered a Plane for them... the only problem is that it crashed, killing these legendary talents!

http://youtu.be/SaXA_Hr0CE8

http://youtu.be/jNrpAgTXiC4

http://youtu.be/bfu_gfPBPWc

At number 2: Elvis Presley (1935 - 1977):

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="512"] Elvis Presley (1935 - 1977)[/caption]

Here is another amazing musician who when he was about to go back on tour ended up passing away before he could go back on tour... That light may have been snuffed, but the King Of Rock will always reign supreme!

http://youtu.be/gj0Rz-uP4Mk

At number 1: Cliff Burton (1962 - 1986):

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="450"] Cliff Burton (1962 - 1986)[/caption]

Still considered to be the best bassist Metallica has ever had, Cliff Burton passed away after a tour bus accident while Metallica was on the European leg of their, 'Damage Inc.' tour...

http://youtu.be/6O9zMnwD65Q

Star Wars: Episode 4 - A New Hope (1977) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_415" align="alignright" width="300"] Official Score = 4 Devils[/caption]

What can I say about the original Star Wars movie that hasn't already been said? I mean if you were born in the last decade or so, you would have heard about this movie… right?

This movie which launched such an epic franchise of movies/comics/cartoons/books as well as other forms of media that have been so exceptional and so prolific that even  George Lucas (The creator of the series) having announced after the end of Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge Of The Sith (2005) that, that was going to be all of the new, ‘Star Wars’ movies that were going to be released…With the purchase of Lucas Films and the series by Disney recently, it does appear that there is going to be a continuation of the series for a fresh young audience to enjoy!

With that in mind, I am very well aware of the fact that just now I have been talking about the new movie, so for the rare lot who haven’t seen this movie, this movie stars: Mark Hamill (Corvette Summer), Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones), Carrie Fisher (Hollywood Vice Squad), Peter Cushing (Dracula A.D. 1972), Alec Guinness (Bridge On The River Kwai), Anthony Daniels (Conjure), Kenny Baker (The Cage), Peter Mayhew (Dark Towers), David Prowse (A Clockwork Orange), James Earl Jones (The Hunt For Red October).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guiness) as he faces off against Darth Vader (David Prowess) on board the Death Star in one of the first truly epic light saber battles of the entire series![/caption]

Now even though, series wise, this movie probably should have been the third sequel in the series… (Being as they did call it, ‘Episode 4’ and all, it isn't and it is so good that it actually doesn't have to be!)

You see this movie starts off the story with the evil, ‘Galactic Empire’ ruling the galaxy, and with most of the people with in this great, ‘Empire’ believing that being in the Empire was the greatest thing in the universe!

Well like all, ‘Great’ Empires, it isn't, with people being scared and intimidated in to submission and the like! Well in the case of this Empire, a dark lord, and his assistant, ‘Darth Vader’ (played by: David Prowse) and voiced by James Earl Jones) rule over many worlds.

During this time, a resistance movement has begun to form (which of course the Empire is not happy about and hunts as many people as they can down)…. One such person they hunt down is a Princess from the planet of Alderaan, by the name of Princess Leia Organa (Fisher)….

Now as Darth Vader closes in on her and attacks the Space craft that she is on, the Princess decides to send a message with her android and robot assistants, (the soon to be famed R2D2 (played by Kenny Baker), and C3PO (Played by: Anthony Daniels)) down to the planet below in an escape pod, so that they can get in touch with General Obi-Wan Kenobi (Guiness)!

Now General Kenobi is a Jedi (A powerful master protector that follows a philosophy of peace and that he can also kick ass with both his mind and a light saber when he has to!)

Once they get their though, R2D2 and C3PO are kidnapped and sold off to a farmer by the name of Owen (played by: Phil Brown), and the day after, Owen’s nephew by the name of, ‘Luke Skywalker’ (Hamill), gets them cleaned up. R2D2 goes on his mission to find Obi-Wan Kenobi (with Luke and C3PO in hot pursuit)… Once they find this old hermit though and Luke begins to get a little insight in to who his father really is, Luke goes home… Only to find out that both his Aunt and Uncle are dead!

After this, he heads off with Obi-Wan Kenobi, C3PO, R2D2, a human smuggler by the name of Han Solo (Ford) and Chewbacca (Mayhew) on an adventure that they will never forget and neither will the rest of the Galaxy (and believe me when I say that neither will you the watcher of this film either!)

Now here are just a few of the reasons that this movie is truly an epic masterpiece of cinema…
Before this movie, you would see a lot of truly campy special effects… Sometimes those campy effects were good and sometimes they were not… But in the case of this movie, a lot of the special effects that are truly modern day marvels get there humble beginnings from this movie and the series that spawned because of it!

Without George Lucas’s vision of this movie, and the work that he put in to making this movie what it ended up being, I am convinced that this movie would not be near as good as it was!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300"] A green, 'Luke Skywalker' (Mark Hamill) as he looks off in to the future...[/caption]

As far as acting goes… Besides the fact that everyone in this film did a fantastic job in it individually, I also thought they gelled so well that they did a really believable job in portraying the people they were and how they related to each other!

And the last thing that I thought that I should mention here is just how epic this story is in the written sense… I won’t say much beyond that expect that they really don’t make to many Science Fiction movies that have spanned as much as this anymore and I think that the difference in writing styles definitely shows in all that!

In the end, this movie is a true masterpiece, and if you haven’t seen it yet, then I would recommend it, I think you might find that you really like it!

http://youtu.be/9gvqpFbRKtQ

Top 5 Non-Iconic Horror Movies Made By Masters Of Horror!

You know, a lot of time horror movie directors are usually equated with those horror movies that made them legend, (I,e… John Carpenter for, ‘Halloween’, Wes Craven for, ‘A Nightmare On Elm Street’, Tobe Hooper for, ‘A Texas Chain Saw Massacre’, and even Clive Barker for, ‘Hellraiser’)…

Now I know that, that is not always true, but let’s be honest, even if we don’t do it all the time, we are or have all been guilty of this from time to time (us horror fans I mean… I know I was when I still pretty green to the world of horror).

With that in mind, I thought that I would do my top 5 non-iconic horror movies that were made by Masters of horror…

Now you might be wondering what I mean by a non-iconic horror movie… Well I mean movies that were great, and definitely helped people in their careers, but not the ones that everyone and their mother’s know them for, an example of this would be.

1. Wes Craven for, Deadly Blessing (1981)… A great movie that is a true classic, but it is not, A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)… A movie that besides, ‘Scream’ Wes Craven is most well known for by both horror fans and non-horror fans alike…

So here it is my, ‘Top 5 Non-Iconic Horror Movies, Made By Masters Of Horror!’

At number 5: Clive Barker for, Lord Of Illusions (1995):

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="320"] Clive Barker with Scott Bakula (the star of, 'Lord Of Illusions'.)[/caption]

It is true that this movie is considered to be a cult classic, I decided to choose this one, because most people who know Clive Barker know him for his work on creating, ‘Hellraiser’ and I thought that you guys would enjoy this one as it is a lesser known of his classic films but still just as good as even Hellraiser!

At number 4: Tobe Hooper for, Eaten Alive (1977):

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Legendary filmmaker, Tobe Hooper posing with, 'Leatherface' (the villain that made him famous![/caption]

Here is a lesser known Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre) movie, that was freakin awesome, with an amazing cast that had a pre-A Nightmare On Elm Street Robert Englund in it as well as a pre-Halloween, Kyle Richards in it as well!)

At number 3: John Carpenter for, The Fog (1980):

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] from left: Adrienne Barbeau, John Carpenter, Jamie Lee Curtis and Janet Leigh on the set of, 'The Fog' (1980)[/caption]

Not quite a lesser known horror film of Mr. Carpenter’s but definitely a good one, and I am putting this one here, because if your new to the works of John Carpenter, then you will find this one to be a worthy choice to sink your teeth in to, to see where John Carpenter can take you!

At number 2: Wes Craven for, Shocker (1989).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="250"] Legendary master of horror, Wes Craven on set.[/caption]

I haven’t seen this movie in years, but I remember it being pretty fantastic and featuring a younger Mitch Pileggi (‘Skinner’ from, ‘The X-Files’) this one is definitely a fun one… And honestly one that I am little surprised did not ultimately end up getting the attention than it deserved!

At number 1: George A. Romero for, The Dark Half (1993).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="611"] George A. Romero with Stephen King would make not just, 'The Dark Half' together but would also work together on the movie, 'Creepshow' (1982).[/caption]

Now if you know George A. Romero, then you know that he is most well-known for creating what would come to be called by some, ‘The Dead series’, (I,e… Night Of The Living Dead (1968), Dawn Of The Dead (1978), Day Of The Dead (1985), Land Of The Dead (2005), and I have heard more loosely associated is, Diary Of The Dead (2007), and Survival Of The Dead (2009).) Well there is another movie that I thought that I would mention here that he did that is based on a novel by another master of horror, (Stephen King)….

That movie of course is the movie, The Dark Half (1993)… This movie I don’t want to give to, to much on, except to say that it is a truly fantastic film, with an amazing plot, that has to do with the duality of good vs evil in all of us… and what if the evil was allowed to escape… but also the cast was amazing and the special effects were remarkable!

In the end folks, I am not saying that the movies that made these guys famous... They have been entertaining fans and new people to the genre for a fair number of years now... (heck, Halloween is one of my favorite movies!)

http://youtu.be/YyJvOuxZDHY

http://youtu.be/9cQGA5VRj50

http://youtu.be/0j__l3DgbhE

http://youtu.be/dw2bAg5dwW4

http://youtu.be/3GwO6sO44bU

Audrey Rose (1977) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_330" align="alignright" width="220"] Official Score = 2 1/2 Devils[/caption]

The seventies saw a major change in horror movies… An interesting change… What’s that change you might ask, well that change saw the sudden rise in possession movies!

Now before you go asking what I mean by a possession movie… A possession movie (a term I guess you might say that I made up) is a movie having to do with an entity or a spirit possessing the body of living breathing person (In the case of the movies I am talking about, more specifically demons/the devil/or some other form of spirit inhabiting a humans body!)

Now of course we have all heard of, The Exorcist (1973), a story about a little girl that was possessed by an ancient evil demon, and the people that are trying to get rid of that demon and save the girl…

Well this movie I do believe helped popularize this particular type of movie, despite the fact that there have been other possession movies before and after The Exorcist… Such movies as, The Amityville Horror (1979), a movie about the possession of a house (and the man of the family being possessed by the demon as well, and another more modern/contemporary example would of course be the paranormal movies!

If you are wondering why I am mentioning this, the reason being is that there is another possession movie that I thought that I would mention here, and that movie is Audrey Rose (1977).

Written by: Frank De Fetta (The Entity), and Directed by: Robert Wise (The Day The Earth Stood Still). Starring: Susan Swift (Halloween: The Curse Of Michael Myers), Marsha Mason (Drop Dead Fred), Anthony Hopkins (Silence Of The Lambs), John Beck (Rollerball) and John Hillerman (Magnum P.I.)

I first heard about this movie, (which was based on the novel by Frank De Fetta), from … You guessed it, the original master of horror in my family, ‘my father’! Well since a lot of the horror movies that he had turned me on to in the horror genre had panned out real nicely over the years, I ended up sitting down to this movie about 15 years ago or so, and I gotta say that, ‘I FREAKIN LOVED IT’!

Now before I dive to deeply in to the awesomeness of this movie, I thought that I should tell you a little bit about the story:

You see, Audrey Rose tells the story of how in the 60s a little girl by the name of, ‘Audrey Rose’ and her mother are driving in a heavy storm in Pennsylvania, and during this time, the mother gets in to a car accident that ultimately kills both the mother and little Audrey Rose…

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="411"] The new, 'Audrey Rose' (Susan Swift) still want her old, 'Daddy'! (Anthony Hopkins)![/caption]

Well that seemed to be the end of little Audrey Rose’s story (or so you would think!) You see over the course of about 11 years, Audrey Rose’s father, (through various mystical, spiritual and more down to Earth means) comes to believe that Audrey Rose’s spirit has settled in to the body of an 11 year old girl by the name of, ‘Ivy Templeton’ (Swift), who happened to be born on the exact same day and only two minutes after the death of little Audrey Rose, and who every year around her birthday has particularly, (albeit unintentionally so), violent episodes!

Now of course Ivy’s parents are quite skeptical, and rather scared of this man, but as he becomes more and more a part of their lives, it begins to look like Audrey Rose really may have settled in to this body to early, and it will be up to this seemingly, ‘crazy’ intruder to try and put his daughter to rest before, the Templeton’s end up loosing their daughter as well!

All in all definitely one of the more interesting ones!

http://youtu.be/Gr-iri3B11E

Empire Of The Ants (1977) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_325" align="alignright" width="263"] Official Score = 3 Devils[/caption]

I first originally heard about this movie from a friend of mine and head of AwesomeBMovies.com, Matthew Dowling... And I gotta say that after seeing the movie, Them! (1954) and hearing what he had to say about the movie, I have to admit that I was real curious about the movie... And I gotta say that I was not disappointed!

You see this amazing movie, which stars such notables as, Joan Collins (Dynasty), Robert Lansing (Star Trek), John David Carson (The Fifth Floor) & Pamela Susan Shoop (Halloween 2) is a cautionary tale of how after a dumped container of toxic waste comes to shore, the ants starts getting in to it and changing...

While this is occurring Marilyn Fryser (Collins) sets up an event for prospective investors for soon to be developed prefab town around where the Ants art supposed to be...

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Ants will be destroying more then just food with this party![/caption]

As the tour of middle aged yuppies and young people begins, they start noticing how one of the couples is not on the bus, so Joe Morrison (Carson) and a woman by the name of Coreen Bradford decide to take off in search of the unlucky couple... What they find, and what the rest of the tour finds, is something they never would have imagined... Giant Ants!

So they decide to head off back to civilization as quick as they can, and on their way, they constantly are fighting off the Ants... But as they make their way back to civilization they will face something more then they ever imagined when they come up against the, 'Empire Of The Ants'!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="408"] The Ants making the humans more docile as they create their, 'Empire Of The Ants'[/caption]

Now besides the fact that this has an amazing cast to it, the special effects in this movie are amazing, I mean I suspect by and large that Them! was hugely influential in making this movie, and they did a great job in paying homage to that movie with how the Ants were made in this one!

Also I have to admit that being a huge B Movie fan, that I really liked the story line... I mean the chances of ever actually growing gigantic Ants from Toxic Waste is probably not something can really happen, but I do like how in this movie that it is, and how quickly relationships can come during such a devastating disaster (like this one obviously was!)

In the end, this movie is a lot of fun, and definitely worth a watch, and if you get a chance, you might think so as well!

http://youtu.be/rDK3IT29uoQ