3 Reasons To Watch Horror Movies During The Holidays This Year - #Holiday #Horror

Watching horror on Halloween... How cool is that!

Ok, I admit that horror movies and holidays don't exactly go hand in hand during a series of holidays that are supposed to promote good will and charity for all, but let's be honest fright fans, horror movies rule, and so here are my three reasons to watch horror movies during the holidays! 

1. They rule! 

This Santa is going to hang a lot more from the chimney then stockings!

That's right, horror movies rock, I mean if you are by yourself this holiday season... Are you really going to watch Miracle On 34th Street (1947)? Or are you going to watch Santa Claws (1996)? If you are looking for some adrenaline pumping, edge of your seat type of thrills and chills during the Holidays, you are going to want to watch Santa Claws or the many other horror movies out there! 

2. There are a ton of horror movies that match each holiday! 

Thankskilling... This ain't your normal Turkey!

That's right fright fans, from, 'Thankskilling' to, 'Silent Night Bloody Night', there is definitely something there for everyone this holiday season! 

And finally at number 3. If you are alone, some times doing something a little out of the usual can be fun!

Which Kringle did it, eh?

 That's right fright fans, so if you are looking to do something a little different on either Thanksgiving or Christmas this year, then check out a horror movie... And here are some that I think might help you get started! 

And if you want to find some more... Then check out these movies we have to offer in our store at HellsDepot.com

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Star Trek: Invasion! - Book 4: The Final Fury (1996) - Dafydd ab Hugh - Book Review

I'm back baby! That's right... The first review I have done for the new site! And boy does it feel great! Don't get me wrong... I did love the old site, but it was time for a massive overhaul, and well I have to say that... So far so good! I know it is a work in progress... But I hope you love being here as much as I have loved making it! 

Anyway... On with the show, eh? 

And speaking of shows... Star Trek has been a TV Show/Movie/Book series, etc... That has been known for literally decades for being a science fiction series that has tried to give man an element of hope in the fear ridden world that we live in today, that something will be done about it! 

Well as I have mentioned in previous posts that there is at least one particular book series in the Star Trek universe that I have read that was an interesting turn in to the world of horror... 

That being the, 'Invasion!' series! 

This maybe one of the greatest battles in Star Trek on TV, but the, 'Invasion' series maybe the best in book form! 

Now before I begin with this last final book in the series, let me say this, rather you are just getting in to the, 'Star Trek' novels... Or have been reading them for years... You are going to come across an author at some point that is just a stellar writer... That is: Dafydd ab Hugh!

This person rocks... Now I have only read his Star Trek novels, but they are engaging in the way this person describes his settings, as well as guides the reader through out a story that is so well crafted that most of the time I feel as if I am watching an episode of Star Trek in and of itself! 

Unfortunately that is both one of the reasons that this novel rocks, and why it sucks... It's not the only reason why... but it is certainly one of them! 

Well I will get in to that in a minute... 

A book that only sucks because it is the last in an amazing series!

As for the story, this story tells of how after running in to a Star Fleet distress call, The Starship Voyager (which is so far outside of the Federation that it will take them several decades to get home,) goes to investigate the call as quick as they can... What they find is something that could not only get them home, but also save the Federation, or destroy the Federation and Voyager and her crew along with her! 

You see, they have come across the Furies base of operations from which they have been working on invading the Federation! 

Is this a way home? Or is this the death of everything mankind and the races that have united with, care about... Including themselves! 

Now I will be honest and say that I was so engrossed in this novel that the only real problem I had with this was the fact that it truly was the end... And I think this novel, along with it's direct  predecessors in the series would make for a great movie series in and of itself! 

So check it out... You might find you really like it... I know I did! 

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Book Of The Month: A Game Of Thrones, By: George R. R. Martin

Sean Bean in season 1 of: 'Game Of Thrones'!

We all know the classic story of the, 'Seven Kingdoms', and the civil war, and the lives of the lead characters from HBO's classic acclaimed TV series, 'A Game Of Thrones'... (Man I can't wait for the series to come back on!) But before this show became so popular, it was originally a book series called, 'A Song Of Ice And Fire' by writer: George R. R. Martin!

Now the interesting thing about this series... (I haven't read all the books, but I was told this,) but I was told that the TV seasons each year follow the books on a slightly differing level... I,e... Season 1 essentially follows book 1, season 2 is a slightly different version of book 2, etc...

And for the month of February I thought that I would recommend the first book in the series, A Game Of Thrones!

A Game Of Thrones... A great TV series is an even better book!

This amazing book, like the first seasons, follows the setup of the series real nice, with, 'Jon Snow' going off to, 'The Wall', the final stages of the plan to bring a, 'Lannister' to the Throne of, 'Westeros', and the beginning of the journey of Daenerys Targaryen, etc...

And the way it is done, the detail makes you feel like you are actually living in the moment, and almost like you are reliving the series for the first time, (even if you haven.t seen the series!)

So check this book out, I think you might like it! And stay tuned for the book of the month for: March!

Five Great Horror Movies To Buy On Black Friday 2014

Black Friday... As time has gone on, and more and people have kind of latched on to the idea of it, more and more people have been heading out to do their Christmas shopping on this day, what with all of the amazing deals that are around then! So I thought that to beat the rush, that I might recommend a couple of great horror movies for the horror fan in your life this Holiday season!

And without further adieu:

At number 5: Poultrygeist: Night Of The Chicken Dead (2006):

At number 4: ThanksKilling (2009):

With number 3: Silent Night Deadly Night (1984):

Next up on the block, at number 2: Santa Claws (1996):

And finally at number 1: New Years Evil (1980):

Hope these will help you guys when doing your Holiday shopping this year, enjoy!

A Game Of Thrones (1996) - George R. R. Martin - Book Review

Official Score = 4 Devils

 Now here is a different one, you see I generally do try to avoid doing a review outside of the realm of either Horror or Science Fiction, but I could not resist, and considering the fact that even though, 'A Game Of Thrones' is primarily a fantasy epic, this Book/TV series had enough of an element of, 'Horror' to it that I figured what the hell... You know?

With that in mind folks, there is something that I must confess, I first got in to this series through the hit TV series when my wife got in to it... And well I have to admit that the TV series really intrigued me, so when she decided to get the book series, well forget it, of course I had to read them!

A great show, but a better book!

And like the TV series, the first book in the series was truly amazing, I mean this book, which tells the story of how the, 'Seven Kingdoms' has begun it's decent in to chaos with the death of King Robert and the rise of the wrongful heir, 'Prince Joffrey', as well as the threat from beyond, 'The Wall', and the beginning of the rise of, 'Daenerys', was beautifully shown on TV, but was just truly amazingly well put together and expanded upon in the book!

The truth is folks, is that this book truly does follow the old saying, 'The book is better then the movie'... (Well in this case the TV show,) and well, the show is good to, but if you are looking for a novel that has some great history, and some great creepy crawlies (like Zombish stuff,) then this one is a must, and if you check it out, well... I think you will find out why!

Quake (1996) - Video Game Review

Official Score = 3 Devils

Back in the day, before Microsoft came out with the XBox series of console based video games, computer games were the only way to play games on Microsoft products... And back in the early 90s, the world of computer gamming was really starting to become a major player in the, 'gamming community'... I mean games like 'Doom' and 'Duke Nukem' were really starting to make waves... (So much so, that most of these type of first person shooters would end up being adapted for the video game consoles of the day...)

But there was one game that had grabbed the attention of me my friends, so much so that this game (at least for a while would replace playing regular video games...) That game being, 'Quake' (1996)!

A true classic!

Originally developed by Id Software, and released for the PC Computer, this awesome horrific video game would go on to be released for Mac, as well as the, 'Amiga', 'Linux', 'Sega Saturn' and 'Nintendo 64,' and would tell the story of how in the single-player game, the player takes the role of a protagonist known as Ranger who was sent into a portal in order to stop an enemy code-named "Quake". The government had been experimenting with teleportation technology and developed a working prototype called a "Slipgate"; the mysterious Quake compromised the Slipgate by connecting it with its own teleportation system, using it to send death squads to the "Human" dimension in order to test the martial capabilities of Humanity.

The sole surviving protagonist in "Operation Counterstrike" is Ranger, who must advance, starting each of four episodes from an overrun human military base, before fighting his way into other dimensions, reaching them via the Slipgate or their otherworld equivalent. After passing through the Slipgate, Ranger's main objective is to collect four magic runes from four dimensions of Quake; these are the key to stopping the enemy later discovered as Shub-Niggurath and ending the invasion of Earth.

This weapon sure does have some stopping power!

In the end, one of the cool  things that I have found about this game, is that it is not just with this game but with a lot of the first person shooters of that era is that they are truly the ancestors of the games that most people enjoy! Also another thing that I thought was personally cool about this game directly is the fact that this game... Well to say the least, this is one of those game that you don't want to be playing on a dark and stormy night!

Five Classic, 'First Person Shooter' Computer Games Of The 90s That Rocked Before The Rest Of The World Caught On

On today's video game systems, people generally seem to thoroughly enjoy, 'first person shooter' video games... And why not? I mean these games rock, and as time goes on, with better graphics and more interactive game play. these games just generally seem to be getting better and better!

But before games like, 'Call Of Duty' came out, generally speaking, first person shooters generally tended to be left in the back row... Relegated to computer games and lesser console games, but I thought for those of you that may not remember these games, and for those of you  who are to young to have played these games when they were first popular... I thought that I would discuss what I believe are five defining first person shooter games that rocked before the rest of the world caught on:

At number 5: Heretic (1994).

At number 4: Wolfenstein 3D (1992).

At number 3: Doom (1993).

At number 2: Duke Nukem 3D (1996).

At number 1: Quake (1996).

There are a lot more out there, but for those of you out there who are like me, who truly enjoyed these games, before the rest of the world caught on to the awesomeness that is the first person shooter game... I hope you enjoyed this walk down memory lane... And if you have never played these games, give them a try... They are a blast!

Five Songs From The 80s & 90s That Helped Define Five GreatHorror/Sci-fi Movies

One of the things I have noticed in the new millennium which I have wondered about, is that there seems (definitely in modern horror movies, and to a strong extent with Science Fiction movies,) a noticeable absences of mainstream bands making music that one could say defines the movies in music terms!

What do I mean for this? Well of course there is always composed music, like the composed music that John Williams (Jaws) has done for a lot of the biggest Science Fiction films of all time, in this case what I mean is, music such as what Rob Zombie (Halloween) has done for his movies... And Rob Zombie has done a great with this!

In the case of Rob Zombie, he has always done some truly kick ass songs for (I can't say all, because I haven't seen all of them,) but almost all of his movies! So as a little reminder of what bands did for Horror & Science Fiction, I thought that you guys would enjoy:  Five Songs From The 80s & 90s That Helped Define Five Great Horror/Sci-fi Movies!

For number 5: The Cure: Burn (1994) from: The Crow soundtrack:

For number 4: Gerard McMann: Cry Little Sister (1987) from: The Lost Boys soundtrack:

For number 3: Rage Against The Machine: Wake Up (1999) from: The Matrix soundtrack:

For number 2: White Zombie: The One (1996) from the soundtrack for: Escape From L.A.:

For number 1: Guns 'N Roses: Sympathy For The Devil (1994): from the soundtrack for: Interview With The Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles:

There are a lot more out there, but I would say that these are some of the better ones, and I hope that these remind you of some of the awesomeness that was soundtracks for horror and science fiction in the 1980s and 1990s

Star Trek Deep Space Nine: Invasion (Book 3) - Time's Enemy (1996) -L.A. Graf - Book Review

Official Score = 4 Devils 

Okay, so far I know that I covered a lot of the Star Trek (Invasion) mini-series... The truth is, is this series is truly spectacular!  It has the usual technical innovation, that I will say is awesome, as well as the potential for humanity to put there differences aside for the common good, and all of this wrapped in a story... That in the case of this series, and being a fan of Horror & Science Fiction, I have to say is a truly thrilling, and chilling good read, (I know... cheesy as hell, right? But it is true!

Now the first two of these books were pretty spectacular, and the truth is, is that it is pretty much a toss up between the Deep Space Nine version of this series and the original series version of this series (I mean both of these books are truly something that a Trekkie/Horror fan like myself has always hoped for!) But the thing that I did find to be fascinating about, 'Star Trek Deep Space Nine: Invasion (Book 3) - Time's Enemy (1996)' Is an aspect of the story that I almost never see in any media format (in movies, in books, or on TV,) but when I do... Man it is an amazing good time!

This book... I am going to say is truly a toss up between the first and this one as to which is the best of the series!

What I mean by this is the fact that this story has similar connections to the, 'Furies' that the previous books had, but in this edition we find out that the, 'Defiant' may have played a role in the battle to, 'oust' the Furies out of the Alpha Quadrant! This is found out when an ancient version of the Defiant is found adrift, and Captain Sisko and his crew are sent in to discover what it all means, and find out not only how this is possible, but what part that Sisko and his crew play, and when they play it!

In the end, this novel is blast for Trekkies, and I think if you are a Horror or Science Fiction fan, that you might like it as well!

Desperation (1996) - Stephen King - Book Review

Official Score = 3 1/2 Devils

Being a huge fan of Stephen King novels, I discovered a few years ago that I was starting to run out of novels that he had done that I hadn't yet read yet... Well to say the least I was not particularly thrilled by this concept and started looking all over the place for a new novel to keep me interested, and I did so when I found the novel: 'Desperation' (1996)!

Now I am going to say that I was really glad when I found this novel... I mean at the point that I had started reading this novel, I was hard pressed to find a novel that I couldn't put down, and this was definitely that, but besides that, this amazing novel, which would later be turned in to a  TV/Movie with Ron Perlman (Hellboy), was so good, that it is one one of those novels that you could very easily read late at night and I imagine that it would spook the hell out of you!

Now what makes it so great? Well the story of course!

Ron Perlman as the, 'Big Bad' in the TV/Movie: 'Desperation'!

You see, this story, which told of how a bunch of people, who while driving through a desolate area of the Nevada desert, are pulled over and taken to the small mining town of, 'Desperation'... Now at first they are taken there for many legitimate reasons by a Deputy...  But once they are there, they discover there is more then meets the eye in this small town, and that the Sheriff's deputy is the one behind it!

This book may not be the best of Mr. King's, but it is certainly darn close to it... Check it out, you might like it!

Five Awesome Star Trek Crossover Episodes

One thing that I discovered had started to become something of a thing in the Star Trek Universe is the fact that at one time or another every series in and of itself that was on TV had at one time or another had a crossover episode with another... Believe it or, including, 'The Original Series' as well!

And with that in mind guys, I thought that you guys would enjoy: Five Awesome Star Trek Crossover Episodes!

At number 5: Star Trek Voyager: 'Death Wish' (1996).

This episode is not a major cross over, but it does have Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC 1701-D, and originally of, 'Star Trek: The Next Genration' fame!

At number 4: Star Trek Deep Space Nine: 'Defiant' (1994).

Is that Commander Riker with Major Kira? Or is it Lieutenant Riker with the good Major, as he steals, 'The Defiant'!

 Ok this isn't exactly a crossover... But it sort of is, you see, Thomas Riker (Jonathan Frakes), is a character that was created on, 'Star Trek: The Next Generation'... The problem is, is it is not the lead character, 'Commander William T. Riker', that Jonathan Frakes made popular in Star Trek: TNG... But never the less, Jonathan Frakes plays, 'Thomas RIker', who is impersonating his twin, 'William Riker', in an effort to steal, 'The Defiant' from DS9!

At number 3: Star Trek Voyager: 'Caretaker' (1995).

The U.S.S. Voyager's new, 'Ops Officer', 'Ensign Harry Kim' talking to Deep Space Nine's resident Bartender, 'Quark' in the pilot episode for Star Trek Voyager!

This is the pilot episode for, 'Star Trek Voyager', and prominently shows the newly christened crew of the, 'U.S.S. Voyager' as they take some time off on their way to their first mission... The place they stop off is none other than, 'Deep Space 9', and a sizable portion of that episode takes place on the sets for the Startrek spinoff, 'Star Trek Deep Space 9'!

At number 2: Star Trek Deep Space 9: 'Emissary' (1993).

Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) & Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) as they meet in the conference room on board the U.S.S. Enterprise-D in the pilot episode for, 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'!

This is another great pilot episode that brings together both, 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' and the newly minted cast of, 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine', when the Enterprise is sent to ferry Sisko and the new Star Fleet crew to Deep Space Nine!

At number 1: Star Trek Deep Space Nine: 'Trials And Tribble-ations' (1996).

Captain Benjamin Sisko goes undercover along with his senior staff on board the original, 'U.S.S. Enterprise' to stop a plot to kill legendary Captain James T. Kirk, in one of the most technologically amazing episodes of any Star Trek episode ever!

Now I know a lot of these crossovers have had to do with Deep Space Nine... The truth is, is probably the majority of the best of them did... And I know that this isn't the only episode to crossover between the original series and TNG, 'There have been a couple', I just thought that I would mention this one for it's unique nature...

You see, through a feet of technological wonder, this episode is actually crossed over to the original, 'Trouble With Tribbles' episode, and they actually inserted the cast in to that episode! (You got to understand that the original series, 'Trouble With Tribbles' episode aired nearly 40 years before the DS9 episode!

Anyway, there are many other such crossovers, but I would say that these are some of the best!

Star Trek: Invasion! Book 2: The Soldiers Of Fear (1996) - Dean WesleySmith And Kristine Kathryn Rusch - Book Review

Official Score = 3 Devils

You know they say that the sign of a good series, is one that keeps your interest in it all the way through (even when they have bad runs, you still keep going back for more... That sort of thing.) For me, I would have to say that, that would be, 'Star Trek'...

Even when the people who make Star Trek started producing dud movies, I still found myself interested to keep going, (fortunately there wasn't to many of those,) but there was one particular run that they did when I was a teenager that had both the elements of, 'Science Fiction' & 'Horror' in it that I found that I really liked... That being the, 'Invasion!' series.

A classic series that is worth giving a try, if you get a chance!

Most of the time in the world of Star Trek... Well it is mostly science fiction... In the case of DS9, they added an element of, 'War' to the series (which I do think kind of enhanced the whole experience really quite nicely, but they had never really dived in to the world of  Horror or Science Fiction... That was until the, 'Invasion!' series came out, and you may not think so, but getting a dose of horror in the world of Star Trek (which at the time was only the original series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, DS9 & Voyager...) but damn was it fun!

Imagine an episode of Star Trek, but the Halloween episode, where monsters of all sorts, come out to play with the crew of the Enterprise... And that is what you get!

And this saga was continued real nicely with: Star Trek: Invasion! Book 2: The Soldiers Of Fear (1996):

You see this next tale, tells the story of how decades after the original U.S.S. Enterprise had stopped the advancing invasion from an Alien race that after being exiled a millennium ago, had come back to try and re-conquer the territory that had once been there's... Well they are back, and they are literally putting, 'fear' in to people!

This time it will be up to Captain Jean Luc Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise - D to stop this menace, before they can finally do what they failed to do a millennium ago!

In the end Dean Wesley Smith & Kristine Kathryn Rusch do a great job in making a generally fun Science Fiction novel in to a scary good time... I would even go so far as to say that this book was so well written, that it could been turned in to a movie!

If you get a chance to sit down with this, do so... Read the first book first, but after that, dive in to this one, I doubt you will regret it... I know I didn't!

Tales From The Crypt... Oh How We Miss Them

The Cryptkeeper welcoming us back for another wonderful, 'Tale From The Crypt'!

Back in the late 80s there was a late night horror TV anthology series that was just something to be hold... It had some truly scary episodes, some truly funny episodes... but rather they be scary, or funny, most of them were truly something to enjoy... And with those episodes, you would get horror movie quality special effects (the like of which made horror movies great, and which have been found to be lacking in most modern horror movies...) And in all of this, you get some truly amazing talent, (including: Tom Hanks (Apollo 13), Larry Drake (Darkman), etc...) And along with the amazing talent of filmmakers like, 'Robert Zemeckis' (Back To The Future) and you got the amazing HBO late night smash hit, 'Tales From The Crypt' (1989 - 1996)!

Based on the EC Comics series of the same name, this series debuted on HBO on June 10th 1989 and would go on to superstardom, and become one of the most famous horror anthologies of all time, making, 'The Crypt Kreeper' (Don't let the name fool you kiddies, he may look scary... But he is more awesome then will give you a jump!)

The face of late night TV in the late 80s - the mid 90s... A face that only a mother could love!

Now the reason that I say that this series would probably go on to be one of the most famous horror anthology TV series of all time... The reason for that is this... Well you might say that, 'The Twilight Zone' is that... The truth is, is that what makes, 'The Twilight Zone' one of the greatest anthologies of all time is not because of the horror aspects of the series, but because of everything (the science fiction side to...)

No in the case of Tales From The Crypt... They became the, 'The Twilight Zone' of horror anthologies, having pulled off a long list of celebrated 80s and early 90s superstars, including (Besides those mentioned above): Dan Aykroyd (Ghostbusters), Tim Curry (The Rocky Horror Picture Show), Brad Dourif (Child's Play), Margot Kidder (The Amityville Horror), Bill Paxton (Aliens), Malcolm McDowell (Halloween)... And that is just to name a few!

Legendary actor: 'Kirk Douglas' in a scene from, 'Tales From The Crypt'!

 Included in this also is the fact that most of this series was extremely well written, with stories that were extremely well crafted, with enough character development, that when the shit hit the fan (and I mean this show had episodes that were about 1/2 hours long, so the fun gore moments, when the shit hit the fan came rather quickly...)

And along with great stories and great acting talent was the fact that this show... considering the fact that (well at least when I got in to it... And I got in to it when it was still on the air) was still running on late night, had some surprisingly great special effects that I would say would rival just about any special effects that you would see in any movie!

The use of an, 'Electric Chair' is just one example of some truly remarkable special effects in the series!

But besides what I mentioned above, one of the coolest things... And I imagine that this probably would sound pretty odd, but the truth is, is that I would say what tops out this series over all is, 'The Crypt Keeper'... I mean John Kassir (Batman: Arkham Origins), did an amazing job bringing the crypt keeper to life and giving him this sort of bad ass hilarity that just made him perfect!

In the end, I guess what I am trying to say is that there were few series (anthologies or otherwise), that are made these days like shows like, 'Tales From The Crypt'... I know that: Tales From The Crypt Presents: Bordello Of Blood (1996) didn't do all that well in the theater, but this series in it's heyday was truly prolific, and left a mark on the world of TV, and for the fans like me, we miss that, and would love to see, 'Tales From The Crypt' come back in all of it's glory!

Five Great Actors And Actresses That Also Saw Success As Musicians

One of the things that I have noticed as a common theme in all facets of the entertainment industry and there are several examples of this in the world of sports as well, and that is the fact that there seems to be a lot of people that generally seem to gravitate toward doing movies and TV shows...

Well you know what, I got to thinking about those actors & actresses that saw commercial success as musicians, and there are many, but here are five great actors and actresses that also saw success as musicians!

At number 5: David Hasselhoff (Starcrash).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="470"] David Hasselhoff in, 'Knight Rider'![/caption]

Today we all know Mr. Hasselhoff for his drunken antics that made it to Youtube... It is sad because the man is a great actor having torn up the small screen in the 90s with such shows as, 'Baywatch', but his career (at least on the international stage) has been a major sensation since the at least the 1970s!

For more information on David Hasselhoff please enjoy this trailer for one of his better movies, Starcrash (1979).

http://youtu.be/pzfuNSpP0RA

And please enjoy this song that he did in Germany in the 70s!

http://youtu.be/SebarSe6u4c

At number 4: Juliette Lewis (From Dusk Till Dawn).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Juliette Lewis in a scene from, 'From Dusk Til Dawn' (1996)![/caption]

Now this actress has seen immense commercial success in both Movie and TV, but in the last bunch of years she has seriously begun to see some major success touring with her band, 'Juliette & The Licks'!

For more information on Juliette Lewis, please enjoy this trailer for, From Dusk Till Dawn (1996):

http://youtu.be/-bBay_1dKK8

And also please check out this song from, 'Juliette & The Licks':

http://youtu.be/E9mRYCK--cI

At number 3: Steve Martin (Little Shop Of Horrors).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Steve Martin in a scene from, 'Little Shop Of Horrors'![/caption]

We all know who this guy is, I mean the antics that he has done both on TV and in Movies for the past decades.... That's right, I said decades, is truly legendary! But recently I have come to discover that Steven Martin has been heading in to the world of music with some success!

For more information on Steve Martin, please enjoy this trailer for, Little Shop Of Horrors (1986):

http://youtu.be/nWu1Q16AV5U

Also please enjoy this song from the master himself!

http://youtu.be/5bcO1svqh_Q

At number 2: Kevin Bacon (Friday The 13th).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Kevin Bacon is having a bad day in, 'Friday The 13th' (1980).[/caption]

Kevin Bacon has been a staple in the world of movies for decades, both as a horror icons, and in the more mainstream world of movies... But he also has a band with his brother, 'Michael' called, 'The Bacon Brothers'

For more information on Kevin Bacon, please enjoy this trailer for, Friday The 13th (1980):

http://youtu.be/2S8YFTcEDME

Also please enjoy this song from, 'The Bacon Brothers':

http://youtu.be/W8xXmeyVenI

At number 1: Will Smith (Men In Black)

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="271"] Will Smith in, 'Men In Black' (1997):[/caption]

Will Smith is another one of those Hollywood staples that frequently has a movie that is in some level of production, but one of the things that he is lesser known for is the fact that Mr. Smith has also periodically had a pretty successful music career, including having done some of the music for one of his biggest hits, Men In Black (1997)!

For more information on Will Smith, please enjoy this trailer for, Men In Black (1997):

http://youtu.be/uCJHn-ZFH54

Also please enjoy this song from the hit 1997 movie as well!

http://youtu.be/KSRF3slguhI

Star Trek: Invasion! (1996) - Diane Carey - Book Review

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

You might be wondering why I am doing a lot of reviews for Star Trek novels... Well the truth is, is that Star Trek novels generally are a lot of fun, (even the more cheesier ones!)

The primary reason for this I think is that the authors of these novels generally tend to expand beyond what is acceptable for the TV show... And in some small way make it even more real then it already can appear to be!

And there was one series of novels that really did this both in escapism, and making this series almost seem more real! That series being the, 'Star Trek: Invasion!' series!

Now for me, I first discovered this about the same time that I discovered that Star Trek has it's own book series, you see, this series of books takes place over the 4 shows that were available (Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine & Star Trek Voyager.)

[caption id="attachment_3272" align="aligncenter" width="187"] A great series![/caption]

In this series there is an ancient evil, a once massive and violent alien race that controlled large swaths of what would become known as the Federation, but whom would eventually disappear... And as they disappeared, so will they disappear in to the darkest recesses of the inhabited planets that these Aliens (The Furies) once controlled!

Well they have decided to come back, and take back what was once theirs! And for Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC 1701, they are going to have to basically go to war with this dangerous enemy from the turbulent past of that area of the Galaxy, if they are going to stop them!

In the end, I found this book to be a total blast, I mean it incorporated just about everything that made the original Star Trek so freaking awesome, while also adding some seriously cool elements of, 'Horror' in it as well!

If you haven't checked this one out yet, check it out, I think you might really like it, I know I did!

 

Escape From L.A. (1996) - Movie Review

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

The first movie that I ever saw that Kurt Russell (Soldier), had ever done was the movie, Backdraft (1991). When I saw that movie I found that everyone in that movie had done a great job, but I found that I liked the role that Kurt Russell had played the most!

In that movie Kurt Russell played a veteran fire fighter who was divorced, but was great at his job... And I suspect was really torn up about being separated from his family, and had never quite been the same when he witnessed his fireman father die when he was a kid... And his unhappy life gets even more complicated when the little brother that left behind his brother and the family business to make it on his own comes back to take on the mantle of, 'Fire Fighter' with his older brother!

I personally suspect that because of Kurt Russell's amazing performance in 'Backdraft', that in some way that it was the inspiration for the character of, 'Tommy Gavin' (played by: Denis Leary), in the hit TV series, Rescue Me!

Anyway after that though I hadn't seen much of the work that he did, until I saw the movie, Escape From L.A. (1996)! And you know what? I gotta say that the role that he played of, 'Snake Plissken' was truly awe inspiring for some one like me who at the time was aspiring to become a writer and an actor!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="243"] Snake Plissken is back in the kick ass thrill ride![/caption]

I mean I hadn't seen the predecessor to this movie, Escape From New York (1981) at that time, so I hadn't seen where all of this began, but I gotta say that the work that Kurt Russell put in to this role was so awesome that it started my interest in the movies that he has done... And you know what? I haven't been disappointed since!

Now I know I haven't said why I like this character so much... I will let you see this movie to understand better, but trust me when I say that if you like biker movies, or outlaw movies (which I really do), then I think you might find that you really like, 'Snake Plissken'!

As far as the movie goes, there are some truly amazing talent that did a great job, including: Stacy Keach (Galaxy Hunter), Steve Buscemi (Fargo), Peter Fonda (Ghost Rider), Pam Grier (Scream Blacula Scream), Bruce Campbell (The Evil Dead), Michelle Forbes (Star Trek: The Next Generation), A.J. Langer (The People Under The Stairs)... As a matter of fact, the only character I really didn't like or believe as legitimate was, 'The President' but I don't think that it was the actors fault, I think Cliff Robertson (Spider-Man) is an amazing actor, I just think that it was a poorly written character!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="509"] Snake, as he is making his way to the, 'Magic Kingdom' to see a man about a box...[/caption]

I also liked the vision that John Carpenter brought to the big screen in bringing Snake Plissken back for one more attempt to go in to a dystopian waste land and for one more mission for the President...

The only problem that I had between the writing and directing (and this seemed to be something that became a problem in the 90s, and has since become a real problem with some sequels in the new millennium,) that is that sometimes more explosions are not always better, and although I am a fan of special effects and big explosions, I found the over use of explosions and special effects out shadowed what I still thought was a great story!

In the end, this movie is fun, and it was well worth my time to watch it again recently, and if you check it out you might find the same thing as well!

http://youtu.be/drOdRwD1JF0

Scream 4 (2011) - Movie Review

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

In 1996 there was a soon to be legendary teen slasher movie, that would go on to define the slasher movie horror sub genre for the 1990s with the movie, Scream (1996)!

Believe it or not this movie (which was made by Wes Craven), had actually meant to be a spoof of previous slasher movies... The only problem is that it wasn't funny... As a matter of fact, despite the fact that this movie was not really all that funny, it actually turned out to be a piece of cinematic genius that would define that type of horror movie for the rest of the 1990s!

Why was this movie so defining? Well simply put I think it was because it added an element of mystery to the movie... What I mean by this is that this movie had a certain style and panache that definitely defined the 90s (as opposed to your usual Texas Chainsaw Massacre, or Friday The 13th, being more of a slash and grab!)

Now I do like both of those types of movies, but in this case, and I do think that this was largely due to the direction of Wes Craven (who helped define the mystery/slasher horror movie) and the writing of Kevin Williamson (who took it to a new level in the 1990).

I will also say that Hitchcock helped to trail blaze this type of movie, with that said though, Hitchcock's style vs what you would see in Scream are two different movies (i,e. with Hitchcock (as was the sign of the times) there was more mystery then horror, and with what you see in Scream, it is more of a balance of horror vs mystery!)

The reason that I mention all of this is that in 2011, Scream 4 was released in to theaters (unfortunately I did end up missing it then), but I recently saw it fresh... And I gotta say that this one is an interesting one...

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="241"] A fun one![/caption]

You see, this movie (which would reunite Kevin Williamson, Wes Craven, and the original cast members that were in the first 3 movies) told the story of how after many years, Sidney Prescott (Played by: Neve Campbell), comes back to her home town of Woodsboro during the anniversary of the original Woodsboro massacre as part of her publicity tour for her self help book...

What she doesn't know though, is that she isn't the only one that has come home... You see, it turns out that Ghostface has decided to come home to remake the legendary original story line in ways that she, nor Dewey (Played by: David Arquette) or his wife and fellow survivor of the previous massacres Gale Weathers (Played: Courtney Cox) may not be ready to combat!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="468"] Ghostface and Gail Weathers are just two of the original party players that have come together to reunite for the anniversary of the original massacre![/caption]

Another thing that I thought was kind of cool was the introduction of some of the talent that has been making waves on both the big screen and the small screen, like Hayden Panettiere, (Heroes), Emma Roberts (Nancy Drew) & Rory Culkin (The Good Son) to name a few!

Also I thought it was cool how they have utilized talented veteran actors and actresses like Marley Shelton (Planet Terror), and Anthony Anderson (The Departed)!

Now the unfortunate side of this movie (and I hope this movie does properly put the Scream franchise to rest), is A: This movie was definitely dated, and all though it was quite cool to enjoy a classic 90s style teen slasher... In the end, this movie unfortunately tried to re-create that 90s magic, while incorporating elements to make it fresh and new, yet failing to do so! B: I mentioned above that I hope this movie effectively allows this franchise to Rest In Peace... Well that is because this movie has gone everywhere it could... I mean the only directions they can take that I could think of would be to either 1. would be to add the same elements that made the original 3 great (which has been played out), or 2. to have Ghostface go after some other group of teenagers... Although if they do that then it will probably end up being as horrible as the second sequel in the, 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' series.

In the end, I am a fan of the series, and I definitely think if you are a fan of the series that you might like it as well!

http://youtu.be/UlaZfOiGaCU

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

5 Classic Weird Al Parodies That Rock

I know this blog is is dedicated to, Heavy Metal, Rock 'N Roll and the various sub genres associated with this type of music, but I thought that I would take a change of pace this one time and talk about something a little bit off topic (not entirely... But a little...)

This topic being, '5 Classic Weird Al Parodies That Rock'.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="475"] Weird Al doin a parody of Michael Jackson's, 'Bad'[/caption]

Now I know this is a little bit of a switch from the norm, but with Christmas coming up, I thought that it would be fun to do a list with some great songs that Weird Al has done, that not only rock, but you will laugh your ass off!

At number 5 we have: Ride The Bus (1980), a parody of Queen's 1980 hit song, 'Another One Bites The Dust':

http://youtu.be/NeMrttj8Ucg

http://youtu.be/7Dmd1b-sfUw

At Number 4: Fat (1988), a parody of Michael Jackson's 1987 classic song, 'Bad':

http://youtu.be/dsUXAEzaC3Q

http://youtu.be/t2mU6USTBRE

At Number 3: Smells Like Nirvana (1992), a parody of Nirvana's 1991 hit song, 'Smells Like Teen Spirit':

http://youtu.be/hTWKbfoikeg

http://youtu.be/FklUAoZ6KxY

At Number 2: Gump (1996), a parody of The Presidents Of The United States Of America's 1995 hit song, 'Lump':

http://youtu.be/_sj_U6vObUA

http://youtu.be/hQwWaWFjd0Y

At Number 1: The Saga Begins (1999), a parody of Don McLean's classic 1971 song, 'American Pie':

http://youtu.be/ih7N9_VUU4U

http://youtu.be/hEcjgJSqSRU

In the end, I know this is a little turn in a different direction, but I found that Weird Al is not only absolutely hilarious, but he also rocks in the same time, please enjoy!

The Frighteners (1996) - Movie Review

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

I first got in to work of acting legend, Michael J. Fox (Back To The Future) near the tale end of the TV series that really helped get him started on his road to superstardom, this series being, 'Family Ties' (1982 - 1989), and since then I have been hooked!

I mean this guy is one of the few actors that I can genuinely say that I have literally grown up following his career, what with following his work at the end of the 1980s, and all the way through the 90s and even up to his semi-retirement after he ended his time on, 'Spin City'!

Why is he so great? Well... I can give you a great many reasons if you want, but when it comes down to it, one of the great things that I found that he brings to his role... Besides the level of believability (which is there in a strong way...) He also brings an element of comedy that really works well in comedy films, and compliments the more serious movies or TV Shows that I have seen him in, and one of those of course being: The Frightners (1996)!

Written by: Fran Walsh (Meet The Feebles), Peter Jackson (The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring) & Directed by: Peter Jackson. Starring: Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado (Little Women), Peter Dobson (Forrest Gump), John Astin (The Addams Family), Jeffery Combs (Re-Animator), Dee Wallace (The Hills have Eyes), Jake Busey (Starship Troopers) & Troy Evans (Ace Ventura: Pet Detective).

This hilarious movie tells the story of, 'Frank Bannister' (Michael J. Fox)... Now Mr. Bannister used to be a fairly well known architect, and was successful enough that he and his wife had at the time of her death been building their dream home...

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="656"] Frank Bannister & Associates...[/caption]

Well one day during a fight and the ensuing car accident, his wife ends up dying, but she ends up dying in such a way that even with out any evidence to prove it, most people believe that he did it... This traumatized him so much that he ended up starting to see ghosts (he got so adept at it that he would often use the haunted graveyard as a sort of pool of undead help when running cons to make money!)

Well years later a malevolent force from the town past comes back to finish his work... The only thing is, is that he is dead (But that won't stop him from becoming the most prolific serial killer of all time... )

So with the Police unable to do anything, it will be up to Bannister to not just stop this force on his own, but to protect his latest victim from it, as well as save a skeptical town from this, 'Phantom Menace' before this entity ends up getting his dying wish!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] The living and the dead will team up in an effort to become the most prolific serial killer team, both living and dead![/caption]

In the end I could say a lot about how good this movie is, but the best parts for me are the fact that this movie had a truly awesome cast of mid-90s entertainers, also it had fun special effects, and it didn't get to cheesy, (a problem that would happen in the late 90s with movies of this nature...) But it was cheesy fun, and I liked that!

Is this the best most poignant award winning film in the world... No... But it doesn't need to be, and that is just cool, and if you check it out you might find the same thing as well!

http://youtu.be/0yqhND5i05M