How about a horror film that's only six minutes and nine seconds long and only involves one frame? "The Facts in the Case of Mister Hollow" is one of the most brilliant pieces of filmmaking I've ever seen. It's a delectable Halloween morsel that qualifies as both treat and trick. Enjoy!
An image that tells an entire story, THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF MISTER
HOLLOW centers on a single photograph that dates back to the early
1930s. As the camera begins to investigate the particulars of the photo,
however, it reveals a tapestry of secrets hidden in the details, and a
tale of murder, kidnapping and sacrifice captured in a haunting moment.
Despite the massive popularity of zombies in our culture today, there are still a few holdouts, people who either don't know, are afraid to know, or simply don't care about zombies. If you're a member of the latter group, then I can't help you. If you're the first two, fear not: you don't need to know much about zombies to get in on the fun, whether it's watching classic zombie films like "Night of the Living Dead" or "Dawn of the Dead" or diving in to the phenomenal TV series or comic book series "The Walking Dead."
Discovery.com has put together a great article explaining the different types of zombies in various forms of media over the last few years. This brief guide is a great primer for those "dying" to get into the zombie craze. Yep. I went there.
Dateline: 2003. Having survived the Great Scare of Y2K and enjoyed a few Halloween parties thrown by myself and my then-girlfriend, I was feeling a new sense of interest in horror films. I'd always loved horror movies, but there were some I had been truly scarred by as a kid, among them: the original Night of the Living Dead and the not-related but still scary Return of the Living Dead. I had also been pretty terrified by the experience of watching "The Blair Witch Project," which I thought was real found-footage (I was so naive!), in a theater. It was the only time I'd ever seen people leave a movie in silent procession before.
So while I was not yet ready to confront my fear of zombies and witches, I was becoming more interested in watching then-new horror films. I'd heard how terrifying "The Ring" was, but believed it was all hype. I mean, really, a cursed videotape? What, did you die from not rewinding before returning it to the video store instead of getting charged for another day? It was with this arrogant mindset that I went down to Blockbuster (remember those?) and then returned to my apartment with "The Ring."
I should point out that DVD technology was still relatively young; I'd only had my DVD player for two years and was still floored by the quality of both picture and sound. I mention this to get those youngsters reading this to realize that utilizing a cursed videocassette as the central conceit of the film made plenty of sense back then, as most folks still didn't have DVD players.
I'm not going to review the movie, but I will say that it disturbed me. A lot. I watched it midday on Halloween, the windows covered with blankets to create a better viewing experience. Being a bachelor, I'd become accustomed to falling asleep on the couch in my living room. After watching "The Ring," I didn't fall asleep near at TV for a long time.
Though some have mocked me for being afraid of this film, it remains one of the most effective and disturbing horror films I've ever seen, which has been quite a few in the last decade. I don't know what's at work within "The Ring," but it's tone and creepy haunts you long after you've seen the film. I also find it very interesting that "The Ring" isn't played very often on television, even during the Halloween season.
Perhaps the scariest aspect of the film was the "cursed videotape," copies of which were left in various public places as part of the film's brilliant marketing strategy. If you've never seen the film or the cursed tape at the center of it's narrative, you can watch it right here. But be warned: though we don't use tape anymore, methinks a video can still be haunted no matter the format...
In celebration of the fourth season premiere of the wildly popular AMC series "The Walking Dead," the Mythbuster gang is tackling the concept of the zombie. Since zombies are a fictional creation (at least, that's what I'm told!) the Mythbusters will follow the well-accepted "zombie rules" that have emerged since the modern zombie genre began with George Romero's 1968 classic "Night of the Living Dead." Those rules include the following: zombies, being reanimated corpses, are slow-moving (take that, Zack Snyder), zombies can only be dispatched when their brains are destroyed (meaning heads shots and strikes are crucial) and the zombie "virus" can be contracted through contact with zombie fluids, a scratch that breaks the skin, or a bite.
Here's the preview of the Mythbusters Zombie Special, which will feature special guest Michael Rooker, best known to fans of "The Walking Dead" as badass redneck Merle Dixon. The special airs on Discovery at 9 PM on Thursday, October 17th. "The Walking Dead" returns to AMC Sunday, October 13th, at 8 PM.
One of my all-time favorite films is Francis Ford Coppola's "Bram Stoker's Dracula," for many reasons. I'll detail those in my review of the film in a later entry in this SON OF THIRTY-ONE DAYS OF HALLOWEEN!, but for right now, I want to share my favorite scene.
THIS is how vampires are done, if you will. In this time of sparkly, emo, "can't we all just get along?" bloodsuckers, we need to be reminded that the original version of the vampire we know today began in Abraham Stoker's wonderful novel, Dracula. Drac himself, along with his brides, were monsters. They were vicious, manipulative, blood-hungry living corpses who possessed devilish cunning and intellect. Dracula's goal in the novel, if not in the movies based on it, was to make the world one giant graveyard for the undead, starting with London.
All the aspects of film production come together in this scene to create an experience I have never forgotten. I still find myself transfixed with fear and awe when I watch this scene, just as I was when I first saw it in the theater almost twenty years ago.
If you're queasy or don't like blood, well...you've been warned.
Just a few months out of college, I had a full-time job and was ready to take the next "real world" step: buy a car. My '87 Honda Accord, a.k.a. "Valiant," had done her duty and done so well. But it was time for a new vehicle.
Long story short, I was unemployed after the first year on the job (after deciding to work on my Master's Degree) and so a new car was out of the question. The vehicle I had in mind, though, was a Hyundai Santa Fe. I liked the look and the feel of it (took one for a test drive!) but ultimately, I went with the cheaper Oldsmobile Alero a few years later.
I'm going to be getting a new (or new to me!) car in the not too distant future, and I'm thinking of getting a Santa Fe this time. But only if I can get this one:
This is just a mock-up, designed by a fan of The Walking Dead, sponsored by a host of advertisers, including Hyundai. The design, created using the Chop Shop app, has been made into an actual vehicle and will be revealed at the impending New York Comic Con.
Now I just need to figure out how to steal the thing...
Those of us from "the old days" of music and music video remember when a music video was an experience and sometimes, even an event. There are a number of music videos that made a deep impression on my young mind as a kid growing up in the late 80s/early nineties. These days, lyric videos have now become a new genre of music video; they've grown in popularity and in usage due to the inexpensive nature of their creation and because they allow music fans to learn the lyrics of their favorite songs.
Hopefully, lyric videos won't replace the "mini-movie" type of videos of days gone by, or those that use costume design, makeup, set design, and performance to make a video truly unforgettable.
Behold one of my favorites, the video for White Zombie's cover of KC and the Sunshine Band's "I'm Your Boogieman." I should warn you now: you might find this video highly disturbing, which is the point. It has no graphic violence or sexual content, but it is visually arresting, gory, and also, dare I say it: fun. I especially enjoy it because it's a homage to those glorious "horror movie theater" shows from days gone by, that featured a creepy character (like Elvira, Mistress of the Dark) introducing classic and not-so-classic horror movies on late night weekend television. Enjoy!
How about a horror film that's only six minutes and nine seconds long and only involves one frame? "The Facts in the Case of Mister Hollow" is one of the most brilliant pieces of filmmaking I've ever seen. It's a delectable Halloween morsel that qualifies as both treat and trick. Enjoy!
