Bluray Tuesday: Featuring The Funhouse Massacre, The Abandoned and The Other Side of The Door

June 7th 2016

Our favorite day of the week returns. June starts off with a hefty haul in its first week with many new potential films to add to our collections. The Other Side of The Door is first up from 20th Century Fox starring The Walking Dead's Sarah Wayne Callies. I remember seeing this preview and thought it was getting a wide theater release but unfortunately went straight to VOD / Bluray. Scream Factory is back this week releasing The Funhouse Massacre and The Abandoned. The Abandoned  is pretty creepy, I'd recommended checking out, The Funhouse Massacre is one I'm looking forward to watching this week. Charlie Kaufman's Anomalisa releases today and I definitely recommend checking this one out for sure. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi has a few retailer exclusives this week starting with a steelbook packaging at Best Buy and the full length novel with Target's version. Zootopia I missed in theaters and will finally get to check out this week. If you like bonus content, Target has you covered with exclusive bonus features as well as exclusive slips on their versions of Disney's Zootopia. What will you be buying, renting or just skipping this week? Let us know in the comments, and don't forget to follow our Instagram page here. We love the conversations and talking all things horror. Until next week.

The Other Side of The Door: Amazon - $19.99

A family lives an idyllic existence abroad until a tragic accident takes the life of their young son. The inconsolable mother learns of an ancient ritual that will bring him back to say a final goodbye. She travels to an ancient temple, where a door serves as a mysterious portal between two worlds. But when she disobeys a sacred warning to never open that door, she upsets the balance between life and death.

 

The Abandoned: Amazon - $12.99

Take a terrifying plunge into the warped mind of a disturbed young woman. Desperate to get her life back on track, the unstable Streak takes a job as a security guard, working the graveyard shift at a once upscale, now abandoned apartment complex. But on her first night on duty, she discovers a horrifying presence lurking deep within the bowels of the decaying building. With her nerves already on edge, Streak must confront demons both real and imagined as she struggles to keep a grip on her sanity.

 

The Funhouse Massacre: Amazon - $12.99

Six of the world's scariest psychopaths escape from a local asylum and proceed to unleash terror on the unsuspecting crowd of a Halloween Funhouse whose themed mazes are inspired by their various reigns of terror.

 

Kill Your Friends: Amazon - $17.99

In the late 1990s, a drug-addled nihilist (Nicholas Hoult) resorts to murder to climb the ladder of the London music industry. An A&R man working at the height of the Britpop music craze goes to extremes in order to find his next hit.

 

Hail, Cesar!: Amazon - $19.99

In the early 1950s, Eddie Mannix is busy at work trying to solve all the problems of the actors and filmmakers at Capitol Pictures. His latest assignments involve a disgruntled director, a singing cowboy, a beautiful swimmer and a handsome dancer. As if all this wasn't enough, Mannix faces his biggest challenge when Baird Whitlock gets kidnapped while in costume for the swords-and-sandals epic "Hail, Caesar!" If the studio doesn't pay $100,000, it's the end of the line for the movie star.

 

Anomalisa: Amazon - $24.99

An inspirational speaker (David Thewlis) becomes reinvigorated after meeting a lively woman (Jennifer Jason Leigh) who shakes up his mundane existence.Charlie Kaufman's first stop-motion film about a man named Michael Stone, an author of books on the subject of customer service, who struggles with his inability to connect to people. One night, while on a routine business trip, he meets a woman who changes his world view.   

 

13 Hours: Amazon - $19.99

On Sept. 11, 2012, Islamic militants attack the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, killing Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and Sean Smith, an officer for the Foreign Service. Stationed less than one mile away are members (James Badge Dale, John Krasinski, Max Martini) of the Annex Security Team, former soldiers assigned to protect operatives and diplomats in the city. As the assault rages on, the six men engage the combatants in a fierce firefight to save the lives of the remaining Americans.

 

Steelbook Exclusive: Best Buy - $19.99

 

Exclusive With Book: Target - $19.99

 

Zootopia: Amazon - $19.99

From the largest elephant to the smallest shrew, the city of Zootopia is a mammal metropolis where various animals live and thrive. When Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) becomes the first rabbit to join the police force, she quickly learns how tough it is to enforce the law. Determined to prove herself, Judy jumps at the opportunity to solve a mysterious case. Unfortunately, that means working with Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), a wily fox who makes her job even harder.

 

3D: Amazon - $27.99

 

Exclusive Content: Target

3D: Target

 

 

Rick & Morty Season 2: Amazon - $21.99

After having been missing for nearly 20 years, Rick Sanchez suddenly arrives at daughter Beth's doorstep to move in with her and her family. Although Beth welcomes Rick into her home, her husband, Jerry, isn't as happy about the family reunion. Jerry is concerned about Rick, a sociopathic scientist, using the garage as his personal laboratory. In the lab, Rick works on a number of sci-fi gadgets, some of which could be considered dangerous. But that's not all Rick does that concerns Jerry. He also goes on adventures across the universe that often involve his grandchildren, Morty and Summer.

    

- The Impostor 

Screenings in the Bay (Monday to Friday): The Conjuring 2, Terror Tueday goes to Camp, Midnites for Maniacs

Here we are again, movie lovers. At the start of another week full of some very anticipated screenings. I know a ton of you are going to see The Conjuring 2, but who can we expect to see at Terror Tuesday Goes to Camp?? The event will be going on for 5 weeks, so I'm hoping you come to a couple. Read on to see what else we've got to look forward to! 

Opening this week

The Conjuring 2 (2016)

Early screenings Thursday 9th

Official Release Friday 10th

Horror (IMDB)

"Lorraine and Ed Warren travel to north London to help a single mother raising four children alone in a house plagued by malicious spirits."

Alamo Drafthouse

Kid's Camp

The Iron Giant (1999)

Playing all week (1hr 26min)

Action/ Adventure (Google)

"In this animated adaptation of Ted Hughes' Cold War fable, a giant alien robot (Vin Diesel) crash-lands near the small town of Rockwell, Maine, in 1957. Exploring the area, a local 9-year-old boy, Hogarth, discovers the robot, and soon forms an unlikely friendship with him. When a paranoid government agent, Kent Mansley, becomes determined to destroy the robot, Hogarth and beatnik Dean McCoppin (Harry Connick Jr.) must do what they can to save the misunderstood machine."

Terror Tuesday

Terror Tuesday Goes to Camp Week 1

School is out! Summer is here! AND SO IS DISMEMBERMENT!! This month, we're packing up the sleeping bags, confiscating the weed, and practicing the fine art of french kissing by the fire as TERROR TUESDAY GOES TO CAMP! In true camping fashion, each week's presentation will be a complete mystery. Because you never know what you're going to get when you climb aboard that broke-ass school bus. Maniacal crazies with a thirst for blood? Abominable beasties with a passion for chaos? An inbred lunatic dancing in the moonlight? From beloved favorites to impossible obscurities, anything is fair game. So stock up on tube socks, flip your parents the bird, and prep your face for some exclusive menu offerings at TERROR TUESDAY GOES TO CAMP!! Fun is guaranteed. Survival is not. (Joseph A. Ziemba)

Late booking!

The Wailing (2016)

Starts Friday 10th @ 2:50pm & 9:25pm (2hrs 36min)

Mystery/ Thriller (IMDB)

"A stranger arrives in a little village and soon after a mysterious sickness starts spreading. A policeman is drawn into the incident and is forced to solve the mystery in order to save his daughter."

Also playing at AMC Van Ness

Castro Theatre

Midnites for Maniacs

In The Mouth of Madness (1994)

Friday 10th @ 7:20pm (1hr 35min)

Fantasy/ Mystery/ Horror (IMDB)

"An insurance investigator begins discovering that the impact a horror writer's books have on his fans is more than inspirational."

-with-

Prince of Darkness (1987)

Friday 10th @ 9:15pm (1hr 42min)

Horror (IMDB)

"A research team finds a mysterious cylinder in a deserted church. If opened, it could mean the end of the world."


Stanford Theatre 

The Dark Mirror (1946)

Friday 10th @ 5:55pm & 10pm (1hr 25min)

Crime/ Drama/ Noir (IMDB)

"A man is found murdered, with witnesses convinced about the woman they saw leaving his apartment. However, it becomes apparent that the woman has a twin, and finding out which one is the killer seems impossible."

-with-

They Died with Their Boots On (1941)

Friday 10th @ 7:30pm (2rs 20min)

Biography/ Drama/ Romance (IMDB)

"George Armstrong Custer (Errol Flynn) is a rebellious but ambitious soldier, eager to join the Civil War. During the war, Custer has numerous successes to his credit, even though he disobeys orders. After the war concludes, he marries Libby Bacon (Olivia de Havilland) and is assigned to the Dakota Territory. Custer negotiates honestly with the Sioux on land, but due to corruption from others, a battle with Sitting Bull's forces occurs at Little Big Horn."

-Huntress 

Digging Up The Dirt with KillDozer and Craig Anderson, Writer/Director of Red Christmas

Dee Wallace is one of KillDozer's favorite actresses, so when he found out that she was going to be in a indie Christmas horror movie, and that he had already connected to the film's director through Instagram, he got understandably excited. The Australian director agreed to answer some questions about his upcoming film, which we're hoping can make its way to a theatrical release in the US!

KillDozer: You have a lot of television experience, how does that experience translate to film making? What would you say the current state of film making is like in Australia at the moment?

Craig: Australia has always been a small country with a small market, saturated by imports (American Films/TV and British TV). We make some exciting films but we also make some pretty boring films that are mostly funded by our government. This funding means a lot of the films look the same, deal with the same stuff and share a bizarrely bureaucratized idea of what "our" culture is. Our TV is driven by commercial interest but features a lot of Reality and local love-in's. We hardly make enough drama and far too little comedy- which is my background.
I made some comedy with some friends, Double The Fist being the craziest and most fun. We were not given much money, but in return we were left alone and got to develop our own style and voice, which was great. We made stuff that would have been great on the internet, about five years too early. The other good thing about working in a small country on projects is you can learn lots of different skills, which is useful when making your own low-budget stuff.


KillDozer: In being the writer/director of Red Christmas did that mean you had complete creative control? Are you editing the film yourself as well?

Craig: Complete creative control baby! It's so exciting and also scary. Sometimes notes from companies and elders can illustrate that they don't understand what you are trying to make, but sometimes they point out really obvious stuff that a filmmaker can't see like "your film doesn't make sense" and "I know you can hear that mumbled word in the background of the scene, but no-one else can. It makes the whole scene make no sense". These notes (and notes from anyone) help push a film into what the general population think a film should be, which is kind of useful. So I'm editing by myself in a room and haven't shown anybody, only because I am poor, otherwise I would get someone I trust to edit it with me. The first time I show someone could be totally embarrassing, have you ever hear of The Voynich Manuscript? Look it up. It was written by someone who was not given notes.

KillDozer: Australia has a very celebrated catalog of exploitation and action films under it's belt. Did these films influence you as a kid? What titles stick out?

Craig: As a kid, Mad Max 2, BMX Bandits and a few others, but mostly US exploitation. As a late teen I got into all of Peter Jackson's stuff, he lives just across the water in NZ and was very inspirational. When I started collecting VHS in my 20's I got a lot more into Aussie exploitation- Patrick, The Man From Honk Kong, Chain Reaction, Body Melt, Wake In Fright, Thirst, Razorback and Long Weekend. Being a local I've also been able to discover some little seen titles like Leonora and Cosy Cool.

KillDozer: You have some impressive talent cast in your film. Did you seek these actors out? What was casting like? What was it like to work with a legend like Dee Wallace? What was it like to direct family members who were cast?

Craig: Fortunately I had gotten to meet all of the Australian cast before and worked with most of them, so that was an easy and fun process. Dee Wallace, I had contacted through her agent and she loved the script. I was so happy. Working with Dee is awesome, she is an excellent actor and I love her in Cujo and wanted to give her a role that she could do what she did in that movie again (which means putting her through hell). She was very gracious and trusting to come all the way out to Australia and get picked up by my dad and driven out into the country. We had to put her up in the smallest little cabin and I don't think she had had any frame of reference as to how "low-budget" we can be down under. But she adapted so quickly and then smashed it out of the park.
My dad plays a Sheriff who goes the way of any authority figure in a horror film, Dead. Dad's done cameos in comedy shows I've made before where the acting wasn't as important as the joke, but in this film, there was no room for shit acting, so I really pushed him hard (he only has one line), but he rose to the occasion. Then I cracked him over the head with a bear trap.

KillDozer: Where did the choice come from to make a Christmas horror film? Will you aim for a Christmas release date next year?

Craig: I love Christmas. The only thing that can make it better is everybody dying. It's such an emotional time of the year with loads of iconic imagery and sounds and I wanted to play with that. I love every movie set at Christmas- Die Hard, Gremlins, Black Christmas, Silent Night Deadly Night, The Silent Partner. It would make sense to release it for Christmas, but I don't think I have any control over that.

KillDozer: Are you going with practical effects on Red Christmas? If so what are the pros and cons? How did you go about finding who would do your effects?

Craig: Loads of Practical Effects because I love them. I got two guys who did practical effects on Wyrmwood (a great Aussie zombie film) and have now gone onto work in the workshop for the new Alien film shooting in Sydney. I also have done a lot of stuff in VFX world, so I knew if we got into any trouble on the day we could assist with VFX and the guy doing the lighting is a VFX genius who normally does animation and VFX for a living so he helped out whenever we got stuck. I also prefer editing as a tool for creating gore and did a few effects the old-old way.

KillDozer: Tell us about your amazing VHS posts! I want to thank you for not only posting amazing titles and art work but also taking the time to write a break down of the plot and who is involved with some of these films. Why do you do it?

Craig: Great question, I realized it was the only form of social media I was interested in. I hate Facebook and other things where people you kind of know can espouse deep ideological opinions, it's like watching cows wearing jet-packs trying to perform a ballet. But Instagram seemed pretty cool because it was just pictures. I love VHS's and thought other people might like them too, so found a purpose for them. I also write the synopsis, because one of the best parts of being in a real world video store was that you could pick the tape up an turn it over and read about it.

KillDozer: Will your film be released into theaters in America? How would one go about setting up a screening here? I only ask because the horror community is really good about finding independent theaters and setting up screenings and I'm not sure what your distribution looks like.

Craig: I love the horror community and can't wait to show them. I have no idea how I am going to distribute the film. I'm going to start entering festivals in a few months and then I will see what the world thinks of it. Maybe it's rubbish and the only way you'll see it is on a weird VOD site. Hopefully it's the kind of film that gets picked up by a big studio who takes it and exploits it for all it's worth, then it might be in cinemas, which would be awesome.

KillDozer: What was it like to raise funding for your film?

Craig: About a quarter was cash (mostly my life savings and another investor) the other three quarters involved me convincing cast and crew to work for deferred payment. Luck I have a lot of talented friends. It also meant that everyone was very passionate and had a vested interested in the film doing well. It was a real community atmosphere.


KillDozer: Soundtracks have always been popular with horror/film nerds. What can we expect in terms of music in your film?

Craig: Imagine getting dragged along to a Christmas eve service and having to listen to people sing carols in a large cathedral. Now imagine the floor rumbling and everything slowing down and members of the choir being replaced by cenobites who continue singing, but the singing makes your ears bleed and your insides liquefy. A bit like that.


KillDozer: A lot has been said lately about the lack of control directors have over trailers for their films. Will you be editing your own?

Craig: I already made my trailer, before I started the film, I used clips from other movies to show people what I wanted to make. Then when I shot my movie, the first thing I did was take out the famous movie clips (The Family Stone, Home Alone, Friday the 13th, House By The Cemetery, Eraserhead) and put my own clips. 

I do think there is a value in letting the professionals cut a trailer for you, just to see what sells and how to tell a "trailer story", which pushes the "big thing" in your film. I guess it would suck if they turned my movie into something that looked like it was from the wrong genre or tried to get the wrong audience. But being my first film I don't have the same worries as Simon Pegg.


KillDozer: Just some fun questions - what is your favorite movie collectible?

Craig: Dee gave me a signed ET, which was pretty cool. But I also got Bill Richmond, a guy who wrote for Jerry Lewis, to sign a VHS of Smorgasboard, I kind of love that weirdness.

KillDozer: Top 5 favorite VHS covers?

Craig: R.O.T.O.R. with a cardboard pop out figure on the front

Fright Night 2 Coffin Box
The Video Dead with Hologram TV Image

Driller Killer with drill into head
Boarding House great art

KillDozer: What directors stand out the most to you at the moment?

Craig: Yorgos Lanthimos, Quentin Dupieux, Joshua Oppenheimer, James Wan, Alfonso Cuaron, Harmony Korine

KillDozer: What's the last film you watched in a theatre?

Craig: The Big Short and I loved it.

KillDozer: Who is on your must meet "bucket list"?

Craig: Tom Cruise (Actor)
Martin Bryant (Spree Killer)
Alex Jones (Broadcaster)
Diane Keaton (Actor)
Rosemary West (Serial Rapist/Murderer)
Roosh V (Blogger)

Red Christmas is scheduled to play at this year's Sydney Film Festival in a couple of days, and you can find Craig Anderson's Instagram here.

-KillDozer

Screenings in the Bay (Friday to Sunday), Doc Fest, and New VOD Releases

Happy Friday everyone! This is a strangely light weekend for horror screenings, but there is still a lot going on. A couple of the Landmark theatres have some interesting movies playing, and the San Francisco Documentary Fest has officially begun. I picked out a couple of highlights for this weekend. And The Impostor has a highlights from the VOD titles that are being released today as well. 

This weekend is also the San Jose Super Toy Show, with special guests Alex Vincent (Child's Play) and David Naughton (An American Werewolf in London). Get there early, get some autographs and action figures, and be back in the city for some movies. Sounds like a plan!

Landmark Opera Plaza

&

Landmark Shattuck

The Fallen Idol (1948)

Playing all weekend 

Drama/ Film Noir/ Mystery (IMDB)

"A butler working in a foreign embassy in London falls under suspicion when his wife accidentally falls to her death, the only witness being an impressionable young boy."

Also Playing at the Shattuck Theatre

Landmark Clay

Midnight Madness

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

Friday 3rd @ 11:55pm (1hr 58 min)

Saturday 4th @ 11:55pm

Fantasy/ Science Fiction (Google)

"A princess learns the truth about a toxic forest and battles an evil ruler's plans to destroy it."

Doc Fest

Roxie Theatre

South Bureau Homicide (2016)

Saturday 4th @ 915pm (1hr 18min)

Documentary/ Biography/ Crime (IMDB)

"South Bureau Homicide, set in South Los Angeles, explores the unsung bond created by the homicide detectives of LAPD and the local community's anti-violent-crime activists who together investigate and cope with the persistent menace of homicidal violence that plagues a disproportionately small part of LA."

The Future of Work and Death (2015)

Sunday 5th @ 9:16pm (1hr 28min)

Documentary (IMDB)

"The film focuses on how future technology could significantly change the two 'inevitable' features of the human experience; punching the clock and fading away. It explores how advanced automation, AI and technological singularity could be achievable in the next 30 years. How job obsolescence and technological unemployment could consequently occur and how digital immortality may not be a thing of science fiction. But what are the socio-political repercussions of these innovations and are we ready for them? Does working less mean living more and is ending ageing incumbent on us? - 17 international scientists, engineers and academics all come together to share their thoughts on whether or not these future advancements will advance us"

Great Star Theatre

Rocky Horror Saved My Life (2016)

Friday 3rd @ 8pm (1hr 50min)

Documentary (IMDB)

"A documentary about fans of The Rocky Horror picture show. This documentary shows you why some people started getting into this cult movie, why they stayed involved and how it changes their lives."

VOD Releases

Fender Bender (2016)

Horror/ Thriller (IMDB)

"In a small New Mexico town, a 17-year-old high school girl who just got her driver's license gets into her first fender bender, innocently exchanging her personal information with an apologetic stranger. Later that stormy night, she is joined in her desolate suburban home by a couple of her school friends who try their best to make a night out of it, only to be visited by the stranger she so willingly handed all of her information to -- a terrifying and bizarre serial killer who stalks the country's endless miles of roads and streets with his old rusty car, hungrily searching for his next unsuspecting victim."

Girl in the Woods (2016)

Drama/ Horror/ Thriller (IMDB)

"After a tragic accident Grace is lost and alone in the Smoky Mountains. Grace's struggle for survival is made more complicated by her troubled past. Battling the demons in her mind may be the only way to come out alive."

-Huntress

The Overlook Theatre Reviews: Morbid

2 of 6 viewers "Liked" "Morbid" (USA, 2013)

Here's what the creatures had to say:

Lord Battle - "Ask any creature that has visited the Overlook before and they will tell you, Lord Battle is no novice when it comes to micro budget, regional, or indie horror movies. So when I say I didn't love Morbid it's for specific reasons and not just because the film is poorly lit, staring friends and family of the director, or ineptly written. My problem with Morbid is it's too self aware; I prefer my low budget horror to be an honest attempt at making something amazing, not a compromise based on what's available to the film maker. Morbid did play quite well to a crowd of 5+ people, though the longer scenes could drain the energy of a 5 year old on a sugar high." - 3.5 Stars

Dabbles - "Um... I wish I could have fallen asleep during this one but it was too irritating to not be watched. It's like having someone poke the back of your head every second, just to make a very BRO-ligerent joke or 2. Yes, I fused the words bro and belligerent and it does sum up most of the movie on 2 levels. Sure this movie had its moments, and by moments I mean where you are watching and saying to yourself "Yup... I'm actually watching this... wait wtf really?!?!?!!" moments. You know how you regret drinking the morning after you blacked out? Yeah that's how I felt while writing this review." - 1 Stars

Creature of the ComiCombs - "With micro budget films you never know what you're in for. I can't say this was the worst I've seen but it definitely was not the best. The kills were enjoyable enough to watch but a thin plot and long scenes full of boring dialogue lost my attention. So many wacky things happened in this film for no apparent reason, and that ending, oh my goodness that wtf why is this happening?! ending. If you find yourself watching this, make sure you do it with a group of friends." - 2.5 Stars

Huntress - "Moments into the first scene, it's already obvious that Morbid is not for everyone. It feels homemade, the acting is rough, and the first kill is a little awkward, somehow boardering on romantic at one point. But weirdly enough, I only have fond memories of watching this no budget slasher. So I would say watching it in a group is a must, or you'll find yourself questioning a lot of your choices in life." - 3 Stars

KillDozer - "The film has amazing poster art work that reminds you of old school VHS rental stores. I say this because just like a lot of the rentals themselves the artwork was quite often better then the actual film or included a scene never even in the film at all. I always give credit where credit is due, especially when it comes to micro budget. The facts are simple: this film was made, it took time and effort, people worked on it, and for that they have my respect. The other facts are this: the editing, pacing, and acting are awful. The practical effect are fun in a few spots but focused on for long periods of time, I can only assume due to the film makers being extremely proud of their work. I also felt that the writing had a lot of inside jokes or you "had to be there" humor. This is a perfect movie to put on with a group who is ready to riff out loud." - 2 stars (Not collection worthy but a fun watch with a group of MST3K friends!)

The Overlook Theatre Final Rating*

(Below is for after you've seen the film)

The creation of a slasher is an intricate process that requires several elements to simultaneously work as a narrative and be refreshing. Morbid seems to ignore this tradition. The Masked killer really gets no story time at all and is instead used as a plot device to further the social commentary aspect of the script. Not something you’d normally expect from a fanboyish film, especially one that shows the filmmaker flexing his horror nerd knowledge so blatantly in the beginning (read the Black Christmas/Halloween story here).

The thing is slashers are created 80% by the writer (backstory, weapon of choice, mask, death, weakness, etc…) but the other 20% is what the audience makes of it (Jason hating windows ala The Final Chapter or the broader idea that slashers teleport ala Jason Lives). So as a fan of slashers and micro budget film I’d like to offer up some ideas on possible character traits of our Killer in Morbid.

• The killer may have been a victim of BDSM gone wrong and his death is a mystery but it definitely involved his artificial manhood revealed at the climax (no pun intended). The result is he now haunts the land with a large black cod piece he uses to kill survivor girls and other special combatants.

• He may be related to the white rapper that appeared on TV. This is a long shot but why else would that rap had been featured? It's definitely a clue.

• The slasher is a member of the LGBT community. The opening sequence featured a gender reversal that staged a male in the shower at the worst time. I honestly think this was a conscious attempt to play with the masculine trope that Hitchcock made famous. The next victim, however, is very suggestively slaughtered, with the slasher standing over him in a very obvious sign of domination. But it's the playfulness of the knife tease that makes me think he chose this guy because they were “out of the closet” and it's something that he could never come to terms with, thus the need of a mask.

If you have your own theories please share them, I'd love to discuss where this character belongs in the slasher landscape! And checkout KillDozer's interview with Morbid's Chuck Conry,(Director/Writer/Editor/FX artist).

-Lord Battle

The Overlook Theatre Materialized in a residence for Double Feature Thursday on 4/28/2016

*Based on the star ratings turned in by character reviewers, others viewed and got to "Dislike" or "Like" but that does not effect the rating.

Treasures of the ComiCombs: Predator: Life and Death, Strange Attractors, Moon Night

Last month ended with some great releases but we see a bit of a decline to start off June. This week is big for fans of hero books but if you're not, don’t worry, I have you covered with some pretty cool books to check out. I also have two new books that we’ll get to know this week before they go to head so read on to see what’s in store! 

Predator: Life and Death #4 of 4 (Dark Horse)

A few months ago I recommended this series and today we get the final issue in the Life and Death arc. If you’re a fan of the Alien VS Predator Universe pick this one up!

“The battle between the Colonial Marines and the Predators opens on two fronts as the humans attempt to split the enemy's force and take possession of the mysterious horseshoe-shaped alien spaceship! Getting their hands on the alien technology will be a huge victory for the humans . . . or will it?”

Strange Attractors #1 (Boom!)

In 2013, Strange Attractors by writer Charles Soule was released as a graphic Novel. Boom! Studios is now releasing it in a limited monthly format with new content in each issue. This is a pretty cool story and worth checking out! 

“Dr. Brownfield believes that a series of cataclysmic events are coming to New York City, and someone has to keep the city safe after he's gone. Enter Heller Wilson, a brilliant mathematics student, who discovers that his ailing, perhaps insane, mentor has been saving New York City from societal collapse by a series of 'adjustments,' a la the Butterfly Effect. But now, all signs point toward an impending disaster. Can Wilson take what little he's learned and save the city in time?”

Moon Knight #3 (Marvel)

It’s rare to find a book from Marvel that I would recommend on this list; Moon Knight is one of those rarities. If you have never read a Moon Knight book, there’s no reason to hesitate checking this out. I definitely recommend starting at issue #1 of Jeff Lemire's current run on the series. Lemire is doing a great job writing this so far, he will have you questioning what is real and whether or not Marc Spector aka Moon Knight is experiencing everything or if he’s just insane. 

“Marc Spector has escaped into the subway tunnels below the mental hospital. MOON KNIGHT has escaped into the tombs beneath the prison where he had been trapped by SETH, god of violence and disorder. Are all the timelines true, or none of them? Either way, there are monsters and mummies to punch, and a man in a white mask ready to do it.”

------------------------

A while back I reviewed a book called Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service by Eiji Otsuka and enjoyed it enough to make it my pick. This week I have another book by Otsuka, something quite a bit different, from earlier in his career called MPD Psycho Vol.1 (MPD is shortened for Multiple Personality Detective). This is a detective fiction/psychological horror book and I’m really excited to see something different from Otsuka.

The book I will be reviewing against MPD Psycho Vol.1 is from Kazuo Umezu, The Drifting Classroom Vol.1, which is an award winning Manga first published in 1972. Umezu is often spoken of as a master of Horror Manga and a Pioneer of the genre. This book sounds like it’s going to be an awesome read as does MPD Psycho.

MPD Psycho Vol.1

“Police detective Kobayashi Yousuke's life is changed forever after a serial killer notices something "special" about him. That same killer mutilates Kobayashi's wife and kick-starts a "multiple personality battle" within Kobayashi that pushes him into a complex tempest of interconnected deviants and evil forces. Earning praise for its consistently shocking plotlines and Tajima's clean, arresting art style.”

The Drifting Classroom Vol.1

“In the aftermath of a strange earthquake, an entire elementary school vanishes, leaving nothing but a hole in the ground. While parents mourn and authorities investigate, the students and teachers find themselves somewhere far away...somewhere cold and dark... a lifeless, nightmarish wasteland in which their school stands like a lone fortress. As panic turns to terror, as the rules start to fall apart, a sixth-grade boy named Sho and his friends must fight to survive in an alien world...”

I’m really excited to read both of these books. Will Eiji Otsuka have two picks this year or will the master of Horror Manga, Kazuo Umeza come out on top? Come back here next week to find out! Make sure to pick up something awesome from your local comic shop and don’t be afraid to share!

-Creature of the ComiCombs