"HALLOWEEN 3" in 3-D for August 2010

THEY ARE NOT LETTING "HALLOWEEN" Die.  More remakes and more sequels,   HALLOWEEN 3 in 3-D, due out August 2010.  Rob Zombie did his justice with his HALLOWEEN 1 AND 2 REMAKES, why can't they just let the franchise - Michael Myers go to sleep.  Is all about money, making more miserable sequels and remakes for our hurting eyes.   HALLOWEEN 3 in 3-D, tired.  Michael Myers died in Rob Zombie's  Halloween 2, leaving the sister cuckoo, smiling and staring at the camera via an asylum.  Is the sister the new Michael Myers? or are they going to resurrect Michael Myers again? What the... Fuck! And Rob Zombie is not helming HALLOWEEN 3, he is remaking THE BLOB.  ANOTHER "HALLOWEEN"... TIRED...

THE FINAL DESTINATION 3-D - REVIEW

THE FINAL DESTINATION 3-D Starring Bobby Campo and Shantel VanSanten

Directed By David R. Ellis  Rated R for gory, horrifying effects.  Running Time: 82 minutes

All hell breaks loose when Nick (Bobby Campo) has a scary premonition - himself, girlfriend Lori (Shantel VanSanten), two friends (Nick Zano and Haley Webb) and many others die in a ghastly racing car speedway stadium accident. Nick wakes up from the premonition to find himself and friends abruptly escaping "the about to happen" disastrous event.  Nick struggles to find ways to stop death from coming after him and his friends, but death seeks after them in gory details. 

The film repeats itself using the same objects (cars, cranes, fire) from the last two predecessors (Final Destination 2 and 3), but with new inventive gory detailed deaths, some very explicit a la LUCIO FULCI.  The opening and ending credits is visually stunning.  The acting was cute, a little flat, but cute, the whole film was in some ways repetitive going from A to B and back to A.  The film didnt show human emotions (Final Destination Screenwriters take note) - people are dying left and right in tragic ways, blood and gore in front of you, and the characters dont yelp, cry or scream, or even run, they stand there like metallic robots and the next day they about their business like nothing tragic ever happened.  WHERE ARE THE EMOTIONS?, just flat out script characters.  Come on lets put emotions in horror film characters.

THE FINAL DESTINATION was a cute, little fun 3-D joyride with the whole gore effects in your face gimmick, better than that piece of shit remake that came out early this year MY BLOODY VALENTINE, and better than the past two predecessors (FINAL DESTINATION 2 and 3).  But again, why do we need another installment, and this one ends for yet another sequel.  TWO STARS OUT OF FOUR.

JENNIFER'S BODY OPENS THIS FRIDAY

David V G Davies and James A Kirkby - Filmmakers Interview

I havent seen or review the nasty, ferocious horror film from the UK ANIMAL SOUP because is not yet available in the USA for purchase, but I got a chance to interview the two exceptional ANIMAL SOUP Filmmakers David V G Davies and James A Kirkby. A while back I picked up an issue of RUE-MORGUE, as I was scanning through the pages I saw a write up on ANIMAL SOUP, a very inspiring write up about the making of this film - from the hardships to the bloody make-up effects featuring real butcher shop animal innards. After reading this write up I was very inspired to make a horror feature in the future (which hopefully I will) and to talk to these wonderful guys, and all it took was one email asking them if I can interview them for EYEPUS, which I was so afraid they were going to turn me down, pleasantly and politely these sweet gentlemen gave us a wonderful interview…

Can you guys introduce yourself to us at EYEPUS, and tell us who is who in in your company FILMMA, and how you guys became film partners?

FilmMA produced Animal Soup with myself, David V G Davies, as Director of Photography and Editor and James A Kirkby as Writer, Director and cast. Lee O'Neill, a FilmMA regular, also aided in the production as Assistant Editor and Camera as well as taking on a cast position. We joined forces due to a lack of help from the industry and a joint interest in guerrilla film making.

What made you guys built FILMMA and what is FILMMA all about?

I set up FilmMA after having no luck getting into the film industry as here in the UK it seems to be a case of who you know rather than what you know. Even with my experience people would say 'who the hell are you' so I realised I was anonymous in the eyes of the industry, so Film Makers Anonymous was set up as a platform for like minded aspiring filmmakers to join forces and gain a cast and crew in order to get their films made.

How you guys got into the horror genre?

With the current boom in horror cinema we were both fed up with the constant remakes being churned out and so we both began writing horror scripts unbeknown of each others work but it was James who completed a script and approached me for help first. We were lucky enough to meet some Horror celebrities at film festivals and the project instantly gained interest via the social networking sites, myspace and facebook.

Which horror films inspired you guys to get into horror films?

James and I have always been fans of horror, James is a fan of the early exploitation films while I lean more towards foreign film and the slasher films of the 80s.

Who is your all time favorite horror filmmakers?

David V G Davies: Im a huge fan of writer directors David Cronenberg and John Carpenter and love the more recent work of Takashi Miike and Eli Roth.

James A Kirkby: Jim Van Bebber and Tobe Hooper

Can you tell us about your horror, controversial ANIMAL SOUP?

James A Kirkby: Animal soup was born out of a passion to shock people with horrible visions while counteracting them with the lovely landscape around where I grew up.

How many days did it took to make ANIMAL SOUP?

James A Kirkby: The actual shoot was 6 weeks but due to all the problems we had, those 6 weeks were spread over almost 2 years starting in the September of 2006 and ending in the May of 2008.

Was it hard to edit ANIMAL SOUP?

David V G Davies: I love to edit and was thrilled to tackle my biggest project to date. Having 45 hours of footage and needing to chop it down to 90 minutes seemed to happen very quickly. Where i struggled was getting color correction and seemless cuts due to the difference in time of year in which we filmed, i also encountered further continuity problems. After screening the film and getting feedback, a second edit was underway which with Lee's help became a stronger film.

Any hardships in the process of making your horror opus - ANIMAL SOUP?

James A Kirkby: We were inundated with problems from early on in the production. The first problem we had was our two lead cast members Mike and John left the production after only 5 days shooting, they let us keep the footage but we had the problem of where the film goes from here, we only had the climax and no lead up, so we re-wrote the script introducing 2 new characters Mia and Teri we were afraid the film would look odd having this change but hoped the writing would save us. Then Terri left before all the narrative structure was filmed so again we only had climaxes. Lee stepped in as a new character and Dave body doubled for Teri in the hope to save the film.

David V G Davies: What we were left with was an 83 minute film that dragged at the beginning due to lack of narrative. After screening the film, having some reviews and selling a few pre-release copies I decided a new edit was needed, I cut the film down to 67 minutes and found we had a winner.

What was the estimate budget for ANIMAL SOUP?

From experience I had discovered that people are very reluctant to fund a first feature made by unknowns that would most likely get banned due to its graphic nature so we decided to fund the film ourselves, James fronted the money during production while I took hold of the costs of post and publicizing. At the end of the project the entire cost of the film was less than £3,000.

Which cameras were used for the film?

I used a Sony VX1000e it is a little old now but is a great pleasure to use.

Was it hard getting music clearances and music artists for your film?

We were very lucky with music as we both scored some ourselves but we were inundated with offers from bands wanting to let us use their music free of charge, some great bands helped.

Can you tell me why ANIMAL SOUP is not been distributed n the UK/and who is distributing the film?

In the UK our censorship system is constantly under scrutiny, we wanted the film to be seen in its entirety, we made it that way for a reason and thats what we want the viewer to see. We are both very much against censorship and therefore scour to find the definitive versions of our favorite films. Animal Soup was made to shock and some of the scenes were described as too graphic for an 18 certificate (R) we are in the process of resubmitting for an R18 the only problem with that is we would only be allowed to sell the film in licensed sex shops and immediately reduce our audience.

Any sequels for ANIMAL SOUP?

Both James and I would love to go back to the world of Animal Soup and already have a script for a sequel and a prequel, we have also thought about making 6 shorts to continue the saga.

Can you tell me a short premise of your upcoming opus THE MONITOR?

While James and I were coming up with ideas for Animal Soup: Cold Harbour (a prequel) I loved the idea of setting a horror in a hospital, Lee and I then set to work on Monitor. Monitor is set in a rehabilitation institute where the staff have created their own sinister ways of coping with stress (more info on monitor will appear on FilmMA.com).

Aside from THE MONITOR, any other future film projects?

Animal Soup 2 and Animal Soup Cold Harbour are still on the cards as is a possible companion piece to monitor. Two films set around the 2012 olympics have been written and are awaiting funding in the meantime FilmMA is also helping with the production of Celebrity Shitlist a black comedy horror.

What advice can you give to indie/struggling horror filmmakers trying to make their first film?

Ten Top Tips for Making An Independent Horror (UK GOREZONE MAG) By David V G Davies:

1. If you don't ask you don't get?

I emailed Lloyd Kaufman and when he was in London at a convention he agreed to appear in our film. There are some people out there who do support independent filmmaking so don't be afraid to spend time surfing the internet.

2. Dont try to be too elaborate.

Often the simplest idea works just as well and remember write something you can actually film.

3. Recruit people with the same passion for the project as yourself.

It's no good having people who aren't interested. On Animal Soup our two lead actresses" enthusiasm encouraged us and made the production a more enjoyable experience.

4. It doesnt have to cost a fortune.

Other than providing to your cast and crew keep costs down by 'making do'. Make a few sacrifices but keep receipts, if the film makes a profit, recoup your costs first.

5. Be prepared to multi-task,

You do not need a huge crew, Animal Soup is being made with a crew of two, each of us doing up to 19 different roles each.

6. You can never have enough gore.

Although the human body has on average 7 pints of blood, use more it looks great.

7. Lighting

You can achieve so much with lighting, to invoke a sick feeling in the audience use green light bulbs, you can hide the edges on special effects with shadows. However, always remember to set up your camera each time you change the lighting.

8. Exploit your family and friends,

Use their houses, their garages, get friends to carry equipment, if possible get them to be cast and crew. If someone has a talent write it into the script.

9. Self Promotion

Until I set up a web page and a profile no one knew about our film, now we have been in touch with people that are highly respected within horror, we have gained a fan base and have even film festivals approach us.

10. It is possible

Most home computers have a basic editing package installed and if you have a camera, all you need is a cast, a location and a script. Get it made and get it out there.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON FILMMAKERS DAVID V G DAVIES and JAMES A. KIRKBY Filmworks contact them at:

www.FILMMA.COM and www.myspace.com/animalsoupfilm

ANIMAL SOUP - Controversial Film

For two years the controversial horror/gorefest ANIMAL SOUP has been causing quite a buzz from the pages of RUE-MORGUE magazine to the MYSPACE page. This horror/gore/splatterfest was made on a 3,000 budget from two amazing UK indie filmmakers James A Kirkby and David VG Davies. This weekend I will be interviewing both filmmakers here at EYEPUS. In the meantime check out their ferocious trailer and visit their website www.FILMMA.COM

Rob Zombie Remaking THE BLOB

Rob Zombie next film project is the remake of the 1956 sci-fi classic THE BLOB starring Steve McQueen. In 1988, Filmmaker Chuck Russell directed a great bloody remake of THE BLOB with Kevin Dillon and Shawnee Smith. Rob Zombie will be taking down this remake with a $30 million budget. Gosh! More remakes, WHY? I guess there is no more original brains to make original stuff. According to VARIETY, Rob Zombie said, "My intention is not to have a big red blobby thing -- that's the first thing I want to change," "That gigantic Jello-looking thing might have been scary to audiences in the 1950s, but people would laugh now." The film goes into production Spring 2010.

BOX OFFICE HORRORS OF THE WEEK

Box Office Top horror and number #1 film is FINAL DESTINATION 4 making $27,408,309

The number #2 Box office film of the week the now legendary Quentin Tarantino's INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS making $19,303,653 over the weekend, with a total gross of $73,022,841

And number #3, ROB ZOMBIE HALLOWEEN 2, with $16,349,565

HALLOWEEN 2 - REVIEW

HALLOWEEN 2 Starring Scout Taylor-Compton, Brad Dourif

Written and Directed by Rob Zombie Running Time 92 minutes. Rated R

Laurie Strode (Scout Taylor-Compton) is taken to the hospital after a one night bloody battle with her brother Michael Myers (Tyler Mane). Meanwhile, Michael Myers is supposedly dead in the back of the van with two cops in front who are making foolish jokes. As they drive, they hit a cow, one cop ends up dead, the other at his demise, gets killed by an awaken Michael Myers. Michael Myers sees the light at the end of the road - a hallucination of Mommy Myers (Sheri Moon Zombie) with a white horse. Back at the hospital Laurie Strode is getting fixed and cleaned (extreme close-ups of open wounds, a broken nail getting pulled out from Laurie) by doctors. Laurie wakes up to another night of horrors when Michael Myers shows up killing everybody in the hospital looking for her - because, his mommy told him so. Laurie with one bad leg and bad arm runs, skips, jumps, she does what she can do best to run from her brother... One year later Laurie now lives with Sheriff Lee Bracket (Brad Douriff) and his daughter Annie (Danielle Harris). Laurie is an all new girl from clean cut sweet girl to gothic, death metal chica. And so begins Laurie going through psychological emotions, bad dreams and Mommy showing up in hallucinations. Her brother Michael who has been in hibernation for a year, decides to come out from the woods to find Laurie. Michael starts his bloody mayhem again (in one sequence eating the insides of a dog).

Hallucinations, dream sequences, nightmares, a white horse???? Was Rob Zombie trying to make one of his music videos. A WHITE HORSE??? I dont understand. I love his past works HOUSE OF A 1,000 CORPSES, THE DEVILS REJECTS and HALLOWEEN but HALLOWEEN 2 was tired. What happened here? It felt like a rush job. Aside from the shady storyline, I admit the film had some fine performances, great cinematography, great special horror effects and great sounds. I do give Rob Zombie praise for bringing some past legendary people to make appearances in Halloween 2 - Margot Kidder, Caroline Williams and Brad Dourif when many shady filmmakers forgot who they are. Rob Zombie gave them jobs and that is a plus... HALLOWEEN gets TWO STARS OUT OF FOUR STARS.

FREDDY KRUEGER

This a sneak peak photo from New Line and FANGORIA of Jackie Earle Haley as the new FREDDY KRUEGER. If you look at this photo Jackie is a shorter Freddy Krueger compare to Robert Englund's (The original Freddy Krueger) tall height. Jackie does look very menacing in this picture, and I still think he will bring a motherfucking bad ass Freddy Krueger. Again - Lets hope the re-imagination of A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (COMING APRIL 2010) is a great remake. If not i will smack the shit out of the filmmaker and producers - literally.

GRACE - REVIEW

"GRACE" Starring Jordan Ladd Written/Directed By Paul Solet

Rated R Running Time 84 minutes

"GRACE" - People have been buzzing about this film for a while saying - how good it is, how gruesome and bizarre, Is like ROSEMARY'S BABY, Okay, Whatever. Im thinking is the next IT'S ALIVE (1974) or some new cinematic classic terror to chill my blood, all you saw in the film was a rubber baby doll for the prop and a real actor baby with some red food coloring smeared all over his face (like it was done in purposely)... Madeline (Jordan Ladd) is eight months pregnant, she is vegan. She watches animal killing videos. She wants to see a midwife named Patricia (Samantha Ferris) to deliver her baby, but her mother-in-law (Gabrielle Rose) opposes. In a car accident with her husband Michael (Michael Matheson), Madeline's baby is dead inside her, but she is determined to deliver the baby. She goes to Patricia's house, Patricia and friends deliver the dead baby. And by some miracle the baby comes back to life. Patricia is clueless on how the baby is alive. Madeline secludes herself at home with baby Grace. And we start seeing flies buzzing around the reanimated baby. Madeline nurses her baby from milk, but the baby starts to drink more than milk - BLOOD, making the mother anemic. Madeline goes all out for baby Grace, by going to the supermarket and getting red bloody meat so she could feed her baby. Once Grace drinks dead animal blood, her body cant resist it, she wants human blood. And that's where the whole mayhem begins.

The film had lesbian repression - Madeline was an ex-lesbian/lover to the mid-wife Patricia (Samantha Ferris) and the storyline (plot hole) doesnt go into details about their past relationship, showing only Patricia as an obsessed lesbian (SHAME - ON DIRECTOR/WRITER PAUL SOLET for not developing the lesbianism further, another celluloid closet case). The acting was not the best. The film was a simple narrative story with plot holes with a dead baby, with some blood and gore splatter. And whatever... ONE Star out of FOUR.

Artist FERNANDO CARPANEDA - INTERVIEW

EYEPUS brings you here an exclusive interview with Artist/Painter/Sculpturist FERNANDO CARPANEDA. Fernando has done some mind-blowing and Provocative works since 1980. His works take us to an underground carnal world of sexuality and cadaverous horrors.

EYEPUS: So, Fernando tell me about yourself and your works?

FERNANDO CARPANEDA: I am Fernando Carpaneda, an artist born in Brasília, Brazil. I work with clay sculptures. My main theme is always the human being. I make portraits of rent boys, punks, goths, junkies, thieves and outcasts. All my portraits are like a relic, a holy place, a moment caught in time. My connection to the art work is important to any creative process. I believe that the artist is a piece of art itself. I have been going to places where the portrayed people use to go for over 25 years - like bars, concerts, cemeteries and places where people sell their bodies. Remembrances are part of my work. Every little thing is part of me: my lovers, my disappointments, my experiences with drugs, my life in the streets, and so forth. I depend on all of this to create art, I do not exist without these people.

EYEPUS: How long have you been doing sculptures and paintings?

FC: Since 1980

EYEPUS: When and how did you become interested in art?

FC: Well, I started to do paintings when I was a kid and I did my first art show in Brasilia, Brazil`s Capital when I was 13 years old. I always liked to do portraits of people and figurative stuff.

EYEPUS: Can you tell me all about your "GOTH" sculptures?

FC: The Gothic culture always interested me and I was into the Gothic movement in the 80s. I always love Siouxie and The Banshees and several related bands with the Gothic movement. Until now the Gothic culture has the biggest influence in my works. In the'80s I began to make sculptures in real life size, showing mutilated bodies and body parts. Those works were usually painted in black and reminded me of burned bodies.


EYEPUS: What was your inspiration in making the "GOTH" sculptures, especially CEMETERY OF THE LIVING DEAD, DIVAS, AND JACK?

FC: The first Gothic sculptures I made were Gothic portraits of my Goth friends. The "Jack" or "Jackolanterne" is one of my favorite sculptures because "he is forced to wander the mortal world for eternity" also he is a Halloween icon. The "Cemetery of the Living Dead" sculpture was based on the Italian film "Cemetery of the Living Dead" from 1965 by director Massimo Pupillo and is a classic movie. The "Divas" sculpture I did in honor of selfish people and people who believe that beauty is everything.

EYEPUS: What artists inspired you?

FC: Ron Mueck, Francis Bacon, Caravaggio, John John Jesse, Naoto Hatori, Slava Mogutin and Lucien Freud.

EYEPUS: How long is the procedure in making your sculptures?

FC: Around 30 days in each sculpture.

EYEPUS: Any favorite horror movies?

FC: Yep, I have lots of favorite horror movies: Nosferatu (1928), Dead Alive (1992), Evil Dead (1981), Return of the Living Dead (1985), Interview with the Vampire (1994), Friday the 13th (1980), Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897), Halloween(1978), Night of the Living Dead (1968), etc...

EYEPUS: Who are your favorite horror filmmakers?

FC: John Carpenter, James Cameron, Sam Raimi, Wes Craven.

EYEPUS: Did any horror films inspire you for some of your works?

FC: Yes, I always get inspired when I watch vampire movies. And I like to create horror sculptures listening to the Goth band Bauhaus. I also really like "Return of the Living Dead" movie cause the punk guys in the cemetery are hot. That movie is a big turn on and inspiring.

EYEPUS: How does horror and sexuality blend into your artwork?

FC: When I was Goth in the 80`s I used to go to the cemeteries in my city to drink red wine and have sex. The old cemeteries was a big inspiration to create my horror sculptures. Sex and horror are always intertwined.

EYEPUS: I saw your whole website, I think your works is more than amazing, I must say is a "SCANDAL" with all the nudity and eroticism (And I love it), do you have problems in getting your work out there because of the content matter?

FC: Sometimes I have problens to show my works, especially in Brazil. Most Brazilian gallery owners and curators are homophobic and are declaredly afraid of naked men and underground art. On the US and UK I never had problems with that.

EYEPUS: Do curators and many other people consider your work controversial?

FC: Yes, most of the curators and regular people consider my works controversial.

EYEPUS: With the shady economy we are all living in, do you think artists are having a bad time in the art world?

FC: Yes of course. The economy is affecting the art world.

EYEPUS: What advice and sweet encouragement do you have for other artists such as yourself out there?

FC: Is not easy to be an artist. Because if you are a real artist the art are deep in your soul and you never give up. But is better to be a real artist than go to the Army to kill people, or be a Cop to take control over peoples lives or kiss the curators asses to get famous. Im happy in the underground and I don`t care about the art world.

EYEPUS: Do you have any new projects in the horizons? Any new horror sculptures and paintings for the future?

FC: I'm working on new sculptures for a future art show and writing my second book about my works.

VISIT WWW.FERNANDOCARPANEDA.COM For more of his great artworks

DISTRICT 9 - REVIEW

DISTRICT 9 Directed by Neill Blomkamp. Produced by Peter Jackson

Running Time: 1 hour and 52 minutes. Rated R

Watching DISTRICT 9 was like reading a daily dose of controversial ALEX JONES websites PRISON PLANET and INFOWARS which speaks about Martial Law, FEMA Concentration Camps, New World Order, etc., but with Aliens. An alien spacecraft hovers over the skies of Johannesburg, South Africa for three months without contact with the humans. The military take their initiative to fly towards the ship and break in. They discover creatures that look like a cross between grasshoppers and roaches. The government sets a concentration camp (A sort of Alien FEMA CAMP) on earth right below their spacecraft for these creatures, so the human population could be safe. The camp is called DISTRICT 9, this is where all the creatures reside in. The humans call these creatures - PRAWNS. District 9 becomes a slum due to overcrowding. The PRAWNS start rioting in Johannesburg because of their horrible living conditions.

An arrogant, sort of comical, selfish man named Wikus (Sharlto Copley) who works at Multi-National United (MNU) has been given the assignment of moving (evicting) the aliens to District 10 which is over a hundred miles away from Johannesburg. Wikus and the military head to District 9 to evict the PRAWNS out of their homes. When Wikus is searching in one of the PRAWN'S homes, he discovers a vial that contains a black liquid, when he opens the vial, the liquid sprays on his face. Wikus puts the vial in his pant pocket for lab testing. A few hours later Wikus slowly mutates into a half-claw arm PRAWN and half-human. MNU learns of Wakus transformation, they capture and start to experiment on him. Wakus escapes from MNU experiment room and becomes a fugitive, where he is the most wanted man by the Military. He tries to hide in the one place he knows he'll be safe, District 9. Wikus ends up in the rundown shack where he found the vial. A PRAWN named Christopher Johnson and his son lives in the shack. Christopher sees that Wikus is transforming into a PRAWN, he realizes that Wikus had the vial all along. Christopher urgently needs this vial to start up the module that is below the shack. The module leads to the spacecraft that is hovering over Johannesburg, but in order for the module to work they need the vial (fuel for the module). Christopher wants to take the spacecraft to his home planet. Wikus and Christopher with some stolen alien weapons from the local evil Nigerian Gang, they go after the vial that is inside MNU building, they both start to terrorize the building, leading an action pack, unforgettable, adventurous, hell of a journey from the MNU building to District 9 - A climatic, superb ending.

The film was directed by Neill Blomkamp and produced by Peter Jackson. Based on a short film "ALIVE IN JOBURG" that Neil Blomkamp directed. The film was made on a 30 million dollar budget, and over the weekend made back the money, making 37 million in domestic (USA) Box Office. Lots of blood, ooze, slime, gore, violence, kick ass action. An intelligent storyline, and dazzling CGI make this film a classic summer treat. Can't wait for the sequel. FOUR STARS OUT OF FOUR.

TRAILERS (Shown with DISTRICT 9) - ZOMBIELAND, JENNIFER'S BODY, LEGION, SURROGATES, THE FOURTH KIND

ALIEN - PREQUEL ANNOUNCEMENT

REMAKES, SEQUELS AND PREQUELS - RIDLEY SCOTT is set to direct a prequel to his 1979 legendary film "ALIEN". This announcement of Ridley Scott directing this prequel has been buzzin all over the net. Maybe Sigourney Weaver will be back as Ripley. More announcements on this in the future.

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET REMAKE - POSTER

This is the new A NIGHTMARE OF ELM STREET "REMAKE" poster. I hope the remake will do great justice like the original Wes Craven film. Robert Englund will no longer play Freddy Krueger, the new Freddy Krueger will be played by oscar nominated actor Jackie Earle Haley (Little Children, Wathchmen). Mr. Haley will do justice as the new Freddy Krueger, Haley was a fierce son of a bitch in Little Children and Watchmen. But lets pray that the remake storyline is not some teen sex slasher romp. May the new remake of A Nightmare On Elm Street become a classic.

TOURIST TRAP - Classic Gem

 From time to time I will review a classic horror gem from the past here at EYEPUS. And the classic review for this week is the 1979 horror yarn TOURIST TRAP, Starring Chuck Connors, Jocelyn Jones and then beautiful Tanya Roberts (the 1970's Megan Fox look alike). I was eight years old when I begged my dad to see this film at the local small town movie theater back in 79, then growing up in my pre-teen days watching it all the time on tv. TOURIST TRAP is one of my favorite horror movies of all time.

On a hot day, a group of teens get stuck on the road, in a path near the road they find their way to an almost abandoned museum with mannequins (some look life-like). They meet the owner (Chuck Connors), who seems like a sweet man at first, but a deadly psycho with telekinetic powers (sorry for the spoiler). With his powers he could make things move especially mannequins and sharp objects. He wears masks made out of plaster and blonde wigs. He plays with baby dolls. He chases after the teens, especially Molly (Jocelyn Jones) who he becomes obsessed over. He is one psycho not to be fucked with. The music by Pino Donaggio is eerie and haunting. Especially the beginning credits. The amazing cinematography - lots of close-ups of the mannequins, the psycho running in the dark woods after Molly with a dummy head in hand screaming; close-up of the victims getting slowly killed (the scarf choking scene, the plaster face scene, the axe in head, and more).

A top notch great cast turning some incredible performances. TOURIST TRAP was directed by David Schmoeller (PUPPETMASTER, CRAWLSPACE, THE SEDUCTION)  and is the best he ever done. The film was rated PG, the blood is very minimal, no gore, but the way each teen gets killed off is very horrific. The 20th Anniversary DVD is available for 5 bucks at half.com. Get the dvd before it becomes a collectible...

TOURIST TRAP a classic gem - A MUST SEE. FOUR STARS.

FRIGHT-RAGS BEST HORROR T-SHIRT COMPANY

The best and top horror t-shirt company out there is FRIGHT-RAGS. The first t-shirt I bought from FRIGHT-RAGS was the TERROR TRAIN t-shirt (one of my favorite films when I was a kid). I got many disapproving and some cool looks. I didn't give a shit, I just love to spook people. FRIGHT-RAGS was the only company to have a TERROR TRAIN t-shirt. They sell original, fierce, horror, cult classics, custom made t-shirts from GHOULIES to John Carpenter's THEY LIVE. FRIGHT-RAGS are professionals at best - the best in customer service, fast service, great deals, a great return policy, all sizes - no discrimination against the big people (big sizes for us big people). Contacting FRIGHT-RAGS for any issues or questions they are there for you - outgoing, quick and professional... Entering FRIGHT-RAGS website is an art gallery of horrors, you enter the site and you get to see original horror artworks, even if you not buying. If you are an aspiring graphic artist this website is so cool to see the art works to get inspired.

Horror Fans and non-horror fans visit www.fright-rags.com Spook people in the streets (like I do), family and friends, wear their fierce horror designs across your chest. If you sign for their newsletter you get a 10% percent off on your first order. So go visit their site and get that fierce shirt.

FRIGHT-RAGS - BEST OF THE BEST

THE COLLECTOR - Review

THE COLLECTOR 1 HOUR 25 MINUTES. DIRECTED BY MARCUS DUNSTAN.

"The Collector" stars Josh Stewart as Arkin, Michael Reilly Burke and Juan Fernandez as the sadistic Collector. In the film opener, Arkin a handyman and ex-con is working in a jewel broker's wealthy family home doing some handy work in a room. He notices there is a safety box behind a glass mirror. Arkin has shady money issues with a loan sharker, and he better come up with the money or else... Desperately, that night, Arkin breaks into the broker's family home to get to their safe box. Somebody is already inside the house with him, a dark, skinny, homicidal figure with a S/M zipper mask - The Collector. The Collector has turned the beautiful home into a sick setting of booby traps - from acid on the floor, sharp nails on the steps to a chandelier full of glued butcher knives. The tortured, screaming family is trapped inside the house with the killer violently torturing them. Arkin wants what is in the safe box, he wants to save this family, and wants to escape, but everywhere you turned the Killer has put some intelligent sadistic device...

The film starts with some amazing visuals - gray clouds, close ups of arachnids and insects. A great beginning with a techno soundtrack. The look and colors of the film - grainy and grayish, the film capture that 80's horror film look. The sound production was amazing, especially the twenty minute silent scene with Arkin walking around the house trying to find ways out of the home and the killer slowly moving around the house, and all we hear are just steps and creaks - spooky shit. The storyline is an original one, the acting was really good especially Josh Stewart and Juan Fernandez as the killer... BUT the film has its plot holes, tired ending, homophobic lines (shameful), the one cop showing without backup, and another sequel in mind...

1. The Collector somehow loves insects and arachnids... Why? (Plot Hole)

2. Homophobic Line in the film - "You Fucking FAGGOT bitch"... Why? This is getting sickening the word FAGGOT, offending many gays including myself, why the use of this word. With so many, bad nasty words in the bad word encylopedia, why did they have to use homophobic slurs. Michael Dunstan SHAME on you.

3. The one cop showing up without backup, sees the killer and still doesnt call for backup until he is almost getting killed by the killer.

4. The sadistic killer - The Collector looks like he stepped out of Quentin Tarantino's PULP FICTION (The Gimp) to do a starring role here.

5. Another sequel in mind, stupid bad ending to make a new franchise, The Collector is going to be the new Freddy Krueger, Jason, Leatherface, Jigsaw, Michael Myers, etc.,

"The Collector" gets TWO STARS. Michael Dunstan shame on you...

CREEPY KILLER KIDS IN CINEMA

"ORPHAN" was number #4 in the Weekend Box Office making $12,770,000... As a tribute to wicked little Miss Orphan Esther, below is a list of Creepy Killer Kid Films who worked our scares and nerves at moviehouses in the past and present. If you haven't seen them go to your local DVD rental house and rent them.

CREEPY KILLER KID FILMS

THE BAD SEED (1956)
VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED (1960)
THE INNOCENTS (1961)
CHILDREN OF THE DAMNED (1964)
KILL, BABY, KILL (1966)
THE OTHER (1972)
THE EXORCIST (1973)
DEVIL TIMES FIVE (1974)
IT’S ALIVE (1974, 2008)
THE OMEN (1976, 2006)
WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? (1976)
CATHY’S CURSE (1977)
BEYOND THE DOOR 2 (1977)
DAMIEN: OMEN 2 (1978)
THE BROOD (1979)
THE VISITOR (1979)
THE GODSEND (1979)
THE CHILDREN (1980)
BLOODY BIRTHDAY (1981)
THE PIT (1981)
CHILDREN OF THE CORN (1983)
FIRESTARTER (1984)
BENNY’S VIDEO (1992)
THE GOOD SON (1993)
INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE (1994)
THE BUTCHER’S BOY (1997)
THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE (2001)
THE RING (2002)
WICKED LITTLE THINGS (2006)
ORPHANAGE (2007)
JOSHUA (2007)
LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (2008)
ORPHAN (2009)

ORPHAN Review

A delightful, sweet family - Kate and John Coleman (played amazingly by the lovely Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard) adopt a nine-year old sweet, angel face Russian girl named Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman) from a girls orphanage, and what they bring home is nothing angelic, but a ferocious, shady, wicked little ugly motherfucker with an edge to kill... How spooky and kooky is orphan Esther? Well, Esther is dominating and controlling. She wears gothic little house on the prairie outfits, with a black choker around her neck (she is hiding something), she walks around with an old bible with a few pictures of men in it, she loves to sing out loud sweet songs from the privacy of her room, she draws pretty little pictures of animals and her new family, she loves to hear adult conversations, she snoops around (watching her parents pull a dirty love session), she causes pain to herself and to others including her whole family. Her favorite deadly weapons - hammer, gun, butcher knife and a rock... Is Esther really a nine-year old girl or a midget?

A wonderful cast, amazing acting, especially the incredible Vera Farmiga who also was a mother to another killer kid in the scary, horror, thriller JOSHUA (2007) - Also a must see. Vera has been in some great films (Down to The Bone, The Departed, The Boy With the Stripe Pajamas) and her performances are always top notch. The Direction by Jaume Collet-Serra (HOUSE OF WAX) and cinematography is remarkable.

"Orphan" is an amazing, mysterious, bloody, sinful, hellish ride, it will keep you on the edge of your seat - from the nightmarish beginning dream sequence to the last ending frame. One of the best horror films of the year. A MUST SEE. FOUR STARS