The Theatre Bizarre
Directed by Jeremy Kasten, Richard Stanley, Tom Savini, Buddy Giovinazzo, Douglas Buck, Karin Hussain, & David Gregory
Courtesy of Image Entertainment
Release Date: April 24, 2012

I have seen some excellent short films over the years, and even a few just recently (see my review for SCARY OR DIE from last month here). THE THEATRE BIZARRE adds to that trend, by dishing up seven unique and extremely entertaining forays into the horror genre.

If you are not familiar with THE THEATRE BIZARRE, here is the plot synopsis courtesy of the press release:

Down a seedy city street, a young woman is obsessed with what appears to be an abandoned theatre. When she impulsively sneaks inside, she meets her host, an odd marionette-like man who introduces her to six tales of the truly bizarre:

Mother of Toads – A couple traveling in a remote part of the French Pyrenees crosses paths with a lustful witch.


I Love You – A paranoid lover faces the wrath of a partner who has been pushed to her limit.


Wet Dreams – The Freudian dreams of an unfaithful husband blur the lines between fantasy and reality.


The Accident – The horrors of the real world are interpreted through the mind of a child.


Vision Stains – A woman addicted to other people’s memories gets her fix through the fluid of her victims’ eyeballs.


Sweets – A perverse obsession with sweets turns sour for a couple in too deep.

This is one of the best compilation of short horror films that I’ve ever seen. Each short is a masterpiece in itself, a devilish magnum opus for each director listed. They are all extremely well done and appear to have high production budgets.

THE THEATRE BIZARRE is fascinating because six of the short stories are basically tales wrapped inside of the main story, which is titled Theatre Guignol. This is the story in which the odd host of the theatre (played by the legendary Udo Kier) relays the six other stories to the young woman who tracks him down.

My favorite one in this compilation is MOTHER OF TOADS. This short is amazing and has an almost Dario Argento feel to it. The remote, French villages in which it takes place are beautiful in scope but eerie when placed in the proper lighting and context. The result is a masterfully suspenseful short that leaves you on the edge of your seat.

Many of these shorts are artistic visually, but they are all horrifying in content. There’s plenty of thrills and gore to go around here. THE THEATRE BIZARRE is available now, so check it out as soon as possible.

MSB

What a blast!

My buddy Hayes (from Hayes Hudson’s House of Horror) and I took our lovely wives down to Dallas for the Texas Frightmare Weekend once again. And although some of the most anticipated horror stars had to cancel at the last minute (specifically, Jon Bernthal who plays Shane on THE WALKING DEAD and Sam Trammell who plays Sam Merlotte on TRUE BLOOD), we still had a great time and met some of our favorite horror icons.

A few of my pics are below, but you can check them all out at the Shattered Ravings Facebook page (click here to go there). If you hop over to the FB page, be sure and Like us so you can be automatically entered into our latest giveaway, which is for a DVD copy of THE THEATRE BIZARRE (click here to read the original post). And be sure to check out Hayes’ FB page for Hayes Hudson’s House of Horror to see his set of pics as well (he had his pic taken with more stars than I did…guess I’m not as cool. Ha!).

Here’s me with one of my favorite actors in the world, Michael Biehn. For those of you that don’t recognize him, Biehn has played two of my favorite characters of all time: Kyle Reese from THE TERMINATOR and Corporal Hicks from ALIENS.

Me with legendary director/actor/special effects guru Tom Savini. You might not recognize him (although you should, if you’ve seen FROM DUSK TILL DAWN, PLANET TERROR, or MACHETE), but you have most certainly seen his work in films like FRIDAY THE 13th, DAY OF THE DEAD, CREEPSHOW, and THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2.

Me with actor/director Kerry Beyer. Kerry directed and starred in the cult classic SPIRIT CAMP, which is a hell of a good film and a hell of a good time!

Me with Edward Douglas, the founder of Midnight Syndicate recording studio and director of THE DEAD MATTER. Check out my review of THE DEAD MATTER here, over at Hayes Hudson’s House of Horror.

Me with Heather Henry, one of the amazingly talented contestants from this past season (season 2) of SyFy Channel’s hit show Face Off.

We all had an awesome time and are greatly looking forward to next year!

MSB

Ok, gang…it’s DVD giveaway time once again.

This time, up for grabs is a copy of Image Entertainment’s THE THEATRE BIZARRE, which hit streets on April 24, 2012.

If you are not familiar with THE THEATRE BIZARRE, here is the plot synopsis:

Down a seedy city street, a young woman is obsessed with what appears to be an abandoned theatre. When she impulsively sneaks inside, she meets her host, an odd marionette-like man who introduces her to six tales of the truly bizarre:

Mother of Toads – A couple traveling in a remote part of the French Pyrenees crosses paths with a lustful witch.
I Love You – A paranoid lover faces the wrath of a partner who has been pushed to her limit.
Wet Dreams – The Freudian dreams of an unfaithful husband blur the lines between fantasy and reality.
The Accident – The horrors of the real world are interpreted through the mind of a child.
Vision Stains – A woman addicted to other people’s memories gets her fix through the fluid of her victims’ eyeballs.
Sweets – A perverse obsession with sweets turns sour for a couple in too deep.

Sounds awesome, right? I have not seen this film yet but I do have a screener copy to watch for review, so tune back in here soon for my take on it.

In the meantime, all you have to do to enter this contest is go to the Shattered Ravings Facebook page and Like us (click here to go to the FB page). That’s it! It is that simple. If you already Like us on FB, then you are automatically entered. It just doesn’t get much cooler than that, does it?

CONTEST ENDS FRIDAY, MAY 18 AT MIDNIGHT!!

If you have any questions, please feel free to drop a line here or via FB. Otherwise, good luck!!

OFFICIAL RULES FOR ALL GIVEAWAYS HERE AT SHATTERED RAVINGS:
=====================================================================
1 – Only one entry per contestant, please. Duplicate entries will result in all entries for that contestant being forfeit for the current giveaway.

2 – Contest winner is chosen at random using a randomly generated number courtesy of www.random.org.

3 – Due to shipping costs, this contest is only open to U.S. residents only (persons who have a physical mailing address here in the continental United States).

4 – If the initial winner does not respond to my winning notification e-mail within 48 hours, that person’s e-mail is discarded and the process described above in Rule #2 is repeated for a new winner.

5 – All decisions are final. The owner of Shattered Ravings reserves the right to change or cancel the contest if need be.

Rotter World
by Scott M. Baker
Courtesy of Permuted Press
Release Date: March 30, 2012

Now, before you get excited, I did not write this book; the author just happens to have a very awesome name (ahem). I wish I had written it though, because it’s an excellent zombie novel that you should definitely check out. ROTTER WORLD is a welcome, unique addition to the zombie genre and further solidifies Scott M. Baker’s place in the world of horror fiction.

If you are not familiar with ROTTER WORLD, here is the plot synopsis from the back of the book cover:

Eight months ago, vampires released the Revenant Virus on humanity. Both species were nearly wiped out. For Mike Robson, the situation could be far worse. He’s joined up with a small band of humans and the last coven of vampires who are riding out the zombie apocalypse in an old fort along the coast of southern Maine. The group’s uneasy alliance is strained by the arrival of the creator of the Revenant Virus. He claims there is a vaccine that will make them immune to the virus, but it’s located in a secure underground facility five hundred miles away. To retrieve the vaccine, Robson leads a raiding party of humans and vampires down the devastated East Coast. Yet none of the horror Robson has faced match what awaits in the underground facility…

This is by far the best book of Baker’s that I have read. His Vampire Hunters series is entertaining (check out my reviews of the first two books here and here, over at Hayes Hudson’s House of Horror), but zombies are definitely my thing (as I have stated numerous times) and Baker does them up very well. ROTTER WORLD is brutally brilliant, a masterpiece of rib-shattering, intestine-tearing magnitude.

As with his previous books, Baker’s prose in ROTTER WORLD flows well and his descriptions are just detailed enough to put you into the story without overloading you. This is a true asset to his storytelling because that leaves plenty of room for the action. The characters are believable and down-to-earth, which gives the reader plenty of reasons to actually care about them.

The best aspect of ROTTER WORLD for me is how Baker manages to intermingle two genres: vampires and zombies. I have to admit that I was skeptical about this going into the book. But Baker does an excellent job of incorporating the two and the result is an entertaining story that takes the reader on a hell of a ride. The zombies are unrelenting and brutal, while the vampires are similar but obviously more civilized. It is also very interesting to see how the vampires are the discriminated-against minority in this scenario.

I mentioned to my wife earlier today (after I had finished the book) that it’s really cool watching Scott M. Baker grow as a writer. His writing style is changing with each book, for the better, morphing into a unique voice that is ultimately defining who he is in the horror genre. I haven’t ever had this opportunity before, but I am enjoying it to the utmost, to say the least.

I am rating ROTTER WORLD up there with J.L. Bourne’s ‘Day by Day Armageddon’ series and even Max Brooks’ ‘World War Z’. It is simply that good. I recommend checking this book out soon. But be sure and aim for the head…

MSB

Echo
by Jack McDevitt
Publisher: Ace Science Fiction
Release Date: November 2, 2010

I’ve been a fan of Jack McDevitt for a long time. I even blogged about him once, in a post from way back in 2008 (click here to read that post), although I am chagrined to admit that this is my first book review of one of his works. He is truly a master of science-fiction and deserves a special shelf in your book collection. His recent book, ECHO, is an excellent addition to his bibliography.

If you are not familiar with ECHO, here is the plot synopsis courtesy of the book cover:

During eight thousand years of star travel, humans have encountered only one alien species. Sunset Tuttle spent a lifetime looking for others in vain. Twenty-five years after Tuttle’s death, Alex Benedict makes an astonishing discovery: a stone tablet inscribed with cryptic symbols, now in the possession of Tuttle’s onetime lover, Rachel Bannister. Benedict is determined to decipher its secret – one Bannister doesn’t want revealed. Could it be that Tuttle’s obsessive quest was successful? If so, why is the woman hiding the truth? Stranger still, why did Tuttle never admit to his findings? Now Benedict and his assistant, Chase Kolpath, embark on their own voyage of discovery – for answers as startling as they are infinitely dangerous.

As with his previous works, McDevitt weaves an elaborate alien mystery that takes the reader on a whirlwind of a ride. This time, hero Alex Benedict sets off to solve what could be the greatest enigma of all time. And, as before, the stakes are always high.

With ECHO, McDevitt brings the usual fast-paced but easily readable prose to the table once again. And, like always, the writing is full of both wit and wisdom. The characters are likable and the settings are exotic. I am not going to go into detail about the story because it is an encompassing tale that you must read to appreciate.

But what really wins me over with his novels are his concepts. McDevitt has a flare for unique alien encounters and he never disappoints. He was also the first to introduce me to one of my favorite science-fiction concepts: archaeo-astronomy. The idea of meeting aliens is not new, but is still very exciting; the idea of excavating alien ruins and deciphering ancient alien texts sends me into a euphoric state of being.

ECHO is a definite win in McDevitt’s catalog and I proudly have it on my Jack McDevitt Shelf, right next to ANCIENT SHORES and THE ENGINES OF GOD. If you are already a fan, you will love this addition…if you are new to McDevitt’s works, you will enjoy it nonetheless. Give this one a look soon.

MSB

Trippin’
Directed by Devi Snively
Courtesy of Deviant Pictures & Alternative Cinema
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: April 24, 2012

Horror-comedies are an amazing experience when they’re done right. For me, films like TUCKER AND DALE VS. EVIL and SHAUN OF THE DEAD rate up there with some of my favorite films, like ALIENS and THE THING. I’m proud to announce a new addition to the classic horror-comedy genre: TRIPPIN’.

If you are not familiar with TRIPPIN’, here is the plot synopsis courtesy of the press release:

Told from the perspective of the sole survivor, six friends road trip to a remote cabin in the woods with deadly results. A year later, the survivor meets director Devi Snively in a bar and offers the rights to his story for a case of beer and a role in the film. TRIPPIN’ is that film. So prepare yourself for a little sex, and a little gore, some good and bad times with some good and bad buds.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this film. I’m normally not a huge stoner-movie fan, so I will be honest and admit that I was a little skeptical going into this one. But thankfully, this movie is hilarious and entertaining, a fun and raucous jaunt into horror-comedy territory.

TRIPPIN’ literally has it all: humor, terror, gore, and even…a puppet? Yeah, that’s right: when the lead character Zed gets mauled by a bear trap, he tanks up on drugs to help fight the pain. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately, depending on your perspective), the drugs lead to a massive head trip, which leads to one of the greatest trippin’ out scenes in movie history. Zed feels himself passing back and forth through reality, as a human, a puppet, and even a cartoon. This segment is short but hilarious (and not to mention very well done).

In fact, the whole movie is extremely well done. The budget is not huge, but the production team does an amazing job with it. The cinematography is tight, the lighting looks great (which is a true feat, given the amount of time the characters spend in the woods), the writing rocks, and the acting is superb. You just can’t ask for much more out of a movie.

My favorite aspect of TRIPPIN’ is the main character himself, Zed, played by actor Zed Wilson. This guy is hilarious and it would not surprise me in the least if he is actually a stoner in real life (there’s zilch on information about him on IMDB). Zed is one of those guys that looks at life through hazy, smoke-filled eyes…and he loves it that way. The audience loves it, too, because we get to laugh at how life stares back at him.

TRIPPIN’ is one of those films that you’ll talk about for days after you watch it. It’s a fright-filled, laugh-a-minute foray into fun. Check this one out soon.

MSB

Operation: Nazi Zombies
(a.k.a. Maplewoods)
Directed by David B. Stewart III
Courtesy of Brain Damage Films
Release Date: 2003
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: May 1, 2012

If you know anything about me, you know that I’m a zombie fanatic. I’ve been a fan of all-things-zombie since back before zombies were really cool. And because of my living dead obsession, I watch and read most things pertaining to them as often as possible. Unfortunately, that led me to this film, OPERATION: NAZI ZOMBIES.

If you are not familiar with OPERATION: NAZI ZOMBIES, here is the plot synopsis courtesy of the Brain Damage Films website:

A team of Army Special Forces is sent into a secluded, secret biological weapons facility, only to fall prey to the specimens of a Nazi experiment that was recreated by the Army Chemical Corps and the CIA after World War II.

Let me just start off by making an overall statement for this movie: it is an absolute train wreck and is not entertaining in the least. That’s a bit brash, I know, but there’s no way to sugar coat it. After a solid release a few weeks ago (with RISE OF THE ANIMALS, click here to see my review), Brain Damage Films lands a dud with this one.

Don’t get me wrong: I have the utmost respect for those folks who make indie films and who do the best with what they have. But OPERATION: NAZI ZOMBIES doesn’t do anything with what it had…I don’t know how the production team could have missed the mark so badly here, but they do, and then some!

The cinematography is bland and the lighting is atrocious; many of the evening scenes are so dark that you can’t make out what’s happening. The acting is not terrible but it’s nothing to write home about either. The only saving grace for the film is the zombie special effects. They’re pretty good, considering the budget of the film, as are the few gore scenes that we get to catch.

But what hurts OPERATION: NAZI ZOMBIES the most is the attention to detail, or more specifically, the lack thereof. The ‘military’ unit that is supposed to be comprised of Special Forces members is a joke; the actors are lacking in muscle tone and they all have longer hair than any SF commando would ever wear. Not to mention the sideburns and earrings sported by a few of them. Going even further, no members of the military wear their dress uniforms out into the field, let alone their pins and medals. I’ve never been in the military, but even I know things like that.

Along with the military inaccuracies, OPERATION: NAZI ZOMBIES actually has a poor story as well. The title would suggest that the group is fighting zombies who used to be Nazis or who were created by Nazis…but unfortunately, the film never decides what is what. We never see Nazi uniforms, nor are we ever told the specifics about anything that is happening.

As I mentioned above, I hate to trash a film, especially an indie production…but there are way too many negatives in this one for me to look past. I cannot and will not therefore recommend OPERATION: NAZI ZOMBIES to anyone. Do yourself a favor and watch the Brain Damage Films title RISE OF THE ANIMALS instead.

MSB

Scary or Die
Directed by Bob Badway, Michael Emanuel, & Igor Meglic
Courtesy of Phase 4 Films
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: 2012

Like the writing of short stories, there is a true art to making a short film. Obviously, you have to be able to tell a story in a limited amount of time, but also develop the characters and establish the tone quickly. As a result, many short films are not very good. Thankfully, though, Phase 4 found some great short flicks to include in SCARY OR DIE, a horror collection of terrifying short films that will leave you begging for more.

If you are not familiar with SCARY OR DIE, here is the plot synopsis courtesy of Phase 4 Films:

The creation of filmmaker Michael Emanuel, SCARY OR DIE tells five interwoven horror stories that take place in and around the “City of Angles”. A flesh-eating clown desperately trying to protect the person he craves the most; a dirty cop and a hit gone wrong with a vengeful Necromancer; a beautiful but mysterious woman and a lonely man looking for love in all the wrong places; a gruesome, blood-splattered uprising of illegal Mexican zombies; and a Cajun conjurer grandfather whose gift of never-ending love goes terribly awry…SCARY OR DIE is a unique experience in horror filmmaking certain to fulfill all your twisted horror film experience needs.

SCARY OR DIE is currently available on VOD only, but I believe it is due for a DVD release soon. I hope it is released in a physical media format because this is one that definitely needs to go in your (and my) collection. These films have guts, both literally and metaphorically.

As mentioned above, this is a compilation of short films. But there is a lot of talent in these films. They are all gritty and dark, separate but truly unique forays into horror. I enjoyed them all and found them exquisitely entertaining.

The shorts in SCARY OR DIE are all filmed very well and the acting is superb. The special effects are top notch and the gore is fantastic. I have to admit, though, that the stories are what win first place for me with these. They are all visionary and bring a lot of punch.

My favorite short is the one titled CLOWNED and it is, obviously, the film about the flesh-eating clown. I do not like clowns to begin with and this carnivorous variety definitely makes me want to outlaw every single one of them. This short is EXTREMELY creepy and, believe it or not, a bit sad. The make-up effects are phenomenal and help lend the overall ‘creepy as hell’ vibe to the whole film.

If you are any kind of horror fan, you must check out SCARY OR DIE soon. The filmmakers involved are very talented and I hope to see more of their work in the future. But when you watch these shorts, make sure you are not alone…the chills each film will give you could be enough to kill…

MSB

Blade of Kings
(a.k.a. The Twins Effect 2)
Directed by Patrick Leung & Corey Yuen
Courtesy of Well Go USA
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: March 6, 2012

Normally, I’m a huge fan of over-the-top martial-arts flicks. I especially enjoy those that use a lot of wire-work (i.e. IRON MONKEY and CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON) and contain hyperactive fight scenes. Even better are those films that can do all of this in a mystical or fantasy setting. BLADE OF KINGS contains all of these elements, but unfortunately is so lackluster that it is not worth watching.

If you are not familiar with BLADE OF KINGS, here is the plot synopsis courtesy of the IMDB.com website:

A cruel empress, a place where men are subservient to women. The empress’ reign is disturbed by a prophecy saying a boy will rise to become king, and restore the male regime. Char, a humble boy, is born to be emperor. He and his adopted brother, Leaf, perform in a traveling show run by their adopted father, Blackwood. Thanks to their friend, Lao, the pair receive a stone with a map engraved on it. They set out on a quest for the treasure that the map is supposed to reveal. Two lovely yet lethal female warriors, Blue and Spring, join the boys on their journey. The youngsters encounter various challenges before they meet General Lone, a master swordsman who seeks to overthrow the empire. To do so he must first duel the Lord Of Armor.

It pains me to give this film a negative review because I really wanted to like it. After all, it does contain all of the elements I look for in a film. But even so, the film never pulls everything together. The result is a hodge-podge, almost thrown together production that leaves a lot to be desired.

Visually, BLADE OF KINGS is brilliant. The sets are very well done and the locations used for the shoot are stunning. Also, from a cinematography perspective, the camera work looks good, too. Heck, even the acting is pretty good, although some of the characters are almost too campy for me.

But the story is where BLADE OF KINGS fails. The plot is ho-hum and even gets to the ridiculous point when the audience discovers the true goal of the empress: she wants to turn all men into women! I was like “Seriously? This is what I’ve been waiting for?” I can’t put even my disappointment into words.

There are also many things that are never explained in the plot as well. We do not know who Donnie Yen’s character is or even Jackie Chan’s; we do not know how the ‘prophecy’ came to be, nor are we told why it’s never mentioned until halfway into the movie; we do not know (completely) how the empress came into power or why the kingdom even submits to her. The movie is just a mish-mash of different scenes that don’t have a rhyme or reason.

None of the characters are remotely likable, either, which in turn gives me no reason to invest myself in the movie. There are several typical archetypes here as well, including the stuck-up self-centered girl who just really wants love and the career-oriented girl who secretly wants to find love as well. These characters are never fully developed, nor do they give us any reason to want to like them at all.

I could go on and on about what disappoints me with BLADE OF KINGS but I will spare you any more vivid details. Suffice to say, this movie did nothing for me, nor will I watch it again. I do not recommend this one, but have to admit that it might appeal to some folks. If you do watch it, be sure and hop back here to let us know what you think.

MSB

…over at Hayes Hudson’s House of Horror.

Up for grabs this time is an autographed DVD copy of D4, the ground-breaking film by Darrin Dickerson (check out my review of the film here). If you haven’t seen this film, you need to see it ASAP!! And if you have seen it before, here’s your chance to score an autographed copy.

Click here to check out the giveaway!! This is an awesome one, so be sure and get your entry in today!

MSB