Circus of the Freaky

Buried Treasure (1924) - The Type of Cartoon Disney Would NEVER Make

2011-05-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

I'm currently working on an essay all about Picha's superb cult classic Shame of the Jungle (1975) and have come across a whole host of 1970s dirty animation. Cartoons that blur the lines between pornography and comedy. But here's possibly one of the first to start it. Not much is known about this film, except that it was probably made around 1924/25 by a couple of cartoon studios at the time, out of hours - most likely the Fleisher studio. Thought to have been made for stag parties this is quite possibly one of the strangest and freakiest animations you will ever see!

WARNING: NSFW - THIS IS FULL OF SEX!

The Walking Dead Press Book (Part II)

2010-10-26T11:23:00.000-07:00

As promised in the previous post, here's the remaining pages of the original and official press book of the 1936 film The Walking Dead. Enjoy.

The Official Walking Dead (1936) Official Press Book (Part 1)

2010-10-26T08:16:00.000-07:00

Why hello! First off before I get to the good stuff, let me just explain my absence for any minions who care. I've been busy. And lazy. But mostly lazy. Hence the lack of posts recently. So to make up for it, here's something that you may find of interest, particularly if you're a fan of the horror genre, such as myself. Below is the entire OFFICIAL press book for The Walking Dead. Oh no, I'm not talking about the upcoming TV show of the same title, premiering here on FX this Halloween. Instead, the film in question is none other than the 1936 zombies oldie starring the king of horror himself, Mr. Boris Karloff.

Here's an extract from Jamie Russell's incredible Book of the Dead: The Complete History of Zombie Cinema about the film:

Warner Bros. tried to blend their talent for gangster movies with the Universal horror tradition in this interesting take on the zombie. Karloff is the walking dead man of the title, who's framed by evil mobsters and sent to the electric chair before two faint-hearted eyewitnesses find the courage to tell the court that he's actually innocent. Fortunately, they know a scientist who's able to revive him... The results aren't entirely successful and Karloff ends up moping around, playing the piano and killing the men who fitted him up like some lumbering angel of vengeance. According to movie legend, Karloff's casting was a fluke: "The reason I called you in was because I thought you actually were a Russian," explained director Curtiz after the event. "Your name certainly sounds Russian! When you came in you seemed so anxious to get the job that I decided to let you have it!"

So, without further ado here is the official press book for The Walking Dead. And for those unfamiliar with press books, they're basically a way for the film studio to sell their film in a particular way by sending a booklet (now often a CD/DVD) full of posters, lobby cards, interviews, stunts and gimmicks to sell the film and so on. Pretty fascinating really.

Oh, also, I'll be posting a lot more of these in the future - titles including press books for The Man They Could Not Hang, Dracula and Frankenstein!

P.S. For some stupid reason the pictures have appeared in the wrong order (the first picture being the last page). So to read it in order start at the bottom of the post. The rest of the Press Book will be posted up shortly.

Frightfest Review 3: The Dead

2010-09-07T10:24:00.000-07:00

As you may have guessed by now, zombies are my life. I live for the undead; kind of ironic really. So when I heard that there was only one (feature length) zombie film being shown at FrightFest this year I was, to be honest, disappointed. Wheres all the flesh-eaters?! But thankfully this one film was one of the greatest zombie films I've seen in a good while. And that film goes by the, rather appropriate, name of The Dead.

What The Hell Is It About?
According to the FrightFest booklet;

Known in the UK as the new Ridley and Tony Scott because of their similar commercial backgrounds, the Ford Brothers now burst on the high-class scare scene as a fresh force in the horror fantasy arena. In the very near future most of the world has succumbed to a living dead virus. After crashing off the coast of Africa in a plane, Lt. Brian Murphy battles for survival across inhospitable parched terrain in search of a way to get back to his beloved family in America. Saved by local military man Sgt. Daniel Dembele, who is also searching for his son, both men join forces to fight the ever present flesh-eating threat stalking the bush. Starring West African superstar Prince David Osei and Rob Freeman from Saving Private Ryan, The Dead features stunningly shot burnished landscapes, brilliant special make-up and visual effects and terrific dust devil zombies.

Was It Any Good?

Was it good?! What type of stupid question is that? To call this film anything short of a beautiful masterpiece would be an understatement. The entire film takes place in Africa which instantly brings to mind one thing to all zombie fans. No, not Resident Evil 5, but a return to the roots of the zombie mythos; the Haitian zombies. In fact, I would argue that the whole of this film is a step into the past of the zombie genre. Clearly influenced by the films of Lucio Fulci, particularly prevalent with the extremely slow shamble of the somnambulists. The Ford brothers themselves announced to the FrightFest audience that they are huge fans of his work along with the indisputable king of the undead, Mr. George A. Romero. The very fact that these zombies are slow is quite a breath of fresh air when compared to the zombie trend of the past few years; fast, hectic living dead. As further elaborated upon by the Ford brothers, this again was a conscious effort to build tension and suspense rather than a frantic action zombie ride. This couldn't be more truthful. Whilst it would be completely wrong to suggest that the speedy dead lack the power to scare ([Rec] being an obvious example to demonstrate this), the undead in The Dead possess a terrifyingly bleak and empty feel not seen since Zombie Flesh Eaters.

Whilst the zombies in this film provide a seemingly suffocating amount of suspense, that doesn't mean the Ford brothers have skimped out on the gore. Quite the opposite in fact, there's plenty of gore to sink your decaying jaws into. From innovative (un)deaths to incredible head shots, gore hounds will not be disappointed. The make-up on the zombies themselves are equally impressive. Perhaps one of the biggest influences over the gore and make-up was not just the Ford brothers love for zombie cinema, but also the circumstances The Dead was filmed in. Shot in such a dangerous and potentially life-threatening domain in which the crew were actually guarded by gunmen, the brothers told the FrightFest crowd that they had seen several rotting corpses during the course of the filming. Even more creepy is the fact that several of the corpses in the film are actually real!

Contrary to this, the film is one of the most beautiful zombie films ever to be made. Full of drop-dead-rise-from-the-grave gorgeous locations, bright colours and glorious cinematography, this is without doubt the best the undead have ever looked. But this film isn't all about the zombies. Oh no. This film is more of a road-movie with zombies in. Centering around two highly engaging and likable character's, Sgt. Daniel and Lt. Brian (who are both incredibly acted), and their journey complete with many ups and downs and challenges. Besides the usual, expected zombie brain bashings, head shots, etc, the film also focuses upon a much more human aspect. The film has deep and powerful scenes that are actually quite moving. A very rare thing in this gut-munching genre we all adore so much.

However, whilst these emotional-driven scenes are very welcome, there are a couple of scenes, which I won't spoil here, that have next to nothing to do with the film's plot, most notably one involving a random woman. The ending is also problemised by this, but I won't go into that since I saw the World Premiere and I would not want to spoil anything. The film, in my opinion, does begin tocrumble and fall apart during the last 15-20 minutes. There are a couple of moments that really defy the film's logic and a rather unneeded and awkward scene (which takes place out of Africa) just doesn't fit at all. But these are still very minor issues.

Overall, this is one heck of a film, let alone being one heck of a zombie film. Easily the best entry into the ever growing genre in the past few years. If Shaun Of The Dead was the UK's answer to zombie comedies, then this is without doubt the UK's answer to straight zombie films. Well worth checking out for all zombie freaks out there and those just looking for a great film.

9/10.

The Revenge Of Doctor X (1970)

2010-09-06T09:21:00.000-07:00

Here's a very strange and odd little exploitation film. Complete with laugh-out-loud scenes (unintentional of course), a silly monster costume, obvious rip-offs and more guilty of more mistakes than a married couple of sex-obsessed catholics. This is one hell of a (rather bad) ride for all fans of cheesy b-movies, exploitation drive-in cinema or so-bad-it's-good films.

What the Hell is it About?
According to the DVD case:

A NASA scientist is ordered to take a vacation due to showing signs of stress while working on his latest missile project. Traveling to Japan, the scientist decides to indulge in his botany hobby and begins experimenting on a Venus Flytrap he brought along on his trip. Using radical techniques and falling into madness, the scientist eventually creates a plant creature that feeds on flesh and blood, which then sets off to find food in the form of the people of a nearby community.

Was it any good?

With a title like The Revenge Of Doctor X you can pretty much guess what your getting yourself into. But it deliver so much more...or less (depending on your taste in film). The film starts of with the credits...naturally. Only problem is, well, there the credits to the wrong film! Hello! What is this? An unseen Monty Python film?! According to the credits, this film was directed by exploitation 'legend' Eddie Romero, probably most famous for his Blood Trilogy (Brides Of Blood, Mad Doctor Of Blood Island (both 1968) and Beast Of Blood) as well as Women In Chains (1973) and The Beast Of The Yellow Night (1971; a film that almost made the DPP list). But unfortunately, Doctor X was instead directed by the nobody Norman Thomson who has only this film to his name. In fact, the majority of this film's cast have a career which spans only one film; this one! With the exception of Doctor X (actually Dr. Bragan) himself played by James Craig who also starred in Bigfoot (1970) alongside the late great John Carradine and The Tormentors (1971); a Nazi Vs. Jesus Christ film! Besides Craig the next biggest name is possibly James Yagi who plays exactly the same character in the Cult Classic, King Kong VS. Godzilla (1962). So, obviously this film isn't going to win any awards for its acting. And that adds to the film's enjoyability. Complete with over-the-top acting especially from Craig, who's main character seems to have serious hormonal problems - one minute everything's fine, the next he's SHOUTING HIS FACE OFF! But if any award was given (for best worst acting) it has to be to one of the side characters. A hunchback.

Yes. A hunchback.

What Frankenstein-rip-off would be complete without an ugly, grunting hunchback? It's unheard of! But the similarities to this classic film/book do not stop there, luckily. Gothic castle? Check. Monster? Check. End the film with a bunch of fire-carrying crazy villagers? Check check. What about electricity? Check. Yes, that's right this Doctor decides the best way to give live to his monster plant, is not via some water and maybe some Miracle Grow, but instead a great big bolt of lighting! Take that Alan Titchmarsh! Quite possibly the lamest and yet funniest electrocution-monster-Resurrection scenes ever to be filmed, one could easily believe the footage had been stolen from an ANIMATED film.

Then we get to the monster. Finally. Taking almost the whole of the film to actually get to the creature and what a pay of. Clearly a guy in a giant Venus flytrap costume - this is no Little Shop Of Horrors, that's for sure. With a rampaging (ever so slightly, for a baddy, it's not actually that...bad. In fact, it doesn't even get to make plant food out of a small puppy!) Venus Flytrap Man Creature Whatsit Thing on the loose, there's only one way to get rid of it. A final incredibly tense showdown. Mano a Planto.

Or not. Instead we are giving one of cinemas biggest anticlimaxes which I won't spoil here. I'll just tell you, this 'epic' battle lasts all of two seconds before the credits roll. Yeaaah.

So, is it any good? Well, if you like your exploitation films silly, crazy and just plain dumb then yes. Yes this is your cup of prune juice. Though slightly boring it's enjoyable enough to recommend if you find it cheap or have it lurking somewhere in your house already. It's pure trash - just not very gory. It's perhaps no surprise that the god of all things hillariously bad, Edward D. Wood Jr. has been accused of writing the original script for this film - though that's recieved a lot of debate.

Oh, and did I mention the rather surreal scene in which a group of topless women gather around the Doctor who talks to them as though everything's normal. Now that's a gentleman!

4/10.

Beans, Beans! The More You Eat The More...Chance You Have Of Finding A Dead Rat?!

2010-09-06T08:17:00.000-07:00

Picture this. Your a cook. A cook who's...cooking. Just like normal you open up a can of Baked Beans and, to your disgust you find that the tin is also home to...carrots! Pretty shocking. Now imagine opening a can of Baked Beans and finding the rotting (yet very tomato-y) corpse of a dead rat. That could scare someone for life! The rat's body has since been removed from the can and, after an intense postmortem, it was confirmed that the rat had not enjoyed a last meal of beans. Was the rat stuffed into the can by purpose? Did the rat actually sneak into it during the tinning process? Are aliens responsible? These are just some of the horrid possibilities. Although the company responsible for this are being kept anony'mouse' (see what I did there?) by authorities, Heinz have announced that they are not 'in any way connected to this incident.'

A Zombie Western...With PUPPETS!

2010-09-05T11:04:00.000-07:00

It's a puppet!

I've always wanted to see a zombie puppet film. Sure there's been animated zombie films such as Dead Space, the CGI Resident Evil film and the made-by-one-man City Of Rott, but there's been nothing (to my knowledge) of a gory and funny zombie film with Henson-esque puppets, similar to Meet The Feebles. Until now! It Came From The West, released a few months ago,is just that (short) film, crammed with blood, guts, and stuffing and about as tongue in cheek as it is hand up back. Now you can check the full film out online! Just head over to this link to watch it all. Here's hoping the director, Tor Fruergaard, makes a feature length version of this!

But that's not all! I've recently come across this little fake zombie trailer done in the style of a Grindhouse/Exploitation trailer. It's great fun!

Zombies Used In Anti-Smoking Campaign

2010-09-05T05:46:00.000-07:00

Here's a pretty interesting zombie-related story. Can zombies actually help society? Well maybe, if MTV's new plan is successful. MTV's long running show The Real World (now in the 24th series!) have teamed up with the undead to warn viewers about the dangers of...smoking. Yeah, smoking. MTV will be screening several short anti-smoking, flesh-eating commercials during programmes. Sounds pretty lame, but just watch the below videos. Here are two of the anti-smoking adverts along with a trailer. Enjoy!

1) Warning Labels:

2) Secondhand Kill:

3) The Trailer:

Weekly Comp: Dario Argento's Inferno!

2010-09-05T05:28:00.000-07:00

Here's your chance to win one of Italian cinema's masterpieces; Dario Argento's Inferno. Released in the UK for the first time ever UNCUT, this Blu-Ray and DVD comes complete with a detailed booklet on the film, posters, postcards, heaps of extras, 4 reversible covers and so much more! Here's some more info:

“A MASTERPIECE… PERHAPS THE MOST UNDERRATED HORROR MOVIE OF THE 1980s.” – KIM NEWMAN.

Having already wowed horror fans with superlative releases of ‘Day Of The Dead’, ‘Martin’ and ‘City Of The Living Dead’ earlier this year, Arrow Video continues its commitment to presenting the ultimate, must-have editions of horror cinema’s greatest cult classics on DVD and Blu-ray with its forthcoming 30th Anniversary release of Dario Argento’s Inferno.

Never before available on DVD or Blu-ray in the UK, this 30th Anniversary Edition features a brand new, restored, uncut version of the film and comes complete with a host of unique and exclusive extras, many of which were specially commissioned for this release. Also included are four sleeve art options, a double-sided poster, an exclusive collector’s booklet written by Alan Jones (author of ‘Profondo Argento’) and six original poster art postcards.

Described by Argento as “a fairy tale designed for adults”, the second instalment of his ‘Three Mothers’ trilogy (and the follow up to his smash hit, ‘Suspiria’), Inferno “contains some of Argento's most hallucinatory images and unforgettable set-pieces” (The Onion AV Club) and was listed as one of the 50 Greatest Horror Movies Of All Time by Total Film.

The film’s surreal plot concerns a young poetess, Rose Elliot (Irene Miracle), whose research into the history of her New York apartment building and its possible connection to the legendary witches known as ‘The Three Mothers’ results in a series of bizarre murders and a supernatural mystery of horrific proportions. Disturbed by a frantic phone call from Rose, her brother Mark (Leigh McCloskey) immediately flies home to New York from his studies in Rome only to find Rose’s apartment empty and very few clues as to her whereabouts. As he investigates his sister’s disappearance, Mark unwittingly moves closer and closer to a terrifying encounter with an ancient, powerful evil.

Starring Irene Miracle (Puppetmaster; Midnight Express), Daria Nicolodi (Phenomena; Tenebre), Leigh McCloskey (Dallas) and Ania Pieroni (Tenebre; The House By The Cemetery), boasting a truly bombastic score by Keith Emerson (of Emerson, Lake And Palmer fame) and featuring some of the most unforgettable images from any of Argento’s works, Inferno is a must-see for horror fans and an essential companion piece to ‘Suspiria’.

The 30th Anniversary Edition of Inferno (cert. 18) will be released as a two-disc DVD (£15.99) and a two-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo (£22.99) by Arrow Video on 13th September 2010.

Special Features include: Introduction by star Daria Nicolodi; ‘Dario’s Inferno’ featurette; ‘Acting In Hot Water – An Interview With Daria Nicolodi’; ‘The Other Mother: Making The Black Cat’ – director Luigi Cozzi discusses his rarely seen, totally unofficial 1989 ‘sequel’ to Inferno; ‘X Marks The Spot – Argento Remembers Bava’ (Easter Egg); Dario Argento and Lamberto Bava discuss Inferno; ‘Dario Argento: An Eye For Horror’ – documentary on Argento’s career narrated by Mark Kermode and including interviews with George A. Romero, John Carpenter and others; The Complete Dario Argento Trailer Gallery; Q&A with star Irene Miracle, composer Keith Emerson and author Tim Lucas filmed at LA’s New Beverly Cinema in 2009 (Blu-ray only); English 5.1 Dolby Digital and Stereo and Italian Mono audio options; 5.1 DTS audio option (Blu-ray only); optional English subtitles; four sleeve art options; double sided poster; exclusive collector’s booklet; six original poster art postcards.

If you fancy winning then head on over to the Weekly Comp over at the Cult Labs forums!

Spider: 1 Man With Flamethrower: 0.

2010-09-03T06:37:00.000-07:00

Here's a very strange story for all you freaks out there, regarding a spider and a total idiot! Spiders. Most people hate those eight legged freaks. But what if one of them scurries about in your bathroom. What do you do? Reach for the rolled up newspaper? Or do the 'humane' thing (whatever that means) and rescue the poor bug's life? Well, if your name is Christopher Robinson and your married to a certain Janine then there's only one thing you can do. Burn it to death! Or, more accurately, FAIL at burning it to death.

On the last Monday of August in the quiet Clacton-On-sea, the petrified Janine instructed the 28-year old Christopher to get rid of the incy wincy spider that was running wild and causing all sorts of heinous crimes (!) in their bathroom. After FAILing to flush it out with a toilet brush, Christopher decided the only logical way to get rid of the creep was to suffocate it to death. He grabbed the nearest (highly flammable) aerosol can and smufered it with the sweet smell of spray. Just his luck that the light bulb blew at that exact moment. Without a thought, Christopher grabbed his lighter to shine some light on the situation and, yep you guessed it, kaboom! A fireball burst out and threw Christopher flying out of the bathroom and smashed it's way into the loft. Christopher received burns to his legs, arms and face and a certificate for being an utter plonker.

The firemen supplied the punchline; "‘We’re not entirely sure whether the spider got away or not – but there was no sign of it.’"

For more info here's an article from The Mirror

The Wrong Stuff: Internet 'Video Nasties'

2010-09-03T05:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning, I watched a programme on TV that actually made me quite concerned and worried. No, it wasn't a re-run of The X Factor, Don't Stop Believing or other such garbage, but a segment on a talk show known as The Wright Stuff on channel Five. Matthew Wright and his panel of three celebrities were discussing the topic "Are you a sicko if you watch video nasties on YouTube?" Being a huge fan of horror and intrigued by censorship, this instantly caught my attention, so I sat and watched. It provided one of the most interesting 15 or so minutes I've seen on TV for a long while (which isn't saying that much!).

It was pretty obvious what position the panel would take on this subject, and I'm by no means condemning them for taking this view. It's their opinion, and everyone should be entitled to their opinions.They clearly couldn't understand why people would watch such videos, including, as they mentioned, executions such as beheadings and hangings to chucking puppies into a river. One person even expressed there puzzlement and fear of these people by calling viewers of these videos sociopaths. Now, something strange struck me here as I got a whiff of hypocrisy. 'Whiff' may be the wrong word, since the hypocrisy shown here was about as subtle as getting your head stuck up an elephants backside. For they actually showed two of the films that they were discussing and deemed as a 'nasty'! Bare in mind that this is around 10 o'clock in the morning. Sure one could argue that these two videos (one in which a woman throws a cat into a bin and one in which someone throws a couple of puppies into a river) are not particularly violent or gruesome (compared to the executions), but that's beside the point since The Wright Stuff panel discussed them alongside the more 'hardcore' Internet videos. My main argument here is that unlike videos on the Internet in which viewers chose to search for them and watch them, these two videos were shown on national television without any warning whatsoever.

So far you may be thinking that I'm condemning these videos and taking a similar view to The Wright Stuff guys, but that couldn't be more wrong. I strongly believe that adults should be allowed to watch anything they wish. In my opinion, NOTHING should be banned or censored. However there is a very clear difference between someone finding a 'nasty' video and someone unexpectedly watching one without warning. It was almost a way of shocking the audience into being disgusted by the videos and therefore would provide them with a position on this argument - one that is against these films.

One of the most interesting points which was raised during this biased debate was the idea that society has become so desensitised that they are able to watch such 'video nasties'. That got me thinking; are we really desensitised to violence? OR, as I believe, has society to become too sensitive? It's an interesting point and one that is almost ignored completely. The society we know is Politically Correct. There's only two types of people that are un-PC; comedians who deliberately mock PC and therefore, in a way, obey to the ideals of society and the BNP-esque people; the racists, the homophobic, etc who are villains in the eyes of society - or at least one could argue that. Moreover, violence is either only ever seen in films/books/games etc or heard/seen on the news - but this is almost a separate entity to real-life. A mediated form of violence which doesn't seem 'real', unlike for example witnessing a gruesome event in your every day life. As a result, I present the argument that society, as a whole, is more sensitive to violence rather than desensitised.

So, back to these so called Internet 'Video Nasties', I strongly believe that there are two reasons, in particular, to why people would chose to watch these films. Firstly, there's the idea of going against the 'norm', in a similar way to, for example, Death Metal, fans of horror films. It can provide people with a sense of identity, a way to be separate from the 'masses' and the rights to brag. Secondly, perhaps the very idea of watching these videos provides viewers with a means of 'escapism'. Whilst that may sound hypocritical, think about it. In a society where violence is deemed wrong, PC rules, these films provide viewers with a way to escape from these homogeneous ideals. For instance the video of someone throwing puppies into a river is totally barbaric in the eyes of 'society,' so what better way to escape the everyday routine besides throwing them yourself. As for one of the most popular videos; the Saddam Hussein hanging, you could say that this conforms to the ideals of society - good triumphing evil (as seen in Hollywood escapism such as the Star Wars films, Lord Of The Rings, Austin Powers, the list is endless) as Hussein is portrayed by our society as 'evil'. But, the very fact that the hanging of Saddam is real itself provides a form of escapism. 'Society', as mentioned above, shy away from real-life violence; it's either fictional (games/books/films) or not discussed (the meat on your plate is very rarely butchered in front of your eyes, etc) therefore this provides escapism from these ideological views.

Overall, I strongly believe that people should be allowed to see whatever they wish, permitted that it's legal of course. The reasons for this attitude towards such videos is not because of the desensitisation of society, but quite the opposite. It is a real worry that these videos have been called 'video nasties' - a term used during the 1980's Video Nasty nightmare that strangled people's freedom. Perhaps it's just a coincidence but the 1980s and now 2010 both had a conservative government. Add to the Internet Video Nasty paranoia with the recent shredding by the BBFC of A Serbian Film and the abolition of the UK Film Council by the government.

I just hope that within the next few years, Britain will not see history repeat itself.

Walking Dead Apocalypse Music Video

2010-09-03T04:51:00.000-07:00

The day till The Walking Dead hits our TV screens is getting closer and closer. So what better way to celebrate than with an awesome music video?!

Frightfest 2010 Review 2: F

2010-09-02T06:36:00.000-07:00

Next up on this marathon of new and upcoming horror films was another British horror film called F. Stupid title, I know. Before the film started, the director Johannes Roberts introduced it by comparing it to the excellent Assault On Precinct 13 (John Carpenter, 1976) and described it as an old-school horror film. What can I say; I was excited to say the least. But did the film actually live up to this hype?

What the Hell is it about?
Again, according to the official Frightfest booklet;

Welcome to the Class of 2010. The college day ends, the school building becomes a vast complex of dark corridors, eerily quiet classrooms, empty save for a few staff and children. What none of the remaining teachers and pupils realize is tonight is going to be a night they will remember for the rest of their lives. Viciously attacked by a pupil in the past English teacher Robert Anderson was devastated when the governing board refused to back his lawsuit to avoid bad publicity and scandal. Now a burned-out, world-weary alcoholic tyring to reconnect with his daughter, Anderson must finally face his most terrifying demons. For the school comes under relentless attack from a faceless thread intent on causing maximum mayhem. Alone Anderson must battle brutal bloodthirsty killers, and his deepest fears, in a desperate battle for the survival of those he holds most dear. Will lessons be learned?

Was it any good?

As can be seen in the above semi-synopsis, F has a much bigger focus on character than the previous piece of garbage, Isle Of Dogs. The characters are all believable and have their own flaws, fears, goals and problems. In essence the characters in this film, or at least the main characters, are multi-dimensional resulting in the audience actually giving a damn about them. It's no surprise that the most well-developed character is the star of the film, Robert Anderson, played by David Schofield who's career has included appearing in the 2010 Wolfman remake, Pirates Of The Caribbean 2 & 3 and even the horror classic An American Werewolf In London. Schofield plays his character in such a way that the audience empathises with his character who truly is a victim of circumstance - even though he constantly does the right thing nothing seems to go right for him. Instantly, I noticed parallels between the fantastic and highly underrated cult film Class Of 1984. Sadly though, whilst this film clearly benefits from having such a great character, it also hinders the film's enjoyability since it felt as though the entire film was building up to something slowly and, in the end, never really delivering it's promise or, more accurately, it's potential.

This idea that the film never lived up to it's full potential can also be seen in the gore and the deaths of this film. Whilst I'm not saying that for a horror film to be good it needs to have limbs, guts and gonads flying everywhere, F seemed to shy away from the violence. The gore/deaths often happen offscreen and although there are a few very gruesome and often quite disturbing moments, which I wont spoil here, I do not believe this film deserves an 18 certificate cortesy of the BBFC. Perhaps the BBFC raised the rating to an 18 rather than the more appropriate 15 due to their own fears regarding teenage crimes? But that's an argument for another time. F's antagonist are a group of hoody wearing, light on their feet, murderers. And that's all you ever find out about them. There faces are constantly blacked out and they never utter a word. Like so many other British horror films recently, this taps into the fear of teenager hoodies. Just like the communist fearing sci-fi films of the 1950s, noticably Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, the anonimty of these villians raise questions about the character's identities. Are they the teenagers in Anderson's class? Are they even teenagers? Are they your next door neighbours? Or maybe even your own children? This film, along with Ils and other similar films grabs the fears of society and exploits it.I don't believe this to be a possitive representation of teenagers, but then again, it's not meant to be.

If gore's not for you and you don't live my the movie-motto or 'the gore the merrier' than you're in for a treat with this film. F geniunely oozes fear, dread and tension with scenes that will get your heart racing. The use of shadows, the cinematography and the incredible Argento-esque score all add to create a chilling atmosphere. If you have a fear of chavs and want a good, well-made horror film, check this one out when it is released. If, however, your looking for something more than that, something more violent and a film that doesn't seem to be stuck in the 1st/2nd act then maybe this film is not for you.

I'd give it a 5/10.

Win [REC]2 Merchandise.

2010-09-02T05:31:00.000-07:00

Fancy getting your hands on a [REC] 2 poster? Or perhaps a [REC]2 mug? How about a mousemat or better still a DVD/BluRay or this film? Then head over to the REC Movies UK Facebook page and enter the weekly comps!

Frightfest 2010 Review 1: Isle Of Dogs

2010-09-01T10:59:00.001-07:00

For those who don't know, Frightfest is a huge horror film festival in London which shows off the latest horror films resulting in the majority of the screenings being world premiers, or at least UK premiers. So, the next few posts will be reviews of all the films I saw and whether you should, in my opinion, both checking them out when they (if they) receive a wider release.

The first film I actually saw there this year was Tobe Hooper's original The Texas Chainsaw Massacre from 1974. There's no point reviewing that as everyone knows that it is a masterpiece of horror cinema and to see it on the biggest screen in England was nothing short of spectacular. It was followed by a long Q & A with Hooper, discussing this film in particular but also his occasionally successful career.If you would like to see this, check it out on YouTube here. That video has clearly been edited, Mr. Hooper looked very awkward, nervous and shy on stage. Oh and did I mention I also got an original pre-cert VHS of this film signed by the man himself? No? Well I did. Awesome or what?!

Anyways, let's get to the review of the World Premier of Isle Of Dogs. Directed by Tammi Sutton who's directorial credits include a killer clown film that often appears in the Poundshop (!) Killjoy 2: Deliverance From Evil (2002) and Sutures (2009) a film I had not even heard of before I wasn't too sure about this film. But I went along anyway.

What the hell is it about?
Well according to the FrightFest booklet;

It's a dog eat dog world. So take a deeper plunge into the darker side of human behaviour with an intense portrayal of sex, murder and betrayal. Darius is the gang boss from Hell, a deadly bastard and the last man you'd cross. But when he discovers his young Russian bride Nadia is sleeping with Riley, he makes the small time hoodlum an offer he can't refuse. Kill or be killed. But murder is a very high stakes game - one with no rules. And as dawn rises on Darius' country estate, there will be seven bodies, with only one winner left standing. In the tradition of London To Brighton, an unflinching portrayal of what people will do to survive. Written by Sean Hogan (Little Deaths) and director Tammi Sutton (the upcoming Welcome To Graveland [what, no mention of killer clowns?!]), comes a barking Brit body count horror.

Was it any good?

No. It was terrible. Beyond terrible. In fact, I ended up laughing at just how bad the film was. I knew this film would be terrible from one of the earliest scenes involving a dog [SPOILER ALERT] in which a Labrador is shot by his unbearably annoying owner. Only problem is the dog was clearly very much alive and even started to wag its tail as the owner leans down to it's 'corpse'. Right. Now that's stupid. [SPOILER OVER]. The film centers around a highly irritating gang leader who is about as cliched as the 'lets split up' idea. Bald? Tick. Cockney accent? Tick. Swearing for the sake of swearing? Tick tick fucking tick you cunt. Racist? Tick. Misogynistic? Tick. The other characters are equally pathetic and one dimensional. The film feels as though it's even trying to blend genres...and failing or is confused as to what the hell it wants to be. It even attempts, hamfistedly, to throw in a bit of feminism towards the end, but turns out instead to be highly offensive to men (and women!).

I really would not recommend this movie to anyone, unless your after a film to laugh at. Sadly, it even manages to fail at that most of the time. Just a terrible film.

I'd give it a 3/10 and I'm being generous.

Dawn Of The Night Of The Dead: A Musical

2010-08-23T04:04:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gentleman of all species, here's a bit of zombie history that seems to have been, wrongly, forgotten. As you may or may not know, zombies have taken over the world as we know it and have even showed their rotten faces in musicals! From The Evil Dead Musical (I know they're not zombies - but it's close enough!) to films such as Gory Gory Hallelujah (a film about Elvis impersonators VS. Jesus impersonators...and zombies) and Troma's Poultygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead as well as the music sub-sub genre, Zombiecore, not to mention Jackson's Thriller video. But where did this mix between the undead and the musical merge?

Well, although it may not have been an influence on the aforementioned examples (since it is so obscure), one of the first times the flesh-eating undead rose from their tombs for a good ol' sing song and brains, was in this short comedy. Dawn Of The Night Of The Dead: A Musical is a very funny and innovative little film, that looks like a hell of a lot of fun was had filming it. Clearly influenced by Romero's Dawn of the Dead, this film pays tribute to this classic with an all-singing, all-dancing, all-decomposing zombie choir! I have been unable to find this short on IMDb, but from the comments left on the YouTube page, the film appears to have been made in the early 1980s. Before Day of the Dead, or possibly as a result of the hype being built up around the release of Day?

Here it is. Check it out - and sing along!

Inferno Of The Dead - A Zombie Comedy Short

2010-08-20T06:12:00.000-07:00

Here's a great little film for all you zombie fans out there.At just shy of 10 minutes, Inferno Of The Dead is one hell of a fun little film. Clearly inspired by Italian zombie sleaze, most notably The Zombie Dead (Andrea Bianchi, 1981) this short is not only highly innovative and unique but so damn funny! Check it out!

Teeth (2007)

2010-08-20T05:47:00.000-07:00

When I first heard of Teeth (Mitchell Lichtenstein, 2007), a film about a man-eating vagina, I was instantly sold. With a premise that could have resulted in a early-Cronenberg-esque film or a fun cheesy b-movie I had high expectations. Unfortunately, except for a couple of scenes, I couldn't have been more disappointed.

What The Hell Is It About?
Two words; Vagina Dentata. No it's not some sort of exotic salsa but something with a bit more bite. Dawn (Jess Weixler), a celebrate young woman with a slight teething problem realises that her womanly region is becoming, how shall I put it...hungry for cock.

What Is Any Good?
In my opinion, no. With such a great and rather innovative idea for a modern horror film, I feel as though this film could have been something special and maybe even legendary among the genre, but in actuality it turned out to be rather slow and cliched. The characters are about as stereotypical as the Mr. Men books with Dawn a typical goodie-two-shoes turned slut as she develops into womanhood, and Brad (John Hensley) her 'brother' who is nothing more than a cardboard cut out of a porn-loving, drug-smoking, horror-watching, metalhead. But if you consider the rather bad acting then perhaps this was the whole point. The film is, after all, very tongue in cheek. One of the best scenes in the entire film, the doctor's (Josh Pais) scene is played completely for laughs

The gore was very infrequent but when it did finally happen the audience is rewarded with leg-crossing, stomach turning scenes. The special effects/make up during these moments are excellent, as seen in the picture. However, there just wasn't enough knob-biting for my liking (so to speak) to make this film anything but a curiosity or at best a mediocre film.

Reading up on this film however it seems that a lot of people (male and female) were offended by the representation of men and indeed women. Though whilst it is certainly easy to argue that all the male characters are shown to be sex-mad and violent and analysing this film from a feminist angle would be interesting, I personally don't really care about gender representations so much as to stop my enjoyment of a film. Oh no, the biggest problem for me was the lack of violence and the frustrating stupidity and hypocrisy in the plot - most notably sleeping with Ryan.

But I seem to be in minority here as it's gained quite a big fan base. So, if you're looking for a tongue-in-cheek (though not particularly LOL) but not too much gore, then give this one a go. If not, I'd say skip it and watch Cronenberg's Shivers or Rabid instead for some true body-horror goodness.

I'd give it a 1.5/5

And Now Something Hillarious...Dead Animals!

2010-07-22T15:52:00.000-07:00

As we all know dead animals are not a thing to laugh at. Well, most of the time anyway. Here are a few ways that the corpses of dead animals have been put to 'good' use. Enjoy!

Drinking; It'll Bring Out Your Inner-Animal.

Are you man enough to try this? In fact, are you beast enough to try this? Said to be the "World's strongest ale" and costing £500 per bottle, this drink is certainly the dog's bollocks of alcohol! This new ale, which is now stronger than whiskey and vodka, created by BrewDog in Aberdeenshire comes in a rather unusual packaging. Some would call it hideous. Some would call it a crime against nature. Some would call it sexy (the least said about those people, the better). But I say, this is awesome. The drink goes by the name of The End Of History and comes in a handy and fetching array of dead animals.Choose between either a dead stout, a deceased squirrel or why not be adventurous and pick the hare. Each come this a customisable and highly fashionable out-fit, including a top hat and a kilt. Why not have a themed party to match your ale bottle? James Watt, the co-founder of BrewDog made it clear that "The bottles are at once beautiful and disturbing - they disrupt conventions and break taboos, just like the beer they hold within them." But don't worry, no animals were killed for the purpose of this (they died naturally) but many were humiliated.

BrewDog's official website.

More on this story.

The Museum Stuffed With Dead Animals

What's worse than a couple of ale bottles inside a few dead animals? How about a whole museum full of stuffed dead animals in funny and bizarre poses? Well such a place exists and that place is Potter's Museum in Bramber, West Sussex here in the UK. Originally opened in 1861, this museum contains over 6,000 animals that have been stuffed by one man (Walter Potter) and placed often in very bizarre poses, such as can be seen in the picture to the left. Other such animal corpse scenes include "The Rabbits School" which shows a whole group of children rabbits reading, writing and listening to their adult rabbit teacher, "Freak Kitten" - a dead kitten with 4 legs on it's back, "Mechanical Toad" in which a series of stuffed toads work out at the gym and of course (?) a stuffed animal re-enactment of the classic rhyme "Death And Burial Of Cock Robin." Sadly, in the year of 2003, Potter's Museum was sold and the each of these were split and sold at auction, raising over £1,000,000! Not bad at all.

For more info on these check out this site.

Cuddly Road-Kill

Ok, so this one is a bit of a cheat, but it deserves to be on here. Not only is it macabre and freaky but it also contains dead (all be in, not real) animals. Yes, of course, it's road-kill cuddly toys! A whole brand of dead, but very fluffy, road-kill teddies are available to buy, each one complete with detailed gore (including splattered brain, intestines and eyeballs), a death certificate, character info and a 'I Love Roadkill' bumper sticker for your car. So far there is a total of four of these dead creatures to buy; Twitch the Racoon, Grind the Rabbit, Splodge the Hedgehog (Pictured) and, my personal favourite a Pop the Weasel Door Wedge. Also available is a pack of road-kill Christmas cards, sure to brighten up any young face on Christmas day. And what's more, these bloody animals will also shortly be joined by Splodge the Hedgehog mouse mat and Fender the nodding Fox. Buy now - guaranteed to bring tears of happiness to every boy and girl.

To visit their official website and to purchase them, visit this site.

So that's just a few of the weirdest and most bizarre dead/stuffed animals available. If you have any more, leave a comment below and share it!

A Deal with The Devil

2010-07-21T12:18:00.000-07:00

We've all seen The Exorcist - easily one of the scariest films of all time, but here's an equally frightening story, that is completly true. It's the story of Clara Germana Cele, a young girl who because possessed by demonic forces. Read on for all the terrifying details. Don't forget to hold tight to your blankie!

It began in the year 1906 in the quiet Marianhill Order mission school in South Africa. It ended with a horrifying bang. For in the August of 1906, the 16 year-old Clara Germana Cele confessed to the school's Father Erasmus Horner, who she had known since the age of 4, had made a pact with the Devil himself, Satan. But this must have been a bad move, because within the next few weeks, all Hell broke loose. Germana began to act increasinly perculiar. She would grunt and bark like an animal, rip of her clothes, break apart her bed and spoke to, what appeared to be, invisible entities. The nuns and the priests of the school became increasingly concerned and confused. To add to the confusion, Germana was said to shout out,

"Sister, please call Father Erasmus! I must confess and tell everything. But quick, quick, or Satan will kill me. He has me in his power!"

Things only got worse from here on.

A few days later and Germana started to show more the symptons of a victim of possession. She would scream and curse as she was splashed with holy water, which appeared to burn her skin. That's surely a mind-over-matter problem, right? Perhaps. But could that explain how when she was splashed with unblessed water, disguised as holy water, her skin would not burn, instead she would laugh? It has also been said that Germana had developed superhuman powers. And I'm not talking about the ability to shot web from her arm or to turn invisible, but the ability to explain a person's journey to her in vivid detail as well as describing one young man's embarrasing private life with precise dates and times.

Perhaps the strangest occurance was her ability to seemingly levitate! As Father Erasmus Horner states:

"Germana floated often three, four and up to five feet in the air, sometimes vertically...and at other times horizontal"

She even managed to grab a nun and bite down hard on her arm, leaving Germana's teeth marks and astrange bruise in the center of the bite, similar in shape to a snake's tongue.

It wasn't long before the priests decided she was possessed (or menistrating!) so performed an exorcism. On September 10th, 1906, Father Erasmus Horner and his buddy ol' pal Father Mansuet began the cermony during the morning and finished at noon, restarting again at 3PM and continuing into the night. It would seem that the Devil doesn't give up his possessions without a fight. Finally the demon was removed from Germana as she levitated in front of 170 witnesses!

Quite an incredible story and to think that it's true just adds to the horror. For more information check out Adolf Rodewyk's book Possessed By Satan.

Zombie Film BANNED!

2010-07-21T11:14:00.000-07:00

It's not everyday that you hear of a zombie film being refused a certificate, but this exactly what has happened in Austraila. The film in question: Bruce LaBruce's LA Zombie. The reason for why it was banned: strong violence and sex. But this is not your typical heterosexual sex. Oh no, in fact it's quite the opposite. Yep, homosexual sex. Now I obviously haven't had the chance to see LA Zombie, since it hasn't been released yet, BUT I have seen his previous zombie-homo-porno, Otto: Or Up With Dead People and I really did enjoy that film. Sure it got a bit too arty-farty at times but it was different. The gore isn't too strong in that film, however there is plenty of male nudity and the film climaxes in a large homosexual orgy.

And after reading LA Zombie's synopsis, well it's pretty easy to see that LaBruce (who is known for working in gay adult cinema) has attempted to out-do Otto. According to this site, the film centers around "aliens engaging in [homosexual] necrophilia". Pretty far out there then!

I can't help but wonder; if this film contained only heterosexual sex, would this film be banned? It's an interesting thought and one I hope is not true. LaBruce also mentions to The Guardian that this film is a "a reaction against torture porn." Are the Austrailian Film Classification board saying sex is worse than death? It's yet another interesting question raised.

Interestingly this was the first film to be banned at the Melbourne International Film Festival in seven years, which is quite an achievment. Now, this raises an interesting point. Has banning the film strangely helped the film? It's certainly the talk among zombie fans at the moment - a zombie film, that's been banned, I have GOT to see this! Perhaps the banning of this film will, in the long run, give the film more recognition and publicity than if it got through uncut, such as Otto, which is a truly underrated and under-seen film. Just take a look at the Video Nasties - most of which would have fallen into obscurity if it wasn't for them being caught up in the hoohar.

On the other hand, Otto is getting a release here in the UK, completly UNCUT. So check it out, if your looking for something more different.

Film's official website.

The Beast in Space (1980)

2010-07-20T12:45:00.000-07:00

Now this is a very strange film. If you like the sci-fi and Eurosleaze sexploitation genres then you’re in for a treat as this incredibly sleazy and camp film, The Beast in Space, mixes the two-genres like you’ve never seen done before. A quick look at the names associated with this film will give you a very good idea of what to expect. Alfonso Brescia helms the director’s chair for this; a man responsible for several other Italian Star Wars (George Lucas, 1977) rip-offs and cash-in such as the hilariously bad War of the Robots (1978). It also stars art-porn ‘actress’ Sirpa Lane, probably best known for her roles in Papaya: Love Goddess Of The Cannibals (Joe D’Amato, 1978) and The Beast (Walerian Borowcyzk,1975) which this film is a unofficial sequel to. Sleaze, stupidity and more sleazy. Sounds like a great film already.

The plot, as one would expect, is very simple indeed. It is so simple in fact that the whole shebang is more or less done in a very tongue-in-cheek style (either that or it was just unintentionally hilarious) especially the final robotic showdown. Then again, if you’re watching this film looking for an interesting, sophisticated plot then you’re, well, as stupid as this film, but possibly not half as much fun. This film makes up for the lightness of the plot with a plethora of sex. There’s sex everywhere - hence the whole ‘sexploitation’ thing. So if you’re watching this film for that then you won’t be disappointed. It’s a sci-fi fan’s dream come true! But what is particularly interesting about this film is the importance and significance given to the idea of forbidden and/or dangerous sex. Sondra (Lane) the female protagonist of this piece explains how she ‘suffers’ from a reoccurring nightmare involving her having sex with a half-man, half-beast creature. Yet as the film progresses and, sure enough, reality becomes more and more similar to her nightmares/dreams the idea of forbidden sex is complicated. Whilst it is clearly ‘wrong’ and prohibited to have it off with the Beast, she is clearly attracted to this idea. Rape fantasy complex? Mmm, maybe. On the topic of ‘the act’ the Shameless version includes scenes which have been removed from the softer versions, most notably (!) the Beast’s large...how shall I say it...wangdoodle. So big in fact it scares Lane’s character off at first.

His large sausage brings up another point (!), the role of masculinity. The Beast In Space, for the most part, sticks to very traditional representations of gender. The women are seen as being weaker than the males and an object of pure sexual lust. Whilst the male characters are each, in the words of The Village People, “macho macho man”, fighting each other over the slightest problems, fighting each other with Light-Sabres (now where have I seen that before?!) that are clearly phallic and fighting some more. It’s all very manly stuff. And The Beast is the epitome of ‘manliness’, with his hairy body, his strength, his power (especially over women) and his large trouser-snake. Perhaps you could read into this as something to do with reaffirming the masculinity of male viewers during an era when masculinity was in crisis, but that would be missing the point of this film completely.

Forget in-depth readings, this film is all about spaceships, light-sabres, silly looking costumes, crazy sets, a rather pathetic giant robot when compared to other giant robots and tits. Oh and of course, Uranus Milk. Yes, Uranus Milk. Uranus Milk seems to be what everyone’s drinking in the future. I think I’ll pass on that, thank you.

Overall this film is a very enjoyable, highly entertaining sci-fi sexploitation film for the whole family to enjoy...almost. What it lacks for in originality it certainly makes up for in zaniness, nudity and sleazy cheapness. So if you’re a fan of cheesy and goofy so-bad-its-good cinema and are looking for something slightly more adult but totally juvenile then this is not a bad place to start at all. Amid all it’s badness, I feel special mention has got to be made for the lighting of this film – very stylish and colourful. If however you’re looking for a politically –minded (boring) subtle film teeming with originality then you will be beyond disappointed.

For all the big-kids out there this is the film for you.

The DVD?

As for the DVD itself (Shameless Screen Entertainment), it certainly does this film justice. Extras include all 24 trailers of the Shameless releases and a very funny side-by-side comparison of the difference between the softer versions of the Shameless Redux version. Plus, as per usual with Shameless DVDs, we’re treated to the choice of a reversible cover with two great pieces of artwork on.

P.S. Uranus milk.

Zombie Teddies!

2010-07-20T06:25:00.000-07:00

When you see a teddy, what do you usually think of? Childhood memories, stupid teddy names, sneaking into your room to see if they really are alive (Anyone? Nope. Just me then), fluffy and cuddly? Well think again! These badbears are hungry for flesh and they'll rip the stuffing out of you! I present to you BadTasteBear's upcoming 'Dawn Of The Ted' figures!

The first batch consists of six cotton-eating teds which can all been seen in the picture. My personal favourite has got to be "Rot n Roll" bear, with it's missing leg and guitar-crutches, followed closely by the "Bursting With Joy" figure complete with it's oozing bear intestines.

The first set of the dead teds will be on sale HERE from the 22nd of July, where you'll also have a 50/50 chance of winning a Phantom version of "Life's Such A Drag". From what I've seen they look brilliant, and I'll definetly will be getting a few (when I get some money that is!).

For more info check out the following links:

Arrow to Release Jaguar Lives

2010-07-20T05:50:00.000-07:00

If your a fan of exploitation and action films then you are going to be in Heaven with this news (or Hell, if that's your thing). The folks over at Arrow Video have just announced (on the Cult Labs Forum) that the action grindhouse epic, Jaguar Lives will be getting a release here in the UK! And, going by their previous releases of City Of The Living Dead, Dawn/Day of the Dead, Macabre and so on this will be an awesome package!

Starring Joe Lewis, the Icon of horror himself Mr. Christopher Lee, Donald Pleasence and so many more, this is a film not to be missed. Just check out the posters and the trailers! Oh yeah!

Scammed by a Spiritualist.

2010-07-20T05:26:00.000-07:00

Scammed by a Spiritualist? Who's ever heard of such a thing!

Well that could be said about this incident. After suffering from stomach troubles and finance issues, Enzo Vincenzi looked in a Yellow Pages for some help, only to come across "Botanica 7 Potensias Africanas" shop in Fort Myers. There he met up with Miriam Pacheco, the shop's owner, who told him, for the price of $50 that he was a "walking dead man."

Enzo, scared out of his wits, took Miriam's offers of treatment. But these were not your typical medical treatments, these were 'spiritual' - so Miriam would often perform ceremonies inside Enzo's house which would involve the use of "a dead bird, a sacrificed rooster, liquid potions, prayers and chant." Sooner or later, Miriam told Enzo that in order for her to save him from demonic powers meddling with his life, he should pay her $500 so that he could share her house (along with her god-daughter). He of course did this and sold his Motel to her! This quickly threw Enzo over the edge, so to speak, as he was involuntarily taken to a mental institute for a short while due to the stress of selling his Motel to Miriam and the fear of complete doom by these demonic forces. This wasn't helped at all when Miriam decided to evict Enzo from her house! Along with Enzo losing his mind and his Motel, he also lost "his Jaguar, pickup truck, motorboat and possessions"

Crazy!

The Article

Robot Bastard - The Greatest Free Short Film on the Internet!

2010-07-19T11:39:00.000-07:00

Here's something that is utterly bizarre and just plain odd which you probably have not seen. It's one of those rare gems on the Internet: a video that's actually good (and doesn't involve a baby falling over or some silly cat). Described by Tekbug Magazine as "...the kind of film that every teen-age boy wants to see and the type of film every geeky guy wants to be in", Robot Bastard is one heck of a crazy ride well worth checking out. And it's free!

This 15 minute or so short film, directed by Rob Schrab, tells the story of a bright orange (awesome looking) robot who is sent on a mission to kill the most feared female in the universe. Fighting tones of space mummy/zombie things along the way and ending in a great climax, this is a little known film that's pure gold! And yep, it's as silly and as kick ass as you could possibly imagine with a title like that!

Here's what the official website describes it as:

"The future is a cooler place than you might imagine. Robot Bastard exists in an eight-grade-boy universe of Robots, Rocket ships and cute girls. Escape to the colorful adventure in the first installment of Robot Bastard! Yes, geeks of the world, this is the one you've been praying for.

The President's Daughter has been kidnapped by the brilliant super-criminal Blood Mamba. All rescue attempts have been thwarted by the evil genius. There's only one thing left to do: send in the Robot. The Robot must fight zombie-monsters and insecurity in order to complete his suicidal mission.

This marks the directorial debut of Rob Schrab (Creator of Scud: the Disposable Assassin and Heat Vision and Jack)."

The animation in this film is spot on, the one-liners are hilarious, the sets, the lighting, the sounds - everything just seems to work! Truly one of the strangest, most stylish and bad ass videos your likely to come across for free (legally!)

If you want to check this out then head on over to the Official Site, where you'll be able to download the film, the trailer and all the goodies.

Highly recommended!

News: Man Bullied By Aliens

2010-07-19T06:29:00.000-07:00

What are the chances of a meteor crashing through your house in your lifetime? Probably not that likely. So what is the chance that within the past few years six meteors will crash down onto your house? Next to nothing, I'd say. Unless of course your name is Radivoje Lajic!

In 2008, Radivoje received worldwide interest after a fifth meteor crashed into his house. Astrologers, scientists and plenty others were completely confused by this rare occurrence. Within the past couple of months, two more meteors have rained down on his house. Luckily for him, he's had his roof reinforced with steel (funded by selling the first meteor). Is this just down to luck or some sort of natural phenomenon? The simple answer is, neither - or at least in Lajic's eyes. "I am obviously being targeted by extraterrestrials," he says, as he questions what he has done to "annoy them?"

Is this all just down to chance? Luck? Or are aliens really bullying Mr. Lajic?

One thing's for certain though. I bet those that believe there's a connection between Bigfoot and aliens are having a field day! Aliens throwing rocks?!

An Article

Win The Perfect Sleep

2010-07-18T10:58:00.000-07:00

It's sunday, which means there's yet another prize up for grabs. As ever, all you have to do to win it is head on over to the Cult Labs forum and follow the rules. Simple!

“A FANTASTIC, WONDERFUL RIDE. IT’S FILM NOIR ON CRACK.” – GARY OLDMAN.

Described by the Independent Film Quarterly as “Goodfellas meets Chinatown… [a] modern gangster masterpiece”, The Perfect Sleep, the directorial debut feature from Jeremy Alter, is a stylish, contemporary film noir that owes as much to Shakespeare (references to Hamlet, Othello and King Lear abound) as it does to the works of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. A co-producer of ‘Inland Empire’ and location manager on ‘Lost Highway’, director Alter also wears his Lynchian influences on his sleeve as he presents star and scriptwriter Anton Pardoe’s (himself a location assistant on ‘Lost Highway’) hard-boiled, noirish world of ruthless gangsters, femme fatales and morally unsound detectives as a dark and vivid dreamscape full of tormented characters.

In a timeless, unidentified city (which may or may not be Los Angeles), a man with no name (Pardoe) returns to the violent, brutal domain of gangsters and assassins he left ten years before, back when they dubbed him The Mad Monk for his disregard for his own life and his intense devotion to one woman, Porphyria (Roselyn Sanchez).

The girl he grew up with and the love of his life, Porphyria is now a beautiful woman - the only thing he has ever wanted and the one thing he can never have. She, alone, is the reason for his return. Her life now in danger, he is the only man who can save her. But waiting for him are several killers who would like nothing more than to see him die a painful death, while standing at their forefront is the formidable Nikolai (Patrick Bauchau), the man who raised him and just might be his father. To protect Porphyria, this unnamed man must revisit his former life of torment and torture and confront the father figure he turned his back on so many years ago.

Co-starring Roselyn Sanchez (Without A Trace), Patrick Bauchau (2012), Peter J. Lucas (Inland Empire) and Michael Pare (the Bloodrayne movies), The Perfect Sleep is a dreamy, often nightmarish, film noir enhanced by stunning cinematography, ethereal locations and a cool, atmospheric musical score by David Vanian, the frontman of punk-goth legends, The Damned.

The Perfect Sleep (cert. tbc) will be released on DVD (£15.99) by Icon Home Entertainment on 26th July 2010.

Spontaneous Combustion - Six For The Price Of One.

2010-07-17T05:38:00.000-07:00

Ladies, gentlemen, misfits, creeps and weirdos, here at the Circus of the Freaky I, the Freak, plan on telling you as many freaky and disturbing TRUE stories as possible. So, along with all the strange news, I'll also be going back into time and posting about past events. So to kick start this off, here's a true story about Spontaneous Combustion! It's getting hot in here.

Everyone knows what Spontaneous Combustion is (and I'm not talking about Tobe Hooper's terrible film of that name) but no one knows for sure why and how these incredibly disturbing events happen, leaving everyone hot under the collar. Here's one particular story that provides a lot of unanswered questions for, unlike the majority of SC cases, this one involved more than one person at once. In fact, six people went up in flames! Eeek.

Smokin'!

It all took place towards the end of December, 1976, Lagos, when a family of seven were involved in this tragic and spooky event. Out of the seven members, six of them burst into flames for no apparent reason, leaving only one person (the mother) to live with the horror that she witnessed for the rest of her life. The majority of Human Spontaneous Combustion reports center upon one person, but this case confused the whole phenomenon even further. An on the spot investigation after the event found six ex-humans burnt to cinders. Firstly, the heat required to burn a single person is very...hot. In fact a human cremation requires the body to be burnt several times and then the bones and all that remains to be crushed into a powder. So for a fire to engulf and reduce a living human to dust in just a matter of seconds would require an unbelievable (some may say unholy) amount of heat. Let alone to burn six individuals! And like most SHC cases the objects in this room appeared to be untouched, even the highly flammable cotton mattress which laid untouched next to the reduced bodies.

Upon further investigation, no traces of foul play including the ignition of petrol, etc was found.

Very creepy.

Traaaaains!

2010-07-17T04:42:00.000-07:00

There's no denying that we are living in a zombie boom. Over the past few years zombies have taken over everywhere. From low-budget films to big blockbusters, to books, comics, music, clothes, TV, insurance, cakes, Lego, EVERYTHING! So it's not a real surprise that the flesh-eating undead have also popped up in advertisements. Adverts! The latest one comes straight from Virgin Trains and it is quite simply awesome.

Rob Zombie's Bigfoot - A Graphic Graphic Novel

2010-07-17T04:11:00.000-07:00

Bigfoot - The big hairy guy that's supposedly one with nature; a kind and caring creature. Often represented as being a shy and timid beast with only one problem: that's just too damn boring! No one cares about love-giving, tree-hugging yetis with flowers in their hair. Nope. Everyone prefers the flesh-eating, brain-smashing, rib-cracking, human-killing, psychotic-son-of-a-hairy-bitch beast from Hell that lurks in the darkness of the woods ready to rip any and every man, woman and child apart and feast on their steaming innards.

Or maybe that's just me.

Well if, like me, you prefer you Sasqatch scary then this extremely graphic graphic novel is right up your alley! Created by Rob Zombie (a man best known for his admiration of horror films, his music and his own films - less said about his Halloween remakes the better), Steve Niles (a king among graphic novels with work including 30 Days Of Night, Criminal Macabre and 28 Days Later: The Aftermath) and Richard Corben (the creator of many of the awesome Meatloaf CD artwork and Heavy Metal) this comic is a must for fans of Bigfoot horror.

The plot of these (a total of four comics) is very straight forward and doesn't provide the Sasquatch Horror 'genre' with too much that is new; except of course a crazy body count and quite a bit of sex, typical of a RZ film. It tells the story of a psycho Bigfoot that bursts into a cabin and kill a young boys mother and father in front of his eyes. A few years later the boy (now a man!) is back in the town...and so is Bigfoot who's mighty pissed off. Like most yeti films, there's a large portion of 'Bigfoot? There's no such thing!" dialogue followed by the characters realising they're wrong and going off to kick some hairy ass. Only difference is, as previously mentioned, is the body count. Often characters are brought into the story merely to stack up the pile of bodies. They're literally in it for just afew frames before they're killed off!

So if you want some with plenty of death, check this one out. It's not the best graphic novel I've ever read - a long way from it in fact, but the artwork is brilliant as is the writing (watch out for a couple of references too). So if you can find these cheap, be sure to pick them up. There's not too many Bigfoot horror stories, let alone graphic novels. I'd recommend it - a very quick read, but a very enjoyable one nevertheless.

There's been quite a few rumours regarding ol' Zombie making this into a film. If this does go ahead then I'm pretty sure we can see a big boom in Bigfoot films in the future. Here's hoping.

Blog Recommendation

2010-07-15T16:09:00.000-07:00

If you enjoy horror films, science-fiction cinema, exploitation and B-Movies in general, then be sure to check out the below two sites for some absolutely cracking reviews!

Pedro Of The Dead

and

The B-Movie Motel

Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!

2010-07-15T08:21:00.000-07:00

Planet of the Apes (1968). Who hasn't heard of this? A film so amazing it quickly spawned one of sci-fi cinema's greatest franchises, a TV-series, tones of rip-offs and cash-ins (even the spanish Blind Dead zombie series attempted to cash in), merchandise and even a (crappy in comparison) remake. This is a true cinematic masterpiece which I urge all to see. This film blows other so called sci-fi classics such as Star Wars (1977) clean out of this solar system.

What's it about?

Well the plot is pretty straight forward and I'm sure most of you will know it. A group of astronauts are traveling to a nearby planet however something causes the ship to suffer from a few problems. Next thing they know they've landed on a strange planet, 2,000 years into the future. Upon further investigation of their new home they come across, what appears to be a primitive and mute version of man. Their plans of ruling these humans are quickly thwarted as several man-sized gorillas riding horses capture them. Only one survives, George Taylor (Charlton Heston) only to find that this planet is run by man-sized apes. Will he escape? Will he survive? Or will he be experimented on by the monkeys and kept in a cage for the rest of his life?

Review

Often described as being one of the greatest science fiction films ever to be made, it's easy not to see why, and I for one fully agree with this statement. Every part of this film (besides the occasional problems with the ape make-up) is perfect. Each of the characters, from Taylor to the apes, are fully dimensional (and fantastically acted by an incredible cast) - there are no stock characters here with little to offer than cliched stereotypes. The music by Jerry Goldsmith is just incredible as is the Gaudi inspired sets of the ape landscape. The plot and the pace of the story is another breathtaking part of this film. With moments as slow and provoking as the best scenes in Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey of the same year and other moments full of action and suspense.

But I think the element that makes this my top sci-fi of all time is the ideologies that the film holds; it's view and critique of society - which are still very much true to this day. It critiques institutions and areas of our culture that are so intertwined within our society that they are inseparable, such as religion, family, laws, science and the role that humanity assumes within this earth. These critiques however are not pushed under your nose, you are not slapped repeatedly around the face with them as, I would say, is the problem with George A. Romero's recent zombie outings including Land, Diary and Survival of the Dead, but instead they are much more subtle but still very much unmissable and unavoidable. A very delicate balance perfectly achieved. During a period when the hippy movement was at it's height and the notion of anti-Vietnam war was a trendy and 'cool' view to have in America, Planet of the Apes, does not fall into this category. It is far more intelligent that just following the crowd. In fact, it even critiques the sheep-like qualities of hippy-culture at the time of the film's release and the, arguably, ironic empowerment of individualism when dressed similarly, listening to similar music, sharing similar views, etc.

With some of the greatest lines in film history, most notably "Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!" and the aforementioned qualities its no wonder that this film is, deservedly so, highly regarded. Another interesting aspect to take in consideration here, when discussing the period the film was made (1968) is the recent interest in apes and more specifically the theory of evolution of man's role in the universe. For it was this year (1968) which saw the infamous Paterson-Gimlin film of the supposed Bigfoot strolling off into the trees - which caused a huge wave of debates and a new spark in apes.

So overall, this is without a shadow of a doubt one of the best films of all time and the best sci-fi film you'll ever see. Check it out if you have not done so already. You won't regret it.

The biggest problem however is, if you're a fan of The Simpson and have seen the Planet of the Apes Dr. Zaius musical spoof, it'll ruin the film for you, especially the ending. D'oh!

It's a mad house! A MAD HOUSE!

Two Horror Related Adverts

2010-07-15T07:14:00.000-07:00

Adverts. Commericals. Whatever you like to call them one thing's for certain, most of them annoy the hell out of people. From their stupid 'Go compare' shouty-man to the cute-but-so-annoying-you-want-to-kick speaking animals. So here are two horror themed adverts. If only there were more of these.

First up we have an advert staring the golemn himself, Frankenstein's monster, Adam.

And next up, yet another annoying Windows advertisement. But this time, with the infamous scene from Lucio Fulci's Zombie Flesh Eaters! It's amazing how this film's reputation has changed over the years...

The body of a Chupacabra?

2010-07-15T04:12:00.000-07:00

In North Texas the sightings of possible Chupacabra's have, it seems, rocketed within the past few days. Over the course of three days two unidentified animals have been killed which have a strong resemblance to the (supposedly) mythical creature that sucks the blood of goats and (according to myth) can eat human babies, not to mention the countless sightings and encounters of these creatures in these region of Texas. Animal control officers are even confused as to what this creature could be. Is it the real thing? Have we just found undeniable prove that these creatures do exist? Or is it a rather ugly looking dog?

Here's a link to an article on this news.

Zombie Car Crash!

2010-07-14T11:12:00.000-07:00

Here's a rather strange news story for you. It's pretty simple really. A group of five where driving towards a party when they were involved in a horrendous accident that resulted in the car tipping over. Witnesses to the crash described in horror how after what they thought was a fatal crash, several zombies began to claw and crawl their way out of the wreckage causing a lot of panic. It turned out that the 'zombies' were infact the group of five, very much alive, but dressed in zombie costumes for the fancy dress party!

The Metro

Download a piece of obscure zombie history.

2010-07-14T08:19:00.000-07:00

We all, probably, know the history of the cinematic zombie. Starting with voodoo zombies and then progressing to the flesh-eating kind with Romero's masterpiece Night of the Living Dead. But few people know about The Peoria Plague. This was an early 1970s radio broadcast that was very similar to the 1938 broadcast of The War of the Worlds by Orson Welles. It sounds like a normal radio broadcast, but things start to become increasingly scary as chaos begins to destroy the country. The undead have risen and this is what a radio broadcast would probably sound like.

Amazing stuff which should be known about among Zombie Aficiandos. So check it out!

Here's the link to download it, since it's quite hard to track down.

Enjoy :)

Dead Rising 2 'Outbreak' Edition

2010-07-14T08:12:00.000-07:00

Maybe to make up for the fact that this game has been put back a few months, Capcom revealed today that a new special edition of this will be available to purchase for the PS3 and XBOX 360. The set includes the new game (obviously), a 12" zombie figure complete with accessories such as a Lego mask, and free downloadable content!

WIN The Beast In Space!

2010-07-13T15:19:00.000-07:00

This week over at the Cult Labs forum I'm giving away the incredibly sleazy and incredibly cheesy sci-fi sexploitation film, The Beast in Space! Head on over the forum to be in a chance with winning.

“ [IT] WILL IMPALE YOUR BRAIN WITH ITS SLEAZY DEMENTIA.” – DVD VERDICT

Science fiction was never so wild and depraved as it is in The Beast In Space, a sex mad intergalactic saga starring Sirpa Lane (Love Goddess Of The Cannibals) who’d already shocked the world when she starred in Walerian Borowczyk’s notorious art-house porno classic, ‘The Beast’. She now returns in this mind-blowing, completely unofficial, outer space set “sequel” as a woman forced to submit to the carnal lusts of an horrific space monster in a movie that gives trash cinema lovers exactly what they want in a riot of space disco insanity, sci-fi oddness and twisted eroticism.  

Mind scrambling aliens, eye scorching special effects and the co-star presence of porn diva Marina Hedman (Satan’s Baby Doll) combine to make The Beast In Space one of the strangest trips you’ll ever take.  

This exclusive Shameless Rebuild presentation of The Beast In Space features the bonus attraction of extra footage, added by the film’s producers and previously only available in a hardcore, XXX porn version release.

The Beast In Space (cert. 18) will be released on DVD (£15.99) by Shameless Screen Entertainment on 26th July 2010. Special Features include: Shameless Rebuild with extra footage, previously only available in XXX version; alternate scenes comparisons; reversible sleeve featuring original artwork; optional English subtitles; theatrical trailer; Shameless trailers.

News: Bigfoot Family Living In Man's Backyard!

2010-07-08T05:46:00.000-07:00

The Radio Show, Overnight AM, have contacted and interviewed a 70-year old man, named Mike, who claims that a family (or group) of Sasquatch often visit his back garden at night. He claims the pack consists of an adult male, adult female and two infants. If the gentleman is genuine and he has (and is) witnessing these creatures then this could be the single most important development in zoology. Just think. Click the link below to listen to the interview and be amazed as Mike answers the questions and explains how he is witnessing the family in the background as he speaks! It's incredible.

Bigfoot in the Backyard Show

Attack of the Mutant Animals!

2010-07-07T09:31:00.000-07:00

No it's not a 1950s communist-fearing sci-fi film, I'm talking about the sudden abundance of freakishly mutated animals. Added today (here's a link)to the quickly increasing list of mutant pests was this five legged frog which a dog walker spotted. Along with the two headed cow and the 12 fingered/toed child are we seeing a rise in mutants? Could this be the start of a mutant animal outbreak? Hopefully.

This strange occurrence is nothing new however and freaky animals have been recorded before records began (yes, that makes no sense.) So, ladies and gentlemen, here is a list of the best and most famous freaky mutated animals. I present to you the Circus of the Freaky Mutated Creatures...

Oh and NONE of these are photo-shopped in any way. They're the real deal.

1) The Winged Cat - and not just one odd feline either. There's been well over 20 off these creatures. Very strange. How the hell does this happen! Must be something to do with the genes. Unless of course they're parents were naughty pussies.Check out the Wikipedia page for a whole list of them!

2) The Featherless Chicken - Not all mutations are natural or the product of a freak accident. Some are purposefully altered such as the Featherless Chicken which was breed not to just look ugly, but to make it easier to prepare for eating.
Think about it - how macabre could you get.

3) Two Headed Turtle- Born in a Pennsylvanian Aquarium, this little turtle was born with two heads at either end of it's shell, yet only had one pair of back feet and one tail. Teenage Mutant Ninja Conjoined Twin Turtles!

4) Two Faced Star - No, I'm not talking about celebrities! This is a genuine cow with two faces on one head. Born in Virginia has THREE sets of teeth and two tongues. Most freaky of all though is that the cow has only one eye socket in the middle of it's head...with two eyes in!

5) The Triple Cripple Dogs - Puppies! How cute. Well maybe not in this case. These chihuahua triplets were each more without any front legs so they're forced to hop along! And they were born in Virginia too! Something weird's going on there I tell ya! But good news! These dogs are pimping the kennels for they're now each an owner of a set of wheels attached to where their front legs should be. They're even the coolest cats on the street, or the biggest joke in doggy land.

6) Two Nosed Doggy - And you thought dogs had great senses of smell already. Well check out this mutation. Double the power to do some arse-sniffing as all dogs do.

7) Oink Oink - Here's a piglet born with four eyeballs in one eye socket and a long snout. Yummy.

8) Fluorescent Kitty - South Korean scientist have (for some reason) mutated a pair of kittens so that their skin glows bright red and green under a UV light. These people have too much time on their hands.

9) Invisible Toad - Well maybe not quite invisible, but you can clearly see through it. Japanese scientists have mutated a bunch of toads so that they can see through it's skin and observe it's organs. No dissecting for Mr. Toady....for now. They apparently hope it'll cure cancer.

10) The Legs Of A Chick - This New Zealand chick has four legs. Need I say more?

11) The Two Mouthed Trout - Something a bit fishy about this animal. Found in Nebraska 2005 by the fisherman who caught it (!) the trout had two mouths (although one didn't have a purpose).

12) Giant Bunny - Anyone seen Night Of The Lepus? Here's a giant rabbit that goes by the name of Rabi. Within one year of it's birth it weighed 10kg and was 94 cm tall!

13) Two Faced Kitten - What is it with mutated cats?! Anyways, here's a mutant two-faced kitten - a genuine photo from The Sun.

14) Pink Pussy - Brumas the cat came home from a nice stroll one day to give his owners somewhat of a shock. He had strangely come back with pink fur! The vets found no traces of toxic influence or paint. The cat is still healthy.

15) Two Trunked Eli - In August of 2005, Ripley's was given the head of an elephant with two trunks! Very strange.

16) What the fuck is that?! - I present to you the one eyed kitten. Meow. Sadly it died after a few hours of birth.

17) The Satanic Feline - Am I the only one who thinks this mutant cat looks...evil? Sure they're not horns they're ears but still!

18) A Little Horse - Clear your throat then! Here is the smallest horse ever! Measuring only 35cm tall, Einstein the foal does not suffer from Dwarfism he is just a midget. Aww.

So that's it! If you have any other mutated animals (not faked) then add a comment and post them! Next time I'll have to do a mutant human one.

Last 5 Films Seen

2010-07-07T06:48:00.000-07:00

Time for the last 5 films seen list. Complete with mini-reviews and clips! Hooray!

1) Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (1979)
Forget the Burton version of this Sondheim classic musical, that is NOTHING compared to the original stage version. The songs are better, the acting is better, the comedy is better, everything is better. Out of all the versions of Sweeney Todd none have quite come close to this particular version and George Hearn and Angela Lansbury are the best Todd/Lovett you'll ever see. Highly HIGHLY recommended!

2) The Capture Of Bigfoot (1979)
The 1970s was one of the most prolific decades for the incredibly underrated Bigfoot film. Sure the films were bad, and this is no exception, but they were a lot of fun too. This is one of the better ones complete with an evil villain with a maniacal laugh, a car chase, lots of snow and some sentiment thrown in there too.

3) Bigfoot: An Unforgettable Encounter (1994)

Unforgettable my arse! As much as I try to forget this stupid film I can't - it's as though it's been sewn into my brain with a pneumatic drill! Unlike the above film, this Sasquatch film is a kiddy friendly film, in other words, it's rubbish. Starring Clint Howard and the annoying kid from Home Improvement this film is a series of unbelievably stupid scenes. Take for example the parents who only start to worry that their kids are in the forest by themselves during the night when Bigfoot is mentioned. Or the fact that Bigfoot gives kids piggybacks. Oh and lets not forget the Bigfoot Vs. Bear fight. Insultingly stupid and with a 'save nature' message that is so obvious that you feel like it's being rammed down your throat by a sumo on a pogo stick. Avoid unless you want a good laugh.

This is the best scene from the entire film: Bigfoot Vs. Bear

4) Amityville II: The Possession (1982)

Ask anyone to name a haunted house and the majority would, most likely, say the Amityville Horror House. Easily one of the most famous which not only spawned evil but a whole book and film franchise! I am a big believer of the original book, though I find the resulting films and books were just there to make money and far from the truth - don't even get me started on the remake. True - yeah right! But this film is a great film - well for the most part. Full of great eerie moments, amazing cinematography, excellent score and fantastic acting this prequel is a lot of scary fun. Until the last half hour in which about several million endings are squashed into the film. They should've ended this with the murders. The end. Goodbye. Thank you for an awesome film. What a shame the last 20-30 mins ruin the film.

5) Bigfoot: Holler Creek Canyon (2006)

Oh boy. Why do I watch such crap? If Bigfoot: An (unfortunately) Unforgettable Encounter was a terrible kid's Bigfoot film, well here's the adult equivalent. Whilst it's full of sex it lacks the one main reason I watched this film: BIGFOOT! A Bigfoot film where Bigfoot only appears to make a cameo. The story, the acting, everything is just rubbish and not in a 'so-bad-its-good' way either. More of a 'so-bad-you'll-want-to-rape-your-eyes-with-a-screwdriver' bad. Although I have to give it credit where credits due. The Bigfoot suit looked very good, the gore was nice (if VERY rare) Ron Jeremy was as sleazy as ever and the ending (which I wont spoil) has to be the best Bigfoot 'death' ever. Avoid the film...except for the last few moments.

Zombie News!

2010-07-07T05:45:00.000-07:00

Here at Circus of the Freaky, I aim to bring to you not only reviews of freaky horror films, weird news stories, unexplained mysteries and other such paranormal hoohar but also the latest in (awesome) zombie news. So every now and then, I, the Freak, shall post a couple of links to the best and newest zombie material. Enjoy!

To kick start it all off....

Everyone's heard about the Orson Welles radio broadcast of War Of The Worlds which caused wide-spread panic across America. What with the recent popularity of zombies it wasn't long before there was a zombie version of this radio broadcast (not to mention the War Of The Worlds Plus Blood, Guts And Zombies book) which was entitled Zombie Influx. This CD presented itself as a real life radio broadcast of a zombie outbreak complete with sound effects and great music. Check out the site here for more information. Now, another one has come along and it goes by the name of The Zombie Cookbook. A CD very similar to Zombie Influx but with a focus more on Metal (music). Click this link to listen to a few tracks.

NEXT:

Everyone who is anyone in the field of zombie fandom has played Left 4 Dead (1 & 2). There's no two ways about it. That's just the way it is. And for those who have the PC version, well another brilliant Mod has been release. A Mod that allows the player/s to fight hordes of flesh-eating, screaming zombies in the world of Indiana Jones. I present to you: Indiana Jones And The Temple Of The Zombies! The link here allows you to download the Mod for free! Oh yeah!

And next...

Fancy yourself as a bit of a writer? Enjoy zombie stories? Then check out this! It's an upcoming zombie anthology (yes, ANOTHER one) but this one's Christmas themed! And what's more they're looking for zombie stories. So, send in your short zombie stories and your work may very well be published! AND it's all in the name of charity! Excellent!

And Finally...

Colouring books. You must've had one as a kid. But now you're too old to have one? Right? Wrong! The guys over at Zombies And Toys have released an adult colouring book full of incredibly gory zombie pictures! So, grab the crayons and start filling in the gaps. But whatever you do, DON'T GO OVER THE LINES!

The book goes by the name of Shades Of Decay and can be found here!

Old Horror Radio Shows.

2010-07-06T13:30:00.000-07:00

If, like me, you absolutely adore horror stories then you may very well enjoy this site. It's an online library full of Free downloadable (100% legal) old radio plays. With many horror icons such as Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, Bela Lugosi and even Abbott and Costello voicing many of the stories, these are great to listen to at the dead of night. So check out the site, download as many free horror radio plays as you wish and prepare to be spooked!

The Monster Club

Weekly Comp - Samurai Zombie - 04/07/2010

2010-07-06T10:08:00.000-07:00

Besides running this blog, I also run the competitions on the Cult Labs forums. For those who haven't visited this site, I cannot recommend it high enough if you're a fan of film, especially cult/horror/exploitation. Full of great, knowledgable and very friendly members this is the one forum you'd ever need to join.

This week's competition prize is...

“GOOD NASTY FUN WITH GREAT ACTION SEQUENCES, ACTUAL PLOT TWISTS AND SMART, LIGHT-FINGERED CARTOON VIOLENCE.” – BOXOFFICE.COM

From screenwriter Ryuhei Kitamura (director of ‘The Midnight Meat Train’ and writer-director of ‘Versus’) and director Tak Sakaguchi (the star of ‘Versus’ and fight choreographer for ‘Tokyo Gore Police’ and ‘Vampire Girl Vs. Frankenstein Girl’) comes Samurai Zombie, a splatter-filled, genre blending, horror-comedy that delivers precisely what its title promises.

A vacationing family’s drive through the tranquil woods surrounding Eight Spears Village takes an unfortunate turn when their car hits a gun-toting man standing in the middle of the road. Suddenly, a young man and woman emerge from the woods and, after shooting the accident victim, proceed to car-jack the family taking them hostage in the process. The situation immediately goes from bad to worse when the car suffers a blowout and dad is sent off in search of a spare tyre or an alternative means of transport while his wife and two kids remain in the hands to the two apparent psychopaths.

Unfortunately, any sign of deliverance for dad, his family or their captors is a long way off. Before he can find help, a mysterious encounter with a rather large blade leaves the head of the family headless, precipitating a bloody rainfall and the resurrection of a long-dead samurai warrior with a mean streak and a score to settle. Meanwhile, back at the car, a derelict old hag appears before the stranded group with a dire but frighteningly convincing warning: “You’re all going to die!” Confirmation of this stark proclamation soon comes in the form of the undead warrior looking to add to his newly-begun collection of severed heads.

A highly recommended addition to the recent wave of Japanese extreme splatter movies, Samurai Zombie sees director Sakaguchi and writer Kitamura playing for laughs and shocks in equal measure with a joyously demented zombie flick that includes scenes of explosive geyser-spouting decapitations, hilariously graphic dismemberment, wince-inducing oral castration and the introduction of a pair of bumbling cops with an amusing case of serious gun envy. Size, it appears, is everything.

Samurai Zombie (cert. tbc) will be released on DVD (£15.99) by MVM on 19th July 2010.

So head on over to the Cult Labs forums to be in with a chance of winning!

Two Headed Cow Born - A Miracle?

2010-07-06T09:26:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's right, this is moo joke. Last Saturday a cow was born in Egypt with two (fully functional) heads! The farmer and several others instantly described it as a 'devine miracle' and surely a sign of God. I, on the other hand, think it's an ugly freak. What's the point of a two-headed cow?! There's not much meat on a skull! A miracle or a freak? Whatever it is, one thing is for certain; cow's are officially the greediest animals. First three stomachs and now two heads! The spoilt cow.

Article

OAP tortured and buried alive for two years!

2010-07-06T09:02:00.000-07:00

Everyone has a phobia, from spiders to buttons, but perhaps one of the most terrifying is being buried alive. Premature burial was such a prominent fear during the 18th/19th centuries that coffins were specially designed just in case of such an incident, complete with a bell, and occasionally even a toilet! So, unsurprisingly, it's a very serious fear. Now imagine being buried alive (in a coffin) for two years - only being fed once a day. Now imagine being buried alive in a coffin for two years by your very own family. Now try, if you can, to imagine being buried alive by your family and tortured through several holes drilled into the coffin.

Well, for one 72 year old man this was very real. It all took place in West India where eight family members (perhaps even more) buried the old man alive and tortured him daily. But why? For a portion of his land. Madness.

The Sun article.

Bigfoot: A Fan Of Rock Music!

2010-07-06T08:36:00.000-07:00

Bigfoot. Besides problematic footage, the odd footprint and 'hair' samples not much is known about the creature. So much so many people think it's just bullshit. But one thing is for certain; Bigfoot is a Hard Rock musician. Naturally.

A Sasquatch costumed Hard Rock band that are so awesome they could rock the roof off any Yeti's cave. Consisting of the Abominable Frontman, the ladies-apeman drummer SasCrotch, the hairiest Bassist to live, BassQuatch and lead guitarist Shredi the Yeti this throwback to the 1970s rock band is quickly gaining a huge following of Bigfoot and rock fans alike.

Check out the group's MySpace or Facebook page for more details and of course the videos on YouTube too.

\m/ \m/

Never Prank The Bigfoot!

2010-07-02T05:02:00.000-07:00

If you saw a Sasquatch right in front of you, what would you do? Try to capture it on video? Perhaps. But what if you saw a Sasquatch whilst you ate Jack Links Beef Jerky? Well that's a whole different story. You're going to prank that hairy beast! But that may not be the best idea....

Robert The Doll

2010-07-01T12:48:00.000-07:00

Haunted toys. We've all seen them in films. From Puppet Master to Child Play, haunted dolls provide great material for horror movies. But do such things exist? Well, the simple answer would appear to be, Yes. One of the most notorious cases involves a little doll that goes by the name of Robert and what a weird and VERY scary doll it is too. Is the doll really possessed/ alive?

It all started in 1896, when a young Robert Eugene Otto (who would later grow up to be an adult) was given a rather special doll by the family’s servant. A servant who, according to the legend, was very knowledgeable about voodoo and hated the family; not a great combination. At first, Robert Eugene played with his doll, who he had also named Robert, like any normal child would at that time. He would talk to it, play with it, etc. Surely there was nothing wrong with having an imaginary friend. But how imaginary was it? And how friendly was it? As the years passed, Eugene became more and more obsessed with the doll, giving Robert his own seat at the diner table, wher
e he would sneak food and ‘feed’ the doll, Robert would be taken into the bathroom whenever Eugene bathed, and tucked in right next to him at night. The pair were inseparable. Then Eugene’s parents and the servants began to hear giggling and strange conversations coming from the play room between Eugene and...who? The conversations would be in a hushed tone and the servants swore that the other voice was a different voice, an insistent voice. On occasions his mother would burst into the room to find, to her bewilderment, Eugene crouched in the corner of the room whilst the doll sat on a chair or the bed apparently staring at the boy...perhaps not to speak.

The cases of unexplainable and weird events quickly escalated. Children walking home from school believed they could see the doll glaring at them and moving about the Turret Room. Cutlery, silverware and plates were found tossed across the room and many of Eugene’s other toys were found destroyed and savaged. Whenever Eugene was asked about this, he replied with only three words. Those words were “Robert did it.” But more terrifying was what happened when Eugene’s family tried to cure this boy from playing with ‘imaginary’ ‘friends’. One day, Eugene’s great aunt instructed his mother to lock the toy away in a box hidden out of sight in the attic. The next morning, the aunt was found dead in her bed. Coincidence? Possibly. What if I were to mention that the following night, Robert resumed his place alongside Eugene?

Unlike most children, Eugene did not grow out of this. In actuality, he remained partners with the doll right up to his death in 1977. As time passed however, Eugene finally married but this had little, if any, effect on the doll’s power over Eugene, for he demanded that the doll still have a seat at the meal table and was even placed on a chair facing the couple’s honeymoon bed. Perhaps it is no surprise that the wedding rapidly turned bitter and his wife shortly died for no apparent reason. Her death was quickly followed by the death of Eugene in ’77, but the doll still remained in the house.

Shortly after the couples (untimely?) death, the house, along with Robert, was bought by a new set of owners. However, the stories and rumours that they had previously heard about this toy caused them to be forever suspicious, especially when they’re young daughter started playing with it and acting in exactly the same way. It wasn’t long however, until the iceberg tipped and the owners fled from the house in fear of their lives. One night, the parents woke up after hearing what sounded like giggling, only to find, at the foot of their bed, Robert the inanimate doll clutching a kitchen knife in it’s hand.

Ever since then, Robert has become to stuff of legend and is a key attraction at East Martello Museum where he/it is locked away inside a glass case for those brave enough to look at. But the freaky shit doesn’t end there. Far from it. Guards of the museum say that they can often hear giggling coming from the area where the doll is placed. They even leave him sweets for being behaved. Moreover, visitors (often those who do not even know the stories) have screamed in fear after believing they have actually seen the doll’s face change expression before their very eyes. It is also said that anyone who wishes to take a photo of the doll must ask Robert first. If he moves his head or smiles then the photos can be taken. If however the lights flicker, permission is not given or visitors do not ask, the camera often breaks or, more commonly, the photo is distorted, blurred or blacked out. This happens to this very day. It is believed that Robert's soul is slowly dying, perhaps a reason for the doll's hair changing colour to gray. One thing that confuses me is that after all these years, being looked at by thousands of visitors, locked up in a glass case, would he have tried to break free already? Or does this prove that the doll is nothing more than...a doll?

Recently, however, the doll was analysed using an Aura detecting camera. And as can be seen in the picture, it is very clear that this doll, according to that, has an aura! Interestingly, apparently the colour blue conveys, "deep feeling, communication, peace and love," while a purple (or violet) aura conveys, "Magical, unifying, deep spiritual understanding." - Robertthedoll.org

What about the house? Well, that’s still a very creepy place despite the refurbishments and developments. Giggling can still be heard up in the Turret room and perhaps most tragically, the ghost of Eugene’s wife is said to haunt the house as though her soul is trapped by Robert.

Urban Legend 1: The Drip

2010-07-01T08:59:00.000-07:00

Ladies and Gentlemen and everyone else, here at the Circus of the Freaky Urban Legends are the staple diet for the demons that dwell in the darkness. Everyone loves to hear them, even if they may not be totally true, they still have the power to send shivers up the spines of listeners, especially on a cold, stormy night. Every legend has a beginning.

So, grab your safety blanket as we kick off with the very first Circus Of The Freaky Urban Legend. Below are three well known modern Legends, each of which share two things in common; an old lady and a dog. Nothing creepy about that, I hear you squeal.

The first one is an Urban Legend I like to call "The Old Woman and the Dripping Dog"

This story centers around an elderly female widow. Her husband had died not too long ago and she had no children to look after her. Luckily, she did have one very-close and loyal companion; her pet Labrador. These two were as close as you can imagine, for without the other's presence they would surely live a lonely life until their inevitable death. Now, one night (let's say a cold, stormy night!), the old woman had finished locking up her house, meticulously making sure each door in the house was shut and locked as she usually would do, for a lonely elderly woman is an easy target. As per usual, the woman made her way up to her bedroom, turned of the light and laid in her bed. And as always her dog followed behind and slept underneath the bed. Normal. Status Quo....but not for long.

In the early hours of the morning, the old lady was awoken by a sound. A loud sound of something dripping. She was certain that she had turned the taps off after she used the bathroom. Paralysed with fear, the lady was unable to get out of bed and investigate the noise. Instead, she turned over and attempted to ignore it and fall back asleep. Her hand flopped over the side of the bed, to which she was reassuringly licked by her dog.

An hour or so passed and again the dripping woke her up. Getting rather pissed off with the constant dripping she decided to investigate. Again her hand is licked and she steps out of bed. Leaving the bedroom light off she makes her way out of the room and into the bathroom. The noise of the dripping becomes louder and louder as she steps closer and closer.

When she pushes the bathroom door open and flicks the light on, horror sweeps over her weak body. A sight of pure terror lays before her. Hanging from the shower hose is her dog's decapitated body. It's blood dripping out of it's neck as it splashes into the crimson stained tub. Laying next to the plughole is the dog's severed and gruesome head. Shocked, the old lady falls backwards against the bathroom's mirror. She stares in disbelief for there's a message on this mirror. A message that's written in the blood of her beloved pet. The message reads "Aren't you glad you didn't turn your bedroom light on, my dear?"

Urban Legend 2: Hot Dog!

2010-07-01T08:44:00.000-07:00

Now, you rotten scumbags, time for the next dog/OAP related spook story. This one I call "Hot Dog"....

A rather old lady, around the age of 60, offered to look after her daugter's new puppy, whilst she went out with her husband to see their young sons perform in their school's play. The house is empty and there's nothing on TV, so, the woman has an idea; let's take the dog for a walk! Why not? Why not, indeed.

The lady puts the young puppy on a lead and heads outside, locking the door behind her. But on their walk, the weather begins to change dramatically and suddenly pours down with heavy rain(Some people would say, it rained Cats & Dogs!...I'll get my coat). Quickly, the woman and the dog ran back home (that is as fast as an OAP can 'run'). She unlocked the door, headed inside and threw off her soaking wet coat. Looking down she saw the little puppy shivering and wet; it's small cute face peering up at her with large eyes.

Instantly, the lady has yet another 'genius' idea. How would she dry the dog off quickly? Why, by using the microwave of course! How could that possibly be a good idea? I have no clue, but it seems to have made perfect sense to the questionably sane woman.

She popped the confused pup into the microwave, shut the door and switched it on. Just then, she hears a loud noise coming from upstairs. How could that be? All the windows and doors were locked. She was alone in the house.

Or was she?

Grabbing a kitchen knife she slowly, but bravely, headed upstairs.

The microwave continued to cook.

Several moments later, the front door flew open. In steped the woman's daughter, her husband and her two young boys (aged 8 and 6) all huddled under a large umbrella. The daughter shouts out to her mother, "We're home!" But the only answer comes from the microwave.

Ding!

The two boys rush over to the machine, laughing, and pull the door open. But it's not food that they are greeted with. Inside is a gory mess; blood and guts splashed and sprayed around the inside. The puppy is no more.

But what about the mother? What about the sound upstairs?

The front door slams shut.

Urban Legend 3: Alone With The Dogs

2010-07-01T08:32:00.001-07:00

In a similar way to the first story, this Legend focuses on an OAP who has recently lost her husband. And like that story, she too had dog companionship. However, unlike the first, she had more than one dog, in fact she had several.

Well, this story takes place during the summer holiday (early August). The woman's only son's family have gone off on holiday for a month (to Spain where the wife's family live) and asked their neighbour (their only neighbour) to look after her, in case anything should happen. This goes to plan for the first few days as the neighbour constantly checks on the old lady to see how she's coping, etc. But it doesn't last too long, and VERY quickly the neighbour stops visiting. So, the OAP is forced to do everything herself, despite her restrictive old body. A few nights later, the old woman is struggling to step out of the bath. It has a raised edge to it and she is unable to lift her legs up high enough to step over this edge. So, obviously, she struggles, slips and trips cracking her back against the floor tiles. Perhaps it was her old age, or maybe she had broken her already weak neck/spine as she fell, but she was completely paralysed and unable to move from the neck down. Her screams of pain caused the dogs to come rushing up to the bathroom door and begin scratching at it.

A fortnight and a few days later, the woman's family arrived back home (they share the house with the old lady) late at night. But instead of being confronted by a happy woman, there is no sign of her, at least not downstairs. So the slightly concerned family head upstairs.

Then they see it. The bathroom door had been totally smashed in.

The father curriously steps close to the room and peers in. Immediately, he steps back and vomits over the landing's carpet. His wife, seeing her husband bursting into tears, looks into the bathroom.

Inside is her husband's mother. Dead. Bloody. The dogs, each of whom are starring at her, teeth bearing and growling loudly, stand over the woman’s unmoving body. Her face is shredded to the skull, her arms ripped off and her intestines torn out.

The dogs, trapped inside the house and unable to find food, had no other choice but to eat their owner. But did she feel it? Was she still alive whilst she was being chewed by man's best friend?

One thing's for certain, the neighbour won't be getting any party invites any time soon.

Freak.

The Unsolved Mystery Of Number Stations

2010-07-01T06:00:00.001-07:00

Everyone knows about Bigfoot, UFOs, Ghosts and Nessie, but one of the most interesting and creepy lesser-known mysteries has to be, what is often termed as, Number Stations. Unlike the previously mentioned mysteries, the Number Stations phenomena is very real indeed - full of unquestionable evidence. These stations DO exist. Anyone, in possession of a shortwave radio, can tune into one of the many Number Stations at any time.

In short, a Number Station broadcasts a series of continuous and endless numbers occasionally broken up by strange sounds or eerie music. The numbers seem to be read by men, women and even children voices in a bizarre and monotonous tone. Despite questioning governments etc about these broadcasts no one has received a reply. Odd.

But why do they exist?

One of the most widely agreed upon theories to explain this peculiar question is the possibility that it is linked to espionage; spies! Perhaps it's a code that only those with the knowledge to crack it understand. But if this is the case, this begs the question; what messages are they sending for it to be such a secret? Warfare? Or something more sinister? Perhaps they're signals to another world? Another dimension? Time traveling? A strange countdown to some terrible event?

Who knows?

Take a listen for yourself by visiting The Conet Project's site. They're incredibly haunting and creepy.

Leprechaun: America's Most Wanted

2010-07-01T03:54:00.000-07:00

Colorado Police are after an unknown man dressed in a leprechaun costume. He was spotted by several slightly confused shoppers at a local supermarket dressed in all green, complete with a wee little ginger beard, and using his fingers as a gun and for more...obscene gestures! Police have still yet to capture this clover-loving fiend, meaning the little guy is still at large. Police are currently looking for a magical rainbow for further clues.

Was this some kind of prank? An escaped loony? Or was it actually the real deal? Nah, it was probably a loony.

Colorado Daily

Huffington Post

Blonde Bigfoot Close Encounter

2010-06-30T13:02:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest names in Cryptozoology, Bigfoot, was recently seen in North Carolina. According to Tim Peeler, he was just taking a stroll, calling out for coyotes (like you do) when he was greeted by the incredible creature. His description appears to be rather standard; "10-foot tall," hairy, etc. But there was a vital difference. This Bigfoot apparently had "beautiful" blond hair.

Now this story is pretty interesting. First off, the majority of reports describe the 'animal' as a brown haired figure (especially American Sasquatch), so was this one a albino Bigfoot? Secondly, sightings of Bigfoot are incredibly rare, and when one is spotted it is normally hidden behind some branches/trees/etc. So for one to stroll right up to Mr. Peeler is very odd indeed. Was it curious? Was it young and still learning? Or does this prove that blonds really are stupid? (I kid, of course).

No harm was caused to either man or almost-man as the Bigfoot soon fled back into the forest one Peeler started shouting at it, "Get away from here! Get! Get!"

Here's an article for more details.

Vampires. They don't just suck your blood, they crash your car...apparently.

2010-06-30T09:03:00.000-07:00

Breaking news: Vampires, the masters of the dark, are not just after your blood. They're after your motor! Or more specifically your crashed motor.

An unnamed woman driving her SUV through Colorado's Grand Valley swore she sore a winged, fanged cousin of Dracula. She immediately put the SUV into reverse and...fell straight into the canal.

Epic fail.

According to Police they found no evidence that she had smoked a joint or drunk a few too many. Although there was no tracks left by this so called 'vampire' it does seem highly likely that such an incident would happen. With vampires becoming glittery, perhaps the light from her SUV glared of the vamp and disorientated her? Perhaps we will never know.

Article

Article

Jesus Himself or Just a Load of Shit?

2010-06-30T05:12:00.000-07:00

If Jesus was a celebrity he could be put into the same category as Britney Spears and Robbie Williams if this is to be believed. Starting with a boom and ending in a blob. His debut role being in the world-famous Bible and later appearing in many well-renowned paintings. But now he's appearing on slices of toast, frying pans, towels, Google Earth, a dog and now a drainpipe!

According to Alex Cotton from Wyken, Jesus Christ himself has made a very special guest appearance on the side his drainpipe in their house, out of all places. But is this actually the face of one of religion's biggest characters? Or is it just an illusion? One thing's for certain though; this is quite possible the most famous drainpipe in history. Yet, despite this being the first ever time he has shown his face in Coventry, the Pope refuses to visit!

Coventry Telegraph article

Robosaurus - The Definition of awesomeness! Roar!

2010-06-30T04:37:00.000-07:00

What would you see if you looked up the word 'Awesome' in a dictionary? "Robosaurus?" No, you idiot, you would get the definition of 'Awesome!' But no other thing, in this world at least, is quite as awesome as the...awesome ROBOSAURUS!

Forget Godzilla, he's a has-been. For this is pure power! Measuring 40ft (12meters) in height and weighing 30 tons, this monster can crush cars, lorries, and even airplanes in it's jaws. Built in 1988 by Doug Malewicki (for a sum of $2.2 million!), nothing comes close to this monster. Not even the creature it was based on; the almighty T-Rex would look like a midget in a Peter Pan costume compared to this guy. What else can breath fire, crush anything and lift objects 5 storeys off the ground?!

But why there hell was it even made? I'm thinking two things. Either world domination or...world domination. But the Freak is wrong for apparently the whole idea came from wanting to create a real Transformer.

And be sure to check out the creature's own website for some incredible photos/videos and info...

200 Crop Circles Appear in Wiltshire

2010-06-30T03:54:00.000-07:00

A jumbo sized crop circle has appeared in a Wiltshire field, a county known to be one of the UK's biggest UFO hot spots. (Why the hell an alien would want to visit Wiltshire, I don't know) The formation consists off 200 circles of various sizes. Is this just an elaborate hoax (even if that was soooo 90s)? Or are some hooded aliens graffiting our countryside?

Article from The Metro

Personally I very much doubt it's a group of hoaxers with nothing better to do. If you ask me, it's aliens. The circles are signs. Signs warning us off our destruction. Hello apocalypse!

Speaking of crop circles, here's a fascinating video on this mystery...

According to that video, perhaps crop circles are indeed a sign of the end of times. Is it just a coincidence that the crop circle (4:58 on the video) specifically mentions the 30Th June? What day is it today? The 30Th of June. Spooky.

Last 5 Films Seen

2010-06-30T03:14:00.000-07:00

I'm a HUGE fan of horror films, from slashers to zombies to vampires and even to gialli. I can't get enough! So, every now and then I'll post up a list of 5 films that I've seen lately. This will be complete with a tiny little review and a trailer (for the majority). Here goes nothing:

1) The Legend of Bigfoot - Harry Winer, 1976.

Bigfoot. What a guy. Keeps himself to himself and stays out of contact with humans (so much so people question his existence). Sounds a bit like me. In this strange hybrid of a documentary/film, Bigfoot 'celebrity' Ivan Marx attempts to track down the elusive beast. A film almost made up completely with stock footage of wildlife, tenuously linked to the creature, this film can be a bit dull. But for any Bigfoot fans out there, check it out, at least for some giggles. According to this 'documentary', when Bigfoot's in town, goats kill themselves. Oh and Bigfoot migrates. Apparently.

2) Not of this Earth - Roger Corman, 1957.

One of the most prolific independent film makers EVER, Roger Corman, directs this rather dark and very sinister sci-fi horror. An alien being with the power of mind control comes to earth, but he's not here just for the sun. Full of 1950’s red fear and a pretty descent story.

3) Deathsport – Allan Arkush, 1978.

David Carradine takes centre stage again in this rather unrelated sequel to DEATH RACE 2000. Full of stupid costumes, silly vehicles, bad dialogue, mutants and a couple of breasts this film is a treat for the so-bad-its-good fan.

4) House of Wax – Andre De Toth, 1953.

Now we’re talking. Sod the remake. The original is everything you could ever want. Vincent Price in one of his best roles.

5) Them! – Gordon Douglas, 1954.

Quite simply one of the very best monster movies of all time. Full of giant ants, some very tense scenes and oodles and oodles of communist fear. Highly, highly recommended!

King Tut's Tiny Todger may have been Snipped

2010-06-29T12:07:00.001-07:00

It's not everyday that a story about a mummy's penis pops up (so to speak), especially one that's been dead for over 2,680 years! Today, as seen in the site below, King Tutankhamen's infamous curse may not have been placed upon his tomb just to keep his gold save, but also his dignity! Mr Tut suffered from the very rare Antley-Bixler syndrome; a syndrome which results in an elongated skull (as can be seen in many pictures of him) and a 'underdeveloped' wangdoodle, shall we say. Interestingly, the mummified body of Tut was missing his genitalia. What is the answer to this mystery? Was Tut's todger given the snip-snip to save him from any embarrassment?

It's not the size that counts, it's how you Anubis! (That was quite possible the worst 'joke' ever in the history of man/alien kind...EVER!)

Read this for more info

Bigfoot Sightings and Crop Circles on Google Earth

2010-06-29T11:34:00.000-07:00

Check out the following two links below. The first one points out a whole load of Bigfoot sightings/encounters and other such things, whereas the second link demonstrates all the Crop Circles around the UK. They act as an add-on to Google Earth. How close are you to a Bigfoot or a UFO hot spot?

Bigfoot stuff on Google Earth

Crop Circles on Google Earth

Real zombie animals

2010-06-29T09:55:00.000-07:00

Roll up, roll up for the first ever (non-introductory) post on the Circus of the Freaky blog. And what a way to kick it all off.

Whether or not you're prepared for the inevitable zombie apocalypse (if you're not prepared, well, good luck with that), zombies have ripped and torn it's way into pop culture like never before. With what appears to be a never-ending stream of books, games, films, music, clothes, gadgets, gizmo's, and other such zombie themed mumbo jumbo, it's undeniable proof that the zombies have taken over. Don’t get me wrong, the Freak is the biggest zombie fan you’re likely to meat. In fact, I’m currently building an army of those undead flesh-eaters from Hell, but that’s just our little secret. Got it?

So, below are three, apparently, real videos of zombie animals!

Up first we have the re-animated zombie dog's head, along with some very much alive inner organs. It's reportedly footage of a 1956 Soviet experiment by a certain Russian who goes by the name of Sergei S. Bryukhonenko, one of the most prolific characters in regard to open-heart surgery in Russia. What do you think? Real or fake? Is it really alive?

It’s a dog life. But what about cats? Who would like to see a cat running without a brain? Who wouldn’t want to see a cat running without a brain?! Here’s another macabre experiment involving a ‘dead’ moggy seemingly running on a treadmill after it had it’s brains scooped out of its skull. Pretty freaky stuff indeed. But perhaps the biggest worry is whether this proves that uncle Romero was wrong? Would destroying the brain actually (re)kill a zombie?

And finally, this one isn't of the experimental/evil-scientist-with-a-little-too-much-time-on-his-hands video. It is instead a filleted, skinned, headless zombie fish (straight from the local supermarket) flapping around on the counter. Is this one a fake? A sign of the apocalypse? Or a very odd sex toy?

What The Hell Is This Blog?!

2010-06-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

First off...

Ladies, gentlemen, those in between and the not quite human, welcome to the Circus Of The Freaky! I'm your ringleader; The Freak (or, if you like, Kyle).

So what the hell is this blog about? Good question. Basically, this blog is for ALL things freaky, odd, strange, weird and WTF?! Every day (hopefully at least) I shall crawl out of my dungeon and post up a few stories. These will include the latest WTF news stories, old phenomena, unsolved mysteries, mind-boggling scientific breakthroughs, reviews of weird and horrific films/music/books/games. You get the jist.

So, stop picking those puss-filled boils with your extra fingers and enter the Circus of the Freaky. Make yourself at home, pull up a coffin. Igor, go put on the kettle. Our guests have arrived - we've been expecting you.

Kyle