Night Screams DVD review

Image Releasing's presentation of Night Screams isn't the best transfer, nor does it have any extras, but with that aside, the film itself proves to be an entertaining excerise in b-movie fun.  It's amusing when it's not supposed to be, almost making fun of the slasher tropes without the filmmakers seemingly realizing it.  It was probably made as a cheap rip-off without any intention of being quality, but that's where the b-movie factor bumps this film up from crap to your tricket to schlock town.

With plenty of boobs, bad hair, bad clothes, obvious red herrings, bad dancing, a prison break-out of three criminals that barely has anything to do with the plot until the last two minutes of the movie, a bunch of people playing teenagers who are really in their mid-to late twenties, and that open ended finale that we saw coming right from the start, Night Screams celebrates every slasher cliche with an impish gusto.  The gore's weak, but there's enough fun in here to forgive the low hemoglobin index.  I give it a B-, but a hearty B-. 

Mortuary DVD Review

Katarina's Nightmare Theater is at again with this DVD release of Mortuary.  Scorpion Releasing's put out a cleaned up version that's a very nice collectible.  But as far as the actual movie goes...

This should be the coolest movie ever, right?  You get a young Bill Paxton and two people from the cast of Pieces, Christopher George and Lynda Day George.  You've got the recipe for cult coolness, but what you actually get is a boring slasher that's absent of any grizzly killings or suspense. 

Sure, there's the pieces of what could've been a good slasher, including the classic (perhaps overdone) ending with a circle of dead people in chairs after the killer reveals themselves and an ending that leaves things wide open.  Overall, this movie doesn't have enough creepiness or slasher-ness to warrant a repeat view.  Too boring, too predictable, and missing those horror elements we crave. 

C-

Samhain Horror is Alive!

Being a horror fan and author, I feel the need to mention some of Samhain's titles, not just because I'm a Samhain horror author, but because I've really enjoyed the titles they've been putting out.  I've purchased these with my own money, and I've crossed the line between fellow author to author fan.  Here's a few quick bullet style reviews for some of the titles I've especially enjoyed so far.

Elena Hearty's Donor manages to set up a precarious situations right off the bat.  A young woman is trapped in an apartment with two vampires, who want to use her as a blood donor for as long as she can last.  Then when she's used up, the vampires will brutally slaughter her.  What's a girl to do?  Donor is filled with angst, sympathetic and likeable characters, and a fast-paced writing style I can appreciate.  Fun read.  Loved it.

 Kristopher Rufty's Angel Board is  filled with characters who aren't perfect in their life choices or mental states, which provides a great stage for a murderous angel to take care of business.  Don't fuck with this angel, she'll mess you up.  A lot of vivid imagery also makes this horror novel one to check out.  Dark, savage, and also a lot of good old fashioned horror fun.  Recommended!

Hunter Shea's Forest of Shadows is a great novel of ghosts meets suspense.  Fun characters, tension, and paranormal atmopshere make this book a real page turner.  Straight up horror old school style. 

Frazer Lee's The Lamplighters really amps up the dripping horror atmosphere.  Imagine an island filled insane ghostly things and a flesh-loving killer to boot.  The book's not written like a conventional book towards the end, which really lends this one a surreal feel.  This is a pure horror lover's delight. 

 Jonathan Janz's The Sorrows is also another atmospheric rush.  Horror inside of a castle, how can you beat that?  Throw in tits, sexual fantasies, blood, and goat like monsters, and you've got a hell of a good time! 

More quick reviews of Samhain's horror titles to come.  Some people may accuse me of being biased, because I'm a fellow author, but I'm really coming at you as a horror fan.  I think straight horror has needed a boost for awhile, and here it is. I haven't had this much fun reading horror in a long time.  And folks, I don't get free copies, I'm paying for these with my own hard earned green backs.  I don't expect any of the authors to promote or say anything about my work either.  This is honest opinion straight from the horse's big mouth. 

-Alan Spencer