Bringing The Movie To Life: Derby Dreams - Part 2

Naturally, my new hobby comes at a price. First off, the roller derby league highly recommends participating in their skills nights. Fine, that makes sense. I don't really know what I'm doing and could definitely use some pre-tryout training. But, of course, these sessions aren't free. On top of that, I actually have to purchase a pair of skates. I did some thorough research - Googled "roller derby skates" - and checked out the top hit's bestseller list. Of course, the skate at the top spot was the cheapest. I didn't want to go for the bottom of the barrel but didn't want to start spending hundreds of dollars on quads when there's a possibility I might not even make it past tryout day. After much deliberation, I ended up purchasing the moderately priced Riedell R3 Tuners.

My next derby venture was going to require some cash as well. I didn't want to walk into the first of four skills nights without any experience. The league's website suggests training with a local instructor. Fine, but I’m not embarrassing myself in any class. I inquired about arranging a private lesson and after some brief correspondence was all set to meet with the trainer later that week.

Circle of Eight Preview/Review - It Should Seem Confusing Because It Is

Chances are that if you use MySpace, you've seen the trailer or ads for Circle of Eight. Instantly, this being on MySpace makes you think of a few things. First of all, the Top 8 of MySpace profiles a was a fairly significant thing way back when. Secondly, why is this on MySpace? Third, does this have anything to do with the eight circle of hell, "Malebolge?" Well, all of these things come together in one neat and interesting package. I was lucky enough to be able to preview the first few episodes, play the mini-games and clue hunt before it goes live this week. Keep reading if you want to know what I think so far, and how the whole thing works. Oh, and if you think this has anything to do with the Dungeons & Dragons "Circle of Eight" you are totally mistaken.

Circle of Eight is a supernatural murder mystery that is full of WTF moments. Each episode is about 5 minutes long, and they will be served out piece by piece, like a sweet little pie of murder and paranoia. When you first start watching an episode of Circle of Eight it seems like you're just watching any other video online. However, at some point during an episode you'll see a little tool-tip pop up that says something like "Click to go to interactive frame." Doing so will pause the video on a certain image, and this is where the fun begins. As you hunt through the image with your mouse cursor, you'll notice a slightly highlighted area. Once you find it, click, and you'll be shown a stylized image with a call to action to play a little game.

Horror Unleashed Giveaway - Halloween Costume Idea Contest

The time for dressing up like masked vigilantes, werewolves, sparkling vampires, and incredibly slutty fairytale characters is almost here. There is no holiday more fun than Halloween to us horror fans, and no better time to watch tons of horror movies, listen to the Misfits, and drink wine from a black goblet with the word "Arsenic" on it.

Sony Home Entertainment knows this and they have put together a fun site for us gore hounds called Horror Unleashed. To celebrate the launch of their online horror hotel, we're putting a little bit of a contest on. They have donated some "Baghead Masks" (from the film Baghead, of course) as well as some potentially life threatening Quarantine glow-sticks. Too win them, you have to do something very simple: come up with a good, original Halloween costume. Hell, you don't even have to dress up and get the job done this Halloween. Just write your idea down there in the comments. Be sure that whatever you use has a real e-mail address attached. We need to contact you if you've won!

We just want to see what insane, funny, disgusting, terrifying and original things you guys can come up with. We're tired of people dressing up like The Crow, and last year had way more Jokers than anyone ever needed. So give us your best idea, down there in the comments section, and as long as you're one of our favorite two costumes and live in the USA, you will get these little prize packages and a whole lot of admiration from millions of potential internet readers. Some might even ask and beg to be your friend, and who can't use more friends?

Get your ideas in the comments section by midnight of Wednesday, Oct. 27th 2009 and we'll let you know if you've won!

And of course, don't forget to visit www.horrorunleashed.com for all things HORROR!

Become a part of movie history and share it with your friends by using the "Poster Creator" picture upload application. (You could tell that wasn't Jenna Jameson's face up there at the top, right?)

Vote for your favorite Horror Unleashed titles - YOU DECIDE whether they're "Creepy" or "Campy!"

Also, browse the site for more contests and your chance to win a BOO-Ray player, PS3 and an HD TV! Yay!

Bringing The Movie To Life: Derby Dreams - Part 1

One of the many reasons I love watching movies is to get out of my own world and experience something new. The great thing is that if you’re not really feeling this new adventure it’ll be over soon. Sometimes a movie really strikes a chord and inspires you to make the characters' experience your own. Since I was a kid I've dreamed of visiting Jurassic Park and saving the world "Will Smith in Independence Day" style, but, odds are, neither will happen anytime soon.

Luckily, one of the most recent films I’m itching to bring to life is actually feasible. I read Shauna Cross' Derby Girl and couldn't stop thinking about roller derby. My sudden interest didn't really surprise me. I've always strived to be different. When I was little, while most of my friends took gymnastics and dance classes, I was fighting with the boys in a karate dojo. When it came to a musical instrument just playing the saxophone wasn’t enough; I had to play the bari sax. Well, my attraction to eccentricities continues and now I’m onto a new hobby; roller derby.

RIP Kanye West: Your Death Has Been Interrupted

Listen Kanye, I want to be sad for you. But all the celebrity death hoaxes this year, besides yours, have been some of the best of all time. You see, if you had actually been in a luxury car accident, like everyone over on Twitter thinks you were, then maybe shit would be different. I can't cry for you since you aren't dead. Hell, I wouldn't cry for you if you were dead, but at least I would mourn the passing of one of the fastest growing jokes on the internet. You. Whether you provided the funny on purpose, or if it was just some drugged up and drunken stage-hopping moment to start all of this, it doesn't matter.

Kanye made us all laugh at him like no one else in the last... four months. For that we should be thankful. Now that he isn't dead, what are we all going to do? Can we have another fake celebrity death today too so that his fake celebrity death gets interrupted and upstaged in a manner larger than just my blog post? Someone, get to it. The interwebs need your help!

Night Of The Creeps DVD Review

Hide your cats and dogs and shield your girlfriend's mouth (sorry). The creeps are here! Fred Dekker's directorial debut hit the theaters back in 1986 to a lukewarm reception, but it has grown a reputation and following in its out-of-print afterlife. Rights issues marred any chance of DVD release for years, and now finally, here in the age of HD, a Blu-ray and DVD special edition are finally seeing the light of day on Oct 27th. We've been waiting for this one for a long time. I can finally say that I've watched Night of the Creeps on DVD and didn't do anything illegal to do so. The days of watching this on Sunday morning on WPIX are over, as are sitting through a beaten up VHS dub. To top that off, poor Fred Dekker finally got his way.

Night of the Creeps is a throw back to the "radioactive cinema" days of b-movie sci-fi and horror. As a post-modern horror love letter to the '50s and '60s, it stands the truest test of time: an '80s horror movie that doesn't look or sound completely like it should be left in the '80s. It also predates the rush of the post-modern horror movement by about 10 years. When you've got places and people named after Roger Corman, Sam Raimi, Tobe Hooper, John Carpenter, Steve Miner, James Cameron, John Landis, and David Cronenberg you know you're dealing with a self-referential, tongue-in-cheek script. Thankfully, 1986 doesn't show up too much on screen, even when it shows up in the soundtrack.

Blood: The Last Vampire DVD Review

I confess. As much as I have been a fanboy of all forms of geek-fringe entertainment that this world has to offer, I would always rather watch Transformers or The Tick over just about any Anime. While Vampire  Hunter D, Prokect A-Ko and a few others may have made the cut for me, I've never been the biggest fan of most Japanese  animation, especially their TV shows. While I've always been familiar with the Blood: The Last Vampire property of manga, Anime, and anything else related to it, I had never experienced any of it till watching the live action film that hits DVD on Oct. 20th. Now that I've finally seen it, I'm not sure that I'll be re-visiting Saya's world anytime soon.

The American/French/Japanese/Chinese hybrid production with a Korean lead star is a cinematic soup of too many ingredients without enough broth. In the battle of style vs. substance, usually style comes out the winner and we loose, but I only wish I could say that about this film. When you feel like you've seen everything that could be done in the live-action world to imitate Anime, you expect some form of innovation or dedication to the medium that the property originates from. In that case, you know that the script will be 10 pages of actual story and 75 pages of blood, guts, and gory glory. Well, the delivery comes pretty close to that, but even that would be an overestimation of Blood.

Black Dynamite Review

Blaxploitation is a genre of film that is regularly paid homage to, but is rarely duplicated in this day and age. While Tarantino's grindhouse style exploits eschew some of the genre's high and low points, none of them are flat out doing the real thing. Black Dynamite is the rare beast that dares to challenge viewers into accepting it into the anachronistic genre, while at the same time being a complete spoof. Oddly enough, it manages to work as both, though it definitely makes you laugh your sweet ass off more than yelp with the bad action.

Michael Jai White is Black Dynamite, in both the character and, really, the film. Being the lead star as well as the movie's main writer, there is a flexibility in White's talents that I've never seen before. Even after his more complicated roles, he still never had much room to stretch on screen. With Black Dynamite he showed me multiple things I never knew about him. He can be a hilarious actor as well as a clever and witty writer. Still, he isn't the only person in the film that kills each time he is on the screen.

Where The Wild Things Are Review

There is much to be said about the abrupt changes and inconsistencies within a child's mind. In fact, one could say that no playground is as dynamic and fertile as that of a young imagination. While it may be hard for some folks to think that far back in their life, for others it will be instantly recognizable, identifiable and for some people, it will hit pretty close to home. This, in essence, is what made me enjoy Where The Wild Things Are.

If you are a jaded old soul, with no time for the foolishness of childhood, the random ramblings of a tall tale, or have never been hurt, physically or otherwise, during childhood horseplay, then maybe this just isn't for you. Otherwise, there is much to love about Spike Jonze's first foray into family friendly film. Any parents worried about their impressionable youth, however, might want to have the kids sit this one out. I'll explain.

The House Of The Devil Review

Nostalgia is a strange and cruel beast. The fondest recollections one may have about their youth, or any particular portion of the past, are clouded in the fog and cobwebs of old memories. Some details are hidden, distorted, or even completely fabricated. With The House of the Devil all of these things apply. A film that has courted the favor of horror fans, like myself, simply based on a handful of spectacular posters inspired by the 80s, has a tough act to follow. If you set yourself to live up to some kind of imagery and expectation, you're almost always bound to disappoint on some level. The weird thing about The House of The Devil is just how much one can like the film and still be grossly disappointed.

There are a few prerequisites that a film must follow if they are trying to emulate an 80s horror film. Some might call them clichés, while others chalk them up to atmosphere. Cheesy synthesizer soundtracks, jump scares, teenage excess, deformed demonic children and loose women are always the first to come to mind. The House of the Devil has all of that and a few things we may have forgotten about. Do you remember elongated credits sequences with nothing more than a girl taking the longest walk back from her new apartment to her college dorm? I don't, but apparently writer/director Ti West does. In fact, he must remember all the 80s horror films being long, drawn out, and mostly eventless.

The Company Of Myself Trailer Unveils Originality

It isn't often that you come across a "simple" Flash game that isn't some retread of another larger and more popular game. We've all seen the countless tower defense Flash games, as well as the Bejeweled and Tetris clones, so when I stumbled upon a trailer for an original game, with an intriguing premise, I figured I had to share it.

The Company of Myself looks to have a simplistic engine but employs an instant-replay or recorded move mechanic. In other words, you are able to interact with movements you  had made earlier. Can't find a ladder?  Use the past version of you as a springboard to get over the raised ledge. It also looks like you'll be opening or closing areas for you to interact with later on as well. This sort of thing is very cool, creative, and could have a ton of implementations in game. I'm not sure if this is going to live up to the potential, but there other problems. I have no idea who is making the game, when it comes out, or how to play it once it is done. Here's to hoping they put out more information soon.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars Trailer for PSP - "Dangerous Business

It has been a while since the PSP got a killer-app for the non-Grand Turismo fans. Come Oct. 20th, that will all be changing. In a mere 12 days GTA: Chinatown Wars for PSP will be hitting the store shelves and owners of the PSP and PSPGo will be losing their collective shit over it. Everything that was on the Nintendo DS and more is coming your way, and the graphics, sound, story and controls have all been modified to be worth the switch over to Sony's littlest multimedia giant.

Check out the first trailer for the game below. I finally have a reason to put my PSP to use again!

Free Giveaway: Shootin' The Sh*t With Kevin Smith

Can you prove that you aren't illiterate to two guys from New Jersey? I'm not talking about Jay and Silent Bob. I'm talking about me (Rene Rosa) and Kevin Smith. See, Kevin and I have a few things in common. We're both from New Jersey, loved George Carlin, and have had to buy larger pants as we've grown older. We also curse a lot, offend people without even trying to, and write about the shit that interests us. We also like to make people happy. So that is exactly what I'm going to do today.

Some of the best and funniest moments of Kevin Smith's Smodcast have been collected into one fine volume by Titan Books, and they've given me a few copies for you fine folks out there. So, what do you have to do to get your little grubby mits on one of these? Read on and I shall divulge all to you, you greedy bastards.

Venom Gets A New Writer And Director In Gary Ross

If  you've never heard of Gary Ross, don't worry too much about it. He's been involved with more "behind the scenes" specials and TV shows than he has written, directed, or acted in actual movies. What he has done, however, you've probably seen, or at least heard of. One thing for sure is that he has a working relationship with Tobey Maguire. Having both written Seabiscuit and Plesantville, Gary Ross also was brought in to do a rewrite on Spider-Man 4. Now he is taking on Venom, the first web-spin-off from the Spider-Man franchise, which seems to be a reboot of sorts. Of course they have to acknowledge Venom's history with Spidey, but I'm not quite sure how they are going to do it without referencing Spider-Man 3: Emo Dance-Fever Palooza.
 
The interesting thing is if they do show Spider-Man in this film at all, it will be the first time that we see Columbia's Spider-Man directed by anyone other than Sam Raimi. This "Lethal Protector" version of Venom is said to have him as more of an anti-hero than a villain. While I'm sure you need him to be at least partially good to have him be the guy you can root for, I hope they spend some significant time with him as a demented host to an alien symbiote, with conflicting voices in his head. Can we get someone to play him that looks a little more menacing and intimidating than Topher Grace, please? I don't mind Spidey looking like he's the kid in school that would get picked on, but Eddie Brock was a big meat-headed douche bag.. Let's get back to that, please? Hopefully some of Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick's (Zombieland) script is intact, as they have a knack for comedy that would surely be much better than whatever has happened in the Spider-Man series so far.

Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City "There's Always a Girl" Trailer

Even hardened criminals may be swayed or motivated by the fine female form, and the gaming gods at Rockstar know this. This latest trailer for Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City is a good example of how to make people expect one thing and deliver another. I was thinking we'd see some characters interacting with the women of Liberty City. You know, the usuals, like hookers, strippers, floozies and such. Instead we get some insane action sequences, a soundtrack by Roxette, and other moments that make you forget that you are looking at a video game. Goddamit, why can't I be playing this now instead of writing this?

Paranormal Activity Director To Visit Area 51

Everyone keeps talking about Paranormal Activity and the phenomenon that it has become. The movie will be expanding it's small clutch on the world to a total of about 40 cities this weekend. Since the film hasn't really been completely released yet, it would almost seem premature for Oren Peli, Paranormal Activity's writer/director, to announce his next film. When you realize that PA was made in 2007 it becomes clear that it ain't that premature after all.

Area 51 is his next film, and it will follow the Paranormal, Blair Witch, and Cloverfield mold of being filmed using that tried and true "found footage" premise. Since it is in pre-production, I guess that means it will be more like Cloverfield and less like any of the films that people swear are real. The budget will be greater than the $11,000 used to make Paranormal Activity, but Oren insists on still using unknown actors. So, can breaking into a secret government facility used to hide alien paraphernalia be as creepy as a haunted house? What do you think?

Check out the full press release below and chime in on the comments field.

NIghtmare: Vampires NYC - Review

I'm old. 30 may not seem like the new 80, but haunted houses, horror movies, and unemployment haven't terrified me since I was able to wipe my own ass. Still, I love horror movies, horror imagery, and just about anything that reminds us to live life to its fullest, as our expiration date may be a terribly grizzly day away. Upon being invited by my buddy, The Jaded Viewer, to attend the Nightmare: Vampires Halloween attraction, I most definitely had to accept.

I went to the Nightmare attraction last year, and while it was fun, it was most definitely not scary. Still, it was a decent way to celebrate my favorite holiday. I expected pretty much the same experience, but was intrigued by the new location and the fact that they were covering one of my least favorite horror subjects. Vampires have become almost as tired as my fat asthmatic ass, after walking up 3 flights of stairs. What could they do to make them fun and interesting again? More importantly, how could they make a bunch of Goth kids with fake fangs scary? I've been used to laughing at them at nightclubs for years.

The Warriors: Street Brawl Review - Xbox 360

Writing this review made me realize how much a hypocrite we all can be. I say this because I can't imagine how many times I've thought or said something to the effect of "I miss games like Final Fight and Streets of Rage. They sure don't make side-scrolling beat-em-ups like they used to." Yeah, I've said stuff like that. I'm sure many of you have as well. Then came along The Warriors: Street Brawl and I was proven wrong on two accounts. Not only do they make them like they used to, I also shouldn't be playing them like I used to.

The Warrors: SB is a strange beast. Right away you know you are playing a game based on the cult classic film from 1979, but you also realize something is missing. All the gangs are represented somehow, so it isn't that. The opening logo of the game is accompanied by "Can you dig it?!" being yelled in the background, so you feel that nostalgia right away. Strangely enough, that instance and a little bit of "Warrirors, come out to play-ay!" seem to be the only voice acting or dialog that carried over from the film. A little bit of the original score came over with it too, but not much. What is missing is the feel of this being an official Warriors product, thanks to a fairly low level of production values. We might all be spoiled by the previous Warriors game put out by Rockstar a few years back, but they had to know this going into it.

Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City Character Trailer

If you've seen the last few trailers from Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony and thought to yourself, "Damn, this looks even better than the regular game. Hows is this just a DLC?" you are definitely not alone. In fact, Rockstar is smart enough to know that the triumphs of DLC also bring the weight of a whole slew of issues including retailer support, Xbox 360 owners with hard drives that are small or non-existant, and people who live in the dark ages and have no internet access. Who are those wacky people?

Anyhow, today they have unveiled the latest in their great series of trailers for Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City, which not only includes "The Lost and the Damned" but the forthcoming "The Ballad of Gay Tony." Oh, and you don't even need to own GTA IV to play them. Pure damn genius. The majority of this new trailer centers on the characters Henrique Bardas and Armando Torres who are the best friends of Gay Tony protagonist Luis Lopez. You can see that they are obviously not too fond of Luis's rise to power and influence as they remain common street thugs. Well, when you're the right hand man to the guy who owns the top gay and straight clubs in Liberty City, that kind of shit is bound to happen.

You can tell this episode is going to drive up both the action and drama. Between all the trailers we've seen so many helicopters blowing up that I can't see how there will be a single dull moment. I hear "The Lost and the Damned" ain't to shabby either so it seems like many of us are going to have to fork over some dough come Oct. 29th.

Check out the trailer below and let me know what you think in the comments. Is this a must by for you and if so, are you getting it as a DLC or on the disc? I'm interested in seeing what you guys think.

The Invention Of Lying Review - Don't Let The Commercials Lie To You

Something strange is going on out there with movie advertising. I'm not sure what it is, but it is a potentially bad idea. The internet trend of re-editing trailers to make them seem like a different genre of film may have spilled out into the real world. This year Drag Me To Hell underperformed, most likely to people expecting a real horror film and getting a slapstick comedy. Of course, they weren't paying attention to the fact that Sam Raimi made it, but he hasn't made the Spider-Man films as funny as they even should be.

Now comes The Invention of Lying and I got quite a bit more than I expected. The commercials make this seem like just another crappy romantic comedy with Jennifer Garner in it, and that couldn't be further from the truth. This movie is damn funny, touching, and a refreshing look at just what kinds of assholes we humans can be. I have never been the biggest fan of Ricky Gervais, though I do know he is responsible for much of what made the original version of The Office very funny. Up to this point he has just managed to illicit a few heh's out of me, not a bout of uncontrollable laughter. Well, I didn't fall over in my seat crippled with a bout of laughter this time around either, but I damn well came close.

Zombieland Review - This Land Ain't Your Land Anymore

Zombies are about damn near everywhere. Sure, vampires have seemingly taken over as the go-to trendy monster, but the re-emergence that zombies have been experiencing in pop culture for the last few years is larger, more widespread and hitting a much bigger demographic than the vamps could possibly handle. My guess is that zombies are in unlimited supply since people die everyday. The one thing we haven't had from mainstream zombie fetishism is the road-trip comedy. Well, Zombieland definitely fills that void as well as the one necessitating zombie action-movies.

Originally planned as a TV show, Zombieland introduces us to four characters trying to survive the zombified wasteland that the USA has become. After an amazing credits sequence, Jesse Eisenberg is the first character you are introduced to. Through a little narrating he explains how he has setup a bunch of rules for himself on how to survive the new world. Cardio is important because you need to be able to run away from these mindless eaters. As the film states, "the fat ones were first to go." Putting on your seatbelt is also equally important. That one is illustrated for you quite well, so I won't spoil it. In fact, as you watch you'll see many examples of the rules being pointed out to you, even when the characters aren't talking or narrating. This film wants to be watched by an audience. It isn't just a recording of events taken place, and it knows that.

Zombie Apocalypse Review - For Xbox 360 Or PS3

Z-Day is definitely coming soon. If it wasn't we wouldn't have all this training material released in succession. Last week Konami's Zombie Apocalypse was unleashed upon the Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network inhabitants. This week Zombieland  will be taking a bite out of the box office. In fact, this Saturday the dead will walk the Earth in Asbury Park, NJ. This is all too much at once. I'm going to sharpen my swords right now.

All right, I'm back. If you haven't touched the demo, seen screenshots, or heard anything about the game yet, Zombie Apocalypse is the dual-joystick shooter answer to the seemingly tireless obsession that mankind has for the walking dead. Played much like Robotron, Geometry Wars, or Smash TV, one stick controls where you are going and the other controls the direction your weapons do their damage. Once you wrap your fingers and head around that idea, there isn't much left to the imagination. Your main objective is to shoot, incinerate, blow up, and chainsaw the shit out of those zombies so that you can survive till the end of the level. Each level is considered a day, and there are 55 of them in total.