“Horror movies are rehearsals for our own deaths.” What is it about the horror genre that keeps the masses crawling back for more? Surely it’s not the storytelling, setting, plot, or character buildup (unless of course, you’re referring to the killer). It can’t be the hopes for a cinematic experience that leaves us feeling hopeful, or reinvigorated. And the genre does not refocus our minds to the good of the world to stop our thoughts from remembering the latest tragedies in reality. So what do we gain from them? Why does something that appears so ghastly, so abhorrent, so existential and gruesomely tormented keep us titillated, curious, and our eyes glued to the screen to see what limb gets hacked off next? Could it be that recognizing death and dealing with the atrocities we see played out in our favorite movies is actually a coping mechanism in the human animal to deal with its finite state? Nah—They are movies! Surely there isn’t that much thought involved. All we know is that we like to see sex, drugs, and scenes bloodier than a World War II film. And yet, on a subconscious level at least, this is exactly what I am proposing.
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Behind the veil of what is undoubtedly one of the most profound horror movies of all time, there is a psychological thriller encompassed in heated debates, theories of hidden meanings, ever present homages to historical atrocities, and some of the most ground breaking visual aesthetics in the film industry. The Shining is a cult film that has stood the test of time even in light of Stephen King's disapproval, and the controversy that is conspiracy theorist's speculation that the film itself was a landmine of tell tale signs that Kubrick himself was the one who aided the United States Government in staging the moon landing. Under the surface of the film that already seems to be a layered in intricacy and crafted for interpretation, there are the moments behind the scenes that shed a happy glimpse into the filming of the movie that rests in the hearts of motion picture enthusiasts all over the world. The iconic Universal Movie Monsters have changed little in the last half a century that many of them have blessed horror history. Modernized adaptions of the classics have stabbed in the dark of creating something new and refreshing, however many are still atypical and redundant. It is for this reason the minds at Horror Central asked ourselves, How would we RE-IMAGINE Universal's most beloved monsters? Envision a world where Dracula was a known and wanted serial killer... Frankenstein is far from a misunderstood monster, but is instead a national hero and decorated war veteran.... The invisible man the epitome of weakness, with his invisibility causing him unbearable pain.. Nothing we've done here has not been touched upon before, but in light of Universal's re-invigoration of the classics in the coming years, we've set out to modernize their macabre and fiendish exploits. The time is now. The world is aware of the existence of the monsters that made our nightmares so vivid. The government has only issued official statements and declassified the whereabouts of three of these beings.
Open Grave follows the events that unfold when John, a middle aged man with no recollection of who he is our why he is in a pit full of bodies, climbs from the chasm of death to inevitably meet others who are burdened by similar memory loss. In a struggle to figure out the circumstances of their amnesia and who is responsible for the macabre that lurks in the unknown outside, tensions and confusion culminate to something none of them could have anticipated.
This is undoubtedly the most brilliant work to date from Director Gonzalo López-Gallego. A meeting of some of the most underrated actors in the last decade, cinematography that makes the abundance of awards the film won entirely justified, and spot on writing...Open Grave flawlessly injects you with a state of morbid curiosity equaled to that of the characters themselves. As much as I'd like to spew all this film's secrets and correlate it to the specific genre which it impeccably perfected, a promise that you will be awestruck is going to have to suffice. Yes indeed you've read that correctly. 91-year-old Horror and Sci-Fi legend Christopher Lee has released a heavy metal Christmas single. Titled “Jingle Hell”, the single features a b-side cover of Frank Sinatra's “My Way”. A followup to the '12 release "A Heavy Metal Christmas", Lee's lesser known exploits in music have blessed many of the soundtracks of the films he has starred in. The most peculiar part of this meeting of a cinematic legend and metal music is that it is simply incredible! Who would have known that the deep speaking voice and presence of Lee would translate so well to one of the heaviest metal covers of a Christmas song we've ever heard. You can currently check out some samples on Amazon, and get a behind the scenes glimpse at the birth of one of the most profoundly “Jolly” singles ever in the teaser trailer: In honor of Friday the 13th and one of most celebrated horror franchises in history, I asked myself... If given the opportunity to RE-DESIGN the legendary antagonist Jason Voorhees, how would I do it?
The story of Jason has a familiarity in pop culture as known as Dracula's favorite beverage, and for that reason I will simply delve into how I would manifest that story whilst paying homage to the original.
At a young age Jason Voorhees would find self hatred and insecurity normality. Disgusted by his weight and appearance he often found satisfaction in putting other children down, bullying and forcing his will upon them. His mother Pamela was blind to her son's actions, and did nothing but spoil the young boy with anything and everything he possibly wanted. While trying to support her gluttonous and spiteful son, Pamela would land a part time job at Camp Crystal lake, where she would ultimately force Jason to attend as to save money on child care. Furious at his mother's choice, Jason's presence at the camp would follow suit with the tendencies that he had in school. Tormenting his fellow camp goers, he had no consideration or empathy for others. His mother had once been told by school counselors that her son had some psychopathic traits and asked that she seek the aid of a psychiatrist for the young boy. It was at this camp where this would be all the more obvious to everyone except for Pamela herself. Sitting on dock watching the other children swim and enjoy themselves from beyond his reach, Jason whom was terrified of the water scoffed at their joy as the lifeguard sought out Pamela to tell her of her son's actions while under her supervision. It was then that karma and inevitability would prove true for the young boy, as another child would push Jason off the dock and into the water. Screaming for his life wasn't any louder than the screams of laughter while the bullied children watch Jason squeal, unaware that he was drowning and not throwing his atypical temper tantrum. Jason's cries for help would prove to be his last. The Dirties follows two high school friends as they collaborate on a film project about taking revenge on their tormentors and fellow classmates which they've nicknamed “The Dirties”. As their film evolves, and their friendship faces it's own unique challenges, it becomes apparent that one of the two friends has taken the notion of revenge to the next level.
Prepare to be mind blown. The following 11 Horror Movie facts are enough to send a horror fanatic into a NERDGASM! 11. ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES WOODY A DULL TOY The iconic carpet design used in The Shining (1980) was used in Sid's house in the Toy Story (1995). Although the colors are different, the design is intentionally an homage to Kubrick's classic. Toy Story Director Lee Unkrich was asked about this coincidence and reason behind the subtle nods to the cult film, he stated..
"I saw it when I was 12, in 1980, for no particular reason other than that it was a new film in theaters. My mom took me to see it. She’d taken me to see a few bad horror films that had affected me really deeply in terms of having chronic nightmares. But still, that didn’t stop her from taking me to see this one. And it turned out to be the best move she ever made — because it began this 32-year love affair with the film. It was the film that inspired me to become a filmmaker myself." Perhaps the most anticipated film of 2014, Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures 'Godzilla' has caused quite the uproar in the horror community. Starring Ken Watanabe, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Juliette Binoche, and written by Max Borenstein, Frank Darabont, and Dave Callaham... The 2014 release has undoubtedly the perfect storm of talent involved to see this film into the Godzilla history books. ENJOY the official trailer for the film that has horror and sci-fi fans foaming at the mouth, and stay tuned... As Horror Central will keep you up to date on all things 'Godzilla' (2014)! Contracted follows the struggles faced by a young woman in the 72 hours following a one night stand. The chance encounter with an unknown man results in the lesbian woman trying to pick up the pieces of the night which would change her life, and the unidentified sexually transmitted disease that is taking over her body in a way that baffles her gynecologist.
Horror movies have given us enough one off scares and imagery to haunt our nightmares for a lifetime. Some films however, have those small moments that can encapsulate an entire movie's worth of terror in just a few frame by frame images animated into a GIF. Let the horror commence! Brought to you by Horror Central and our friends at TheFineBrothers.com... Are YOU a fiend for a good spoiler? WATCH this and bask in the glory that is surprise endings, plot twists, and ruining quite possibly every horror movie that you've not seen yet. Don't say you weren't warned. A documentary exploring 30 years of the "Friday The 13th" film series featuring all new interviews with cast and crew from all 12 films and various horror fans and filmmakers. This documentary brings together some of Hollywood's masters of the horror genre, with clips of their most memorable and terrifying movie moments. MASTERS OF HORROR is the long-anticipated sequel to last Halloween's highly successful DVD release "Boogeymen," which brought horror movie fans up-close-and-personal with famed horror figures such as Freddy Krueger and Jason from the "Friday the 13th" films. Hosted by "Evil Dead" star Bruce Campbell, MASTERS OF HORROR is a 90-minute documentary featuring exclusive, never-before-seen interviews with horror masters and directors John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Dario Argento and Tobe Hooper among many others, as well as Hollywood's makeup and special effects gurus Rick Baker and Tom Savini. The segments focus on the masters' landmark films and are illustrated with clips of the most memorable moments from 25 of the greatest horror movies of all time, including "An American Werewolf in London," "Day of the Dead," "Halloween," "Nightmare on Elm Street," "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "The Thing." MASTERS OF HORROR also visits the studios of Baker, Savini and KNB FX for tips from the experts on how viewers can scare their friends with horrific Hollywood make-up effects. In the wonderfully inventive world that is the horror industry, there are many ways which film-makers cut costs and or utilize resources to enhance their motion picture. One such example is that of the infamous mask worn by Michael Myers in the Halloween Franchise. Simply a Captain Kirk mask painted white with eye holes widened and hair teased... The mask has become synonymous with terror and has gone down in horror history. This got the minds at Horror Central wondering... WHAT IF another celebrity's face was used instead of William Shatner? Would it carry the same ever-present fear or just be entirely ridiculous. The following images represent how different pop culture icons would look covering the face of Michael Myers. TOM CRUISE Yeah.. That's right. Our fun loving Scientologist extraordinaire could ALMOST pull off a horrifying mask. In essence though the douchebaggy expressions that he comes by naturally would ultimately make the mask rather non intimidating.
Horror Central is known for many things. We inspire, educate, entertain, and occasionally OFFEND! 10. THE BIEBER INCIDENT Simon Pegg's expressions can be attributed to any number of real world issues, and in the case of this image posted to the Horror Central Facebook page... It was the events that transpired after images circulated of Justin Bieber smoking pot and young girls cutting themselves in response. Don't ask why this got on so many people's nerves. To be honest, I don't really care.
Birthed from some of the film industry's most gifted minds, horror movie creatures come in all shapes, sizes, and levels of sheer stupidity. The line walked between ridiculously terrifying and just simply ridiculous is very narrow. The following video brought to you by Horror Central and Watchmojo.com celebrates those creatures which walk the side of humorous rather than horrific. Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) is perhaps one of the most beloved of Universal's Classic Monster films. The iconic movie would forever be enjoyed by it's undying fans in black and white, however a rare moment in time has given us a glimpse into the beauty that lied beneath the gray scale masterpiece. A photo shoot with LIFE Magazine in 1953 would result in some of the most RARE images in Universal Studios history. Many of the photos which were previously unpublished and recently restored by Kerry Gammill, show the absolute makeup and prosthetic brilliance achieved by Millicent Patrick, Bud Westmore, Jack Kevan and Chris Mueller, Jr..
10. STORMTROOPER HEADACHE Star Wars (1977)
Opposite of missing most everything they shoot at and having an exceptionally hard time finding the droids they're looking for, Stormtroopers have many of their own real world problems. As do ridiculously tall movie extras. |