Wednesday, October 22, 2014

The Gory Legend of Hull House


There was a huge surge of horror movies starting with the slasher classic John Carpenter's Halloween in 1978 and continued throughout the '80s, though the popularity started to wind down towards the'90s. Once of the last classic horror films from that era was 1988's Night of the Demons (originally titled Halloween Party.) The film was directed by Kevin S. Tenney and starred William Gallo, Hal Havins, Amelia Kinkade, Cathy Podewell and Linnea Quigley. The film centered on a group of teenagers having a party on Hallowen Night at the so-called haunted Hull House. After their host Angela holds a séance, a demon possesses her and one by other demons possesses the other teens, except for a Judy, Sal and Roger, whom all are trying to find a way to escape Hull House alive.

My first encounter with Night of the Demons was when I was nine or ten and my mother had set a timer to record the movie on Showtime for my aunt, whom is only six-years older than me. The movie was on early in the morning and I woke up early that morning before school, got a bowl of cereal and turned on the television just in time to see Jill Terashita as Frannie pop out of a coffin topless. Let's just say I only watched a few minutes before I turned the television off in fear that I would get in trouble for watching it. Five or six years late, I recorded the movie late one night on Showtime, so I could finally see the movie. I completely forgot about the film until I came across it on Hulu last year. Then when I heard about the Shout! Factory Collector's Edition, I went ahead and ordered it.


Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Review & Giveaway - Redeemed: A House Of Night Novel




Redeemed
A House Of Night Novel, book 12
by P. C. Cast & Kristin Cast
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Pub. Date: October 14, 2014
ISBN: 978-0312594442
Pages: 320
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Yes, the time has come for the final installment in the popular A House Of Night series by the mother and daughter duo, P. C. Cast & Kristin Cast, that started with in 2007 with the first novel, titled Marked. A House Of Night is set in a world where some teenagers have "junk DNA." It triggers them to become vampyres (vampires), which the transformation between human and vampyre takes four years to complete. If a fledging is not near an adult vampyre at all times, then than fledging will die. This is why fledgings are sent to a House of Night school during those troubling four years.

Zoey Redbird has been the main protagonist all through the series, arriving at the House of Night in Tulsa as a teenager, her powers have grown and she is now known as the High Priestess who has the power of all five elements (air, fire, water, earth and spirit). When she isn't having boyfriend troubles, she is battling the forces of darkness along with her friends.

Redeemed picks ups shortly after last year's Revealed with Zoey accidentally killing two men with her powers. She leaves the Seer Stone at the House of Night and confesses her crimes to Detective Marx, who has no other choice but to arrest her for the murders. She is unaware that she didn't commit the crime, but instead her once mentor now turned enemy, Neferet, is the actual murderer.

Meanwhile, Neferet's role as the Dark Goddess as taken a turn for the worse, well, at least for the other vampyres and as well as the humans. The darkness has finally consumed her and she becomes outrage when she hears that Zoey has taken the fall for what she has done. Along with her army or minions, Neferet invades the Mayo and takes human hostage and declares war on the world.

Release Day Tuesday - October 21, 2014


If you would like to have a book, DVD or Blu-ray featured on a Release Day Tuesday post, please email me at billyburgess20@hotmail.com!

Autumn Blood
Studio: ARC Entertainment

Two young orphans in the Australian Tirolian Mountains come under siege by a vicious band of hunters. Frightened of being separated by child services following the death of their mother, a self-sufficient 16-year-old girl (Sophie Lowe) and her10-year-old brother (Maximilian Harnisch) - who hasn't spoken a word since seeing his father killed by the mayor (Peter Stormare) - strive to live offthe land in peace. Their innocence is shattered, however, when a group of hunters led by the mayor's son brutalizes and rapes the free-spirited girl. Later, when a well-meaning social services worker arrives too late to protect the terrorized siblings, the girl and her brother prepare to take a stand against their ruthless attackers.
 

Monday, October 20, 2014

Review - A Lady at Willowgrove Hall


A Lady at Willowgrove Hall
Whispers On The Moors, book 3
by Sarah E. Ladd
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Pub. Date: October 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-1401688370
Pages: 352
Buy Link: http://ow.ly/CsnBw
Blog Tour: http://litfusegroup.com/author/sladd

Review:

It sees like time is slipping away from me or something like that. Typically, I would have my review already written and scheduled for a blog tour, but for some odd reason I forgot to set this review up for the today.  As you can tell by the cover, this book is a Regency romance, a genre that I usually skip over, but in this case I have already read the author's other books (The Heir of Winterwood, The Headmistress of Rosemere), so naturally I signed up to review the third installment.

A Lady at Willowgrove Hall is set in Darbury, England in 1819 and centers on Cecily Faire, a young woman with a haunting past that has been thrown out of her home by her own father, but she has built a new life by graduating from a finishing school to become a lady's companion at Willowgrove Hall. She plans on keeping her past a secret from everyone.

Nathaniel Stanton also has a haunting past, one that is tied to his late father, whom was once a steward of Willowgrove Hall. To his protect his mother and his sisters, he must keep his family's secret and deny himself from everything life has to offer, even love that is until he meets the lovely Cecily Faire, who quickly enchants his heart.

DVD Review - Autumn Blood


Autumn Blood
Director: Markus Blunder
Starring: Sophie Lowe, Peter Stormare, Gustaf Skarsgard
Studio: ARC Entertainment
Release Date: October 21, 2014
Retail: $20.99
ASIN: B00M1CFU8C
Running Time: 100 minutes
Rating: R
Buy Link: Amazon 

Review:

Arriving on DVD from ARC Entertainment is the thriller Autumn Blood from director Markus Blunder. The movie made its round at the film festivals last year, winning Best Narrative Feature from the San, Diego International Film Festival and the Hollywood Film Festival and winning Best Cinematography from the Irvine International Film Festival. There are no special features or extras on the DVD.

Set in the Austrian mountains, the film centers on a nameless 16-year-old girl (played Sophie Lowe) and her 10-year-old brother (played by Maximilian Harnisch), who are living on a farm outside of a small lawless town with their mother. Their father was murdered in front of them several years ago and the family have now shut themselves off from the outside world.


After their mother suddently becomes ill and dies, it is up to the Girl to take care of the Boy. She tells none of the townsfolk of her mother's passing and tries to live their lives the way they always did. The Girl even goes into town to pay her mother's bills, which the townfolks finds peculiar. The mayor's son, the Hunter (played by Samuel Vauramo) and his pals, the Butcher (played by Gustaf Skarsgard) and the Friend (played by Tim Morten Uhlenbrock), suspect something is foul and drive up to the Girls' farmhouse, where they rape her.

Fearing that the Girl or the Boy will tell someone, the Butcher and his pals return to the farmhouse with guns in the attempt to silence them forever. The Boy drags the Girl away from their home and into the mountains, a place they are familiar with. There they try to out run the the Hunter, the Butcher and the Friend, but they soon realizes that they must fight back.

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Review - Nancy Drew: Labyrinth of Lies

*This is a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% mine.


I've been blogging for over five years and I would have never thought I would be reviewing a PC game, but that is exactly what I'm doing today - writing a review for the recently released Nancy Drew: Labyrinth of Lies (retails at $19.99).

Almost everyone has  probably heard of Nancy Drew, the popular young adult mystery series was originally created by Edward Stratemeyer, but most of the books were ghostwritten. Many spin-offs soon followed, including The Nancy Drew Files, Nancy Drew Notebooks, Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, Nancy Drew On Campus, Nancy Drew Diaries and Nancy Drew, Girl Detective. Though many of us probably remember the character from the ABC short-lived series The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries and the 2007 feature film with Emma Roberts playing Nancy Drew.

Starting in 1998, Her Interactive began the Nancy Drew: A Mystery Adventure PC game series. Fast forward to 2014, the series has just released its 31st case, titled Nancy Drew: Labyrinith of Lies. Similar to other games in the series, this installment is rated E10+!


Of the course the plot of the game centers on the one and the only Nancy Drew (voiced by Lani Minella), who has been hired by the curator, Melina Rosi, of the Phidias Cultural Center in Greece to help out during the museum's most anticipated event of the year - Persephone in Winter, a play about the myth of Persephone. The play will take place in the amphitheater in the attempt to bring in a new visitors for the Life in Ancient Greece exhibit.

The Legend of Mandy Lane



About every horror fan has heard about the legend behind the slasher flick All The Boys Love Mandy Lane, which starred a young Amber Heard as Mandy Lane. Directed by Jonathan Levine, the movie was actually filmed in early 2006, but never received a DVD/Blu-ray release in the United States until December 2013, mostly due to distribution problems. However, the movie did make its round in several film festivals film festivals throughout 2006 and 2007, and it did get a official theatrical release in the United Kingdom.

Set in Texas, the film centers on an outsider, Mandy Lane, who happens to blossom over the summer and all the boys at her school take notice. She is invited to attend a pool party that is being hosted by the rich jock Dylan and she brings her best-friend, Emmett (played by Michael Welch), with her. After an accident occurs resulting in Dylan's death, Mandy breaks ties with Emmett.

Nine month later, the boys at her high school are still drooling over her. A popular student, Red (played by Aaron Himelstein), invites her to stay at his family's ranch where he is having a party with his friends, Chloe (played by Whitney Able), Bird (played by Edwin Hodge), Jake (played by Luke Grimes) and Marlin (played by Melissa Price). The kids plans on swimming, drinking beer, smoking pot and of course the boys hope to seduce Mandy, but their party doesn't go exactly as planned as there is a serial killer on the loose on the ranch. Mandy's only hope of surviving the weekend is trusting the ranch hand, Garth (played Hell On Wheels' Anson Mount) with her life.

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Wrong Turn 6: Last Resort Review





Wrong Turn 6:  Last Resort
Director: Valeri Milev
Starring: Aqueela Zoll, Anthony Ilott, Billy Ashworth, Talitha Luke-Eardley, Chris Jarvis, Luke Cousins,
Joe Gaminara, Rhys Coiro, Harry Belcher, Billy Shepperd, Asen Asenov, Danko Danknov, Sadie Katz, Rollo Skinner, Roxanne Pallett
Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Release Date: October  21st, 2014
Retail: $22.98
ASIN: B00MWP73ME
Running Time: 91 minutes
Rating: Unrated
Buy Link: DVD, Blu-ray

Review:

Throughout the '80s there was at least one horror flick released theaters each week, including the Friday the 13th franchise, A Nightmare on Elm Street series and countless other slasher films. Now of days the only horror films in theaters are the watered-down Exorcist rip-offs and the dreaded found-footage crap. Yes, there is the upcoming Friday the 13th reboot, but we don't need a 2nd remake in less than one decade! I would rather watch a half-way decent sequel than another remake. It seems the only watchable horror sequels are only available direct-to-DVD, which includes the Wrong Turn franchise.

Wrong Turn was a 2003 backwoods horror flick that spawned two direct-to-DVD sequels and three prequels. Yes, the quality of each film has gotten worse with each new installment, but they are still better than most of the garbage that is being released to theaters.

Wrong Turn 6: Last Resort picks up sometime after Bloodlines and centers on Danny (played Anthony Llott) inheriting a hotel in the deep backwoods of West Virginia. He grew up in an orphanage, so he never knew about his "real" family until arriving at the hotel with his girlfriend Toni (played by Aquella Zoll) and several friends. They are greeted by Danny's cousins Sally (played by Sadie Katz) and Jackson (played by Chris Jarvis), whom show a weird affection for each other and for Danny!

Danny (played Anthony Llott) & (played by Aquella Zoll)
After getting acquainted with his cousins, Danny plans on restoring the hotel to its original glory, but Toni suspects some sort of foul play is at hand here, especially when their friends start disappearing one by one. Danny quickly realizes he is from one of the three inbred cannibal families and it is his duty to keep the family line "pure." And of course Three Fingers, Saw Tooth and One Eye are related to him and start a cat & mouse game with Danny's friends.