In an unprecedented move, Matt Farnsworth, Director and Creator, of the award-winning, banned Orphan Killer movie has made a bold decision. He has made The Orphan Killer movie free to anyone with a bloody email address. That's right folks.
Horror fans can now watch the full length Orphan Killer feature film in High Definition absolutely free.

Farnsworth released this statement " This is my murder initiative. I am proud of all this film has accomplished. I love the fans-The Orphan family that keeps this cruel TOK revolution alive. It is my goal to allow everyone in the world to see my film at the highest possible quality available online. I am not doing this because I have to do this. I want people to understand that. Hollywood studios offered to put this film out. I am doing this because I can. I want fans to see the film the way that myself and producer/star Diane Foster wanted them to see it. Un-rated and Un-cut. There are many pirates of this film. Over one million people have illegally downloaded TOK. I don't blame them, as a matter of fact, I am happy they want to see my film that badly. Brutality this good should never be missed. Now I want them to see the best quality possible. A lot of the pirates do not rip the film properly. The sound is odd. The picture is not full HD. What we are releasing here is pure HD with exquisite sound. After people watch the film they have the opportunity to go and buy the film on Bluray or DVD and add it to their collection. Everyone on the planet should have access to The Orphan Killer and we intend on making that happen with this official online release".


To watch the film follow this link:
http://www.theorphankillerblog.com/#watch-the-orphan-killer/c8q1

If you would like to follow The Orphan Killer on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/orphankiller

Tags: Matt Farnsworth, The Orphan Killer

Tags: Chiller TV, Netflix, Remains, Steve Niles, Zombie

Tags: Ada Wong, Capcom, Chris Redfield, Jake Mueller, Leon Kennedy, Resident Evil 6, Survival horror, Zombie

I thought I’d write about a Swedish vampire movie since there’s this huge smear campaign about vampires going on, and I think this movie really has a unique angle to the contemporary vampire story. Now, you should know that by contemporary vampire story I do mean the kind where a vampire reaches out to a human and feels remorse. So if the mere idea of such a movie makes you projectile vomit, I suggest you stop reading here. If you have an ounce of intrigue left for this type of story, I think Let the Right One In is worth a try. I promise you this: there are no sparkly vampires and no lustful romance, just a friendship (albeit a somewhat confused one) between two prepubescent kids who are having a hard time. So let’s take a closer look.

The movie tells the story of twelve-year-old Oscar who gets bullied at school and who randomly meets a vampire, Eli. This vampire is seemingly a twelve-year-old girl. Together they fight their personal demons, if you’ll pardon the “pun”, and along the way some people get hurt. This vampire story has been brought into a suburb full of apartment buildings, the playground of one being the place where the two kids meet.

The movie is shot in a very Nordic fashion. It’s unceremonious, honest, very down-to-earth. I enjoyed this rough take on a fantasy story; it looks just like a Finnish/Swedish/Danish drama movie, and feels like one as well. This being the case, I’m hesitant about calling it horror, but since it’s a vampire story and since I found reviews online that call it “gory” and “fantasy horror” I justified writing about it here to myself. What I also found in online reviews were comments about how the characters behave in irrational ways. This really baffled me, since I thought they all behaved very normally indeed; awkwardly, calmly and in ways a normal person would be expected to behave in weird and even horrible circumstances. Maybe this seemingly illogical behaviour has something to do with the way we Nordic people behave (especially in our movies), and maybe it strikes some people from other countries as irrational. If that’s the case, I’m greatly amused, and immensely proud of how weird we can actually seem from the outside.

Regardless of the realistic and grounded portrayal of the story, I found an element of quite acute horror there. There’s something brutally honest about the shabby and unceremonious style of the movie. The image of a man dragging a bloody corpse around in a red child’s sled is something that struck me, and made me inwardly yell: “Ouch, right in the childhood!” Another image of a boy hanging from a coat rack in the school gym changing rooms while a man is attempting to run his blood into a glass jar chilled me, since I spent many years coming and going from exactly those kinds of rooms. What makes the horror tangible is the subdued acting of the wonderful Swedish cast: Oscar depicts the awkwardness only a Nordic person can achieve while hugging his vampire friend, and his relentlessly runny nose outside in the winter cold illustrates the sincerity of the story. Also, I’m a big fan of not overusing darkness as an effect that makes things look scarier. In this film, it’s only dark when it’s supposed to be dark. None of that CSI type “Hey, I always read, write and do all my research in a pitch-black room” nonsense; if something sinister is happening and it would logically happen in well-lit circumstances, it does. Nothing wrong with that. When things feel this real, it’s easy to believe in vampires.

The most prominent atmosphere in the movie is melancholia, just as in Sauna, which I wrote about earlier in this blog. This is not something I expected from a Swedish movie, since the Swedes are an all-around happier and funnier people than we Finns are, but they really mastered Nordic melancholia in this film. Familiar scenes of vampiric horror have been transformed into scenes of sadness: a vampire climbing a wall is no longer the disgusting reptilian image Jonathan Harker witnessed from his imprisonment in Dracula’s castle, but a little girl climbing a hospital wall to see her severely injured father figure. The one who is enchanted by the vampire is no longer a seduced lover but a man who feels self-sacrificing fatherly love towards the little monster. The horror of the movie stems from the feeling of being in a terrible and irreversible situation and making mistakes while trying to cope with it. Quite psychological again, I know – I guess I’m a sucker for the more psychological horror. I’ll try to pick something less psychological next time, but I’m not making any promises!

I think I’ve used the word “Nordic” about a million times in this post. That’s because this movie is first and foremost Nordic; it’s somber, it’s down-to-earth, it’s melancholic and it’s very realistic. These things normally bore me to no end, and they did a couple of times while watching Let the Right One In as well, but the way this vampire story is told is something unique and special and definitely worth a watch.  But only if, as I already mentioned earlier, you have any patience left for the contemporary vampire story ;)

"Do you live here?"

"Yeah, I live right here, in the jungle gym." 

- Oscar and Eli - 

Tags: Fantasy , Låt den rätte komma in, Let the Right One In, Swedish horror, Tomas Alfredson, vampire movies

Tags: Dead Space 3, Electronic Arts, Issac, PC, PlayStation 3, Space Horror, Video games, Xbox 360

Pet Sematary, although a celebrated King adaptation, is often an overlooked horror film in and of itself. Documentarian John Campopiano hopes to change that with his film UNEARTHED & UNTOLD: THE PATH TO PET SEMATARY. We caught up with John for an exclusive q&a on the project and gave him the opportunity to explain his passion and what we can expect from the forthcoming film.

What are the both of you setting out to do with this documentary?

JC: Justin and I are taking a deeper look into the making of the film from multiple angles, two of which are the memories of the Maine locals and those of the cast & crew. What stories and memories do local Maine residents have of the production? How was the production documented in local television, magazine, and newspaper stories? What did the production do for the county of Hancock and the greater Maine communities? These are just a few of the questions we are exploring in our documentary. In essence, what we're hoping to do is show the unique bridging of a relatively small Hollywood production with a small Maine community who, until this very day, still thinks so highly of its involvement in the film.

Why "Pet Sematary" instead of King's other works?

JC: There are several answers to this question. First, this film is an oft-overlooked horror film of the 1980s. While there have been many “making-ofs” and documentaries for the more well-known classics of that decade (Nightmare on Elm Street to name one) in many cases Pet Sematary hasn’t received the credit or attention it deserves. So, as huge fans of the film we’ve set out to make something that we ourselves would love to sit down and watch. Second, King is extremely prolific and of course there are many other great films from his cannon that would be worthy of a retrospective documentary. However, this film holds particular meaning for Justin and I – a big part of that meaning is wrapped up in nostalgia and our memories of watching the film when we were younger. The fact that it’s also a horror film shot in our native New England only deepens our appreciation for it.

What locations have you visited during filming?

JC: We have many of the locations covered and documented – locations we’re positive that fans won’t expect and, quite frankly, locations Justin and I never thought we would find. We’ve tireless scoured maps of Maine, spoken with countless Maine locals, and even gotten our hands on original location charts and maps used by cast and crew during the production. Showcasing the filming locations will be an important part of this documentary.

Do you have plans to send the film to any festivals or theaters?

JC: It’s hard to say what will happen and where things will go. Of course Justin and I have hopes and goals for the project, but a lot of those things are tied up and dependent upon other things. What I can say for absolute certain is that we’re going to do whatever we can to ensure that as many fans of the film see the final product – what that ends up meaning we don’t quite know yet. We’ll all have to wait and see.

What are your favorite scenes in "Pet Sematary"?

JC: I really like the flashback scenes. I also absolutely love the shot of Miko wearing his blue suit, wielding a scalpel, telling Denise that he’s brought her something. It’s a truly disturbing and bizarre moment – I love it. But too be honest, I think of my favorite moments from the film in terms of specific shots as opposed to whole scenes. I love the shot of Fred up at the Micmac burial ground where the sun is setting on him and he’s lighting up a cigarette - great composition work by DP Peter Stein. Another favorite shot of mine is when Fred and Dale are walked back up to the house after burying Church and the kitchen phone rings. We get the point of view from the porch then we quickly pan back through the screen door and into the kitchen as Dale bursts in to answer the phone. Pet Sematary is full of interesting and creative shots.

Will the documentary focus at all on the sequel or strictly the first film?

JC: No, there’ll be no mention of the sequel. We soon learned after jumping into this project that we had quite a bit to tackle with just the first film. We’ll leave Pet Sematary II to someone else

Who have you spoken to for the documentary so far (or planning to speak to)?

JC: We’ve interviewed quite a few people from cast and crew to Maine locals who were either in the film, worked on the production, or admired it from a distance. The list is probably too long to write here, but everyone from primary cast members including Dale Midkiff, Denise Crosby, Miko Hughes and others, actors with smaller roles such as Susan Blommaert (who played Missy Dandridge) to crewmembers and many others, will all make an on-camera appearance in this documentary. Check out our official Facebook page for more details on those who have given on-camera interviews as well as those who have contributed to the documentary in other ways.

What other projects have the both of you worked on together?

JC: None! Though we had been friends for a few years prior to starting this project, this is our first documentary together.

Tags: Pet Sematary documentary, John Campopiano

You can firmly place this update into the "hell fucking yes!!!" category. Whether you love or hate remakes of already decent-to-amazing films, the upcoming Evil Dead remake from producer Sam Raimi and director Fede Alvarez looks to be shaping up as the perfect formula for gore and terror fans out there. 

Recently the film's Facebook page dropped a wonderfully twisted first look at the reimagined deadites from this film. The image alone is proof enough that the "splatstick" humor we all know and love from the Evil Dead franchise has been set aside for a more viscious and vile tone. I for one am all for that. Don't get me wrong, I adore both Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness, but I really miss the severely disturbing tone that was originally attempted in the first film. The originally series is a classic, but sometimes there truly is room for a reinterpretation, and I think this franchise is certainly open to one after 20 years of nothing going on. Alvarez seems to have the right idea with his approach to this one.

But wait...there's more.

Soon after the image was released officially on Facebook, a teaser trailer was shown at the NY Comic Con. Horror websites all over the net were reporting on what was seen there. Sadly we had no one available for the con, but fret not. The footage was kindly "stolen" by a bootlegger and uploaded for all to see in its fuzzy and amazingly gory glory. After seeing the footage a few times I can hardly contain my excitement. I can't wait to see this same footage released in HD and even more so I can not wait for the April 12, 2013 release (April 25, 2013 here in the Netherlands). Check out the image and footage*** below!

In the much anticipated remake of the 1981 cult-hit horror film, five twenty-something friends become holed up in a remote cabin. When they discover a Book of the Dead, they unwittingly summon up dormant demons living in the nearby woods, which possess the youngsters in succession until only one is left intact to fight for survival.

***UPDATE: The full red band trailer has been released by Sony Pictures on the web!!! You can check it out in all its HD glory below. (Yes it's the same footage that was leaked from NYCC, but in wonderful HD awesomeness)

Tags: Blood , gore , Horror , R , Chandler Bullock, Evil Dead, Fede Alvarez, Gore, horror remakes, Sam Raimi, Torture

Horror shorts are a wonderful thing. No, I’m not talking about those awesome under-roos with Freddy Krueger’s face on the crotch (although using the front hole to give him a weird “tongue” is massive fun); I’m talking about the often beautiful and terrifying short films that are floating around in our beloved genre. What makes these films so special is that a filmmaker is hard pressed to fit in the logic, emotional depth, and (most importantly) chill inducing terror known so well from feature length films into a tiny package of around twenty minutes or less. The time limit alone can either make or break the entire effectiveness of a horror short, which is why they’re so delightful when they manage their time well and so disappointing when they don’t. Making a horror short is by no means an easy task and by far a very unforgiving one if the effect isn’t delivered properly.

Writer/director Randal Plunkett’s (Lord Dunsany) latest short film, Out There, comes in at only 15 minutes and 22 seconds. The film’s story weaves an intricate web of confusion and discovery surrounding its protagonist, Robert (Conor Marren). Robert wakes up in a lonely forest with a flowing wound on his forehead and no recollection of how he got there. To make matters worse, the village he eventually wanders into seems to be completely deserted and left in shambles...I think you know where this is headed. It’s a premise we all know and love from many full length films; but with the duration of little more than a commercial break, does it manage to deliver?

There’s a lot to like about this horror short. Plunkett has crafted a script that fleshes out just enough to provide heapings of intrigue, dashes of clarity, and a wonderfully horrifying ending. There are many horror tropes present in the film that may come across as somewhat cliché initially, but actually serve the film well. When you have a limited time to inject fear and mystery into your audience it’s best to stick with familiar tropes and get those red flags waving. And wave, they do. The moment Robert enters the dilapidated Irish village with seemingly no signs of activity other than an increasingly loud power generator, tiny warning bells will be going off in the viewer’s head. We’ve seen this before and it didn’t end well…certainly it won’t now either. The film is full of these moments. However, some are more effective than others. For instance, the previously mentioned generator left a nice bitter taste in my mouth. I immediately expected doom to show up around every corner for as long as that sound kept ransacking the scene. It was a really nice touch to open the madness with. Unfortunately, there’s a similar moment that in general is fairly creepy but ultimately left me more bewildered than tense. Somewhere nearing the midpoint of the film, Robert happens upon a small cottage of sorts. The rooms are scrawled with bloody messages and what appears to be some Satanic imagery. Spooky stuff to be sure (at least Robert thinks so), but in the context of the rest of the 15 minute film this bit is left rather unexplained and comes across more as a creepy device than a terrifying accent to the rest of the piece. That moment aside, the rest of the playful visual cues and tropes used throughout the film had me smiling and waiting for the next bit in anticipation.

As I said before, in order to deliver a really good horror story in a short amount of time, you have to jam pack it a bit. Which is exactly what Plunkett did with Out There. This is by no means a complaint, either. Somehow Plunkett drafted a script that manages to not only lead you with Robert’s shambling confusion throughout the small Irish town, but also toss you clues about how he got there and what he was doing. How did he do this? With another beloved trope, the ever useful flashback. It’s through these well timed flashbacks that we get a glimpse into the events prior to Robert waking up in the empty forest. These segments are where we get to know Robert’s troubled girlfriend, Jane, who is played by rising Irish starlet, Emma Eliza Regan. Without spoiling the details of these flashbacks, I will say that I found myself a slight bit confused regarding Jane. It seemed to me that Regan’s performance was on the subdued side and it was unclear if this was strictly due to her performance or if the character of Jane was meant to be that way. Both interpretations are plausible, but neither is clearly the answer (without asking, of course). On the one hand Regan’s performance possessed a sort of haunting quality to it as if the character of Jane was deeply troubled by something she did not wish to speak of. On the other hand, there isn’t much mentioned or shown in the film to explain this personality. There’s no mention of depression, secrets, etc. Perhaps this is due to the time limitation, or perhaps it’s due to something else. In any case, I didn’t find myself dwelling too much on the issue and could still enjoy the flashback segments for the purpose they served. The segments provided a clear outline of the events leading up to Robert waking in the forest, and when you have all the pieces to the puzzle you are left with an appropriately disturbing image.

All in all I rather enjoyed Out There. You can sense the filmmaker’s passion for the genre throughout and the film’s narrative has a rather sympathetic protagonist to keep things going. This is always refreshing in the current sea of unsympathetic leading roles in the horror genre. Having a confused and sympathetic guy leading you through a maze of confusion and terror helps you put yourself in the poor guy’s shoes…which eventually becomes a nightmarish thought. However, due to some of the issues mentioned (unexplained bloody symbols, unexplained depression in Jane) perhaps giving this film the full length treatment would be a good thing. It seems as if Plunkett’s ideas somewhat transcend the time limit allotted. The main plot of the film serves well for such a short, but the tiny details could benefit from some further explanation. That said, Plunkett still managed to fill up a relatively short amount of time with a fairly rich story that didn’t feel rushed or heavy-handed. Likewise, the familiar tropes sprinkled with an Irish twinge made for a surprisingly fresh experience in an otherwise known tale.

I’m a sucker for a good horror short, and I honestly thought that Out There was exactly that: a good horror short. There could still be a bit of refinement here and there concerning particular plot elements and performance delivery, but the film’s story is A-grade. I’d also like to quickly point out the rather pleasant camera work in this film. For a short film this one had some rather impressive camera angles and lighting choices. With the feel of a feature-length indie film, Out There serves its purpose well and is certainly a little film for horror fans out there to really sink their teeth into.

Tags: Blood , British horror, Drama , gore , haunting horror films, Horror , horror genre, independent films, indie horror, short horror films, zombie films, zombie movies, 15mins, Chandler Bullock, Conor Marren, Emma Eliza Regan, Horror shorts, Horror-Fix Review, Irish Horror, Lord Dunsany, Randal Plunkett