The Wolf Pack Podcast needs your help....

Gore and Scares Everybody...This is William Pattison, aka Eric Morse, and The Wolf Pack and I are coming to you, the fans. We want to bring you the best grindhouse internet radio show on the net. This season we are changing the name of our show to The Wolf Pack Podcast, but we want to do better than that. We want to give you two hour shows done to the best of our abilities. In order to do that we are going to need funding for this seasons show. Without funding we are only going to be able to bring you half hour shows with only three audio files. In order to do this we have decided that you, the fans should adopt the show. Check to the right for contribution levels and help us bring you the best Wolf Pack Podcast possible...

http://www.indiegogo.com/thewolfpackpodcast

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Press Release: SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK

Happy Halloween! Darkstone Entertainment and John Johnson (Director of Plan 9) has released a new no profit web series today! SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK! Based on the original stories of Alvin Schwartz, this is a fan based Youtube series launching for the fans of the scholastic book series.

The first episode “The Big Toe” is available now for review and released publicly here.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VY5N0VfzMWc)


A special thanks to our Facebook friend, Angela Pritchett, for bringing this to our attention...

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Review: Christine

 Review: Christine

"The Ride of Your Life"

by Christopher Highland

For Horror Bob's Blog

Horror films have a negative reputation, and I believe I have figured out why.  With the MPAA coming into effect in 1968, controversial subject matters came into play, more than ever before, which were usually censored after 1934.  Though rated, boundaries were challenged and broken through as genres were handled with more maturity.  Horror rose again in a big way, through the 1970s and coming to a head in the 1980's, regarding frequency and intensity, and spilling over into recent years. Not just explictness, but over-explictness, has tended to be the standard a disproportionate amount of the time.  This usually left little room for other elements of what the horror film genre really is: competent acting, character development, depth, and suspense. Endless sequels, make-up, special effects, and icons have flooded the market, essentially alienating outside audiences. They became cinematic cognac if made a certain way, a roller coaster in its base elements.

Then there are horror films such as "Christine". 

"Christine", taking place in 1978, tells the story of Arnie Cunningham, played by Keith Gordon, who is introverted and an outcast, due to his appearance.  With his only friend, Dennis, they get into a fight at school with the bully, Buddy Repperton, and his friends. After Buddy pulls a knife, he gets expelled after being caught with it, but swears revenge.  Arnie and Dennis pass by an old car for sale on their way home: a 1958, Plymouth Fury, and red. Believing his can put new life into it, Arnie buys it, despite disapproval from Dennis, and Arnie's parents.  As he fixes it up with amazing speed and dedication, Arnie goes through a transformation, too. He dresses and acts differently, becomes more confidant, even winning the affection of the popular girl, Leigh, but obsessing about his car, named Christine. Never mind the fact that Buddy and his friends trash the car, or that revenge occurs soon after.  The real horror is how Arnie goes from a quiet, sympathetic character, to a mean, selfish, ultra-obsessive person.

Directed and scored by John Carpenter in 1983, "Christine" is well-crafted with a soundtrack mostly full of 1950s music.  During one scene, the song "Little Bitty Pretty One" plays on Christine's radio, which slowly builds tension, adding to the atmosphere.  Masterfully shot, each scene is as tight as the car itself. Though the car has a life of its own, being able to repair itself, it is integral to the story, and not a crutch.

Directors such as Alfred Hitchcock proved that with ingenuity and class, specific genres could be handled well enough to be inviting to those who are unaccustomed. Since John Carpenter was influenced by Hitchcock, the quality is evident in the film. Also, studies have shown that some of these films can be good for the heart rate.  Rarely do these films offer more than face value other than entertainment.  This has much more.

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Review: Exit Humanity

Review: Exit Humanity

By William Pattison, aka Eric Morse

For Horror Bob's Blog

For my review this time I have a historical zombie movie, John Geddes’ Exit Humanity.

This film tells the story of Edward Young, a man who survived the bloodshed of the Civil War and must now live in a world infected by a zombie plague. After his family is bitten and he has to put them down Edward goes on a quest to free his son’s ashes at a waterfall he and his son had planned to visit. While on the way to the falls he meets Isaac, another survivor. Isaac gets Edward involved in a plan to save his sister Emma from a cult anarchist named General Williams. Williams has captured Emma because was bit by a zombie and didn’t change. Williams thinks that if he can find the secret to curing the zombie plague he can use it to take control of the country. Now it is up to Edward and Isaac to stop General Williams’ plans.

Exit Humanity is different from other zombie films in that the zombie plague, though part of the story is secondary to the human story playing out. But, zombie lovers don’t have to fear because there are many excellent zombies scenes throughout the film Mark Gibson gives a stunning performance as Edward Young. You see throughout the film Edward’s journey from near madness to a return to his humanity. Bill Mosely gives a rarely soft spoken and low key performance as General Williams. Also, veteran actress Dee Wallace comes in and does a low key, but memorable performance as the healer, Eve.

The one thing I absolutely loved about this film is its style. In several scenes Geddes would switch from live action shots to classic animation shots, giving the film the feel of being a graphic novel. The film is also narrated by veteran actor Brian Cox, who plays the voice if Edward’s son in the future who is telling the story. All in all if you are a fan of zombie film or just a fan of a good, well written, horror film you will love Exit Humanity.

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Review: Documentary: I Survived BTK

Review: Documentary: I Survived BTK.

By William Pattison, aka Eric Morse

For Horror Bob’s Blog

I usually don’t review documentary films. It’s not that I don’t like documentaries; it’s that I’ve never felt the need to comment on them. To me a documentary is a learning experience; it’s not supposed to be entertainment. But there are always exceptions to the rule. One of those exceptions is Marc David Levitz’s Documentary, I Survived BTK.

This is a very important film in that unlike other films and documentaries about serial killers rather than making an icon out of the killer and treating the victims and their families as third class players, Levitz focuses on the surviving family members, mostly the oldest son, Charlie, of the first victims of the BTK Killer, the Oteros.

As the film begins we meet Charlie Otero, who we find is in jail for aggravated assault. Charlie is one of the surviving members of the Otero family along with his younger sister and his brother. Charlie’s father, mother, sister, and brother were viciously tortured and murdered in 1974 by the infamous BTK killer, Dennis Rader. We hear how two days before the murders Charlie had watched the film In Cold Blood, which was based on the book by Truman Capote about the murder of four members of a family in the area he lived. As the documentary progresses we see how this because an item of guilt with Charlie and how the murders affected his life. After he gets out of jail, we follow Charlie as he take  us  on a bit of a tour through his life after the murders and how he has become estranged from his family and other loved ones, including his own son.

Along the way we are introduced to Steven, who is also a survivor of another family that was destroyed by Dennis Rader. Levitz brilliantly compares these two survivors and shows us the similarities and difference. One thing that shows is how both men use tattoos to deal with their pain.

Then we get to the capture of Rader and his media trial. Levitz handles this in a matter of factly way and avoids making Rader a larger than life character like a lesser documentarian would do. Still, Levitz hits the viewer with the full non-candy coated fact of what Rader did to the Otero family by showing the crime photos as presented in court.

Then Marc Levitz hits you with an emotional punch as the trial ends . Levitz handles this incredibly by showing scenes of Charlie with Steve at a victory pool game. Charlie talks about how after the murders he had grown to hate Truman Capote and how on day of Capote’s death Charlie, who had lost his faith, had been begging the devil to kill Capote. What happens make you honestly consider if Faustian deals do happen…

So if you are a fan of true crime or if you are just curious of the other side of the story of a serial killer, this is the film for you. This film is an emotional ride and a character profile that can’t be missed…

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Review: House of the Wolfman

Review: House of the Wolfman
by William Pattison, aka Eric Morse
For Horror Bob's Blog


For my review this time I got a retro horror film by Eben Mcgarr, House of the Wolfman.
Five strangers; athlete Reed Chapel and his twin sister aspiring scientist Mary Chapel along with expert antique authenticator Conrad Sullivan, great white hunter Archibald Whitlock, and woman of mystery Elmira Cray; are invited to the creepy castle of Doctor Bela Reinhardt (played by Lon Chaney’s grandson Ron Chaney) under the pretense that one of them would be made Reinhardt’s heir and inherit the castle along with all his scientific research. The all find out the share a common link, their mothers had been attacked, ravaged, disfigured, and left pregnant. Also, none of them knew who their real fathers are. Things get creepy as Whitlock along with his servants discover odd animal tracks outside the castle. They find they are being observed by some who is looking through holes in the eyes of the portraits in their rooms. Also, Elmira discovers an old gypsy lady in the tower room who claims to be Reinhardt’s mother and says that Reinhardt has secrets including the fact that his real name is Frankenstein. Soon Reinhardt reveals the horrifying true reason for bringing them together.
I found this a very amusing attempt at creating the final installment of Universal studio’s unfinished trilogy. The storyline is very authentic. The dialogue is nearly spot on, but feels a bit off. The acting could have been better. Though the actors tried to duplicate the acting style of the time they ended up being a bit over the top and almost comical. Though filmed in black and white the film has no graininess to it, which helps spoil the feel that this could have been made in the 40s. Also, the sound is too clean as well, it sounds way too modern. The filmmaker would have done well to add sound crackles, grain, and scratches to artificially age the film. Finally, the makeup work, though trying to pay homage to the classic Universal films, looks too modern and overly detailed. Having the monsters wear contact lenses took away from the 30s and 40s feel of the makeup. The Frankenstein’s monster makeup looked practically like the one used in the modern Universal Monster film, Van Helsing. Also, the Wolfman makeup could have been a rejected version made for the remake of The Wolfman rather than being anywhere near the classic makeup worn by Lon Chaney Jr.  Also, Dracula’s three female vampire companions at the end of the film looked way too modern and detailed, which was actually annoying to me. The only monster that comes off spot on is Count Dracula, who is actually played masterfully by Michael R.Thomas, though painfully short in duration.
All in all House of the Wolfman is a good try. If Eden Mcgarr and crew had simply tried to create a Universal style gothic film without trying to put their own spin on it, this film could have been the masterpiece it should have been. Remember, people, less is more.  If you are a fan of the classics you won’t cringe, but after watching this film you will be tempted to pull out your DVD collection of the classic Universal monster films and see the good stuff.

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Review: Porn Shoot Massacre
By William Pattison, aka Eric Morse

For this month’s movie review I thought I’d enter the world of crossed genres with an amusing and tacky homage to both slasher and porno films, Corbin Timbrook’s Porn Shoot Massacre.
Misty, Sondra, Junie, Tina, S&M Queen Beretta, and Midget Tiny have all come together to do an epic porno film. The new hot director on the scene, Malfini, says that this film will have something for every porno fan’s taste. So the girls come to the set, which is in an old labyrinth like warehouse. When the girls get on set some of them are a bit suspicious of their director. His mustache and goatee look glued on and he wears dark glasses and a tacky hairpiece. Also, he seems oddly familiar. Still, Malfini is paying them three times what they’ve gotten for any porno film, so they play along. After all what could possibly happen? What Misty and the other actresses don’t know is their concerns are well founded. The truth is a masked killer is stalking the warehouse and what Malfini has forgotten to inform them is that he is not actually creating  a porno film, but a snuff film and Misty and her associates are the featured victims..
What I loved about this film is it combines the stereotypical, and amusingly tacky, aspects of both porno films and slasher films. The film is shot on low grade video with low grade lighting, and has the low grade music you get in most porno films. It also has the creative kills any gorehound will appreciate.
 The film starts out with a shower scene or opening actress Christy (Played by extremely busty Shelly Martinez), which is a stereotypical of both a porno and slasher films. Christy after having a tackily written scene chatting on her phone with her agent and bringing up the film shoot gets killed shortly after outside her home by the killer who is shown from either his chest down or his feet as he suffocates Christy by putting a plastic bag over her head and tightening it around her neck.
 The killer turns out to be a silent killing machine that looks like he made his mask out of a jock strap. He is very much a Jason-like killer that uses what he has at hand. He impales one girl with a knife through a wall into her back. He uses a very large hammer and beats the S&M girl, Beretta, in the stomach several times. Impressively, enough this film even has a final girl, which is one of the only two girls that don’t have sex scenes in the film.
 I have to applaud Timbrook’s casting of Robert Ambrose, who looks quite a bit like horror icon Robert Englund, as Malfini. While watching this film I could almost see Robert Englund in this part. Also, I laughed my ass off at Richard Little’s performance as Tiny. Richard also bares a striking resemblance to Jackass’ We Man.
All in all if you are a horror fan and are amused by tacky porno films, like myself  (Seriously, they can be funny as hell) you will love this film….Trust me…

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