Welcome back to the newly refreshed This Week In Horror. Now that I’m back at the site again in full force expect to see this every week, highlighting anything in horror that catches my eye.
OH ALICE, YOU SO MAD –
Alice: Madness Returns, the sequel to the 2000 PC and Mac game American McGee’s Alice, really snuck up on us. The game is set to be released on June 14th and will even come with a downloadable copy of the original game, which will be the first time that it’s available for Xbox 360 and PS3. Really an awesome bonus. The game itself looks to have the same twisted style as the first.
Anyone looking forward to it can download a free app (for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch- Android is coming soon) which works as an interactive storybook prequel to the game. It comes with a coupon good for 10 bucks off the retail game so definitely check it out if you’re interested.
MASSACRE IN NEW YORK CITY–
Not enough of you have seen Massacre at Central High. It’s simply one of the greatest slasher films ever made, precursor to the black humor in Heathers, which has many similar plot points. It’s about a tough loner that becomes a new student at a school that’s being overrun by bullies. After a few altercations with them he breaks up an attempted rape and gets his leg crushed for his troubles, and vows bloody revenge on them. It’s incredibly fun and dark and better than you’d ever expect from the title.
As far as I know the dvd never made it out and I’m stuck with my old VHS dupe. But the Anthology Film Archives here in NYC will be hosting screenings of the film from June 8th-12th. Don’t miss this one, I’m telling you. At Tribeca this year Fangoria’s Michael Gingold and I talked at length about what a great flick it is, and he just reported that director Rene Daalder (protegé of Russ Meyer) will be appearing at the screening. Check out the official site for details.
FUCK A SHARK –
I’m usually down for campy killer animal films but nothing about Shark Night 3D interests me. Not the poster, not the trailer.
ONE WALKING DEAD GAME ISN’T ENOUGH–
Just recently two board game publishers announced that they will each be making a game based on The Walking Dead. How can this be? It’s simple- Cryptozoic Entertainment is working on a game based on the tv show, and Z-Man Games is working on a game based on the comic. Of the two publishers I’d say I’m much more interested in the Z-Man version, simply because they’ve put out a ton of games that I play and love (Earth Reborn, Road Kill Rally, Pandemic). The designer, MegaGigaOmniCorp, Inc, has put out a lot of crappy TV show board games though, including three Twilight games.
“It’s an absolute pleasure to play in the rich, incredible world that Robert Kirkman has created,” said Keith Tralins, game designer and president of MegaGigaOmniCorp, Inc. in a press release. “Our goal was to give players the chance to feel like they had to survive in that world, with an unrelenting swarm of zombies at their heels. I believe we’ve achieved that goal.”
Robert [Kirkman] is excited to let his fans jump into the world he created, “I’ve always loved board games, but never knew they could be this cool! We’ve done test plays of The Walking Dead board game at the office, and the game play scenarios ring true to what Rick and the other survivors face in the comic book. I couldn’t be more impressed with Z-Man Games.”
Expect it to hit last Summer 2011 and run you about $39.99, and while there’s no real details on the gameplay expect the quality of the components to be nothing short of perfect. Z-man does nothing else.
Cryptozoic Entertainment’s game will hit with the same MSRP and be a 1-4 player game that runs you about 30-45 mintutes. Here’s what it looks like… really hoping it’s not just a “roll the die, move around the board” kind of game.
Check their site for more info.
Course, with Last Night on Earth, Zombies!!!, Oh No… Zombies!, Mall of the Dead, Zombie in my Pocket, and even an upcoming Plants Vs Zombies boardgame… it seems that there is no market that zombies won’t saturate.
THE BEST POSTER OF THE YEAR–
Looks like someone’s been watching Black Christmas!
LLOYD KAUFMAN CAN’T STOP! –
Making books, that is. Maybe he can stop trying to find authors to help him write books and work on a follow-up to Poultrygeist? But I guess they’re hard at work trying to get their library big-budget remakes.
But the head of Troma has Sell Your Own Damn Movie! (co-written by Sarah Antill) on the way. It’s the fourth book in his “Your Own Damn Film School” series after Make Your Own Damn Movie! (co-written by Adam Jahnke and Trent Haaga), Direct Your Own Damn Movie! (co-written by Sara Antill and Kurly Tlapoyawa) and Produce Your Own Damn Movie! (co-written by Ashley Wren Collins). Sell will come with a foreword by Stan Lee. and hits stores June 16th.
Lloyd’s best book is still of course All I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger, likely cause James Gunn wrote it, making it funny and giving the man a heart (have you read The Toy Collector? Gunn needs to work on more novels.)
Anyway, as much as I love to rip on Lloyd (you’d understand if you worked for him) the books are always fun reads.
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That’s all the horror I can stand this week, check back next for more!
6 comments
Pet hatred. Is it really possible to be smothered with a plastic bag? Particularly when your hands are within reach of your mouth? Cutting off air around the neck I can understand – but for fuck’s sake, poke a fucking hole in the area over your mouth! It’s a millimeter thick at most. Bite the fucker! Suck it in and seal the air in a pocket/bubble then pop it with your tongue!
Yeah, the murderer still has you at a disadvantage, but that’s no reason to go out like a gimp.
The air bubble thing is a good idea. Sounds like it could be an entry into the Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook. Never thought of that, but was wondering as well why he didn’t poke a hole in the mouth area.
Really glad to see this column again! Great stuff. I will check out that NYC screening thanks to you.
I was upset not having seen the column in a while. Heck, you got me to read Joe Lansdale’s “THE BOTTOMS” which I’m now actively trying to find the rights to. I’m a horror guy and a fan of the new CHUD experience…what I’m saying is that this column, along with the new blood on the site, is what keeps me coming back.
So happy I turned you on to The Bottoms! Absolutely love that book and it definitely would make for a great film. Here’s another quick recommendation for you- If you like The Bottoms, try A Fine Dark Line by Lansdale. It’s actually a very similar story- boy growing up in Texas dealing with a murder mystery, racism, burgeoning sexuality, and a possible supernatural creature. The similarities turned me off at first but it definitely becomes its own story.
This reminds me of a time when one of my friends was paid to portray Batman for a rich kid party in Manhattan. He rented a giant rubber costume for the occasion, showed up to the party and proceeded to change into costume in the bathroom. The fellow had a rather large skull and found his face stuck in the neck section of the headpiece. Unable to breathe or fully pull it on, he then tried pulling it off. It wouldn’t budge. Realizing he was about to blindly suffocate in a big rubber Batman suit trapped in the bathroom of a stranger, he started grasping about for sharp objects. Luckily he found something (I think it was a pen) and gave the Batman mask a sort of makeshift tracheotomy over the area where his mouth was. After taking a few deep breaths he finally secured the mask into place and was ready to face the crowd. Upon opening the door he encountered Ethan Hawke, who was waiting in line to take his two year old to the bathroom. Mr. Hawke then picked up his kid and said, “Hey look! It’s BATMAN!!!”
Anyway, great column! Can’t wait to check out the screening of High School Massacre.
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