VHS Vault – VHS Covers Halloween Special

October 18, 2013 Adam Parker-Edmondston Leave a comment

When VHS tapes first came out, demand was so high that shop owners were constantly looking for copies to line their shelves. A lot of rubbish got rented out back in the day due to the fact that, in general, there was no public resource available for additional information on these films; customers took their chances based on what looked interesting. Those days are long gone now, with On Demand and streaming services allowing us to find and watch specific titles in minutes, whenever we want. Obviously this a great thing, but we lost the mystery and grab-bag feel that renting a movie used to have. It also means the death of amazing VHS box art – Images specifically designed to catch the eye and make a sale. Horror movies were particularly good at capturing the imagination of potential viewers, flaunting covers so gory and shocking that customers were bound to pick them up. In honor of these classic freaky designs, we’re taking a look back at some Halloween-themed VHS box art that kept people on their couches every October throughout the 80’s and 90’s.

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1. Trick or Treat (1986)

Synopsis: Sammi Curr was a famous, devil-worshiping rock star who died under mysterious circumstances. Now he wants to come back to life. Doing so requires possessing radio wave & automobiles and making a few human sacrifices.

IMDb Rating: 5.3/10

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2. Halloween (1978)

Synopsis: A psychotic murderer institutionalized since childhood for the murder of his sister, escapes and stalks a bookish teenage girl and her friends while his doctor chases him through the streets.

IMDb rating: 7.9/20

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3. Hack O Lantern (1988)

Synopsis: A kindly old grandfather is actually the leader of a murderous satanic cult which sacrifices its victims on Halloween.

IMDb rating: 4.8/10

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4. Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981)

Synopsis: In a small town, a wrongfully killed man exacts revenge on those who murdered him beyond the grave.

IMDb rating: 6.7/10

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5. Night of the Demons (1988)

Synopsis: A group of teens decides to have a Halloween party up at the deserted funeral parlour. They accidentally awaken a demon while having a séance. The demon enters the body of one of the women, and soon the teens begin experiencing an attrition problem.

IMDb rating: 4.6/10

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6. The Midnight Hour (1985)

Synopsis: Phil, Melissa, Mitch, Mary, and Vinnie are high school friends, who unwittingly raise the dead on Halloween night. Once the dead have returned, Pitchford Cove will never be the same again….or will it?

IMDb rating: 6.4/10

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7. Hollow Gate (1988)

Synopsis: At a Halloween party, a young boy is almost killed by his drunken, alcoholic father. Ten years afterward, the boy goes on a murder spree.

IMDb rating: 3.4/10

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8. Halloween 3 (1982)

Synopsis: A large Halloween mask-making company has plans to kill millions of American children with something sinister hidden in Halloween masks.

IMDb rating: 4.1/10

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9. Trick or Treats (1982)

Synopsis: A baby sitter is stuck watching over a young brat on Halloween night that keeps playing vicious pranks on her. To add to her trouble the boy’s deranged father has escaped from an asylum and is planning on making a visit.

IMDb rating: 3.3/10

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10. The Clown Murders (1976)

Synopsis: A killer targets trick-or-treaters on Halloween.

IMDb rating: 3.7/10

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11. Jack-O (1995)

Synopsis: In Halloween, three friends seek an ancient cemetery in the suburb for fun and remove a cross from a tomb, where Jack-O was buried many years ago by the farmer Arthur Kelly. The evil creature is unleashed, kills the trio and seeks the descendants of the Kelly family for revenge.

IMDb rating: 2.6/10

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12. Haunted-Ween (1991)

Synopsis: Twenty years ago a deadly accident forced Eddie Burber from his home. Since Eddie was younger he wanted to be part of the family business “The Burber Haunted House.” A note is placed on the local Fraternity giving permission to use the old house as a fund-raiser. While the students prepare the house, they soon are hunted down and placed in the Haunted House for amusement. One thing is for sure. Nobody knows it really happening – People are dying, and people are laughing.

IMDb rating: 6.4/10

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13. Clown House (1989)

Synopsis: Just before Halloween, three young brothers alone in a big house are menaced by three escaped mental patients who have murdered some travelling circus clowns and taken their identities.

IMDb rating: 5.6/10

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Look out for more Halloween related articles from Grizzly Bomb soon!

THE INTERWEBS

Welcome to Medieval Land Fun-Time World! A Bad Lip Reading: Game of Thrones

October 17, 2013 Adam Parker-Edmondston Leave a comment

Who thought Game of Thrones could be possible be improved on? Well Bad Lip Reading has somehow managed to do it with their brand new YouTube video. If you have never heard of this comedy musical group before then now is a perfect time to do so.

They do exactly what their name suggests. They look at a some video and replace the audio track with their own dialogue. This often results in hilarious outcomes. This one though, well it has to be their best video so far. Re-imagining the Game of Thrones series as a cheeky comedy where Eddie Stark needs to get his staff in tip-top shape for the opening of the new theme park: Medieval Fun-Time World.

Below is the video which you will definitely be watching twice:

As you can see this video is quite simply amazing to watch. Not only does it seem to have every Joffrey slapping scene from the series, it also manages to give all the characters new personalities which are just brilliant. My favorites have to be Tyrion Lannister re-imagined as a hardcore pimp like character, and Joffrey as a self titled love god.

The new storyline of a theme park works surprisingly well, as does the re-edited interactions between the new characters. Absolutely incredible, you can watch this countless times and find new jokes in it. Who can resist jokes that involve prolonged flatulence and kitten burgers? There is a mix of Waiting and National Lampoons Animal House here, yet it still retains a unique charm. Check out the Bad Lip Readings YouTube channel for more videos covering all kinds of topics.

Finally we will leave you with another of their videos showing all the deleted and expanded scenes they could not squeeze in. Enjoy.

[Ed. Note – The iPhone gag in the 2nd video is priceless]

I really want to go to Medieval Land Fun-Time World…

THE INTERWEBS

Venom Fan Film – Eddie Brock: Truth In Journalism

October 16, 2013 Adam Parker-Edmondston Leave a comment

Welcome to another installment of Unknown Fan Films, where we delve deep into the World Wide Web and select for you some of the best and most interesting fan films that you might have missed.

This week we look at Truth In Journalism, a film which focuses on one of Spider-Man’s most ferocious enemies – Venom. Or to be more precise, it focuses on his alter ego, the disgraced journalist Eddie Brock.

Eddie has become further corrupted since his days at the Bugle, and the saddest thing is he doesn’t even know it. The only truth to be found here is in Eddie’s real personality change, or what Eddie perceives to be true journalism. Certainly Truth In Journalism focuses on a type of reporting, whether this is considered to be the best kind of journalism is left up to the viewer to decide. Here is what director Joe Lynch and producer Adi Shankar has to say about his project.

[quote] “This was 200% pure “passion project”, a dream come true for a comics ‘n cult-film loving fan to work within two distinct worlds I grew up loving. As a lover of mixing pop culture into storytelling, in a Warholian way, TRUTH IN JOURNALISM is pure ‘Pop Art’. I’ve rarely been as proud of something I’ve created as much as I had with this project and thrilled the TRUTH has been unleashed to the world. To CineMAAA!” – Joe Lynch

“I don’t subscribe to the school of thought that as a feature film producer I shouldn’t dabble in television, web content, or even comic books … that thinking perpetuates the consumerist mosh pit we are now desperately trying to dig ourselves out of. I have a burning desire to entertain and different mediums allow me to do this in different ways. These shorts are as much a part of my filmography as the movies are. I’m here now, I’m inevitably going to die at some point, and as an artist I feel an ardent urge to constantly be creating. ” – Adi Shankar. [/quote]

Like Man Bites Dog director Joe Lynch takes the documentary approach with a French crew following Eddie around the streets of New York. The black and white gives the film a crisp, realness to it that makes it thoroughly engaging (the scratches on the film add another element of realism to it). There are some nice little touches to – Eddie working out (which happened quite a few times in the comics), talking about the events after the Bugle (when he became Venom), talks to Venom in the bathroom and instantly gets changed, ties up villains and the shocking ending.

Actor Ryan Kwanten (from True Blood) really brings to life the character of Eddie, more so than attempt in Spider-Man 3. Not that his attempt was bad, it’s just has more time to get engrossed in the character and bring him to life for us. And he certainly does that, with his black attired clothing and common man attitude he does come off as a likable guy but there are scenes that pop up that show the menace underneath (a key scene involving a stab victim begin one of the shocker scenes). This sense of underlining menace builds up to a truly sinister and quite disturbing ending where Eddies true self comes out. This scene alone is incredible, using the shock techniques seen in many a homemade horror flick, but used correctly (and very similar to the ending of REC). Not to give to many spoilers away but this is handled perfectly and for once it actually makes Venom seem alien, like something not of this Earth and most important it makes Venom scary. Director kind of knows the darkness of this scene because he gives us a nice (and very funny) cameo from one of Marvel comics most well-known killers.

A stunning short to watch and in just 15 minutes manages to tell a story that Spider-Man 3 with his compilation of characters really struggled to tell correctly. This version of Eddie is dirty, gritty and more importantly shocking. A must see for all Spider-Man fans but fans of good quality movies should also check this out to.

MOVIES

3 Evil Dead Shorts You’ll Want to See

October 16, 2013 Adam Parker-Edmondston Leave a comment

Evil Dead is for all year round, not just Halloween. Now, this was not an official advertisement for the Sam Raimi classic but it blooming well should have been. Even 30+ years after its release, Evil Dead still has the power to shock and entertain audiences in a way that is both visceral and cartoonishly fun. The remake had mixed reviews (Grizzly Bomb has our own opinion of it) but it did give a new spin on an old classic for an audience who may not have known about it. This brings us nicely to the videos below. Each one of them has taken an aspect of the Evil Dead franchise and reworked it into a whole new version. So before you decide to watch the Evil Dead series on Halloween why not watch these beforehand and see the movies in a whole new light? But be warned: Some of these videos are not for the faint of heart or for young kiddies, so keep them hidden behind the sofa before viewing.

The Evil Dead in 60 Seconds With Clay

This was originally part of Empire Magazine’s 2010 Jameson Awards, where people were asked to make a 60-second version of their favourite films. YouTuber Lee Hardcastle decided what better way to show tribute to Evil Dead than by turning it into Claymation. But this is not your standard Nick Park creation – Wallace and Gromit would be sickened by the disgusting acts that happen here – the great thing is how close to the actual deaths Lee manages to get with just a handful of clay. The short is gross but hugely entertaining. The British voices and style of humor that run throughout this piece just make it that little bit special and unique.

Evil Dead 2 – Rotoscoped

Rotoscoping is a process in which original film stock is traced over frame by frame by an artist to create a completely different look (See A Scanner Darkly or Waking Life). PFR Studios have done just that and created this spectacular display of animation for Evil Dead 2. Taking half of the Evil Dead 2 trailer they crafted a visually stunning piece that seems fresh every time you see it. PFR’s YouTube channel has several other examples of rotoscoping at work, so if you enjoyed seeing this brief clip be sure to visit their page.

Evil Dead – An Animated Tribute

This one grabs you as soon as you see those Deadite eyes staring right into your soul. Here’s what creator Daniel Kanemoto had to say about this piece:

“I created all the artwork in the sequence, but the final image is directly inspired by an incredible EVIL DEAD poster created by Olly Moss. The moment I saw it, I only wanted to see it move — which is how I feel about all great posters. The new wave of artists working with Mondo have made movie posters worth collecting again, and that’s a great thing. I hope to someday join their ranks.”

This has to be one of the most inventive and compelling Evil Dead images I have ever seen. Using Raimi’s own kinetic directorial style, this short whips you through the Evil Dead trilogy at such a breakneck speed you don’t even have time to catch your breath. Daniel quotes inspiration from Olly Moss but I think I also saw a bit of Jason Edmiston artwork in there too, certainly with the Evil Dead 2 Ash popping up. Not sure if one influenced the other or if their styles are just the same but it hardly matters as both have a unique style of artwork. The fact that everything flows so nicely and the short never feels overloaded with Evil Dead references is testament to Kanemoto’s fine direction and craftsmanship. It looks like it could be an intro to a video game.

So there you have it! Three different takes on one of the most lovable and endlessly entertaining horror series of all time. Hope this gets you in the spirit to go camping. Klaatu barada nikto!

POP CULTURE

James White’s Amazing Pop Culture Art

October 16, 2013 Adam Parker-Edmondston Leave a comment

Recently Grizzly Bomb covered some amazing computer art by Adam Thompson who created his own characters in a unique style. Well Comics Alliance brought to my attention another artist who dabbles in computer related art, this time using Adobe. James White has a compelling and eclectic portfolio of work behind him and if the name seems familiar it may be because he recently designed the front cover to the game FarCry: Blood Dragon. But his art is comprised of so much more than that. Below is a gallery of some of my favourite pieces from his collection and as you will see, in addition to having his own style, he incorporates lots of different influences into his work:

If these pieces piqued your interest, you should really check out White’s website where he showcases his new art designs. He also has his own store where you can buy some of his incredible prints. Be quick however as they sell out very quickly (As I discovered first-hand!). Hopefully we will see more of James’s art in the future.

Uncategorized

Superman 75th Anniversary Animated Short Will Blow You Away!

October 15, 2013 Adam Parker-Edmondston Leave a comment

What do Zack Snyder, Warner Brothers and Bruce Timm all have in common this week? They were involved in some way in making this incredible animated short. The short was originally conceived as a DC Nation piece, grew to such proportions that it quickly gained a life of its own. Below is the stunning cartoon which manages to cover many of the most pivotal moments of Superman’s history in a matter of minutes.

Entertainment Weekly had a great interview with Bruce Timm (Batman Animated Series) which is included below and gives us a great insight into what went into making this piece.

[quote]“It was Zack Snyder’s idea,” says Timm, the designer, animator, writer, and producer whose credits include Batman: The Animated Series and Justice League Unlimited. “We had approached him about maybe doing a short for the DC Nation program on Cartoon Network. He said, ‘I’ll think about it,’ and then he had this idea to do basically the entire history of Superman in, like, a minute. We said, ‘Okay … whoooo.’ We started working and quickly realized there was no way to do it, even in a minute.”[/quote]

He then went on to talk about how difficult it was to get so much Superman history into one piece.

[quote]“There have been so many different artists in the comics who had important moments in Superman’s history. One of the things we came up with was, you’d have a Curt Swan segment – Superman vs. Brainiac – and the background is full of comic book panels, a floating montage background of lots of different artists. So there’s John Byrne, Gil Kane, and Jim Steranko in there.”[/quote]

The result of all of this is something every Superman fan should be happy with. The mixing of all the iconic Superman theme musics are incredibly well done, but better yet is the incorporation of pretty much all the Superman mythology. So many different styles of art all manage to combine perfectly and it is so fluid it actually makes you feel like you are flying alongside Kal-El as he takes us on this historical journey. The use of the old comic covers to expand out to other decades of Superman’s life is inspired, and it seems even the most minute moment in Superman’s lore are included. Some stand out scenes have to be Jimmy Olsen as Turtle Boy, Christopher Reeve flying over the planet Earth, the Super Friends, Kingdom Come Superman and my personal favorite the Atari computer system Superman.

Superman has never looked better. This does leads us to an interesting question. With Batman’s 75^th anniversary coming up next year are we going to see a similar animated short for him? With the Batman vs. Superman movie coming 2015 it would seem a waste to not only do a Batman one, but also a team up one with both heroes.

Grizzly Bomb

Monthly Archives: October 2013

VHS Vault – VHS Covers Halloween Special

1. Trick or Treat (1986)

2. Halloween (1978)

3. Hack O Lantern (1988)

4. Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981)

5. Night of the Demons (1988)

6. The Midnight Hour (1985)

7. Hollow Gate (1988)

8. Halloween 3 (1982)

9. Trick or Treats (1982)

10. The Clown Murders (1976)

11. Jack-O (1995)

12. Haunted-Ween (1991)

13. Clown House (1989)

Welcome to Medieval Land Fun-Time World! A Bad Lip Reading: Game of Thrones

Venom Fan Film – Eddie Brock: Truth In Journalism

3 Evil Dead Shorts You’ll Want to See

The Evil Dead in 60 Seconds With Clay

Evil Dead 2 – Rotoscoped

Evil Dead – An Animated Tribute

James White’s Amazing Pop Culture Art

Superman 75th Anniversary Animated Short Will Blow You Away!

Conveyors of Common Sense…