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.

POP CULTURE

The Great American Beer Festival – A GB Report

October 14, 2013 bustatimbo Leave a comment

Saturday, October 12 2013: With over 4,000 beers to choose from, the first emotion that struck me walking into the Great American Beer Festival was awe. From Thursday, October 10 through Sunday, October 13, Downtown Denver, Colorado was inundated with eager hop heads, and mellowed malt devotees. Nearly encircling the Colorado Convention Center, the crowd munched on their pretzel necklaces (though I did see bagels, candy bars, and even a baguette on one) with fervor once reserved for children on Christmas Eve. They were there for the world beverage: Beer!

Here are the highlights of the ales that I really enjoyed, those that I didn’t, and those that confused my senses and sensibilities:

The Good

Wasatch Brew Pub and Brewery: Pumpkin Ale, Park City, Utah

Style: Pumpkin/Yam Beer

4% ABV

Why: It tasted like a great pumpkin pie, but without the over spiced syrupy taste that tends to be included. It was crisp and light, but straight pumpkin.

Fate Brewing Company: Watermelon Kolsch, Boulder, Colorado

Style: Fruit/Kolsch

5% ABV

Why: Man I wish I would have had this on a hot summer day! Since Kolsch is so light it simply steps out-of-the-way of the pure sweet watermelon.

Boom Island Brewing Company: Brimstone Tripel, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Style: Belgian Tripel

9.5% ABV

Why: According to the brewery representative who poured my ale, and also may have been founder and brewer Kevin Welch, Tripels shouldn’t be sweet, rather, clean and crisp. This brew certainly was that. I couldn’t even tell the alcohol content, which makes this dangerous, but stylistically pure. I often avoid the heavy Belgians because of the overwhelming power and combination of tastes, but this one hit a clean note.

Right Brain Brewing Company: Naughty Girl Stout, Traverse City, Michigan

Style: American Stout

5.8% ABV

Why: Great take on what has turned in to a staple of American imbibery. While I wished for a little more mint on the end, the nose was full of chocolate and coffee. I would like this with a fresh chocolate cake, preferably with this stout cooked into the batter.

Darwin’s on Fourth: Charapa, Sarasota, Florida

Style: Spiced Porter

7% ABV

Why: According to the display, this beer is brewed with “Amazon Cacao, Annatto, Florida Orange Blossom Honey, and Aji Charapita Peppers,” which combined to form the most interesting ale of the night for me. It started with a sweet citrus and coffee nose and front, and then hit the middle of the tongue with the pleasant porter froth. Finally, the piece de resistance, the warmth of the pepper at the end: enough to grab attention, but not leaving you breathing heavy.

The Bad

This is a short list, as I really avoided most beers that would be less than stellar, but here goes:

Big Hurt Brewery: Big Hurt Beer, Monterey, California

Style: Malt Liquor

7% ABV

Why: Even though I got a photo with owner and former MLB slugger Frank “The Big Hurt” Thomas, this truly was not anything I would buy. I’d rather get Mickey’s or Red Dog. I will add though, this was my favorite conversation with a representative all night. When I asked Mr. Thomas why he started making beer after baseball, he responded with, “Why? Beer and baseball go together!” For that, I would buy one cup at the ballpark. Then no more.

Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company: Kentucky Kolsch, Lexington, Kentucky

Style: Bourbon-Barrel Kolsch

4% ABV

Why: This take on the Euro-classic was simply a poor combination of flavors. The LBDC makes some really great stuff, but this isn’t it.

The Strange

These aren’t necessarily nasty, maybe mediocre, possible positive. Try them and tell me what I think:

Boston Brewing Company: Utopias (2013), Boston, Massachusetts

Style: American Strong Ale

29% ABV

Why: This hurt to drink. When the reps started pouring this, all of the aficionados came a running. They were looking to the beer gods and praising their glories. I don’t get it. I’ll probably get yelled at by the holier-than-thou beer geeks, but this I just can’t palate the punch, especially when it cost 190 dollars for last year’s batch. Seriously.

Empire Brewing Company: Golden Dragon, Syracuse, New York

Style: Belgian Style Gold Ale

7.7% ABV

Why: This would make a great base to cooking Asian food. With Organic Thai Basil grown locally, this beer grabbed my attention right quick. I don’t know if I would enjoy a full pint, but the taster was striking.

Medal Winners

If you were interested in other opinions than mine, try these two links, which will explain the big winners of the 2013 GABF.

– Great American Beer Festival: Winners

– Brewer’s Association

The Experience

With all this in mind, here are some photos of my experience at this year’s GABF. Let me know if you have any questions or comments.

THE INTERWEBS

Unknown Fan Films – Marvel Zombies

October 14, 2013 Adam Parker-Edmondston Leave a comment

It is Halloween again and what better way to celebrate than talking about zombies. We all love zombies (articles on the shuffling undead flesh bags include a look at George Romero zombies and how zombies prepare us for terrorist attacks) but what makes a zombie that little bit better? Fighting a shark? Wielding a scythe? Eating their mother’s boob? These are all valid and fun zombie activities to watch but how about if we take some of our favorite heroes from the Marvel Universe and turn them into zombies? The result was the great Marvel Zombies comic. Today, we have come across a fan trailer based on this comic concept and included is the description below to best illustrate how much of a buzz it created amongst the YouTube community and even TV.

[quote]Film movie trailer based on Marvel Zombies popular comic book series. This video was taken down for quite a while after causing quite a stir when it first premiered garnering over 650,000 hits in less than 2 weeks! Shown as #1 greatest video online by G4’s Attack of the Show![/quote]

Below is the fan film (written, produced and directed by Scott Fields and Jim Ojala) but be warned it is quite gruesome and may not be suitable for children or people under the age of 17. Like that has stopped people before.

For an obviously low budget fan film, the effects are fantastic. Both the Hulk zombie and Spider-Man zombie look exactly as they do in the comic book series and even with the slightly plastic look of the Hulk’s face, it still makes for quite a horrific scene stealer when these two meet up. It would be interesting to see if the filmmakers would be able to expand the idea because effects-wise, they have this spot on. They also have a good grasp on the characters, specifically with Peter’s sudden guilt trip while eating Mary Jane. That was a huge part of his story arc in the comic and it was great to see it play a factor here too.

This Marvel Zombies fan flick, if expanded, could have been similar to the Romero cut munchers of the 90s. However, this short trailer in my eyes looked more like the cannibal and zombie films coming out from Italy in the 80s such as Zombie Flesh Eaters. The use of quite explicit entrails eating and the emphasis on the blood and gore was a staple of those movies and they were blooming good fun all around. All in all, the film is short, somewhat slap dash in places (definitely needed to be slightly longer) but its well shot and it has that gross out appeal that some of the PG-13 (15 certificate in the UK) rated horror flicks of today don’t seem to have anymore. It’s Marvel Zombies man! Who does not want to see Spider-Man knee deep in entrails while a miffed Hulk looks on? This reviewer sure does and he is glad for seeing this short which has helped to fulfill the dream of seeing Marvel Zombies on our screens. On a scale of one to 5 we are looking at a 3 and a half which is pretty good going for a short that lasts only about 2 minutes. This is a perfect little appetizer on Halloween night before you move onto your main course of scary movies. Maybe you will find some through our other Grizzly Bomb Halloween articles, so don’t forget to check them out!

MOVIES

Here’s Chucky! Child’s Play Star Invades the Horror Genre!

October 13, 2013 Adam Parker-Edmondston Leave a comment

Curse of Chucky slashed its way onto DVD shelves last week, and as part of a very clever advertising campaign we now have the chance to see how Chucky would react if he got caught up in other horror movies. Below are the four videos so far that Chucky has invaded, and they are fantastic little shorts. Modern horror like The Purge comes under fire from the tiny ginger killer, but horror classics like Psycho aren’t safe either. Chucky has been inserted perfectly into these videos and in some cases enhances the clips from the original movies.

The stand out short has to be the Psycho scene which has a brilliant sight gag in it with had this reviewer chuckling. But do not take my word for it see for yourself.

Continue reading Here’s Chucky! Child’s Play Star Invades the Horror Genre! →

Grizzly Bomb

Yearly Archives: 2013