Monthly Archives: June 2012

06/30/12

Orgy of the Living Dead

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and starring A. Zombie as Sir Not in This Triple Bill

Back when I was putting together material for Zombie Awareness Month 2012, I had originally been planning on sharing a 1972 trailer for a horror triple bill called “Orgy of the Living Dead,” which you can see below courtesy of one tommytoploader:

So why did I choose to hold onto it until now? Because there’s not a single zombie to be found in any of the movies! Revenge of the Living Dead is merely a retitled version of the early slasher The Murder Clinic, Fangs of the Living Dead is a vampire movie and Curse of the Living Dead is actually an edited version of Kill, Baby, Kill! with a new name!

The company behind the triple bill, Europix International, definitely pulled out all the stops for this promotion. In addition to the above trailer, they created multiple promotional posters, a pressbook and even providing “shock insurance.” While my source for that last gimmick claims that it’s a variation of a gimmick used for William Castle’s Macabre, my research has found a similar, earlier offer used in the promotion for The Screaming Skull.

Thanks to its appearance in numerous trailer compilations and wide availability online (which I suspect is due to the website Bleeding Skull having once offered it as a downloadable Quicktime file prior to the creation of Youtube), “Orgy of the Living Dead” is still popular to this day and is the subject of much discussion. The trailer’s claim of having driven the fictional John Austin Frazier insane still lives on, with some mistakenly thinking Night of the Living Dead drove a viewer mad!

Europix went on to create a similar trailer for their 1974 double bill of I Dismember Mama and The Blood Splattered Bride, which is even more NSFW than “Orgy of the Living Dead” and can be seen thanks to this upload by ranarchy666:

Video Watchdog founder Tim Lucas has written an excellent article that not only chronicles the early days of Europix International, but also reveals the mastermind behind the “Orgy of the Living Dead” campaign (Alan Ormsby) and the actor playing Mr. Frazier (Victor Bumbalo)! It also reveals that cult film director Bob Clark was also involved in the filming of the “Orgy of the Living Dead” trailer. I have also heard rumors that he was involved in creation of the above double feature trailer, but I have yet to find any hard evidence for the claim at this time.

UPDATE: I’ve since found scans of the pressbook for the above double feature, which devotes entire pages to the Up-Chuck Cup and trailer!

06/29/12

The Dead Want Women

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I just noticed the file name can be read as "The Dead Wan Two Men"...

The year is 1927. Silent film starlet Rose Pettigrew is celebrating the completion of her latest film. During a celebratory orgy with some of her closest celebrity friends, she gets the news that talkies are taking over and her voice has gotten her bounced from all the studios. Instead of doing the smart thing and forming her studio using her wealth, she gets upset and takes it out on her friends. With a gun. Then she kills herself. Flash forward to today, where two friends/business partners Reese and Dani are trying to get the mansion cleaned up to impress a wealthy potential buyer. Little do they know that Rose’s friends aren’t as dead as one might think…

I’ll admit it, this film fooled me. When I first saw the cover, The Dead Want Women I immediately assumed it was a zombie movie. After all, the makeup jobs on the cover looked like what you’d see in a zombie film and like the first two zombie films from Full Moon, the word “Dead” is featured in the title. However, watching the film shows that the villainous actors are clearly supposed to be ghosts. Granted, they’re zombie-looking ghosts (and are even referred to as such in the “Making Of” segment), but they are ghosts none the less and I had to completely rework my original introduction to this article. And while it wasn’t a completely awful film that existed only to feature nudity and sex scenes like I had first guessed, it was still incredibly bad and did go out of its way to show nude women. Seriously, one of the participants from the orgy who spends the majority of her screen time naked (and without the rotting makeup that the other ghosts have).

While the film thankfully drops the “the location the protagonists are currently in has been magically sealed shut” trope that has been used many times in recent Full Moon films, it unfortunately opts to have the two leads be simply too stupid to leave until it’s too late. Granted, I suppose this behavior makes sense for people who try to tidy up an entire mansion a few hours before the buyer is scheduled to arrive, but still. Would you stick around a mansion after a friend wakes you up screaming about being attacked by three men? Guess what Reese and Dani opt to do. It’s not a spoiler or anything, as their acting intelligent in any way would keep the movie from happening at all. I also found it hard to get into the movie since, despite all we hear about Rose’s voice keeping her out of the talkies, it isn’t bad. Considering her smoking habit in the film, they really should have gone for a much nastier raspy voice. The makeup and computer effects are both disappointingly bad. I know it’s a low budget movie, but I had never seen a Full Moon film where the skin around the actor’s eyes was clearly visible in a make-up job until I watched this. Thankfully, there are some enjoyable touches here and there. The horror film star character Erik Burke is an amusing reference to both the Phantom of the Opera and the Burke and Hare murders the character Tubby Fitzgerald is a reference to Fatty Arbuckle. That said, he acts like more of a Curly Howard clone than Arbuckle. Eric Roberts gives the film some much-needed class in his portrayal as a Western star, although his presence here is surprising. I know that films like DOA: Dead or Alive and Sharktopus aren’t quality cinema by any means, but this seems like a comedown for him. On the plus side, it barely runs over an hour not counting the credits. The audio’s great, but the video does suffer from some minor shimmering at points. Thankfully, the widescreen transfer doesn’t suffer from any other issues.

As usual, Full Moon has included chapter stops but left out a chapter menu of any kind. The special features include a trailer for the film, a Full Moon trailer collection and a behind-the-scenes featurette. The trailer for the film is widescreen and of excellent quality, while the other Full Moon trailers are a mixed bag. Said trailers consist of DevilDolls, Killjoy’s Revenge, Skull Heads, Evil Bong 3: The Wrath of Bong, Killer Eye: Halloween Haunt, Goobers, Shandar: The Shrunken City and the same fullscreen promo ad for Full Moon’s “Haunted Casino” line of merchandise featured on the DVD for the movie of the same name. DevilDolls appears to be a quickie anthology film made from stitching together footage from Ragdoll, Doll Graveyard and Demonic Toys with brief computer generated transition scenes. While widescreen, the quality of the footage depends on what scenes from what films are playing. Killjoy’s Revenge is simply Killjoy 3 with a new title and as you’d expect, the trailer is exactly the same as the Killjoy 3 trailer seen on countless Full Moon DVDs (save for the title). The trailers for Skull Heads, Evil Bong 3: The Wrath of Bong, Killer Eye: Halloween Haunt, are the same widescreen trailers that have been seen on many of the Full Moon DVDs reviewed here and are of the same quality. The trailer for Goobers is fullscreen, which makes sense as this simply the trailer for the 90′s kiddie film Mystery Monsters with a new title, as is the case with Shandar: The Shrunken City (really The Shrunken City). The age of the films is extremely obvious due to the image quality. I also noticed that playing the trailer for those films results in the trailer playing over and over again until the viewer hits their “Root Menu” button. Why all the retitlings? My best guess is that it has to do with Full Moon selling titles to Redbox. The new titles are needed either to make a sequel seem more like a standalone film and to quickly pump out “new” releases for kiosk services to snap up. I suspect this is also the reason for the creation of DevilDolls as well.

The behind the scenes featurette clocks in a little over 15 minutes and packs in a lot of bloopers and raw footage. Everyone but Eric Roberts is featured, although Roberts is discussed by the others. They also talk about Charles Band. A LOT. Although one of them jokes about the level of butt-kissing going on, it’s still incredibly blatant. When they aren’t discussing those two, they do offer some insights as to their performance and what got them into acting. Similar to the making of segment for Killoy 3, the actress who spent the bulk of the film without any clothes on gets to appear fully clothed to discuss the experience. Among the interesting things we learn are that she had to merkin and is trying to break out of the adult film industry. Sadly, there are occasional audio glitches and the audio levels are either very soft or very loud depending on the segment. Similarly, several sequences are very grainy and the interviews have particularly soft image quality to them. There’s even some bad interference at the end as well.

Oddly enough, it turns out my assumption about the film being a zombie movie wasn’t too far off the mark. Why? Because Full Moon is preparing their third zombie movie: Zombies vs. Strippers. I’m not kidding…

Special thanks to Full Moon Features for the review copy!

06/29/12

6′+ Episode 33 is up!

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To quote the description given at the new listing:

“The second half of our showcase on the best of 2012 (so far-ther.) This time around, we have Demented Are Go!, the Avery Wolves, Dead Man’s Curse, Prelude To A Nightmare, Death Ray Cats and more. Monstermatt Patterson hits you dead-on with the Monstermatt Minute and Dr. Gangrene twists and turns with the hair metal man of the hour, Dee Snider.”

Remember to email 6′+ (contact at 6ftplus.com) or leave a comment below about the show, whether you liked it or not. Tell your friends, leave a review on iTunes, but above all – enjoy.

You can find all episodes of 6′+ over at the official site as well as on iTunes and Stitcher . We’re also on Facebook and Twitter.

06/28/12

Great Classic Ghost Stories

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Hey, how'd a picture of the family cottage wind up here?

The term “ghost story” can have many meanings. The most obvious one is a scary story specifically about one or more ghosts, while others might use it to describe any scary story. Some might even go as far as to label any tale involving a ghost as a “ghost story,” even if the story isn’t scary at all. In creating Great Classic Ghost Stories, AudioGo has opted to embrace all three meanings. Their selection of tales consists of “The Damned Thing” by Ambrose Bierce, “The Empty House” by Algernon Blackwood, “The Consequences” by Willa Cather, “How It Happened” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, “A Ghost” by Guy De Maupassant, “The Shell of Sense” by Olivia Howard Dunbar, “Ligeia” by Edgar Allan Poe, “The Signal-Man” by Charles Dickens, “The Secret of the Growing Gold” by Bram Stoker, “The Fullness of Life” by Edith Wharton, “An Old Woman’s Tale” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Playing with Fire” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, “Narrative of the Ghost of the Hand” by J. Sheridan Le Fanu, “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar” by Edgar Allan Poe, “My Platonic Sweetheart” by Mark Twain and “The Bold Dragoon (or The Adventure of My Grandfather)” by Washington Irving.

“The Damned Thing” is arguably one of Bierce’s most famous tales, which deals with an invisible monster. Despite being written in the late 1800′s, the ideas it presents are quite advanced. “The Empty House” details what happenes when a man and his elderly aunt investigate a house said to be haunted by the spirits of a vengeful stableman and the servant girl he murdered. In “The Consequences,” (also simply known as “Consequences”) a resident of New York in the 1900′s wonders why an acquaintance of his is fearful of a strange old man in black. “How It Happened” has a medium relay the story of a most unusual meeting between two old friends. A man goes into an old friend’s room to fetch some papers in “A Ghost” and quickly learns why his friend was so fearful of going there himself (although for reasons one might not suspect). I should note that this version is an all-new translation and differs somewhat from the text editions that can be found online. In “The Shell of Sense,” the ghost of a recently deceased woman tries to use her minor influence on the real world to bring a special message to both her husband and sister. A man’s mourning of his first wife has an unexpected effect on his current wife in Poe’s classic tale “Ligeia.” In “The Signal-Man,” a man is haunted by both a phantom signal man and the sound of his bell, which only he can comprehend and whose appearance always heralds a horrible accident. A family feud turns deadly in “The Secret of the Growing Gold,” when a vengeful spirit offers two siblings a horrific method of recouping their diminished fortune. The Spirit of Life teaches a recently deceased woman about why her seemingly unsatisfying life wasn’t as bad as she once thought in “The Fullness of Life.” In “An Old Woman’s Tale,” we learn what two young lovers experienced when meet several odd people in a dream…or was it? A group of friends seeking entertainment learn that séances aren’t all fun and games in “Playing with Fire.” The story also features the unintentionally un-PC line “…the sounds of a fagot burning briskly on a frosty night.” A spirit haunting a house who seems to always hide everything but his hand (but still manages to terrify) in “Narrative of the Ghost of the Hand.” Oddly enough, this is actually a selection from The House By The Churchyard whose full title is “Some Odd Facts About the Tiled House – Being an Authentic Narrative of the Ghost of a Hand.” I like how the explanation for the ghost is only touched upon, which makes for a more realistic experience. A hypnotist uses his abilities to hold the spirit of a dying man between two worlds in “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar.” Thanks to the name, many people thought this surprisingly gory tale was an account of real events! Throughout his life, a man dreams of meeting with a young woman in a variety of locales in “My Platonic Sweetheart” (originally called “The Lost Sweetheart”). Although her physical features and name may change, he always knows it’s her. But is she just a dream or something far more real? Finally, “The Bold Dragoon (or The Adventure of My Grandfather)” shows that a rowdy dragoon’s encounter with a ghost has amusing consequences

With so many tales to tell, AudioGo has wisely opted to use multiple narrators rather than saddle one with all 16 stories. Said narrators are Bronson Pinchot, John Lee, Jennifer Bradshaw and Gerard Doyle. Pinchot and Lee handle the bulk of the work, while Bradshaw only narrates two stories (“The Shell of Sense” and “The Fullness of Life”) and Doyle’s sole contribution is “Narrative of the Ghost of the Hand.” Jennifer Bradshaw’s stories were most likely selected due to their female protagonists, which are well suited to her calm, soothing voice and her ability to make each female character’s voice distinct (while using sternness for male voices). Although I know of at least one reviewer who has criticized her narration as being slow, I found no problem with it. Although Gerard Doyle has slight accent, I enjoyed it and thought it added flavor to his reading. As the story is all narration, he doesn’t have any opportunities to show how well he can handle multiple characters. John Lee handles “The Empty House,” “A Ghost,” “How It Happened,” “The Secret of the Growing Gold,” “The Signal-Man,” and “Playing With Fire.” His voice makes a great first impression in “The Empty House” and his handling of the introduction to “The Signal-Man” is fantastic. His voices for female characters nicely convey femininity without lapsing into falsetto and he gets to display his talent for accents in “A Ghost.”

But you’re probably most curious about Bronson Pinchot. To answer the most obvious question, I can guarantee you that he doesn’t do anything remotely resembling his “Balki” voice. Pinchot narrates “The Damned Thing,” “The Consequences,” “An Old Woman’s Tale,” “Ligeia,” “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar,” “My Platonic Sweetheart” and “The Bold Dragoon (or The Adventure of My Grandfather).” I personally feel that he’s better suited for narrating tales that don’t ooze horror from start to finish and that he’s better doing only one or two characters voices than attempting to handle numerous characters. In fact, his female characterizations are just him speaking softly. That said, he did handle the two Poe tales well due to their matter-of-fact, past tense nature. Although I didn’t care for his performance in “The Damned Thing,” I thought did an amazing job in “The Consequences” due to its fairly cheerful beginning and focus on an oddity in the city rather than true terror. He similarly hits it out of the park in lighter fare like “My Platonic Sweetheart” (in which he adopts a great Missouri accent) and “The Bold Dragoon (or The Adventure of My Grandfather).” Unlike the last story collection I reviewed, this does not feature any music at any point during the stories.

Similar to their other releases, AudioGo has packaged Great Classic Ghost Stories in a cardboard box with no liner notes. All 6 discs are packaged in a massive double-sided foldout cardboard slipcase and make for a total of 7 hours and 19 minutes worth of ghost stories. Purists will be happen to learn that this collection is unabridged; the reading of
“Ligeia” even includes the opening quote from another work!

Special thanks to AudioGo LTD for the review copy!

06/27/12

Even More Free Horror Movie Commentaries

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It figures. Almost immediately after I posted “More Free Horror Movie Commentaries,” I kept finding more and more free downloadable commentaries. So much so that I’ve decided to do another article on the matter.

Although I linked to two commentaries from Icons of Fright in my first article on the subject, I still thought I should link to their numerous unofficial other “pirate” commentaries featuring people involved in the making of the films.

For a mix of great humor and great insights on less than great movies, look no further than the Film Pigs. Similarly, the Jerks in the Back Row hilariously eviscerate bad movies. Being a Head Injury Theater fan, I want to note that the creator of that site participated in the commentaries for The Dark Crystal and Mortuary.

In addition to their commentaries on various episodes of Doctor Who, the MMM Commentaries team has tackled films like The Omen and Jaws.

Those looking for a massive number of commentaries to pick from should look no further than Zarban’s House of Commentaries and DVDCommentaries.co.uk (which also has bonus extras and interviews). However, given how that last site is based in the UK, there’s a good chance the commentaries might not synch up with Region 1 DVDs due to censorship and the differences between the NTSC and PAL frame rates.

Fans of Harry Potter will definitely enjoy Wizard People, Dear Reader, which also might have some synchronization issues depending on where you live. Rather than a true commentary, it’s an alternate soundtrack for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone written and performed by China, IL creator Brad Neely. Personally, I think it also works as a standalone audiobook.

As always, Gravedigger’s Local 16 is not to be held responsible for anything that may occur (be it good or bad) as a result of downloading from any links given here. Attempt at your own discretion. Blah blah blah…

06/26/12

Tuesday uEtsy: Zombie Fried Tees

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Tuesday uEtsy[For those who are searching for unique horror items, one can’t beat Etsy.com. Each Tuesday, Gravedigger’s Local 16 aims to highlight one seller. If you’re looking to spruce up your look, redecorate your sanctorum or get a gift for that special something in your life, Etsy.com is your place for spooky econo.]

Zombie Fried Tees
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ZombieFriedTees

Mens T-Shirt Zombie Shark Tee Sizes S M L XL XXL XXXL

The summer means a lot more exposed body parts, for better (usually) or worse, in accommodation to the increased weather. Our Southern Hemisphere people are in the midst of winter, which is always a hard concept to grasp having been raised on the ‘dog days’ of August and being angry at the sun come July.

Perhaps when things get warmer for those down under, they can don some of the wares from Zombie Fried Tees, a wonderful shop with a collection of vivid t-shirts of interesting graphics. They definitely stand out and will help whoever wears one stand out as well.

Mens Pin Up T-shirt 1953 Vintage Zombie Pinup Sizes S M L XL XXL

Sex and death have never been so attractive as it is with this enchanting display of skin (and much more!) See the inner beauty of this provocative pose, as this show that true beauty is not skin deep. Redheads are known to be feisty, to have a lot of spunk. Find out where exactly inside the body that spunk comes from with this t-shirt.

Skeleton Womens T-shirt Lovely Bones Tee Shirt Sizes S M L XL XXL Center Design

Here is a classy silhouette that expresses elegance, poise and a natural grace, even when it comes to the dreadful act of dying. This women’s shirt places the cultivated design at the center, though varieties on the design place it either at the lower left or right. Showcase your own exquisite taste with this piece from Zombie Fried Tees.

F Bomb Mens T shirt Punk Tee Shirt Sizes S M L XL XXL

In a stylistic design that conveys sharp wit and power, this ‘F-Bomb’ shirt allows you to broadcast your attitude to the world without staying a single word. Rage silently against the dying of the light with this shirt, or simply tell whoever looks at you funny to “f-off.”

June Cleaver’s Gun T-shirt Retro Vintage Pinup Womens Tee Sizes S M L XL XXL

A good mother knows how to handle herself, both at work, at home and on the mean streets. Thankfully, St. June has always been a good role model to both girls and boys alike, showing that you always carry heat when you need to enter the kitchen.

Zombie Pinup Mens T -Shirt Nom Nom Puppies Tee Shirt Sizes S M L XL XXL

Who says there’s no such thing as a free lunch? This design clearly contracts that saying, as the model finds out that yes—there are some puppies cute enough to eat! And how! For dog lovers of all kinds, this shirt is perfect for walking your poodle to the park or wearing it next time you step in one of Rover’s little presents on the sidewalk.

Head over to Zombie Fried Tees etsy store and pick yourself up one of the designs here (or of the many they have on hand) in different styles and colors. When you’re done, head back here for another edition of Tuesday uEtsy.

06/25/12

Music to Game By II

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Since Free RPG Day has me in a gaming sort of mood, I have decided to revisit the idea of reusing the albums from the previous year’s “Music to Haunt By” review series to use during RPG sessions.

For those new to this series, I’ll explain: Each of the synopses below are edited down and reworked versions of the reviews linked to on the left. For the full review (including tracks that I didn’t mention in this article), just click the link. I want to stress that the order of the albums below merely reflects the order in which I received them for use in “Music to Haunt By” and is not mean to be interpreted as a “best to worst” ranking. Also, please keep in mind that (for the most part) these albums were not made to be used during role-playing and as a result, some work better as gaming accessories than others.

Prelude to a Nightmare – While many tracks off the other albums in this article have a timeless feel to them, Carpe Noctem also features work that sounds like something from a modern day horror movie. No matter what feel the track has, all of them are well suited for looping. An opening door and footsteps start off “Time Forgotten,” which provides a sense of antiquity and horror. I can easily see this being used for when players enter a castle or ancient ruins. “The Terror Within” has a big opening, with tolling bells and a very spooky musical stinger that soon yields to industrial music. This would work well in haunted club, factory or boiler room, especially in a Vampire: The Masquerade session. “Playful Spirits” would work wonders in a “haunted nursery”-type scenario (such as in a game like Little Fears). The strong piano opening of “Phantoms In The Attic” leads to violins and wordless female vocals, which make it perfect for use in a haunted attic or any other spooky setting. The tolling bells and violin work in “Hallowed Grounds” are a great match, and its solemn, scary feel makes it perfect for a graveyard or crypt. The mix of soft music and sound effects (like distant voices and dripping) of “The Tormented” makes it perfect for use in a dungeon or torture chamber. The bonus track, “Subterranean Terror,” is an incredible soundscape that captures the feel of wandering through a dark cave. It’s perfect for any dungeon crawl.

Alex Otterlei – In Where Evil Lurks: Special Edition, the music is “happy” for large stretches, but the horror factor increases as time goes on. There’s also an “old west” feel, which allows for its use with Deadlands, Call of Cthulhu or any horror scenario involving a house with a nasty presence inside. Due to the lighter interludes, I imagine that most people using this will only play certain tracks rather than play the entire album as a loop. Things start off with “The House,” which uses its music to convey both age and grandeur (with a hint of something else). The orchestral sections seem to convey the players and violins help represent something unnatural. “Arrival of the Jeffersons” is a short track consisting of happy, peppy music and one can easily picture frolicking comedic characters . The pounding piano and violins of “Entering the House” create an eerie feeling. There’s definitely a sense of lurking thanks to the muted horns, which tones down as the “family” (players) excitedly explores. “Investigation” is calmer, but still has a sense of unease and snooping. In fact, the snooping notes seem almost comical at first, but gets calmer and serious as time passes. Faint moaning tones kick in as the players makes unpleasant discoveries. The soft, spooky notes of “The Basement” steadily grow, as if you’re going deeper and deeper into the basement (or any underground location). “Nausea” provides an appropriate sense of unease and not feeling well. “Manifestation of Evil” uses stab-like musical tones and pounding notes to create a sense of evil. One section gives the feel of rushing or running, which flows perfectly into the next track. It also allows one to use this in a chase scenario. “Evil Unbound” makes one think of little things running all over, so it could work well in a insect or spider-filled room.

Continue reading →

06/20/12

Horror Host Bloopers

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I found this while searching for a video featuring some obscure horror host falling out of his coffin after one of the sawhorses holding it up gave way. I have to admit, it’s probably better that I failed to find it, as this selection from a 1985 episode of Bloopers and Practical Jokes features bigger name hosts like Sammy Terry and Big Chuck and Lil’ John:

06/19/12

Tuesday uEtsy: Szeya Designs

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Tuesday uEtsy[For those who are searching for unique horror items, one can’t beat Etsy.com. Each Tuesday, Gravedigger’s Local 16 aims to highlight one seller. If you’re looking to spruce up your look, redecorate your sanctorum or get a gift for that special something in your life, Etsy.com is your place for spooky econo.]

Szeya Designs
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Szeya

Saw Earrings – creepy jewelry horror scary freaky handsaw jigsaw murder tool quirky

How far do you think you’ll have to go to be happy? Some people go half-way ‘round the world.

“Brazil has a lot of good music,” says Strange Jason. “That might be a nice place to go. Someplace isolated.”
“Too many snakes in Brazil,” Gus says, reminding Strange Jason of his fear. “You’d never be able to handle it.”

“Plus, the poverty divide is horrible,” says Strange Jason. “How far does one go to escape everything rotten in the world?”

Milton penned the following lines from Paradise Lost, spoken by Satan. “Me miserable! Which way shall I fly. Infinite wrath and infinite despair? Which way I fly is hell; myself am hell;” When you are yourself a hell, a person who is never in step with the world, it’s hell to find a way to fit in, to accept your surroundings, to be happy.

It’s highly unlikely that you will be completely at peace with yourself or the world. If you’re reading this site, it’s clear that you have a demented streak that keeps you at odds with the rest of reality. That’s fine. We have the same streak and welcome you. We also encourage you to check out Szeya Designs, a collection of small, inexpensive, quality jewelry. You can find yourself in an inch or two, and sometimes that’s all you need.

Vampire Fangs Earrings – quirky jewelry geek chic jewellery silver plated for twilight true blood the

When dangling things down near your neck, you definitely can’t go wrong with vampire teeth. You’ll notice the detail and precision in the jewelry here, detail and skill present throughout all of the products available with Szeya designs. The pieces you’ll see for sale are classy and can be worn all year long.

Skull Necklace – skull head necklace evil funky jewellery rockabilly punk rock unisex

It’s hard to find a good conversation these days. Texting, tweeting and other truncated communication methods are fine but sometimes, you need to just vocalize the thoughts between your ears. Sometimes, you have more than one thoughts – and possibly, more than one voices. Give one of those chattering personalities in your cerebellum a skull of its own with this necklace.

Shovel Earrings – funky jewellery scary horror creepy jewelry grave corpse crazy rockabilly geeky

If we need to explain why we think these are rad, there is no hope for you.

Grenade Bracelet or Anklet – geek chic jewelry rockabilly jewellery bomb charm cuff bangle vintage

With the warmer weather, people are showing off their legs. Sometimes, they’re attached to their bodies. These legs need to be decorated and what better way than with anklet jewelry displaying frag grenades. Why not? Seems fitting. Why so, we can’t tell you.

Jack O Lantern Earrings – funny jewellery quirky jewelry pumpkin head ghost fun rockabilly

If saws, teeth, grenades or shovels aren’t your speed, there is always the Jack O Lantern. Very approachable, very friendly, very pumpkin shaped.

The wares here will help you get a little more happier with your self, if just a little bit at a time. But that’s more than what you had when you started.  Buy all these over at Szeya Designs store. When you’re done getting happy, come back here for next week’s Tuesday uEtsy.

06/18/12

Japanese Sci-Fi A to Z

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[In 1995, Christopher Elam started a Japanese monster movie fanzine called Owari (which means "The End"). While the focus grew broader as the years went on, he never lost his fondness for the genre. Today Owari exists as his blog, where today's article originally appeared there! So why are we posting it? If you can't see the humor in reposting a blog article devoted to the recycling of an article appearing in two magazines, I don't know what to tell you. Besides, it's a great read about a major influence on his interest in kaiju eiga. You can learn more by visiting his site, and then pick up his first book, Captain Satellite: Number Zero.]

Basically, this whole entry is Corey Bond’s fault. I’ve known Corey for more years than I can actually remember, but never knew how hardcore into Godzilla he was. That changed with the launch of his new blog Mechagodzilla Jr. in April. He really got my attention with the entry Giant Monsters vs. Alien Invaders. Why’s that? Because it is surprisingly similar to one of my own experiences.

My Fass magazine that changed my life was Star Force Vol. 2, No. 5 (October 1981). I was 9 years old, the same age Corey was when he got that copy of Space Wars. I still have the remnants of my magazine, but it’s in no condition to scan. It doesn’t even have a cover, and there doesn’t seem to be a scan of this cover online. Heck, I can’t even find a record of the magazine’s existence online. It’s only through the generosity of a friendly eBay seller that I got a scan from a price guide that depicts the cover and confirms not only that it exists, but that it looks exactly the way I remember.

Courtesy of Steve Dolnick, here is a small B&W photo of that cover:

This magazine had a huge impact on me. It was my introduction to the Fleischer Brothers Superman cartoons, the Superman movie serials, and Roger Corman. But it’s that “Complete Guide to Japanese Sci-Fi” listed on the cover that helped make me who I am today. It is not REALLY a “complete guide,” but it WAS one of my primary gateways into Japanese Sci-Fi.

I’d been fascinated by Japanese sci-fi since I first learned it existed, but it had mostly eluded me. While this particular overview stated up front that the Godzilla and Gamera movies were omitted (rats!), it did cover a plethora of movies that fired my imagination. I can’t tell you how often I daydreamed about the potential wonders of the Starman movies or the obvious crazy awesomeness of VOYAGE INTO SPACE. The most enticing were the ones (always the most outlandish) that were omitted entirely from your standard film reference books that would later fall into my youthful hands. “Japanese Sci-Fi A to Z” might have been snarky and dismissive of most of the films it covered, but it was my first real ticket into a dreamland that would end up shaping my own creativity as I grew to adulthood.

It was also uncredited. I think all the articles in that magazine were. Flash forward to July 1992. I’m on the verge of turning 20 and have no idea that in just a few short years I will be knee-deep in a Japanese sci-fi fandom I don’t even realize exists at that moment. I made my one and so far only stop at Dark Star Books on the trip home from visiting my relatives in Ohio. Frankly, the store experience itself (including SPACE 1999 trading cards in their original box and the store cat on the prowl) was far more memorable than most of what I bought that day. The exceptions were the first issue of the sadly short-lived Justice Society of America series that launched in 1992 and a copy of Star Warp Vol. 1, No. 2 (June 1978).

It was likely the “Japanese Sci-Fi Monsters” blurb that compelled me to page through this old mag. Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be the influential “Japanese Sci-Fi A to Z” article almost exactly the way I remembered it! The main difference was that this version of it carried a byline: Tom Rogers.

I would learn in later years that Fass’ various and sundry publishing imprints were very good at recycling material. So it was partially a whimsical twist of fate that placed that article in front of me at a time when I was very impressionable. That 1978 article was repurposed in 1981 (right down to the original layout) for likely no other reason than to fill up space in the back of the magazine. It was colorful even in black and white and gave the impression that there was more to the publication than simply a cheap cash-in on the STAR WARS and SUPERMAN franchises. Not really true, but maybe good enough for the lawyers.

I don’t know much about Tom Rogers. His name appears in so many of the Fass mags that Corey has given the guy his own tag. My research indicates he turns up in early issues of Starlog, including Starlog Photo Guidebook: Spaceships from 1977. He also did some writing for Marvel in the late 70s/early 80s that I believe are articles rather than stories. There’s also the tantalizing tidbit that he worked for The Monster Times until that fabled tabloid closed up shop. Point of fact, I think there’s a link here that no one has adequately explored. I believe at least a portion of the crew from The Monster Times found their way to Fass’ “Stories, Layouts & Press, Inc.” division to create its numerous sci-fi magazines. There was such a proliferation that I’m pretty sure that the Moviemags site hasn’t even cataloged them all.

I was discussing this entry with my compadre David McRobie a couple of days ago and mentioned how much I owed Tom Rogers, even though he came across as if the films were largely beneath him. David mentioned to me that he recalled Rogers writing a very complimentary piece on Ghidrah in The Japanese Fantasy Film Journal. Wait, what? Tom Rogers writing for the JFFJ? If you’re not familiar with that fanzine, it was THE most important fanzine in the then-miniscule Japanese sci-fi fan community in the 1970s and early 1980s. Why would Tom Rogers, the man who dismissed the vast majority of the genre as “ridiculous and incredibly juvenile,” be writing for that publication?

It just so happens that someone has uploaded that particular issue of JFFJ (#12) to Scribd, so everyone can read it. And there it is, just the way David described it. No snark. Just enthusiasm. As I put it to David, he was kayfabing us in that Japanese Sci-Fi A to Z article, wasn’t he? Yep, sure seems that way.

It makes sense. For someone who was knocking Japanese sci-fi, Rogers seemed to both know an awful lot about it and write about it a lot. Plus, he worked for The Monster Times, which had pushed Godzilla harder than any other American monster mag. While it’s certainly possible Tom Rogers was completely sincere in every article, I suspect he had an affection for the genre that he was subtly trying to get across. I know his descriptions fired my kiddie imagination and made me desperately want to see those movies, no matter how bad the writer said they were. Plus, as David said (to extend the pro wrestling analogy), he was playing a heel in one territory (the Fass magazines) and a face in another (JFFJ). He was writing to his audience and giving them what they expected.

Y’know, I can respect that. Freelance writing is no easy job. If writing about something I loved meant that I had to trash it to earn my check, I’d do it. But I would do it in the way Tom Rogers did, lavishly illustrated and colorfully spelled out in enough detail to let people decide for themselves.

As for the article itself, it’s a decent overview of the genre as it stood in mid-1978. There are 27 films discussed in all, and while in no way exhaustive, it’s not a bad record of what had been released. The Godzilla and Gamera films up to that point (15 and 7, respectively) are left out just as promised. RODAN and MOTHRA presumably are missing for the same reason. Those kaiju films that fall more properly under fantasy (the Majin movies and THE MAGIC SERPENT) are omitted. There’s also the apparently conscious decision to leave out TIDAL WAVE, since that was considered more “disaster movie” than sci-fi. And there’s nothing for films that hadn’t gotten widespread American release yet (THE WAR IN SPACE, THE LEGEND OF DINOSAURS) or ones that didn’t get released in this country at all. Well, that last is debatable, but we’ll get to that shortly.

As near as I can tell, the major omissions from this article (from a 1978 perspective) are HALF HUMAN, VARAN THE UNBELIEVABLE, and TERROR BENEATH THE SEA. I dunno, maybe they were in the manuscript and got edited for space. Still, it was a lot harder to keep tabs on all these things in the mid-70s than it is today, so Rogers might have missed them. Or hey, maybe like people on the Internet are always saying, he “forgot” them. In any event, I think only missing those three and maybe an obscurity like VENUS FLYTRAP is pretty good for 1978.

There’s also an anomaly in this article, and it is perhaps the biggest “clue” that Tom Rogers was more knowledgeable than he was letting on to his readership. One of the films listed is called THE FINAL WAR. This is almost certainly THE LAST WAR, a Toho-produced WWIII drama that was part of the same distribution deal as GORATH and THE HUMAN VAPOR. The review isn’t very specific, so it’s hard to say for sure.

The trouble is, there WAS a Japanese science-fiction movie called THE FINAL WAR! While it apparently did play in the U.S., it’s an open question as to how much distribution it got. IMDB lists Medallion as its TV distributor, but that sounds like someone might be confusing it with THE LAST WAR. The theatrical distributor was supposedly Sam Lake Enterprises, which dealt primarily in sexploitation films. I have no idea why they would have picked up THE FINAL WAR, if in fact they did.

So did Tom Rogers mean THE FINAL WAR or THE LAST WAR? Until we find him to ask him, I don’t know. Certainly, it seems like THE LAST WAR is more likely, but it’s not out of the question he might have seen THE FINAL WAR. But even if he didn’t, how could he make this kind of mistake? Remember JFFJ? If Tom Rogers was familiar enough with Japanese sci-fi to write for (and presumably, subscribe to) that fanzine, he probably would have been aware of the two movies even if the general (fan) public wasn’t. Ironically, it’s the kind of confusion that crops up when you have too much knowledge.

Tom Rogers was blessed with such a common name that I can’t be sure if this Tom Rogers is him or not. He seems like the most likely candidate, but who knows? What I do know is that, wherever he is, I want to thank Tom Rogers for introducing me to the world of Japanese sci-fi. Whether he hated those movies or secretly loved them, he kindled within me the desire to discover them and experience their wonders for myself. Considering all that has come since then, I don’t think that’s a debt I can ever fully repay.

For your edification and amusement, here are scans of the article from the original(?) Star Warp printing:

BONUS: When this article was reprinted in Star Force in 1981, something was needed to replace that portion of a Star Trek article on the final page. The solution was to paste over a picture of Maren Jensen as Athena from BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. This was a fascinating design choice, since a) there was no caption b) there was no Galactica content in the mag and c) Galactica had been off the air for over a year. Why this picture? Maybe because it fit the space? Maybe because Maren Jensen was hot? At any rate, this is the best version of it I could find.

Oh, one more thing, and I’ll wrap this up. If you are a seller on eBay or Amazon Marketplace and have a reasonably-priced copy of Star Force Vol. 2, No. 5 for sale, please drop in and let me know on the original version of this post on my blog. I would really like a complete copy of this piece of my personal history. Thank you.

06/16/12

It’s Free RPG Day!

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Yay, verily!

Yes, today is the day when gaming stores all over the US (and other countries) are giving away free RPG adventures and other useful role-playing items. In fact, you can find out what retailers in your area are participating by visiting the official Free RPG Day website. As was the case last year, we’re offering up plenty of free downloads for those who don’t have any gaming stores nearby (or those that do and simply want more goodies). If the “Quick Start” rules for any of the RPGs mentioned below can’t be found, odds are they were linked to in last year’s article on the subject. Speaking of which, let’s start things off with some offerings from 2011 that we neglected to mention:

Last year, not only did Pinnacle Entertainment released a free Savage Worlds adventure called “The Wild Hunt,” but they also released a special papercraft model to be used while playing said adventure.

Paizo released a free Pathfinder adventure “We Be Goblins,” while Stone Tablet Games released “Here There Be Demons.”

White Wolf Publishing released a free adventure that is sure to interest anyone who regularly visits this site: “Nightmare on Hill Manor.”

Closing out out selection of freebies that we missed out on last year, Green Ronin Publishing released Quick Start rules for their Dragon Age RPG and Eden Studios released a free corebook for All Flesh Must Be Eaten.

Although we don’t have downloads of any Free RPG Day 2012 offerings, it’s safe to assume that you will be able to find some at the official Free RPG Day Facebook page over the next few days. But if you want more free stuff, you’re sure to enjoy this following selection of free downloads:

Pelegrane Press has ton of free goodies. One of our favorites is a Trail of Cthulhu adventure called “The Murderer of Thomas Fell” that comes complete with pre-generated characters. If you prefer to generate your own characters, then this should be of great use for you.

Speaking of Cthulhu, Chaosium has blank Call of Cthulhu character sheets and a free “Cthulhu Invictus Bestiae” sourcebook that’s full of monsters for the Cthulhu Invictus campaign setting. Heading over to Google Books yields a lengthy preview of Keith Herber’s The Keeper’s Companion, which offers lots of tips on running a game and stats for Reptile People.

In the tradition of the freebies included in their audio dramas, The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society newspaper clippings and even vintage postcards, but they’ve also teamed up with Miskatonic River Press to release free player handouts for the Call of Cthulhu game book “New Tales of the Miskatonic Valley.”

Dead Inside is an interesting horror RPG. To paraphrase an article on RPGnet, this RPG avoids the usual “Kill monsters and take their stuff” concept in gaming and opts for a “Heal people and give them stuff” concept. You can find a variety of free downloads for it (and other games) at the Atomic Sock Monkey Press website.

In the mood for a grim fairy tale? You can download the free edition of Puppetland here. If you’re in the mood for a comedic horror experience, download Risus (“The Anything RPG“).

If you would prefer a horror comedy RPG that’s a little more structured, check out the Quick Play Guide for Monsters and Other Childish Things.

Would you like to try Dread: The First Book of Pandemonium on for size? The official website has everything you need to get started, from character sheets to a scenario called “Art Imitates Death.”

Haunted Attic has several free role-playing games from Joe Williams, including Lost Souls. Similarly, the official sites for Little Fears and Dying Earth offer many freebies.

Ronin Arts has a fairly simple free game called “vs. Monsters” available for download. JAGS stands for “Just Another Gaming System” and its official website offers a free horror adventure called “Season of Worms,” complete with pre-generated characters. Not only that, but they also offer a free GURPS conversion for said adventure!

For those unfamiliar with the term, conversions are a handy way to use adventures for other RPG systems in your system of choice. For example, you could convert the Call of Cthulhu adventure noted above into a GURPS Horror scenario using the information noted here. And by using this unofficial Call of Cthulhu to Deadlands conversion system, you can also figure out a way to convert Deadlands adventures into GURPS (and vice versa)!

Google Groups is a very fruitful resource for free gaming materials. In addition to this interesting post on how to reuse preexisting monster stats to create new monsters to through at your players, someone came up with a homebrew slasher character to use in GURPS. For a quick ‘n dirty GURPS adventure, plop him into a house party (using a map taken from here) and see if your players can survive the night. Make sure to note that the power mysteriously went out for extra chills.

If you don’t have any of the dice necessary to try out the above, then these papercraft dice will be of great use to you. Similarly, do you want to try out one of the above games but don’t want to buy a whole notebook of graph paper? Then head on over Incompetech and print out your own for free! There’s plenty of interesting types of graph paper you can choose from, which allows a variety of unusual maps to throw at your players.

Some of your might remember last year’s article about using music during RPG sessions. Those wishing to try that should definitely be interested to know that Incompetech also offers an incredible amount of free music. There’s horror music, fantasy music and just about any other genre you can think of. Those seeking old timey music and tracks from exotic locals for their Call of Cthulhu campaigns should consider their search over.

Do you have friends that are interested in gaming with you, but don’t live nearby? Then you might want to consider downloading online gaming aids (such as MapTool) from RPTools.

If the above somehow isn’t enough for you, then you definitely need to check out this amazing resource for free RPG downloads.

Special thanks to the organizers of Free RPG Day for use of the image!

Happy Free RPG Day!

As always, Gravedigger’s Local 16 is not to be held responsible for anything that may occur (be it good or bad) as a result of downloading from any links given here. Attempt at your own discretion. Blah blah blah…

06/15/12

6′+ Episode 32 is up!

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To quote the description given at the new listing:

“Six months in and we’re overwhelmed by all the incredible music that has come out. Here’s a sampling of what we’ve got so far, with music from Calabrese, The Surf Zombies, Alucard, The Vooduo, The Bloodtypes, The Madeira and more! Plus, Monstermatt Patterson drops by and Dr. Gangrene speaks with Ari Lehman, the first actor to portray Jason Voorhees.
Show notes, song listing, picture and more after the jump.”

Remember to email 6′+ (contact at 6ftplus.com) or leave a comment below about the show, whether you liked it or not. Tell your friends, leave a review on iTunes, but above all – enjoy.

You can find all episodes of 6′+ over at the official site as well as on iTunes and Stitcher . We’re also on Facebook and Twitter.

06/12/12

Tuesday uEtsy: Zombie Bride

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Tuesday uEtsy

[For those who are searching for unique horror items, one can’t beat Etsy.com. Each Tuesday, Gravedigger’s Local 16 aims to highlight one seller. If you’re looking to spruce up your look, redecorate your sanctorum or get a gift for that special something in your life, Etsy.com is your place for spooky econo.]

Zombie Bride UK
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ZombieBrideuk

zombie bride wedding gloves BLOOD SPLATTERED white cream

Leathbridge has a thriving marriage industry, mainly for the scenic locale that affords an expansive view of the valley. With lush backgrounds, unusually temperate climates and competitive prices, it’s no surprise that parts of the Morehouse State Park are booked for wedding parties months in advanced.

This isn’t so much an advertisement for the services. Heaven knows that the local Tourism Board pumps enough into drawing in as much as possible with its savvy ad campaigns. This is more of an explanation that, come May through September, we often see many brides being transported around town as if maids-a-marrying were valued dry goods and we had somehow been taken back in the trading post days of Cole Leathbridge.

Most of the weddings are traditional, which isn’t to say they are strictly man-woman pairing. Quite the contrary, as all types of human-on-human, consensual matrimonies are welcomed so long as the money is legal tender. No, the traditional aspect is in the garments worn by those participating. A lot of white gowns are seen and sold throughout town, with a bevy of men suited up in fine rented tuxedos.

There are a few creative types, though, eschewing convention for more flamboyant or discreet wedding day wear. Couldn’t have been more than two weeks ago that we caught sight of a woman striding to the towncar, an electric pink veil with matching train blowing in the wind. She looked so happy.

There are options for some of you horror fans when, despite what perceptions others might have about you, you decide to marry.

First off, don’t get married on Halloween. That’s free advice. It seems appealing, it seems like it’s appropriate to do but it’s more than just cliché. It s ‘gauche,’ a term we’ve picked up from Poinsettia since she and her father were around here recently. ‘Gauche’ is gaudy, tasteless and somewhat repulsive when it comes to behavior. Unless your relationship has a significant, undeniable attachment to October 31st, do not get married on that day. The idea is that you’re cementing a date on the calendar as your own, as audacious as that sounds. Leave Halloween alone and get your own day.

Second, don’t go all black in your outfit choices. You can do magic with white and a little accessories. In fact, Zombie Bride has done just that. As focus of this week’s Tuesday uEtsy, Zombie Bride showcases that you can be just as horrifying as you can be romantic with white wedding finery.

zombie bride BIG BOW wedding gloves BLOOD splattered white

Ladies, Bluebeard was a man who killed his wives. It might be time to change up the myth. Don’t be a black widow. Be a white widow. And when you do that, NO FINGERPRINTS. So get these gloves if you plan on having a short honeymoon and an even shorter marriage. Divorce is cheap. Just make sure they can’t trace you to the body. Also, do it so it looks like an accident so you can keep your registry gifts.

blood splatter BRA halloween ZOMBIE corpse bride top big red

Not all clothing sold by Zombie Bride has to be reserved for your special night. This blood splattered bra is actually, in our minds, a very amusing joke. Some young, attractive mate (male or female) has finally convinced you to let them take your shirt off. It’s an exciting moment, never to really be reproduced throughout the whole of the relationship. After either excitingly undoing the buttons, pulling at the zipper or sliding the shirt up your side, they reveal an undergarment that looks like it’s been through a slaughterhouse. Instant libido killer? Or libido ENHANCER? Either way, interesting results will vary. Let us know.

ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE sweat jumper survivor costume grey

What makes this sweat jumper so fantastic is that you can wear it all year round. It’ll help keep you warm in the cold months but if you want to bust it out during summer? It has ventilation. Unlike the zombies you might be fighting, this piece of clothing breathes well.

zombie bride groom DEXTER wedding gloves blood splattered

Of course, the dress-wearing individual of the wedding shouldn’t be the only one covered in blood. No, for you groom or bow-tie wearing individuals, Zombie Bride has you covered. In blood.

zombie boots halloween my BLOODY VALENTINE white and red

From your head to your toe, your special day can be complete. You can have a fantastic, all encompassing look on the day you tie the knot or have a special set for when you step out onto the town for a night of partying and decapitation.

Find the shop here and see what you can get for your day. After you get back from the honeymoon, check with us here at Tuesday uEtsy.

06/10/12

6′+ Hotline

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A reminder – you have until midnight (00:00 am (est) ) on Wednesday to call in and leave a message on the 6′+ Hotline. If you leave your message, you’re likely to win something (if not a GdL16 button, something else we have kicking around here at the Front Office.)

Answer one of the questions below and your answer will be on the next episode of 6′+.

06/7/12

Free RPG Day Is Coming!

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That’s right, Free RPG Day is just around the corner. The 6th annual installment is scheduled for June 16 and we highly recommend that you consider getting involved, whether you’re already a gamer or are interested in just trying things out to see if gaming would be your thing. There’s plenty of stuff to appeal to fans of all things science fiction and horror (and even steampunk).

If you’re already into RPGs, then the following piece of news from the official Free RPG Day Facebook page should really motivate you into visiting your local game store:

“Just got the word from Troll Lord Games that their Castles & Crusades module for FRD 2012 will be EXCLUSIVE to the event…only at a participating FLGS! Not sold after the event…not sold in PDF…ever (or so they say!).”

But don’t forget to visit our site during the big day, as we’ll be offering up a huge selection of free gaming goodies! You can find more information about the big day (and a list of participating retailers) at the official Free RPG Day website.

06/6/12

Zombie Hunter: Season Two

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I like independent horror. Being slightly mental (in more ways than one) I need only a semi-good story and some decent sound and BAM! I’m having a good time.

ZOMBIE HUNTER is an independently produced series from Deadman Productions. Season One can be found online at YouTube (and available for purchase on DVD.) Season Two is about to start and we got word of it thanks to @MrDeadmanDT on Twitter. Here are a couple trailers of what to expect in Season Two. Since the first series is free to view, head on over and watch it to catch up on the story and gory details.