Feb 14 2016
Having created an internet sensation with the original version of the Pumpkin Dance video, the people at KXVO knew they had to do a sequel. So let’s head over to the KXVO 10:00 News YouTube account and get to the main event:
This won’t be the last time Happy Jack will be making an appearance here. Consider yourself warned…
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Feb 08 2016
To quote the description given at the new listing:
“February is WOMEN IN HORROR MONTH, so let’s celebrate with female-powered music from THE MONSTER WOMEN, AS DIABATZ, THE SHRIEKS, THE DYES and more. Monstermatt Minute will show solidarity with his sisters in horror, before ruining the goodwill with a MONSTERMATT MINUTE!”
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. They’re also on Facebook, Twitter and SoundCloud.
Feb 08 2016
Are you interested in learning more about jiangshi but unable to access (or understand) Chinese sources on the matter? Or perhaps you find the idea of digging through Wikipedia or Google Books for leads on what few scholarly English language information exists on them to be less than appealing. Well, today is your lucky day because I have uncovered several highly informative videos on the matter!
Our first lesson comes to us from an installment of the web series “The Undead Encyclopedia” by Jacob The Red Wolf:
yroggreggory brings us a class project designed to look like an installment from a fictional documentary series called “Ghouls.” Both parts can be seen below:
Given the format and subject of both videos, there is obviously going to be some repeated information. But I think the differing styles offered by both resources more than make up for it. Hopefully you will feel the same way.
Sun Nien Fai Lok!
Xin Nian Kuai Le!
Gung Hay Fat Choy!
Kung Hei Fat Choi!
Happy Chinese New Year!
Feb 02 2016
Zombos Says: Very Good
A fine addition to your coffee table or coffin lid, The Art of Horror: An Illustrated History, edited by Stephen Jones, is a horror connoisseur’s choice of movie posters, comic books, paperback and dust jacket art, pulp magazine covers, and ancient and contemporary art that gleefully dwells on the morbid predilections of the frightening genre so many fans clamor for yet know little about.
Similar in jugular vein to Robert Weinberg’s Horror of the 20th Century: An Illustrated History, Jones goes one better by upping the wealth of illustrations throughout and skillfully choosing the artists and writers for each chapter, bringing both older and newer visual imaginations together to exalt its subject matter.
The chapter topics include vampires (David J. Skal), the ambulatory dead (Jamie Russell) , man-made monsters (Gregory William Mank), werewolves (Kim Newman), the ghostly (Richard Dalby), maniacal killers (Barry Forshaw), Halloween bedevilment (Lisa Morton), ye olde alien gods (S. T. Joshi), big beasties (Bob Eggleton), and malevolent alien invaders (Robert Weinberg).
Each chapter provides a concise overview to its topic and ends with a reflection on a key aspect within that topic, and is profusely illustrated with captioned literary and cinematic examples, both foreign and domestic, of the terrors by day and night in all their lavish colors and dread. Full page art, double-page art, and smaller illustrations filling pages, do their best to overwhelm your visual cortex. The mix between movies, books, comics, and contemporary artists is so good, it may leave you wishing the book had been twice or three times its size. Unfortunately, the format chosen is a pedestrian 10 by 11 inches, unlike the more exhilarating 10.5 by 14 inches of Weinberg’s Horror in the 20th Century or Art of Imagination’s 700 plus page count.
But there’s so much horror, isn’t there? While a few more volumes on The Art of Horror would be wonderful to see in the future, this one is quite an informative and visually exciting read all by itself and shouldn’t be missed.
A digital copy of this book was provided for this review.
This article originally appeared at From Zombos’ Closet.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 License.
Jan 24 2016
To quote the description given at the new listing:
“We rise from our graves to mourn the recently dead and celebrate the future — the horrible, magnificent future. We revel in the moment with music from THE ASTRO ZOMBIES, BALZAC, THE MEN WHO WILL NOT BE BLAMED FOR NOTHING and more. Monstermatt Patterson brings you 2016’s First EVER* MONSTERMATT MINUTE and we have the year’s first edition of KILLER KUTS from Kraig Khaos.”
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. They’re also on Facebook, Twitter and SoundCloud.
Jan 12 2016
The materials I’m using are cheap and readily available- plastic cling wrap, latex carpet adhesive, floral wire, acrylic craft paint, aquarium tubing, and polyfill fiber stuffing. All together I think everything cost around $15, and that provides enough material to make quite a few tentacles. That’s an important feature, at least to me, because I make up for my lack of artistic talent by taking advantage of iteration. Do something enough times, fixing the mistakes from earlier versions and improving your technique, and you’ll eventually get great results.
If you haven’t read the earlier tentacle tutorial here’s a quick recap: the main body of the tentacle is formed from polyfill fiber rolled out in an elongated cone shape around a floral wire core. That in turn is wrapped in layers of cling wrap plastic to give it a firm body. The whole thing is then coated with layers of liquid latex colored with craft paint to provide a final surface texture.
This particular tentacle is a test run using lengths of aquarium tubing as suckers. The tubing was trimmed with a razor knife and then fixed to the body using liquid latex. The latex doesn’t adhere to the tubing particularly well, but one of the wonders of liquid latex is that it bonds to itself magnificently. You can coat the tubing with a rough layer of latex, let it dry, and then take advantage of that mechanical bonding to attach the tubing. Once you apply a few more layers of latex the suckers aren’t going anywhere.
Here’s a look at the results. Just click on the picture to see the large version.
Since this was just a proof-of-concept test I didn’t finish the ends of the tentacle and you can see the exposed cling wrap that forms the foundation for the skin. The suckers look pretty good, but I probably should have added another two or three sets to do a better job of filling in the body. You can see how the tubing sections start very short on the left and steadily increase in length as you move to the right down the length of the tentacle.
To the left you can also see the result of another technique I was testing. The small horns or scales were created using drops of liquid latex applied with the tip of a sharpened pencil. As you pull the pencil away the surface tension of the latex draws it to a point, creating the tooth-like spike. You can produce some amazingly detailed texture effects like this, effectively “painting” three-dimensional structures onto the skin.
Here’s a closeup shot of the tentacle.
One of the things I love about this method is the gnarly organic texture of the skin. It naturally develops as you apply the latex with a sponge. With a dark glaze and some light drybrushing it would really pop, but even in this monochrome state it’s pretty impressive.
With this test finished it’s time to move on to the next iteration. I’ll fix the problem with the sucker spacing by adding more sets, and try to give the tubing a more organic look. Using a heat gun to flare the ends and add a little irregularity to the perfectly round shape should help with that.
This article originally appeared at Propnomicon.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
Gravedigger’s Local 16 is not to be held responsible for the content on or anything that may occur (be it good or bad) as a result of visiting any links (or constructing a project that’s detailed on them). Attempt at your own discretion.
Jan 06 2016
A lot has happened since we last saw the people behind The Tunnel. Although the sequel The Tunnel: Dead End is still in the works, writer/producer/editor Enzo Tedeschi is also developing other projects. One of which is Deadhouse Films, a company devoted to both producing and distributing Australian horror and science fiction media to the world through the internet.
Airlock is a sci-fi thriller miniseries about the investigation of a derelict spacecraft. As countless works of science fiction and horror have taught us, nothing good will come of this. I would love to go into more detail, but doing so would risk spoiling all the twists and turns of the story! Although the first (of three) episodes is available for free download, the other two installments have to be purchased. This distribution model allows for fans to support the production of future series without them having to risk buying something sight unseen. Did I also mention how the paid version also includes a wealth of extra features (including the film’s score)? So snag your free download and spring for the rest. Judging from the official Deadhouse Films Facebook page, your money will be spread among several promising new productions. Said Facebook page was also briefly giving away free DVDs and Blu-Ray versions of The Tunnel, so I advise adding them to your feed so there is absolutely no chance of you missing any future promotions like that.
Special thanks to Distracted Media for use of the image!
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…
Jan 02 2016
To quote the description given at the new listing:
“HAPPY NEW YEAR! Before we can celebrate 2016, let us bury 2015 by going over some of the killer tracks that were released in the year. Hear music from ZOMBINA AND THE SKELETONES, THE MANGLED DEAD, THE BRAINS, and so much more. Will Baby New Year turn out to be MONSTERMATT PATTERSON? Tune in and find out!”
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. They’re also on Facebook, Twitter and SoundCloud.
Dec 26 2015
From Baltimore Maryland comes Hidden Volume Records. A label that specializes in releasing limited edition music from some of the best garage rock/punk,surf and psych rock from all around the globe. Their tag line is “The NOW sound of NOW”. And with releases by bands such as The Whiskey Devis,Kurt Baker Combo,The GTVs,Sick Thoughts and more, it is easy to see why they are quickly becoming the favorite label of music fans everywhere.
Aside from releasing the a record of killer tunes, HVR seems to always add little bonus item with most releases, which adds a nice touch to the release and really makes you feel like you’re getting more than your money’s worth. Whether it be a patch with the first 100 orders of the new Kurt Baker Combo release (the first 100 out the 300 pressed is on a beautiful electric blue vinyl) or a coaster with the Delusionairs record, it really shows a touch of class and extra attention to the releases. As a vinyl enthusiast, I really appreciate when a label can show you the love they put into a release.
Aside from little extras and beautiful cover art done by X10 on most releases, it’s the music that’s important here. And the folks over at HVR have a good ear for stuff that’s sure to get your toes tappin” and mojo movin’. Long time garage rockers The Insomniacs returned from an almost 10 year hiatus to release a killer 2 song 45 record on Hidden Volume at the tail end of 2014. And if Hidden Volume Records is ringing a bell with any of you frequent readers here on GDL16, it’s because HVR released that awesome Torments instrumental surf 45, “The Creamer”, that we reviewed several months back. A kick ass release that you will unfortunately have to track down and find second hand,which is completely worth your while to do, as how it is long sold out.
So far, HVR releases are 45 singles and done in a limited run of 300 with usually a third or half of the run being on colored vinyl. Which means, first come,first serve and you better act quickly if you want the colored version. Occasionally, as with The Torments or The Delusionaires releases, the entire run is color. Sign up to the HVR newsletter to make sure you stay on top of new releases to make sure you get that color variant before it sells out, which is often the case. And while you’re at it, check out Hidden Volume’s in house occasional zine (issue 2 comes out in January), “7&7 Is”. A nice little 7″ record sized zine that fits right into your 7″ record case.It’s filled with articles and interviews and comes with a free flexi record. And keep an eye on some very interesting and awesome release coming up in 2016. Including a 10″ release and some full length 12″ LP’s.
So do yourself a favor and hop on over to http://hiddenvolume.com/ and pick yourself a few gems to get your new year off to a rockin’ start.
Dec 25 2015
For the uninitiated, Tabonga (sometimes referred to as “Tabanga” or “Taranga” depending on the source) is the name of the monster in a little movie called From Hell It Came. It’s the story of a tree that walked like a man…and died like a chump. Given how it’s a 50’s monster movie that most people only watch it for laughs, you should not consider that a spoiler.
A person known only as gorillaatlarge1 decided to both celebrate Christmas and pay tribute to the film by modifying a Douglas Fir singing tree into Tabonga:
There’s also a bonus present under the tree for you!
Ace Mask uncovered Tabonga’s surprise appearance in Arson for Hire. This marked the costume’s final onscreen appearance, which you can see below:
Merry Christmas!
Dec 24 2015
To quote the description given at the new listing:
“And on that day, Strange Jason’s heart grew three sizes that day, and he played joyous music celebrating the holiday — tunes from NICK LOWE & LOS STRAITJACKETS, THE DYES, THE MERMEN, THE YOBS, THE MARTINI KINGS and many more. Even MONSTERMATT PATTERSON has a Merry Christmas during a holiday episode of THE MONSTERMATT MINUTE!”
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. They’re also on Facebook, Twitter and SoundCloud.
Dec 22 2015
To quote the description given at the new listing:
“Bah — HUMBUG! It’s a miserable season of jolly and joy, so we’ve got your anti-holiday music in this episode. Songs from PAUL MAULED & THE FURIOUS ELVES, THE MEN WHO WILL NOT BE BLAMED FOR NOTHING, THE CREEPING CRUDS & More. Speaking of the naughty list, he’s been on it 45 years and running — MONSTERMATT PATTERSON and THE MONSTERMATT MINUTE!”
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. They’re also on Facebook, Twitter and SoundCloud.
Dec 14 2015
Midnight Syndicate
Official Site
Christmas: A Ghostly Gathering, Linfaldia Records 2015
After numerous requests for such an album by fans, Midnight Syndicate has finally released their very first Christmas album! It’s something of a departure from their usual work in more ways than one. Aside from the obvious difference, the band has stressed their efforts to appeal to as many kinds of listeners as possible while still seeming like a Midnight Syndicate album in their various social media feeds. The loose connection between the tracks is rare among numerous albums which tell complete stories through their tracks. In other words, there’s plenty of styles to be found in this selection of old favorites and new material.
The beginning of “Christmas Overture” has a pleasing, dreamy feel thanks to its use of chimes and touches of jingle bells. But it quickly becomes more disturbing and slow. The tolling church bells, piano work and snippets of organ music go well with the alternating unisex vocals. “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” also starts off soft and beautiful. Just like the last track, spooky undertones and vocals eventually creep in. While it does admittedly have some lighter moments for contrast, the uneven piano version and string work (which remind me of crawling spiders) offers a chilling new twist on a Christmas standard. “Carol of the Bells” is interesting because Gavin Goska opted for a progressive rock influence! More specifically, his arrangement of the track made use of polyrhythms. The militaristic drums add to its epic, sweeping feel. It’s not scary for the most part, with the occasional exception of the vocals. The piano work even feels downright playful! It’s great for your next Christmas party’s playlist. “Night of the Krampus” is one of the album’s several original compositions. It has an appropriately old “European” feel at the opening before adopting a much darker and dramatic tone. I love the string work and jingle bells coupled with the chorus. It’s very chilling and the use of bells hint at the Krampus’ rusty chains and bells being heard late at night. The use of organ and harpsichord with touches of heavy tones make this version of “Angels We Have Heard On High” a must hear! In addition to the angelic choir, it has a somewhat medieval feel to it. Which is appropriate given how it leads into “Greensleeves.” Its mournful and dark opening sets the feel of track. A tolling bell, gongs and tambourine are nicely combined with the occasional appearance of piano work. “Up On the Housetop” should please any fans of Midnight Syndicate’s work on the soundtrack for a little movie called Axe Giant: The Wrath of Paul Bunyan. The pounding, heavy tone of the opening is kept throughout the track and the sneaking notes create the feeling of Santa and his elves being up to no good. You do not want to put this in your playlist for your next holiday party. Trust me on this.
“God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” is slower and more subdued than most versions of the song. This is obvious from the very beginning, which features a medium soft opening and chorus of wordless female vocals. The tolling bells are a great touch, as are the later unisex chorus and magnificent piano work. The second half is both beautiful and inspiring. Bells usher in a mournful tone for “Coventry Carol.” Even the less intense parts bring to quiet reflection to mind rather than Christmas cheer. The vocals really add to the overall effect. “Little Helpers” has a deceptively whimsical opening and plenty of jingle bells. The whimsical touches and percussion make the listener think of a wacky workshop full of elves putting toys together. But once you start to hear them, they sound more like goblins or evil clowns. Then they really crank up the sense of menace afterwards. The elegant harpsichord opening of “Sing We Now of Christmas” has some dark undertones lurking in background but does get a bit more cheery as time goes on. It’s utterly fascinating to listen to and I can’t exactly put my finger on why. “Winter Storm” is intense, unnerving and chaotic at times, just like its namesake. I loved the use of lighter musical touches to represent drifting snowflakes. The unusual music which forms “Into the Stillness” makes wonderful use of bells and wordless vocals. The peppy drums and marching opening of “The Parade of the Tin Soldiers” immediately lets the listener know there is something special about this particular take on “March of the Wooden Soldiers.” It’s appropriately both playful and serious thanks to its use of bells and gong strikes. The traditional carol “Everywhere, Everywhere, Christmas Tonight” features organ work and triumphant brass instrumentation. Speaking of “work,” bells get a quite a workout in this. “Christmas At Midnight” closes things out with the sounds of soft piano, bells, organ work and soft winter winds. Its calm and beautiful nature is aided by a choir, which is a perfect touch to a perfect finish.
Christmas: A Ghostly Gathering is perfect both for general December listening and all your Christmas haunting needs. Don’t laugh at that last one. Both scary Christmas scenes at haunted attractions and using a wicked winter wonderland theme for haunted attractions when they reopen in December are growing more and more popular. Both situations can make great use of Midnight Syndicate’s Haunted Attraction Registry Program. Imagine the Krampus lurking in a forest of evergreen trees as “Night of the Krampus” plays or wandering through the Abominable Snowman’s cave with “Winter Storm” blaring in the background. Do I even have to tell you what to use for the encounter with “Santa Claws” or the workshop filled with sinister playthings and menacing machinery? Having costumed performers pop out of what seem to be piles of ordinary present will further add to the fun. Although copies can be purchased from a variety of sources, I suggest ordering the album from the band’s website. Not only will this help support them, but it will also get you some free Midnight Syndicate holiday postcards. But you had better act fast since supplies are limited!
Special thanks to Entity Productions for the review copy!
Dec 12 2015
To quote the description given at the new listing:
“The night, it’s full of colors! In this episode, covered in red, green, blue, orange and white lights, we celebrate the twinkling shades of the season. Featuring music from MONSTER A GO-GO, FRENZY, THE INDEPENDENTS and more. MONSTERMATT PATTERSON reaches a milestone on a colorful edition of THE MONSTERMATT MINUTE!”
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. They’re also on Facebook, Twitter and SoundCloud.
Dec 09 2015
The story of how It’s a Wonderful Life is no longer considered to be a public domain film is well known. The only problem is that the most popular and most circulated version of the story is laughably incorrect. Contrary to popular belief, the film’s copyright was not restored thanks to the film containing music that was still copyrighted. It’s time for the interesting story behind the whole It’s a Wonderful Life situation and what actually happened.
Dec 07 2015
To quote the description given at the new listing:
“The only talking on this episode comes from Strange Jason as Monstermatt Patterson, as an all instrumental show is beamed straight into your brain! Music from THE FLYING FADERS, LOS HIJOS, BOMBON, THEE ICEPICKS and more. Monstermatt recreates Scanners and the messy results are on the latest MONSTERMATT MINUTE, plus Kraig Kaos comes back to read your mind, picking out the next KILLER KUT!”
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. They’re also on Facebook, Twitter and SoundCloud.
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