Apr 23 2012

You Get Cancelled…

Once upon a time, a man by the name of Jerry G. Bishop played a horror host called “Svengoolie” on Screaming Yellow Theater. Although only on the air from 1970-1973, the series gained a loyal following. One fan by the name of Rich Koz submitted so many sketch ideas to the show that he was eventually brought on as a writer. Flash forward to 1979, when Koz got the okay to portray a character called “Son of Svengoolie.” Koz’s portrayal not only paid tribute to the original, but also showcased his own unique sense of humor and numerous musical parodies. Sadly, the series went off the air in 1986 when the station carrying it was sold to Fox and was stripped of most of its original programming in order to (presumably) streamline all of the participating channels into bland clones of eachother. But even in the face of cancellation, he had the time for one last amazing song parody…

According to Strange Jason, the musical mastermind of Gravedigger’s Local 16, this is a parody of Ray Charles’ “Busted.” Which certainly explains why Sven is wearing dark sunglasses throughout the segment. Some might view the line about Elvira’s physique as an insult, but I don’t. While Cassandra Peterson is a very talented person (I love her albums and her two films were hilarious), I’d be kidding myself if I said that her looks had nothing to do with her success. If you had some guy in black spandex telling jokes about his junk instead of Elvira, Movie Macabre wouldn’t have made it past the pilot stage. Another thing to consider is how a lot of the people who slag on Mystery Science Theater 3000 often give Elvira a pass on doing the same thing, simply because they’re attracted to her. Check out this video of the two hosts meeting at the 2008 “Flashback Weekend” in Chicago and there doesn’t seem to be an ounce of animosity between them:

Thankfully, Rich Koz was still employed and doing work television after the cancellation. In 1994, he was even granted permission to both revive the show and officially take the name “Svengoolie.” The revived show still runs to this day and is even shown on ME-TV! Oddly enough, Elvira’s revived version of Movie Macabre got cancelled…

Apr 21 2012

Record Store Day Is Here!

We’ve been teasing it for quite some time and now the big day is finally here. You can find a list of all the great surprises and participating locations at the official website.

Don’t have a participating store near you? We here at Gravedigger’s Local 16 have you covered! In addition to our (unofficial) tribute to both Record Store Day and video stores, we also have a fine selection of free music downloads!

Amazon is offering a limited-time free download of the soundtrack to the film Unpleasantville. Don’t forget to check out the links at the bottom for even more free music downloads. If you like what you hear, you can learn more about the film here.

Ray O’Bannon has tons of free music, along with free album art and countless other goodies, at his amazing website.

Fauxrror is a series of free downloads of music from movies that never existed, complete with posters and reviews of the ficticious films. You can get all the goodness at either Doomed Moviethon or the official Fauxrror Myspace. You decide!

Strange Jason has always sung the praises of Messer Chups, and you can found out why by downloading their free EPs (complete with album art).

Kevin MacLeod’s Incompetech.com offers an astoundingly large selection of free music that covers practically every genre (including tons of spooky stuff)! You’ll be hearing more about this site here in the future, trust me.

Happy Record Store 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…

Apr 20 2012

6’+ Episode 28 is up!

To quote the description given at the new listing:

“VHS, Beta, Blu-Ray and DVD. Find them all at your Local Video Store. This episode captures some of the history so that your local store has a future.

Metal Morgue has Dr. Gangrene talking with Count Lyle of Ghoultown, and there’s also MonsterMatt’s Minute. Music from The Amino Acids, The Dead-Tones, Theater Zombies, The Neanderthals and Bloodsucking Zombies From Outer Space. ALL THIS AND MORE!”

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.

Apr 19 2012

Review: Popcorn Horror for your phone.

Popcorn Horror
http://www.PopcornHorror.com

Available for Android and iPhone.

Admittedly, I don’t have a lot of horror apps on my phone. And that might not be my fault. I use a Galaxy SII with the Android OS, whose app store is slightly anemic compared to the robust iPhone App store, but each platform has an abundant amount of crap.

Plenty of apps are available that give you spooky sounds, haunted wallpapers and useless little games involving zombies and chainsaws and blah blah blah.

The only app I found worth downloading was the Dread Central app, just because it gave a news feed without all the crappy adds and shitty coding you find on the mainpage. So when Popcorn Horror reached out and let us here at GdL16 know about them, I was really excited at what they were offering: an app designated for the distribution of independent horror shorts.

Popcorn Horror, developed in 2011 by two of Scotland’s finest sons, Felix Gilfedder and Derek McEwen, is a nifty little app that allows you to stream short horror movies from independent filmmakers. As per the site’s guidelines, films should be no longer than 20 minutes. The shorts run about 5-10 minutes, with varying themes – comedy, suspense, grindhouse and slashers alike can be found.

The videos are in good to fantastic quality. There wasn’t any problem in viewing them on my device.  Users have the ability to rate and comment on each individual video, which is good as it associates the discussion WITH the film itself and not on a separate forum. There’s no confusing way to navigate back and forth to watch something you might have missed. The navigation is really smooth and effortless with this app and there’s no lag at all.  You do have to click/touch the movie’s description or else you will miss out on the ability to log your opinions about the short. It took me a couple tries before I discovered this feature. I blame the user, not the app.

Additional features involve the horror quote, which allows you trivia nerds to flex your brain-muscles by adding in quotes both popular and obscure. There are also wallpapers available so you can decorate your mobile device accordingly.

The app itself is free but you need to purchase a Premium Ticket in order to access the full application. A fifteen dollar fee gets you full access to the Popcorn Horror film library whereas the free version only allows you to view about six shorts at a time.

Fifteen dollars, in my opinion, is steep for an app.  I understand why it costs what it does. Popcorn Horror doesn’t OWN the movies, it only licenses them. And there are no ads on this app, so all the revenue that it generates is from premium pass memberships. I understand why people turn to advertising, and I would hate to advocate it. But if Popcorn Horror does put advertising on its next update, I understand.

Popcorn Horror is a great idea and it’s only a year old, so I can’t really hold any major criticism against it. But if I were to make suggestions as to what might entice me to spend my money with this app, I would want more to do. I love the idea of an app distributing independent horror shorts like this. It’s also beautiful, which captures the feel and look of a gritty cinematic experience. However, outside of the six shorts I’m allowed to watch, there’s not much else here. The quotes option is nice but it doesn’t have much life to it and the Community tab is a one-way news feed.

If you have better ideas, you can join the Facebook community made to discuss the further development of Popcorn Horror. https://www.facebook.com/PopcornHorror2 allows you to discuss everything with the creators, filmmakers and like minded individuals.

I highly recommend downloading Popcorn Horror. I think that this offers a great outlet for horror shorts to reach a wide audience and for fans to connect. It’s a gorgeous piece of technology and its it’s an idea I support thoroughly. I look forward to its development and to what the sequel brings.

Apr 18 2012

Record Store Day Is Coming!

It’s April and that means Record Store Day is quickly approaching. This year it falls on the 21st, so clear your schedules and get ready to get some choice freebies.

And choice they are. According to the official website, there are quite a few special releases that should be of interest to readers of this blog. The Misfits are releasing the legendary album Walk Among Us on colored vinyl and their label is also doing a release where Juicehead and Osaka Popstar team up to do a cover of Fugazi’s “Waiting Room.” You might remember Fugazi as the folks that are occasionally claimed to be responsible for the Beavis and Butt-head theme. It’s actually the work of Mike Judge, but they’re still cool.

Fans of the Freaky Tiki Surf-ari are bound to be interested in the freebie from the Martian Denny Orchestra. Said orchestra is a surf cover band created by Eddie Angel (The Neanderthals) and Jimmy Lester (Los Straitjackets). We’re hoping to include something by them in an upcoming special episode of the podcast. That said, it’s a completely unofficial tribute to both Record Store Day and independent video stores. The people behind Record Store Day have nothing to do with it.

It’s also worth noting that Record Store Day is an international event, so the record stores in your country might not not have all of the items noted here. On the plus side, you might get some exclusive goodies, like how people in the UK got a sweet Doctor Who movie soundtrack CD that also included a condensed audio drama version of Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. featuring Peter Cushing!

Apr 17 2012

Tuesday uEtsy: Clara Boo’s Curioddities

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.]

Clara Boo’s Curioddities
http://www.etsy.com/shop/curioddities

Sew Couture Caduceus Pocket Mirror

Creepiness is an art. In order to really creep someone out, it doesn’t take much if you do it properly. There is a lot you can do just by playing with tactile sensations. There’s some truth in that slumber party game of making your friends close their eyes before you slide their hands into cold spaghetti noodles, lying to them about how these are veins taken from a murder victim’s body.

Creepy is a clever art form. You can’t creep someone out if you go about it dumbly, with no finesse or any kind of panache. It’s hard to do when you overplay your hand or go for the bombastic approach, as many people do. Creepy is very subtle, very slithering. When you creep someone out, it also has to come off as a natural action for you, even if the action itself is unnatural. You can’t do something that immediately reveals itself a charade, or else you’ll come off as comical or, at worst, a farce.

We think that one of the charming traits of Clara Boo’s Currioddities is how they manage to be naturally creepy without showing much effort. They also do it in a manner that it doesn’t ward off anyone from buying their products. It’s a very accessible level of creepiness and we applaud their work.

Bat Girl Womens Medium T Shirt Last One

Glancing at this women’s t-shirt, your eyes are drawn to the comely figure whose shape is accentuated by the cape of spider-webs. Above, a well enamored moon looks down, almost gleeful in its voyeuristic delight. Though pornographic by no means, the undercurrent of sex here is undeniable, made not so much creepy but somewhat subversive by the fact that this woman’s elongated neck implies what her true intentions are. Even more so, when she reveals them, people will be watching.

Penny Farthing Pocket mirror

The actual mirror is a handy tool and should be on hand in case of any last minute touch-ups or in need to measure the strength of a body’s breath. The image on the back shows an ecstatic child-thing riding the penny farthing, a trio of bat shapes gliding behind it on attached strings. Are the bats dead or fake? And the ever visible seam in the child-thing’s head, does that imply that it wears a protective shell? What grim visage lies underneath that permanently grinning face?

Skeleton and a Vampire

Clara Boo’s Curioddities offers a very extensive range of products, from wearables to displayables to sendables, like this card here. One of a series displaying festive costumes on children in the custom of trick-or-treating, the bit of creepiness is not in the visibles. In fact, it’s quite charming. Clara Boo is able to capture her two-dimensional style in a very third dimension, providing a wonderful card to send at the appropriate time. No, what’s utterly creepy about this is the sound that these things, these children, might make if they were real and standing on your desk.

Nostalgia 2 Blank Card

Nostalgia is, in itself, a horrible affliction that renders a lot of the living into ghastly bits of death, floating around while dressed in antiquated modes of fashion, profounding the truths of long, outdated technologies and thoughts. It’s a horrible curse and so it’s questionable as to why this high fashion darling is called such. The colors allusion to sorry, the pose one of coyness and possible regret? The nearly exposed breast leading to imagine this a woman once comfortable with having a life separate from sex but now? Very peculiar.

Penny Black With Radio Blank Greetings Card.

 How horrible it must be to be so proficient with your hands to expertly capture the expression of depression and utter despair on the face of an inanimate (?) object. The doll, though complete in construction, looks broke in spirit. The position next to the antique radio, the objects from a prior time, only aid in the melancholy. How wonderful. How creepy.

Do be a doll yourself and go to these pages – Clara Boo on Twitter, on Facebook here and also on Facebook there. If you aren’t feeling terribly social, avoid the social networks and go straight to the official page. Don’t forget to visit her Etsy store and purchase what have you.

Apr 16 2012

Kickstarter: HIGH ON BLOOD AT THE END OF THE WORLD

DONATE HERE

Kickstarter has become the number one “crowd-funding” sites out there, mainly due to high profile people using the service.  I’ve talked about it in the past, both with Transylvania-TV’s Halloween Special and mentioning the service in a write up about the remake/prequel/sequel of the 2006 movie Behind the Mask (aka Before The Mask).

Friend of the site, Joel “MAX REVERB” Kapland has recently written a grindhouse-fantasy novel entitled HIGH ON BLOOD AT THE END OF THE WORLD. Joel’s a man who, despite currently living in Florida, bleeds the blood of a Maine man. You can tell from the picture he’s got for the proposed book. Don’t let the MSPaint fool you:

Joel is a member of the Necro-Tone family. He has played with The Crimson Ghosts, The Quasi-Men, maybe the Demon Seeds (I can’t really be sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised) and possibly The Disconnect on one of their two-three shows. (edit: I have been informed that Joel wasn’t part of the Disconnect.) He’s currently in Gigi and the Cretins down in Florida and this is a way to help this punk out. He’s self-publishing the book and every pre-order (depending on the pledge level) gets you some sick rewards. You can even be a character in the sequel (if there is a sequel, and well. There’s always a sequel.)

Help a cretin out.

DONATE HERE

Disclaimer: Kickstarter has its downsides. First off, if you overstate your goal and don’t make it, you get NOTHING. Let’s say this: You put your goal at 1,000 dollars. You manage to get about 800 pledged and reasonably, you can get your project made with that amount of money. But because you don’t make the 1k in time, you get nothing. In order to ensure that you get SOME money, you likely have to understate your budget.

In addition, depending on the project/budget, that 1000 dollars is subject from anywhere to 8-10% in fees (5% to Kickstarter, 3-5% to Amazon.) Middlemen! There are additional sites with their own caveats, so pick and choose if you ever look towards the masses online to help fund you.

So Joel has his goal at 1000 dollars. He’s got six weeks to make 355 dollars in order to qualify for funding. He made it so that the smallest amount of books run off in this would be 50, at 20 bucks a pop. In addition to that basic pledge of 20, you get your book signed, a sticker AND a mix-CD from Joel himself. This is punk rock.

I’ll be plugging this for a while (over on Twitter and on the podcast) so if you want to stop hearing about this, donate and get your friends to donate. He only needs about 18 more people to buy the book and bam! Success.

Apr 13 2012

TGIF13 V: How Old Is Jason Voorhees?

Answer or die!

Ages ago on Twitter, I once read a Tweet idly wondering how old is Jason Voorhees is supposed to be. Not how old the character is in terms of his place in pop culture, but literally how old the slasher is in terms of the franchise’s continuity. Anyone who’s seen the fourth film, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, can tell you that the events of the first film are said to take place in 1979. Although Jason only appears in a dream sequence in the original, there is a tantalizing clue as to his intended age from one of the men responsible for the character’s final design: Victor Miller. In an interview. he noted how Jason was originally supposed to be a normal-looking young boy, but it was eventually decided that the scene featuring him would not work if he looked like “Betsy Palmer at eight years old.”

So from there, we can determine that he was 8 years old when he “drowned” in 1957 (as stated in the original Friday the 13th). So with a few quick calculations, we can determine that Jason was 30 when he started killing teenagers in Friday the 13th Part 2. Further calculations reveal that he’s 54 in 2003’s Freddy vs. Jason and that if we include the chronology in Jason X, he was 59 when captured in 2008 and 61 when he was frozen in 2010! Judging from his strength and movements in those films, he’s pretty spry for a guy in that age range! Then again, the overtly supernatural elements introduced in Jason Goes To Hell (along the regeneration angle introduced in said film, which were later used in a different way in Jason X) could also account for that.

UPDATE: It turns out there are many proposed timelines for the Friday the 13th series available online and not all of them match up with what I came up with. One such timeline states Jason was born in 1946, which would mean he was 12 years old when he drowned in 1957 and was 57 when he fought Freddy Krueger and 64 when he was frozen prior to the main portion of Jason X. Someone even factored in the dates given in the trailers for the first two films and how they compare with a real world calendar! I have no idea how to determine which timeline is correct, but I hope what I wrote can help you determine the age of Jason Voorhees in your timeline of choice.

Apr 12 2012

Gravediggin’ Man

Thursday are rough days. It’s not the middle, the beginning or even the end of the week. It’s the perfect time for feeling the blues.

Larry Thurston and Jeff Alexander reached out to GdL16 and let everyone here know of their song ‘Gravediggin’ Man.’ It’s a great tribute to all those who have felt so low, the floor was not low enough and they had to start digging.

Give the video below a play and if you like the song, do purchase a copy. It’s available on iTunes and on CDBaby.

 

Apr 10 2012

Tuesday uEtsy: VoodooPin

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.]

VoodooPin
http://www.etsy.com/shop/voodoopin

Frankenstein Monster white vinyl decal/sticker

Glenn the Sasquatch came by the office at Quiet Side recently. W. Jon and S. Jason were covering the night watch.

“I’m surprised you haven’t hired someone to do this,” Glenn said as he was poured a cup of coffee, dealt into the game of pitch and welcomed by the few people of Leathbridge who might not turn in fright at the sight of a near seven foot tall Bigfoot.

“Not many can handle your occasional visit,” W. Jon told Glenn. “And when did you get a truck?”
“Bernie, yeah. Got me a deal with a guy,” said Glenn.
“How did you get insurance?”
“Same guy. Also got me a license. Real nice chap. ”

Sure enough, Glenn is a legal driver, certified to operate anything with two axels this side of a confused horse.

“Who taught you how to drive?”
“Bernie, again. Guess he did figure it’ll help him when his Poinsettia starts up, yeah. Figures if he can make it through teaching a Sasquatch how to parallel park, teaching his daughter will be a breeze.”

Such musings keep the weary awake during the late hours in Leathbrige. Glenn’s car, though used, came without any kind of superfluous decorations. Barring that no organized sport holds appeal to the general Sasquatch population save Roller Derby (“Though, do take a shine to that Brian Wilson fella,” Glenn said, pointing out the closing pitcher for the San Francisco Giants), the options for what to put on the back window of Glenn’s truck remain up in the air. Anything sasquatch related seems a bit too boastful for the humble Glenn, though he might want to consider some of the decals offered by today’s store – VoodooPin.

Charles Nelson Reilly CNR White vinyl decal/sticker Match Game

The late Charles Nelson Reilly, character actor known for his distinct voice and campy mannerisms, was canonized in the Dead Milkmen’s song “Serrated Edge.” Flamboyant but controlled, Reilly was a wit and a half and is clearly a valued entity when dealing with the off-worldly and bizarre. Consider him a stepping stone towards harder drugs like Jon Waters. Put this decal on where you can pay tribute daily as you prepare to take on and own the day.

Legend Darkness Black vinyl decal/sticker

Voodoo Pin offers a variety of pop culture stickers/decals, all within a dark, outsider mentality. If you’ve ever rooted for the bad guy (before it was cool to do so) then it’s likely that you’ll want to buy everything at Voodoo Pin. Here, we see the character of Darkness, portrayed by Tim Curry and twenty pounds of make-up, from the 1985 film Legend. Starring a only-semi-crazy Tom Cruise, the real appeal of the movie was Tim Curry, even if you had to dig through ten layers of latex to find him.

Drop Dead Gorgeous VoodooSugar Photography Magnet Skull Skeleton

Of course, VoodooPin wouldn’t only have decals. They also offer magnets, shirts and even totes. Entice the right people to enter while keeping the wrong people out of your fridge, locker or cubicle with this Drop Dead Gorgeous magnet. Clearly, there’s really no other way. KEEP OUT posters are too brazen and you never know who you’re preventing from wasting your time. Your only option is to buy this.

Bride Of Frankenstein Made For Each Other Black Zippered Tote Bag Ready To Ship Classic Horror

This is awesome, even if you’re not big on romance or black tote bags. It’s much better than those green or blue bags you buy for a dollar at a grocery store so you can somehow negate the guilt of a lifetime spent with plastic bags. It’s clearly outfitted for you to apply your own customization, with pins and patches (some of which can be bought from VoodooPin.) Clearly, this is something beyond the pale of human comprehension. That’s right. VoodooPin are aliens. Alien zombies who have taken to etsy. FLEE!

Red Hot Riding Hood Magnet red corset burlesque pin up

Not content with staying with horror and spooky themes, a lot of their artwork features sexy pinups from those times when you were first discovering sex. It’s a rad and confusing time, and you can relive those moments every day. Hopefully, you’ve gained enough confidence in yourself that you can look upon this Tex Avery inspired artwork and say “Yes. This is what put me down the path I currently walk” with some sense of pride. Or regret. Either way, buy.

Head over to VoodooPin’s shop  (or check out their main page www.VoodooSugar.com) to see all that there is to see. When you’re done making your purchases, sit knowing that you’ve done right by the universe. We’ll wait for you, back here, until the next Tuesday uEtsy.

Apr 09 2012

Joss is Less or some stupid title.

I don’t like the work of Joss Whedon because I think his storytelling relies far too much on the complex, over-reaching ideas/ arcs than focusing on the basic principles. I think he values being clever more than being good.

Further research into Cabin In The Woods ultimately sank a prior post I had previously written, comparing it with The Hunger Games, detailing how the nameless, faceless government/industry/entertainment entity has taken over as the go-to antagonist. I even quoted Lovecraft, when he wrote “[t]he oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.” The internet has killed off a lot of unknown, though it hasn’t done much for ignorance. We know of a lot more and it’s far too easy for a lot of people to know of something or someone. Slashers came about with fear of strangers and that fear is still alive, but the product–specifically, antagonists with identifiable personalities–have gone out of style.

The more I don’t know about Whedon’s work, the less I loathe it. I was willing to write off Cabin In The Woods as another sci-fi fuckall that Whedon is known for doing. But I actually looked into the movie to see what it was about, and read an attributed quote on how “The things that [Joss doesn’t] like are kids acting like idiots, the devolution of the horror movie into torture porn and into a long series of sadistic comeuppances. [co-writer Drew Goddard] and [Joss] both felt that the pendulum had swung a little too far in that direction.”

SHOCK! For a moment, I thought I agreed with Joss Whedon. Maybe I do?  But further reviews, specifically to those at Rotten Tomatoes, point out that yes, I can rest easy tonight. Joss Whedon Sucks A Big One.

Replace 'Andy Warhol' with your scornful artist of choice.

From the reviews, it sounds like it’s a bloated version of ‘Stay Tuned’ mixed with ‘Scream’ and the ‘Truman Show.’ Will the movie make money? It’ll make back its 30 million budget, sure. The sliver of the population who want to see a half-cast reunion of ‘Dollhouse’ will make sure of that. But if the movie changes the genre, I’ll be stunned by the lack of taste in all of you.

Instead of going on about this, I’m going to listen to LiveFastDie and wait until God Bless America comes out.

Apr 08 2012

The 3rd Annual GdL16 Easter Egg Hunt

The objective is the same as the one last year: Find all of the articles that reveal hidden “Easter Eggs” in the disc being reviewed that are hidden among other articles without them. The actual amount of Easter Eggs is very low this year, but new players should feel free to visit the previously-linked installment for more fun. Let the hunting begin…NOW:

Sticks
Special Order
Music to Haunt By: Darkmood
Music to Haunt By: Alex Otterlei
Music to Haunt By: The Dark Tower
H.P. Lovecraft Radio Hour Volume 1
Freaky Tiki Surf-ari: Ding Dong Devils
Freaky Tiki Surf-ari: The Crimson Ghosts
Music to Haunt By: Dead Rose Symphony
Music to Haunt By: Prelude to a Nightmare
Freaky Tiki Surf-ari: King Kong vs. Godzilla Soundtrack

Happy Easter!

Apr 07 2012

6’+ Episode 27 is up!

To quote the description given at the new listing:

“How fast a year flies by when you’ve got good music. More changes come about this episode, with Strange Jason introducing himself as the Curator of 6′+. Dr. Gangrene speaks with Fast Eddie Clarke (of Motorhead and Fastway) and Monstermatt gives us another minute of his time.

This go around, there’s music from The 3-D Invisibles, The Evil Streaks, Secular Plague, Dead Ray Cats, The Irresponsibles and more. And this episode goes 3ftDeep with Monster A-Go-Go.

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.

 

Apr 04 2012

Best Prank Ever?

We here at Gravedigger’s Local 16 don’t subscribe to the notion of online pranks on April Fools’ Day. Sure, we thought about it from time to time, but things never panned out the way we wanted them to and we eventually abandoned the concept. That said, we figured that now would be a good time to pay tribute to one of the best horror-related pranks I have ever seen. Back in 2000, a brave prankster dressed up as Michael Myers and went to his local mall on Halloween and did some shopping while never breaking character. Thankfully, he had a friend on the inside who was able to recover the security tape and he (as krazetv) was able to upload the following:

But, as funny as this prank was, nobody should ever try replicating it. Times have changed and trying to buy anything (especially sharp objects) while wearing a mask and refusing to talk will only get you in trouble. In short: DON’T DO IT! We are only presenting this for entertainment purposes, not as a suggestion that others should do the same. Oh, and here’s a fun little fact about the prankster: he’s actually the founder of Notic Reign Records, best known here for my review of his spooky ambiance album and his appearances (as Darkmood and SDM) respectively on our podcast. Interested parties can also find him at the Myspace pages for Notic Reign Records, SDM and Darkmood. Check ’em out; you won’t regret it!

Apr 03 2012

Tuesday uEtsy: Total Lost

Tuesday uEtsyFor 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.]

Total Lost
http://www.etsy.com/shop/TotalLost

T shirt marilyn monroe skull white women funny goth

Remember the 90’s?

If you grew into adolescence during that period, there was a horrible trend of black t-shirts with white text on the front, usually broadcasting some witty saying. ‘The voices in my head tell me things’ or ‘Extinction can’t come fast enough.’ These shirts were a blight upon the land and remnants of this plague can still be found at fading Old Glory outlets and a few Hot Topics –or worse, Spencer’s Gifts—found at your local mall.

It wasn’t until the death of the 90’s (occurring sometime in 2001) that the nostalgia t-shirt, pre-weathered as if it were sincerely from the 70’s or 80’s, appeared at the top of the t-shirt pyramid. A new predator, just as invasive and devastating as the prior one, now roams about. At first, there was the idea of wearing a Jolly Green Giants ringer tee as a lark.

“Oh, just for shits and giggles. ‘Ho Ho Ho,’ right?” you might have heard someone say as justification for their purchase. From there, no brand or intellectual property was too obscure or too obnoxious to be bought, repackaged and sold back to us. This was hipness, some comfort in the IDEA of nostalgia even if, frankly, those buying the shirts never experienced the advertising mascots or cartoon characters firsthand when they were new. See a 23 year old wearing a Mr. Clean or a Scrubbing Bubbles t-shirt and you KNOW they’re frauding it up, right in front of you. That kid wasn’t FUNCTIONING or AWARE of these brands but yet displays them out of some mindless reflex.

It’s not bad. It’s no worse than kids wearing South Park t-shirts twenty years ago. It is evidence that no matter what time you were raised or how old you are, it is ESSENTIAL to have a healthy, discriminating eye when it comes to t-shirt. Or else you’ll end up with a closet full of Tazmanian Devils and T-ShirtHell.com rejects you’ll eventually try to dump at GoodWill.

Thankfully, there exists clever minds with good fashion making shirts for you to consider. One of these shops is Total Lost.

T shirt men Charlie Chaplin zombie black & white scary horror

Why Total Lost picked Charlie Chaplin to zombify is up for debate. Could it be the Little Tramp’s tenure as an acrobatic talent with physical comedy is now ironically reduced through mortification? Could the passing resemblance to Poe and/or Hitler somehow factor in the spookiness? It’s not entirely clear and that’s slightly refreshing. It’s not Chuck Norris or Abraham Lincoln and thank goodness for that.

t shirt men girl unicorn black & white funny horror scary goth

The accompanying line is “Sometimes I wish I were a unicorn” and thus, this hilarious bit of black+white gore can now be yours. Are unicorns passé now? We think we’ve passed the unicorn peak. Are we ready to move on or can we start wearing this in an anti-unicorn movement? It’s crazy. You better jump on this before it’s too late.

 

T shirt men skull lips bloody black red white horror scary

Designs like this from Total Lost are timeless, though. It’s a wonderful arrangement of visceral details in something that’s going to be hot (fashion wise, not material wise. It’s 100% cotton. It breathes) for decades to come. Plus, with the ink that Total Lost uses, the color will last longer than you. This is one of their best shirts and should be on your body this summer, fall and what you wear when they finally bury you, six feet down.

 

T shirt little girl holding skull balloons black creepy horror women

Little girls are creepy. You can’t really deny that. Every horror movie that involves an otherworldly, little girl is at least 14% more creepy than without. The Shining. Nightmare on Elm Street. Matilda. All are disturbing movies and you can wear that horror ON YOUR BODY. HOW INSANE IS THAT?

T shirt skull tree white black goth horror art men

It’s turning springtime for the northern hemisphere, meaning that it’s fall somewhere. It’s always autumn somewhere. ALWAYS. But if you are either experiencing the leaves falling down to your feet, dead and gone, or just want to get a jump on things, this is the shirt you will buy today. A great, haunting pattern that is ready to say “I am a fan of the season where everything DIES.”

You should also be a fan of Total Lost. Find them on Facebook and at their Etsy Site. Buy, wear, be aware and be back here next week for another Tuesday uEtsy.

 

Apr 02 2012

Looking At The World With Broken Glass In My Eye by Mark Justice

title of the collection Looking At The World With Broken Glass In My Eye by Mark Justice is all the preparation you need before you dive in, as it sets the tone as to the humor and horror of the stories published in this collection from Graveside Tales.

Mark Justice has a dark humor to him that really packs a punch. It helps him make his horror that more sinister, as there’s always an edge in every joke, a little bit of poison in every bit of hope that might possibly be found within this book of his.

There are entries in Looking… that don’t mask their nature of being straight-premise based works. These smaller pieces are the vaudeville hosts cracking jokes in between the bigger acts, the palate cleansers between meals so that the reader isn’t overwhelmed if they go at it for one setting. “What if Death had an Agent?” Mark Justice asks in ‘Agent of Death.’ “Or, what would happen if the mythological pantheon of gods were to retire?” he inquires in ‘Nursing Home of the Gods.’

These almost-micro-fiction stories are written with a more irreverent tone. This tone is the winking eye that clues you in, the way Justice says “we won’t get a lot of mileage out of this idea but let’s enjoy the ride while we can.” Justice could have overwritten these stories but instead, chose brevity. The shorter stories are also stages for Justice’s twisted sense of humor.

The longer stories are perfectly fit for Mark Justice’s perspective, as he comes up with characters, voices and ideas that flourish with the breathing room. While the genre of ‘occultism alternative WW2 history’ isn’t all that radically new, I think Justice could offer a great contribution to it if ‘Das Hollenfeuer’ is any indication. ‘Father’s Day’ had a great take on vengeance and anger, and ‘Song of the Bones’ is a legitimately creepy story, especially since I recently moved to a densely metropolitan area.

Mark Justice is a showman with his fiction. There’s a great deal of entertainment in Looking… and I think that any horror fan should definitely pick this up.

Three major works divide up the collection, though the ‘Deadnecks’ story, split into two sections, bookends the work. ‘Dead Town’ marks the middle with ‘The Autumn Man’ anchoring the tail end of Looking….  Two of the three are set in Justice’s native Kentucky and deal with a lot of the perceptions of the area. Justice has written a lot about that part of the world, which holds a lot of eldritch mysticism to it. While the instant connotation of the ‘south’ bring sup the characters you’d find in ‘Deadnecks,’ the story, a twist on the zombie holocaust trope, is oddly comedic and strangely heartwarming. Even though it’s a story about being zombies, Justice makes the characters and, essentially, rednecks seem very human.

The differences between the nature of the supernatural in the other two stories – ‘Dead Town’ and ‘The Autumn Man’ –were stark and displayed how Justice has tried to expand himself as a writer. ‘Dead Town’ reads, to me, as a very urban, horrifyingly cold take on the world. It’s all buildings and concrete, whereas ‘The Autumn Man’ is very—surprise, surprise—nature, very wet, very alive.

While he maintains a signature voice when it comes to humor, drama and bleak terror, the stories in this collection are not repetitive. There is a great amount of variety here that whoever picks it up will find something to enjoy in Looking At The World With Broken Glass In My Eye. I definitely recommend it.

Mark Justice (with David T Wilbanks) has written two books in The Dead Earth series: The Green Dawn and The Vengeance Road. His forthcoming 2012 release is the western horror, The Dead Sherriff. You can hear Mark Justice on the horror literature podcast, Pod of Horror.

Thanks are given to Graveside Tales for providing the review copy. 

 

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