Friday, 31 August 2012

Cover Reveal: Tirade by Cambria Hebert

Congrats on another fabulous cover, Cambria!!  

Title: Tirade (Heven and Hell #3)
Genre: YA paranormal
Publisher: Cambria Hebert
Release date: November 30, 2012
Format: Ebook and Paperback





Betrayal burns. Death hurts and the clock ticks…
Minutes and hours stretch into days. How long can Sam survive being confined in Hell? I have a plan… a plan with a lot of holes. I need someone who can make up for my weaknesses, someone who possesses the power that I lack. Riley is supposed to be off limits. He’s dangerous, he’s mean and he’s not to be trusted. But I do.
Beelzebub is on a tirade, bent on revenge. I took what he wants and sent him into the flames. I will wear the scars of his punishments forever. But scars don’t scare me anymore.
On my way to free Sam I find my true path, a secret place and new allies. But in Hell nothing is easy… and everything is cruel. The only thing left to do is survive.




Thursday, 30 August 2012

11.22.63 Book Review author Stephen King

This week 'The Grumbling Gargoyle' gives us her thoughts on Stephen King's novel 11.22.63.  We all know Stephen King as the master of the horror novel, but it seems even when he breaks out of his comfort zone Mr King is still at his best.


Synopsis:
Imagine if you could travel back in time. Imagine if it was within your power to change history. History as pivotal as the JFK assassination...11.22.63...What would you do?
Jake Epping, a high school English teacher from Lisbon Falls, Maine, is about to go on a journey that will propel him from the fast track techno era of 2011 back to the more sedate simplicity of 1958.
Here he will breathe the same air as Elvis and J.F.Kennedy...Lee Harvey Oswald and Jerry Lee Lewis...and Sadie Dunhill, librarian and love of his life. Could things get any better?...Jake thinks they could...


Review
I’ll be honest. I wasn’t overly keen on reading this at first. Not because the concept didn’t appeal to me...it did, very much so!...but because I’ve found some of King’s more recent works to be akin to wading through quicksand in leaden boots...an altogether seriously disappointing drag towards an equally dreary destination.
However, thank God I did read it!
King manages to fuse the machinations of the two worlds perfectly whilst incorporating a flawless transition from one to the other. His imagery of vintage America in the 50’s is so successfully graphic that you’re almost dazed by the modernity of your own world, should you look up from the book for a moment...( if you are able to do so! ).

You know when you go on holiday and you step from the plane and all the sights and sensations of a new culture instantly smack you in the face?..Well that’s what it’s like reading this book! King’s skillful writing saturates your senses with every nuance of the life and attitudes of that time. Indeed, it’s difficult to read these pages without pangs of nostalgia permeating your psyche as you are so cruelly reminded of how it used to be back when we socialised in person...rather than via technology.

However, this is not some flowery time travel log and it’s to King’s credit that he does not sentimentalise the past through his evocative descriptions...’he keeps it real’, as it were. There is some serious stuff going on here!...with powerful possibilities of political pandemonium within the fractious societies of either world if not both should Jake dare dabble with changing history! Despite politics being at the core of the storyline, however, other essential aspects of the book hold an equally prevalent part.  Indeed,the entire experience is an amalgamation of thriller, chiller, love story and all round time traveling genius!
Characters are exceptionally well developed and most believable. They hurt , you hurt...they laugh, you laugh...they make love you ( well, I’ll leave that up to you )...but trust me...you’ll feel you’ve known them all of your life...and wish you had.
This book is quite a tome at 750 pages but I shall tell you this in earnest...I wish there had been 750 pages more! Many have said that this was Stephen King writing as he used to ‘back in the day’...well, whilst I enjoyed King at that time, I disagree. This book, was for me, Stephen King reinvented...and quite frankly...I prefer the new him! You make your own mind up...just brace yourself for an epic ride!

Definitely worth 5 out of 5 stars
By The Grumbling Gargoyle

Childish Games (aka Dictado), di Antonio Chavarrias

Daniel riceve una inaspettata e indesiderata visita da un amico che non vede fin dalla sua infanzia. Il suo amico è ossessionato con la figlia, e insiste sul fatto che Daniel deve incontrarla. Daniel fa del suo meglio per sbarazzarsi di lui e cerca di dimenticare l'incidente. Quella stessa notte il suo amico si suicida.

Laura, la moglie di Daniel, suggerisce di andare al funerale del suo amico. Lì incontrano la figlia, una bambina, di appena sette anni, che dopo la morte del padre è stata presa in affidamento. Laura convince tutte le parti che la cosa migliore  per la bambina è andare a stare con loro.



Ma la presenza della bambina in casa inizia ad avere un effetto negativo sulla coppia quando le paure e ricordi che Daniel pensava di aver sepolto da tempo iniziano a venire a galla dentro la sua testa. Le stesse ossessioni e le paure che hanno preso la vita del suo amico, inizia a prendere il controllo di Daniel. Un crescente senso di isolamento inghiotte Daniele nella casa, che, fino all'arrivo della bambina, aveva pensato gli apparteneva.

Wednesday, 29 August 2012

Double Feature of Fright - Indiegogo Campaign

Petri Entertainment is laying down the gauntlet by producing not one but two frightening feature films 'Boxed In' and 'Bloodline: Rise of the Skinwalker'


 Today we are bringing you the first of these features 'Boxed In'

 

Would you like to see your name in the credits or even be an on-screen victim?!  Then keep reading to find out how you can get involved.

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE

Movie Synopsis 'Boxed In'
College student Nate Thompson is on the cusp of having all his dreams come true. He’s on track to graduate with honors; he has the perfect girlfriend, but is presently very broke.  Hoping to propose to her at graduation, three short months away, Nate takes a moonlighting security job at “Plus Storage” a behemoth 10-story self-storage facility.  Dreaming of long nights of uninterrupted study time and burnt coffee, Nate believes he has found the solution to all of his problems. That is until four strangers break in on his first night searching for a stash of drugs hidden in one of the lockers.  Armed to the teeth and desperate for the stash, they quickly kill the other security guard and take off after Nate and his girlfriend Summer who has stopped by to bring him dinner.
Nate must not only fight to protect himself, but Summer as well, as the four thieves pursue them relentlessly through the metal labyrinth. With the only exit barricaded, a cat and mouse game ensues. As Nate and Summer get closer and closer to being caught, the thieves get even more desperate to kill them while they search for their dark treasure hidden in a mystery locker on the 7th floor.
With nowhere to hide, Nate must use items found in lockers, to take out the thieves one by one.  As more and more lockers are opened, secrets are uncovered including one that reveals that Nate’s random nightmare of a night might not be random at all.


'So how can I get involved?' we hear you ask!

Check out Petri Entertainment's awesome (when we say awesome, we mean awesome!) reward scheme for the two features over at 'Indiegogo' where you can contribute anything from $10 upwards to be a part of this upcoming double feature of fright

Indiegogo Campaign Link:-

Stay tuned this week and we will be showcasing the second feature 'Bloodline: Rise of the Skinwalker'


Tuesday, 28 August 2012

Non prendete quel Taxi, Chained

Bob, un taxista serial killer che insegue la sua preda per le strade della città, a fianco il suo riluttante protetto Tim, a cui Bob ha ucciso la madre, Tim deve fare una scelta di vita, o di morte, seguire le orme di Bob o liberarsi dal suo rapitore.

diretto da Jennifer Chambers Lynch e interpretato da Vincent D'Onofrio, Julia Ormond, Eamon Farren, Conor Leslie, Jake Weber.


Monday, 27 August 2012

Absentia Review


Horror/Mystery – Starring Katie Parker, Courtney Bell, Morgan Peter Brown, Dave Levine. Written/Directed by Mike Flanagan (2011)


Daniel (Morgan Peter Brown) has been missing for seven years, and wife Tricia (Courtney Bell) is finally ready to declare him dead ‘in absentia’ and move on with her life. With her younger sister Callie (Katie Parker) moving in to support her through the painful legal process, Tricia is haunted by disturbing visions of Daniel. Meanwhile Callie’s curiosity draws her to the dark, creepy tunnel near the house, a tunnel that she believes is connected to Daniel’s disappearance, as well as many others in the area.


The film opens with Tricia taking down weather-worn missing person posters around her neighbourhood and replacing them with fresh ones. I liked this as a way to show that Daniel is missing and has been for some time. Back home, Callie, a former drug addict – a fact that comes back to haunt her later in the film – is waiting on the doorstep. The opening is steadily and beautifully paced, with the sisters bonding while Tricia tries to lay the past to rest.

Absentia really surprised me. The premise, together with the image of a girl being dragged into a dark tunnel by creepy black inhuman hands on the front cover, led me to expect something like the 2004 American remake of The Grudge, with a reliance on cheap shocks and spooky imagery to divert attention from a weak plot. But I was wrong. The scares in Absentia are well crafted and superbly delivered, with a less-is-more approach within a strong but simple narrative. The music is haunting and relentless throughout the film, to the point that it gets under the skin to add to the sense of disjointed reality.


One scene in the film actually made me jump out of my seat, while in another the audience is forced to stare into absolute darkness to anticipate something leaping out. It reminded me of staring at the toaster, you know that the toast is going to pop up, but it still makes you jump when it does.

I’ll fess up, I thought this review would be easy to write because I loved the film so much. But it isn’t, for that very same reason – I feel I can’t do it justice. Absentia is not a gory film, so splatter fans beware. The horror comes from its portrayal of loss of a loved one and the not knowing what has happened to them. And the knowing that what might have happened is worse than death. Daniel does make a brief and disturbing appearance in the film. The only explanation he offers to account for his whereabouts, ‘I was underneath’.


Made on a budget of around $70,000 and partly funded by the website Kickstarter.com, Absentia exceeded my expectations. It’s not perfect. Some may be frustrated by the underdeveloped monster theme and lack of answers, but I liked that. For me it lends the film a realistic quality. Like 2008’s Cloverfield, the audience gets to share a flash moment of a sinister event. Absentia’s strength is its cast, notably Katie Parker (Callie) and Courtney Bell (Tricia) who give solid and believable performances. The film is expertly paced, well written and has superb production values for a low budget indie, creating a dark and mysterious world with some genuinely creepy moments. I won’t give the ending away, but, just before the credits rolled, my last thought was, Wow


Rating 4 out of 5

By Lisa Richardson

Summit, neve e sangue nel 2013

Summit
LA STORIA:

Cinque amici vanno in Vermont per la settimana bianca del college. Quando finiscono nel luogo sbagliato e non possono tornare indietro a causa della neve intensa , decidono di rifugiarsi in una casa abbandonata durante la notte. Ma quando si svegliano la mattina, le cose sono improvvisamente non proprio quello che sembrano ed è troppo tardi per tornare indietro.



IL FILM:

Summit è un thriller che rende omaggio al genere slasher in entrambi i suoi cliché così come la sua sorprendente originalità. Questo film sarà amato dai fan del cinema horror e nuovi arrivati al genere. Funziona su un livello di valore nominale come un thriller emozionante e inquietante che scuoterà, spaventerà, e sorprenderà. Ma è anche un film profondo che esplora la natura umana. Si aspira ad essere un'aggiunta notevole non solo per il genere horror, ma anche di cinema indipendente in generale.

Cast: Lauren Ashleigh (as Jesse), Rob Ceriello (as Sean), Emma Barrett (as Sarah), Ricardo Manigat (as James), Ryan Kramer (as Will)

Summit è un lungometraggio character-driven thriller che è attualmente in pre-produzione.Produzione nel mese di gennaio / febbraio 2013.



SUMMIT: Crowdfunding Trailer from CongestedCat Productions on Vimeo.

Le recensioni di Totò, Bad Time

Salvatore Farrugio
Premessa:
Jaume Balagueró ritorna sul grande schermo dopo due anni di silenzio con il suo nuovo thriller, sarà in grado di replicare i suoi successi come Rec e Rec 2?

Cast
Luis Tosar, Marta Etura, Petra Martínez, Carlos Lasarte, Alberto San Juan.
Pep Tosar, Tony Corvillo, Manel Dueso, Iris Almeida


Recensione
Bed Time è un prodotto di indiscussa qualità che ha come protagonista un portiere di un condominio nel centro di Barcellona. Apparentemente cordiale César è un uomo incapace di provare felicità, ogni notte sale sul tetto del palazzo dove presta servizio e guarda nel vuoto per poi intrufolarsi di soppiatto nell’appartamento della sua vittima preferita, assicurandosi che questa sia in un sonno molto più profondo del normale grazie all’utilizzo del fedele amico “cloroformio” . Questo ultimo lavoro di Jaume Balagueró si attesta su ottimi livelli di recitazione e riesce a restituire tensione allo spettatore, che una volta immedesimato nei personaggi ne percepisce emozioni e tensioni! Ci troviamo di fronte ad un thriller ben costruito e ottimamente diretto, condito da due personaggi principali e secondari contestualizzati bene all’interno della pellicola, offrendo così  una visione d’insieme che rende il quadro psicologico ben chiaro. Bed Time – mentre dormi questo il titolo italiano della pellicola si propone di affrontare una tematica cara quasi a tutti;  “la sfera dell’intimità personale”. Più che spaventare questa produzione inquieta cercando di fornire un quadro completo della sfera emotiva dei due principali protagonisti, ovvero; scegliere di sorridere alla vita e viverla appieno quindi in questo contesto entra in gioco “Clara” che  suscita disgusto e inorridimento a César. Quest’ultimo deciderà di rendere un inferno la vita della giovane e di strappare il sorriso dal suo volto. La sceneggiatura è stata affidata a Alberto Mariani – collaboratore assiduo del cineasta. Dialoghi e qualità video sono su ottimi livelli. Ottime le recitazioni di Luis Tosar, Marta Etura In conclusione Mentre Dormi è un prodotto raffinato che si propone di affrontare un tema delicato come l’intimità personale in chiave oscura suscitando tensione e intrattenimento al punto giusto. Dopo che avremo visto questo raffinato film, “ guarderemo con occhio diverso i nostri portinai”.

Di Salvatore Farruggio

Sunday, 26 August 2012

In memoria della Famiglia Firefly

Rob Zombie "The Devil's Rejects"
La bellissima scena del finale del film di Rob Zombie "The Devil's Rejects" quando si dice una famiglia unita


Marilyn Manson - Slo-Mo-Tion

Marilyn Manson ha presentato il suo nuovo video musicale 'Slo-Mo-Zione,' che è tratto da Villain Nato quest'anno.

Saturday, 25 August 2012

Natural Born Killers - Opening Scene

La straordinaria Sequenza di apertura  per il controverso film del 1994, Natural Born Killers, interpretato da Woody Harrelson e Juliette Lewis.







Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz in Dream House

dream house
Titolo: Dream House
Genere: Drammatico, Mistero, Thriller
Cast: Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, Naomi Watts, Elias Koteas, Marton Csokas
Data di uscita: 2012-06-08
Paese: Stati Uniti
Diretto da: Jim Sheridan
Durata del film: 92 min.
Anno di produzione: 2011
Distrubutore: Universal Italia
Sito ufficiale: http://www.dreamhousemovie.net



Un uomo si trasferisce con la famiglia in una idilliaca piccola cittadina del Connecticut, solo per scoprire che la loro nuova, bellissima, abitazione è infestata dalle presenze dei precedenti proprietari che fra quelle mura furono brutalmente uccisi e non hanno mai lasciato la casa.


Noomi Rapace in Babycall

Babycall
Titolo: Babycall
Genere: Thriller
Cast: Noomi Rapace, Kristoffer Joner, Henrik Rafaelsen
Data di uscita: 2012-08-31
Paese: Germania, Norvegia, Svezia
Diretto da: Pål Sletaune
Durata del film: 96 min.
Anno di produzione: 2011
Distrubutore: Nomad Film
Sito ufficiale: http://www.babycall-film.no/

Anna e suo figlio Anders , di 8 anni, per sfuggire al padre violento del bambino si trasferiscono in un luogo



segreto, all'interno di un enorme condominio. Anna teme che il suo ex marito possa trovarli e compra un Babycall, affinché Anders sia al sicuro mentre dorme e lei possa ascoltarne suoni e rumori dall'altra stanza. Dall'apparecchio, però, echeggiano strani gemiti che sembrano provenire da altre parti dell'edificio: Anna ascolta quello che crede sia l'omicidio di un bambino. Nel frattempo, Anders incontra una misteriosa presenza infantile che appare e scompare

Friday, 24 August 2012

Are you ready for Cockneys Vs Zombies?!

With only a week to go before 'Cockneys Vs Zombies' hits cinemas in the UK we take a look at the trailer everyone has been talking about.

Synopsis
Cockneys vs. Zombies is the story of Andy (Harry Treadaway) and Terry (Rasmus Hardiker): two hapless cockney brothers who try to save their grandad’s (Alan Ford) care home by robbing a bank. At the same time a virus sweeps across East London, turning all the inhabitants into flesh-eating zombies. Faced with hordes of undead zombies, the challenge is to rescue a home full of tough old folks, escape with the loot, and get out of London alive!

The comedy/horror that had its East End London premiere last night as part of Film4 Frightfest at The Empire, Leicester Square has had fans of the zombie genre chomping at the bit for months now.  

'Cockneys Vs Zombies' originally started life as a web series before director Matthias Hoene developed his ideas into a feature film, also written by James Moran who brought us the wonderfully British Horror/Comedy 'Severance' and stars Michelle Ryan (Eastenders), Harry Treadaway (Control), Alan Ford (Snatch) with British institutions such as Honor Blackman and Richard Briers.

Guns, Gangsters, Zombies and Pensioners!!  We cant wait, can you?!

Release Date:- 31st August 2012


Adam 'Evil Eye' Cutler


Cover Reveal: Bewitched by Cambria Hebert


Happy Friday, y'all!  Has this month been as crazy for you guys as it has been for me? Talk about some stress...

But, let's forget about all that today and celebrate the cover reveal for Cambria Hebert's next release, Bewitched!

Here it is!  Isn't it gorgeous??? (I love the green!)




Title: Bewitched (Heven and Hell #2.5)
Genre: YA paranormal
Publisher: Cambria Hebert
Release date: October 5, 2012
Format: Ebook

For years, I accepted that Heven was more popular than me. I never liked it but I lived with it. I walked in her shadow, I stood by her when no one else would. When I finally thought her spotlight was mine things began to change. She began to change. Now she hardly ever calls me back, she spends all her time with her hot new boyfriend and everyone at school thinks she’s back on top. She had it all. But apparently she wants more. She wants Cole – my boyfriend. What’s worse is that it looks like she got him. I’ve had enough and she’s going to be sorry. Why?
Because I am bewitched.


And, if that isn't enough to get you hooked, here's a little preview for ya.  Enjoy!!

BEWITCHED 

Working out was for jocks. Homework was for nerds and I wasn’t a jock or a nerd. Yet, here I was, sweating through my favorite Victoria Secret yoga pants and tank with a headache the size of Macy’s. Learning about my powers was hard work. I thought it would come naturally. My brain was hurting from concentrating and my muscles were actually sore from effort. I thought longingly of the potion in the green bottle that Hecate had given me—a little sip would make it that much easier to use my powers, but she took it away. Apparently, I had all the power she wanted me to have. It kind of pissed me off.
   In fact, I was feeling pretty disgruntled all around.
   I was hot, I was sweaty, my head hurt and my hair was frizzy. Not to mention I had been wearing sneakers far too long. Thank goodness Hecate was gone. I actually had been glad not to be alone after the “bone incident,” but now I was ready for some alone time. I felt stronger.
   Feeling strong plus feeling disgruntled equaled somebody was gonna get hurt.
   I was standing in my yard near the lake and I glanced up at the moon before heading inside. It was low and swollen tonight—a haunting moon. It sent a shiver up my spine. I thought briefly about going to Heven’s and treating her to a little of what she deserved. I even looked toward the driveway as I walked, but I wasn’t going anywhere looking like this.
   I went into the house and began climbing the stairs. Halfway up, I heard a noise in the kitchen and I paused. My parents were still out of town. It wasn’t the maid’s day to be here… unless she came early. Another thud in the kitchen had me spinning on the stairs to see what it was.
   “Mary?” I called out. “Is that you?” Maybe she switched her schedule around and I didn’t know about it. Maybe I could get her to make me a latté.
  No one answered, and the noises in the kitchen fell silent. I stopped at the bottom of the stairs and listened, wondering if I had heard anything at all. “Hello?” I called again, this time more unsure. This time a fine chill raced up my back.
   Suddenly being alone in this big house was scary.
   Clink, clink, clink.
   Okay, I wasn’t hearing things. Someone was there.
   I stepped off the stairs and walked through the foyer in the direction of the kitchen. I heard the cat hiss and I paused again. Clover was too lazy to hiss at a mouse. Something in my stomach turned cold and hard.
   I looked over my shoulder at the massive front doors to the alarm keypad and the distress button.
    But it was too late for pressing buttons.
    Clover burst around the corner with a hideous screech and barreled into me, hitting me in the knees and causing me to stumble. The cat didn’t even stop. I could hear his claws scraping frantically across the tiles. “What the…” I began as I straightened, but then something lurched around the corner after the cat.
     It was hideous.
     It stood about a foot taller than me with wide shoulders that were uneven looking—one was lower than the other—and a wild mane of bushy orange hair that seemed to create a cloud around its pasty, white face. Its lips were black and it had a nasty row of teeth that had seen a lot of decay. It had large purple circles around its eyes, which seemed to have no color at all.
    It looked like a psychotic clown.
    I screamed and took a step backward, and the thing grinned. I went running but it lunged and caught me around the wrist, pulling me back. I struggled, kicking out, but it was no use, his grip was too strong.
     Without any warning it reached up and snatched my silver pendant right off my neck. “Hey!” I screamed as it shoved me away. I fell onto my butt and stared up at the glittering silver heart as it dangled from the nasty clown’s hands.
    Cole had given that to me. It was the last gift he had given me before we broke up.
    Anger surged into my chest, making me hot. “Give that back.”
    Freaky Clown gave me another frightening grin and ran back into the kitchen, disappearing from sight. I ran after it, running into a solid wall of… offensiveness.