Director and Composer John Carpenter is playing his movie themes on November 19th, 2017, at The Palace Theatre in Syracuse, NY to coincide with the release of his new Album “Anthology: Movie Themes 1974-1998”
Here is a new music video to “Christine” directed by John Carpenter
Here are his North American Current Tour Dates:
Here is a brand new cover of John Carpenter’s “Halloween” by Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor. Enjoy!
Fright-Rags has teamed with IDW Publishing to bring some of Ben Templesmith’s unmistakable 30 Days of Night artwork to t-shirts.
The collection includes four pieces of Templesmith art, including the iconic trade paperback cover and artwork from 30 Days of Night follow-ups Dark Days and Red Snow. All four designs are available on both unisex tees and girls shirts.
The shirts are available now on Fright-Rags.com. Quantities are limited, and they’re moving faster than a blood-thirsty vampire in Barrow, Alaska.
Fright-Ragshas also recently released shirts inspired by The Return of the Living Dead, Fright Night, Jaws and more.
After being bit on the left arm by a mysterious French woman, world traveler and trip blogger, Derek Lee (Himself), begins to exhibit some strange behaviors and abilities that defy explanation. Derek’s lifelong best friend Clif Prowse (Himself), who is documenting the world wide trip they are on, grows very concerned and worried for Derek as he starts to rapidly change and appears to be evolving into a blood thirsty creature who starts to display vampiric tendencies. As they end up in Italy, where the middle majority of the movie takes place, Clif proceeds to record, with his complicated camera gear from different perspectives, how Derek is changing for the worst and putting not only himself but Clif and innocent people in mortal danger. What happens next in this POV found footage thriller is a pretty engaging and energetic story that is replete with cliches but still is a welcome shot in the arm for the tired and bloated subgenre.
Smartly using a video travel blog as a device to observe and scrutinize them, filmmakers Lee and Prowse start off the film with a going away party and while bypassing some accuracy (they utilize some questionable editing and documenting techniques), we get to know a bit about them both. They are true and old friends that have a long history and a shared passion for traveling and movie making. They also have always taken care of each other.
Even when Lee is diagnosed with AVM (a type of brain malady), Prowse vows to always take care of his friend and be by his side. This makes their trip ever more important. For the first half and the set up, Prowse and Lee show us their artistic natures and their compatibility. For this type of film, establishing that we care about the protagonists is important and Lee and Prowse succeed in doing just that which is greatly refreshing here.
“Afflicted” has an impressive and fascinating hook at it’s core and for most of it’s running time the movie has much in the way of chills and humor to satisfy jaded fans of the genre. Lee’s transformation sequences and Prowse’s struggle to help his friend is quite compelling and visceral. Prowse continues to document and even upload videos to the blog where we see shocked reactions from the followers get screen time. Where the movie loses it way a bit for me is when Prowse feels the need to have Lee perform for the camera to show off his new “powers” like leaping from building to building, climbing up walls, breaking huge rocks in half and running 60 miles an hour.
It felt too tacked on and more like a wink at “Chronicle.” Also, these are the more effects driven scenes and the mood and horror from the set up is pushed aside, somewhat. But some well placed testimonials by Lee and Derek balance these scenes and righten the ship. I do wish that the arguments and indecisions by the guys regarding the situation were more brief since it becomes a bit redundant, overall.
Lee and Prowse keep the movie moving, though, and never really allow it to lag and it is much to it’s benefit. Once they figure out that Lee needs human blood (because animal blood won’t do and he vomits up everything he ingests) the movie rockets off and they get back on track. Eventually, the authorities become aware of Lee’s bloody nocturnal activities and the movie becomes a chase film that winds up with Lee making his way back to France to find Audrey, who turned him into the creature he is now.
But not before there is some fun bloody mayhem on and off the POV screen. There are dizzying chases through alleys, between buildings, shoot outs, scuffles with policemen and so on. Lee and Prowse pack in all the goodies here and sometimes we even forget (and do not care about the logic) that all of this is being recorded by a cam strapped to Lee. The movie has fun with itself during these scenes and I chose to enjoy it for what it was.
Be be warned, though, the movie trips up again where it counts most and that is in the finale. It once again becomes the victim of familiar found footage tropes. Excessive shaking, uninteresting images, dark scenes and things and people flashing in and out of frame with cliched and uninteresting angles. When Lee reaches France and Audrey arrives it becomes a different animal and quite not as interesting as everything that came before it. The movie has style to be sure but it feels unfinished or incomplete, somehow.
Lee and Prowse definitely know how to shoot a film, for sure, using the beautiful French and Mediteranean locales to full benefit. Even the night time sequences have a moody and colorful bend. The movie is indeed ambitious and much to the credit of Lee and Prowse, they have some skill and have single-handedly reminded us how a film in this genre should work but not without falling into the trap that has made much lesser and uninspired efforts so forgettable.
“Afflicted” saves itself in places and is nifty and full of cool authenticity. The filmmakers are brave and sure of their abilities and the film does most assurdedly makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. But as a found footage movie, in itself, it isn’t as original or captivating as it could have been. Perhaps as a straight horror flick, it could have worked better. But since these are new movie makers then this is the go to subgenre to make a quick and easy impression, with limited resources, for sure. And that is not a bad thing.
The movie has an escalating air of unease and terror and while Lee and Prowse learn to hone their narrative skills in future projects, “Afflicted” will remain an impressive piece of work that will stand out among more recent home runs like Barry Levinson’s “The Bay.” If you are a fan of FF movies then this movie is a no brainer. If don’t appreciate movies that up chaotic and shaky, you may want to look elsewhere. As for “Afflicted,” there is life in the old genre, yet! Oh, and expect a sequel, gang…
By day Gerri Dandridge is a sexy professor, but by night she transforms into a real-life vampire with an unquenchable thirst for human blood. So when a group of high school students travel abroad to study in Romania, they find themselves ensnared in Gerri’s chilling web of lust and terror.
Um. I’m confused. What did I just watch? I really didn’t know too much about the back story or production info on this movie going in. I mean, I did see the remake of Tom Holland’s “Fright Night” a couple of years ago and I can’t say I really enjoyed it except for a couple of cool vamp sequences with Colin Farrell but as a whole it kinda blew chunks, imo. Sorry for the image. Farrell’s film does have it’s fans though and I suppose a sequel was warranted since the film was popular and had a good turnout at the B.O.
It was decided by some suits somewhere, though, that they would get Eduardo Rodriguez (El Gringo) and Matt Venne (White Noise 2 and Mirrors 2) to take a shot at a sequel/remake of sorts. I mean, Venne, (Venne also adapted Stephen King’s Bag of Bones) seems to know his stuff when it comes to direct to video B flicks. But I don’t know what to make of “Fright Night 2: New Blood.” It appears as if it is a STV release, obviously.
Is it a reboot or a remake. Is it a remake of the original but trying to be a sequel? Is it a sequel disguised as a remake? You know what? Who gives a shit, really? “Fright Night 2: New Blood” gives direct to video horror B pictures a bad name. These types of films are sometimes fun to revel in with their trashy, over the top cheesiness and camp. Some well placed humor, gore and subjective goofiness isn’t terribly bad for those who knows what they are getting into. Some DTV sequels have been corny but enjoyable like From Dusk Till Dawn, Hellraiser and even the aforementioned White Noise 2. Hell, even “Stir of Echoes” had a DTV sequel. But “FN2: New Blood” botches it and botches it right out of the gate.
Rodriguez’s film switches the action to Romania. Romania? Really? It is because that makes sense to have the story take place there or is it because they get some tax breaks for shooting a no budget piece of crap there? Anyway, yeah, it’s Romania but I suppose it is relevant since…well, I’ll get to that in a minute. It seems the “Fright Night Gang” or rather Charlie (Will Payne from Isaac), Amy (Sacha Parkinson of The Mill) and “Evil” Ed (Chris Waller) are all in Romania attending University and it appears that Amy and Charlie are estranged or have broken up their relationship. Ed seems pretty much like the loud, obnoxious dude that Stephen Geoffreys played in Holland’s film. He’s annoying, geeky and a bit of an outcast and is always giving Charlie grief.
So, anyway, their University Prof of European Art History is none other than the beautiful and exotic Gerri Dandridge (Jaime Murray of Defiance and Warehouse 13). Um, Gerri Dandridge/Jerry Dandridge? So, what is she? Another sibling like Regine, his sister played by Julie Carmen, in the original sequel to Holland’s film? Or did they change him into a her just for the hell of it? Who knows but she is singled out by the very watchful Charlie as he catches her making out (In a pretty steamy girl on girl scene that is pretty transparent) with and feeding on a young nubile woman in her old pad across from where Ed and Charlie are staying. You know the rest, gang. If you have seen Holland’s film then the rest is moot. Charlie freaks out, He thinks Prof Gerri is a vampire, Ed and Amy do not believe him, he sees Gerri feeding on others and so on and so on.
In this incarnation, so called “monster hunter” Peter Vincent (Sean Power) is actually a ghost hunter dude that has his own reality show but of course, staying true to the canon, Vincent is a sort of a non-believing jerk. Evil Ed (who is obsessed with Peter) shows Charlie that an episode of Vincent’s show is shooting in Romania. Ed also shows Charlie, on his tablet, a series of online horror magazines that explores European monster legends.
While there is enough allusion to kill a bulletproof poet, it appears that Dandridge is the actually Princess Elizabeth Bathory or the Blood Countess who was infamously known in the region for bathing in the blood of virgins or some morbid shit like that. In a pretty cool moment in the film, the history of Bathory is unfolded in a comic book manner which resembles a motion comic with a Mike Mignola vibe. It is probably the only really original and unique thing in the film.
But nothing else really works here. The actors have no chemistry. Payne is overly hysterical and Power’s Vincent is diminutive and has absolutely no charm to speak of. He hangs out in strip clubs and drinks like a fish but he just feels like a stereotype. Unfortunately, Rodriguez’s movie has no B movie flair, either. It is full of one underdone and lackluster sequence after another. Murray is actually a bit sexy when she isn’t vamped out but when she is, she is just another dull vamp broad.
She runs around sniffing the air, barking, licking her bloody fingers, roaring (that was another thing that annoyed me: the vamps roar like hungry Lions) and leaping around but we have seen it all before and done way better. There is an annoying chase sequence when Gerri chases Amy and Charlie through subway tunnels that could possibly give someone a strobe light related seizure.
Like I stated earlier, if you recall Holland’s film well, you will know how this version unfolds. Ed gets turn, goes after Vincent, Gerri turn Amy, Charlie goes after Amy, Vincent has a change of heart and he helps Charlie go after Bathory, it ends up in a ludicrous climax that involves a huge pool of human blood and a derivative cat and mouse game. Yada Yadda Yadda. I have to blame Rodriguez for not getting to the heart of what makes a genre flick work, even if it is a low budget DTV. Vennes’ characters appear hip and funny at the film’s start but they just turn into predictably hollow dumb asses.
Ed’s annoying and acts completely ridiculous as he spends most of his time laughing and braying like an ass, Amy is just ho hum and has zero appeal. Vincent is by far the worst character here. He’s a one dimensional and languid. And when called to be funny, he comes across really flat. Gerri/Lady Drac is just so so. She looks the part but she has no range and just serves to walk around with blood all over her. They are all just a gang of unlike-able people. Everything else is apparently uninspired, the cgi is lacking and the vamp sequences reek. I’ve seen better vamp action in a Scooby-Doo cartoon. The gore, though, is plentiful.
The film also seems hurried and very shabby. There is some mystery and mood right before Gerri appears as the Professor at the University. Rodriguez tries to set up the atmosphere but like a balloon the movie bursts and fizzles out. Don’t get me wrong, I like cliches in a B flick once in a while but even here they are forced, trite and unfunny. Especially when Ed and Vincent are left to supply the humor. In one really bad sequence we find out that Vincent has a huge Tat of a cross on his chest. Huh? And furthermore, in order to defend himself from Ed, he pulls Ed’s head to his chest and we see Ed burn as he makes contact with the cross…from inside Vincent’s chest outwards! I laughed my ass off from this incredibly asinine piece of film-making.
“Fright Night 2: New Blood” is a tired, unoriginal and unnecessary movie. The idea and approach of changing characters, locales and subplots from the established canon was a really bad mistake here and Venne and Rodriguez dropped the ball with the cast, story and execution. Like I said, this movie gives the more dedicated and worthy direct to video B flicks a really bad name. Totally stay away from this one gang, unless you want to be bled dry.
When a disease turns all of humanity into the living dead, the last man on earth becomes a reluctant vampire hunter.
“The Last Man On Earth”
Directed by Ubaldo Ragona
8 out of 10
By Vic
The 1954 novel “I Am Legend”by Richard Matheson has always been one of my favorite sci-fi/horror novels. This 1964 film directed by Sidney Salkow and shot on a meager budget in Italy is the first adaptation of Matheson’s zombie tale. Many consider it to still be the finest of the 3 that have been done thus far. The film carries on, faithfully, the idea of an apocalypse started by disease.
Vincent Price portrays Robert Morgan, the only survivor who seems immune to the plague which has obliterated mankind. During the day he goes about routine and mundane things. He fixes his home, looks for vehicles and hunts and kills vampiric zombies created by the contagion. He then takes them to burn in a crater like hole where he dumps them in. He endures attacks at night by the same horde of monsters, one being a close friend of his.
It is the versatile Vincent Price that really carries this film far and beyond the already great material. He is a lonely man and Price deftly emotes such realism in his performance. He is grieving, sorrowful, angry and at times desperate. His survival instincts, though, are always finely tuned to the dangers that lie beyond the threshold of his sanctuary. His story is told in flashbacks and it is here where we learn the origin of the contagion and we begin to feel for him and his plight. At night he endures the ghouls who want him to succumb. That is his plight.
The film is dense, dark and scary. It is eerily lit with emotion and fright highlighting the menace of the cinematography. Price is joined by a capable cast and the Italian actresses are beauties. But it is the desolation, dread and futility that stirs us. The score is disquieting and effective for this type of film. It is a hidden gem of the genre. Highly Recommended!
