The Walking Dead: Calm Before (vol. 7)

Author: Robert Kirkman


Synopsis:
A group of survivors deal with life in a world overtaken by zombies.

The group attempts to fortify the prison, get supplies, and train better train themselves for an eventual attack. Though while they are preparing they have constant reminders of deadly the new world has become.

My Take:
This issue seems to be something of a reset for the series.
The the group prepare for an attack from The Governor. They wait in the prison while Rick and Lori deal with the birth of their child and they wait while a one member questions their existence to drastic extremes and they wait some more...

Rating: So Good





Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

The Bloodstained Shadow (1978)

AKA: Solamente Nero

Director: Antonio Bido


Premise:
A man comes home in an attempt to solve his nightmares and to visit his brother, who is a priest. Upon his return murders start up and are seemingly connected with that of a young girl from years ago.

My Take:
A run of the mill giallo which does have sort of a shocking twist at the end.
The setting of Vienna is a nice location and not often seen on film.

Rating: In the middle




Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Thou Shalt Not Kill... Except (1985)

AKA: Stryker's War

Starring: Tim Quill, John Manfredi, Robert Rickman, Sam Raimi, Ted Raimi
Director: Josh Becker


Premise:
A group of Vietnam vets visit one of their friends in his small home town where they run into a cult of murderous hippies.

My Take:
If one can make it through the slow, first thirty minutes of a Vietnam veteran returning home and trying to pick up the pieces, then you'll be in for a decent ride. The final act is the vet and his old platoon buddies fighting a crazy ass cult led by Sam Raimi. 
A fun flick to watch.

Rating: In the middle





Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Keyhole (2011)

Starring: Jason Patric, Isabella Rosallini, Udo Kier,
Director: Guy Maddin

Premise:
A gangster returns home where his crew waits. He has one thing in mind, to find his wife and make up for past sins.

My Take:
Guy Maddin is a definite auteur. His movies have a unique look and feel. I enjoyed this one more than most. 
It's a disjointed mystery tale with several layers and each room of the house representing some sort of emotion turmoil. There is also great imagery.

Rating: In the middle (but if you're a fan of the director you will really enjoy it)






Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Hierro (2009)

Starring: Elana Anaya
Director: Gabe Ibáñez


Premise:
On a vacation to an island in the Mediterranean, a mother's son goes missing. Months later, and still grieving, she asked to return to identify a child's body found in the sea. She arrives believing her son is still alive and abducted by a person living on the island.

My Take:
A rather predictable story is saved by the strong performance by Elana Anaya portraying the grieving mother coping with the disappearance of her only child and losing her grip on reality. Also the movie is beautiful shot which combined with the fantastic editing give it a very cool fragmented and dreamy feel.

Rating: In the middle





Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Inkubus (2011)

Starring: Robert Englund, William Forsythe, Joey Fatone, John Silverman, 
Director: Glenn Ciano


Premise:
A demon named Inkubus traps a group of people in a police station to get revenge on a retired detective.

My Take:
There's not much to like about this movie. For the most part it's rather silly and uninteresting. The acting is alright but there just isn't any substance behind it. 

Rating: Warning




Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Seven Below (2012)

Starring: Ving Rhames, Val Kilmer, Luke Gross, Rebecca De Costa, Matt Barr
Director: Kevin Carraway

Premise:
A van breaks down carrying a group of strangers on the way to a resort. A local man offers to keep them at his house for the night until the road clears. The house was a were a grizzly murder took place a hundred years before.

My Take:
The movie is rather bland and typical haunted house-ghost story through the first two acts. The third act does have a nice twist but by then it's a little too late.

Rating: Warning




Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

The Hand (1981)

Starring: Michael Caine
Director: Oliver Stone

Premise:
A comic book artist loses his dominant hand in an auto accident. The hand eventual returns to seek revenge on those who wrong the artist.

My Take:
A early entry in the career of the great Oliver Stone. The tormented artist who may or may not be losing his grip on reality is portrayed with ease by Michael Caine. It all comes together in a delight way.

Rating: In the middle




Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Who Saw Her Die? (1972)

Director: Aldo Lado


Premise:
The daughter of a famous artist is murdered in a remote village. The case is similar to a murder from a few years earlier. This time the parents perform their own investigation to get answers.

My Take:
While it's a decent mystery and has some beautiful terrian, the movie just didn't hold my interest as much as other giallo. It might be because I found the lead actors annoying.

Rating: In the middle




Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Look (2007)

Starring: Giuseppe Andrews, Rhys Coiro, Jamie McShane, Chris Williams, Ben Weber,
Director: Adam Rifkin

Premise:
The lives of several individuals are pieced together through surveillance footage.

My Take:
This is the movie which spawned the short lived TV program on Showtime.
We view the tragedies and high points in the lives of several loosely connected individuals including a teacher who succumbs to a moment of weakness with a student and faces the dire outcome, a insurance worker who is constantly picked on who is hiding is own secret, a lawyer who has a wonderful family hiding his homosexual affair, a department store manager who is promiscuity with many of his female employees, a late night worker at a gas station with dreams of becoming a rock star, and two men who kill a police offer then take off on a crime spree.
As I said in my review of the TV show, it's scary how much of our lives are taped and we have no idea or think nothing of it. At times it can be good and other times its an invasion of privacy. The movie holds it together with its rather captivating human tales.

Rating: In the middle




Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Bunnyman (2009)

Starring: Cheryl Texeria
Director: Carl Lindbergh



Premise:
A group of friends are stalked by a crazy killer.

My Take:
The movie starts out with group of unlikable youngsters are chased down country roads by a mysterious man in a dump truck. The kids get stranded, wander through the woods, argue, and come across a secluded cabin where the killer and his family live. People die. No one cares because it isn't interesting.
And the disfigured killer wears a bunny suit. Not sure if it's intended to be more of a comedy or not. Either way it doesn't work. 
There are lots of homages to classic movies like Duel and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. However this movie cant even come close to be uttered in the same sentence with those (which is why I broke it up into two).

Rating: Steaming Pile




Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Little Deaths

Author: John F.D. Taff


Synopsis:
A short story collection dealing with the theme of death.

My Take:
As with most collections some of the stories stick out more than others. Still there's not a bad tale in the book. Most have a slow burn effect and a subtle nature behind the words and often the end results are down right chilling.
I highly recommend giving this entertaining collection a read (19 stories in all). You wont be disappointed.

Here are some of favorites ones.

Bolts - A fantastic modern day homage to Frankenstein. What a way to kick off a book. 

But For a Moment...Motionless - The last man on Earth comes to a realization on his fate.

The Water Bearer - An old man reflects on the his previous employer and the mysterious pond in the back yard.

Closed Eye of the Dead World - A man buys a house only to discover a window which looks into another dimension but what lives on the other side doesn't like the view. The story has a very Lovecraftian feel.

Child of Dirt - A man questions if he is the actual father of his new born baby.

Orifice - A man, a woman, an ex-boyfriend, and a tattoo come together this odd tale of passion and loss of love.

The Mellified Man - A delicious treat of a story about a man with a sweet tooth for the rare leading to cannibalism.

Box of Rocks - A disturbing tale where a man talks about his abusive childhood. This one keeps you guessing until the last sentence.


Rating: So Good




** Personal Side Note - Mr. Taff contacted me a few weeks ago to see if I'd be interested in writing a review for his book. I gladly excepted. Hey, I like freebies and horror and I have an obligation to what few loyal readers I have to fill this blog up with content. So I wrote a little longer than normal review. It's only fair, the man sent me a book. Below are the author's website and twitter account. So, go check his stuff work.

Author Info
Website: http://johnfdtaff.com/
Amazon Author Page: John F.D. Taff
Twitter: @johnfdtaff
Good Reads Author Page: John F.D. Taff 

Book Synopsis:

Little Deaths is the first collection of short fiction by John F.D. Taff, whose career spans 25 years as a horror and dark speculative fiction author, with more than 60 stories in print in magazines (Cemetery Dance, Eldritch Tales, Deathrealm, Aberrations, Morpheus Tales) and anthologies (Hot Blood: Seeds of Fear, Hot Blood: Fear the Fever, Shock Rock II, andBest New Vampire Tales.)  Four of his stories were chosen as honorable mentions by Datlow and Windling in their Year’s Best Fantasy & Horror anthologies.  His short fiction has appeared so far this year in Best New Werewolf Tales, Vol. 1, Big Pulp, Evil Jester Digest Vol. 1, and the AmFAR charity anthology Horror for Good.

For more information on Books of the Dead Press, go to www.booksofthedeadpress.com

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Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

The Hunter (2011)

Starring: Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill, Frances O'Connor
Director: Daniel Nattheim


Premise:
A hunter is hired by a company to find and kill the last known Tasmanian tiger for its DNA.

My Take:
Quite simply, I thought this movie was awesome.
The movie plays heavily in the drama genre as this lonely hunter begins to immerse himself into and care about the family that is putting him up. But it also often borders into horror territory often as the hunter is isolation in this vast wilderness looking for a animal that may or may not be extinct and how he has to deal with the locals who obviously dont want him around.
A strong cast, beautiful scenery, and solid yet subtle direction helps to draw the viewer into the story.

Rating: So Good 





Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Parents (1989)

Starring: Randy Quaid, Sandy Dennis
Director: Bob Balaban


Premise:
A kid with a wild imagination thinks his parents might be cannibals.

My Take:
An interesting and dark movie which is set during the 1950's. It does a good job at riding a fine line between what is in the child's overactive imagination and what is reality, which provides for some uncomfortable moments.
Sometimes I forget how great of an actor Randy Quaid was back in the day. His performance is outstanding.

Rating: In the middle 






Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Whisper (2007)

Starring: Joel Edgerton, Michael Rooker, Sarah Wayne Callies, Josh Holloway
Director: Stewart Hendler

Premise:
A group of ex-cons are hired to kidnap a young boy who is hiding a secret.

My Take:
A decent cast does the best they can with a sub par script. Despite the short comings the movie keeps you fairly interested until the final act. Then it just falls apart into utter stupidity.
And I would have liked some sort of explanation as to why the child is the way he is.


Rating: Warning






Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

I, Zombie: The Chronicles of Pain (1999)

Starring: Dean Sipling, Ellen Softley
Director: Andrew Parkinson

Premise:
A man is bitten by a person. He becomes ill and documents his symptoms.


My Take:
A decent premise comes out as extremely boring and very bad dialog. The acting isn't much to write home about either. 

Rating: Steaming Pile






Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Fact or Faked: The Paranormal Files, Season 3 (2012)

Starring: Ben Hansen, Jael De Pardo, Larry Caughlan Jr., Austin Porter, Devin Marble, Lanisha Cole


Premise:
A team of investigators take supernatural and paranormal clips from the internet and try to disprove them with experiments.

My Take:
I like the concept of the show. But it does get a bit repetitious over time. Find a case, perform experiment one, then experiment two, then experiment three, and form conclusion.  This happens twice per episode. And just because they can recreate a video doesn't necessarily mean it was faked.
Still they come up with some interesting cases and I'm a fan of this stuff.

Favorite Case:
"Into the Vortex" - The group investigates the mysterious Oregon Vortex, a place know for strange optical illusions.

Rating: In the middle



Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.