A Field Guide To Monsters

Author: Darren Zenko


Premise:
Short descriptions of a variety of monsters.

My Take:
The book is a quick read as the author gives basic two page synpopsis on many creatures found in movies, folklore, urban legends, crytpozoology, religion from around the globe. If you are looking for a simply overview, then this is for you.

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.

The Signalman (1976)

Starring: Denholm Elliott
Director: Lawrence Gorden Clark


Premise:
A train signalman sees a spector at the edge of a tunnel which fore tells of a disater coming.

My Take:
A solid movie made for BBC television. There's nothing too overly creepy about it but the performances are top notch.

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.

Ghoul (2013)

Starring: Nolan Gould, Catherine Mary Stewart, Barry Corbin
Director: Gregory Wilson


Premise:
A group of kids try to figure out if a local legend is behind recent disapperances.

My Take:
This movie, based off the novel by Brian Keene, simply wasn't very engaging to watch. It's rather predictable and doesn't set up the right atmosphere for the situation surrounding the small trio of friends. With a few simply tweaks it could have been a lot better.

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 Boogeyman (1980)

Starring: Suzanne Love
Director: Ulli Lommel

Premise:
The spirit of their mother's abusive, murder boyfriend is captured in a mirror and years later seeks revenge on the the two, now grown up children.

My Take:
I went into this movie expecting complete garbage and walked away pleasantly surprised. Sure, not everything adds nor is there much character depth, but I have to give out credit for style and originality. The use of the mirror is a clever plot device.

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.

Dead Season (2012)

Starring: Scott Peat, Marissa Merrill,
Director: Adam Deyoe


Premise:
A virus turns people into zombies. A group finds salvage on a small, remote island where they must not only deal with the plague but each other

My Take:
The usual, played out zombie premise is saved with a solid script bringing out character depth and a few smart changes on how the group survives together. The movie also looks good, for the budget, and is solid in the acting department. It's far better than many zombie flicks being released these days.

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.

Angst (1983)

Starring: Erwin Leder
Director: Gerald Kargl


Premise:
A murder released from prison immediately goes on another killing spree.

My Take:
It's a rather fascinating movie as you watch this very disturbed killer fall deeper into insanity as he tries to "work out" his issues by murdering others. As things unwind and dont go as planned, the guy goes really loses it and creates a bit of levity. Extremely graphic and gory.

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.

Frightmare (1975)

AKA: Cover Up

Starring: Deborah Fairfax, Rupert Davies, Kim Butcher, Sheila Keith
Director: Peter Walker


Premise:
An old couple get locked up for murder and are released from the asylum after fifteen years after being deemed sane. They have two daughters, one they dont know who is being raised by her sister. Soon the urge to murder returns and the bodies add up as they discover traits run in the family genes.

My Take:
A fairly stylish and above average serial killer movie with a touch of family drama added in just for fun. There's blood too.

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.

The Day (2013)

Starring: Ashley Belle, Shawn Ashmore, Michael Eklund, Dominic Monaghan,
Shannyn Sossamon
Director: Luke Passmore


Premise:
A group of survivors stumble upon an abandoned house which they soon find out is a trap for a clan of cannibals.

My Take:
The all too familiar theme happening in this movie is saved by a couple of minor adjustments to make it just interesting enough. Plus the cast is very likeable and does a good job with what was on the page. It's an easy movie to watch but probably not one that you will ever go back to again.

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.

Island of Death (1977)

Starring: Robert Behling, Jane Lyle
Director: Nico Mastorakis


Premise:
A British couple arrive on small Greek island and proceed to cause havoc by going on a murder spree.

My Take:
This movie contains some outlandish situations revolving around bestiality, incest, raping hippies, sexism, and homophobia. It results in lots of killing and nudity. Unfortunately really just shocking for the sake of being shocking and not much substance behind the actions (or generic reasons at best). And the acting is terrible by everyone involved. Supposedly it's notable in the exploitation and Greek cinema, so film buffs may want to watch 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.

FDR: American Bad Ass (2012)

Starring: Barry Bostwick, Bruce McGill, Lin Shaye, Ray Wise, William Mapother, Paul Ben-Victor, Kevin Sorbo
Director: Garrett Brawaith



Premise:
FDR gets polio after a werewolf attack which catapults him into Presidency, where he fights against the werewolf bretheran of Hitler, Mussolini, and Hirohito.

My Take:
A movie that doesn't take itself seriously and with the premise, that's a good thing. The nice assemble cast does the best they can with what's given but I simply didn't find the majority of the movie funny.

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.

Personal Demons

AKA: Book One in the Jake Helman Files

Author: Gregory Lamberson


Premise:
A detective on the hunt for a serial killer, gets into a shoot out with two thugs. He refuses to take a drug test and walks away from the police. The next day he is offered a job as Head of Security for a recluse billionaire operating a genetic research company. Soon he finds the recluse is stealing souls and creating lethal bioweapons. And to make matters worse a powerful demon is trying to get at the recluse.

My Take:
This is an amazing tale. It combines so many horror, pulpy crime fiction, and sci fi elements together in a delicious gory stew. The hero is very flawed but very likeable. He goes through hell and back to get redemption. Every detail in the book in linked to each other which make the pieces fall together personally. Highly recommeded reading and I am definitly moving forward in the series.

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.

Perfect Blue (1997)

Director: Satoshi Kon


Premise:
A popular singer retires from music and goes into acting. She has to do things which jeapordizes her morals in order to make it to the top and is stalked by a man who doesn't like her decisions. Soon she starts to loose a grip on what is real and what is not.

My Take:
I'm usually not a big fan of anime but this one is really knocks it out of the park. It combines a lot of neat elements and multiple stories into the big mystery. A visually stunning piece of work.

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.

Sushi Girl (2013)

Starring: Tony Todd, Mark Hamill, James Duval, Cortney Palm, Noah Hathaway, Andy MacKenzie
Director: Kern Saxton


Premise:
On the day he is released from prison, a man is taken by his old gang. He gets interrogated so they can find out what happened to the loot.

My Take:
The stellar cast holds it all together in spite of several cliches and a plot that is easy to figure out. Nice cameos from Danny Trejo, Jeff Fahey, Sonny Chiba, and Michael Biehn too. A very "Tarantino-esque" caper flick full of testosterone.

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.

Zombie Holocaust (1980)

Starring: Donal O'Brien
Director: Marino Girolami


Premise:
An archeologist team searches for a tribe in order to get answers for a symbol. It turns out the tribe are cannibals.

My Take:
A movie that mixes the standard cannibal plot of the era and throws in a dash of Hatian zombie lore and a mad scientist. Those intriguing ingredients dont come together well in this particular case. It's a uneven flick with loads of gore and splatter. You'll find far better "Italian cannibal" movies out there. 

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 Possession (2012)

Starring: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Keyra Sedwhich
Director: Ole Bornedal



Premise:
A little girl gets possessed by an evil spirit trapped in a box.

My Take:
This movie that runs through all the familiar territory when it comes to the subgenre. While it's well acted, with major props for the posessed little girl, and look good on screen there just isn't enough to make it stand out. You'll watch it and quickly forget about 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.

New Member of The Horror Blogger Alliance

Fringes of Horror is now a member of Horror Blogger Alliance. It's something I've been putting off for way too long. There are a great group of talented writers and cool blogs, many of which I read on a regular basis. Take a look if you've never been to the site.

Thanks HBA for letting me join!

 
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 Werewolf (1956)

Starring: Don Megawon, Steven Ritch
Director: Fred F. Sears


Premise:
A man stumbles into a small town with no memories. Soon he discovers that he's a werewolf and the town sherriff is trying to capture him.

My Take:
The movie gets a tad of credit for the most original way I've ever heard of a person turning into a werewolf... through gene manilpulation due to radiation. Thanks crazy scientist wanting to save himself from a nuclear attack. There's not a whole lot else to the flick.

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.

Sinister (2012)

Starring: Ethan Hawke, James Ransone,
Director: Scott Derrickson


Premise:
A true crime writer moves his family into the home where a family was murdered years earlier as he researches their story for his next book. He finds a box of movies suggesting the families murdered might be linked to a series of others by the same killer.

My Take:
A smart movie which lead to places I did not see coming (at least based on the trailer previews). Plus whenever a film can get me on a jump scare or two it has my attention. There are many scenes here which are subtle and so disturbingly creepy. Plus Ethan Hawke is fantastic as the man who willing to sacrifice anything for one more hit novel. A must see for horror fans. 

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.