My Stoogeum Visit - Don't Be a Lame Brain!! You gotta go!

The Stoogeum

by: Rob Dimension

So many afternoons in front of the television spent with my 3 friends...sure they were stooges but, we shared a lot of laughs. Still today, you can stumble across some form of 3 Stooges on Tv, from the many, many shorts, to possibly an appearance on Scooby Doo (hey, I try not to miss an episode).

I was completely shocked, as you might have heard on our XOCPodcast (www.xocpodcast.com) when I found out about the 3 Stooges Museum, what was even more of a shocker...it was 2 minutes from my House!! The Stoogeum is tucked in a small business area of Spring House, PA, maybe 20 minutes from Philadelphia. From one Stooge to another...it is well worth the trip.

I head out with @BroccoliRob11 who has become a bit of a fan of the Stooges hyjinks too. This is a Free museum, but runs by your donations. Trust me when I say, it was clean, family friendly and well worth the trip.

A 100 seated Theater with classic 3 Stooges short films playing all day long. Movie Memorabilia from every era, every stooge. From the early Ted Healey days, to the bitter end of a an amazing legacy. Everything from lobby cards to Puppets. Video games, that are free to play...(of course I had to try my hand at some Stooges pinball!!). You can retrace the history...look at their contracts, uncashed checks....photos of all kinds.

 Regardless of your knowledge of 3 Stooges, chances are, you have sat and watched them in some form. Currently, on http://www.crackle.com/ you can watch the made for Tv movie, The Three Stooges, which isn't 100% factual, it gives you an idea on how much they did for the love of laughter. Thats the key here folks...Laughter. Grab the Wife, bring the kids and head out to the the Stoogeum...or I'll poke you in the eyes!!

The Stoogeum

904 Sheble Lane

Spring House, PA

http://www.stoogeum.com/

They are open 1 day per month from 10am-3pm

Check the website for details and tell em that wise guy, Rob Dimension sent ya...Nyuk, Nyuk, Nyuk...

My Bloody Valentine - A Little Reminiscing.....

My Bloody Valentine

A Little Reminiscing

by Dean Vanderkolk

Perhaps you've wondered to yourself, in a dark moment that you've never revealed to anyone, what it would look like if a midget with breast implants were to be skewered on a pick axe. If so, My Bloody Valentine is the film for you.

While re-watching this film on DVD, I flashed back to the night when I decided I’d actually experience this movie in the theater so that I could fully enjoy all the film had to offer. I arrived in plenty of time for the show. I looked at the board listing show times, and I inquired of the gentleman who sold the tickets.

"Have you sold out for ‘My Bloody Valentine’?"

"Nope."

"Cool."

"In fact, you're the first guy who has even asked about a ticket for that movie."

Somehow, I’m not surprised.

I head into the theater and settle in for the film. It's set in one of those towns where everyone is either just out of college or retired. Nothing in between. Consequently, many people are performing jobs that they are much too young for. At one point, I thought to myself, "There goes the bravest 14 year old police woman I've ever seen."

The plot involves a group of miners, who, years ago, were stranded in a cave in. Only one survived, chiefly because he murdered all the others in an effort to conserve the air supply. Understandable, if not condonable. This guy is in a coma when he is discovered, and remains that way for an entire year. He then wakes up, murders everyone in the hospital and slaughters about twenty teenagers who are having a kegger in the abandoned mine. WTF? He committed horrible crimes out of the survival instinct, and wakes up a serial killer?

The movie is full of plot holes, poor scripting and several times it cheats, too.

SPOLIER ALERT!!

In one scene, we clearly see the killer assault one of the leads, injuring him and locking him in a cage before murdering the other person in the scene. Obviously, our confined young lead can't possibly be the killer. WRONG!!!! He IS the killer. You see, he suffers from delusions and committed all of the murders himself, and the scene we saw was all in his head. He injured himself, killed the other person, and then locked himself in the cage. I call shenanigans on that, folks.

The movie does feature the best 3-D I had ever seen. The crew makes excellent use of deep focus (in which all of the items in the frame remain in focus, no matter if they are in the foreground or the background), and this really enhances the 3-D aspect of the film.

Too bad they didn't let me keep the glasses.

Dean Vanderkolk is a freelance writer based out of Detroit, Michigan, so he obviously knows scary.  When not dodging gunfire, he works as the head writer for Wolfman Mac's Chiller Drive-In, seen nationally on the Retro Television Network.  He is currently scripting a feature film, an original short horror comedy and is developing an original web series, all of which will begin production in 2011.  Mr. Vanderkolk is currently seeking representation.  If you are interested in working with Dean - please email him at nswriterdude@gmail.com

New Episode - Night of the Living Dead: Re-Animated is now available

Night of the Living Dead: Re-Animated

Now Available!!!

Big thanks to the guys at Wild Eye Releasing for allowing us to show this great rendering of a classic.

Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated is an art show hung on the cult classic's timeline. Every scene serves as walls to hang artworks, the audio becomes the ambiance of the space and the original narrative serves as the theme that holds the show together.


Much like in a museum, the works are curated within the space to carry the viewer from one piece into the next with the intention that though the individual works vary greatly, juxtiposed they play off each other and leave the viewer with a unified experience.

Instead of trying to alter Image Ten's work, NOTLD:R seeks to showcase the responses that artists from around the world have had to this landmark film. For the optimal experience, we recommend that you first watch the original film as it will help to inform how you read the artwork. 

For this episode - Rob Dimension thinks that Hollywood might be ready for him, so Pigamortis sets him up on location. John Cannon, with his trusty Sasquatch, slowly loses control of the situation and shares a secret with Dead Neck Dave, Straight from the grave. Watch this one.

Late Night at the Horror Hotel presents Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated from Sickening Thud on Vimeo.

Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park - 32 years ago...would Halloween ever recover?

Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park

reviewed and remembered by : Rob Dimension

On October 28th, 1978, my world was a little brighter...being an avid 8 yr old Kiss fan, I had to stay up to watch the greatest film of my early lifetime...or so I thought. Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park premiered on NBC as the Saturday Night at the Movies feature and would be revered as a Cult Classic 32 years later.

I know...a cult classic...come on Dimension, what are you thinking? Let me explain, I saw Kiss in concert in Massachusetts in the Summer of 1978 and they were pimping this movie hard. The "Dynasty" tour was my first concert experience, I have completely blocked the Helen Reddy experience my Mother dragged me too, and what an eye opener KISS was. Enough about my childhood trauma...let's talk about this Classic. Did I mention I am a card carrying KISS Army member?

For years, this was only available as a Bootleg, no wonder, as the members of KISS absolutely hated this film. Also titled, KISS in the Attack of the Phantoms, this film was plagued with problems. The script went through several re-writes, the band were NOT actors and it really showed, the portrayal of the group was just horrendous but, looking back, I actually find charm in the film and actually enjoy it. 

Some many not know that the film was produced by Hanna-Barbera, yep the same guys who made everyone's childhood filled with Scooby-Doo, the Flintstones, The Banana Splits, the Jetsons and tons more. Gene Simmons was "The Demon", Paul Stanley the "Star Child", Ace Frehley the "Space Man" and drummer, Peter Criss was "the Cat Man". Laughably, all having super-natural powers and pushing the fans imaginations with just much we would believe. I believe that these guys can rock..not need some talisman gimmick....but I was 8 yrs old and bought it hook, line and sinker.

Synopsis (credit Wiki)- The tale of rock band KISS and their efforts to thwart a diabolical plan by mad scientist Abner Devereaux. Devereaux has found a way to clone humans into robots in his laboratory at an amusement park. It just so happens that he plans to uses the KISS concert as a platform to unleash his plan on the world. KISS must use their special powers to stop him.

This film does have some Horror moments...you see Frankenstein and Dracula, plus these werewolf type henchmen...pretty villainous huh? Even Killer Robot versions of KISS themselves. The mad scientist, played by Anthony Zerbe (who has been in countless film and television projects) does a fantastic job...no kidding.



For me this was more of a trip down memory lane than a review - sorry, couldn't resist...I LOVE Kiss still today and still have my bootleg copy of this on VHS and plan on spending my night re-watching and enjoying the modern movie classic. If you can find a copy, do your self a favor...watch it, if anything just for the ridiculousness of it all.

Return of the Living Dead 3 - Romeo and Juliet Zombie Version 1.0

Return of the Living Dead Part 3

reviewed by : Rob Dimension

Released in 1993, this entry into the Return of the Living Dead series changed the tone, adding more romance and less comedy. Melinda Clarke plays Julie, our leading...well, zombie with a heart.

Synopsis - Colonel Reynolds and his group of government scientists continue their work on re-animating the dead for military use. His son Curt and his girlfriend Julie use Dad's security pass to sneak in and watch the proceedings. Later when father and son have a disagreement, Curt and Julie take off on a motorcycle and Julie is killed in an accident. Grief-stricken, Curt takes her body to the lab and brings her back to life. Curt must help Julie deal with her new existence as military agents and local gang members try to find them.

Ah, where do I start with this one?? I am a big fan of this version of a Zombie Romero and Juliet so to speak, doesn't get a lot of props. Melinda Clark is attractive and make a seriously sexy zombie, especially towards the end. Fending off her hunger she "self mutilates"herself..you know, similar to the EMO kids at the malls on Friday nights. Constantly on the run and looking for a breather, this film still holds up well and packs some fun Zombie punch.

 "Does this belong with the Return of the Living Dead series?" Yes and No. Yes, because if it didn't have the name credibility that we ALL loved with parts 1 & 2, I don't think it would have garnered the success that it did. No, because on the same token, I thought that Thom Mathews and James Karen literally stole the show in Dan O'Bannon original. I still constantly watch that one....so good easily a top 5 Zombie film for anyone. This 3rd film really needed it's own identity but probably would have been lost in the shuffle. I still highly recommend this one, especially when spending time with that special someone, always tell them you would use Trioxin to stay together forever!!!

Directed by Brian Yuzna, who also directed Bride of Re-Animator and Beyond Re-Animator (also have a huge Cult Following) and wrote Honey I shrunk the Kids does a decent job at getting us exactly what we want...Brains!!! The Gore is fun, nothing too intense or over the top. I actually enjoy the "Half-eaten head" Zombie that attacks the Police. The standard special effects will always be my top choice over CGI, sure it would look better but isn't that part of the charm? Plus, how about that zombie from the Government lab? Almost naked and scary!!

If you are a fan of The Return of the Living Dead series, make sure you grab the "Complete History" book (shown to the left) - this is informative and a MUST have if your a Zombie Fan!!! 

The Human Centipede [The First Sequence] - I'll Lead....you Follow

The Human Centipede [The First Sequence]

Reviewed by Rob Dimension

Oh boy...where do I start? I want this review to be exactly as if you and I were just talking about this...nothing to deep, nothing earth shattering...just simple fun with a movie that made Horror fans wait with batted breath for it's release. Hopefully this review is more entertaining than the second half of this film.

To me, the premise is very twisted and down right degrading. If you don't know what the Human Centipede is, let me try and explain. Imagine you, me and another chick (I will imagine that you are a girl, at least for my sanity) are on all fours..you know, hands and knees. Got it so far? Awesome. Next, imagine that your face was stuck to my "pipe hole" (my Heiney area...trying to keep it clean here) and then the other Girl had her mouth attached to your "tail pipe"...therefore, we are now connected, looking like a centipede. Sound lovely? I know...that's why all us crazy Horror fans wanted to see this....especially the first time the lead needs to "pinch a loaf".

The Movie - Honestly, this could have been a short film and I would have loved it. Cut the film when The Doctor, played by Dieter Laser, I will get to him in a minute, rejoices..."Yes, my Centipede...Walk..(kissing the mirror in tears). To me, that was the perfect ending and highly creepy. Let my mind wander about what happens next. I felt that once the Police showed up, the film lost massive steam. Instead of making it more dramatic or intense, it just dragged on. This film is all gimmick and not much story. It's a premise, a truly nasty, gross, highly entertaining premise, but still needed more. Once the Lead and Rear of the Centipede were left...umm...un-responsive, I felt tired.

(This is the obvious Jewelry choice to give to that Special Lady in your life)

The Special Effects and Gore - Surprisingly, for a film this intense and with a highly offensive subject matter, very little gore. Still some, but not as much as I would have expected. If it would have been a short film, the final scene with them connected would have been brilliant. I did see some neat effects but nothing that made me flip out. I'm a Gore-Hound but was left feeling a little like "meh..."

The Acting - I was a HUGE fan of the Doctor, Dieter Laser, in the first half of this feature. I felt that once he lingered on the screen, he just lost his control and it weakened his character. The Asian lead was ok, he really didn't do much, but what could he do? The girls were decent, I actually bought them as friends. I could believe in the way they cared for each other....if it would have been me, I would have bailed when I had the chance....but I'm a douche. In all, the Doctor is the shining star of this film...I especially enjoyed when he was giving his victims a lecture about his "proposed" centipede idea. They were all flippin' out, he still, without losing a beat, continued as if he was lecturing a class on Heart surgery. I also enjoyed his stalking and quiet method of acting.

Would I recommend it - Look, unless I truly hate a film, I rarely bash. I recommend that if you are curious, check it out. I highly recommend that you view this with a few people...the jokes and countless one liners I could think of would make this a MUST have party flick. The hype made this film have to climb uphill just too much. I will definitely check out Part 2 which is supposedly a part of a rumored Trilogy....I have a feeling this will gain some momentum and could even possibly garner an actual Theatrical release. One never knows....watch CLERKS 2, you will forever have the #1 rule in your head..."You never go ass to mouth!"

 

The Burning - movie review - This Pig is on FIRE!!!

Does it burn?

The Burning: (1981)
Director: Tony Maylam

Reviewed by : Pigamortis Wrex

One of Ole Pigamortis' favorites. Ahhhh the 80's, how i love thee.

Take a group of unheard of teen actors as a group of horny councelors/campers, one horribly deformed, angry caretaker and the make up Fx of the master, TOM SAVINI and what you end up with is one of the greats in the slasher genre. The Burning is without question the epitome of the slasher in the woods story. The story itself is based on a campfire tale told at camps throughout NY and NJ. I remember as a lil piglet hearing about Cropsey at camp. Maybe its nostalgia that makes me love this movie so much. It brings me back to a simpler time. Before CGI and before those overused "twists" that everyone seems to be so fond of at the end of movies these days. This movie is pure and simple, killer + victims = one helluva movie.

The story is back in the day of Camp Blackfoot, some smug lil camper bastards decided to play a joke on the "creepy caretaker" Cropsey... As with all tales,things go horribly awry and poor Cropsey is burned horribly and hospitalized. He was released after skin grafts didn't take and the horribly disfigured(and bitter) Cropsey is set upon an unknowing world. Where do you think he goes? Thats right kiddies, right back to the camp. TALK ABOUT DEDICATION! Well, I don't s'pose Pigamortis would be givin away any endings if I tell you its camp shenannigans and blood and boobs the rest of the movie. "The Hooker" scene is memorable for gorehounds as well as a bit that got this movie banned in more than one venue.

What is both amazing and amusing about this movie is the list of "Unknown" actors and actresses that appeared in this film who went on to do som pretty big things.

The likes of Jason "seinfeld" Alexander, Fisher "Short Circuit 1&2" Stevens, Holly "the Closer" Hunter, as well as the semi-known Leah "Bloodsport"Ayres, and Brian "Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol" Backer. We can't forget the others who we never heard from again who gave the movie that real camp feel. The acting was solid and they covered all the stereotypes, the hustler, the jock, the nerd, the pretty girl, the horny campers, they covered all bases here. They even broke some tradition (before it became tradition). The girl who DIDN'T wanna have sex got killed just as readily as the slut. They just don't make movies like this anymore.

I feel a big part of this was in part to the fact that there WAS no CGI, only physical FX and gallons of blood, done by the MASTER, Tom Savini. Savini actually turned down the job to do FX on Friday the 13th part 2 to work on "The Burning".

I remember watching some interviews with Savini where he talked about working on this film. The RAFT scene is incredible and well worth the wait. Your ole pal Pigamortis highly recommends you get your grubby lil hooves on this lil grisly morsel.

I HATED camp, but i LOVED this movie!

Exhumed Films - Fantastic for Horror Fans

Late Night hits Exhumed Films

by Rob Dimension

Oh, what a difference a week makes. Some may know, but most may not, but John, Pigamortis and myself were all sick as dogs this past week. Fresh from MonsterMania, which John was actually sick during...I ended up with Strep Throat on Monday and well, Pigamortis had some sort of Plague we think..haha. So sorry for the lack of updates last week.

This past Friday, John and myself headed to Exhumed Films, located at the International House, 3701 Chestnut St in Philadelphia. Right off the bat, this was our kind of crowd...young, college and probably many that would watch our show (hopefully). We met up with Joseph, our contact and part owner of the Cult Classic DVD supplier, Diabolik DVD and we were ready for The Double Dose of EVILLLLLLLLL!!! Scared yet? Okay, walking in, the theater was amazing...seriously. Very clean, spacious and a great crowd.

I am picky when I go to watch my Cult Classics...I immediately asked the tough question : Do you just run dvds? The answer...NO, they use both 16mm and 35 mm prints. They even run vintage trailers, talk about the best experience possible. We shot some footage, did an interview and entertained the masses (okay, that's pushing it) but we did have fun. So, be on the look out for all that stuff!

The big event is just around the corner for them and TICKETS are ALMOST Sold Out!!!

SATURDAY, OCT. 30TH TO SUNDAY, OCT. 31ST 2010: 24 HOUR HORROR-THON PART IV

Doors open at 11am on Saturday, show starts at 12pm. Tickets: $25 ($26 in advance)

Make sure you visit them NOW and get your tickets - www.ExhumedFilms.com