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31 Days of Horror: Creepshow
Halloween is my favourite holiday for a good reason – costumes, candy, mischief… but I think what really thrills me is the idea that all things evil could become awesome. As a kid, I adored this holiday because it flipped convention on its head – celebrating the things that would normally horrify people, Halloween definitely sparked a love for the horror genre. And Creepshow nurtured it in to a full blown obsession.
Creepshow was released in 1982, directed by George A. Romero and written by Stephen King. With credentials like that, I probably don’t need to add that it was inspired by the classic E.C. Comics of the 1950s. Tales from the Crypt, The Vault of Horror, Weird Science and even MAD magazine were the creations of this incredible publisher. No doubt these inspired horror icons like Romero and King, but I was born in the 80s and this movie was to be my first taste of their genius.
If you’ve seen this Michael Jackson video, or this Twisted Sister video, or the beginning of Tenacious D, you’ll recognize the beginning of Creepshow… A Dad who unknowingly rouses bad mojo by being mean to his kid. In this case, tossing the Creepshow comic book in the garbage, inspiring rebellious kids everywhere to lust for blood.
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Star Wars VII Coming as Disney Buys Lucasfilm Ltd. for $4.05B
Star Wars fans must have felt a tremor in the force today when their greatest wet dream (or horrific nightmare) became a 2015 reality… As reported by Wired and a million other parts of the interweb, Disney has purchased Lucasfilm Ltd. and the incredibly lucrative Star Wars franchise in a deal worth $4.05 billion.
Whatever you may think of the franchise, this is a big deal. Disney is stockpiling franchises it seems, grabbing Pixar, Marvel and now Lucasfilms Ltd. in the past 7 years.
For some, this is good news; securing the longevity of the Star Wars franchise with a new film promised for 2015. But the reaction wasn’t entirely positive…
31 Days of Horror: The Human Centipede
There is a little doubt that horror films have had to raise their game in recent years. While classic horror has a certain artistic, romantic charm, there is a more insidious sub genre that seeks to twist the audience’s moral limits and test their psychological fortitude: “torture” films.
The Human Centipede is probably the most notorious “torture” horror film to make it in to North American theatres and more importantly, Netflix. This is how many of my friends were first exposed to the film and, lured in by the unique premise, this is how many came to loathe this movie. But despite widespread revulsion and even refusal to watch the film (and its sequel) in their entirety, I am stepping up in defence of The Human Centipede as one of the most successful visceral torture horror films.
Saturday at the Movies: GOON
Goon is a hockey movie that aims to glorify the old school hockey spirit that many fans feel is being squashed from the league. Fists, fights, blood and brawn are the tools of the goon trade, and Jay Baruchel (writer and co-star) has helped create an opus to the glory of goon hockey.
Co-written with Evan Goldberg (Superbad, Pineapple Express), these Canadians present a well-written and fairly snappy script, considering it’s a movie about hockey fights.
I have a feeling that some of the jokes go unappreciated, hence the movie’s lukewarm reception in theatres (in Canada especially, where you’d expect this to be a huge hit!) But with the onset of the last round of the Stanley Cup, and my beloved Toronto Marlies in the Calder Cup finals, Goon is a perfect movie to set the mood – read on if you want to know why (some spoilers).
Starring Seann William Scott (Stiffler) and Alison Pill (Kim from Scott Pilgrim) this is a hockey-lover’s love story, and a poetic nod to the fights and fighters that (in the past) made hockey so AWESOME to watch.
March Madness – The Walking Dead: The Game
The Walking Dead Season 2 has come to a close (what a crazy episode!) and if you’re anything like me, you’re probably going to go mad waiting for new episodes this Fall. But fear not! Or rather, continue to fear! Because the zombie hordes are coming in The Walking Dead: The Game.
IGN just released a taser trailer for the highly anticipated Walking Dead game based on the TV show (based on Kirkman’s graphic series). So far, the game is planned to be released in episode format for all major platforms. As you’d imagine, the game is essentially a first person shooter where you’re the star, forced to somehow survive the first days of the zombie onslaught.
Unfortunately the game doesn’t feature any characters from the TV show, but rather a new story line around someone named Lee. TV. But the trailer suggests a good layer of story building and atmospheric development, with graphics smooth enough to blend in to the background as you enter survival mode. Check it out below – what do you think?
Saturday At The Movies: Beerfest
St. Patrick’s Day is upon us and what better way to celebrate than with a cold boot full of beer? And perhaps the best movie to compliment that yard of ale, Beerfest.
This was the movie that first introduced me to Das Boot (uh, the second) but according to the interweb, “Beer boots, or Bierstiefel, have over a century of history and culture behind them.”
The story goes that a general once promised that if his troops were successful, he would drink from his own boot; and to avoid having to follow through, he had a glass boot made instead. Whether or not beer is your drink of choice, Broken Lizard’s Beerfest is a great way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and the art of intoxication.
BIFF BAM POP! MAKES LAST CALL FOR SHORT HORROR/THRILLER/SUSPENSE ANTHOLOGY SUBMISSIONS
March 12, 2012, Toronto, ON – Writers of horror, thriller and suspense… this is your FINAL call! The publishing team at BIFF BAM POP! has set a deadline of April 1st for submissions to their upcoming Short Story Anthology.
With a record breaking year for traffic to BiffBamPop.com and the success of last year’s Biff Bam Boo comics collection, writers can be sure that a huge exposure opportunity will accompany an inclusion in this year’s anthology. Any aspiring horror, thriller and suspense writers are reminded that these are the final weeks to submit their work for consideration. The finished Anthology will feature hand-picked short fiction from authors big and small.
“Already the response and anticipation internationally for this project has been overwhelming,” says Andy Burns, Editor-In-Chief, BIFF BAM POP! “Everyone who has submitted a story so far understands the potential opportunities that can come from contributing to our anthology. If you’re a writer whose short fiction contains elements of the horror, thriller and/or suspense genres, we want to see your work.”
Writers must submit their original prose before the 11:59pm (ET) April 1st, 2012 deadline. A panel of BIFF BAM POP! representatives will review every submission received, and those selected will be published in the Short Story Anthology to be released this Fall.
Submissions can be sent to: biffbampopsubmissions@gmail.com (RTF or Microsoft Word files). Please see the official submission guidelines for complete information about submitting to the BIFF BAM POP! Short Story Anthology.
About BIFF BAM POP!
Established in August 2008, Biff Bam Pop! is a website devoted to the world of pop culture, from comic books and video games, to movies, books, and music. For additional information, visit www.biffbampop.com.
For more information, please contact:
Andy Burns, Editor-In-Chief BIFF BAM POP!
Watchmen Prequels: Your Reactions
With this week’s announcement of the forthcoming Watchmen Prequels came a wide variety of reactions from fans. Our own J.P. perhaps said it best in Everything is Eventual, a solid look at this bombshell announcement; but not everyone took the news with such grace and objectivity.
Our Twitter feed has been inundated with funny and insightful fan responses to the news from DC Comics.
Short of getting Alan Moore’s reaction, these are some of the best responses we’ve seen so far:
@johnnydavisesq: What no comics fan ever wanted! The #watchmen prequels are here!
