Hello, freaks and fiends! This week in horror we get you smelling good in preparation for a couple of big releases. Plus, there’s some Henry Rollins related news!
The essence of horror from Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab
If you’re a horror lover that likes to smell good, Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (BPAL) has an incredible line of fragrances just for you. Based on the Jim Jarmusch modern vampire classic Only Lovers Left Alive, BPAL developed almost two dozen scents inspired by characters, story points, and the soundtrack of the film.
There’s one I’m particularly interested in called “Streets of Detroit”: Black musk accord, Ethiopian myrrh, and motor oil. That sounds amazing. The original stock of these scents had almost run out, but BPAL have replenished their stock for the film’s fifth anniversary! They’ve also released a new batch of their commemorative scent “13” in time for this past week’s Friday the 13th. They describe it as: “dark chocolate infused with thirteen protective herbs and offerings to keep capricious spirits at bay: red wine, Spanish moss, yarrow, black sage, coconut meat, nutmeg, black clove, caraway, allspice, archangel, crushed acorn, marshmallow root, and mullein.”
I wanted to include a note from my editor, Leslie Hatton, about the company, because you should know the people you’re doing business with: “Also the people who run the company do a lot of social justice work like donating proceeds from sales to various charities and women’s organizations, working with homeless shelters and food banks, etc. And their perfume is cruelty free.” Start shopping here.
The return of Robot Ninja
In out-of-nowhere news, a rare direct-to-video movie from 1989 will get a three-disc ultimate restoration release through Tempe Digital’s Indiegogo campaign. J.R. Bookwalter wrote, produced, and directed Robot Ninja as a follow up to his debut, The Dead Next Door. A comic book artist is inspired to take on the persona of one of his characters, Robot Ninja, when his town is being menaced by a gang of rapists and murderers. He goes after the bad guys armed with big-ass blades attached to a gauntlet on his right arm, and shit gets violent!
I wish I’d seen this back in ’89, because the Wolverine/Faust fan in me would have been all about Robot Ninja. It’s super cool that Tempe Digital has rescued this film and restored it. The three-disc set will include three unrated versions of the film, with behind the scenes footage and commentaries (including one from Doug Tilley and Moe Porne of the No-Budget Nightmares Podcast). The release will include the film on Blu-ray and DVD along with the soundtrack CD. Go here to find out more about the Indiegogo campaign and check out the trailer below!
Waxwork Records goes back to Derry, Maine
Here’s a bit of soundtrack news that had slipped right past me. The mighty Waxwork Records have released a three(!) record collection for the 1990 TV mini-series IT. The records are bright red, blue, and yellow, respectively and have been remastered for vinyl. This will be the first time the complete score has been available on vinyl and it features amazing artwork by Matt Ryan Tobin that was approved by Stephen King himself! Go to Waxwork Records and take a look at the glorious slab; it is a very cool release!
Hex Media unleashes a trailer for Automata
Hex Media is on fire right now! The trailer for their fourth feature Automata just dropped this week. The film was written by Sarah Daly and directed by Lawrie Brewster, the duo who brought us Lord of Tears, The Unkindness of Ravens, and The Black Gloves. They are now unleashing a gothic horror film, this time concerning a cursed three-hundred-year-old clockwork doll. Check out the Kickstarter campaign for more info and watch the trailer below. Hex Studios are doing some amazing work!
He Never Died gets a sequel
Jason Krawczyk has stepped away from directing the follow up to his fantastic 2014 film He Never Died. But good news: he’s doing this to concentrate on the TV series, which will see Henry Rollins return to the role of Jack. He Never Died was one of my favorite movies of that year. It was bloody, crazy, and hilarious. Rollins, who’s always fun, was in rare form in his first starring role and I can’t wait to see what a TV series looks like. But don’t fret over the sequel, because that is still happening, with Audrey Cummings stepping in as director. The new film will be called She Never Died, which probably means a gender swap of some kind. Stay tuned for more details!
