HORROR: THE LIST (OUR Top 20 Horror Movies of the last 20 Years)

By MARY E BRICKTHROWER, JD LOMBARDI, KAYODE KENDALL, HEATHER BUZBY and ERIC BLAIR.

A couple months ago the all things media rag Entertainment Weekly composed a list of the “20 Top Horror Films of the Past 20 Years” (http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20284496_20284497_20295591,00.html)

And my friends and I found ourselves…unimpressed. After collectively slightly cocking our heads we decided to produce our own definitive list. Our process was thorough, paring down individual lists into 1 master list. While you will see some similarities between our list and EW you will note that movies that aren’t really “horror” are omitted (Shaun of the Dead is a great movie but it is primarily a comedy; Silence of the Lambs is primarily a psychological thriller, same with From Hell). Finally the 5 of us sat down together to discuss our Top 20; both our similar picks and perhaps a random barb tossed in for glaring differences. We give you OUR Top 20 Horror Films of the Last 20 Years!

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1.The Ring

KEN: I honestly think the American remake is better than the original from Japan. The mundane, quiet moments in the film are far more unsettling thanks to the cinematography, music, and old, musty locales. The film also benefits from its performances, including Naomi Watts, Brian Cox, and Daveigh Chase as Samara, the demon/ghost/whatever child in question. The few lines she does have in the film are just haunting.

MARY: Totally agree with ya Ken; one of the few remakes of my adored “J-Horror” genre that I actually like more than the original. From the twisted images of the urban legend-esque “tape” that will kill you 7 days later upon viewing it, to the creepy face-mangling that signifies a victim, to the terrifying confrontation between Samara and Martin Henderson (Naomi Watts’ love interest), this movie is pretty much perfect. Could’ve been a little shorter at the end though.

HEATHER: This was pretty much a straightforward thriller – no monsters, no gore – just a scary urban legend apparently come true. While I understand the purpose of a videotape being at the center of the story, for me it makes the terror a little less effective in this age of DVD media. The clips of what originally seem to be random and unrelated scenes are creepy, even before the audience is clued in to what they mean. The horror is only intensified as the story behind the tape is revealed.

ERIC: I love seeing the twisted faces of the victims after the girl comes out TV in this movie…I loved it so much!

JD: Yeah, those faces are what creeped me out the most. I’ll never forget when you see that first girl’s twisted face…yikes! Then there is the one photo where a guy’s face is all warped; yeah I just don’t ever wanna accidentally see that in one of my photos like ever.

Seriously, I think this is pretty close to being a perfect horror film for me. It doesn’t really go for the cheap pops, but tells an interesting, creepy story about normal people screwing each other over in order to not die due to their own curiosity. Samara doesn’t really scare me though the locations and scratchy cinematography did wonders.

2. The Sixth Sense

MARY: I didn’t see this until maybe 2 months after it came out and I was well aware of the “surprise” ending but that didn’t cease any fear that I felt as Haley Joel Osment encounters dead people of young and old. By far M. Night Shyamalan’s best film and most creepy at that.

JD: I agree. M. Night hasn’t come close to a complete film since this one and I still get a jump or two out of this even after repeated viewing. Sixth Sense really worked for me because I got sucked in to caring about Haley’s character. He wasn’t a douche like the people you hope will die in a Friday The 13^th and other horror flicks. Between the tugging at my emotional strings and the overall originality of the story, I paid such close attention that when it was time for a scare I really got it big time.

KEN: I didn’t see it coming and I don’t believe anyone who says they did! It almost feels like something Hitchcock would have done.

HEATHER: This is another flick that when first watched, has an unexpected ending that changes the entire feel of the movie…though I still feel it is more of a thriller than out-and-out horror. I immediately wanted to re-watch it to put all the pieces together that were so obviously there, but the audience didn’t know to look for them. This film wouldn’t have been nearly as successful had Osment’s character been an adult instead of a child. I also agree that this movie is infinitely better than any of Shymalan’s other creations.

MARY: You’re right in a sense Heather that is not straight-up horror but I think the dead people concept does lend itself to the horror genre.

HEATHER: True. I still consider this a horror flick, and actually had it on my original list of picks. The reason I consider it less conventional is that it makes you actually think some, instead of simply scaring you with visuals or “bumps in the night.”

ERIC: Another movie using the element of “not knowing what’s happening next” made the film excellent! Great movie!

3. Dawn of the Dead (Zach Snyder’s)

HEATHER: It didn’t take long to realize this was a Zack Snyder film (I saw Watchmen before ever seeing this flick) and that was a good thing. Here, the speed zombie is done right. A single shot to the head will kill them, but they’re so fast and so numerous, it’s a difficult task to take on. There’s also no “partial-zombie-ness;” the tiniest bite brings on the full fledged infection. The suspense and drama are only heightened when our survivors bicker amongst themselves…Because we all know, you’ve got to stick together to make it through a horror film.

ERIC: All I can say about this movie are three words, “Running Fucking Zombies.” Apparently, in the afterlife people are superhuman, who knew…

JD: “28 Days Later” may have started it, but this Romero-remake brought it to the masses. I remember clenching the entire first time I saw this film. It isn’t out-and-out scary in the traditional horror genre sense and that is why it works for me. Would I want this film to become reality? Hell no! That in itself puts the horror factor on another level to me. Between zombies and being forced into intimate situations with people you’ve only just met, Snyder really does make it more about characters than the potential for spectacle. Highlights for me are almost anything that Ving Rhames says and the Richard Cheese “Down with the Sickness” montage. If only Snyder would have done the other installments.

MARY: If only George Romero could actually direct a movie, it might look like this. This film is the most fully realized Zombie film, and tells an actual story not simply of survival, but of interpersonal relationships. With several well developed characters and plot lines I feel like they all point to one simple truth of the human condition.

KEN: Running zombies. It’s all about running zombies in the new millennium.

4. 28 Days Later

MARY: Why are Zombies even big culturally right now? I would say it’s because of this movie. Yes it is THAT important. Someone please check the timeline, but every NeoZombie film has drawn deeply from the ideas presented here. Most importantly 28 DAYS LATER introduced the Zoombie, a Zombie made 1000x more terrifying because it moves faster than you can.

HEATHER: I do like the newer concept of the “fast-moving zombie,” but what I didn’t like was the speed of infection. Part of the fun of zombie movies is seeing the disease slowly take over its victim. I found myself generally bored by this particular film and thought there were a good amount of holes throughout it.

ERIC: Hmmmmm…What can I say about this movie? It’s a freaking awesome movie! Just imagine waking up almost a month later and the world shot to hell. This movie is scary to me b/c I believe this could actually happen someday.

JD: Wait, you genuinely believe a zombie apocalypse is on the horizon? Anyway…this one came from one of my favorite Directors, Danny Boyle. For me he just has a really great eye for what to put on camera and all his films tend to be character-centric. This is really a small film despite the scope. In fact, the zombies are only a vehicle for Boyle to show how creepy humans can be with each other when faced with an extinction-level event.

KEN: It's relentless, visceral, and just all-around frightening. The shots of Cillian Murphy wandering around the deserted streets of London really put things into perspective. Follow that up with the immediate threat of rage-infected humans, and how quickly they would change once bitten, scratched, or bled on, and you've got some top-notch horror.

5. 30 Days of Night

JD: I was hyped for this one from the moment I finished reading the comics! 30 Days of Night was such a departure from all the “kewel” vampire films that have been coming out for years now. Stuff like “Lost Boys” and “Dracula 2000” or “Near Dark” where so many of the vampires are mouthing off cool one-liners or just showing how much we humans aren’t nearly as cool…this wasn’t like any of that. The vampires here were almost like a full-fledged alien race set on ridding the world of humans and taking the planet for themselves. What we get as a result of that is a total slaughter, the height of which is definitely highlight number one for me. Much like zombies, we’re once more dealing with a classic mode of horror so full on fear isn’t what the viewer will get; though, how these suckers (intended!) chomped down upon a victim was quite nasty.

HEATHER: What makes this particular vampire flick so appealing and scary is the idea of being stuck – not only by the confines of a tiny town in nowhere Alaska in the middle of winter, but also by the darkness. The vampires are actually characters to be feared and not a bunch of emo, whiney teenagers that you’d rather just punch in the face and shove under a sun lamp. They’re gruesome and ugly and when they attack it’s simply disgusting… I love it!

KEN: Even once you get past super-charged bloodbath of the vampires’ initial assault on the town of Barrow, Alaska, you’ve got countless moments of suspense and dread as the survivors try to make it ‘til the end of the month, when the sun finally comes back up.

6. Blair Witch

HEATHER: I can’t come to a conclusion of whether I love or hate this flick. My opinion of it changes with each viewing, depending on the mood and setting I’m in at the moment. This whole movie is what you make it. The scariness is in how much stock you put in the story and how far you let your imagination wander. You never see what is actually scary, you have to imagine it. If you’re not in the right mindset, it won’t be scary. I will say that I won’t be camping in the woods with my friends any time soon, which I guess makes the film effective to an extent.

KEN: I know I’m probably in the minority, but I just did not care for this film. I think the same way some people can hate a horror film for having too much gore, you can hate a film for having too many moments where you don’t see what’s going on. The whole “psychology” of it gets a little overbearing for me.

JD: This is an odd one for me. When I first saw it, I wasn’t all that horrified while sitting there in the theater. But once I got home and was alone? I was paranoid beyond belief! It played on me in such a subtle way that stuck with me and proceeded to haunt my mind for a good few days. Eventually I got over it, even watching the whole film alone in my home. Is this everyone’s cup of tea? Nope. But for those of us who like psychological horror over graphic this is one of the big ones.

MARY: Upon my opening viewing of this film in the theater, I spent the last hour with my head turned to the side whilst softly crying. I proceeded to sleep on the couch outside my parent’s room for the following week. I have watched BLAIR WITCH several times since but I still don’t think I have viewed the ending in its entirety. I daresay this film launched the “reality” movement in media, mixing word of mouth with fake web sites and false documentaries, inspiring other films such as CLOVERFIELD.

ERIC: The reason this movie is scary is b/c it’s from 1^st person point of view. As time went on, I grew to hate this movie b/c my last name is Blair and people use to always say, “Hey Blair Witch”

7. Final Destination

ERIC: I think this movie kind of reintroduce guts and gore to the big screen. Don’t get me wrong, there were movies before that were gory but this one was so over the top. I loved it!

KEN: The idea of death coming back for people who should have died in a horrible accident was pretty inventive. Furthermore, having the main character be male got audiences away from the "final girl" cliché.

HEATHER: I almost didn’t like this movie before I even saw it, but I’ll give almost anything a chance once and tried to keep an open mind. I simply couldn’t get into the concept, as I believe when it’s your time to go, that’s it – you can’t change it. So get on the plane or don’t get on the plane, if you’re meant to die on that day, it is going to happen regardless of what you do. I didn’t feel connected to the characters in any way and therefore didn’t care that they would be meeting their demise.

MARY: What can be scarier than a force of nature, no need for a person or demon to fight, that is just make believe bull shiv. Death is not some silly skeleton in a robe, it is all around us… dun dun duh!

8. The Mist

HEATHER: I’m a big fan of King’s written work, but am often disappointed with Hollywood’s interpretations of his writings. I was expecting more of the same with The Mist. I was pleasantly surprised, though maybe “pleasantly” isn’t the best of words. Having not read this particular story beforehand, I was not prepared for the literal gut wrenching twist to come. An ending like that is the last thing people want or expect and that’s what makes it great. Too often, even in horror films, there is some kind of happily ever after that can ruin what otherwise is (or could be) a good flick.

MARY: This movie had such potential. If it actually went where it was hinting at the whole time, I might have enjoyed it. Instead horrible CGI and a ridiculous ending ended up angering me more than scaring or thrilling me.

JD: I didn’t really think the effects were bad or that the ending was ridiculous. For me there was just enough CGI because that wasn’t what this film was really about. I’m starting to really see what modern horror is and that would be something to the effect of what happens between people when they’re all plopped into a totally screwed up situation. I honestly think it was worse being in the market than it was being out in the mist. At least out there you knew what you were dealing with and how to combat them. Plus, I hate insects so any time I get to kill huge ones is a plus for me. Could there have been more here? Perhaps about what went wrong to open this dimensional hole? Sure, but I think that much like “The Green Mile” Director Frank Darabont works better with less.

KEN: The horror in The Mist definitely lies in how character-driven it is. It’s truly frightening to see how quickly the people trapped in the supermarket are influenced by Marcia Gay Harden’s fanaticism, and it makes Thomas Jane’s struggle to protect his son and friends that much more immediate. Then of course, there’s the ending. It’s always nice to see an American horror film that’s willing to “go there” so to speak.

MARY: STARSHIP TROOPERS is the right way to do giant insects via CGI. And an army-based hallucinogenic fog; a test done on a small town for the benefit of our evil government would’ve gotten to me more in the end.

HEATHER: I have to agree with JD – the monsters are not what’s meant to be scary… it’s almost never that way with King’s stories. The horror is the human reaction to a situation that seems to have NO possibility of a good outcome.

9. Saw

KEN: You have to love the ingenuity of the first Saw, even if the franchise has overstayed its welcome. Nothing was scarier than the ending, as all the pieces fall into place for one of the main characters. I honestly couldn’t sleep after seeing this movie the first time.

HEATHER: Most people view this as just another gory flick, but I found it quite original. It’s not simply senseless hacking up of random victims. They are chosen for reasons, set in intricate traps and actually have a chance to escape. This being the first film of the series, the viewer has no idea what is really going on – the completely unexpected ending leaves the audience begging for sequels to answer their questions. I’m almost always in the minority in my belief that this series has NOT outrun its welcome and there are still too many unanswered questions – I already own and repeatedly watch the first five and will do the same with any and all additional films in the series.

ERIC: Saw, to me isn’t the traditional horror movie but more of a psychological horror flick. B/c the movie just fucks with you and then “Oh! This guy just gets up and leaves the room” at the end.

JD: Flat out, I’m not a fan of this series. With that said, I can still readily admit that the first Saw is the best Saw. All the others are just films that build elaborate mouse traps which have the viewers cheering for the characters do die. I don’t grasp the concept of a series where the only person you have any small connection to is the villain and even then, you don’t really care about him, you just kind of respect him for all the warped shit he does to people. That first one though, it was a gem and it was in your face. Just like Eric said, in those final moments when the film ends…you just can’t believe he was there the whole time and that makes it awesome.

MARY: The 1^st SAW was the indie one and benefits from that. But I called the dead guy being the villain! I truly did! And I like the 2^nd SAW better which might be blasphemy to the “true” original fans.

JD: Is Saw II the one with the girl in the pit of hypodermic needles? Oh my God, that nearly made me puke! I totally never want to see that again.

MARY: That’s the one JD – my queasiest moment watching a film! BLECH!!

10. White Noise

ERIC: The sounds are the key to horror for this movie. I love this movie but I refuse to own it. This just might be the scariest movie I ever seen next to the Passion of Christ.

KEN: An interesting concept, but I just didn’t find it very scary. I can’t even remember most of it now.

JD: Ken, I believe in ghosts and sometimes EVP. With how Keaton bites it at the end I just felt that this was so close to being what could actually happen in the real world. Yeah, no matter how many times I watch this it scares the holy hell out of me. The voices, those damned shadow figures and all the unheeded warnings? Ugh. I’m getting the chills just thinking about it.

HEATHER: I like it because it was a ghost story without being a typical ghost story. What makes it get to you is that if you’re a believer in the film’s concepts it could really be happening around you at any moment. Unless you’ve decided to use the technology available to capture it, you may never know just what lurks around on a regular basis. The quick flashes of apparitions and bumps in the night are things we all think we experience when we’re home alone, but do we dare let our minds wander to what they might actually be?

MARY: How many times must Michael Keaton be warned before he finally gets what’s coming to him? DON’T MEDDLE!!! That is the moral of this story! GHOST HUNTERS should take this movie to heart – watch out Grant!

11. Candy Man

KEN: I love this film for its simplicity. Not that parts of it aren’t complex, but it is rather straightforward in its themes and the story it’s trying to get across. It has an almost theatrical feel to it that I really appreciate. Not to mention Tony Todd creating a black horror icon that was further away from Blackula than we could ever hope.

ERIC: Because of Candy Man I will not look into my bathroom mirror in the pitch dark and say, “Candy Man…Candy Man…Candy Man” Yes, I am a grown man now but I still feel like this movie is too scary for my blood

MARY: I’ll take the urban myth of “Bloody Mary” over this film any day!

JD: You would, Mare!

12. Drag Me to Hell

MARY: Sam Raimi’s finest film since ARMY OF DARKNESS. Some scenes are frightening and build suspense; others are just downright disgusting- anyone have a ruler I can borrow? You don’t mind if I just put my teeth here while I write the rest of this do you? And it’s out now! So go rent / buy this movie NOW !

KEN: From the film’s opening flashback, I should have known all bets were off! Raimi brings back all his old school tricks with this one, making a film that succeeds in being equal parts horror, and slapstick humor. There’s definitely a lingering dread after seeing the film, even if said film features what is, essentially, a Looney Tunes gag.

13. Exorcist III

JD: This is my all-time favorite horror film. Satan films are my thing and this one really just stands out among the “Omens” and “Rosemary’s Baby” due to all the visual horrors. It may be simple like a suddenly evil-morphed statue in a church or that fraction of a second scene in the hospital with the huge sheers but there’ll be something to creep out anyone in Exorcist III. On top of tying into the original (and classic) Exorcist, this one brings back our favorite priest in a way we’d never expect. George C. Scott’s taking over the role of Kinderman is a vast improvement but this film wouldn’t be anything without Brad Dourif’s career-making performance. Many people haven’t seen this installment due to the immense suckage of Exorcist II and that is a shame.

HEATHER: This was an edge-of-the-seat thriller for me – always wondering what’s coming next. For those who’ve seen this movie, I think two words can sum it up: scissor scene. When one single image from a film is enough to forever haunt my dreams, the film is a success.

MARY: Exactly Heather! I dig this movie for the scissor scene alone – EEK!

ERIC: I always seen pieces of this movie and the piece I seen were always so dark and scary. I will never forget the priest’s voice. I need to buy this movie.

14. Ginger Snaps

MARY: I just saw this movie about a month ago and absolutely loved it. A great low-budget film that takes advantage of quick cuts to mask that lack of special effects. The dialogue sounds so real and the story is both scary and funny. Upon seeing previews, I feel like JENNIFER’S BODY totally aped GINGER SNAP’s style.

ERIC: I never heard of this movie or seen it before but every time I look at the name, I think of actual ginger snaps snapping in my hands.

KEN: Lycanthropy used as a metaphor for puberty is nothing new, but it’s rarely seen from a female perspective. And watching the film, you can see the parallels being drawn are somewhat more effective when it’s a female. And ultimately, a bit scarier.

MARY: The franchise is cool because it keeps the girl’s the same but takes places in different time periods / configurations of the same werewolf story.

15. House of 1000 Corpses

MARY: The most perfect and beautiful scene in modern horror comes with this film, when our main villain shoots a kneeling officer in a expansive long-shot that makes me praise Rob Zombie as both a talented musician and master filmmaker. Zombie can play homage to horror any time he wants after viewing this amazing debut.

HEATHER: I first watched this film essentially alone in the dark, around Halloween… and nearly bit through my thumb in fright. My fear of clowns was a factor, though Captain Spalding has become a favorite of mine and probably the only clown I like. The family aspect of this film makes it all that much more disturbing.

JD: So far this is as close as I’ll get to having an Alice in Wonderland-type horror film. Between the outfit that gal is in and all the freaks and distorted camera work for roughly the last half-hour of the film, it really makes me think that Zombie was on to the Alice-symbolism in terms of falling down a much more forbidden rabbit hole. Also – and maybe this is strictly because of “Deliverance” – but anytime there are backwoods baddies it just scares the crap out of me.

16. Scream

HEATHER: Scream goes back to the teen slasher genre, but does it right and is not overly cheesy. It was particularly upsetting for me because the stalker films are what really get me (and keep me looking over my shoulder and sleeping with the lights on for weeks).The characters know all of the cliché horror movie elements, but choose to ignore some of them anyway… causing me to jump on more than one occasion.

JD: I get so jealous when I watch this movie. Kevin Williamson unleashed a script that was so smart that half the filmgoers didn’t even grasp that this was deconstructing what a horror film was right in front of their eyes. It gave us so many of the plot elements we already knew of because they’d become staples of the genre and showed the audience that even if the characters in the film knew these same things…they’d still be dead. We were deliberately served the familiar but Williamson did it in a way that not only still surprised us, but left us wondering. As a writer, I dream of creating a scene like the famous “rules” when they’re all watching Halloween. It was like the photo of a man holding a photo of himself holding a photo of himself holding a photo for infinity. It was pop culture post-modernism at its best and still managed to give us a new icon in the form of that horrid mask. Now if only there were just two “Scream” films and nothing else, maybe it’d still be considered a good series.

ERIC: Scream introduced a new era of horror. Nothing supernatural, no monsters, no boogieman, just a few guys reenacting what they see on movies. The true horror of this film is the element of “not knowing what’s happening next.”

KEN: This movie came out at the perfect time, when it was cool to be so self-aware and referential. Not to mention the total fake-out of Drew Barrymore plastered big as day on movie posters, only to have her be the first victim before we even see the opening title card!

17. What Lies Beneath

HEATHER: This was a classic concept done right. There is a dark, secret past that we are discovering in bits and pieces. That secret isn’t even necessarily the scariest part. What had me jumping were the little things – the sounds in the darkness and glimpses out of the corner of our eye that we all experience and cause our minds to go to movies such as this. You get that feeling you’re being watched, that someone else is there, that you swear you closed that door but now it’s open even though no one else is around.

KEN: I had never fallen asleep in a theater, until I saw this film

JD: Really? I thought that his was pretty messed up, especially with Harrison Ford in such an unconventional role. Rare is it in the horror genre to have such huge stars in a film and still keep the story important enough for you to believe that all bets could be off. As I said earlier, I’m a believer of ghosts so when a film is done right and keeps the CGI to a bare minimum it really works for me. Believe it or not, a door shutting on it’s own with no musical accompaniment will do wonders to terrorize me.

MARY: This movie is definitely creepy.

18. Hostel

MARY: Boobies and gross torture. Not scary.

KEN: I liked that this was a very different take on slasher movies. They play with a lot of clichés and flips them into something new, and characters you’d think you’d be following throughout the entire film actually get picked off in short order. For a second, you have to really wonder how it’s going to end

HEATHER: Liked/hated at the same time (haha): Originally, I refused to even see this film. The previews and trailers alone had me terrified to the point that I didn’t think I could handle it. But I bucked up, broke down and watched it – only to be proven right. Gore does not usually bother me, but the torture techniques showcased here were so real, I was hurting just witnessing them on screen. It also made me nearly ill to recall that I had, in fact, stayed in a hostel while visiting Europe – never again!

19. Event Horizon

MARY: Ever the glutton for punishment, I saw this twice in the theater (and hid my eyes both times) and even attempted to read the novelization of the film. Couldn’t finish it though…scared me too much!

JD: I really didn’t appreciate this one enough when I originally saw it in theaters and remember leaving thinking it sucked. A viewing or two at home and now I’m in a totally opposite belief. I think this is really a difficult breed, the sci-fi horror film. There aren’t many true success stories here and even this film didn’t set the world afire considering it grossed about 20M less than the cost to make it. DVD people, watch it. What cracks me up a little bit is that Director Paul Anderson is also the guy who Produced the recently release “Pandorum” which looks just a little similar to Event Horizon.

MARY: The idea that the ship tortures each victim in a way that is catered especially to them makes fighting it off even more difficult. It is the isolation of the vessel and the horror that is inflicted that is so terrifying.

20. Devil’s Rejects

KEN: Proof that when he really focuses, Rob Zombie can make a pretty effective horror film. The look of the film is just beautiful in its grit and grime, and Zombie proves that he understands character and story development. Besides, I’m a sucker for “Highway Horror”.

MARY: Another great gem by Rob Zombie, but in my opinion not nearly as poignant as his first horror outing.

HEATHER: One of the few sequels that hasn’t fallen victim to the sequel curse. This is gore and violence but not just for the sake of gore and violence. The audience is again brought into the world of this family and just how deranged they are. The simple idea that there just might be people out there like this is frightening enough. There is no predicting what they might do, as it seems nothing is off limits in their minds.

JD: Count me as the lone dissenter here. It certainly wasn’t a horrible film, but in contrast to the high creativity factor of its predecessor this one just falls very short. There are too many generic horror movies that this one resembles and perhaps that was Zombie’s intent, to make a dirty 70’s-looking highway horror film. As a sequel it just didn’t work for me and as a horror film overall I just found it lacking in the creativity that the Director often exudes.

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Nailing down what people find scary is often a crapshoot, but it’s always interesting to see what people will connect with. Horror as a genre tends to work via the trend. One movie will unexpectedly break the bank and soon after we’ll have five variations on it’s theme to choose (or not choose) from for viewing. If the recent success of Paranormal Activity is any indication (even ending the Saw franchise’s streak of #1 box office openings), audiences may be looking towards a more back-to-basics, “less is more” approach. It’d also be nice to see a return to anthology horror films, like Trick R’ Treat, which has finally been released, albeit straight to DVD. It’s mean-spirited, effectively creepy without being needlessly gory, and even a bit funny. It’s just the movie to get you in the Halloween spirit…especially if your tastes run more hardcore than say, “A Nightmare Before Christmas.”

So in the meanwhile, lock all your doors, keep the lights on and unless the killer’s already in your house, check out some of our picks and see for yourself what’ll scare the holy hell out of you.

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RECIPE: Pesto & Goat Cheese Chicken Salad

Ingredients:
(1) 5.3 oz package Chavrie Goat's Milk Cheese - "Basil and Roasted Garlic" flavor
(1 ) 7 oz package Buitoni Reduced Fat Pesto with Basil (refrigerated, not frozen)
(1) 9 oz package Perdue Short Cuts Carved Chicken Breast - "Italian" flavor

While letting goat cheese sit out of fridge and further soften, chop chicken as finely as desired; combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

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I plan to put this mixture in multigrain tortillas to make a wrap for tomorrow's pot luck lunch at work. By using reduced fat pesto and goat cheese, the calories are less than using fattier cheese. Goat cheese is soft so it mixes well. This can also be added to toast or crackers as a dip or topping.

RIP Zeke Feldhaus

On October 5th the comic book community lost a great friend with the unexpected passing of Joseph Michael Linsner's Point Man, Zeke Feldhaus. Zeke was a Linsner.com and comic book convention staple whom handled all of Linsner's shipping, ebay auctions, in addition to being his best friend. If you ever had a chance encounter with Zeke whether at a con or online then you are well aware of his friendliness and humor. I had more than just encounters with Zeke... I would consider him a good friend.

I first met Zeke Feldhaus in the fall of 2003 at the September Baltimore Comic Con. Joseph Michael Linser was to be my first interview for a now defunct online web-zine and Zeke was the one I approached first after securing the interview via online communication with Linsner. I was wearing a red shirt with a subtle "FUCK" written on it in the style of the "LOVE" statue in Philadelphia. Zeke wasted no time to point out the obscenity on my shirt and as I visited the Linsner table several times that day I was given the peculiar "Fuck Girl" nickname by Zeke. This name ended up putting off some fellow Linsner fans but they didn't know the rapport Zeke and I had! The interview went well and a friendship between myself and Zeke was born. We communicated via IM and email (where he was quick to tell me all about the latest news in regards to his awesome wife and son) when not hanging out at comic conventions we both attended. He was always concerned with me, my love life, and I felt a sense of compassion and affection that garnered my nickname for him: Uncle Zekey.

I remember meeting Eva Hopkins (Linsner's "Office Goddess" and comic book creator in her own right) through Zeke, as soon as Zeke said "This is Mary Brickthrower," Eva replied sincerely "FUCK GIRL!" Knowing that Zeke talked about me to his other friends just proved that our friendship was real in some sense to me. I will never forget attending his birthday party in Pittsburgh or spending an evening with him sharing beers and stories in Philadelphia. He was a dear dear person to me. When I introduced him to Sean McManus, my now-boyfriend, Zeke told Sean to "take care of me." Sean has adhered to Zeke's words as if they're law.

Zeke was struggling with lung cancer but was not public with his ailment b/c he never wanted to burden anyone. In truth, it had been a few months since I last spoke to him but my feelings for my beloved "Uncle" were always there, always strong. He was 60 years old...too young to be taken.

Zeke Feldhaus is survived by his wife Helen and his son Jake. To make a donation or send a card to Zeke's family, please follow this link to the Zeke Feldhaus Memorial Fund (to help pay for Jake to go to college): LINSNER FORUM _ DONATION INFO

Cheers Zeke! <3 With much love and much tears, Zeke will be truly missed by me, his family, his friends.

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Comic-Centric: Attila Adorjany || Can you feel Len's Love Buzz?

I recently caught up with one of my favorite Canadian based artists, Attila Adorjany and asked him to catch me up on his latest projects:

Attila: I think the number 1 thing is the webcomic. Some of my other comic stuff was on Numb3rs is that note worthy? I'm also putting together my first solo gallery show which will include a bunch of paintings and custom toys. I just finished overhauling the 600poundgorilla site and I'm contributing stuff on a weekly schedule including icon sets wallpapers and I'll be putting up a few tutorials over the coming weeks.
Check out his links:
Webcomic :
http://comics.600poundgorilla.com/
Gallery/blog/shop:
http://www.600poundgorilla.com/

twitter:
http://twitter.com/attila_adorjany
Facebook stuff:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=136124725163
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Attila-Adorjany/68548213114
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I also took some time out to see how it goes for writer Len Wallace who is promoting his first published work, LOVE BUZZ. Below is a short interview with Len.

Mary E Brickthrower [MEB]: First Len, a little role play-- you're standing at the convention table, shiny new copies of LOVE BUZZ stacked neatly in front of you. The clock turns, the doors open. Your very first customer walks by the table-- you have 40 words or less, three sentences and even less seconds to hook them-- what is LOVE BUZZ all about?

Len N Wallace [LNW]: Normally, I hate having to summarize this particular book in such a short amount of space. The story summary in our pitch itself was something like three pages, which from what I'm told, is heresy for publishers to look at anything over one page. How we actually got this far sometimes strikes me as amazing, but I guess it also speaks volumes to how much Oni digs the book, so apparently I've done something right... And with that, I think I've blown my 40 word wad and maybe then some, so I'm just gonna call for a Mulligan and start over.

Love Buzz is a story about Norm and Maggie, a pair of kids who meet up towards the end of high school, date for a while, break up, then end up getting back together... Several times over through the rest of high school and beyond.

Oni has a great little write-up on their website (http://onipress.com/display.php?type=bk&id=378) that does my overblown wordiness a little bit better justice.

MEB: Great, I'll take two! Seriously Len, you've been working on this project for quite a long while... without recounting your entire tale, blog by blog, can you tell me a little about trials and tribulations you endured to get LOVE BUZZ into print?

LNW: Love Buzz has been an overall epic test of patience on the parts of everyone involved. We've been picked up, then dropped by three different publishers, either by circumstances beyond any specific parties control, or getting contracts we weren't too keen on. It's been a damn crazy ride, to say the least, but having it this close to done is absolutely worth every single time we've had to fight and scrape, and claw our way up. That and Oni's treating us pretty damn good.

MEB: Amazing. Tell me what it's like to work on such a long term collaboration with Michelle Silva and... I see that originally LOVE BUZZ had a different artist?

LNN: Michelle has been nothing short of the most kick-ass collaborator I could have hoped for on a first project. I really, sincerely believe that she's going to blow up so huge when all is said and done with this book. She's been drawing her own comics for a long time before she and I got involved with each other on Love Buzz. Her webcomic, Once Upon A Time (http://onceuponatime.comicgenesis.com/) was how I first found and fell in love with her work, and after my original artist had to quit for personal reasons, I immediately started barraging Michelle with emails until she finally broke down and said yes. Ever since, it's been a pretty great ride. Every day I recieve a new batch of pages from Michelle is always a huge treat. Her work is amazing and I'm so glad I decided against drawing the book myself. That would have been an absolute fucking disaster!

I'd also like to take a little time to show some appreciation for one of Love Buzz's great background players, Dave Tuney, who provides around 30 pages of art throughout the book, including a couple great jam pages with Michelle. When I got Dave onboard, I had a pretty specific idea of what his role would be. Since I made Norm an aspiring comic artist, I wanted to have him draw a few sequences of his own throughout the book, so instead of asking Michelle to invent a second style for Norm's comics to be drawn in, I went with Dave, whose style is very different from Michelle's, while still being complementary to her work at the same time. Here's one particular Dave page I'm currently in love with...

MEB: Oh man. That's intense. Now that LOVE BUZZ is finally coming to fruition, what can offer in terms of advice to people starting out in comics who are looking to break in?

LNW: As much as breaking down the barrier into this industry takes skill and talent, it also takes a lot of patience and tenacity and an ungodly level of stubbornness. With this game, you're going to have set backs. You're going to have instances that will slap the living shit out of you, and you can either give in and quit, or you can take the sucky situation, take a little time off to recover, and then get up and learn from it. The point is to just be too stubborn to say 'die'.

MEB: Cool, cool; so what's next for Len N. Wallace?

LNW: Without going into specific spoilers, here's a list of subject matters that my next five projects have one thing or another to do with. (Excluding the romance anthology which I'm starting back to work on editing, once Love Buzz is finally finished.) Transgenderism, detectives, the American Old West, the porn industry, talking brain tumors, and possibly one of the most spectacular death scenes in all of fiction.

MEB: Finally my friend, please give the who what where on how can my kittlings can get their claws on LOVE BUZZ?

LNW: Although I believe the pre-order deadline for comic shops was today, since it's a graphic novel, it should be relatively easy to order again, if you can't find it after it ends up coming out. The book's Diamond order code is MAR094378 and the cut-off date for pre-orders is April 7th, so reserve your copy today. ISBN number is 978-1-934964-21-7. Other than that, it's also available for pre-order on Amazon, but I think they'll be shipping their copies about a month after the book's already hit stores.

HERE'S WHERE YOU CAN FIND LEN ON THE WBZ!!1
http://twitter.com/lennwallace
Http://wallaceswastedspace.blogspot.com

AND HERE ARE LINKS TO ART...
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhWN6eRIyQbMU_N47qDeJSJ3nCwZs8qPaK3XRZid2OYZOWb2aeHF7aWdnfh7ren3FhsVXS2KsBLoJxcCEEVluw5pmIWijD8Hze3qvpeLF0ir-38pIUT6EU4FQDdfsZeEPErxfgwCnxJSu7/s1600-h/LBpg110tone.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v408/LNWallace/Love%20Buzz/mailgooglecom.gif
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v408/LNWallace/Journal/ohnoes.jpg
http://onipress.com/images/books/onibk_378.jpg
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~Till Next Time Kittlings.

Bye Bye BSG || Flight of the Conchords Finale

For many the love affair with Sci-Fi’s (arguably) best drama BATTLESTAR GALACTICA has spanned years. For me, it’s been all of 3 months. My man was persistent prior to last December that I would enjoy the series but the netflix rental of the 1st disc of the 1st series sat untouched for a couple weeks before we finally threw it in the Xbox and pressed play. I can’t give the exact moment that I fell head over heels in love with the show but I remember marathon watching the 1st disc which contained the full original mini-series. And voraciously wanting more.

We ended up buying the entire 1st season and borrowing the others from a friend. I was watching upwards of 4 episodes per day. I was certain that Lieutenant Gaeda was a cylon. We affectionately nicknamed the XO “Colonel Tigh One On” due to his drinking habits. I both loved and loathed Gaius Baltar and mocked Lee “Apollo” Adama when he packed on the pounds. Even though my relationship with BSG was shorter than most people I do feel that it was more intense at times. I went through a major crash course in anticipation of watching the final episodes in “real time.” I was only 1 week behind when I finally caught up.

The series was great because while the story was science fiction in nature, the drama was the real driving force in the show. Character relations were key; the underlying aspect of “is he a cylon” kept the viewer keen on clues and verbal or physical tells. I think this alone produced a more adept fan than your normal show would render. BSG spawned it’s own frakin’ language too which would immediately gain acceptance in fellow BSG company…so say we all! I don’t think I could personally side with the humanoids or the cylons because they were both fallible. When the final cylon was revealed I was let-down mostly because it was my least favorite character (and I wanted it to be Gaeda!!) but also because it was the beginning of the end of a well-written, well executed, exciting and interesting series. And it was consistently so.

But when the end arrived and all truths were revealed the feeling of being let-down did not subside. I was not blown away nor happy with the resolution of the remaining characters…I even felt anger about certain things. I have some MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD if you haven’t seen the end. But if you haven’t seen it yet, either you’re not a fan or a very lazy one!

++ Starbuck’s end was a major disappointment. The idea of nothing being explained does leave an awful lot to interpretation but it also screams “cop-out” to me. In some cases, especially when the character herself is questioning her existence, then a resolution is preferable. A disappearance almost literally in front of Apollo’s eyes just confused me – was she ever really real? I’ve heard talk of Starbuck’s father being a secret cylon – but where does this idea come from?

++ Colonel Tigh and Admiral Adama never say goodbye to each other. Their dynamic in the show was one of the most captivating and for that reason they deserved to have a final farewell.

++ I did enjoy the idea that cylon/humanoids are the fathers and mothers of the present earth inhabitants. “The Chief” Gaelin is hinted at heading towards Ireland (A true “Man of Gael” huh?) gives an extra treat to the audience.

++Great dramas do not always end joyfully, they often they end in tragedy with a multitude of death. I'm thinking of things like Romeo and Juliet or MacBeth here kittlings, I'm thinking of tales that resonate for ages on end. The BSG series ending crashes smack dab in the center of pandering to the audience; backpedaling from drama into a form of escapism that happily "tighs" up the plot lines at what felt like a breakneck pace. It lacks all the punch and promise of that very brilliant opening mini-series where the very existence of the humanity was counted down every episode and every death brought us one step closer to these characters and ourselves. Instead of making one final stand for human and cylon kind, we are told to believe that this small, closely woven space family just disbands-- walking to the far corners of our globe... and even evaporates into thin air? I may be be just a writing machine, but I choose to believe that our BSG heroes didn't abandon the fight, but clearly their creators did.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA began as a cheesy sci-fi series in the late 70’s that inexplicably used inferior technology and had an abundance of clunky metal robots. The new BSG transformed the idea of inferior technology into a positive (robots can’t control analog!) and disguised the enemy as ourselves. Add in a perfect cast and you have possibly the best series to hit TV in the last 10 years. And it was on the Sci-Fi channel of all places! Good on ya Sci-Fi and BSG…and fare thee well!
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It should be noted another series came to an end this past weekend with HBO’s folk comedy FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS. A slightly shorter season than the prior, this time around it was a slow burn into brilliance. A similar ending takes Bret, Jemaine and manager Murray back to their home country of New Zealand. While I felt the songs took a back seat this season I seemed to enjoy each episode more than the last. For FotC withdrawal, I highly recommend the BBC RADIO SERIES that aired before the HBO series but is basically the same plot line with a few differences in names, characters and situations. A great addition to any Ipod!

Ze Wretched Return || Mary Watches the Watchmen || BSG Anticipation!

Welcome back Kittlings – it’s glad to have you join me as I re-embark on my written journey through pop culture that I like to call NO REST FOR THE WRETCHED…

And oh…the places I’ve seen!

1st off, the anthology that I have been putting all my free time and effort into has finally come to fruition. SECRET PROJECT is now in the submission stage after making its debut at the NEW YORK COMIC CON this past February. A 72 page black and white anthology, SECRET PROJECT features work from fresh talent and established creators alike. With comics crafted by Jeffery C. Burandt, Ronald Salas, Thommy Melanson, Pat Loika, Will Swyer, Ziggy Blumenthal, Neil Vokes, Donal Delay, Sam Little, ZeeS, M. Sean McManus, Brian Quinn, Mary E. Brickthrower, Jeff Brown, Rob Reilly, Michael Woods, David Miller, and Tommie Kelly; SECRET PROJECT provides a vision of comics future stars. Art lovers will go gaga for the pin-ups by Dave Johnson, Taki Soma, John Broglia, Ernie Stiner and Tim Daniel while the cover by Michael Avon Oeming will blow them away. If you or someone you know might be interested in assisting us in the publishing process, please contact me!

Secondly, the east coast said goodbye to the wonderful couple of Taki Soma and Mike Oeming. As they were fellow residents of my quant New Jersey town it was especially hard to say farewell to such awesome neighbors. But the west coast seems to be taking good care of them as they’ve recently tied the knot AND saw their new project RAPTURE get some much-deserved attention. You can check it out for yourself here =====> MySpace Dark Horse Presents: Rapture!

Spring has sprung and so has the urge to bathe the interwebz with my keen observations on the stuff in pop culture that a geek like me digs! So let’s get started shall we?

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THE WATCHMEN – of course I have to mention this. After all it’s only THE MOST IMPORTANT COMIC OF ALL TIME EVER!!!! That’s what mainstream media wants you to believe and in some aspects that’s surely true. It helped to define “Superhero” and “Graphic Novel” for a lot of people in addition to just being a great story. This film has been much anticipated. I inadvertently avoided the 1st weekend crowds thanks to my best friend Loretta who visited Filthadelphia from Tampa opening weekend. Mr. McManus and I got Imax tickets for the following weekend and I was a bit surprised at how thinned the crowd was, although we did catch a matinee. I have to believe that the majority of people that check out my column already know the story of THE WATCHMEN like the back of their hand; I actually attempted to re-read the book the day we saw the movie but only made it about half-way through with an hour to spare and ended up skipping over the rest. Here’s a really quick synopsis: It’s 1985, superheroes are outlawed except those sanctioned by the government to virtually police the world. The Cold War is still imminent however and amidst this international terror is a “costume killer” who is slowly picking off the most famous super-people. Will nuclear disaster become a reality? Will the killer be caught? Find out all this and more in Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons groundbreaking graphic novel turned to Zack Snyder’s blockbuster film!!!

What I liked: Rohrshach – I’m pretty amazed with this one as he never really appealed to me in the book. I felt his character really come to life and flesh out in the movie. Former child star Haley is simply amazing in his role. The colors are also eerily accurate to the bright brights and dark darks of the GN. Sometimes the music choices were obnoxious but Tears for Fears “Everybody wants to Rule the World” (in muzak!) and Jimi Hendrix’ “All Along the Watchtower” (despite it’s heavy use in Battlestar Galactica) were classic tunes that worked amazingly well. Dr. Manhattan, my favorite GN character, remained so in the film. He looked as impressive as you can only imagine a blue glowing naked super-hero to look in real life. Billy Crudup voiced the character in such a way as to both soothe and frustrate depending on the scene. And while my fanboy brethren may have taken offense to the change of what I like to call the “Main Ending” in the movie, I happened to really enjoy it. It is reminiscent of another recent comic book related film that was actually so darn good it earned an Oscar for one actor’s particular performance. I speak to thee of THE DARK KNIGHT, where in the end the hero must take the fall for the greater good. I felt this ending applied well to THE WATCHMEN, elevated it to a more mature story.

What I didn’t like: I felt it was a little long but that was going to happen no matter what (Snyder was trying to please the fanboy brethren as much as he could; I did find that his ability to take out unneeded scenes was pretty spot-on). Speaking of Snyder, his sped-up, slowed-down MUCH USED technique for capturing action is so OVER! I’m seriously done with it. I was bored with it within the first 20 minutes of 300, having to endure yet another film with his “signature” action capture is torture at this point. Ozymandias’ very fake hair was distracting to the nth degree. For a movie that had countless money to spend on special effects I feel they could’ve done better in hairpieces for the dramatic actors. You can see I’m kinda grasping at straws. The truth is I liked most of this movie but the only other thing I can negatively comment on is the size of Dr. Manhattan’s junk! I’m totally serious! It was not accurate to the graphic novel and way more distracting than any wig! I know they had to show him naked, that’s not my issue. That junk was borderline porn star…just sayin’.

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While next week I plan to regale all of you with my BATTLESTAR GALACTICA tales of the series, the end, and what it all means in the grand scheme of things I must remind you all that the series finale is coming on this Friday at 9pm – a 2 hour special to end this epic sci-fi drama. What’s your opinion? Can this season still shock and satisfy with only a measly 2 hours left? I feel that I really want my socks knocked off and I am weary that this will happen. But I hold fast that my little faith will be wrong and next week I will be waxing poetic on the BEST SCI-FI (Dramatic?) SERIES EVER!+++++++++++++++++++
~Till Next Time Kittlings.

The WRETCHED Hiatus

Hello Kittlings ~

I am in the midst of putting together an awesome new comic book anthology entitled SECRET PROJECT, scheduled to drop sometime next year.

This editing job is taking up all my free time, so until I can commit fully to NO REST FOR THE WRETCHED, I will be on extended hiatus.

Keep reading HiddenRobot.com and stay tuned as I plan to make a triumphant return in March of 2009!
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~Till Next Time Kittlings!