Jay Dune Presents Holiday Horror Movies To Watch This Christmas - Kindle eBook

Holiday Horror Movies by Jay Dune

My friend Jay Dune published some stuff from his old Kung Fu Corner blog, and yesterday I was informed that he finally published his collection of recommendations for Holiday Horror Movies!

Now, you may know that I covered a lot of holiday horror a few years back, but this is all new. I also wrote a little forward to it. It's 99 cents, and it's kind of cool to be a part of the think tank for these things. Anyways, if you have 99 cents, check out this Kindle book, it's kind of cool. 

Shadow of A Doubt Review

"Shadow of A Doubt" (1943) Blu Ray 

Turn back the clock to 1943, and you will have a different view of Hollywood. Movies didn’t always rely on explosions and cheap tricks to get you entertained. They featured strong performances from actors, great lighting, camera tricks, and professional writers that knew what they were doing. Of course this is a classic in many people’s views, and it was nominated for an Academy Award because of it. "Shadow of A Doubt" is a movie that was directed by the master of suspense and horror, Alfred Hitchcock. It stars Teresa Wright, Joseph Cotton, Macdonald Carey, and Patricia Collinge.

The plot of this one is simple, Charlotte Newton is stuck in a boring town, and gets the news that her uncle is going to come to town. Set in Santa, Rosa California, this seems like a simplistic plot. A young woman is getting a visit from her uncle and that’s it, right? Nope. Her Uncle is hiding something, but what? It turns out that he is a slasher, and she worries that she may be his next victim. Over the course of the 108 minutes of this movie, she unravels a case against him, and eventually confronts him.

The movie here is going to be boring to many. Remember, this is 1943 in which the film was released and you are not going to get the modern fast paced story telling. There’s a lot of dialogue and push forward to give a sense of suspense. Even though there are some marks of horror, you’re going to find that this is a straightforward thriller, with a slow progression that tightens towards the climax. The final moments carry over into an epilogue that has a sense of finality, but overall, you find a standard suspense film. Is Uncle Charlie a killer? Is Charlotte just worried for nothing? You find it through the sequences that Hitchcock masterfully puts together.

Visually this movie is good, with cinematographer Joseph A. Valentine doing a great deal of work to make this story come to life. I find it refreshing to see Charlotte as a strong female lead, and not just running around screaming for her life as a killer is on the loose. She has resolve, and is a feminist heroine that most people skip over when thinking about horror and suspense.

Overall, this is an instant classic. You have to be in the right frame of mind to enjoy it, however. It’s in black and white, it’s somewhat slow to start, and definitely requires your full attention to get the work that Hitchcock pushes through. You may not like it. However, if you’re a fan of the classics, this is a great one to sit back and enjoy. They remade this one as “Step Down To Terror” in 1958, but this one is better, in my opinion.

Pick up “Shadow of a Doubt” on Blu Ray if you know what’s good for you. Otherwise, stay in the dark and never learn just how good Hitchcock was as a director.

5 Compelling Reasons We Need A New Twilight Zone Series

Is It Time To Revive The Twilight Zone? (click here)

There’s something great about the moment you hear Rod Serling speak before an episode of his iconic series, “The Twilight Zone”. When you hear his pragmatic, stoic voice, you know that you’re going to enter a world where the rules of this world start to bend and become out of focus. In modern television, there’s not a lot of showcase of the type of science and fiction that came through the iconic series. Even though several different decades featured updated programs with the same name, it’s time to reenter the world Serling and others created. There are 5 reasons why you may agree with this notion, and they may surprise some readers.

There’s A Lot of Great Ideas Out There

Even though some will say that there’s nothing really new under the sun, there are some tremendous ideas floating around. Every day someone tells a story to their children, to their coworkers, or just write things down in a journal. These stories become compelling devices that could very well become great television. Yet they live and die in conversation, in writing, and they never see the light of day. These could be ground breaking, if only someone would give them a chance.

Science Fiction Writing Is Still Thriving

Look at any bookstore today, and you’ll find that there are a lot of science fiction novelists churning out work left and right. They are doing so with the notion that they are one day going to get a shot at the television or movie world. Some fade into obscurity. Others get their work published again and again, and some get adapted to movie and television, albeit in watered down frameworks. The point is, there is a lot of thriving fiction out there, and you can easily twist it to fit the format of anthology television.

Neil Gaiman Could Probably Write Up Some Great Stuff

Have you read anything from Neil Gaiman? He has the notion of fantasy on lock, and you could possibly get him to create a grand display of iconic science fiction. He’s prolific, creative, and quite the charming dude. Ok, perhaps this is a bit reaching, but Gaiman is no stranger to this genre, and could very well put together something on par with Rod Serling’s creative talents.

There Is No Great Anthology Science Fiction Series

Right now, television has a lot of programs that feature anthology story telling. However, none of them have the moniker that “The Twilight Zone” had. Just by that admission alone, there should be something that moves along in this framework. There are more networks than ever before, so it’s not too far out of the reach of many to produce and distribute a show of this type. With a hole in the market, why not fill it with something compelling?

It’s About Time To Go Back Into The Twilight Zone

If the reasons above seem too out of left field, then at least consider that we are about due. There’s been revivals of horror and science fiction before, but in modernity, we have far more financial resources and creative cinematography. It’s just time to go back into a world that is beyond sight, and sound. One that is of mind. It’s due, a new production would be grand.

For those that are nostalgic about all things "The Twilight Zone", make sure that you get the FULL Blu Ray Collection, which collects extra features, interviews, and every episode of the series in full Blu Ray format. You can do so by clicking here. 

Archives From Kung Fu Corner Now Available For 99 Cents On Kindle

For those of you that know me, you may already know that I’m a huge fan of kung fu movies and writing. I helped a friend edit a release for Kindle, it’s from the blogs Kung Fu Corner and other areas that he was publishing. Well, here they are for you to pick up for 99 cents. A portion of these sales will go to help with Scary Film Review, so that I can start a podcast. If you like Kung Fu movies, or just want to help, you can do so for 99 cents for by picking these up.

21 Kung Fu Movies To See Before You Die 0.99 on Kindle

Kung Fu Corner Archives 0.99 on Kindle

The Lazarus Effect Review

The Lazarus Effect is Available Here

Well, what a slick movie we have here. “The Lazarus Effect” came and went fast, but I didn’t see it on the silver screen. I missed it, like I usually do. However, I was able to catch this one recently on Blu Ray, and was actually impressed with some of the elements of this movie. However, like many other science fiction, horror flicks, it really starts to fall apart about midway through the movie, and of course, the ending, oh boy the ending.

I was expecting Donald Glover’s character to die fast, within the first 10 minutes. If you had bets on this, nope, it didn’t happen as fast as you’d think. The movie was a matter of animating death. When a group of scientists find a serum to bring back animals to life, they think that they are going to make billions. What happens next is what usually occurs with corporations. As soon as someone has a break through, they come in and shut things down. The scientists go rogue, and try to do another experiment to ensure the future of the serum, only one of them die. That’s when they go from reanimating animals, to going for humans, fast, and easily.

But the undead, well, are undead!

“The Lazarus Effect” is a fast paced, easy to watch horror flick. It is not full of gore, but it has some good overall cinematography. There is a darkness cast on the whole thing, but the explanation of life, death, heaven, and hell are laughable. If you turn off your brain a bit, you will at least be entertained by how the movie progresses, with some above average acting.

What really struck me here was the language of the science in this movie. The science of things are fast paced, and the classic tropes of science fiction were found here. From the comedic effect, timing of stupid decisions, to the embracing of unethical momentum for the purpose of the greater good, there are some great elements overall. This was ok. It wasn’t great, but it had some good moments. As far as a modern horror movie, this presses heavily on the “be careful what you wish for” type of navigation.

“The Lazarus Effect” is predictable. But it is not boring. On Blu Ray, the sound design is good, there’s a creep factor going through, and the visuals are great. Check this movie out for a slick popcorn horror movie. Not half bad, if you ask me.

Exterminators of The Year 3000 Review

Exterminators of the Year 3,000 VHS

This is an interesting science fiction trope, but man was it tough to get through. It took me a few attempts to finally see the whole thing, and it’s not easy to watch. This is a foreign film that was originally done in Italian and Spanish. You can tell the dubbing is terrible from the VHS that I got my grubby hands on. The dubbing was beyond terrible, but hey, all for the love of horror and science fiction right? “Exterminators of the Year 3,000” may very well be one of the worst, best, and yet terrible movies that I’ve had to power through in a long time. It’s rough, I’m not going to lie. You probably won’t like it.

The opening sequence was badass. I loved it. It very much has a “Mad Max” feel to it. Some great driving in the desert, and some gnarly crashing, with a lot of practical effects and stunt drivers pulling some turns in the sand. The movie starts with this notion that there is no more water, and that there may or may not be droids driving. I wasn’t sure. As the renegade driver gets out of his car and see son a dead dude, another drives away with his car, leaving him to chase again, and this is the best part of the movie.

From that point we get taken to a movie that is very much like “Mad Max 2”, only now there’s no water on the planet and it’s up to one man to go out and try to save the village. This is where I kept fighting myself to pay attention, but it’s not simple or easy to work with. Everyone is fighting for water, and it very much feels like “Mad Max” with an even lower budget than that movie had. This is an obvious rip-off, but I tried to keep with it and hope that there was going to be more back story, or perhaps less cheese, but nope, things kept going that direction.

This is an abysmal rip off, but I loved how the movie had some cool driving. I’ll give it that. As for the VHS I got my hands on, it’s ok I guess. I’m not a diehard for this movie, so you can easily scope this out if you want to watch it. However, aside from the cars and stunts, this movie is abysmal. It’s by far one of the worst movies I’ve seen in a long time, but the stunts are still cool, so I guess I’ll give them that. From what I read, the writers didn’t have the most fluid grasp of the English language, and well, it shows. If you get to watch this one, maybe you’ll like it, I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it so much that I didn’t finish it, so I guess that counts for something right? “Exterminators of The Year 3,000” is not a high recommendation, unless you absolutely must see the influence that “Mad Max” had on the 1980s movie scene.

Believe it or not, "Exterminators of the Year 3,000" is on Blu Ray. If you buy it here, and you like it, drop me a line and you can guest post a review. Otherwise, this stands as one terrible movie in my book. 

Ex Machina Review

When I first saw the trailers for “Ex Machina” I told my wife that I was in. We agreed to see it, but we were in transition. We moved to Indianapolis, and well, we never got around to catching up with this movie at the time. However, I finally got to sit down and watch this one. I liked the style of the trailer, the colors, the language, the visual design flow that was throughout the trailer and of course the editing, wow. I was sold.

The plot of this one revolves around an interesting premise. A computer programmer wins the trip of a life time, to spend a week with the company’s CEO amidst a secluded area. This is like going to Jurassic Park to meet the owner, but without the dinosaurs, and it’s tremendous how they showcase it. I imagine it’s kind of like going to Skywalker Ranch or something. Anyways, the programmer meets the CEO named Nathan and he’s a cool dude. He has a huge estate, gives Caleb the rundown and he is to perform a test with one of the robots that is on premise. The robot has an AI feature that may be evolving to a point of being self-aware.

The movie progresses in the way that you’d expect “Ex Machina” to go. Is the android self-aware? Who is the mystery woman showing up and cleaning? What is really going on? As the movie progresses Caleb’s testing turns into a sinister point in which he starts to lose his mind, as the robot seems to be aware, and Nathan’s been lying to him. Or has he? The movie turns a screw very well, and you never get bored. You are given ample time to digest the movie, and by the time you realize what’s going on, things break loose.

This is a very good work of science fiction. It has a true emotional connection, and there is a lot to see here. I found myself asking questions that were answered by Nathan and Caleb’s discussions. There’s a lot to this movie. You will have a lot of layers going through the motions, trying to pick up what’s going on and you end up in a positive arena throughout, although this takes you into some deep, dark territories.

There’s a certain scary element to it, something about human nature and the need to create. There’s a point where playing God is discussed. But it’s given to a larger vantage point, and by the time Caleb realizes what he’s doing, Nathan’s already two steps ahead, or so he thinks. It’s a back and forth cerebral movie that doesn’t have bells and whistles that you are expecting. There’s no big explosion here, there’s no padding, no slapstick, as the movie progresses into a more philosophical realm. Whereas “Elysium” had a lot more entertainment, this strips down to just the story elements, the science, and the bigger questions.

It’s thematic, it’s sexy, it is gloriously filmed. There’s a lot to this one. It has the best visual style that I’ve seen in a science fiction release up to this point. With a limited budget, and attention to editing, dialogue, and story, “Ex Machina” easily has my vote for best movie to come out in the last year. It gets my highest recommendation. With a limited cast, and a serious touch here and there, you really get involved with the characters, as it doesn’t pull away from being smart, savvy, and entertaining. The use of color, the set design, the science, and the real world touches make this one a must see on Blu RAY.

I highly recommend “Ex Machina”, and you can pick it up on BLU Ray by clicking here. Do it.

Time Travel In Popular Culture: How Science and Media Collide by Jay Dune Review

Time Travel and Science - Kindle

I’ve read a lot of books on the subject, but nothing has really taken the ideas of time travel and explored them quite like Jay Dune does in this book. “Time Travel in Pop Culture” takes on an interesting world. One that focuses on media and places it within the realms of science. Taking the ideas of fiction and then comparing it analytically to the world as we know it. It also features a few movie reviews in regards to the world of time travel, which makes this an interesting read. It’s not very long, so that’s a plus, but the ideas found within this Kindle release definitely bring about a lot of elements that you may not get with other books. While it’s a good jumping off point, it’s definitely a part of something larger. Perhaps Jay Dune will amend it to get exhaustive in the matter, but for a Kindle release, “Time Travel in Popular Culture” is a good overall read and recommendation. If you like science, time travel and movies, this is a great little gem to read.

You can get this book for Kindle by clicking HERE.

You Better Watch Out For The FANGORIA Santa Box!

Fangoria has announced that they will be putting out a limited edition holiday horror box set. It's only $20, so if you're going to buy something for your significant other, check this mess out. You can search for Fangoria online and find this, I'm not linking them since they aren't paying me. But they sure know how to get my $20, that's for sure.

Season’s Bleedings, FANGORIA Fans! Though Halloween feels as if it was just yesterday, FANGORIA knows that even the naughtiest fright fans have their minds set on how to celebrate their horrifying Holiday Season. Well, don’t fret horror hounds, as we are calling on our eerie elves to put together the FANGORIA Santa Box!

Now available for pre-order, FANGORIA is assembling a wealth of gruesome goodies from around the world of horror, offering a mystery box that is much more than just a sinister stocking stuffer! What could be in your FANGORIA Santa Box? While we wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise in full, you could find magazines, music, exclusive toys, games, collectibles, films and much, much more!

Amityville 3-D Review

The year was 1983 and Amityville as a franchise started on another release. This is the third in the series, and once again the haunted house became a mere parody of the original story, and book. The movie features the classic 3-D treatment, and even though you can’t really get the same effect today, you certainly see where it was meant to be in 3-D. Orion Pictures apparently only put out one of these things. Oh, and the Lutz family sued over the story here, and it was meant not to be a “sequel” or at least it couldn’t be marketed as such. Whatever the case is, this movie came out and it’s part of a larger legacy of the haunted house sect. “Amityville 3-D” is, well, not that grand.

The thing that stood out this time around, was the fact that Lori Loughlin and Meg Ryan are in the movie! They don’t get top billing, but they are in there. Meg Ryan, for whatever reasons reminded me of Amber Lynn, the porno star, and therefore I just kept wanting to see here show up on screen. I know, I’m weird. Other than these little elements where I would think about adult cinema history, this movie really tried my patience. It’s a slow moving romp for the most part. Tony Roberts does very well here, but the surrounding cast seems forced through the acting elements, and it’s just not a good movie.

Now, the death sequences are interesting, and there are some elements of 3-D that still stand out as a result of the production. The larger story, however, and the “gore” that you expect from the series doesn’t really come out. The house does seem to come alive as a writer and skeptic moves in. I liked the story of the debunking magazine, and liked the opening, but overall, the speed of the production really was a troublesome thing. It’s a boring movie at times, and while it does pick up at the end, most viewers most likely gave up on it. I did appreciate the pick up at the end, as things really started to get out of hand, and the “hell house” came alive.

Overall, “Amityville 3-D” is not the best in the franchise. However, there are a few cool camera tricks, and seeing a young Lori Loughlin and Meg Ryan is really cool. Other than that, this is one that you don’t necessarily need to see, unless you’re like me, and have to see everything horror at least once or twice, or in the case of this movie, 5 times.

Pick up “Amityville 3-D” on Blu Ray as part of a larger set, or something else by clicking here.

5 Killer Zombie Movies You Probably Saw But Don’t Remember Much About

I hate zombies.

They give me the creeps.

Ok, that’s not true, I just think that the genre is stale for the most part. While many people will try to argue with me, those people don’t have a blog that has been reviewing horror since 2008, do they? My eyes were burning today, and therefore I decided to call my day early, and this thought crushed my mind, “what are 5 killer zombie movies you would recommend?”, and of course 5 came to mind. Honestly, about 50 came to mind, but I narrowed down the list to just 5 killer zombie movies that you probably saw, but don’t remember, or haven’t seen, or you just want to see because you’re awesome and you want to actually oblige my humble request to buy something via the links provided. Whatever the case is, here are 5 killer zombie movies that you should have seen, should see, or maybe you have forgotten about, as chosen by me, the guy that is still pounding the keyboard like there’s no tomorrow.

Juan of the Dead

This zombie movie came out in 2011, and it’s absolutely a great little gem. It’s a movie that is in Spanish, so it has a soft spot in my mind. The movie is like taking “Shaun of the Dead” and filming it in Cuba. What else can I say? This thing has everything you’d expect from a zombie movie, only done with a Spanish edge. There are a lot of gags here, and some great visual effects. From practical effects to digital elements, there’s a lot to look at here, with some great nods to the classics, and some great elements of new material. The name is funny, the characters are hilarious, and you know? It’s one of those movies that you either saw and loved or you saw and forgot about. It came out in 2011, it’s been a few years, have you seen it? No!? What do you mean no? Maybe it’s on Netflix, I don’t know, I don’t subscribe to the service. Juan of the Dead, it’s a “killer” zombie flick, man.

Cockneys vs. Zombies

This is a personal favorite of mine. It’s another UK zombie film, and has a great amount of humor. Some of the humor is done with “one liners” and some of it is done through physical language. I love the characters, and love how things progress from bad to worse. The old guys in this movie are absolutely wonderful, and make me wish I grow up to be a badass Englishman, instead of a tired old Mexican. It falls through the same tropes that you would expect from a zombie movie, only it has cockney language, and, well, zombies. I don’t know what to say about this one, it’s fun, it’s fast, it’s a grand standing UK gem if you ask me, which you didn’t.

Night Life

This movie came out in 1989 and it was most likely panned. If you didn’t catch this one out, then I’m going to question whether or not you love horror movies or not. This is a horror movie that features a great deal of comedy, and some nice visual effects overall. This movie features a bullied teen, a zombie uprising, a pretty girl, and a fast paced plot. It’s equal parts undead, equal parts sex comedy, equal parts horror movie. Scott Grimes puts on a classic with this one. I don’t see it mentioned much, so here you go, a shot at watching a classic from the close of the 1980s.

Zombie

Ah, the 70s. The 1970s brought on a lot of great movies, and this is one to not miss. Lucio Fulci put on a showcase of all things schlock, gore, and fun with Zombie. This is a part of a series that doesn’t always translate so well. If you’re into Italian horror, then you are going to love the gore here, which has a lot of cool elements. You even get a killer moment where a zombie takes on a shark! The undead here are funny at times, the practical effects are great, and you know what? The Italians can really put on a good horror showcase. Zombie is a great little movie to track down.

Dawn of The Dead (2004)

This remake was absolutely hardcore. It’s bleak, very bleak. It took on a whole new meaning when Zack Snyder took a classic and reworked it. It has gore, it has taboos, and it holds up surprisingly well. This is a fast, gut wrenching movie with a lot of action. It’s speedy, and it doesn’t pull any punches. Just when you think you got this thing all sewn up, you realize that no one is going to get out alive. It’s a sickening, twisted, and dare I say humorous romp. There are some points of contention, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a killer zombie flick that you should go back and watch again. Released in 2004, it has a tremendous amount of gore, and visual design elements to keep you grounded in all things zombie.

There you have it, a collection of 5 zombie movies that you probably saw, forgot about, or just don’t want to revisit. I did. I love them. I love horror, and I’m just going to get back to my queue of movies that I have to watch, because I’m an idiot still writing a blog that no one reads. Woot?!