Review: Pool Party Massacre

Review: Easter Sunday

Blu-ray Review: Poltergeist III

In my interview with David Furtney, I mention the rule of three.  The rule can also pertain to most third films in a franchise.  Sometimes it goes really good.  Dream Warriors will always be the shining example of this.  Sometimes it can go really bad.  Godfather Part III anyone?  And sometimes, you get a third in a franchise where the filmmakers and even the fans aren't sure what to think exactly.  Those films rarely get their proper due.  Poltergeist III is one of those films.  And now, like many others before it, Scream Factory is releasing it on a gorgeous collector's edition Blu-ray.

Review: American Poltergeist

Interview with PoltergeistIII.com's David Furtney!

There is something about the number three.  Three strikes and you're out, third time's the charm, etc.  Also, the warning that "death comes in threes".  This expression couldn't ring more true than for the Poltergeist film franchise.  From the tragic murder of Dominique Dunne shortly after the release of the first film, Julian Beck's haunting final performance as Reverend Kane in Poltergeist II and the heartbreaking (and even sadder, unnecessary) death of Heather O'Rourke that overshadowed the third and final film.  An air of mystery has always hung grimly over this franchise.  For years, David Furtney has attempted to shed some light on the darkness that has blanketed what happened behind the scenes of P3, both during production and how Miss O'Rourke's death was handled during post-production.  Through years of research, phone calls and e-mails, Furtney has gathered a wealth of knowledge regarding these movies, rivaling that of people directly involved with the making of them.  He used this information to create what can only be called THE quintessential website for fans and noobs alike, poltergeistiii.com.

An Open, Unapologetic Love Letter to "Scream"

"Movies don't create psychos.  Movies make psychos more creative."
--Billy Loomis

On December 20, 1996, Dimension Films released Scream.  Written by a then unknown Kevin Williamson and directed by genre master Wes Craven, this little horror film that could broke box office records and continues to be widely considered as one of the all-time greatest horror movies.  But most of you reading this already know that.  If you didn’t, stop reading this now and go watch Still Screaming.  I’m not here to talk about the behind the scenes or offer trivia that you might not have otherwise known.  You can find that anywhere.  What I want to do here is get naked.  Not really naked. But transparent.  I want to tell you what this franchise, but more particularly, the first film, has meant to me on a personal level.

Game Review - The Barn: The Game

Ah, the 90s.  A simpiler time when horror movies were as rampant and accessible to children as pornography would become twenty years later.

Short Film Review: Judith

Wes Craven 1939-2015

Another Walk Down Elm Street?

It has been leaked by a very reliable source that Warner Bros. is planning on bringing Freddy Kreuger back to the big screen.  I have to say that this news excites me.  Nightmare on Elm Street is my favorite slasher franchise and I would love to see what someone else could do with the bastard son of a hundred maniacs.  Interestingly enough, Platinum Dunes is NOT part of the as-yet unnamed production team.  So with some new blood in the water, here are my suggestions for what they should (and shouldn't) do:

Calm Down Fanboys (and Girls)

As most of you know, San Diego Comic-Con was last week and, while there isn't much horror news coming out of there (besides The Walking Dead), there was some huge sci-fi/comic book information being tossed around.  While I rarely write about things outside of the horror/slasher genre, I have some things I need to get off of my chest regarding the latest out pour of love/hate that has been all over the internet in the last year for my second favorite genre.  

Let me give you a little back story on what this article is really about....

Welcome to the newest segment here at 2HT.  A little something I call One From the Vaults.  Here, you'll find reviews of older horror films and unsung classics, most from my personal collection.  Being that Father's Day is this month, I wanted to review something that was within the realm of Dad related horror.  My first instinct was to review Creepshow, if only for the opening story and the wraparound segment starring the great Tom Atkins.  But as I was glancing at my collection of VHS tapes, I found an old favorite that I almost always forget sits on my shelf.....

Michael Myers is Coming Home!

I try to stay away from too much horror movie "News" on this page.  Mostly because I know that the rumor mill can turn out stories that sound like gospel, then get debunked, causing the writer to retract.  But the combination of what the news regards and the legitimacy of the sources has gotten me too excited NOT to say anything.  

Michael Myers is returning to Haddonfield.  More importantly, it will go back to John Carpenter's continuity that ended with 1981's Halloween II.  The plot description is after the jump.

Review: Blood Slaughter Massacre

There are many different sub-genres under the horror umbrella.  None of them are more beloved to me than the slasher.  While the set 'em up and watch 'em fall mentality is still being done today, they peaked in the late 1980s.  I will give any slasher a chance, just begging to have a new icon to hold on to.

How "The Babadook" Made Me a Better Parent

If any of you have read the "About Me" section of this page, you know I have two children.  As of the date of this publication, my daughter just turned one and my son is nearly four.  While I never really write about my family aside from the aforementioned "About Me", I couldn't find a way to discuss my next review without bringing up my life as a father.  

Review: Final Entries

Being a writer makes for some unusual opportunities.  Over the course of my career, I have written for a few websites and reviewed a lot of movies.  One movie I was asked to watch has, to my knowledge, never seen the light of day after my less than flattering review.  True story.

Scooby-Doo Meets KISS!

I have been a KISS fan since I was 15 years old.  My love for the band has only grown over the years.  Many fair weather fans come and go.  Many die hard fans complain about the "commercialism" and how it should be "about the music".  While yes, it should be about the music, KISS did not become the Hottest Band in the World (there words, not mine), by just making records.  They made (and still make) everything.  Toys, comic books and video games all the way down to condoms and caskets.  They'll get you coming and going!  *sorry Mom*  I saw them in concert a few years back and it was literally the best show I have ever seen.

Anyway, they are at it again, pairing up with the Mystery Inc team for a new direct to video release.  Why am I posting a trailer for an animated movie on a horror site?  Because I have always felt that Scooby and the gang have been dipping their toe into suspense/horror for the last 40 years (which is how long KISS has been around, FYI).  But also, my inner child just had to jump up and down on a public forum for a moment.  The trailer is below.

Review: The Perfect House

My wife and I are renters.  We have a decent sized four bedroom, two bath that is off the beaten path.  Sorry for the rhyme.  We have looked into home ownership, but could never really find exactly what we wanted at the time.  Without showing my hand too much, I have to say after watching this film, I might renew my lease.

Review: Hi-8 (Horror Independent 8)

The shot on video (SOV) format has been a tried and true staple of the horror community ever since the days of “Boardinghouse“. From time to time, a movie comes around that claims to be a “throwback” or an “homage” to these days of horror old. None more so than HI-8.

Short Story: Come Alone

Jade called me from a phone number I didn’t recognize. “Come to Arcadia,” she said. “Come alone”. Arcadia is the side of town that burned out years ago. No one wants to go to Arcadia. Not even bums.