Doctor’s Rounds 05 brings news on infinite zombie hordes, the poster for Raimi's latest and the return of the scariest clown ever to grace the screen. Read on and post your thoughts on the forums!

L4D DLC: Left 4 Dead is one of the best things ever. Not just one of the best games. Not simply one of the best multi-player experiences. But one of the best things, full stop. It is to horror fans what Halo is to, well… everyone else. And now we know when we can expect more. In a recent blog entry, the Xbox Live Community Team posted the release date of the highly anticipated DLC along with that of other games, such as Gears of War 2 and Halo 3. If this is to be believed, we could be defending lighthouses against unlimited hordes of peckish undead as soon as April 21st! All together now… “Ammo here”!!

DRAG ME TO HELL Poster: ShockTillYouDrop.com has secured the exclusive first look at the one-sheet poster for Sam Raimi’s return to horror, DRAG ME TO HELL. Early screenings of the film have received outstanding reviews, with the inevitable comparisons to EVIL DEAD actually being positive! That being said, I’m not getting that vibe from the poster – it just looks too… ‘clean’. And is it me, or does Alison Lohman look as if she’s actually enjoying things a bit too much here?

IT’s Back: I have no shame in admitting that the 1990 ABC mini-series IT scared the living crap out of me when I was younger. I can’t count how many pre-teen nightmares I had featuring Pennywise the clown and his offer of a free balloon. Well it seems as though a whole new generation is about to have the same experience. Warner Bros. have hired screenwriter Dave Kajganich (THE INVASION) to adapt Stephen King's novel for the multiplexes. This could be good, but if Kajganich can do something about that ridiculous ‘giant spider’ ending, it could be very cool indeed!

Horrorhound is over already?

Wow! Horrorhound flew by and I didn't have the chance to do as many updates as I intended to. There was just so much going on that I had very little time to hop on the computer... However, I'll be updating the site throughout the week.

I'm a slacker

Horrorhound 2009 Indianapolis Day 1

Hey Everybody! It's Mike coming to you straight from the Horrorhound Weekend 2009 in Indianapolis Indiana.

I've only had a chance to check out the festivities for a couple of hours, but it has already been awesome! I've talked to Doug Bradley, Bill Moseley, Derek Mears, and more! I intend to put up a crapload of pics throughout the weekend, but for this first post about HHW, I'll just share this treat:

Listen if you Dare!

Episode 28: Inbred Redneck Horror

In Episode 28 we discuss some films with the topic of Inbred Redneck Horror. It's been a little while since our last episode and boy do we make up for some lost time.

The movies we discuss are Deliverance (1972), Wrong Turn (2003), and House of 1000 Corpses (2003). Three movies that may not have the deepest of interwoven stories for a plot, but deliver on the terrifying imagery and an atmosphere of isolation and hopelessness.

We want to congratulate McPierce again with his win in the "Imitate Sam" contest... His awesome prize package has been sent!

Download episode Directly

Contact the Cadaver Lab:
Voicemail: 206-339-2730
Email: Feedback@cadaverlab.com

Music for this Episode
Rocket from the Crypt - On a Rope
The Deadlights - Sweet Oblivion
Killing Joke - Millennium

Deliverance

Wrong Turn




House of 1000 Corpses

The Imitate Sam Contest is all over!

Congratulations are in order for McPierce! He won a tight vote in the "Imitate Sam" contest.

Here is his entry: http://cadaverlab.com/resources/samentries/Mcpierce.mp3

McPierce, shoot your mailing address to mike@cadaverlab.com to claim your super-awesome prize package!

Last Day to Vote!

It is the last day to vote for the "Imitate Sam" contest. There is a dead heat right now that has to be broken. We will count votes made until midnight MST.

Remember, to vote you need to login to the forums then click on the "Contests" link. You will see a thread dedicated to the Imitate Sam contest.

Doctor's Rounds 04

The fourth edition of “Doctor’s Rounds” arrives a little later than usual. However, this is due to medical reasons. See, I saw REPO! this week and found myself on a natural high due to how frickin’ great it is. Unfortunately, I foolishly followed this with a viewing of Steven Seagal vs. Vampires in AGAINST THE DARK. The effect of extreme depression that movie inflicted, coming so soon after experiencing utter elation, took it’s toll on my mind and body. Alas, I soon recovered and here we are…

Three go 3D…

In last week’s Doctor’s Rounds I referred to the new trend of making/remaking positively everything in 3D, and this week it shows no signs of slowing down!

Never one to miss an opportunity to make a few dollars, Charles Band has leaped upon the bandwagon and announced his intention to remake his 80’s killer-toy flick, PUPPETMASTER, in 3D. No other details have been released and it may be that this idea falls flat pretty swift… I mean, can killer toys still be scary? Really?

Second in line for the 3D treatment is a sequel to the original Thai film, GIN GWAI (THE EYE). Directing duo, the Pang Brothers, are returning to the franchise they created with this new instalment, currently titled THE CHILD’S EYE. Cue spooky Asian ghosts loitering in drab coloured corridors – most likely staring into the middle distance with malicious intent.

Finally, Lionsgate Home Entertainment have announced that the Special Edition DVD and Blue Ray releases of the recent MY BLOODY VALENTINE remake will actually be available in both 2D and 3D! Four pairs of 3D specs will be provided with the movie, released May 19th, meaning that you and your friends can all enjoy the 3D splatter at home… whilst looking just as stoopid as each other.

RIDDICK to Return...

Imagine if Snake Plissken shaved off his beard and cut off his curly locks before flying into space to fight alien pterodactyls. That would be cool. Well it was cool. And it was called PITCH BLACK. The sequel, CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK will be remembered as a critical and box-office failure but it still had some nice ideas.

Well, in a recent interview with gamespot.com, Vin Diesel hinted that work was already underway on a third outing for anti-hero Riddick. Whilst promoting the release of the video game ASSAULT ON DARK ATHENA, produced by Diesel’s own Tigon Studios, he revealed that David Twohy is in-fact putting the finishing touches on a script as we speak.

Even better news is that the story will involve Riddick’s journey to the Underverse, where war and other nasty things are a constant. Other details include the statement that Twohy is aiming for an R-rated release, with leanings towards horror over sci-fi.

Original Films do RECALL Remake…

Columbia Pictures are reported to have agreed a deal with Original Films production company to develop a remake/reboot/reimagining of the 1990 sci-fi action adventure TOTAL RECALL. Paul Verhoeven directed the original, which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger and Michael Ironside. Now those are some big shoes to fill!

Although the original is clearly a stand-out genre favourite, I’m actually not that offended by the notion of a remake. Hell, as long as they keep the chick with three breasts, I’ll be there on opening night!

Episode 28 Preview

Geez... now that we're only recording once every two weeks, I've got some extra time! You would think that I would use the time to prepare better for the show... you would think that...

Anyhow, just thought I'd put a snippet up on the site to preview our upcoming show. We're going to do Inbred Redneck Horror. Hopefully there will be a ton of inappropriate humor. We're going to be going over House of 1000 Corpses, Wrong Turn, and the mother of them all: Deliverance.

There were so many flicks in this category to choose from. Let us know what your favorite Inbred Redneck Horror flicks are!

Robert Best's Review of Sleepaway Camp 2

We figured that we'd move right along in the reviews and bring another one of Robert Best's reviews over for your enjoyment:

I still haven't seen Sleepaway Camp. I know, I know. Shut up. I'll get to it eventually. But I know the basic plot and the the twist at the end. If you don't, I'll just leave it at that.

So one day, while home from work, I decided to test the Netflix streaming service with Sleepaway Camp II. Because it was there. I was expecting a run-of-the-mill slasher movie, nothing too exceptional.

And what a surprise. I was not expecting this movie to be as enjoyable as it was. Nor for it to be as (intentionally) funny as it was.

There's no attempt to hide who the killer is, either. We know from the first scene. So there's lots of campy dark humor to be had as the killer walks among the pool of potential victims and they have no idea.

As you might guess from the title, this was the 4,000th slasher movie to be set at a summer camp. And the killer is one of the camp counselors, a young woman who takes summer camp really seriously. So seriously she kills campers she finds morally deficient. And this being an slasher film, most of the campers are morally deficient.

So, lots of kills to be had. And it's gross. Like a body stuffed down an outhouse. And it's funny. Like a scene where the killer is moving calmly around the room, looking for an appropriate weapon while the victim chatters obliviously away.

Fun, and definitely worth a rental.

Robert Best's Review of Sleepaway Camp

Geez... It's been too long since I've had enough time to add some posts to this site... Thanks to Robert Best for helping us out!

So, I finally saw Sleepaway Camp. And you know what? I liked it.

I can't say much, because this movie is all about the twist and the final scene. But, it's quite a twist and quite a final scene.

And here's the thing. I knew the twist going into this movie. I knew what was coming all along, and I still enjoyed it. So that would indicate that it's reasonably well made.

So, what plot can I give away? It's a slasher movie set at - are you ready? - a summer camp. There are kids and counselors. And a pedophile cook. There's also a shy girl everyone picks on, and her cousin who's always defending her. And there's a killer who's - well, you know, killing. The creepy old man who runs the camp tries to keep things quiet. Which frees up the killer to kill more. And so on.

Except for the final scene, it's all very familiar territory. But it's handled well enough. I've certainly seen much worse. It contains a surprisingly good arrow-through-a-neck effect, a surprisingly bad painted-on mustache, and surprise gay cuddling. You heard me.

Worth seeing, especially if you're a fan of 80's slashers. And it also contains one of the most infamous twists in slasher history.

Again, it's all about that twist.

Episode 27: Horror Hosts

Get ready for a marathon episode from the Cadaver Lab. Not only do we discuss and review three movies, we discuss a few of our favorite horror hosts. We spend some time discussing why we love horror hosts and what impact that horror hosts have had on our horror movie watching.

We go into detail about Vincent Price, Vampira, Elvira, and Joe Bob Briggs. We share clips from each of these hosts including an introduction from both Joe Bobb and Elvira. Plus, we put in a clip where Sam and Vincent Price shoot the shit!

We reviewed three movies; The Hollywood Strangler Meets the Skid Row Slasher, The Devil's Wedding Night, and Fright Night.

Download the Episode Directly

Links:

• List of Horror Hosts
• The Devil's Wedding Night (Full movie introduced by Elvira)
• Joe Bob's Website

The Hollywood Strangler Meets the Skid Row Slasher




The Devil's Wedding Night




Fright Night

Doctor's Rounds 03

This week’s “Doctor’s Rounds” arrives with slight trepidation for two reasons: Firstly, because it pushes Big Winters’ superb take on the original TEXAS CHAINSAW slightly down the page – sorry mate. Secondly, if you read on, you’ll see some news that will no doubt upset Mike and others, doubtlessly leading to some forum fury! Will it be justified? Let us know on the boards!

CLOVERFIELD 2 – Because Mike’s Worth It…

The Cadaver Lab forums are frequently red-hot with fierce debate over the love/hate monster movie that is CLOVERFIELD. Some forum members thoroughly enjoyed the contemporary approach to the classic scenario. Others found the shaky-cam, slight storyline and casting of GAP models not to their enjoyment (to put it politely). Mike clearly falls into the second camp on this one and will - at any time - be only too happy to let you know his opinions on the movie…

Well, he’s going to no-doubt love the update from JJ Abrams on a possible sequel during a recent interview:

“We’re actually working on an idea right now… We have an idea that we thought was pretty cool that we’re playing with, which means there will be something that’s connected to ‘Cloverfield,’ but I hope it happens sooner than later because the idea is pretty sweet.”

With such scant detail, it’s too early to tell whether this will successfully build on the existing story or signal the end of any intelligent civilisation. Of course, some will have already decided…


RE-ANIMATOR Re-boot Re-vealed…

It seems that 3D is to horror what Friends Reunited was to social networking, lava lamps were to homely décor and 50Cent is to rap music… i.e. a fad. The latest property to jump on the 3D bandwagon? None other than RE-ANIMATOR.

Soon after it was confirmed by Stuart Gordon that HOUSE OF RE-ANIMATOR would no longer be relevant, and no-doubt inspired by the box office success of MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D, Brian Yuzna is setting out to develop his own remake of an 80’s classic using all three dimensions. There’s no word on a return from either Stuart Gordon or Jeffrey Combs at this point although I really hope Combs does reprise his role, I’m not sure I have the appetite for seeing yet another iconic character being recast!


Barker’s Idea for MEAT TRAIN Trilogy…

Clive Barker has often expressed his disappointment at Lionsgate for only releasing Ryuhei Kitamura's adaption of his short story, MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN, on a limited basis – and now we have a bit more of an idea why he was so frustrated:

"It frustrates me because we would have had a trilogy out of this," claims Barker. "I set to work to develop… the back story of the city fathers. The other movies were not just taking place in this city but in other parts of America. They were connecting up the story of underground activity which is America-wide. It would have climaxed with a meeting of all the stations, all of the lines. I had this massive plan in my head. The absence of a theatrical release was… killing the chance of getting a real horror trilogy that would be constructed picture by picture.”

I’ve yet to see MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN but it has been released here in the UK on DVD just today, so I will hopefully get a chance to catch up soon. For those who have seen the movie and know what Barker means by “the city fathers”, is a trilogy something you’d like to see? Post your thoughts on the Forums!

Big Winters: His Thoughts on Texas Chainsaw Massacre

So, recently, the Cadaver Lab Podcast covered the 1973 version of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The obviously well versed, and acknowledged ‘nerd’ Mike said he loved this film, and he can’t believe any body else wouldn’t love it. His co-host Sam, said that it was ‘okay’. His excuse was too much hype, and too many copies diluting the originals power. And…I agree with Sam.

First of all, this film was made in 1974, and beat all of the other traditional slasher movies by at least 4 years, (Halloween in 1978). So with all of the other main slasher franchises potentially being influenced by this, and the films that where influenced by them, we’re looking at the majority of slasher films since 1974 being a copy in some way. And when you have seen enough of the genre, even the very best can bore you.

The story begins, as you all know, with Sally taking her wheelchair bound, stereotype whiny-character Franklin. As well as these there is girl 1, 2 and guy 1. Okay, that was harsh. The characters in this rank among the least hated in movie history. With this film mostly focusing on feeling empathy for Sally and her friends, it works really well. The set of teenagers are by far the most normal, and innocent of all horror franchises. However, its strange to notice that despite being two couples, neither enjoy much in the way of love. Compare this to Friday The 13^th where if you have fun with someone of the opposite sex, Jason hates you, and murders you, preferably with awesome blood effects.

Another place where the film can be unfairly judged in modern times, is the various ‘disturbing’ acts. The hitchhiker, for instance, certainly makes you uneasy, yet for me, falling short of disturbing. The acts of cutting himself, and blowing up the picture, are unquestionably weird, yet with the common culture of wrist-cutting ‘emos’, and teenage gangs, the times have again caught up with the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

The family, however, and without a doubt the biggest asset to this film. The child-like, yet unnerved killer Leatherface, the hitchhiker, and the head of the family, none of which given proper names, showing their animalistic nature. All, but especially Leatherface, are perfectly acted. Gunnar Hansen showing that brutal killers can still worry, and can still be frightened.

However, I cannot say that I was ever scared of Leatherface. The initial kill lacked shock, and terror, with no sound other than the slamming of the steel door behind the doomed Kirk. Now, the act of Leatherface grabbing him, and dragging him into the makeshift slaughterhouse is frightening, however, the overall effect isn’t. There is no ‘jumpy’ music, there is no screams, which, looking back is a good thing. In a film of realistic coincidences, there would be no realistic way that Dirk could force himself to shout out, and there certainly would be no music to make you jump, but perhaps less is less, in this overrated modern society of mine. Or perhaps im too childish to fully appreciate the brutal nature of this film.

The other kills in this film, and the subsequent chase, however cannot be faulted. The brutal impaling of Pam, and the sight of someone seeing their boyfriend being dismembered in front of them make for touch watching. The death of Franklin which is brilliantly backed up by the film score is jump worthy today, and the chase through the hedges and house remain as tense as you remember them. As a conventional slasher film, this has to be one of the best; however, the attempt to disturb the viewer wastes valuable killing time.

The attempts to disturb the audience, with the sucking of Sally’s finger and the dinner scene fail to disturb me in any way. Both look laughable 36 years on, perhaps showing the limitations of their culture compared to ours. With the reputation that this film holds, it cannot uphold it 30 years on. It cannot stand to the modern audience, which is acceptable, with the improving film quality, and its effects showing up the timeless classic.

So, I cannot take away anything from this movie, as it’s not meant for me, and it’s not meant to be watched for the first time now. Its perfect time to be watched was as a teenager in the 70s/80s. I understand why it deserves it cult classic status, yet I cannot enjoy it as much, because of it. It’s a classic, and it can only stay a classic by the memories of those who watched it in the perfect moment. And considering I didn’t, and Sam didn’t for that matter, how can you expect me to love it? It’s a great film, but it’s another reason why I was born to late.