Maybe it’s just me, but doesn’t it feel like there’s been a lot of seemingly unnecessary and frightening carnage happening in our world recently? It seems like every day we are hearing about another shooting, stabbing, bombing or general loss of innocence and life to people all over the world. And while it may feel like these tragedies happen in waves, they don’t. They’re happening all of the time and really always have been. Whether or not it’s in our nature to inflict pain is debatable, but the fact that we are fascinated, intrigued, curious and reflective of our ability to do so is not. Why else would people create grisly works of art? Why else would we create an entire genre dedicated to fear? And often pain? And often violence?
My fascination of horror probably began when yours did – as a very young child. The first films that truly inspired me, or rather the first character that I ever felt I could relate to, was Godzilla. Okay, that may seem a little silly, but as I child I would watch that radioactive monster destroying (or protecting) Tokyo and I’d be right there with him, blasting my radioactive breath all over my building blocks and imagining the shrieks of innocent civilians caught in my path. This is taking me back…
I’m getting carried away. Obviously, I’m much older now but throughout my years my love of fictional carnage has only grown, and now I get giddy at the thought of watching another helpless person cower in fear or fight for their life against a ruthless killer. Or ghost. Or monster. Or alien. It doesn’t matter; the seed was planted and it grew, but only relatively recently I began to think about how the real world is the original seed, the inspiration for these things I love so dearly. It begs the age-old question: does life imitate art or does art imitate life?
Everything worthwhile in this world has a price, and horror is no exception. Some of the most intriguing and entertaining horror has its roots in suffering. Without Ed Gein, we’d have no Texas Chainsaw Massacre, or Psycho, or countless other classic works of terror. Think about all of the art that was inspired by real life slashers Ted Bundy or Jack the Ripper. Hell, even Godzilla wouldn’t exist had we not dropped nuclear bombs on Japan. Horror is our real world fears manifested in our imaginations, and even the silliest horror or the campiest project has it’s roots in real life horror.
And maybe that’s why it’s so alluring. We watch these images of horror, listen to sounds of suffering and dream of mass destruction because it gives us fear, and reminds us that we could be next at any moment. After all, we’re all going to die someday and rarely do people have any say in how they go. And in a world full of real life horror, it will catch up with some people. So enjoy it while you can, horror lovers, because before you know it you could be next…
Be safe out there, and thanks for checking out LAHorror.com.
It’s always exciting to discover new and thought provoking horror and meeting the minds behind the madness. We’ve featured many talented and super sinister horror artists on LAHorror.com, and we thought we’d take the time to introduce you to another. Deborah Blount is a woman of many talents, and her obsession with darkness is pretty damn powerful. She spins a unique web of violent horror mixed with soft femininity that creates a pretty delicious blend in your imagination. We caught up with Blount to peek into her dark imagination full of monsters, demons and creatures of the night, not to say that her work doesn’t speak for itself…
“I started drawing when I was real little; like maybe around six years old,” Blount told LAHorror.com. ”Drew horses and animals, other cute stuff. It was in High School that I started realizing I had this weird twisted mind and a knack for juxtaposing images. Had an awesome art teacher from somewhere in the UK who really brought out my creativity; we drew ‘still life’ with skulls, dead things in jars and other bizarre stuff. It was great!” And the seed was planted. Now it has blossomed into a portfolio full of the violent and bizarre, sexual and strange, life and death.
And there’s a method to the madness. Naturally loud music plays a role, but you could almost say that once the creative spider bites, Blount loses herself in her work. ”I get an idea, start to draw and before I know it, I’m totally in my zone. Everything else around me just sorta melts away and there’s nothing left except me, my art and my music. It’s almost trance-like, and I don’t even know what the hell I’m doing until I’m done sometimes.” Before long, the images that lay in Blount’s imagination are bleeding onto the page. They are pretty gnarly creations that she puts together using pretty much whatever she can get her hands on. ”My favorite is pen and ink. You know the old fashioned dip in the ink well kind…” That being said, she doesn’t seem to have any issues creating grisly works of art using paint, charcoal, acrylic–you name it. Her pieces have ranged from simple sketches to full blown murals. Pretty wild stuff.
And when she’s not painting? She writes equally intriguing poetry with a dark twist. It makes for a wicked combination.
Gleaming eyes dripping
Staring sightless with each hot breathless stench
Windowless souls of an empty room
Glaring at the waxing moon
Passion gripping from deep inside
Glistening juicy, open wide!
Yawning sweet mouth of decay
Dark and empty steals the day
Rotting corpses ride the night
Bringing back smells of fright.
Blount describes herself as a surrealist, and that’s one interesting aspect to not only her work, but to the rules that we play by in this genre of horror that we all enjoy so much. It’s a nice reminder to always imagine and think about everything as a worldly possibility. Fantasy, danger and uncensored imagination–these are the feelings that these images arouse and they’re almost mesmerizing themselves…her work certainly evokes some pretty wild emotions in it’s viewer, which is exactly her goal. ”I want the viewer to stay as long as they can inside each drawing and let the images sink into their psyche.” And they sink in, settle down and plant themselves inside…enjoy horror lovers!
To view more work from Deborah Blount please visit her official website. You can also purchase prints and see her latest works on Facebook and Twitter.
Okay, the new “Evil Dead” movie has been out for like, four days and I still haven’t seen it. Yes, this is a serious problem and at the moment I’m ashamed to be alive…or dead…or whatever you want to call it. But that being said, our buddy over at Horror Films 101 created a nifty little video showing not only the stylistic connections between the original trilogy of Evil, but broader connections as well. I highly recommend checking it out if you’re a fan of the series! And if you don’t watch it?? I’ll swallow your soul…I’ll swallow your soul!
I’ll be honest – this is probably one of the more original ideas for a horror project I’ve ever seen. I mean, how often do we get a combination of unique poetry AND grisly horror? It’s a devilish delight and something that the team at Seraph Films has mastered in their weekly web series entitled “Horror Haiku.” In these beautiful and often gory segments, Seraph Films invites their audience to participate in the carnage by submitting original and horrific haiku’s, which they in turn translate into a brief but chilling episode. And chilling is putting it lightly…this series is seriously freaky.
Much of the success of “Horror Haiku” can be attributed to director Gene Blalock’s keen attention to detail and some seriously clever filmmaking. It’s pretty impressive the punch that each episode of “Horror Haiku” can dish out in the amount of time it has. I mean, I’m talking murder, monsters, ghosts and tons of blood, each episode begins with an introduction from your horror hosts (a beautiful and sinful seductress and a God fearing priest) and leads to the meat of each episode which basically consists of one long, well staged and menacing shot. It’s really quite enjoyable and provides you with that quick jolt of horror that every fan needs!
I’ve hand selected my two favorites to share, but in all honesty they’re all consistently good, much like the rest of the work from Seraph Films. Check this out!
You see what I’m saying?? It’s a two minute in your face horror show that does not disappoint!
Nobody wants to leave a house party, right? If it’s a really good one, odds are you won’t leave until the next morning, until the police bust it or until you’re brutally murdered by the Devil himself! Well, at least that’s the type of fate that Josh Petrino’s characters in his film “The Devil’s Tree” may have to face.
“After visiting a landmark tree rumored to be a gateway to hell, a group of friends hold a small house party where, without explanation, they realize they mentally can’t bring themselves to leave. Shortly after this revelation, torment and slaughter begins at the hands of a supernatural killer with a warped, sadistic sense of humor.”
Sounds promising, eh? Well this film needs your help and there’s only a few days left to jump on board. We got the low down from director Josh Petrino about his new film and invite you to read some of his insight for yourself. If it sounds like something you’d dig (and if you’re here already then you know you already will), then do the right thing for Satan’s sake and SUPPORT INDIE HORROR!
LAHORROR: You guys have a lot of movie influences listed for this film, from “The Devil’s Rejects” all the way to “Clerks.” What kind of film are people going to see when they watch “The Devil’s Tree”?
Josh Petrino: I’m a movie nerd through and through so I think everything I love and have watched over and over again will have an influence on this but fans of those films are sure to enjoy it. That is the crowd we are going for. We want to establish our characters as quickly as possible so we can get right to their downfall. Why should we bore you with a long set up, long dialogue and semantics? Let’s try to make you like these poeple ASAP and then take them away from you.
LAHORROR: Good man Josh, get to the good stuff. What kind of characters are we going to meet in “The Devil’s Tree?”
JP: All the characters are based on people I know with the exception of the killer. We’ve written them in a way where they could each have their own movie. I think it’s important that our characters are interesting enough to deserve their time on screen. They’re not really kids to be honest. They’re old friends that are kinda forced into hanging out again despite all of them growing up and going their separate ways…They aren’t idiots, in fact most of them are above average intelligence and most of them would react how any person would.
LAHORROR: And why do they go messing around with things that they probably shouldn’t be…?
JP: They go to the Devil’s Tree, which is a landmark with some mythology behind it, just to check it out. A lot of people visit abandoned places or creepy landmarks, but nobody REALLY expects anything to happen. These people live within our own universe, they’re aware of horror movies, they live life how we do. If someone were to tell you, going to a tree could open a gate to hell, would you actually believe them? No. Some people might get spooked but none of us have seen a demon or real evidence of anything of the sort. It’s a place to go to get a fun scare and have a good time. I’m a very skeptical person and most of this group is too, I think if a demon or something supernatural ripped my heart out, I’d spend my last waking seconds confused and trying to figure out a reasonable explanation for it. This group doesn’t instigate anything at all. They’re just an unlucky few out of many. Extremely unlucky…
LAHORROR: Supernatural killers are always exciting because the deaths can be as crazy as your imagination lets you be. Without giving too much away, what kind of carnage are we going to see in “The Devil’s Tree”?
JP: All kinds. Some of the deaths are going to be pretty damn unique. I’m a fan of the unorthodox and bizarre…
And with the previous talk of hearts being ripped out, we’ll leave that at that…….
Hey horror lovers! Just wanted to drop a line and show some love to the cast and crew of “Lesser Miracles,” a disturbing and original horror film that we totally dug. They just got a distribution deal and released a brand new trailer!!! CHECK IT OUT AND KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED FOR THIS MOVIE!!
Tons more stuff coming up, including but not limited to monsters, ghosts, violence and murder…
It’s been a while since our last post, horror lovers, and for that we apologize! With all of the holiday travels, crazy life and pre-production of our upcoming horror film series, it’s glad to finally be back from the dead to share with you some excellent horror projects coming your way from some seriously talented artists. And what better way to ring in the New Year than with a good old fashioned 80′s throwback slasher flick, from Slasher Studios:
LAHorror.com got some insider information on this film from the filmmakers themselves Kevin Sommerfield and Steve Goltz, who are currently raising money for this gory feature film, and trust me, these guys know how to make a slasher flick. So do yourself a favor and check out this project, because, let’s be real, there hasn’t been a great slasher flick in far too long…
LAHorror: I know you guys are the slasher experts, so tell me: What’s going to make Don’t Go to the Reunion stand out from the crowd?
Kevin Sommerfield:Don’t Go to the Reunion is really our ultimate 80′s slasher homage to everything that we love and cherish about the slasher genre. We are going back to the basics: a likable final girl, characters you actually care about, a ruthless, nonstop killer. We also plan to use all practical effects on this slasher. CGI has it’s place in film but I don’t think it really belongs in the slasher genre. The blood, the gore, the carnage…everything is going to be done on set with some great deaths planned out.
Steve Goltz: This upcoming film will give our fellow slasher fans what they have been craving. With a slasher drought among us, horror fans are in need of a fun story with likable characters and creative deaths. This is exactly what we will give them. The story itself will give the movie goers something to talk about after the film and the fact that this will be made by slasher fans, for slasher fans, will make this all the better.
LAHorror: Tell us a little bit about the set-up and the characters. And what’s the deal with this killer??
KS: Don’t go to the Reunion centers around a horror loving geek named Scott. He cherishes horror movies more than life itself. When the popular kids at his high school decide to play a prank on him, Scott thinks his life is over. Skip ten years to present day and the popular kids from high school are getting together for a little class reunion. Little do they know, someone may have followed them there and they mysteriously disappear one-by-one. Throughout this all, the audience is left to wonder if Scott has come back for revenge or is it someone else all together. Possibly even one of the original popular gang…
SG: The true horror fans will love the characters. I am so excited to see the characters take life and watch the performances on screen. We definitely have the go-to slasher characters, but some with a modern twist. They are fun and clever and all bring something to the table that helps out the story.
LAHorror: Without spoilers, what kind of gore can we expect from Don’t Go to the Reunion? Can you give us a peak into your favorite kill from the script?
KS: Without a doubt my favorite death from the script involves a split open torso and a fire poker. I’ll leave the rest up to the audience’s imagination…
SG: Well, we don’t want to give too much away, but the fire poker death will be a great visual experience and the final death of the film will definitely leave the audience in awe. All in all, lots of blood and gore and as with every Slasher Studios film, all practical effects!
LAHorror: All the slasher greats have a memorable final girl. In Don’t Go to the Reunion, what’s your final girl’s motto: Fight? Or flight?
KS: Definitely fight. Our final girl Erica is no shrieking violet. I wrote her as a testament to my favorite final girls in slasher history. Much like Ginny in Friday the 13th Part 2 or Nancy in A Nightmare on Elm Street, Erica isn’t about to go down without a fight and, in the end, she realizes it is up to herself to survive the night.
SG: This final girl encapsulates all the great, strong, independent final girls who came before her. We were not looking for a weak final girl or performance. This girl is rough and tough.
LAHorror: Your short films pack a lot of punch in a little time. How are you guys approaching this project differently than something shorter? Are you ready for the challenge?
KS: It was definitely a change of pace. Between Teddy,Blood Brothers, andPopularity Killer, we killed a series of a dozen characters in a total running time of about 40 minutes. Here we had a chance to give the characters a little more depth and flesh out the back story of each. I want the audience to get to know these characters so they actually feel something when they die.
SG: What I love about shorts is that a lot can happen in a little amount of time. This really helps keep the audience glued to the screen and their interest level high. Teddy moved at a break-neck speed and really sold a lot of people on the film. No downtime to bore the viewers. So, we know going to the feature, we had to keep up a steady pace. With the serious parts, the outrageous deaths and the comedy squeezed in as well, this script really has a great mix of emotions and will for sure keep the audience on their toes.
LAHorror: Anything else you’d like to share about Don’t Go to the Reunion?
SG: Don’t Go to the Reunion has been on our minds nearly every minute of every day for longer than I can even remember. Film is our passion and this feature is something we have worked so hard on and will continue to do so. We are both overly excited to begin filming and can’t wait for that first screening with an audience full of horror fans like ourselves!
KS: All I can say is that this script and this movie has been my baby for the past year. I can promise that fans of the 80′s slasher will find a lot to enjoy here from the creative death scenes to the shocking ending. To quote Cotton’s character at the end of Scream 2, “It’ll make a hell of a movie.”
Intrigued?? Please visit the “Don’t Go to the Reunion” kickstarter page! There you can not only help this film get made, but you can view all of their short films mentioned in this interview. So do yourself a favor…and Don’t Go to the Reunion…
Everything worthwhile in this world has a price, and horror is no exception. Some of the most intriguing and entertaining horror has its roots in suffering. Without Ed Gein, we’d have no Texas Chainsaw Massacre, or Psycho, or countless other classic works of terror. Think about all of the art that was inspired by real life slashers Ted Bundy or Jack the Ripper. Hell, even Godzilla wouldn’t exist had we not dropped nuclear bombs on Japan. Horror is our real world fears manifested in our imaginations, and even the silliest horror or the campiest project has it’s roots in real life horror.
