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Late to the Party: Evil Dead

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Evil Dead eyesLook, that wasn’t a clever title. I am indeed tardy for the festivities. A horror fan who’d never sat down to watch Evil Dead.

The only thing I’d seen Bruce Campbell in was an episode of Dinner for Five with Roger Corman, a couple of dudes from Elf and the guy who re-made some Halloween flicks which left a bad taste in Zombighoul’s mouth.

All that said, we the minions of iHorror decided ’twas time to have some fun with the classic horror flicks some of us had somehow or other missed out on over the years, then write all about it after the big unveiling in a series called Late to the Party.

To kick things off, it was all happenstance. I was wandering through Walmart to retrieve my vehicle following its oil change (mouthwash and lilac candle in hand) when I glanced over to see Evil Dead locked and loaded for five dollars.

Rest assured, I felt like a virgin on prom night.

Ash

I haven’t watched a movie with wide-eyed wonder often, but this qualified as one of those occasions. I didn’t know what to expect, but from the legendary status Evil Dead holds, I was prepped for amazeballs.

I’m not going to lie, though, it took a bit for me to get into it. I saw quality before my eyes, don’t get me wrong, but about a half-hour in, I still wasn’t all-in.

Until Ellen Sandweiss’ Cheryl ventured into the woods.

There may have been the cliché “Anybody out there?” but from the howl which momentarily had me optimistic it could be Reverend Lowe to the violence of the vines that followed, there was nothing trite about Evil Dead.

Cheryl

Sure, it’s all old hat in 2015, but in the early ’80s? As James Jay Edwards so deftly pointed out, “You’ve probably seen so many things that are derivative of (Evil Dead) that it seems unoriginal. Put on your 1981 eyes.” I took Jimmy’s advice and it was mind-blowing.

So much of what Evil Dead introduced I now recognize in some of my favorite horror flicks. From Sinister to 1408 to Ghostbusters to Shaun of the Dead and beyond, those filmmakers took Sam Raimi’s “Join us” as an invitation to homage.

Has to be said, though: Two scenes towered above all others.

Cheryl looking out the window then calling the cards as she rapidly morphed with a voice that made the hair on my neck stand up. “Why have you disturbed our sleep?”

That would be my bad and I immediately regret this decision.

[youtube id=”GKR5KdHPiSI” align=”center” mode=”normal” autoplay=”no”]

The gold medal for unsettling, however, goes to Betsy Baker. Those eyes? “Truly amazing, Linda.”

I’m sorry the actors went through hell rockin’ those uncomfortable contacts, but Jesus tittyfucking Christ did they get the job done. One glance at Baker seated in the doorway of that bedroom and I noticed that I leaned back in my chair. And that was before Linda unleashed what can only be described as the inspiration for the taunting cackle of Sheri Moon Zombie’s Baby of Firefly family fame.

[youtube id=”s3O1miUDFoU” align=”center” mode=”normal” autoplay=”no”]

The opening shot looked like an artsy version of The Legend of Boggy Creek, there was a symphony of the eyes, the introduction of what I can only assume is the Boomstick and I could not wrap my head around the fact that it took the other characters a bit of time to catch up to Cheryl’s stance which could be loosely translated to “We need to tuck tail immediately.”

Evil Dead had it all and let there be no doubt, Ash was all that and a bag of pig snacks. Can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel.

But before I do, I think a certain someone may have something to say about a bigger boat.

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Watch ‘The Burning’ At The Location Where It Was Filmed

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Fangoria is reporting that fans of the 1981 slasher The Burning will be able to have a screening of the film at the location where it was filmed. The movie is set at Camp Blackfoot which is actually the Stonehaven Nature Preserve in Ransomville, New York.

This ticketed event will take place on August 3. Guests will be able to take a tour of the grounds as well as enjoy some campfire snacks along with the screening of The Burning.

The Burning

The film came out in the early ’80s when teen slashers were being churned out in magnum force. Thanks to Sean S. Cunningham’s Friday the 13th, filmmakers wanted to get in on the low-budget, high-profit movie market and a casket load of these types of films were produced, some better than others.

The Burning is one of the good ones, mostly because of the special effects from Tom Savini who had just come off of his groundbreaking work on Dawn of the Dead and Friday the 13th. He declined to do the sequel because of its illogical premise and instead signed on to do this movie. Also, a young Jason Alexander who would later go on to play George in Seinfeld is a featured player.

Because of its practical gore, The Burning had to be heavily edited before it received an R-rating. The MPAA was under the thumb of protest groups and political bigwigs to censor violent films at the time because slashers were just so graphic and detailed in their gore.

Tickets are $50, and if you want a special t-shirt, that will cost you another $25, You can get all the information by visiting the On Set Cinema webpage.

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‘Longlegs’ Creepy “Part 2” Teaser Appears on Instagram

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Longlegs

Neon Films released an Insta-teaser for their horror film Longlegs today. Titled Dirty: Part 2, the clip only furthers the mystery of what we are in for when this movie is finally released on July 12.

The official logline is: FBI Agent Lee Harker is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes unexpected turns, revealing evidence of the occult. Harker discovers a personal connection to the killer and must stop him before he strikes again.

Directed by former actor Oz Perkins who also gave us The Blackcoat’s Daughter and Gretel & Hansel, Longlegs is already creating buzz with its moody images and cryptic hints. The film is rated R for bloody violence, and disturbing images.

Longlegs stars Nicolas Cage, Maika Monroe, and Alicia Witt.

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Exclusive Sneak Peek: Eli Roth and Crypt TV’s VR Series ‘The Faceless Lady’ Episode Five

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Eli Roth (Cabin Fever) and Crypt TV are knocking it out of the park with their new VR show, The Faceless Lady. For those unaware, this is the first fully scripted VR horror show on the market.

Even for masters of horror like Eli Roth and Crypt TV, this is a monumental undertaking. However, if I trust anyone to change the way that we experience horror, it would be these two legends.

The Faceless Lady

Ripped from the pages of Irish folklore, The Faceless Lady tells the story of a tragic spirit cursed to wander the halls of her castle for all of eternity. However, when three young couples are invited to the castle for a series of games, their fates may soon change.

So far, the story has provided horror fans with a gripping game of life or death that doesn’t look as if it will slow down in episode five. Luckily, we have an exclusive clip that may be able to satiate your appetites until the new premiere.

Airing on 4/25 at 5pmPT/8pmET, episode five follows our final three contestants in this wicked game. As the stakes are raised ever higher, will Ella be able to fully awaken her connection with Lady Margaret?

The faceless lady

The newest episode can be found on Meta Quest TV. If you haven’t already, follow this link to subscribe to the series. Make sure to check out the new clip below.

Eli Roth Present’s THE FACELESS LADY S1E5 Clip: THE DUEL – YouTube

To view in the highest resolution, adjust the quality settings in the bottom right corner of the clip.

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