Thursday, September 30, 2010

So you want a horror story

This morning I come home from work and turn on the TV, by chance I had left it tuned to a news channel instead of TBS when I left.  What was I greeted by?  The news of Tyler Clementi who had apparently jumped to his death off the George Washington bridge. The police officially ruled it a suicide.  Tyler was a 18 year old freshman at Rutgers, and by reports a talented musician.

With so much bad news, honestly this just registered as just another sad story.  I hate to admit it but I went on about my daily rounds with little attention, but did make a mental note to look it up and find out more.

Before I had time to change the channels however, I heard about Asher Brown.  Asher was a 13 year old from Texas who died of a self inflicted gunshot wound.  Another tragedy.  What besides the obvious do the two teens have in common?  Both were the subject of harassment and bullying.

Asher was bullied because he was small for his age.  Small kids typically have a hard time and are the target of the stronger bully types.  However Asher was also a Buddhist, and also gay.  This made him the perfect whipping post for other kids.  Kids raised by homophobic, right wing parents.  Kids who make themselves feel stronger but beating down those who can't fight back.  maybe he could fight back if it was a fair fight but with gang mentality he never had a chance.  It's sad he chose the path of terminating his own life.  Suicide is not the answer but in Asher's case I can't call it the "easy way out." To a 13 year old kid, just coming to grips with his sexuality, with nothing to look forward to except being an outcast it had to seem to be the only way out.

With Tyler it wasn't bullying in the traditional sense, but betrayal and public embarrassment.  He was recorded by his roommate while engaged in a sexual encounter.  That recording was then posted to the Internet and the roommate tweeted about the prank inviting people to watch.  Sure , maybe it sounds like a harmless prank, but once again played upon a young man, dealing with his sexuality, a sexuality still frowned upon by so many and looked on as a source of humor.  Now in the Internet age embarrassment isn't just something between a group of people, your embarrassment can be broadcast worldwide.  What escape did Tyler have except for death?

I don't condone the suicide of either, but I do understand.  We live in a bigoted, intolerant society.  A society where if you do not fit in you don't have a right to privacy, intimacy or even life.  It would be bad enough if it were only these two, but it isn't.  I just read of an unnamed California teen, 13 years old, who hung himself due to being tormented about his sexuality.

Bigotry, racism, homophobia, hatred and fear.  When will we grow out of them?  When will we step up and do something to stop our children from killing other children?  Until that time hope your child isn't the one being tortured.

Asher Brown
Asher Brown victim of fear and bullying

Tyler Clementi
Tyler Clementi
For those who do care, please remember these kids and let's work to end this so no other parent has to lose their child this way.

WM3

As I am typing this right now the latest attempt to gain a new hearing for Damien Echols of the WM3 is ongoing in Arkansas. Will justice finally be served or will paranoia and fear reign supreme? You can watch the hearing live
http://arkansas-sc.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=2

Saturday, September 25, 2010

SyFy's Sharktopus Trailer

Friday, September 24, 2010

The Human Centipede 2: teaser trailer

Chiari

Just a quick update to spam a link
please take the time to read and share this


Chiari Malformation surgery scar

New Pinhead revealed

Warning Sarcasm Ahead
In a move surely to leave horror fans bouncing with excitement, especially Doug Bradley and Hellraiser fans, it looks like a new Pinhead has been cast for Hellraiser: Revelations.  Now in all fairness to the lucky sap, err actor, Doug Bradley, the one and only Pinhead did turn the role down.  Honestly that should be a clue for anyone involved that maybe this project should just be left to die a natural death.  But it is Hollywood after all and poor bastard Stephen Smith Collins has landed the "no way to win" role of the decade.  At least Jackie Earle Haley had a bit of a following before the Nightmare snooze fest.  Plus this was a reboot, while the Hellraiser is a continuation of a series.  I won't lie and say the last few Hellraiser's were classics, but at least we had Doug Bradley waiting to tear our souls apart, even if it was just for a few minutes on screen.

At least this is being helmed by a solid director in Victor Garcia ( warned you).  I am sure everyone rembers Garcia from that Horror classic in the making Return to House on Haunted Hill.  A movie that that had us all repeating "Why the hell isn't Cerina Vincent taking her top off?"

Now before you all go rushing to IMDB to see what this guy has been in let me just tell you.  Tell you that I don't have a f'ing clue and really don't feel like checking.  Does it really matter?

new Pinhead
The New Pinhead
Poor guy

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Living with Chiari

I first took notice of Chiari Malformation when I found out a friend was living with Chiari. She had been diagnosed before I met her, and I would have never guessed that she suffered from anything other than a bright and cheerful attitude. Working in the medical field I knew of the condition but as far as I know I had never before encountered anyone with Chiari. Like so many other bits and pieces of information I had picked up in school it got shuffled into the background.



For those who do not know Chiari Malformation is a congenital condition where a part of the brain protrudes through a opening in the base of the skull called the foramen magnum and into the spinal canal. This part of the brain, known as the cerebellar tonsils, which normally lie above the foramen, puts pressure on the spinal canal. This pressure can cause pain in the back of the neck and radiating upward. Other symptoms of Chiari vary widely and can include blurred vision, muscle weakness, unsteady gait, facial numbness and trouble swallowing.



A related disorder found often, but not always in people with Chiari is Syringomyelia. Syringomyelia is when cerebrospinal fluid, also known as CSF, enters the interior of the spinal cord. There it forms a syrnix or cavity. The syrnix can expand over time which destroys the center of the spinal cord. In most cases Syringomyelia, like Chiari, is congenital. However a second form of Syringomyelia can be brought on by trauma. In people with Chiari the protruding part of the brain blocks normal CSF flow and can cause a syrnix. However not everyone with Chiari will develop Syringomyelia.



Treatment for Chiari Malformation can range from pain management with medication in mild cases to surgery. The surgery is known as posterior fossa decompression. In this surgery small portions of bone form the back of the skull are removed. This allows the tonsils to move back into their normal position in the skull and reduces compression of the brain stem. This surgical procedure gained notoriety in the horror movie Saw. The villain Jigsaw, though not suffering from Chiari had the surgery to remove pressure from a brain tumor.



Surgery is the only viable treatment for Syringomyelia. While in mild cases  continued at

http://healthmad.com/conditions-and-diseases/living-with-chiari/
My friend Alicia who is living with Chiari

Monday, September 20, 2010

Hanger

promo for Hanger
Hanger by Ryan Nicholson

Hanger is a 2009 movie directed by Ryan Nicholson, the director of such sleaze horror classics as Gutterballs and Live Feed. Anyone familiar with Ryan’s directorial work should already have a good idea what they are in for with Hanger. For anyone else the films synopsis SHOULD be enough warning, but even knowing both these things I found myself surprised by the audacity in Hanger. Fans of Ryan’s other work and those with an extremely warped sense of humor should love Hanger.

I got to admit I was a bit disgusted by some of the stuff I saw on the screen. It would be hard to tell watching me watch it because I was moving from “EWW” to laughing out loud with barely a break. I can safely say I think 80% of my friends wouldn’t like Hanger, probably at least half would be morally offended and 10-20% would think less of me as a human being for even watching it. It is definitely not a film for everyone.

Hanger is a film about a botched coat hanger abortion, ok that right there should tell you a lot. While the mom dies the baby manages to survive, horribly mutilated, both physically and mentally with a taste for blood. He grows up on the streets till his father comes for him on his 18th birthday and they set out on a path of revenge against the pimp who killed his mom.

Reading the synopsis I was expecting a typical revenge flick, type horror film. A film where a hideously deformed killer stalks hapless victims in search of the one who wronged him. Well there was a little of that but damn Nicholson can really pile on the sleaze. If you are the type who can’t watch a film with a morally ambiguous killer, avoid Hanger. However if a film in which the “hero” eats a Jehovah’s Witness while screaming “Give me a baby” maybe you might like it, but that is really just the tip of the iceberg.

To enjoy Hanger, or at least get through it, you need to be able to watch rape scenes shot in humorous ways including anal rape on an unconscious man, and rape of the heroes’ stoma (surgical incision in the side that allows you to bypass you rectum to defecate). I usually don’t like giving spoilers but besides the above scenes prepare for bloody tampons being sniffed and sucked, tea being made from tampons, being choked to death on feces, a coat hanger abortion, forced cunnilingus on a bound man (pretty graphic), a man choked to death on a tampon and bloody menstrual flow, cannibalism, and well I am sure I have missed something and that’s just the big stuff. Prudes also need to know it features a fully nude female masturbation that is hotter than anything I have seen in a no porn film, as well as some light object penetration. The nude scene is featuring actress Candice Lewald from Gutterballs. She is a beautiful actress and stands in stark contrast to the other physically deformed characters.

Does this film have any redeeming values? That’s kind of a trick question because I don’t think director Nicholson intended it to have any redeeming values. He sets out to produce horror sleaze that will appeal to only a select portion of the horror fan base and he succeeds. I personally preferred Gutterballs as it was more of a straight up horror film, albeit somewhat of a parody of the slasher horror film. With all of the depravity of Hanger, the part I most disliked was that Hanger himself was not a likeable hero. The protagonist in a film doesn’t have to be a good guy, but Hanger just seems to want to be a god guy, but he keeps eating people. I get where Ryan is going (I think) but that part just didn’t work for me.

The disgusting stuff didn’t bother me that much, I mean it’s just a movie people. I don’t like fecal horror, so the poop scenes weren’t really for me. Some may say rape is never humorous, and I agree. I didn’t laugh during the rape scene in Gutterballs, and I didn’t laugh at the rape in Hanger, but neither did they instill a righteous anger at the director for filming them.

In the interest of complete honesty, the best part of the film was the gorgeous Candice Lewald, credited as Candice Le in the film. Revealing more than most actress are willing to reveal on film, at least non porn, she heats up Hanger ( no pun if you have seen the film) with her long masturbation scene. The tampon scenes may turn off a lot of people, but may just as well turn on a lot of people. She could be in my movie, or be my secretary, any time.

So after all this what is my opinion, and would I recommend Hanger. While disgusting and sleazy, past the point of any film I have seen so far, I liked Hanger. I do think Gutterballs is a better film and personally liked it better, but for what it is, Hanger works. I did not like the character Hanger and could do without the poop scenes but that wasn’t enough for me to completely dislike Hanger. Would I recommend Hanger? After reading this you shouldn’t have to ask. I would only recommend it to fans of Ryan Nicholson’s other films and fans of gross out sleaze horror. People with a weak stomach and who can’t take what I mentioned above should avoid it at all costs.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

More Electra and Elise: Crazy Babysitter Twins

Electra and Elise Avellan, crazy babysitter twins with chainsaws
Sexy Chainsaw Twins Electra and Elise
No words just nom nom nom

Elise Avellan
Sexy Elise Avellan

Elise and Electra Avellan,sexy nurses from Machete
Elise and Electra Avellan in Machete

Crazy babysitter twins from Planet error
Sexy Babysitter Twins, Elise and Electra from Planet Terror
Crazy babysitter twins
Elise or Electra? 


Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Resident Evil IV: A Face Full of Milla

sexy hot Milla Jovovich from Resident Evil: Afterlife
Well to be honest there is a lot wrong with the new Resident Evil Movie. The story is nothing special, the effects are hit and miss at the best and the 3-D can be distracting at times and just plain silly at others. Still I really enjoyed it. Does that make sense? As much as I rail about stupid movies, and decry the lack of intelligent film, especially in horror, I spend hard earned money to watch a sub par 3-D movie and then have the audacity to enjoy it? Well screw you guys I liked it.




First off I am a Resident Evil fan who really hasn’t played the games other than once or twice when the first one was released. Add to that that I am a Milla fan, due in most part to the first film. Now does it make sense? It gave me what I wanted another shot of zombie kicking Milla action.



Maybe one of the best aspects was stripping away Milla’s superhuman powers and just making her a human ass kicking machine again. Plus Milla was looking at the top of her game in this. She was stunning. Add to the mix Ali Larter as Claire Redfield who, in my opinion, looked even better than Milla and it is instant win for me. There was some dude playing Chris Redfield too, but really, do I care?



The bad guys ran the gamut from average reanimated flesh eater to zombie dogs, and some leviathan type dude with a massive axe. I am sure RE game fans are lambasting me for not knowing the character, but once again, who cares? He was freaking cool and the battle with him, Milla, and Ali rocked ass.



The CGI was ok for the most part and I say that because I can’t recall many moments when the effects really pissed me off. One effect which I assume was a miniature effect that was shot in 3-D was horrible but I will cover that in the bad stuff.



For the most part the 3-D was a negative and the film would have been better off without it. The coolness of the 3-D was mostly in the title sequences. Yeah it was that weak. There was one scene that almost made the 3-D worth it. When Alice (Milla) literally jumps out of the screen riding the shock wave of an explosion. Literally out of the screen, hovering in the air just over your face. This my friends was what 3-D was meant to be. Who can resist a face full of Milla?



Now the bad. The 3-D, during the action scenes there is so much debris flying toward you that it obscures the screen. The first time it happens the effect is cool, you really want to flinch to avoid it. It is repeated ad nasueum and it gets old really quick, especially when you realize you are missing the action due to all that debris. I want to see Milla, not a cloud of dust.



The scenes involving Milla’s plane just look amateurish. It seriously looks like a miniature tied to a string suspended in mid air. I can only assume that is how they accomplished the effect.



The only CGI effect that pissed me off was one I was looking forward too. Resident Evil: Extinction promised us an army of Milla clones fighting against the Umbrella Corporation. The film opens with this army of Milla, but damn. The effect sucked. It looked like basically the same shitty split screen effect that let Jethro and Jethrine be onscreen at the same time on The Beverly Hillbillies. Can’t we do better fifty years later on the big screen?



Lastly at the chance of being called a total pervert, there was no nude scene. Mow I accept this could well be Milla no longer being comfortable doing nudes. However her nude body added a touch of spice to the first two films. The idea of seeing her nude body in 3-D was a major incentive in shelling out eleven bucks for a ticket. I still could have dealt with this if there wasn’t the nudity tease. Alice wants to take a shower and surprise the survivors have a working shower. YES! Unfortunately they don’t have hot water. Double YES!! Milla then proceeds to take off her holster, wait for it.. And she is interrupted and then the damn zombies attack. Ah well.





So, my opinion. Resident Evil: Aftermath is not that good of a movie. If you are a major Milla and Resident Evil fan, there is a decent chance you will like it. There’s also a chance you won’t. There are plenty of flaws ad very few redeeming values beyond the hot leading ladies and well, a face full of Milla. Still I liked it, and was stoked to hear a fifth film will happen. Let’s hope Milla sheds her inhibitions and sheds her clothes. Nude Milla, cold shower, and 3-D, you do the math, but to me it equals total win

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Horror Hotties: Crazy Babysitter Twins

Sure to make your heart go pitter patter are Electra and Elise Avellan, better known as The Crazy Babysitter twins.  The twins are the nieces of director Robert Rodriguez and Elisabeth Avellan.  They first gained attention and idolisation in the Grindhouse double feature directed by Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino.  Appearing in both segments they set fan boys on fire.  Now they are on the big screen again, playing sexy nurses in Machete.  Lucky they  are nurses as their beauty will take your breath away.  Don't believe me check out their Maxim pictures.  WOW.  Here are some of their sexy shots.
Sexy Nurse Twins, Electra and Elise Avellan
Crazy Babysitter twins get sexy on the couch
Sexy babysitter twins Electra and Elise

sexy Electra Avellan solo
Sexy Electra Avellan Solo

Grimm Love

DVD cover for Grimm Love with Kerri Russell
Grimm Love is based on the notorious German internet cannibal murders. Featuring a story within a story starring Kerri Russell as a student writing her thesis on the case. She researches into the pasts of the two en involved as we watch in flashbacks. Russell becomes more and mote attached to the case. She comes to sympathize with the men and wondering exactly what could drive people to become so lost that cannibalism was the only way they could feel whole.




She hears rumors that a video tape exists of the murder and cannibalism. Her curiosity overcomes her and she sets out on a quest to find the tape that plunges her into the underground world of online cannibalism forums. All the while trying to come to grips with the morality of the crime. IS it murder to kill someone who wants to be killed? Finally she receives a copy of the tape and we watch with her as the act unfolds.



Once again acting on the belief that less is more, the film never gets extremely graphic and is perhaps more disturbing because of this. There is blood, and while the actual act of emasculation is off camera it is none the less disturbing. There are scenes of simulated cannibalism which are not for the faint hearted or weak stomached viewer.



alternate cover for Grimm Love
In the end Russell is sickened by the tape and destroys it. Russell spends the better part of the movie playing at a gothic lifestyle. She is fascinated by the case but coming face to face with the horror, she turns away in revulsion. We can only wonder if she still feels anything toward the characters, other than disgust. It has long been theorized that you can not observe an experiment without affecting it. Grimm Love seems to show that just as well we cannot view and experiment without being affected by it.

Grimm Love is available on DVD from Fangoria's Frightfest imprint.  The avergae horror fan might find it a bit slow and relatively bloodless but the content itself is very disturbing.  Considering this is more realisticaly based on a true story than most true horrors adds to that level of uneasiness.  Most of the facts of the case are presented pretty much truthfully, with the exception of the wrap around featuring Russell.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

The Human Centipede

The Human Centipede

The Human Centipede Poster



Some movies just get hyped too much to ever live up to that hype. In some ways The Human Centipede fits that bill. The film was heavily hyped as the most disturbing film of all time when it opened. The premise of The Human centipede was right out of a bad joke, the cast and director were pretty much unheard of, and it didn’t have a big budget. How could this film be any more than an exploitation film, or most likely a bad joke?



Well after finally getting to view this film, I can say it doesn’t live up to the hype. While it is disturbing and does have some truly cringe worthy moments, it never the less doesn’t have the impact that Martyrs, or Inside has. What it does do is deliver an awesome movie going experience, an experience way beyond the hype.



Director Tom Six resists what had to be a tremendous temptation to make this a blood and gore filled schlock fest. Instead he keeps much of the most disturbing visual footage just out of sight. That in fact is one of the more disturbing aspects. We know what he is doing. He tells us matter of fact exactly what his procedure entails. That works wonders on our brains, letting us imagine far worse than he could accomplish on a limited effects budget.



Likewise he uses the horror cliché of nude girls rather sparingly and effectively. I should point out that even though I say sparingly, the two female leads are topless throughout most of the film. Six however does not use the nudity for titillation but as a device to show that their humanity has been stripped away. The girls remain clothed until after the surgery. Then after the centipede is formed we see them stripped of their clothes their dignity, basically they have become the punch line of a very sick joke. The doctor sees and treats them as a pet and only near the end when they fight back do they regain their humanity and self respect.



Deiter Laser as the mad surgeon is the break out star of the show. He controls the scene whenever he is visible and plays an insane doctor better than anyone since Colin Clive as Dr. Frankenstein. His “feed her” line is being echoed by fans all over the horror realm.



What really makes Laser stand out though is that as vile, evil and horrifying as he is, he still makes you feel some pity for him near the end. The final scene between Akihiro and Laser stands with the final confrontation in Oldboy as one of the finest moments in modern cinema. Looking in the doctors eyes you see that he doesn’t and never can understand Akihiro’s decision. The good doctor thus manages to pull of a tragic character as well as one of the most heinous villains of all time.





It is somewhat sad that Laser’s aggressive over the top performance tends to overshadow the performance of the rest of the cast. The opening scenes of dialogue has a lot to do with this. I had heard criticism from friends about their acting skills and during the first scenes I had to agree. The dialogue was really forced and trite and the girls were very unlikable. However judging the acting skills of Ashlynn Yennie and Ashley C. Williams on these scenes does them a great injustice.



After the surgery their acting is limited to their eyes and they hands. With their eyes only they give perhaps the best acting performance in horror. The final scene with Ashley’s eyes conveys more terror than the best scream in film. Watch the two women’s hands, especially in that final scene. When they grip then one grip slowly loses strength and falls away. Look at the subtle movements, that convey so much.



I got to meet the three cast members who play the centipede at Horrorfind Weekend recently. I was having a hard time with the dichotomy of the horrible acting at the beginning and the acting I witnessed later. They confirmed that it was intentional. Director Tom Six had given them no dialogue and had instructed them to “act like you are on The Hills.” Their goal was to create two unlikable, vain, “typical” American girls and they succeeded. In fact almost all of the dialogue in the film was written by the cast.



I also chatted with the “head” of the centipede Akihiro Kitamura. The girls had told me that he too had improvised much of his dialogue and that they had no idea what he was saying until the film was finished and they were able to read the captions. During the film it had slightly bothered me that they seemed to be able to follow his direction without being able to understand him. It seemed a minor plot problem but somehow knowing that they didn’t know, even that works in it’s favor.

Talking to Akihiro, or Aki as he asked me to call him, I mentioned that the closing scene remained me of Oldboy in ways. It didn’t surprise me to find out he is a big fan of the South Korean film.



His monologue at the end, which was also written completely by him, seems to be an antithesis to the speech by Oh Dai-Su in Oldboy. “Even though I am less than an animal, do I not yet deserve the right to live?” seems to be Dai-Su pleading that he deserves to live, while Akihiro rejects living if he is nothing more than an animal.



Both men come to the conclusion that they have squandered their lives and families. Oh Dai -Su rebels by fighting back and refusing to die. Aki fights back by realizing he cannot escape. The only way he can defeat the doctor is through death. Adding to the tragedy is the fact that he cannot communicate to the other segments that he is condemning them to death. Thus it is up to each individual viewer to decide if this was a selfish or selfless act of defiance.



Meeting the three actors was the highlight of my vacation. This was their first ever convention appearance and they handled it with aplomb. They were friendly, gracious and appreciate of their fans. Aki is so vivacious and just literally explodes with positive energy. Both of the ladies are beautiful, friendly and well spoken. They deserve a lot of credit for taking a role that very well could have ended their career. They also deserve credit for being able to see beyond the punch line and see a role that would test their abilities as actors. Too many young actors sacrifice their body for gratuitous scenes that haunt them, these young ladies sacrificed their modesty and created a work of art and we can only hope that other filmmakers recognize this.



Director Tom Six deserves a lot of credit for using restraint. One of the most chillingly disturbing scenes is when the doctor explains with the help of a very crude diagram exactly what he is going to do. After that we don’t need to see the surgery on the screen, we have already seen it in our heads. He picked and chose what to show and what to leave to the imagination. The scene on the stairs was stomach clinching and nauseating. The angles he chose to shoot of the “centipede” expressed all the pain, humiliation, and despair in the victims. I don’t remember the last time nudity was used so effectively.

Is there weaknesses in the movie? Yes. Dumb dialogue is dumb dialogue and some people will not accept that it was done purposefully. Aki’s dialogue while tied to the bed was kind of weak but again, most of the dialogue was created by the actors not professional writers. Add that to the fact at that point the was desperate and scared. How many of us can create Shakespearean level speech when scared for our life?



The only other flaw that bothered me was when Ashley William’s character chose to go back for her friend instead of escape and send for help. It is a bit illogical but was needed to move the scene forward and also important for transforming her into a hero. Her desire to help her friend, only adds to the tragedy of her fate.



the cast of the Human Centipede and Dixie
The Human Centipede is not a film that everyone can enjoy. It is however not just a punch line. It is a work of art that transcends it’s premise and it’s genre. Roger Ebert is right in many ways it cannot be judged with a thumbs up or thumbs down. It is what it is, and what it is, is a masterpiece of film making. It is scheduled to be released October on DVD and Blu-ray and should soon reach cult status. It does contain violence and some sexual references. There is some profanity and nudity however the nudity is after the surgery and shot tastefully and not explicitly. If you can stomach it give it a watch without any preconceptions about the concept. I think you will be surprised.

Horrorfind Weekend: The con is family

I accept that for a lot of people a convention is just a place to get autographs and meet celebs, others it is just a place to buy cool shit. There is nothing wrong with that, I was once like that and frankly, the convention needs those people to survive. We need massive crowds to support us, the people for whom the con is family.

I write this directly for MY con family. I am sure there are other groups who use HFW and other cons as family reunions. Our families may cross paths from time to time. Some times it extends and the families merge, other times we just wave and keep moving. The Horrorfind family has grown over the years. New people come along, old people move on. We lose touch. Just like a family. Maybe not everyone gets along all the time. We have bumps in the road like any family.

What is Horrorfind Weekend for me? It’s a whole year of emotion, frustration, love and hate crammed into four days. I leave it broken, bruised and bloody from the raw emotion, physically tired but emotionally renewed. Old friendships are rekindled. Secrets are revealed, while others are concealed. Lines are crossed and new ones are drawn. We drink too much, we yell too much, we love too much. We play the hero and the villain, do things we regret or make us feel dirty, but we also do great things. Anyone not in the family will never understand the magic that HFW works in people’s lives. Both good and bad magic can be worked.

We pour everything into this weekend, then we go back to our everyday life. We leave in tears but with smiles on our faces. Some of us have great full lives, others live just to get back to HFW. I have been in both situations. I never intended to make friends when I first stumbled upon this site. I never intended to find a family. Never intended to scream at people I love, hurt people I cared about, care about people I hurt, sing to strangers, hold the people I love while they cried and be held while I cried. Sometimes it is a mixed bag, but like this year it is a catharsis. The smiles outweigh the tears. Friendships that were left to whither have been refortified. New friendships have been forged. I have been a villain, but hopefully also somewhat of a hero. I received what I needed this weekend and hope I had some part in someone else finding what they need.

I know not everyone walked away happy this year, but I hoped they walked away with what they needed to forge ahead another year.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Horrorfind Weekend 12

Packing tonight for HFW. I have neglected the blog for too long but am working on an update, actually several. A review of The Human Centipede (almost finished), review of Grimm Love and The Last Exorcism as well as a recap of HFW. If you have never been to Horrorfind Weekend it's not to late get your ass to Gettysburg