Screener Squad: Totally Killer TOTALLY KILLER MOVIE REVIEW It’s that time of year where people are watching as many horror, thriller, and/or slasher movies as they can for the Halloween season, and we’ve got a new one for you to add to your list. We can sell it to you as simply as this: Scream meets Back to the Future. If that doesn’t hook you, allow us to elaborate. Thirty-five years after the shocking murders of three teens in a small town, an infamous masked killer returns on Halloween night to claim a fourth victim. When 17-year-old Jamie (Kiernan Shipka) comes face-to-face with the… Read More »Screener Squad: Totally Killer read more on One of Us

BLOGTOBER 10/28/2022: EVIL ED

I've been aware of this movie for about 20 years, and I still know almost nothing about it. For me, it's less like a product I consumed, and more like something I experienced, something from another world that I encountered by chance in my endless cycle of renting fistfuls of movies at a time. If you pitched this to me today, I'd have some trepidation; broad parodies made by and for nerds are often condescending, unfunny, and generally just make me wish I were watching the superior movies they clumsily draw upon instead. However, EVIL ED is genuinely weird, a satire of Sweden's long history of censorship whose film references are more than winking asides; often, they're rendered in 3D with fabulous makeup effects and puppetry that have allowed the movie to stick with me all this time.

I should really just buy that Special Ed-ition from Arrow, which is packed with extras that chronicle the development of EVIL ED from short film to the gloriously odd extended feature that stands before us today. Anders Jacobsson's highly original horror-comedy is said to be Sweden's first slasher film, which rings true as its release coincided with the abatement of film censorship in its home country. While film censorship laws weren't officially done away with until 2011, the last film to be cut in Sweden was 1995's CASINO, after which the practice fell appropriately into the shameful past. The Swedish Statens biografbyrå (Cinemabureau of the state) was the oldest film censorship board in the world at the time of its abolition, having been established in 1911 to apply censorship laws so that films circulating in Sweden "shall not include any material that is offensive to public decency or disrespectful to the authorities or private individuals, nor pictures depicting the commission of murders, robberies or other serious crimes, and exhibitions that are open to children shall not include pictures depicting events or situations that are liable to arouse emotions of terror or horror in the audience or for other reasons be considered unsuitable for children to look at." 1996's EVIL ED does its damnedest to break as many of these rules as possible, while making its subject censorship itself.

Mild-mannered Hollywood editor Edward Tor Swenson (Johan Rudebeck) is in for the shock of his life when his employer, European Distributors, transfers him to their Splatter and Gore Department. His new boss Sam Campbell (Olof Rhodin, who is a bit of a show-stealer) assigns Ed the special task of making the popular LOOSE LIMBS slasher franchise acceptable for international export, which will be no small achievement; little does Ed know that his predecessor plunged into insanity and blew himself up with a grenade, declaring himself "just another chunk of meat lost in brainland!" Campbell lends Ed his private holiday cottage so he can focus on this project, but the isolation in combination with the extreme content of the LOOSE LIMBS films soon gets under his skin, and demonic hallucinations urge him to "adjust" not just the movies, but the sickos who create and consume them.

This is probably the most left field association anyone has ever made with EVIL ED, but what we see of the LOOSE LIMBS series always reminds me of the movie-within-a-movie in Atom Egoyan's art house masterpiece THE ADJUSTER. In that movie, Arsinée Khanjian is an employee of a censorship board who, for reasons that are slowly revealed, makes illicit recordings of the material she reviews. You never see the movies she watches, but the audio track effectively creates the worst possible images in your mind's eye, evoking all manner of inhuman depravity in a disturbingly sarcastic tone. Those sounds always reminded me of the endlessly perverse TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2, and later on, of the movies Ed censors in EVIL ED—which is funny, because Chop Top himself, Bill Moseley, voices the killer in LOOSE LIMBS (the character is played on screen by Swedish musician Lars "Vasa" Johansson). What I mean to say is, director Anders Jacobsson's vision of the movie that ruins your mind is pitch-perfect, though interestingly, some of his specific film references are more innocent.

EVIL ED had my full attention from the moment that the unhappy protagonist finds a refugee from Joe Dante's GREMLINS fucking around in his fridge. It looks great, and it's hilarious, and it might be there just because the present film hearts the '80s so hard—it is virtually wallpapered with posters from '80s horror classics, and it refers to that time when there was worldwide hysteria over the potentially harmful effects of home video. But, I like to imagine that the invocation of GREMLINS is sort of a dig at Hollywood releases that were allowed to cross lines that smaller independent movies were punished for. The MPAA's PG-13 rating was invented in part for GREMLINS, which had all-ages appeal despite how scary and splattery it was, and the most impressive image in EVIL ED is a spin on the character of Darkness, played by Tim Curry in Ridley Scott's LEGEND. That big budget Hollywood fantasy may have received a PG rating, but it is unremittingly erotic, full of frightening monsters that would be too much more many youngsters, and who could forget the infernal scene in which Darkness's demonic chef hacks up live prisoners for dinner? Here, Ed's boss transforms into a wonderfully-rendered version of Darkness that commands him to edit not just the LOOSE LIMBS movies, but the corrupt world in which they are so popular. Other images from this film refer to more predictable fare like EVIL DEAD 2 and (I'm pretty sure) THE EXORCIST III, but there is something extra salient about EVIL ED's references to famous gateway horror movies that made their way into video stores more or less unscathed.

If I'm being completely honest, EVIL ED does run out of gas at some point (and, I'd assume, out of money), devolving into scenes of characters chasing each other around in dark buildings as so many movies do. But I'd posit that if a movie offers even a couple of things that you can't forget, then its more anonymous offerings are totally forgivable. Rewatching EVIL ED this time, I didn't remember the duller, more generic bits, but I did remember all of its exciting FX experiments, exuberant performances, and bizarre humor in a lot of detail, and I was so happy to see it all again. This movie may go some way to prove something I rarely feel: that being a fan doesn't have to mean bloating up your movie with predictable easter eggs just for the sake of recognition, and it doesn't have to mean just slavishly repeating "It's just a flesh wound!" or whatever just to reinforce your membership in the cult of your choosing. (EVIL ED is guilty of some of this, but on balance I don't care!) Being a fan can and should push you to greater heights of creativity, and if you do it right, you can convey to your audience the feeling you get from your favorite things. EVIL ED cleverly evokes the special way in which extreme movies can make you feel like you're going crazy, and if you're the kind of fan Anders Jacobsson is, it also reminds you of why you keep chasing that feeling.

So I haven’t seen THIS going around Tumblr yet...

Saw Renfield today. That was certainly an… interesting experience

Get Ready for Chills and Thrills: Aranmanai 4 Set to Hit Screens in April!

Exciting news for Tamil cinema fans! Sundar C's much-anticipated horror-comedy, Aranmanai 4, is all set to make its theatrical debut this April. Starring the dynamic duo Tamannaah and Raashii Khanna alongside Santhosh Prathap in pivotal roles, this fourth installment promises to be a rollercoaster ride of laughter and spine-tingling moments.

Aranmanai franchise has been a runaway success in Tamil cinema, akin to Raghava Lawrence’s Kanchana series. With three blockbuster films under its belt, the franchise has captivated audiences with its unique blend of horror and humor, setting high expectations for its latest offering.

While the exact release date is yet to be announced by the film's producers, Avni Cinemax, fans can expect an unforgettable cinematic experience this April. The anticipation is palpable as Aranmanai 4 gears up to deliver rib-tickling moments and hair-raising thrills, promising to be the ultimate entertainment package for the summer season.

This upcoming installment not only marks the return of the beloved franchise but also reunites director Sundar C with Tamannaah, following their successful collaboration in Action. Additionally, Raashii Khanna, who impressed audiences in the third installment of Aranmanai, makes a thrilling comeback to the franchise.

Although initially slated to feature Vijay Sethupathi, the film underwent casting changes, with the talented Santhosh Prathap stepping into a pivotal role. Joining the ensemble cast are seasoned performers Kovai Sarala, Yogi Babu, and VTV Ganesh, adding further depth to the film's lineup.

As fans eagerly await the release of Aranmanai 4, the film promises to deliver a cinematic spectacle like never before. So mark your calendars and brace yourselves for a cinematic treat filled with laughter, scares, and everything in between!

John Astin and Carolyn Jones - The Addams Family (1964)

LISA FRANKENSTEIN 2024, dir. Zelda Williams

Glorious (2022)

After a breakup, Wes ends up at a remote rest stop. He finds himself locked inside the bathroom with a mysterious figure speaking from an adjacent stall. Soon Wes realizes he is involved in a situation more terrible than he could imagine.

Where to watch: shudder

Rating: 5/10

Jk Simmons being in this is wild.

This was a fun one. Very much a movie that knew what it was and what it was going for. It had a very fun little story and the role reversal was a nice, refreshing take on the eldritch horror motif.

It was very unintentionally hilarious. Its intentional attempts at humor fell almost annoyingly flat, but when it just let its actors go they were delightful.

The movie overstayed its welcome a bit and probably would have done better as a truly short film. Maybe 45 minutes or so.

But overall it was a fun time.

THE SHELF ELVES - NOVEMBER 5TH (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/1395224649-the-shelf-elves-november-5th?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_reading&wp_uname=jennab5566&wp_originator=PEa9lqRlR1pzTNrDobn0RcHGD7qVZiVjVmlz7fTk2SxAjEA3cAXMXVOOUFm7NOBMrKFGd6mqBeHeNjc%2Fw3fU7oNEPL%2BfIN3yiOwtSUInWl9AXeDeA4oQMdg2bXbvFpRR The new toy to hit the shelves this Christmas is the shelf elf. All the parents rush to buy one and soon find strange things happening in the house.

Infestation: Fantastic Fest 2023 - Visitors (Complete Edition) VISITORS (COMPLETE EDITION) MOVIE REVIEW Expanded from director Ken’ichi Ugana’s short, Visitors is the sort of crazed affair that some folks come to Fantastic Fest specifically for: wacky Japanese surreal comedy mixed with genre. In this case, picture Raimi’s original Evil Dead only as this type of madness. The story, such as it is, follows a group of young people who are visiting an old friend who seems to have retreated entirely to his home, and something is wrong with him. Soon, folks are getting transformed into this film’s weirdly adorable version of deadites and before you know it, we… Read More »Infestation: Fantastic Fest 2023 – Visitors (Complete Edition) read more on One of Us

From @hellgatecity: TEASER: An excerpt of Glitch 11 - Boxed In: Listen quickly, as it will only be available in the Feed for a short time💜

Available on all podcasts platforms here.

remembering the time I called american psycho (a satirical film about toxic masculinity) a dark comedy and the overwhelming response was 'oh so u think men killing sex workers is funny? u think THAT'S funny?' like no I find a patrick batemen listening to 'i'm walking on sunshine', killing jared leto while wearing a clear raincoat and giving a dissertation on huey lewis n the news, using 'I need to return some video tapes' to get out of awkward situations, throwing a hissy fit about business cards, dropping a chainsaw down a flight of stairs, thinking an atm is telling him to feed it cats, and crying hysterically under a desk is funny. but thank u for ur wonderful insight

The Beauty Of Death || Scream - ACT I || CHAPTER ONE (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/1337088652-the-beauty-of-death-scream-act-i-chapter-one?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_reading&wp_uname=marcilineemogirl&wp_originator=PBLxotU0FfpiT7ZrIp6LxJgAfnoScyzm9gqUDLvtJDR7rcsXH4xRJKBMFal%2BbYbZ9bb%2B2eEi9D6XtOXjnEFZthB27FCHi5I5%2FI7Wx22tS%2FIhu2Dw7bKNDnj9WtCEVa1S [Billy loomis x male oc x Stu macher] Angel diaz is the best friend of Randy meeks. He's the school photographer , and he likes poetry ,art, and ancient history. People soon started to turn up murdered in woodsboro, and Angel definitely wanted to stay out of that. But Randy meeks had other ideas , he wanted to investigate the Murders and he roped Angel into his plan. Now Randy and Angel are playing detectives, and they find something they shouldn't have. Now they're life's are endangered, and the killers are coming for them. The only problem is......the killers have an unhealthy obsession with Angel. Would the boys be able to make it out? Or would it be too late? Book one completed Book two - "Death will come knocking " || Scream 5-6 || Chad meeks Martin & Ethan Landry

ARMY OF DARKNESS (1992)

When Life Dishes out Lemons, What Onyx the Fortuitous And The Talisman of Soul Does Is....

Coming soon to @fantasiafest is a hilarious #horror #comedy Onyx the Fortuitous And The Talisman of Soul! It's more than a rite of passage for this comedian to be a true #internet sensation!

Screening at the Fantasia Film Festival August 05, 2023 Please click here to purchase tickets Real life YouTube occult celebrity Onyx the Fortuitous has a movie, and the brilliant mind behind this horror comedy is Andrew Bowser. After a successful crowdfunding campaign to get this film made, he’s ecstatic to play an evolution of what Marcus J. Trilbury should become. At the start of the film,…

View On WordPress

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)