Eric Butler's Blog, page 14
March 23, 2022
Are you a Horror Nerd?
I'm working on some projects and I don't have anything super cool to talk about just yet. Except, ,Donn, TX 2002 is the Indie Horror Spotlight in the ,Horror Nerds Facebook Group. It is a private group, so you have to ask to join, but it's a super cool group that focuses on all things horror. If you like horror and are on Facebook, you should join this quickly growing group.
One of the coolest things about writing horror stories/novels have been meeting some of the most amazing people. 2 of them, Brandy & Andy Carroll, are the masterminds behind this group and the monthly focus on Indie horror writers. I hope they know how important they are to all of us Indie writers; their friendship and support make the daily grind of this crazy industry easier.
Sometime in mid-April, I will sit down with them for a virtual interview and we will discuss all things Donn, TX 2002, the indie horror scene, and all the stuff in between. If you are interested in seeing me have a panic attack live on a zoom meeting, make sure to tune in.
That's all I got for now, but I have some big news coming soon.
Thanks for all your support on this page, and with my writing.
March 21, 2022
2004 - Horror gets funny
Not that humor hasn't been prevalent in horror since the beginning, but 2004 saw humor take center stage in several horror-themed movies. Now before we get started, I had to limit the list to 10. I'm swamped, and if I didn't set a number, I'd be here all night. So some of the movies I didn't highlight - Blade 3, Van Helsing, Seed of Chucky, and Darkness.
James Wan's first studio film was a homerun. Saw is one of the most profitable horror films of all time. Although there have been other films that could have been the grandfather of the "torture porn", many find Saw as the start of this sub-genre. Stream it on Starz.
Blurb - Two strangers awaken in a room with no recollection of how they got there, and soon discover they're pawns in a deadly game perpetrated by a notorious serial killer.
https://youtu.be/S-1QgOMQ-ls
Zack Snyder's very first film was the remake of George Romero's classic Dawn of the Dead. The biggest difference was Snyder's changing the speed of the zombies. This is something most zombie films did in the 2000s. Stream it on tubi.
Blurb - A nurse, a policeman, a young married couple, a salesman and other survivors of a worldwide plague that is producing aggressive, flesh-eating zombies, take refuge in a mega Midwestern shopping mall.
https://youtu.be/j69OPw9nFHw
My favorite horror-comedy is Broken Lizard's Club Dread. I love all their movies, but I really thought they were spot on in this slasher/horror joke-fest. The best part about Broken Lizard is their commitment to each genre they tackle with their films. This isn't a spoof like Date Movie, or even Scary Movie, but more of a very funny horror movie. If you have Cinemax you can stream it.
Blurb - When a serial killer interrupts the fun at the swanky Coconut Pete's Coconut Beach Resort--a hedonistic island paradise for swingers--it's up to the club's staff to stop the violence...or at least hide it.
https://youtu.be/e2NILS4EIf8
The 1A of comedy-horror movies is Shaun of the Dead. This is one of the few zombie movies from the 2000s that pay homage to the George Romero version of the slow-moving zombies. George Romero was so impressed with their performance in this movie, he made Simon Pegg & Edgar Wright zombie extras in his film Land of the Dead. Stream it on Starz.
Blurb - The uneventful, aimless lives of a London electronics salesman and his layabout roommate are disrupted by the zombie apocalypse.
https://youtu.be/LIfcaZ4pC-4
When I saw Secret Window in the theater I wasn't impressed, but I watched it recently and have changed my mind. It's a fun, clever thriller. Depp and John Turturro have great chemistry. Stream it on Netflix.
Blurb - A successful writer in the midst of a painful divorce is stalked at his remote lake house by a would-be scribe who accuses him of plagiarism.
https://youtu.be/IfZiVFZEJes
Coming off of the success of Blade 2, Guillermo del Toro tackled another comic book property in Hellboy. Hellboy is based on one of my favorite comics which is inspired by the Cthulhu Mythos of HP Lovecraft. I'm a huge fan of del Toro's vision and unique way to showcase monsters in his films. Check it out on HBOMax.
Blurb - A demon, raised from infancy after being conjured by and rescued from the Nazis, grows up to become a defender against the forces of darkness.
https://youtu.be/kA9vtXbbhVs
I love Alien vs Predator. Like James Cameron, I think it is the 3rd best movie of the franchise. I've already admitted my love of director Paul W.S. Anderson(Event Horizon, Mortal Kombat, Resident Evil). Another big plus is actress Sanaa Lathan in the lead. (If you want to watch a not horror movie, check out Something New.) Stream AVP on tubi.
Bonus Romance Movie Trailer
https://youtu.be/ZPGO2IGjYJs
Blurb - During an archaeological expedition on Bouvetøya Island in Antarctica, a team of archaeologists and other scientists find themselves caught up in a battle between the two legends. Soon, the team realize that only one species can win.
https://youtu.be/Cld40qD7HcY
Renny Harlin(Nightmare on Elm St 4 & Deep Blue Sea) returns to the horror genre in 2004 with Exorcist: The Beginning. He wasn't the first director to film this movie. Paul Schrader completed the first version of the film, but it was lacking in the gore the financiers were expecting. Enter director 2, Renny Harlin. He reshot 90% of the movie. The script was rewritten, and 2 characters were removed. I like this version, but I haven't actually seen the other version(which was released a few years later) to compare the 2. You will have to rent/buy to stream right now but I've seen it pop up on Netflix.
Blurb - Years before Father Lankester Merrin helped save Regan MacNeil's soul, he first encounters the demon Pazuzu in East Africa. This is the tale of Father Merrin's initial battle with Pazuzu and the rediscovery of his faith.
https://youtu.be/eHJEMIYNFFY
Director Takashi Shimizu remade his original Japanese movie Ju-On in the states as The Grudge. Before filming, the cast and crew went through a ceremony to bless them so nothing bad happened to them while filming. You can stream it on Starz & IMDBTv with ads(Prime).
Blurb - An American nurse living and working in Tokyo is exposed to a mysterious supernatural curse, one that locks a person in a powerful rage before claiming their life and spreading to another victim.
https://youtu.be/tqn2t3PefdY
At one time, Ashton Kutcher was meant to rule Hollywood. In fact, it wasn't until he added his name as Producer, that studios considered making The Butterfly Effect. Check it out on HBOMax.
Blurb - Evan Treborn suffers blackouts during significant events of his life. As he grows up, he finds a way to remember these lost memories and a supernatural way to alter his life by reading his journal.
https://youtu.be/B8_dgqfPXFgMarch 16, 2022
A quick story replay - The Setting Sun
Replay from March of 2021 ...
I had an incredible run of stories accepted by Black Hare Press for their 500-word anthologies. I'm thinking the volumes will be released at various times this year. I'll let you know as soon as I do...
That being said, the story I submitted for the 500-word Hell anthology was passed on. So I thought what better place to share it on than here. Let me know what you think...
The Setting Sun
By Eric Butler
Daniel sat at the red light, his fingers tapping the steering wheel in time with the
song playing on the radio. His gaze moved past the traffic light to focus on the setting
sun. His breath caught as the once blue sky transformed into a burst of colors before
fading into darkness. Unease settled over him for a moment. His stomach tightened as
his bowels turned to water.
A car horn blared from behind, giving Daniel a start before he offered a wave
and accelerated through the light. What was I thinking about? He struggled to remember
as he made his way through the neighborhood until he finally pulled into his driveway.
He grabbed the grocery bag and slipped out.
Daniel froze on the top step. The front door sat open, the frame splintered and
broken near the deadbolt strike. A chill settled over him as he stepped forward, pushing
the door open. Clutter littered the hallway as the table for mail lay on its side and
blocked the way.
"Kate?" he called out as he placed the table back against the wall. Daniel stood
still, straining to hear anything. The house stayed quiet, giving off an impression of
complete stillness that reinforced the déjà vu from earlier. "Kate?"
His heart pounded as he advanced down the hall, each step reinforcing his
unease. The house hadn't been this quiet since we brought Natalie home. It was part of
the reason Daniel volunteered to run to the store for formula. A little peace and quiet
was hard to come by. A weak moan sounded from deeper in the house. Daniel rushed
forward, calling his wife's name once again. As he approached their bedroom door, a
weak cry sounded and he burst into the room.
His wife laid on the floor, curled in a ball, her blood slowly pooling around her.
He slipped to her side, his hand hovering over her arm as he studied the damage to her
naked flesh. Is she dead? Daniel's breath caught as he moved her dark hair away from
her face. Her unblinking eye stared blankly ahead.
Whimpers issued from her center, and he pushed past her limp arms to find his
daughter struggling to move. A loud cry sprang past her lips as he pulled the babe away
from her mother. So beautiful...always so beautiful...
Pain bloomed in his back, cutting off his breath. His daughter turned to ash,
slipping through his fingers as tears ran down his cheeks. He studied the three prongs
sticking through his chest as hot breath caressed his neck before a deep voice spoke.
"You know when you offered your soul to see them one more time, I thought
this would grow old. But these tears only get sweeter." A tongue snaked out and licked
Daniel's cheek. "Let's go again..."
Daniel sat at the red light his fingers tapping the steering wheel in time with the
song playing from the radio. Man, they sure are playing this song a lot.
© 2022 Naked Cat Press. All Rights Reserved
My newest novel is ready for you. Get your copy here.
March 14, 2022
2003 sees the return of horror icons and some new franchises are born
My son was born at the end of 2002 and my wife and I worked crazy schedules where we might not really see each other but for a few minutes most days. So, I didn't go to a lot of movies from this point on, until the boy was a bit older and our work schedules straightened out. My wife isn't a fan of horror, so on the rare occasion we could go out to a movie together, it was never gonna be a horror movie. A few of these movies I didn't see until years later either on cable or buying the DVD on sale.
Just like the list for 2002, I found it difficult to pick the "showcase" #1 movie. So know any of the first 4 or 5 could have been 1st, but I decided to give it to a movie I'm not sure I would have considered it horror at the time. But it is one of my favorite movies to rewatch so I'm going to throw it out there.
Before James Mangold tackled Logan, he gave us the gem, Identity. The cast is fantastic: John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Ray Liotta, Alfred Molina, Clea Duvall, John C. McGinley, Rebecca De Mornay, and John Hawkes to name a few. This is the type of movie and book I enjoy, and I was blown away the first time I saw Identity. You can stream it on Netflix.
Blurb - Stranded at a desolate Nevada motel during a nasty rain storm, ten strangers become acquainted with each other when they realize that they're being killed off one by one.
https://youtu.be/TQkG2x3qTf4
Next up is Rob Zombie's first entry into the horror genre, House of 1000 Corpses. It could have been #1 just because it is the beginning of an interesting trilogy and the introduction of a pretty big named director in horror. But honestly, there are some issues with this movie, and even Zombie called the film "a calamitous mess". That said, it's a fun slasher/crazy-ass family film in the vein of Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
The film was made in 2000, but the studio held it until 2003 for release because Universal believed it would get an NC-17 rating. The studio was right but after some cuts. Zombie got it an R rating but in the process, that footage was lost. Stream it on tubi, VUDUfree, and AMC+.
Blurb - Two young couples traveling across the backwoods of Texas searching for urban legends of murder end up as prisoners of a bizarre and sadistic backwater family of serial killers.
https://youtu.be/xbRRD-cD7h4
After 17 scripts were submitted, merged into 1 script, and then discarded for a new script, Freddy Vs Jason was finally made. This would be the last movie Robert Englund played Freddy. They also replaced fan-favorite Kane Hodder and gave the role of Jason to his stunt double from Jason Takes Manhattan.
Funny enough, Rob Zombie was offered to direct this film but turned it down to focus on his House of 1000 Corpses. Even earlier in the process, Peter Jackson was asked to direct. He would also pass. I think this is a fun movie. I also didn't see it until 2021 as a part of the Friday the 13th boxset collection. If you can get a hold of that, I think it's the best way to enjoy all the Jason movies. If not, you can stream it on Netflix or HBOMax.
Blurb - Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees return to terrorize the teenagers of Elm Street. Only this time, they're out to get each other, too.
https://youtu.be/ipbCUW3umJU
I'm not a big fan of vampire movies, but when you make the main one Kate Beckinsale and you stick her in skin-tight leather, I'll make an exception. Then when you see the premise is the vampires are fighting a war with werewolves ... well, director Len Wiseman really couldn't screw up Underworld.
The movie is hard-hitting, fast-paced, and full of bloody action. Its success gave us quite a few action movies in the early 2000s that copied its style. You can stream it on Peacock.
Blurb - Selene, a vampire warrior, is entrenched in a conflict between vampires and werewolves, while falling in love with Michael, a human who is sought by werewolves for unknown reasons.
https://youtu.be/2_IoL7g5Ub8
Jason & Freddy weren't the only horror icons to return to the big screen in 2003 as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is reborn. Primarily a music video director, Marcus Nispel gives us a new, chaotic look at Leatherface and his family of cannibals. I like this version. I saw it in the theater with 2 close friends, and we enjoyed all the craziness laid out for us. You can check it out on Netflix.
Blurb - After picking up a traumatized young hitchhiker, five friends find themselves stalked and hunted by a deformed chainsaw-wielding loon and his family of equally psychopathic killers.
https://youtu.be/janre4HxsX4
Rocking the House of 1000 Corpses & Texas Chainsaw Massacre vibes is Wrong Turn. It also does a good job of channeling early 80s slasher films. I'm a sucker for a brunette and this one gives us Eliza Dushka & Emmanuelle Chriqui plus the always entertaining Jeremy Sisto. You have to rent/buy if you want to stream this one, but it has been on HULU & Netflix in the past.
Blurb - Chris and a group of five friends are left stranded deep in the middle of the woods after their cars collide. As they venture deeper into the woods, they face an uncertain and bloodcurdling fate.
https://youtu.be/naUUyD-_oPc
Final Destination 2 follows the blueprint set up by the original film and delivers a satisfying if unoriginal movie experience. You can check it out on tubi.
Blurb - Kimberly has a premonition of an accident killing multiple people including her and her friends. She blocks the cars behind her on the ramp and as a police trooper arrives, the accident happens. Death is stalking this group of survivors.
https://youtu.be/_S9V0uFGKSs
So Victor Salva wrote the first Jeepers Creepers in a way to dissuade the studio from making a sequel but producer Francis Ford Coppola found a loophole. The creature feeds every 23 years for 23 days, and Coppola suggested simply making the sequel within the same 23 days as the original. So, that's how we got Jeepers Creepers 2. It's a fun sequel, not near as good as the original but with enough difference to add the creature's mythology. It's a rent/buy to watch.
Blurb - Set a few days after the original, a championship basketball team's bus is attacked by The Creeper, the winged, flesh-eating terror, on the last day of his 23-day feeding frenzy.
https://youtu.be/H1IA0LvpEpg
Crispin Glover does a pretty good job as the creepy Willard in this remake of the 70s horror movie. It was originally going for an R rating but the studio had the director tone down the violence and language to get the PG-13 rating in hopes it would draw more people to see it ... it did not. It's a rent/buy to stream video.
Blurb - A young man with an unusual connection to rats uses them at his own sociopathic will.
https://youtu.be/rV0NN2eFVqE
So, I've included Dreamcatcher as #10 but I'm not sure it's a very good movie. All the pieces are there, but in the end, I feel like this is a failure of epic proportions. You have a solid director, Lawrence Kasdan(The Big Chill, French Kiss, Wyatt Earp) using a Stephen King story, and the cast is stacked with talent: Morgan Freeman, Thomas Jane, Timothy Olyphant, Donnie Wahlberg, Damian Lewis, Jason Lee, & Tom Sizemore. Something is still missing. I probably need to see it again, but it took 3-4 tries to finish it the first time. You'll have to pay to stream this one as well, and I would suggest waiting until it's on a service.
Blurb - Friends on a camping trip discover that the town they're vacationing in is being plagued in an unusual fashion by parasitic aliens from outer space.
https://youtu.be/FaAtvjev_SoI could have gone with Scary Movie 3 as #10 but I decided it was just more of the same. If you liked the first 2 then for sure watch the 3rd one. It has some moments.
Also, Cabin Fever & 28 Days Later were listed in the 2002 post but they weren't released in the states until 2003.
March 9, 2022
The Donn, TX 2002 audiobook is here
The Audiobook for Donn, TX 2002 is now available.
Click here to order now.
The mythology of Donn, TX continued to grow with Donn, TX 2002. Click ,here to order.
Check out the book trailer to get a preview of Micah's amazing narration!
https://youtu.be/WQHxtjORcYA
The final chapter of Volume 1 of The Donn, TX Collection is here on ebook &
Kindle Unlimited.
Or you can get the paperback collection of the first volume. It includes 1969, 1865, 1926, and the short story that started it all - Donn, TX 1952
The Donn, TX Collection Volume 1 - Paperback
The Sins of the Past is now available on audiobook. Joff Manning does an incredible job of making my characters come alive.
https://youtu.be/yCzEnOgPxrEHere's the prologue for you to check out ...
https://youtu.be/k-TI90ie8W0,The Sins of the Past Audiobook - Click Here
Don't forget you can order all my novels as a paperback, audiobook, or ebook. Plus all my ebooks are on Kindle Unlimited.
The Shadow Within
The Pope Lick Massacre
The Sins of the Past
A big thank you to everyone who's taken the time to check out one of my books, stories, or blog posts. I can't tell you much I appreciate you choosing to spend your downtime with me. If you have read or listened to one of my books, I'd ask you to leave a review or a rating - if that would be easier. They really are important to the indie writer since the rating system is used for book placement throughout the sights.
You can find my books on Goodreads, Amazon, Bookbub, and Audibles.
March 7, 2022
2002 - a solid year for Horror films.
So after so many years of mainly so-so material, the early 2000s have delivered some classic movies. I think 2002 is loaded and reminded me of the early 80s in terms of top-notch quality/cult status type films. I really had a tough time picking my #1 and really, I believe any of the first 5 could take the top spot. But today, I'm leaning towards ...
One of my favorite directors is Neil Marshall, and his first full-length movie, Dog Soldiers, is one hell of a ride. I'm a sucker for werewolf movies, and this one delivers. I've always been fascinated with special effects in movies, and some of the greatest effects are people transforming into werewolves. It's much easier to do now with CGI, but the creatives of this movie thought CGI was being overused and decided to use practical effects for most of the movie. It also gives us a totally different feel for the creatures themselves, and how the cast reacts to them since they are there. It's not available on any streaming sites right now, but head on over and we can watch the Special Edition Blu-ray.
Blurb - A routine military exercise turns into a nightmare in the Scotland wilderness.
https://youtu.be/UX9S3hdgZ5g
Before Gore Verbinski gave us the Pirates of the Caribbean, he directed one of the most entertaining PG-13 horror films of the 2000s, The Ring. It's the American version of the Japanese movie Ringu. It was so popular it paved the way for a number of remakes of other Japanese horror films. You can stream it on Paramount+.
Blurb - A journalist must investigate a mysterious videotape which seems to cause the death of anyone one week to the day after they view it.
https://youtu.be/yzR2GY-ew8I
Danny Boyle directed The Beach in 2000. It was written by Alex Garland. The first project they did together as a director/writer team was 28 Days Later. They decided the old troupes of the zombie movie were overplayed, and they flipped many of them. The zombies are fast, strong, and no longer hunting for brains. Stream it on HBOMax.
Blurb - Four weeks after a mysterious, incurable virus spreads throughout the UK, a handful of survivors try to find sanctuary.
https://youtu.be/c7ynwAgQlDQ
I'm a big fan of Paul W.S. Anderson(Event Horizon, Mortal Kombat) and developed a super-fan-sized crush on Milla Jovovich when she starred in The Fifth Element, so I was super excited to see them come together to adapt the popular video game Resident Evil. The franchise has gone a bit off the rails, but this first one is a fun and gory representation of the video game experience.
Real life story - This came out 1 week before Blade 2. My wife wasn't going to green-light seeing Resident Evil, but she was okay seeing Blade 2 when it came out. However, the morons at Cinemark who were in charge of which theater got which movie decided E.T. being relaunched deserved the big theater, and Blade 2 sold out before we(party of 5) could get there.
You see, back in the day, you couldn't just get on your phone and reserve the seat you wanted. You had to show up and buy the tickets and then hope you got in there quick enough to get the seats you wanted. So with Blade 2 unavailable, the group decided on Resident Evil. My poor wife went to sleep so she didn't have to deal with it, lol. Sorry honey. Stream it on HBOMax.
Blurb - A special military unit fights a powerful, out-of-control supercomputer and hundreds of scientists who have mutated into flesh-eating creatures after a laboratory accident.
https://youtu.be/kEutwdia8n0
I've already gone on about Wesley Snipes when discussing Blade, but just in case you didn't know, he's one of my favorite actors from the 90s and 2000s. He has so many good movies and Blade 2 is near the top of that list. As awesome as Blade was they were able to turn the dial up to 11 and give us an even better vampire-hunter movie with the 2nd one. Guillermo del Toro hopped on board to direct and really put his creative stamp on the franchise. Check it out on HBOMax.
Blurb - Blade forms an uneasy alliance with the vampire council in order to combat the Reapers, who are feeding on vampires.
https://youtu.be/vAUB7dcUn8o
Bill Paxton's directorial debut is Frailty. He put together a great cast, and it's one of those movies you can watch a number of times and discover something new each time. Stream it on HBOmax.
Blurb - A mysterious man arrives at the offices of an FBI agent and recounts his childhood: how his religious fanatic father received visions telling him to destroy people who were in fact "demons."
https://youtu.be/EPUTRyHbKm0
Dark Castle Entertainment continued its series of horror movies with Ghost Ship. Coming off the success of Thir13en Ghosts, Steve Beck looked to direct The Shining on a cruise ship. He falls short but does give us a fun, spooky movie with a solid cast. You have to rent/buy to stream this one.
Blurb - A salvage crew discovers a long-lost 1962 passenger ship floating lifeless in a remote region of the Bering Sea, and soon notices that its long-dead inhabitants may still be on board.
https://youtu.be/_RlzNBlMQpY
This is a weird one. The Mothman Prophecies is a good movie, but I always find myself scratching my head when I see the cast. I mean Richard Gere and Laura Linney are an odd match, but it works. It's more a thriller than a horror movie but see for yourself. It's a rent/buy to stream.
Blurb - A reporter is drawn to a small West Virginia town to investigate a series of strange events, including psychic visions and the appearance of bizarre entities.
https://youtu.be/Yt42df3AscE
So in 2001, it was decided what Jason Voorhees needed was to get out of the woods and show up in space. In 2002, we got Jason X. While it was a bomb in theaters(not my fault as I saw it opening week with some friends), it made a killing on DVD and is one of the most overall successful films of the franchise. Paramount still refused to allow New Line Cinema the rights to the name Friday the 13th, so they just went with Jason's name. You'll have to rent/buy to stream or we can check it out after we watch Dog Soldiers.
Blurb - Jason Voorhees is cryogenically frozen at the beginning of the 21st century, and is discovered in the 25th century and taken to space. He gets thawed, and begins stalking and killing the crew of the spaceship that's transporting him.
https://youtu.be/Ka8QJjfpw1w
Horror darling Eli Roth's first feature film was Cabin Fever. It had the lowest budget for any Lions Gate Film that year but made the most money. He'd been trying to sell it for years, but studios didn't think horror films could make money, and then Scream happened. After that, they wouldn't buy it because they wanted it more like Scream. It's a rent/buy to stream.
Blurb - Five college graduates rent a cabin in the woods and begin to fall victim to a horrifying flesh-eating virus, which attracts the unwanted attention of the homicidal locals.
https://youtu.be/Sieu-nuNnrQ
Just like Sixth Sense, I don't think Signs is a horror movie, but some do. Check it out on tubi.
Blurb - A widowed former priest living with his children and brother on a Pennsylvania farm finds mysterious crop circles in their fields, which suggests something more frightening to come.
https://youtu.be/dUw26F0WfLg
After directing the great Pitch Black, David Twohy did Below. The script was co-written by Darren Aronofsky(Requiem for a Dream, Mother!). It may have slipped past viewers since the studio wanted scenes cut to get a PG-13 rating. The director refused, and the studio buried it with little-to-no advertising. It's a rent/buy to stream.
Blurb - Strange happenings occur on a WW II submarine.
https://youtu.be/WHs1wxDeqQc
Another movie that may have slipped by you is Eye See You(also known as D-Tox). It got in the doghouse at Universal and was shelved for 3 years. There were reshoots, changes to the ending, and title changes but they couldn't seem to get it right. Eventually, they gave it a limited release and quickly sent it to video. It's in line with the Silence of the Lambs in terms of a horror film for me, but since that counted, I guess this does also. I like the movie and have watched it many times since its release. You can check it out on VUDUfree & tubi.
Blurb - A lead detective being stalked by a serial killer is asked to check into a clinic treating law enforcement officials who can't face their jobs.
https://youtu.be/WlqhD78v3t0March 2, 2022
With all this talk of Red Dawn lets look at 5 war movies the Sheens you need to see.
With all the talk of WW3 just around the corner, many people have referenced one of the most entertaining movies of the 80s, Red Dawn. Now we aren't there just yet, but I wanted to give you 5 other war movies to watch staring members of the Sheen family - since Charlie is a part of this American classic. Hope these can distract you.
First up is my favorite Vietnam War movie, Platoon, which stars Charlie Sheen.
Blurb - Chris Taylor, a neophyte recruit in Vietnam, finds himself caught in a battle of wills between two sergeants, one good and the other evil. A shrewd examination of the brutality of war and the duality of man in conflict.
Written and directed by Olive Stone, this movie was an Oscar darling. He was the first Vietnam vet to direct a studio movie about the war. He wrote his first script for the film in 1971 and gave it to Jim Morrison to read. He hoped to cast the singer in the role Charlie Sheen eventually earned.
The cast was filled with some of the top talent of the day, and a number of up-and-comers. You had Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Keith David(The Thing), Forest Whitaker, Kevin Dillon(The Blob), John C. McGinley, Johnny Depp(Nightmare on Elm St), and Tony Todd(Candyman) to name a few.
Stone cast Berenger(usually the hero) & Dafoe(usually the villain) against type, and they delivered. This earned them both Oscar nominations. you can check it out on Prime
https://youtu.be/hGsyEkfjhQkNext up is Navy Seals. Charlie Sheen & Orion Pictures team up again to give us straight 90s gold.
Blurb - A battle-hardened SEAL Team sets off on a mission to destroy a shipment of US-built Stinger missiles that have fallen into terrorist hands.
This is another over-the-top action movie like the many that dominated the mid-to-late 80s. It's also another ensemble cast, bringing Sheen, Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, and Denis Haysbert. I think Clerks summed it up best ...
https://youtu.be/_GXzknyVQ8IThat said - turn off your brain, get some popcorn, and enjoy a good shoot-up flick. You need Max to stream it, or it's a rent/buy movie.
https://youtu.be/J8Ygd0lpqVgNext up is Cadence. It's more of an Army movie than a war movie, but both Martin & Charlie Sheen are fantastic. This movie also gives us a Larry Fishburne Martin Sheen reunion.
Blurb - Charlie Sheen plays a rebellious inmate in an Army stockade.
Originally the role of McKinney was supposed to be played by Gary Busey, but he had a bit of an issue back then that led to erratic behavior. Martin Sheen, who was directing the film, stepped in to fill the role. I'm glad he did. It gives the relationship dynamic between his character & Charlie's character that would have been missing with Busey in the role. There's an underlying vibe of family disappointment and distrust that really hums between the two.
I think this movie spoke to me because I always have felt a bit like the Sheen character - a fish out of water. As a military brat, you can find your whole life changed in a blink of an eye. You can go from one situation in life to another, and if you can't adapt ... well, life can get difficult quickly. Sometimes that means embracing people different than you, or standing up to people you thought were on your side. It's a rent/buy movie, but I've seen it pop up on HULU.
https://youtu.be/LgGat7nYiNwNot to be outdone, Martin Sheen's other son, Emilio Estevez, directed and starred with his pops in a Vietnam movie that dealt with the soldier's life after he came home called The War at Home.
Blurb - Haunted by his experiences in the Vietnam War, a young man returns home and has trouble adjusting back to civilian life, his family and his stern father.
To get funding for the film, Estevez appeared in Mighty Ducks 3 for free. This ended up backfiring as the studio did little to no advertising, and Estevez had to call in a number of favors to get the movie where he wanted it. The trailer doesn't do it many favors, making it look like a made-for-TV movie from the 80s.
If I'm being honest, I always thought it was a made for Showtime movie since that's where I saw it and vaguely remember it being billed as such. It's not on any service right now, but it's worth a watch when it does pop up.
https://youtu.be/fSVfEcm76hULast up is the classic Apocalypse Now - Redux. Estevez's cameo was cut so it only has Martin Sheen.
You have 3 versions of this film you can enjoy: the original, the Redux version from 2001, and the 2019 Final Cut. I prefer the Redux version, but they are all good. In fact, if you've already seen this movie but love movie lore, there is a documentary that is must-see, Heart of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse. You can watch the original on Netflix.
https://youtu.be/CxENJ2LwecYFebruary 28, 2022
The horror genre looks up in 2001
After seeing just how terrible the 90s(especially the first half) was at producing quality horror films, it is refreshing to see 2000 & 2001 contribute some really good movies to the genre. One of my absolute favorites leads the charge ...
So first off, yes the writer/director is a scumbag. All my positives will be on the movie & the acting. Jeepers Creepers is one of my all-time favorite horror movies. I'm a big fan of the creature features from Hollywood's golden age. This always felt like an updated version of those fun films. I love the fact the two main characters are siblings, something not done near enough. Justin Long & Gina Philips give us a believable relationship between family members, and this eliminates the need for there to be sexual tension or budding romance. This allows us to focus on the main point of the movie - escaping the monster.
And what a monster we have. I love when a new monster/killer is introduced into the genre, and the Creeper does not disappoint. The character itself is super creepy and downright terrifying once it starts to hunt the siblings. Its truck adds to the horror and gives the viewer a fun introduction to all 3 characters. They're about to do a reboot, so hopefully, they can make up for the sequels (2 is okay, but 3 is unwatchable). You'll have to rent/buy to stream it, but on occasion, it does pop up on Prime & Netflix.
Blurb - A brother and sister driving home through isolated countryside for spring break encounter a flesh-eating creature which is in the midst of its ritualistic eating spree.
https://youtu.be/akFUWf5xe6k
Dark Castle Entertainment got another hit by remaking the 1960 classic 13 Ghosts - written like Thir13en Ghosts. Steve Beck's first time in the director's chair led to a box-office hit, but the movie did make it onto Ebert's Most Hated list. It followed the Scream format and scored young talent with Shannon Elizabeth & Matthew Lillard, but also threw in Tony Shalhoub (TV's Monk) as the lead. It is weird to see him running around touching stuff. Check it out on Netflix & HBOMax
Blurb - When Cyrus Kriticos, a very rich collector of unique things, dies, he leaves house and fortune to his nephew and his family. While they're inside, they find they are not alone.
https://youtu.be/Xj1LWNgG0Ng
Jake Gyllenhaal is great in Donnie Darko, but he wasn't the first choice. Vince Vaughn turned it down because of his age, Mark Wahlberg would only do it with a lisp, and Jason Schwartzman dropped out because of a scheduling conflict. This movie almost didn't get to see theatrical release but Christopher Nolan helped secure one. Stream it on HBOMax.
Blurb - After narrowly escaping a bizarre accident, a troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a man in a large rabbit suit who manipulates him to commit a series of crimes.
https://youtu.be/ZZyBaFYFySk
I'm a sucker for Jack the Ripper movies, and From Hell scratches that itch. The Hughes Brothers bring to life the amazing graphic novel by Alan Moore and give us another great performance by Johnny Depp. The movie took 3 years to complete, and the only issue I ever had with it was casting Heather Graham. It's as bad as casting Cameron Diaz in Gangs of New York. I mean she's fine and was one of the hot names at the time, but there had to be a better choice. You will have to rent/buy to see it, but it does pop up on Netflix or Hulu every once in a while.
Blurb - In Victorian-era London, a troubled clairvoyant police detective investigates the murders of Jack the Ripper.
https://youtu.be/EpOwhXPhPQ8
Before Christophe Gans directed Silent Hill(coming soon), he directed a fun and entertaining action-horror-mystery French film named Brotherhood of the Wolf. Universal paid $2million to distribute it in the US. and made a cool $11.5million in limited release. This makes it the 6th highest-grossing French film in America. Stream it on AMC+ & Shudder.
Blurb - In 18th-century France, the Chevalier de Fronsac and his Native American friend Mani are sent to the Gevaudan province at the king's behest to investigate the killings of hundreds by a mysterious beast.
https://youtu.be/RAGfNjIzldM
Coming from Moulin Rouge!, Nicole Kidman's next project was The Others. This gloomy, period piece left her with nightmares, and she struggled to find the necessary emotional reserves to tackle the material at first. She tried to quit during rehearsals but came back. It ended up being a good decision as the movie is one of the highest-grossing horror films of all time. It is unavailable to stream, but you can find it on DVD and Blu-Ray.
Blurb - A woman who lives in her darkened old family house with her two photosensitive children becomes convinced that the home is haunted.
https://youtu.be/C7pKqaPtMiA
While I never thought of movies like Silence of the Lambs, Cell, or Se7en as horror movies, I've always thought that way of Conspiracy. In truth, it is a war movie, a period piece, but in my eyes, it is one of the scariest movies I've ever seen. It is truly chilling to watch the men at this conference discuss what they termed the "Jewish Question". Kenneth Branagh is absolutely chilling as the no-nonsense General Reinhard Heydrich. You can stream it on HBOMax.
Side note Trivia - Movie debut of Tom Hiddleston
Blurb - At the Wannsee Conference on January 20, 1942, senior Nazi officials meet to determine the manner in which the so-called "Final Solution to the Jewish Question" can be best implemented.
https://youtu.be/vyxk965WAGA
After telling us there would be no sequel, Scary Movie did so well the studio asked the creators to do it again - in only about 9 months. Some say this is why Scary Movie 2 isn't as strong as the first one. I think it's as funny as the first one and does a good job spoofing the movies that involved possessions & haunted houses. You can see for yourself if you have Showtime or want to buy it.
Blurb - Four teens are tricked by Professor Oldman (Tim Curry) into visiting a haunted house for a school project.
https://youtu.be/zCFZUZxBVuI
As I stated above, I never thought Lambs was a horror film, but since many do, I have to think they would include Hannibal. I've only seen it the one time in theaters. I can't stand Julianne Moore - who replaces Jodie Foster. I have to assume she's terrible, but maybe I need to give it another chance. Hard to believe Ridley Scott directed this. Stream it on Starz.
Blurb - Living in exile, Dr. Hannibal Lecter tries to reconnect with now disgraced F.B.I. Agent Clarice Starling, and finds himself a target for revenge from a powerful victim.
https://youtu.be/Lr3OavheNu0
I think it's important to get this out of the way, Ghosts of Mars isn't a good movie. The cast is incredible: Ice Cube, Natasha Henstridge, Jason Statham, Pam Grier, and Clea Duvall. And with John Carpenter at the helm, you would expect this to be a fun, action, horror movie. It falls flat.
John Carpenter said in interviews, after the fact, that he was trying to be over-the-top and silly with every aspect of the film. He wanted it to remind us of the action movies of the 80s, where you suspended your belief and just enjoy the eye candy in front of you. He did a poor job letting the audience know what he was going for, and in the end, almost everyone sees this as a bomb. So much in fact, that Carpenter left Hollywood, claiming burnout and wouldn't return to make a movie within the studio system for 9 years.
Now, this was supposed to be the third installment of Snake Plissken but Escape From LA had bombed so bad, the studio wouldn't greenlight it. Instead, the character's name was changed. It might have been a better movie if it was included to be part of a trilogy. Check it out on HULU.
Blurb - In 2176, a Martian police unit is sent to pick up a highly dangerous criminal at a remote mining post. Upon arrival, the cops find that the post has become a charnel house.
https://youtu.be/XbmFwk8n0f0
Stuart Gordon(Re-Animator, From Beyond) returns to his Lovecraft roots with Dagon. Of course, while it has the title of one of Lovecraft's most popular stories, it more resembles "The Shadow Over Innsmouth". He had planned on making it in 1985 right after Re-Animator but was forced into a different direction. You can stream it on tubi & VUDUfree.
Blurb - A boating accident runs a young man and woman ashore in a decrepit Spanish fishing town which they discover is in the grips of an ancient sea god and its monstrous half human offspring.
https://youtu.be/PfrX8hDn2eo
I haven't seen Session 9. It slipped through the cracks, but it seems that most people who did see it, love it. I'm including it to remind me to go find it and watch it. It has a strong cast, a good director, and a perfect setting for a horror movie. The only thing that may give me pause, is I am planning to write a horror tale in an abandoned mental hospital and might want to finish it first before I see it all laid out. This is a rent/buy to see.
Blurb - Tensions rise within an asbestos cleaning crew as they work in an abandoned mental hospital with a horrific past that seems to be coming back.
https://youtu.be/4s-5eJq47bYFebruary 23, 2022
Ebooks, Paperbacks, and Audiobooks - I've got you covered
I've been busy working on ways to make all the books available to readers no matter their preference. I've also been cleaning up some issues in hopes of improving the readers experience. I wanted to let you know what's been going on.
I'm a day or so away from approving the audiobook for Donn, TX 2002. I'd estimate it being available in about 12 days. I reformatted The Shadow Within to clean up some of the issues caused by the original font choice. The Pope Lick Massacre has been through a light edit. The writing itself hasn't been changed, but the punctuation or spelling misprints have been cleaned up. I have signed copies available of all 5 paperbacks on top of the amazing ebooks, regular paperbacks, and audiobooks for your horror-loving pleasure. If you are interested in a signed copy, the best way to make sure I know is to message me on Facebook - click ,here.The mythology of Donn, TX continued to grow with Donn, TX 2002. Click ,here to order.
Check out the book trailer to get a preview of Micah's amazing narration!
https://youtu.be/WQHxtjORcYAThe final chapter of Volume 1 of The Donn, TX Collection is here on ebook &
Kindle Unlimited.
Or you can get the paperback collection of the first volume. It includes 1969, 1865, 1926, and the short story that started it all - Donn, TX 1952
The Donn, TX Collection Volume 1 - Paperback
The Sins of the Past is now available on audiobook. Joff Manning does an incredible job of making my characters come alive.
https://youtu.be/yCzEnOgPxrEHere's the prologue for you to check out ...
https://youtu.be/k-TI90ie8W0,The Sins of the Past Audiobook - Click Here
Don't forget you can order all my novels as a paperback, audiobook, or ebook. Plus all my ebooks are on Kindle Unlimited.
The Shadow Within
The Pope Lick Massacre
The Sins of the Past
A big thank you to everyone who's taken the time to check out one of my books, stories, or blog posts. I can't tell you much I appreciate you choosing to spend your downtime with me. If you have read or listened to one of my books, I'd ask you to leave a review or a rating - if that would be easier. They really are important to the indie writer since the rating system is used for book placement throughout the sights.
You can find my books on Goodreads, Amazon, Bookbub, and Audibles.
February 21, 2022
Horror movies - In the year 2000 ...
So I'm only going to do 10 movies from here on out unless there's just something truly deserving. So not making this list are movies like What Lies Beneath, The Cell, The Gift, Faust, and horrible sequels to Blair Witch & Urban Legends. Some of these, I never considered horror but they are billed that way today. Others I just don't care for or they are terrible money grabs like the sequels. First up is one of my all-time favorites.
So I love, love, love Pitch Black. I love the idea of a known killer getting loose with a bunch of passengers on a ship. I love the science fiction elements. I love the introduction of the monsters to really ramp up the story. I love the cast - many relatively unknown or up-and-comers at the time- Vin Diesel, Cole Hauser, and Radha Mitchell; plus Keith David is great as always. The director, David Twohy, is a big-name screenwriter and this movie blossomed out of his rejected idea for the Alien 3 movie. You can stream it on Peacock Premium.
Blurb - A commercial transport ship and its crew are marooned on a planet full of bloodthirsty creatures that only come out to feast at night. But then, they learn that a month-long eclipse is about to occur.
https://youtu.be/fIeSV4i7bxQ
Final Destination is a close #2 for the 2000 releases. It was originally going to be an X-Files episode, but writer/director James Wong was able to get it green-lit for the big screen. It takes a page out of the Scream playbook and gives us a hot, young cast. Throw in the "Candyman" Tony Todd as death, and you got a fun, and engaging whose gonna die next kind of movie. As the wife and I had just married, she was still up to giving these movies a try and even she got a kick out of some of the death scenes. You will have to rent/buy to watch but it's worth it.
Blurb - Alex Browning is among a group of high school students readying themselves for a trip to Europe. When he suddenly has a premonition their airplane will crash, he screams to warn the others but instead he is thrown off of the plane.
https://youtu.be/lP4Psj7d1ZI
Mary Harron directed American Psycho based on the Bret Easton Ellis book of the same name. Many considered this career suicide for Christian Bale, but his performance is so perfect that it had the opposite effect. It skyrocketed him into a number of leading roles and an eventual Oscar win. It's a rent/buy to view, and worth every penny.
Blurb -A wealthy New York City investment banking executive, Patrick Bateman, hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he delves deeper into his violent, hedonistic fantasies.
https://youtu.be/81mibtQWWBg
The Ninth Gate is one of the many times you must separate the art from the artist. Roman Polanski is a genius director and a horrible human being. I wonder how many thought I was going to go off on Depp - who got railroaded by an overzealous press before the truth came out about his wife(ex-wife?).
This is also one of those movies that simply gets better with each viewing. One thing Polanski does well is location shots, especially in Europe, and this movie is just breathtaking to watch. Johnny Depp is spectacular as the sleazy book dealer, and Frank Langella is perfect in his role throughout the film. It's a slow burn film, reminiscent of the occult films of the late 60s and throughout the 70s. You can watch it on tubi, VUDUfree, and the IMDB/Prime app.
Blurb - A rare book dealer, while seeking out the last two copies of a demon text, gets drawn into a conspiracy with supernatural overtones.
https://youtu.be/IKc1n-nIIx0
So in 2000, Warner Brothers released a newer version of the hit classic The Exorcist in theaters. They updated some effects and added a scene here and there that couldn't be pulled off in 1973. My best friend and I got to see this opening week, and it is always cool to catch these horror classics on the big screen. You can stream the original on Netflix.
Blurb - When a 12-year-old girl is possessed by a mysterious entity, her mother seeks the help of two priests to save her.
https://youtu.be/87LROKz_7XM
2 movies in the year 2000 had scenes that made me laugh so hard that all the people in the theater started to laugh with me. The first was a scene from Little Nicky - which actually helped the movie since many there didn't laugh at all during the Adam Sandler movie. The other was Scary Movie. This is Airplane-level spoofing genius and really did a knock-up job killing Scream and all the Scream knock-offs. You can stream it on Showtime and it pops up now and then on Netflix.
Blurb - A year after disposing of the body of a man they accidentally killed, a group of dumb teenagers are stalked by a bumbling serial killer.
https://youtu.be/HTLPULt0eJ4
Okay so Dracula 2000 doesn't hold up as well as I hoped, but I was a fan in 2000. The cast is really great - Gerard Butler, Johnny Lee Miller, Christopher Plummer, Omar Epps, Shane West, Jeri Ryan, Nathan Fillion, and one of my big-time movie crushes Jennifer Esposito. It's Dracula using the Scream blueprint, but there are some cringe-worthy moments. Stream it on Paramount+.
Blurb - A group of thieves breaks into a chamber expecting to find paintings, but instead they release the count himself, who travels to New Orleans to find his nemesis' daughter, Mary Van Helsing.
https://youtu.be/UrW2wng-MYc
I'm a fan of Nosferatu and a fan of this movie, Shadow of the Vampire, which tries to give us a what-if backstory to the classic vampire tale. By this time, I feel Malkovich is just playing the same character over and over again, but Dafoe is brilliant as Max Schreck, who just might be a vampire himself. Doesn't seem to be streaming anywhere right now, but if you get a chance, it's worth a stop down.
Blurb - The filming of Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922) is hampered by the fact that its star Max Schreck is taking the role of a vampire far more seriously than seems humanly possible.
https://youtu.be/_B15iesNMa8
Ginger Snaps is a clever take on the werewolf genre. It was the 5th highest-grossing Canadian film in 2000. The director was against any CGI and insisted all special effects be handled the old-fashioned way. Stream it on tubi, VUDUfree, and Peacock.
Blurb - Two death-obsessed sisters, outcasts in their suburban neighborhood, must deal with the tragic consequences when one of them is bitten by a deadly werewolf.
https://youtu.be/lRXT1J0kqdY
Wes Craven returns to give us Scream 3. Kevin Williamson was so bogged down with other projects, he only gave an outline to Ehran Kruger who basically ignored it. Craven had to rewrite several scenes to get the characters to match their previous performances. Craven also filmed 3 endings and told no one which was the actual one. The studio was terrified of leaks and played it very close to the vest for the last part of the trilogy. You can stream with amc+.
Blurb - While Sidney and her friends visit the Hollywood set of Stab 3, the third film based on the Woodsboro murders, another Ghostface killer rises to terrorize them.
https://youtu.be/au0NU6YbN7Q
