Review: Bruno Mattei’s THE JAIL: THE WOMEN’S HELL on DVD

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Review: Bruno Mattei’s THE JAIL: THE WOMEN’S HELL on DVD

Italian sleaze master Bruno Mattei’s nasty exploitation cheapie THE JAIL: THE WOMEN’S HELL on DVD.

I vividly recall the first time I saw Bruno Mattei’s 1980 cannibal zombie chunk-blower HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD (aka ZOMBIE CREEPING FLESH).

It was a rental, during one of my early teenage movie parties, wherein my fellow fright fans and I would borrow a stack of shockers for the night, eat a bucket of bad food and hope to heaven that we’d get the shite scared out of us. And while my more conventional compadres would mostly select mainstream American films, usually of the Freddy/Jason/The Shape variety, I would always poison the well with my selections, which were almost always some sort of Eurotrash extravaganza, usually one I’d read about in GOREZONE magazine via the pens of Tim Lucas or Chas. Balun.

One night I pushed to pick up NIGHT OF THE ZOMBIES, which I knew was Italian and had seen reviewed in Mick Martin and Marsha Porter’s Video and Movie Guide, slapped with the dreaded “turkey” rating and condemned as “just one big, long cannibal fest”.

Sounded fine to me!

Unfortunately for my friends, NIGHT OF THE ZOMBIES was just too much for their delicate sensibilities. Even I was heavy of jaw after absorbing this one. The fact that it played out like a skid-row version of DAWN OF THE DEAD (complete with the Goblin score, which, along with cues from CONTAMINATION and BUIO OMEGA, were licensed by the producers) was one thing, but the movie astonished primarily because, between the gross-outs, half of it was comprised of grainy stock footage left over from a National Geographic expedition. Slow-motion birds, hopping marsupials and grease-painted ghouls make for strange bedfellows. My pals were aghast at what they deemed the worst movie they’d ever seen and my rental-pick power was suspended for some time.

But like all of us who groove on this stuff, I kind of fell in love with the film. There was a tacky energy to it; something inept, yet honest and wonderfully low-rent. The film was credited to director Vincent Dawn, which is, of course, Mattei’s anglo pseudonym and I soon looked for more Mattei fool’s gold, hidden under whatever name he opted to use. Stuff like the gritty RATS (which has the most absurd and oddly disturbing ending ever), the histrionic THE OTHER HELL (evil nuns and more recycled Goblin music!) and the earthy THE TRUE STORY OF THE NUN OF MONZA (which is like a crack-house baby made by Borowczyk and Pasolini). And these titles are just the ones I could find. Indeed, Mattei’s catalog runs deep. And dirty.

And though he passed away in 2007, Mattei recently found a new lease on life via Severin’s grubby kid sister imprint InterVision, which recently released the sleaze kingpin’s double-dose of Philippines lensed, shot on video junkfests ISLAND OF THE LIVING DEAD and ZOMBIES: THE BEGINNING, both co-written by Antonio Tentori (DRACULA 3D) and both released in the last year of his life. Those gory, macho, donut-budgeted cheapies proved that, despite nearly four decades in the business, Mattei had learned little about quality (and about seamlessly blending stock footage; there are chunks of CRIMSON TIDE jarringly jammed into the latter title!) and God bless him for that.

InterVision goes another round with 11th hour Bruno with his 2006 greaseball gem THE JAIL: THE WOMEN’S HELL a truly astonishing, similarly shot on video in the Philippines, Italian throwback exploitation film (credited to Vincent Dawn) that has to be seen to be believed. Even then, you may not believe it. Channeling the crass, misogynistic Nazisploitation and Women-in-Prison gems of his early years, THE JAIL sees Mattei throwing every vulgarity at the fluid-stained wall and praying some of it sticks. So relentless is the depravity in the film however, that none of it truly offends; rather it’s kind of, dare we say, charming?

The film once more stars Mattei’s Filipino go-to-girl, the delectable Yvette Yzon, as one of a gaggle of gals who end up in dunghill women’s prison hellhole called The House of Lost Souls (HG Wells just did jumping jacks in his tomb) and are promptly abused, beaten, humiliated, raped, shot (then raped!), molested by snakes and raped again by lesbians. It just never stops. And then, just when you think Mattei and Tentori can’t bash our brains in any further, the entire enterprise somehow morphs into yet another riff on THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME.

THE JAIL sports some of the most outrageous, ham-acting I’ve ever seen in an Italian exploitation flick and that’s saying something. Outside of the operatically malevolent guards, cackling away in the thralls of depravity, whoever oversaw their English dub must have gotten the cast loaded and had a party. It’s just insane. There are no words. All I can say is that by the end of THE JAIL, I felt like I had been shot into another dimension. It makes Mattei’s notoriously sick Nazi/WIP opus WOMEN’S CAMP 119 (which featured footage of real concentration camps) seem restrained.

But again, it must be stressed that no matter how revolting Mattei’s work gets, none of it is ultimately offensive. Maybe that’s because Bruno was, by the accounts of people I know who knew him very well, a sweet guy. A smart guy. A decent guy who made a living making indecent films. THE JAIL: THE WOMEN’S PRISON is a perfect final act capper to one of the liveliest and faux-filthy careers in all of Eurotrashville. Recommended…but not to everyone, obviously.

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The Diabolical Lands in Theaters this Friday

AnythingHorror Central

The Diabolical Lands in Theaters this Friday

The upcoming horror-thriller THE DIABOLIC will be landing in theaters and Digital HD this Friday, October 16, 2015, and with the DVD release on Monday, October 19, 2015. THE DIABOLIC is directed by Alistair Legrand, is written by Legrand and Luke Harvis, and stars Ali Larter, Max Rose, and Chloe Perrin. Check out the press release:

The Diabolical is the petrifying new film from hot new genre producer Ross Dinerstein, the man behind ‘The Pact’ franchise and Xavier Gens’ cult favourite ‘The Divide’. 

The Diabolical follows Madison, a single mother of two, who is awoken nightly by an increasingly strange and intense presence. She seeks help from her scientist boyfriend Nikolai, who begins a hunt to destroy the violent spirit that paranormal experts are too frightened to take on themselves. 

The Diabolical puts the constant dread and startling twists found in the ‘The Others’ alongside the relentless terror of ‘The Conjuring’.

Dig the trailer:

Stay Bloody!!!

Filed under: Breaking News, New Posting, Upcoming Releases

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Theater Review: CARRIE “THE KILLER MUSICAL EXPERIENCE”

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Theater Review: CARRIE “THE KILLER MUSICAL EXPERIENCE”

SHOCK’s Heidi Honeycutt drops the bucket on the LA production of CARRIE: THE KILLER MUSICAL EXPERIENCE.

The advertising for the Los Angeles musical CARRIE: THE KILLER MUSICAL EXPERIENCE calls it “immersive,” and that’s not an overstatement. The production’s scenic designer Stephen Gifford has transformed the 84 year-old Los Angeles Theater in Downtown LA into a high school gym populated by telepathic outcast Carrie White, her creepy deranged mother Margaret, the spiteful Chris Hargensen, teen dream Tommy Ross, and regretful (oh, so very regretful) Sue Snell. This musical version of Stephen King’s terrifying story is written by the screenwriter of the original 1976 film, Lawrence D. Cohen, and is directed by Brady Schwind.

CARRIE: THE KILLER MUSICAL EXPERIENCE is not a spoof, nor is it amateurish; it’s acted superbly and sung beautifully. The main set pieces, though minimal, are accompanied by strategic and thoughtful lighting and special effects that break the barrier between the audience and the stage. There actually is no stage, really; the actors perform in the middle of the high stands of auditorium bleachers built to seat the audience. Perhaps most impressive are the aerial stunts in which Chris (played by Valerie Rose Curiel) is tossed up in the air by Carrie’s telepathic anger at the climax of the prom, or when the “windows” above the bleachers break, raining down broken glass (aluminum confetti) on top of the audience’s heads.

Sadly, this most amazing and scariest of scenes (both of the original film and book) is given such short attention, rushing past the gore and violence extremely quickly. Likewise, when Carrie comes home, covered in blood, and has the ultimate showdown with her mother (Misty Cotton), it all goes by so fast – much faster than in either film version. This is, I’m sure, due to the director’s choices, but if the first half of the musical weren’t extremely long and filled with character-building songs about high school and first love, I wouldn’t have minded that the horror aspects of the musical were so few and far between. Attempts at emulating the De Palma slow motion and split screen direction are there, but rare. When they are included, the effect is pretty awesome and surreal.

Fans of the novel Carrie, the original film CARRIE, and even the remake, will notice the empty feeling at the end when there’s really not much blood or violence. I mean, it is a live musical, so of course there are limitations to what they can show. There are no hands sticking up out of gravestones, no bloody bathtub cleansing, no succession of telepathic knives sticking Margaret to the crucifix, no burning house falling down over Carrie at the end of the story, and, most sad of all, just a minuscule amount of blood is dumped on Carrie at prom. If these changes are not because they wanted to “tone it down,” then they must be because they simply could not perform these scenes with the limitations of live theater.

Amazing, amazing performances by Misty Cotton as Margaret White and Emily Lopez as Carrie White make up for this. The captivating Garrett Marshall as Billy Nolan and Valerie Rose Curiel as Chris Hargensen are great foils to bland Tommy Nolan and Sue Snell, played by the so-so Jon Robert Hall and Kayla Parker.

The music, which was originally written in the 1980s, feels fairly timeless but is a reminder of the fantastic history of the musical itself. During its premiere 1988 run in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, actress Barbara Cook was nearly decapitated on an elaborate set (which makes the fact that THIS version of the musical has such elaborate sets pretty exciting. Maybe someone will be decapitated? I mean, that would be horrible). It was a flop on Broadway later that year, and it wasn’t until 2012 that it was finally revived.

Now, playing in Los Angeles this month and part of November 2015 at the historic Los Angeles Theater in Downtown LA, the production has taken full advantage of the new location to fully engross the audience. The theater itself, built in 1931 in the French Baroque style, is dazzling, with countless rooms, such as a ballroom and elaborate restrooms, and has been infiltrated to become a sort of CARRIE-themed haunted house. The production has created a faux pig farm tableau, Carrie’s bedroom, the girl’s locker room, and – of course in the ballroom – a balloon-filled school-gym prom. All of these rooms must be passed on the way to the restrooms, the concessions stand, and the exit, making the intermission pretty special. The theater building itself is dilapidated and only open to private rentals. Floors are buckling, gorgeous tapestry paintings are faded, ornate fixtures are falling apart. It is a massive lawsuit waiting to happen, so I am sure the insurance policy is fantastic. The unbelievable ceiling is riddled with bullet holes (about which the employees seem to know nothing).

The theater couldn’t have picked a better location, especially if you discount the fact that the Los Angeles Theater is smack in the middle of the vilest and disgusting part of Los Angeles. When you park in one of the massively overpriced lots and walk to the theater, you’ll pass dozens of starving, disabled, homeless people literally dying in the streets, begging the white hipsters on their way to the theater to see CARRIE: THE KILLER MUSICAL EXPERIENCE for food, money, anything. The oppressive California October heat, still in the 90s, makes the streets smell like garbage (or maybe it is just the garbage that smells like garbage). In any case, most people from New York should feel right at home, as I imagine being a privileged white hipster ignoring the poor and enjoying the aroma of cooking street garbage is normal for their theater attendees. For Los Angeles, it is a new and worsening phenomenon. It is part of the added attraction of going to see CARRIE: THE KILLER MUSICAL EXPERIENCE at this particular location. In fact, it is so shockingly heartbreaking that once you get inside the theater, you won’t even notice that the building doesn’t actually have air conditioning.

At the screening I attended, the cast received a wholehearted, standing ovation from the entire audience, me included. If you go into it knowing that it isn’t CARRIE the film, but CARRIE: THE KILLER MUSICAL EXPERIENCE, you won’t be too disappointed. What you sacrifice in horror you gain in talented people singing and dancing. It’s a fair trade.

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Rock Legend Glenn Danzig Prepped to Unleash His “Skeletons”

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Rock Legend Glenn Danzig Prepped to Unleash His “Skeletons”

Veteran gloom-rocker covers classics on new album, “Skeletons”.

Danzig fans (and ZZ Top fans and Aerosmith fans and The Troggs fans and…) rejoice! The legendary doom-rocker and ex-MISFITS front-man has a new disc ready to roll out called “Skeletons”  (Nuclear Blast/Evillive Records) and it’s a bit of a departure.

Judging from the new press photo above, Danizg is still ample pissed at the planet but “Skeletons” offers a brighter side and, in some cases, a wildly stranger side, to the notorious Satanic curmudgeon. See, “Skeletons” is a cover album and man alive are some of the tunes selected here off the beaten, bloody path…

“These are my skeletons,” says Danzig. “You may or may not know that I dig these songs. You could say that some of this music is the actual basis and skeleton of what I listened to growing up—ultimately informing the kind of music I like. It’s the foundation. If you took Elvis and Sabbath out of my life, I probably wouldn’t be the Glenn Danzig you know! I’m glad both sides are represented on this record.”
 
From the press release:
 
Ultimately, Skeletons sparks the next phase for Danzig. Helping catalyze his next full-length offering and tour plans, it’s yet another revolution. “I hope people dig it,” he leaves off. “I also hope it gives everybody a little bit of insight into the music I listen to and maybe an insight into how I did the songs. If you enjoy it, that’s great.”
 

Here’s a look at the full track list:

1. Devil’s Angels (from Devil’s Angels soundtrack)
2. Satan (from Satan’s Sadists soundtrack) 
3. Let Yourself Go (Elvis Presley)
4. N.I.B. (Black Sabbath)
5. Lord Of Your Thighs (Aerosmith)
6. Action Woman (The Litter)
7. Rough Boy (ZZ Top)
8. With a Girl Like You (The Troggs)
9. Find Somebody (The Young Rascals)
10. Crying In The Rain (The Everly Brothers)

I don’t know about you, but a cover of a track ripped from an Al Adamson flick…well, Holy Hell…we’re in!

“Skeletons” streets November 27th.

For more on the wild and still evolving world of Danzig, hang out at the man’s official site.

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TV Recap: SCREAM QUEENS Episode 105

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TV Recap: SCREAM QUEENS Episode 105

Alyse Wax breathlessly recaps last night’s SCREAM QUEENS episode.

Chanel has decided that she and the Chanels will be dressed as grieving First Ladies for Halloween. She, of course, will be Jackie Kennedy. #5 is assigned Mary Todd Lincoln, because she is batshit crazy, which pisses off #5.

The dean has gathered the Kappas and the Dickie Dollars at the house because they are the most likely to be killed. Zayday is still missing, and only Grace seems concerned about it. The dean has canceled Halloween by instituting a curfew, which pisses off everyone. Chad gives a rousing – if highly inaccurate – speech, but it doesn’t help. Curfew is still on. Chanel sends out an email to students saying that, to get around “canceled” Halloween, her pumpkin patch will open at 12:01am November 1st. “I am above the law,” she finishes. Of course, the next day in class, the police come in and arrest Chanel for Ms. Bean’s murder. As she is being taken out, she sees her sorority sisters watching and suspects they turned her in.

While Chanel is in prison, Hester convinces #5 that she is a double agent and tells her about her plan to get Zayday elected president and stepping in as veep. The two of them go get Jennifer on their side by bribing her with Chanel’s discarded Diptyque candles. 

Grace is panicked about Zayday. The Chanels are too busy eating imaginary lunch to help her, so she and Pete go to Wes for help. They walk in on Wes and Gigi having sex, which supposedly freaks Grace out because her dad didn’t talk to her about it, not because she saw her dad having sex. She promises she is cool with it and the four of them go talk to the dean. The dean is having a drink with Denise, both comparing notes on sex with Chad. Zayday has been missing for less than a day, so the police won’t do anything, but the dean hired Denise to investigate. Denise still, for some reason, believes Zayday is the killer and she faked her kidnapping. Even still, the five of them head out to find Zayday.

Chanel’s time in prison is brief and seems pretty easy. Her father refused to bail her out because it is a bad time for him to be the family member of a murder suspect. She has made friends with a trio of rejects from Orange is the New Black, and one of them is a die-hard Chanel fan, so she will do anything for her. Chanel blows them off when she is bailed out – #3 and Sam come pick her up. She recognizes them as her true friends.

Back at the house, Chanel discovers #5 dressed as Jackie Kennedy and she goes ballistic. She seems ready to kill #5 but instead sends her to prepare the pumpkin patch. #5 grumbles, but she goes, gathering Roger and Dodger to assist her. While #5 lights the hundred of so jack-o-lanterns, the brothers sneak away to try their luck at the Shining hedge maze. #5 turns around and discovers the Red Devil behind her. She runs into the maze, for whatever reason, where she meets the brothers. The three run, until the brothers decide that they want #5 to pick one of them. They can’t be dissuaded, so she picks Roger, probably because he was the closest to her and she wants to keep moving. Dodger goes another way, and Roger yells to his brother to be careful of his footprints. This yelling leads the Red Devil right to them, and he kills Dodger. Roger and #5 make it out alive.

Grace “hacks” into Zayday’s iCloud account and uses the “find my phone” feature to locate Zayday’s phone – and, hopefully, Zayday. The house belongs to an old woman who rents her cellar out to very responsible tenants. She has no compunction about letting them into the cellar, which is enormous and winding with many rooms. The group splits up: Gigi and Denise go one way; Wes, Grace, and Pete go another. Because that’s what you want to do in a horror movie: split up.

Grace’s group find the Red Devil’s work room, which includes a table set for dinner, a vanity for his masks and things, and a trap door. Earlier in the episode, we saw Zayday in the chamber beneath that trap door; now it is empty. On the other side of the cellar, Gigi and Denise have found the Devil’s “operating” room. Dozens of power tools hang from the ceiling; traditional tools line the walls; and at the center of the room is an autopsy table.

The Red Devil turns out the power in the cellar and stalks Denise. He stops short of grabbing her, but turns on a weapon. Denise screams and tries to tase him, but it is pitch black, and she ends up tasing Gigi. Despite being injured, Gigi manages to tase the Red Devil. The lights go back on, and Grace’s screams draw Denise to them. When she returns with the rest of the group, Gigi is recovering from her injury, and the Red Devil is gone.

Chanel calls for a vote for president, and is not subtle about doing it without Zayday or Grace there. She is essentially rigging the election her way. Before voting can begin, Zayday shows up, unharmed and in surprisingly good spirits. She said the Devil was nice to her, just sent her little gifts like beauty products down in a basket (a clear Silence of the Lambs reference here). It was rather pleasant. When the Devil dropped a ladder down, she climbed up, and was greeted with roses and a meal of Oakland nachos (whatever that is). Zayday thinks the Devil has a crush on her and uses this to her advantage. She stabs a knife through his hand and runs from the cellar. She went straight to the Kappa house. Chanel doesn’t believe her, but wants to get the vote underway before Grace arrives. Too late. Grace shows up and backs up Zayday’s story. Chanel goes through with the voting. Clearly we have to wait until next week to see who won. (Zayday, natch.)

Gigi is out walking, all alone. The Red Devil is following her. She surprises him: “You’re late. That got out of hand.” She wants the Devil to “take care of it” while she goes on a salad date.

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Eerie New Poster for Natalie Dormer-Starring Ghost Story THE FOREST

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Eerie New Poster for Natalie Dormer-Starring Ghost Story THE FOREST

SHOCK previously reported on the eerie new Natalie Dormer-starring horror film THE FOREST and now, we’re sharing with you the official poster…an abstract bit of art that is frightening without being explicit.

Here’s the synopsis:

Rising with terrifying grandeur at the base of Mt. Fuji in Japan, the legendary real-life Aokigahara Forest is the suspense-filled setting of the supernatural thriller.  A young American woman, Sara (Natalie Dormer of “Game of Thrones” and “The Hunger Games”), journeys there in search of her twin sister, who has mysteriously disappeared. In the company of expatriate Aiden (Taylor Kinney of “Chicago Fire”), Sara enters the forest having been well warned to “stay on the path.” Determined to discover the truth about her sister’s fate, Sara will have to face the angry and tormented souls of the dead that prey on anyone who dares come near them. These malevolent spirits lying in wait for Sara at every turn will plunge her into a frightening darkness from which she must fight to save herself.

Starring Natalie Dormer (“Game of Thrones” and “The Hunger Games”), Taylor Kinney (“Chicago Fire”), Eoin Macken (“The Night Shift”), and Yukiyoshi Ozawa, director Jason Zada’s THE FOREST hits theaters nationwide from Gramercy Pictures on January 8th.

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Interview: Director Neil Marshall talks TALES OF HALLOWEEN

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Interview: Director Neil Marshall talks TALES OF HALLOWEEN

British horror and fantasy filmmaker Neil Marshall talks to SHOCK about TALES OF HALLOWEEN.

Neil Marshall needs no elaborate introduction to SHOCK readers, seeing as his dark visions have birthed such contemporary horror masterpieces as DOG SOLDIERS and THE DESCENT as well as go-for-broke action scrappers like DOOMSDAY and CENTURION, not to mention his efforts quickening pulses on GAME OF THRONES and…

Whoops. We just preached to the chorus, anyway. Sorry for wasting space.

Let’s push past his storied past and move into Marshall’s present to discuss his work in the much-buzzed about horror omnibus TALES OF HALLOWEEN, a multi-chapter salute to Samhain that also sports the works of directors Andrew Kasch, John Skipp, Mike Mendez, Axelle Carolyn and many, many others.

Marshall’s contribution to this seasonal creeper comes in the form of a mini-film called “BAD SEED”, a dark police procedural-cum-murder mystery that also happens to be about a killer pumpkin uprising…

In anticipation of the theatrical and VOD release of TALES OF HALLOWEEN this Friday, SHOCK locked Marshall down to shake his candy sack for more info…

SHOCK: You’re British, I’m Canadian. Culturally, we like Halloween…but we don’t LOVE Halloween like the U.S. does. Was it a shock when you moved to LA and discovered just how wild Americans are for Halloween?

MARSHALL: Yes, it was a shock. But it was a pleasant shock. Finally, I found other people who loved Halloween like I had always wanted to. Understand that I had always wanted to celebrate Halloween, but we really just don’t do that in the UK. They’re trying to get there now, though. I mean, people dress up now. But trick or treating was frowned upon where I grew up.  It was just not something that was thought of as decent. We also didn’t eat enough pumpkins in the UK, so we had to use turnips instead…

SHOCK: You did not.

MARSHALL: Oh, Yeah. We did.

SHOCK: Why do you think Halloween is so big here?

MARSHALL: Well, it’s probably because people figured out they could make enough money with it. I think that’s what it is. It’s really no different than Christmas. Once it became commercialized, it got really, really big.

SHOCK: So, with your segment, you’ve made your killer pumpkin movie, which is a ludicrous concept…

MARSHALL: Of course it is!

SHOCK: And yet you play it absolutely straight…

MARSHALL: That’s something I picked up from British comedies; the more outrageous your situation, you HAVE to play it straight. If I had played this for obvious laughs, it would just be goofy. That said, it is tongue-in-cheek, for sure. No matter how you cut it, killer pumpkins are not scary. Maybe for little kids they are, but for adults, no. So it was necessary that everyone acted deadly serious and that’s what makes it funny.

MARSHALL: The movie has a loose vibe. It feels like a bunch of friends just hanging out and making a movie. I can imagine it was a no-pressure gig…

MARSHALL: On the contrary! It was unbelievable pressure to shoot it in time. The most stressful shoot I’ve ever done, in fact. We had no time and no budget to compensate. It was simply, we get it in 2 days or else we forget it. Which is not to say it wasn’t fun, because all my friends were involved in it and that was great. By the same token, the Police stations scene, which was the first thing we shot, all the directors of the other segments are in there…Mike Mendez, John Skipp…everyone was there, just checking you out which was nerve-wracking. But on the whole, when I sat back and considered everything, I was making a killer pumpkin movie and I had Joe Dante and John Savage in it and that was just wild.

SHOCK: How did you manage to convince Savage to get on board?

MARSHALL: Our casting director just called his agent and he said, well, John isn’t doing anything on Monday so he might as well work! Trust me, nobody did it for the money. There was none! Everyone who worked their guts out did it because they loved it, loved the idea of it and saw what it could be. That and we all just love horror movies…

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Robert Englund Shocker THE FUNHOUSE MASSACRE Locks Theatrical Release

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Robert Englund Shocker THE FUNHOUSE MASSACRE Locks Theatrical Release

Robert Englund’s THE FUNHOUSE MASSACRE to get theatrical release.

LA based production company Petri Entertainment has just announced that their latest flick, the Robert Englund-starring horror comedy THE FUNHOUSE MASSACRE will be receiving a US theatrical release via AMC Independent.

The unhinged gore ‘n’ guffaws feature also stars Scottie Thompson, Jere Burns and the one and only Clint Howard. The special FX makeup comes courtesy of the legendary Robert Kurtzman. The film is directed by Andy Palmer.

From the press release:

On Halloween night, a gruesome group of the United States’ most notorious and colorful serial killers escape from Statesville Asylum and descend on a giant funhouse whose theme is based on their different reigns of terror. The unsuspecting carnival goers think that the carnage created is just part of the show, that is, until they become part of the main attraction. The only people left to stop them are a rag tag group of college kids, a clueless Deputy and the local Sheriff, who seems to have a strange attachment to the leader of this gaggle of maniacs, the silver tongued devil, “Manny the Prophet.

Director Palmer says of his award-winning opus: “The film is an homage to all of the best monsters in cinema with the style, gore and self-awareness we loved in the slashers of the 90’s. Those films appealed to horror fans and general moviegoers alike, which is what I hope for FUNHOUSE.”

THE FUNHOUSE MASSACRE will hit theaters in 15-20 U.S. markets on Friday, November 13th.

Check out the nifty behind-the-scenes video below:

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Monster Mag Meltdown: HORRORHOUND #55 Reviewed

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Monster Mag Meltdown: HORRORHOUND #55 Reviewed

Monster Mag Meltdown gets into the guts of HORRORHOUND #55.

Last round, Monster Mag Meltdown fawned over the gloriously monochrome pages that made up the pulpy FILMFAX #141, a long-running retro-horror zine that expertly (and economically) blends in-house brand promotion with fantastic classic horror content. It was a great read, eccentric and even daring; a magazine that knows its audience and yet still manages to defy readers expectations.

To recap, this column comes pre-armed with admiration for any madman or woman who dares publish printed niche film-centric media in this hostile, digitally obsessed marketplace (and yours truly has first-hand knowledge of this world, having served as EIC of FANGORIA, GOREZONE and currently, fledgling cult film journal DELIRIUM) and no matter my thoughts on the content in whatever periodical I peruse, there’s always appreciation…always respect.

Which brings us to HORRORHOUND, the bi-monthly print mag published by Jeremy Sheldon and edited by Nathan Hanneman that, in the 55th issue we’re about to discuss, just celebrated its 10th year in business. Now, I can’t comment on HH’s struggles to make it to stands and I have no idea how profitable an enterprise it is. What I can tell you is that when I was running FANGO, HH is the only mag that made me nervous. Because HH is a fan favorite. They have tapped into the collector’s psychology like no other, with gorgeous, lurid covers, quick blasts of esoteric content and general sense of fun, of the joy of just loving weird cinema. HORRORHOUND never seemed concerned particularly about competing with other mags because they have their own cult, a legion of faithful that spills over from their immensely popular conventions and vice versa. These cats have created a myth and an identity that is distinctly their own. And long may they ride.

Now, let’s take a closer look at HORRORHOUND #55…

As we mentioned, this is indeed the 10th anniversary issue of HH and instead of rolling out a back-slapping selfie party, Hanneman simply mentions the decade-long run on the cover and in his brief editorial and then just moves on with the business of making a quality mag. Said cover is a Vance Kelly salute to the creatures and critters that populate the cinematic world of Guillermo del Toro, who features inside in a lengthy interview about his most recent offering, the hyper-Gothic supernatural romance CRIMSON PEAK. And yet, like (my old haunt) Canadian horror mag RUE MORGUE used to do, HH uses the hook of the new title to really go nuts on a classic, in this case a stem to stern salute to del Toro and Mike Mignola’s HELLBOY franchise. But more on that later…

HORRORHOUND runs only 66 pages, that’s 16 pages less than what I used to try to lock FANGO at, but with a price of $6.99 per issue (as opposed to the $10.99 or more of other mags) HH is a bargain, especially since ads are kept to a minimum. The layout crams a lot of info into its lean spaces, with smaller type and a mass of sidebars on top of sidebars, making it an exciting experience to absorb; your eyeballs just keep jumping around. That said, HH’s art design leaves much to be desired. It’s busy but not a particularly pretty mag. The headers for each feature are, well, they often aren’t even headers, just type tucked to the top left of the page…

There’s also an odd dotted pattern around the columns and photos that made me want to pull out a pair of scissors and cut out coupons. Initially, I found this almost tacky. Then, after spending more time with the mag, I kind of dug it. See, HH almost reads like a catalog. It feels interactive and the impulse to cut and clip sort is sort of appealing. It’s part of the mag’s charm.

Content wise, Jessica Dwyer gets things off to a rollicking start with that aforementioned and expansive del Toro interview chatting about CRIMSON PEAK. I can’t tell if this interview stemmed from a one-on-one talk or a roundtable (I haven’t seen these quotes anywhere else) but either way, the writing is solid, the questions thoughtful and GDT is engaging. A solid read.

Issue #55 is the September/October issue but some of the other more timely editorial isn’t terribly timely. A preview of AMC’s hit series FEAR THE WALKING DEAD is slightly late out of the gate, considering the show ended at the beginning of October. That bid to tap into the contemporary horror zeitgeist continues with features on the kid-flick GOOSEBUMPS and the still-in-release THE VISIT; the latter piece by Trevor Collins offers an absolutely first rate chat with M. Night Shyamalan that made me actually want to run out and see the flick (I missed it during previews) on my own dime. I did and Collins’ piece made me appreciate the experience more.

HH’s review section pays respect to the grassroots community that serves as the mag’s bread and butter and focuses exclusively on indie content. The reviews themselves here are spottily penned, like the critics are afraid to really get critical so as not to offend. Which would be fine if the writing was good. Sadly, outside of writer Freddy Morris’ work, which manages to amuse and offer constructive criticism, there aint much meat here. A suggestion for an ongoing indie spotlight section would be to ditch the review angle and perhaps focus on filmmaker profiles and interviews…

After the expected toy previews and a perfunctory Comic-Con recap (with thumbnail pics too small to register), HORRORHOUND #55 rolls up its red-stained sleeves and really gets down to business. Jason Kretton delivers a brief interview with Mignola that gives way to a massive, 9 page retrospective of HELLBOY, charting the Big Red Guy’s adventures in virtually every known media. Nicely illustrated, this feature is engaging and enlightening.

Following this, Shanna Edwards goes mental, getting into the guts of del Toro’s work by riffing on every film, even ones that didn’t actually make it into production. It’s a thorough piece and a good read.

Cover artist Vance Kelly is spotlighted and interviewed, with a gallery of his wildest works on display. Horror alumni talent agent and HH columnist Sean Clark delivers gold with a fantastic interview with one of metal giant GHOST’s “nameless ghouls” that proves the man knows his stuff. But the real treat for me this round is regular columnist John Kitley’s salute to Mexican horror films, focusing specifically on the works of Rene Cardona. After reading this, I wish to God HH would have put NIGHT OF THE BLOODY APES on the cover. I’m not sure who would have bought it, except me. But still…

All in all, it feels like HORRORHOUND is trying to spread their black wings a bit here. 10 years in and they’re looking to grow, attract new eyeballs and maybe speak not only to their own loyal choir, but to new pundits as well. They want to compete with the big dogs, but  I’m not sure if they can or if they should. What HORRORHOUND does well is act like a more-refined 12 year old; raving and screaming about what excites them with style and without an ounce of pretension. Whatever path they choose to go down in their second decade, however, I’m a fan and will keep reading…

Go to the mag’s official site to subscribe.

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Exclusive Interview: Writer/Director Trevor Juras Talks Chilling Canadian horror film THE INTERIOR

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Exclusive Interview: Writer/Director Trevor Juras Talks Chilling Canadian horror film THE INTERIOR

SHOCK’s David Bertrand talks to Canadian filmmaker Trevor Juras about his “lost in the woods” creeper THE INTERIOR.

THE INTERIOR is a quiet, haunting, and beautifully chilling debut feature from Canadian writer/director/producer Trevor Juras and producer Peter Kuplowsky (MANBORG), that eases us in with impeccably odd comedy and balletic lunch room scuffles before sharp-turning into one man’s solitary sojourn through evergreen wilderness and slipping sanity. The film starts with a needle drop rap verse punch into the life of James (Patrick McFadden), a terminally frustrated Toronto ad agency creative who gets an undisclosed medical diagnosis and decides to finally tell off his oblivious twit of a boss, drop his girlfriend and sideline his unlikely rap career dreams to wander the British Columbian coastal mountains for some soul searching. What starts off as a completely different film, an irreverent, mumbling and very funny workplace dystopia – like a Joe Swanberg redux of OFFICE SPACE – shifts very swiftly into James’ immensely paranoiac hike through sleepless hell, as his tent is poked and prodded at night, his supplies and patience dwindling and nerves rattled, as James is stalked, watched and spooked by an enigmatic, spectral man in a red jacket.

Overcoming a tiny budget with a spectacular use of the luscious, lonely, wet west coast surroundings that drip character like BC’s perpetual falling dew, THE INTERIOR is a low-key but very impressive debut that lingers in the imagination and convincingly dredges the real terror of being lost alone in nowhere, your own reality starting to unravel. A horror film more by its mood than content, Juras nonetheless unfurls some of the jumpiest stuck-in-a-tent tension since Bobcat Goldthwait’s found footage Bigfoot spooker WILLOW CREEK, while chipping away at his protagonist’s raw psyche.

Following a successful debut at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal this summer and additional festival screenings across Canada, SHOCK caught up with writer/director Trevor Juras on the eve of THE INTERIOR’s hometown screening at the 10th annual Toronto After Dark Film Festival on Monday, October 19th (Canadian election night!). Juras casts some light on his puzzling lost-in-the-woods knock-out sleeper that benefits from being watched in a damp, dark room alone at night without functioning heat or a good sweater.

SHOCK: THE INTERIOR is sharply divided into two clearly distinct segments (by an extremely late opening title card!) – distinct in terms of tone, geography, genre, even the crew… the main story of one man hiking alone could exist without viewing the first act. Likewise, the opening section’s saga of working life frustrations in Toronto and a looming medical diagnosis could certainly play out as a tragi-comic film of its own. What made you decide to jam the two stories together like this with such a hard transition? And how did you make it work so well?

JURAS: Thank you for saying it worked well. The first incarnation of a script called THE INTERIOR took place all in the woods; a couple take a canoe trip into the middle of nowhere, and then after a few days, well, you know… It might as well have been called “The Cliché”. It gradually morphed into what you see now, evolving into more of a character-driven idea. I’m usually bummed by the opening act of a horror film, 20-40 minutes of mundanity we have to suffer through before the good stuff starts. It can be quite necessary, though, so we wanted to provide something different for the audience and try to make it entertaining while really letting you know who James, the protagonist, is, and where his head is at.

To sum up my approach, life in the city to me feels very much like how it’s presented in the film: irony, pettiness, narcissism, often trapped in a room with people you’d rather not spend time with… Being out alone in nature might as well be another planet, or a different life entirely, so it was important to be true to how each setting feels to me, rather than worry about tone or genre continuity. We all feel different depending on where we’re located, so mashing the two together is more natural than most people assume, which I think is the key to why it works. It also gives the audience encouragement to laugh during later parts of the film, which I’m happy to say has been happening at screenings.

SHOCK: The Interior is one of the quieter thrillers I’ve seen in a while, almost up there with ALL IS LOST with Robert Redford alone on his yacht. Can you discuss the use of sound in this film, which, for long sections of its runtime, has zero dialogue, very sparse natural noise, interspersed only with Adam Osinski’s renditions of Chopin on piano and James’ slammin’ raps?

JURAS: When people ask about influences, I’m usually at a loss to remember one, but ALL IS LOST was definitely an influence, together with Gus Van Sant’s GERRY. These two films were lurking around in the back of my mind while making THE INTERIOR. We worked with the simple theory that (near) silence builds tension. When you’re camping and have to pee at 2:00 AM, there’s a big difference between how you feel about it when other campers are still up, versus when everyone is asleep. ‘Quiet’ is one of the most intense features of nature, and we wanted to present it as we were experiencing it ourselves while filming. It keeps you heightened and present.

I believe music must be used very carefully in a film. Often the music reveals too much about a scene, what’s coming and what to expect. It might even try to trick you into feeling something that otherwise isn’t there on the screen. Chopin’s music is so rich and complex, yet somehow manages to be broadly affecting. I don’t want to force the audience’s emotions with music, like a cheap trick. I want the music to give the viewer a sense of what’s happening underneath, and music of great depth can do that. Chopin was also chronically ill throughout his short life, and that to me is everywhere in his music, so of course it fits with our story.

As for the ferociously ill rhymes, it’s so far out of step with the rest of the film and who James appears to be, that my best guess is that deep down James’ dreams were to be a hip hop artist. But I’m not sure–you would have had to ask him that.

SHOCK: This film does an incredible job of staying ambiguous and withholding information, making you want more without feeling cheated – for example, not allowing the audience to hear the audio of the protagonist being told his medical prognosis, or not offering a clear explanation of the man in the red jacket and his bizarre, ghostly behavior. How much do you know that the audience doesn’t, and was it in the editing room that you choose to keep the story fragmentary and elusive?

JURAS: It was quite deliberate, though that becomes most apparent in the editing room, if that makes sense. I would say I know about as much as the audience, maybe slightly more, but only because I’ve seen it so many times and the audience sees it once or twice at the most. If I had any other knowledge I would have put it in the film, otherwise I think you would have felt cheated.

Certain details aren’t addressed, but we’re very forthcoming with who James is at this point in time, how he feels about those who populate his life, etc… You could reveal the man in the red jacket as being this or that, but I think that would kill it. I have my own ideas about who he is and what’s happening, but they’re neither right nor wrong.

SHOCK: Being born and raised in BC myself, I’ve got to ask – why did you set a film (gorgeously, effectively, and elegantly) in British Columbia’s very distinct temperate rain forest of the wet, west coast on Salt Spring Island, yet call the film “The Interior”, which is a very different geographic region of the province? Also, no one in rain-weary BC would ever go hiking for more than a day without a waterproof shell. Like your protagonist, were you new to this part of the country?

JURAS: I wasn’t brand new to that part of the country, but many of the crew were. Much like the protagonist, however, I usually march into nature woefully unprepared. The title “The Interior” actually existed long before I’d even heard of Salt Spring Island or knew that (popular Canadian children’s entertainer) Raffi lived there. It was never meant to refer to “the interior” of BC, and indeed it’s never mentioned where James has escaped to. The downtown Toronto city skyline is distinct, but out in the woods, James could plausibly be in any number of places in the Pacific Northwest.

In the literal sense, the title refers to being within a forest, off the beaten path deep within nature. In the figurative sense, we’re spending time within the interior of James himself. And there’s the added irony that the opening third of the film is all indoors, yet after the title card we’re outside (mostly) for the rest of the film. I like this idea that the more we are out in the open, in nature, the more our inner selves are revealed.

Shooting on Salt Spring Island came about because of a trip I took there the previous year. As soon as I saw it I knew I would shoot the film there if I could. It was a profound and moving experience being there, and it helped me understand this character and story I was crafting. That probably sounds like corny bullshit, but it’s true. The magnitude of the beauty and quiet on Salt Spring changed me as a person, and the influence it had on THE INTERIOR can’t be overstated.

THE INTERIOR screens Monday, October 19th at 9:30 PM at Toronto’s Scotiabank Theatre, as part of the 10th annual Toronto After Dark Film Festival.

For more on the film visit the official website HERE..

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John Carpenter’s Prince of Darkness (1987)

AnythingHorror Central

John Carpenter’s Prince of Darkness (1987)

Being October, I’ve increased my consumption of horror films. Sure, horror movies are fun to watch all year round, but there’s just something about watching a horror film in October that makes it all the more exciting and special. In addition to keeping up with new releases, I’ve also been re-watching some of the classic films I grew up with. John Carpenter’s PRINCE OF DARKNESS was at the top of my list of one to rewatch. The last time I saw this film was around 1997-1998. I was in grad school and living alone in a creepy old house that was converted into a housing unit. It was the perfect atmosphere for this film. Now after watching PRINCE OF DARKNESS in 2015, I can whole-heartedly say that this one of Carpenter’s most criminally underrated and best films!!

Written by Carpenter, under the name Martin Quatermass, PRINCE OF DARKNESS tells the story of a secret society that has served to protect a secret older than time. When the current keeper of the secret dies unexpectedly, the secret is exposed and the church is scrambling to figure out what to do with this new knowledge. A simple key hides a secret so important and devastating that its exposure could destroy the world. Donald Pleasence, simply known here as “Priest,” is tasked with discovering out exactly what the secret is. Underneath a deserted church is a cylinder that contains a mysterious liquid which is in constant motion. The Priest enlists the help of a brilliant and world-renown physicist, Prof. Howard Birack (Victor Wong), to help him decipher what is in the mysterious cylinder. Birack assembles a team of his most brilliant and advanced graduate students in both theoretical and applied physics, as well as from other disciplines like metallurgy, microbiology, a grad student who is an expert in ancient, dead languages, etc.  They all gather together to spend a weekend in the abandoned church and try to figure out exactly what it is they are dealing with.

The script is the perfect blending of old horror tropes, theoretical physics, secret societies, and speculative metaphysics. Carpenter expertly takes all these elements and creates and wholly unique and original script that will grab you from the first frame. I remember seeing this one in the theaters its opening weekend and being scared shitless. I’ve seen this film about nine times since 1987, and every time I see it, I still get creeped out. This film isn’t just about the titular Prince of Darkness but is about the Prince, who is contained in the cylinder, using his influence to summon/bring back HIS father. We learn about this from an old, thick ancient manuscript found in the church. The expert on old religions and ancient, dead languages translates the manuscript and everyone soon realizes that the religions the world has grown up on were lies and bullshit. The true nature of the world and the real reason for religion was to keep this ancient evil contained. It is a fantastic story that exposes a hidden truth that the world just wasn’t ready for–and still isn’t. Throw in a little time travel and an alien threat into the mix, and Carpenter really outdid himself here!!

The cast is fantastic, albeit very 1980s. Pleasence outdoes himself here and makes his Dr. Loomis character from the HALLOWEEN films seem reserved and laid back. Victor Wong’s physics professor is excitable and played perfectly by Wong. He brings the right amount of energy and intelligence to the role. Jameson Parker, who plays Brian, helps Prof. Birack unravel the mystery of the cylinder, and Lisa Blount’s Catherine, who is another brilliant physics student and Brian’s love interest, plays a pivotal role in the uncovering of the mystery–and its future. The liquid contained within the cylinder quite literally has a mind of its own and infects one of the researchers, who in turn spreads the “disease.” When things get bad inside the church, the remaining survivors attempt to escape but are held captive inside the church by a psychotic homeless man, played by rocker, Alice Cooper.

Not your typical, schizo homeless!!

PRINCE OF DARKNESS has lots of scares and a great, atmospheric set, but the success of this film rests solely on the shoulders of Carpenter himself. In the hands of anyone else, PRINCE OF DARKNESS would’ve been a muddled mess. The high concepts  Carpenter deals with here are never confusing and make sense within the world he created. I’m no physicist and have no idea if the principles and concepts Carpenter writes about are accurate or not, and I don’t really care. What he gives us is a really fun, thought-provoking, metaphysical horror film that is scary, intelligent, atmospheric, and SCARY. Even knowing exactly what is going to happen didn’t make this film any less scary. PRINCE OF DARKNESS is one helluva great, effective film that will have you scared of mirrors for weeks to come and is worth checking out this Halloween season!!

You’ll never look at a mirror in the same way after PRINCE OF DARKNESS!!

My Summary:

Director: John Carpenter (& writer, under the name Martin Quatermass)

Plot: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Gore: 6.5 out of 10 skulls

Zombie Mayhem: 0 out of 5 brains

Reviewed by Scott Shoyer

Stay Bloody!!!

 

Filed under: 1980's, Movie Reviews, New Posting

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Review: John Carpenter’s CHRISTINE on Blu-ray

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Review: John Carpenter’s CHRISTINE on Blu-ray

SHOCK reviews Sony’s re-release of Carpenter classic CHRISTINE on Blu-ray

John Carpenter’s slick adaptation of Stephen King’s urgent boy-and-his-car love story from Hell CHRISTINE earned the auteur the critical and commercial accolades denied him with his previous picture, THE THING (which famously, bombed in ’82 and is now, of course, considered one of the greatest horror films of all time). But strangely today, perhaps due to the property locked hard into King’s brand, CHRISTINE doesn’t often come up in conversations about Carpenter’s best work. But it should.

No doubt SHOCK readers, being the schooled horror and dark fantasy entertainment aficionados that they are, don’t need a terribly heavy-handed reminder about what CHRISTINE is all about , but for the handful of humans that aren’t savvy to the story, here goes:

Like the book on which it was based, the film tells the tale of socially awkward teen Arnie Cunningham (Keith Gordon, five years past his appearance as lovable goofball in JAWS 2 and three years after his techno-nerd hero turn in DRESSED TO KILL) who, after purchasing and restoring a wrecked, red 1958 Plymouth Fury (nicknamed Christine), begins to radically change his behavior, much to the dismay of both his parents and best friend Dennis (John Stockwell). As Arnie falls deeper into a wormhole of automobile-influenced evil, Dennis investigates and discovers the car’s sordid, spectral history of obsession, death and destruction.

Carpenter uses the story to hang some of his most festishized imagery to date, almost pornographically letting his camera fondle CHRISTINE while vintage ‘50’s rock ‘n’ roll bounces around in the background. This is an exercise in pure, menacing style and while the director’s own obsessions cause some of the emotional explorations of the characters to be shoved to the sidelines (as the love interest, Alexandra Paul has almost nothing to do except get angry – and almost choke to death – and the most interesting aspect of the book, Arnie’s relationship to his parents, is only touched on), he fills the screen with some remarkable performances. DERANGED star Roberts Blossom near steals the film as the sinister old junkyard bastard who sells Arnie Christine and later reveals the truth about the phantasmagorical Fury; Robert Prosky (GREMLINS 2) is larger than life as the crass, greasy garage owner Darnell and Willaim Ostrander’s malevolent Buddy Repperton is one of the screen’s most vile thugs. And Gordon (now a successful director) is magnificent in the central performance, even if he doesn’t quite get evil enough; indeed his jump from schlub to stud is so brisk that the psychology of the character’s descent is somewhat fuzzy.

Carpenter directs Gordon after the decimation of Christine.

Sony’s new Blu-ray release is handsomely packaged (love the blue metallic cover) and marks the first time CHRISTINE has been available on Blu since Twilight Time’s limited edition went out of print a few years back. Both the crisp 1080p transfer and the special features are identical to Twilight Time’sl, with many of them ported over from the now 20 year-old DVD release. Key among them is a dynamite commentary with Carpenter and Gordon that is sweet, lively and interesting. No wonder JC opted not to do another commentary; this one is all we need.

CHRISTINE is like a dream-state impression of the book, littered with pulsing music, classic pop tunes and unforgettable imagery. It’s not a perfect Stephen King adaptation by any stretch, but it is a near perfect John Carpenter movie…

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TV Recap: THE WALKING DEAD Season 6, Episode 1 – “FIRST TIME AGAIN”

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TV Recap: THE WALKING DEAD Season 6, Episode 1 – “FIRST TIME AGAIN”

SHOCK gives you a spoiler-saturated recap of THE WALKING DEAD’s sixth season premiere.

After the grim finale of Season 5, THE WALKING DEAD Season 6’s premiere episode opens up with a monochromatic recap of Rick’s Deanna-authorized murder of Pete before jamming into a full color, epic visage of a canyon filled with corpses. This flip between a black and white rendered past and a colorful present is the schizoid structure for the duration of the extra-long episode; a bravura creative choice that is handled beautifully by TWD FX kingpin and episode director Greg Nicotero.

As we pan out from the ghoul-filled crevice, we see that Rick is instructing the team – or at least select members of the team, including members of Alexandria and some new faces we haven’t seen before – of their plans to draw the ghouls out. Unfortunately, what was meant to be a “dry run” is scotched when the dead smash their truck-guarded confines (shades of Romero’s DAWN OF THE DEAD), pushing an entire rig off a cliff while other slither between vehicles, scraping off their flesh to the bone (this season seems to be even more dedicated to flipping stomachs than other rounds). The entire set piece is epic in scope and feels like something out of WORLD WAR Z (the book and the film); it’s a stressful opening for what is surely the most stressful show on television.

After the team races off to execute the plan, we slam into the familiar opening with composer Bear McCreary’s now-iconic theme, before returning post-commercial break to the black and white past. With Pete and Reg now dead, the residents of Alexandria in shock and Morgan making a welcome appearance at the camp, we then slide back into the color present, with the team weaving between rows of parked cars, leading a parade of corpses down the road, to fates unknown. Back in the past, Morgan and Rick spend some time together, with Rick amused by his old friend’s newfound martial arts skills and Morgan wary of Rick’s icier, less humane demeanor.

While Eugene is filling in at the wall watch, a trio of Alexandria alumni appear after weeks on the road. Eugene is initially concerned but after some lively banter, he lets the group in. Meanwhile, two graves are being dug, one for Reg and one for the disgraced Pete. Rick refuses to “bury a killer within these walls” and Deanna, still in deep mourning, concurs and orders Pete’s body to be buried in the woods (“let the trees have him”, she says). Meanwhile, Pete’s oldest son Ron watches on the sidelines…

Morgan and Rick take Pete’s body into the forest. Rick suggests they just leave the body there to rot but Morgan reminds Rick of who he is and insists a proper grave be dug. While the two men circle each other, Rick hears a low moaning whispering on the wind and the pair go off to investigate. There, they find the elephantine canyon from the opening, alive with the trapped and rotting dead. Rick understands now why Alexandria has remained safe: the ghouls can’t get to them. But he and Morgan understand that it’s only a matter of time before the canyon fills up and their fortunes collapse. Suddenly, Ron appears with a gaggle of ghouls on his trail. Rick and Morgan decimate the zombies and throw them off the cliff, before sending the seething Ron back to camp.

Back in the present, Daryl slowly drives his new motorcycle down the road in an iconic scene that is like a Messianic EASY RIDER by way of a zombie-centric Pied Piper. It’s a great, iconic sequence with McCreary’s music channeling a primal, percussion-based Jerry Goldsmith.

Glenn and his former antagonist Nicholas form an uneasy alliance at a diner where some noisy ghouls are distracting the herd from following Rick and Darryl down the road to their ruin. Glenn, along with new member Heath, advises Nicholas that they have to break into the diner and silence the zombies immediately. They agree to the plan, only to find the door entombed by a covert steel shutter.

Back in the silver-toned past, Rick tells the residents about the canyon and his dangerous but essential plan to draw the zombies out. The plan is controversial and creates dissent but Deanna silences the naysayers by demanding they listen and follow Rick’s lead.

In the present day, we are treated to Michonne, Rick and Morgan on the other side of a metal partition in which, in a Fulci-esque sequence, the dead slam into the wall like drunken moshers, with some of the ghouls splattering their already withering skulls to smithereens. It’s an awesomely disgusting scene.

Abraham begins to unravel and, in yet another nod to DAWN, starts hot-dogging, psychologically unraveling like Roger before a savvy zom bites his leg. It’s only a matter of time before we lose Abraham, I think…

Meanwhile, Connor, who had previously planned a coup to overthrow Rick, accidentally sabotages the “zombie parade”: when a peek-a-boo ghoul jumps out and bites half his face off. Michonne, Morgan and Rick find him, kill his undead assailant and urge him to stop screaming. When he cannot, Rick drives a knife into the base of his skull. Morgan and Michonne are depressed by this cold act but, as Morgan says and Michonne echoes, “I know the way it is…”

With past and present timelines now aligned, the zombie death parade seems to be working until an ominous horn blasting distracts the ghouls and they exit stage right, running into the woods to find the source of the sound, straight to the gates of Alexandria….

Thanks to Nicotero’s skillful direction, this lengthy, 70 some-odd minute opening was an ambitious, exciting and nerve-jangling start to yet another free-fall into episodic shock.

As to who sounded the death horn…could it be The Wolves? Tune in next week, same bloody bat time, same bloody bat channel.

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