Table of contents for Issue 125 August 2012 in RUE MORGUE

One of Ray Bradbury’s most famous quotes reads, “I don’t try to describe the future. I try to prevent it.” There’s a nice double meaning to those words. There’s the more obvious one within the context of genre, in which the author is using fantasy (or in the case of Fahrenheit 451, science fiction – he was specific about the terms) to show us what might wait at the end of the dangerous road we’re travelling, as he did with The Martian Chronicles. Published in 1950, as the Cold War was ramping up, the short story collection concerns humans attempting to colonize Mars after ruining Earth via a nuclear holocaust, and the conflict between them and the Martians whose planet they invade. When he says “I try to prevent it”…

At a time when we have Legally Blonde: The Musical, Shrek: The Musical and even Evil Dead: The Musical, it was perhaps inevitable that The Exorcist would show up on stage. The live theatre version, which plays through August 12 at Los Angeles’ Geffen Playhouse, is neither a musical nor a take on the movie, however, but rather an adaptation of William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel of the same name. John Pielmeier – whose play and film Agnes of God concerns a nun who strangles her newborn upon claiming she was impregnated by God – penned the stage version of the story, after approaching Blatty personally for permission to adapt the tale. “To be honest, the play just came spilling out of me,” he recalls. “It was actually not much…

1. ARMY OF DARKNESS THE NECRONOMICON THRASHES ASH 2. THE BEYOND EIBON SUMMONS HELLSPAWN 3. EVILSPEAK DEVILISH DIARY MAKES STANLEY MANLY 4. THE NINTH GATE MEPHISTOPHELEAN MEMOIR MAYHEM 5. THE DEVIL’S RAIN SHATNER BATTLES BORGNINE FOR BEELZEBUB’S BIBLE 6. FATHER’S DAY FEAR THE FUCHMANICUS! TORTURED TAGLINES THE BRAIN THAT WOULDN’T DIE (1962) “ALIVE… WITHOUT A BODY… FED BY AN UNSPEAKABLE HORROR FROM HELL!” See more of Jay’s work at jayfosgitt.com…

There once was a world that claimed as its boundaries the contours of a certain human mind. Martians lived there, as did dinosaurs and robots and illustrated men. Carnivals and magic shows were constant affairs, the local movie theatre never went digital, King Kong battled with airplanes over Fay Wray nightly, and the darkest prediction was not that books might be burned, but that they might never be read. Creativity, both in absorption and expulsion, was as essential to existence as breathing and dreaming… For 91 years, Ray Bradbury’s world flourished. Entertaining. Enlightening. A poetic reminder that, though in shadows something wicked might very well this way come, the love of life will forever transcend death. On June 5 of this year, he retired to the twilight to forever drink…

THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS (1953) Based on the 1951 short story “The Fog Horn,” this tale of a resurrected dinosaur on a rampage predates Godzilla by a year and is a Mystery Science Theater 3000 fan’s wet dream. For all the clichéd images of monster mayhem and pseudo-scientific babble, though, Ray Harryhausen’s stop-motion animations give the titular beast more pathos and personality than any of its human co-stars. Despite its laughable script and dated execution, this Bradbury adaptation will probably survive through the ages. FAHRENHEIT 451 (1966) For pure alienation of audience, it’s tough to beat French New Wave director François Truffaut’s take on Bradbury’s dystopian classic. From Oskar Werner’s automaton-like portrayal of reluctant book burner Guy Montag to Julie Christie’s yawnsome performances as both Montag’s wife and schoolteacher…

THIS ISSUE: LANCE TRACKS THE FLESH TRADE EATING DISORDER GEORGE: A ZOMBIE INTERVENTION Breaking Glass Considering I’m totally addicted to zombie films, I thought it was high time to dive into the delete bin and dig up some gamey fare for your viewing pleasure. First up, a wickedly funny zom-com set in a world where the walking dead abound but are still able to be productive members of society, as long as they can control their appetites. But one, George, can’t stop snacking on hookers and Mormons, so his friends try to get him into zombie rehab, via an intervention. A strong ensemble cast gives great performances, bolstered by genre vets such as Lynn Lowry (Shivers, Cat People) and Brinke Stevens (The Slumber Party Massacre), and though it’s way zany,…

PROMETHEUS: THE ART OF THE FILM Mark Salibury Titan Books Regardless of whether you loved or hated Prometheus (see p.36), most of us agree that it looks pretty fucking sweet. Now, UK-based publisher Titan Books gives fans the opportunity to delve deeper into the process that went into creating the visual elements for the film via a glossy, full-colour, oversized, 192-page coffee-table book Things kick off with a brief introduction from director Ridley Scott on the “art of film,” then we’re into the meat of it. Set photos, concept drawings and storyboards are definitely the order of the day here, as the text is relatively sparse and limited to what is necessary to accompany the visuals. We begin with a look at the director’s long-awaited return to the Alien franchise…

THINK SERIAL KILLERS, AND A CERTAIN STEREOTYPE PROBABLY SPRINGS TO MIND: WHITE, MALE, LONER, PERHAPS ATTRACTIVE, BUT NOT SO MUCH THAT HE’D STAND OUT. But that’s real life. For her fiction, author Chelsea Cain turns all this conventional profiling on its head by casting the gorgeous Gretchen Lowell as her gregarious mass murderer. The series, which began with Heartsick in 2007, concerns Gretchen’s cat-and-mouse games with homicide detective Archie Sheridan, and has previously spawned three sequels (Sweetheart, 2008; Evil At Heart, 2009; The Night Season, 2011). Each book centres around a different case that Archie must solve – usually while Gretchen leads him closer to the answers via her coy manipulations (though she is absent from The Night Season, in which Cain focused on Archie). But now Portland, Oregon’s stunning…

PREDATOR SOUNDTRACK Alan Silvestri INTRADA Alan Silvestri’s penultimate sci-fi score finally gets a non-limited release – flawlessly remastered and re-sequenced with a smidge more music than the prior edition, which sold out in a day. Big and robust, Silvestri’s human-hunting opus develops from a simple militaristic rhythm with echoing snare drum and evolves into minimalist versions, with major action scenes backed by a full orchestra. The decision to save the orchestral might for the juiciest parts of the classic extraterrestrial rumble in the jungle makes Silvestri’s Predator a marvellous and engrossing work. It’s also one that features many of his little signatures: repeated phrases ping-ponging between instruments, swelling brass and wonderful rhythmic patterns for moments of desperation, flight and face-to-face combat. Equally memorable is the perfect integration of synth samples,…

I’VE BEEN A SUBSCRIBER and reader since 2005 and I have to say, what’s up with Dave Alexander trying his best to constantly discount any type of “spirituality?” His Note From Underground on The Entity (RM#124) was unreal. He turns it into some typical modern indie diatribe on rape and feels the need to not mention any of the “veracity of that claim” about the real woman that story is based on. All of his Notes are like this. Isn’t horror the genre that deals with concepts of good and evil, our mortality, and the supernatural? I love how Dave always gets his little bites in by contrasting the supernatural with “real life.” I even notice your very intentional ways of never capitalizing “God” but instead capitalizing “Devil.” Weird and…

According to the U.K. Daily News, politicians in India recently offered a reward of 100,000 rupees (nearly $2000) for the capture of vampires suspected of sucking the blood of cattle near the town of Dharampuri in Tamil Nadu. As a result of the strange, night-time incidents, locals painted holy signs and messages on their doors begging the monsters, known locally as Ratha Kaatteri, to spare their lives. Authorities claim the rumours are being “spread by criminals who do not want people disturbing their late-night deliveries of bootleg booze.” Popular Animal Planet show Finding Bigfoot kicked off its third season in July. According to the cable channel, the show has become one of its top three performing series of all time, with an average of 1.3 million viewers per episode. The…

1 LEGO MONSTER FIGHTER SETS $9.99 – $349.99 Finally, Lego for the Monster Kids! Lego’s new series of Monster Fighters features classic monsters (who come with an assortment of vehicles and settings), such as the Werewolf, the Mummy and the Swamp Creature, as well as “ManBats” – strange creatures that lurk in the castle of the Lego Lord Vampyre – and a zombie bride and groom, along with their driver. Hit the bricks at lego.com. 2 ZOMBIE BATH SALTS $3.50 Summer can be tough on a rotter: decay is enough to contend with on a good day, but soaring temperatures can really ripen your already rancid flesh. No more! Jump into a nice cool tub full of Zombie Bath Salts, forget about moaning about brains, and launch into a hearty…

Just a note to remind you of an oversight,” begins Ray Bradbury’s firm but polite letter to EC Comics publisher Bill Gaines and editor Al Feldstein, noting that unauthorized adaptations of his stories appeared in their early 1950s horror and sci-fi comic books such as Tales From the Crypt and Weird Fantasy. “I feel this was probably overlooked in the general confusion of office work,” Bradbury slyly added, “and look forward to your payment in the near future.” It’s perhaps the most famous anecdote in EC Comics history, and for good reason – after Gaines promptly settled with the well-known author, he went on to buy the rights to more than 25 stories, giving publications such as The Vault of Horror, Weird Fantasy and Crime SuspenStories a literary flair their…

JAWSISN’T JUST ONE OF THE BIGGEST HORROR MOVIES OF ALL TIME, IT’S ONE OF THE BIGGEST MOVIES OF ALL TIME, PERIOD. Released in 1975, the film gave birth to the modern summer blockbuster, set Steven Spielberg on a trajectory to becoming one of the most prominent directors in Hollywood, gave the world one of the most recognizable musical themes, and made legions of people afraid to set foot in the water. Not surprisingly then, few films have been so dissected. Laurent Bouzereau’s 1995 documentary, The Making of Jaws, which has been included on various LaserDisc and DVD releases of the film (including Universal’s 30th Anniversary edition), and the BBC’s 1997 documentary, In the Teeth of Jaws, covered much of the trou-bled production history of the film. (The refrain “the shark…

THE RECENT MINI-REVIVAL OF CINEMATIC GHOST STORIES THAT INCLUDES HAMMER’S THE WOMAN IN BLACK AND TI WEST’S THE INNKEEPERS GROWS BY ONE WITH ANOTHER IMPRESSIVE TITLE THAT’S BEEN MISSING FROM NORTH AMERICAN SCREENS UNTIL NOW: A HAUNTING BRITISH GEM CALLED THE AWAKENING. After its world premiere at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival and a critically acclaimed run in Britain last fall – garnering praise from no less than director Ridley Scott, who called it the best film of 2011 – The Awakening hits North American theatres on August 10. The film’s screenwriter, Stephen Volk (Ghostwatch, Gothic, The Guardian), was heavily influenced by the 1898 Henry James novella, The Turn of the Screw, about a governess who suspects the gothic home she’s working in may be haunted, and Jack Clayton’s…

Oscar Wilde’s seminal 1890 work The Picture of Dorian Gray has the distinction of being his only novel, as well as one of his only works to contain strong horror overtones. For the three of you not familiar with the story, Dorian Gray is a young Victorian gentleman who embarks upon a long, lustful life of debauchery, with each new sin taking its toll on his portrait rather than on the eternally young man himself. Eventually, however, Dorian’s past catches up to him. With its Faustian themes and ahead-of-its-time homoerotic subtext, it’s a work that continues to impress and influence many modern authors. The latest to be swayed by its spell are comic writers Darren G. Davis and Scott Davis, who have taken a unique viewpoint on the old story…

CAROLINE MUNRO, FIRST LADY OF FANTASY Robert Michael “Bobb” Cotter McFarland From her uncredited role in The Abominable Dr. Phibes to recent turns in indies such as The Absence of Light, the titular bombshell’s lengthy career in and out of the genre is catalogued here, including cast and crew credits, synopses, balanced reviews (highlighting Munro’s performances, natch) and insightful notes for each film. Not definitive but sure to complement the autobiography she announces in her brief foreword. TREVOR TUMINSKI ANNO DRACULA: THE BLOODY RED BARON Kim Newman Titan Books If you’re a fan of Kim Newman’s alternate history tales, you’ll want to snag this reissue (book two in the Anno Dracula cycle), which puts Count Dracula and other fictional characters in the middle of a WWI narrative. Stocked with…

Godmachine, the dark art deity from the UK with the mysterious moniker, has been turning heads lately with his ability to transform skateboards, album covers and apparel into brooding, unholy works to behold. Whether it’s a grungy portrait of Leatherface for T-shirt company Fright Rags or his radiant, neon poster print of Troma’s Class of Nuke’Em High for poster boutique Skuzzles, the artist – whose handle stems from the true story of an American preacher that attempted to build a mechanical messiah in an effort to communicate with-the spirit world‐traces his interest in the sunless side of life to his father. “He is one of those mean, old, hard bastards who has seen some bad stuff in his life, so horror films were always ‘just cameras and red sauce,’ as…

Necro’s music is not horrorcore. If only I’d remembered that from his interview segment in RM#58, when we looked at the history of the horror and hip hop hybrid. Instead, I incurred the wrath of “the most extreme hip hop artist on Earth” before we even got around to talking about the cold-blooded “bangers” on his ninth studio release, The Murder Murder Kill Kill EP (now out on his own Psycho+Logical Records). “I invented the genre ‘death rap,’ which I am the only artist on Earth to do correctly,” he explains. “It’s when I rap technically complex, violent lyrics over sampled East Coast hip hop beats. The term ‘horrorcore’ was invented by a bisexual man named Russell Simmons, founder of Def Jam. It’s a term that is not respected by…

A 22-year-old Texas man was arrested this past June on animal cruelty charges after he allegedly got high on synthetic cannabis and proceeded to kill and eat the family dog. The role of Dr. Loomis in John Carpenter’s Halloween was originally offered to Christopher Lee. Postal service to some 30 residences in Winnipeg, Manitoba, was halted recently after a spate of attacks on a postal worker by a murder of crows. The courtroom dialogue and hijinks featured in Cannibal! The Musical are based on actual trial transcriptions from the prosecution of real-life cannibal Alfred Packer, on whom the film is based. According to a recent article in the Toronto Star, more than 200 people have vanished without a trace from cruise ships over the past ten years. Krishna Shah’s Hard…

Jaws spawned a cornucopia of merchandise after its release in 1975 – everything from beach towels to shark-shaped necklaces. One of the most popular items produced was Ideal Toy’s The Game of Jaws. Designed for two to four players, the aim of the game is to fish out assorted items (including a skull, boat steering wheel, gun, walkie-talkie, camera and lantern) from the shark’s toothy maw before it snaps shut. Recognizable by its fantastic box art, featuring slightly modified movie poster graphics (the female swimmer was removed), it can easily be found on eBay for $15 to $30. MORE CRYPTIC COLLECTIBLES AT RUE-MORGUE.COM…

WHEN JAWS SPLASHED ITS WAY ACROSS MOVIE SCREENS IN THE SUMMER OF 1975, MOVIEGOERS WERE UNPREPARED FOR THE ROLLER-COASTER THRILL RIDE THEY WERE EMBARKING UPON. Nor did they know that they were witnessing the birth of a new breed of cinema: the Hollywood summer blockbuster. But before it took a tremendous bite out of the box office and made its director, 27-year-old wunderkind Steven Spielberg, into a household name, Jaws started out as a novel by a struggling young writer named Peter Benchley. Inspired by a 1964 news piece about Frank Mundus, a fisherman who had hauled in an enormous great white shark (supposedly weighing 2064 kg) off the coast of Long Island, New York, Benchley had proposed a non-fiction shark-themed book to well-known publisher Doubleday. The company, however, was…

SOMEWHAT ALIENATING PROMETHEUS Starring Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender and Charlize Theron Directed by Ridley Scott Written by Damon Lindelof and Jon Spaihts Twentieth Century Fox When Ridley Scott announced that he was returning to the Alien universe, it was predicted the result would be either a spectacular game-changer or a colossal failure. Oddly enough, Prometheus falls somewhere in the middle. Set 50 years before Alien, Prometheus follows Weyland Industries’ flagship and crew to the ass end of space to research the true origin of our species. It goes without saying that things do not end well, as they discover the remains of an ancient civilization (built by a people dubbed “The Engineers”) and the experiments they left behind – specifically, a black “primordial ooze” directly tied to the human race’s…

Just as movie buffs have their rituals for unearthing cinematic treasures, I have mine for finding genre books. When I’m travelling, bookstores are a must-stop, as no trip is complete without acquiring some regional horror fare. However, when I recently spent a week in New Zealand, I initially found myself stymied. After hitting three bookstores with no luck, I started to wonder if anyone in the country actually wrote genre stories. I’d all but given up when I stumbled across a bookseller at the airport with a “local authors” shelf, and lo and behold, there were a couple of titles that fit the profile. Left to choose between a serial killer story and a vampire series (because books are twice as pricey there), I went for the latter, preferring fictional…

One of my favourite films from last year was Jason Eisener’s ’80s homage Hobo with a Shotgun, and as a result I’ve softened my stance on retro-grindhouse films to the point that I’ll actually recommend a couple! One that’s been generating a lot of buzz online lately is writer/director James Bickert’s Dear God No! (2011), which opens with an outrageously offensive scene that sets the tone for the whole film. After waking up in the lot of a drive-in amongst a bunch of dead or dying nuns, a gang of outlaw bikers known as The Impalers – who style themselves as the one percent of the one percent – enjoy a quick breakfast of drugs and beer before finishing off the sisters. One of the bikers even does a burnout…

The last time we spoke, in 2010, Oog Skullbasher [drums] and Hulg ElfRipper [guitar] really wanted to eat my brain. What have you orcs been up to since then? Cretos Filthgrinder [lead guitar]: Foolish human, only Hulg eat brains. Oog just want to smash you. We been in Trident Studios [in Pacheco, California] making most brutally epic album of 2012, Adding Heads to the Pile [out August 30 via Itchy Metal Entertainment]. The Warchiefs of the Apocalypse EP was released five years ago. Why has it taken so long for a full album? Do orcs measure the passage of time differently than humans? Gogog Bloodthroat [vocals]: Yes. Measure with axe. Gronk! [bass]: Human not have to manage tribe in two realms. Us back and forth, back and forth from Hirnto-dia.…

LOLLIPOP CHAINSAW Xbox 360, PS3 Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Saccharine, sassy, sexy, gory, at times extremely silly and almost always boasting a palette of sparkling rainbow colours, Lollipop Chainsaw is a conundrum. It’s a game that calls to mind the ass-kicking of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, complete with the teenage saviour angle and tortured love story, but at the same time has a crass, suggestive edge with heroine Juliet Starling’s skimpy costume, leering camerawork and raunchy humour. Whom this is aimed at may well be one of life’s great mysteries. It’s Juliet’s eighteenth birthday (presumably so you don’t feel as much like a pervert for ogling her) and she’s got big plans, at least until they’re ruined by a zombie outbreak. Now, she’s been forced to cut the head off…