Table of contents for Issue 144 May 2014 in RUE MORGUE

Easter is about to get a little more evil. Scott Spiegel, co-writer of 1987’s Evil Dead II and writer/director of 1989’s Intruder, is returning to the director’s chair this year with Wrath, a horror film based on a Scandinavian Easter tradition. Set in a seaside California town circa 1986, the movie centres on a pair of brothers who attract the decidedly unwelcome attention of an entity known as the Easter Witch. “The script was scary and suspenseful,” Spiegel says of why he was attracted to the project. “I cared about the characters, and the Swedish Easter Witch is a new twist on a classic monster. The California coast location and time period make a great setting, and the Easter Witch lore is fascinating to me and was well integrated into…

1 GODZILLA $59.99 At 24 inches tall, 43 inches long, and weighing over eight pounds, JAKKS Pacific’s plastic Godzilla from the new film is sized to stomp all over your other puny collectibles. “What’s that, 6-inch Freddy Krueger? You’re gonna do what with your tiny little glove?” Get a Toysaurus at toysrus.com. 2 THINKGEEK EVILTRON $9.99 – $24.99 There are days when you want to wade in the steaming entrails of your enemies – and then there are days when you just want to annoy the crap out of them. The tiny EvilTron can be easily hidden and will emit six different creepy noises from “unsettling creaking” to “gasping last breath,” driving your roommates and co-workers nuts while you laugh maniacally. Get down with your bad self at thinkgeek.com. 3…

IF A HITCHHIKER FALLS IN THE OUTBACK… WOLF CREEK 2 Starring John Jarratt, Shannon Ashlyn and Ryan Corr Directed by Greg McLean Written by Greg McLean and Aaron Sterns RLJ/Image Entertainment The late Roger Ebert could be simple-minded in his moralism about horror, and one target was Greg McLean’s accomplished Wolf Creek (2005). “What the hell is the purpose of this sadistic celebration of pain and cruelty?” he asked, before advising that readers unfriend anyone who wanted to see it. Well, putting aside that such movies allow us to experience evil and dread in ways that other art doesn’t, Ebert simply missed all the below-the-surface content related to civilization and wilderness, much of it specific to the Australian setting. Almost as if to answer such critics, director/co-writer McLean has saddled…

Although it has an old soul, Tales of the Night Watchman began in 2011 – a collaboration between writer Dave Kelly and artist/co-creator Lara Antal. The book tells the story of Nora, a blogging barista, and her roommate Charlie, an otherwise normal, genuine “nice guy” who happens to be possessed by the spirit of a 1940s detective, the Night Watchman (exactly how and why that happened is one of the book’s core mysteries). Armed with a magical sceptre, the Watchman protects New York from demonic attacks brought about by the impending return of his arch-nemesis, the mysterious Merrick. “I’ve been a horror fan for as long as I can remember,” admits Kelly. “It started with Friday the 13th and Halloween; I would see all these VHS tapes at my local…

EERIE AMERICA E.R. “Corvis Nocturnum” Vernor and Kevin Eads Schiffer If our feature on morbid tourism in NYC got you stoked to see the spooky sights, consider the colourful, large format Eerie America a good dashboard companion guide. Featuring a couple of key macabre-minded attractions and lodging suggestions for each state (from ghost towns to haunted locales), the 192-page book makes an excellent launching point for planning a horror-ific vacation. Get packing, Igor! MONICA S. KUEBLER THE REACH OF CHILDREN Tim Lebbon Dreaming in Fire Press This ebook edition of Tim Lebbon’s British Fantasy Award-winning novella, released via the author’s own imprint, suffers from a few unfortunate typos, but none so serious that they will detract from the chilling tale of a boy who finds a coffin-shaped box under his…

Scarecrowoven seems to have his eyes on the skies. The New York native has been carving an alien-infested path through the art world recently, as his colourful E.T.s have oozed onto album covers, skate decks and giclée prints. Previously employed as a graphic designer for MTV, he learned a lot about colour theory during his time at the station – the basics being CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and black), a bright and bold combination that grabs the eyeballs and keeps them glued. But his real training came from a youth spent indulging in horror comics and films. “I think my biggest influences artistically are horror and sci-fi movies, not so much from other illustrators,” he says. “So I naturally gravitate to the massive colour saturation that you find in technicolor…

If you’re like me, you wake up every day asking yourself “was Ricky in on it with Angela?” That’s right, I’m kind of obsessed with ’80s slasher Sleepaway Camp, partly because of its mysterious atmosphere. Like, why does Angela’s aunt look like a man? Why does having a homosexual father make her/him want to kill people? And, whatever happened to foul-mouthed Ricky after he gave the horror world one of its most memorable characters and one-liners? Well… turns out he’s been making music! Jonathan Tiersten, a.k.a. Ricky, has been playing folk and roots rock since the late-’80s, even leaving his native NYC to open a live music venue in Fort Collins, Colorado, in the early ’90s. “I have been playing and writing for a long time,” says Tiersten. “I play…

ROBERT KENNETH WILSON 1934 In the vast lore of monsters, the monsters of myth, literature and film tower above all others. But in the last 80 or so years, the so-called mysterious monsters of cryptozoology have joined their ranks – Bigfoot, sometimes called Sasquatch; the Abominable Snowman, also known as Yeti; and the ever enigmatic Loch Ness Monster. These creatures, once the stuff of local legend, are now household names and the subject of countless books, TV shows, documentaries, collector culture memorabilia, conventions… and even some scientific scrutiny. Most of that fascination revolves around the testimony of a relatively small group of people who claim to have personally encountered these creatures, along with a still smaller number of photos and films that make up the physical evidence, such as it…

LET'S SAY I'm more than excited for the upcoming issue of @RueMorgue #TwinPeaks #Oculus @JONNOTHIN, VIA TWITTER HEY GANG, I just picked up RM#143 and found out that Hellboy and I share a birthday! The big guy and I going out and painting the town RED! Hah! KEVIN ZACHARY SERRICK, VIA FACEBOOK AFTER A DAY outdoors. I'm cozying up with Twin Peaks on #Netflix and my issue of @RueMorgue #143. @PROARTIST_AMY, VIA TWITTER MISSED OPPORTUNITY: In the process of reading RM#142, I just finished the CineMacabre section, and I have to disagree with the title above one of the reviews. The one for Nurse 3D says, “What the Doctor Ordered,” and it should say, “Hel-loooooo Nurse!” What, did Warner Brothers copyright that phrase or something? JOSEPH DZENCELOWCZ, VIA FACEBOOK AFTER…

As a horror fan, if you’re camping and hear a strange noise, your mind might jump to the conclusion that it’s a knife-wielding psycho, hideous monster or ravenous beast out to get you. But what if it wasn’t your imagination? Two fully immersive, interactive horror camping nights in North America are starting up with that intention: to bring a horror film to life. 13 Hours in Hell: The Camp Contagion Experience takes place June 6 and 7, in a secluded area of Bingemans Park, Kitchener, a site already popular for its Screampark attraction at Halloween (a series of haunted houses), and its annual zombie assault course, The Running Dead. “After years of creating the premium horror attractions Screampark and The Running Dead, it was only natural we combine everything together…

Several new horror films debuted at this year’s South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas, including the Bigfoot terror flick, Exists. Written by Jamie Nash (Lovely Molly) and directed by Eduardo Sánchez (Lovely Molly, The Blair Witch Project), Exists builds on the found-footage premise Sánchez pioneered in Blair Witch by exploring the Bigfoot legend. Exists grabbed the Audience Favorite Award in the “Midnighters” category, and quickly secured a distribution deal through Lionsgate. A release date is forthcoming. According to Origin Releasing, their own sasquatch cinema offering, Bigfoot Wars, will be unleashed this month. Based on the best-selling horror fiction series, Bigfoot War, by Eric S. Brown, the film stars C. Thomas Howell (The Amazing Spider-Man) and more than one unsavory-looking sasquatch intent on wreaking vengeance on a small town.…

LIKE SUPERMAN, DOCTOR WHO OR BATMAN, THE SUCCESS OF THE GODZILLA SERIES IS THE DIRECT RESULT OF THE CHARACTER’S PLASTICITY. L Godzilla can be a force of evil, a force of nature, the sworn defender of Earth, a father, a mother or even a… basketball player. Between the 28 films from Toho Studios, some unproduced American remakes and a variety of bizarre spin-off media, Godzilla proves that you have to be as multi-faceted as David Bowie to be King of the Monsters. Presenting ten of the strangest Godzilla variations to appear – or almost appear – in the pop culture stomping grounds. 1.IN GODNITO (1966 – 1967) Special effects guru Eiji Tsuburaya will forever be remembered for creating Godzilla and many of the classic Toho monsters, as well as the…

PROXY Starring Alexia Rassmusen, Alexa Havins and Joe Swanberg Directed by Zack Parker Written by Kevin Donner and Zack Parker IFC Midnight If The Sacrament whet your appetite for psychopaths, gun violence and Joe Swanberg, you’re in luck. IFC Midnight has just released Proxy (on VOD and in a limited theatrical run), which features all of the above but in a brutal Hitchcockian thriller rather than a found-footage movie about a cult. Having made a mark in indie horror titles such as A Horrible Way to Die, VHS and You’re Next (RM#136) – where we loved him as the smarmy, seemingly indestructible older brother – the actor/writer/director is dropped into the middle of Zack Parker’s tale of pregnancy, deception and revenge. Waifish Alexia Rassmusen stars as Esther, an introverted single…

THIS ISSUE: LANCE GETS MIXED UP IN A MASSACRE SPLASHER SLASHER PORN SHOOT MASSACRE Lost Empire Films This movie had me at Porn, so it’s pretty convenient that it turned out to be a horror film, too. Set mostly within a creepy, low-budget movie set, Porn Shoot Massacre follows an arrogant director who’s trying to make the best porno of his career, replete with S&M, a threesome and a horny midget with a mighty big dildo. But just as the lube flows and the moans grow, the talent starts getting whacked off – and not in the good way. Anyone looking for copious amounts of T&A won’t be disappointed, as the first naked girl appears a mere fifteen seconds into the film. But if you’re seeking some serious slasher action…

Snakes on a plane? How about satanic stones on a jumbo jet? Originally airing on CBS in 1973, The Horror at 37,000 Feet is a supersonic blast of small-screen trash that mixes disaster pics such as Airport with a bit of The Exorcist as an evil spirit haunts a planeload of B-list stars. Made-for-TV movies don’t have a reputation for great quality but, for those too young to stay awake at the drive-in to see those big-budget Hollywood epics, The Horror at 37,000 Feet is notable kid nightmare fuel – even if your parents probably thought it was as bland as a mid-flight Salisbury steak. With a few horror-themed vintage TV movies popping up on home video lately, Paramount has prepped a new edition of this supernatural schlock classic for…

A great title is the first and most important marketing tool a horror film can have. Titles should be provocative and evocative to titillate and pique curiosity. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and I Spit on Your Grave are classic examples. Single word titles such as Psycho or Intruder are to the point, but the most ingenious are titles that aren’t even real words, but rather concatenations that fire the imagination, such as Inseminoid or Nekromantik. To this cornucopia add Discopath, a clever new title that blends ’70s pop music crimes with psychopathology – gold! But it begs the question: does a title like that come from the story, or does the story come from the title? “Come to think of it, I can’t recall which came first,” remarks Discopath…

What horror movie music disturbs you the most? Phantasm theme… makes me look over my shoulder for the Tall Man! LORIE NASH HAWKS “Tubular Bells” from The Exorcist is evocative, and John Carpenter’s Halloween theme is perfect. But the ominous music of The Shining is basically unsettling. PATRICK GRAHAM Child’s Play II theme or Candyman. Something about its childlike nature makes me uneasy… JACKIE MOON I don’t know if it counts, but that music from the club scene in Irreversible will forever make me sick to my stomach. MIKE PARISI Ice cream truck music in horror movies. Nothing good ever comes from it. LOUIE PICK Poltergeist 2: the creepy old preacher singing. It used to scare the shit out of my sister and I! LUCY JANE TEAGUE Tiny Tim’s “Tiptoe…

EVER SINCE GODZILLA EMERGED FROM THE STORMY SEAS OF POST-WAR JAPAN IN 1954, AMERICA HAS WANTED A PIECE OF HIM. The US made its first covetous swipe at Japan’s seminal kaiju in 1956, when a group of enterprising producers decided to Americanize Toho Studios’ wildly successful Gojira, a monster movie that doubled as a sombre plea to shut the Pandora’s box opened by the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Fearing that Americans would balk at Gojira’s blatant anti-war themes, the producers enlisted film editor and director Terry O. Morse to soften the movie’s blunt warnings about the dangers of nuclear proliferation. To that end, Morse shot and incorporated new footage featuring Raymond Burr as a US journalist who essentially narrates the tale of a prehistoric monster drawn out…

THE ANNALS OF SUMMER-CAMP HORROR CONTAIN THEIR SHARE OF WHAT-THE-FUCK MOMENTS, but the final shot of 1983’s Sleepaway Camp is by far the what-the fuckest of them all. And that’s just one of the reasons that nearly 31 years after its premiere, writer/director Robert Hiltzik’s lurid curiosity is getting the special edition reissue treatment. For fans of’80s horror, Sleepaway Camp joins Friday the 13th and The Burning to form the unholy trinity of summer-camp slasher flicks. By the time it hit screens in November 1983, Jason Voorhees had hacked his way through three installments, and The Burning had enjoyed a number of re-releases since its initial May 1981 opening. Curiously, Hiltzik, then a film student at NYU, says he wasn’t influenced by any of those films. “I cannot say that…

THE LORD CAME AT TWILIGHT Daniel Mills Dark Renaissnce Books Daniel Mills is a rising star of horror fiction. His debut historical novel of Puritan – possibly supernatural – dread, Revenants (2011), earned him strong praise from Booklist, while his stories were among the very best in such anthologies as Fungi, A Season in Carcosa, Shadows Edge (RM#134) and The Grimscribe’s Puppets (RM#137). The Lord Came at Twilight is his first solo collection and is a perfect example that “the last great revolution in horror was its rediscovery of its past,” as Simon Strantzas claims in his introduction. The stories of Daniel Mills are old school in the best sense of the phrase – namely, they are atmospheric, nuanced and filled with a lurking fear that is rarely seen in…

In this age of cardboard characters, ever-increasing body counts and constant one-upmanship in the gore department, it’s easy to lose sight of what actually makes fiction timeless and enduring. Interestingly, my most recent reminder of these oft-neglected nuances of narrative came not from a mass market novel, nor from the boundary-pushing domain of the small press, but rather from a debut book by a self-published author. That said, you aren’t likely to guess that Alys Arden’s The Casquette Girls (available from Amazon) – a slow-burning New Orleans-set vampire novel in the tradition of Anne Rice – is an indie release. It’s well edited, boasts a handsome, intriguing cover, and offers up a story that’s more intricately woven than your typical supernatural release. The narrative, which concerns the centuries-long entanglement of…

IN AN EFFORT TO BE “HORROR,” MANY BANDS PUMMEL LISTENERS WITH ANGER AND AGGRESSION. NOT SO WITH NORTH CAROLINA’S BLOODY HAMMERS – DESPITE THEIR NAME. Rather, the group delves into the darkest Southern folklore via fuzzed-out psychedelia and creepy goth rock on the new album Under Satan’s Sun. If that band moniker sounds familiar, it’s because they’ve taken it from a song by Roky Erickson, the rock ’n’ roll legend known for founding psychedelic godfathers The 13th Floor Elevators and writing catchy rock songs around tales of schizophrenia and monsters. “It’s all about the song,” says frontman Anders Manga about Erickson’s prominent influence. “Take a song like ‘I Think of Demons’ – lyrically it’s dark, but endearing. It has a melody you can sing in the shower. To me, you…

XBOX 360 PS3 WII PC MAC DS PSP TABLE-TOP CARD ROLE-PLAYING IPAD IPHONE REVIEWED DEAD PANIC Board Game Fireside Games Never underestimate the power of teamwork. Dead Panic traps you and your friends inside a cabin in the woods that’s under siege by an endless horde of the walking dead; only by working together can you hope to survive long enough to escape. Players choose between eight different characters, each with his or her own special abilities (e.g., the paramedic can heal injuries, the construction worker can repair walls easily, and the police officer can shoot faster). Each turn, players may perform a certain number of actions, such as moving, shooting and/or drawing cabin cards, with the hope of obtaining weapons and other useful supplies. A single event card is…