Poll Results "Which supernatural being is the coolest?"

We just finished our first poll on the blog and the question was "Which supernatural being is the coolest?". The results are in and the majority of you chose vampires.

 Art by Victoria Frances

Results out of 18

Vampires: 10

Zombies: 2

Werewolves: 0 *Awww no love for the wolves. :(

Aliens 1

Spirits 3

Witches 2 

Horrorwood Doll: I can't say I blame the majority for picking vampires. If we are going with the modern/ideological idea of vampires then I would certainly pick vampires myself. The fact that I would now have the time to get through my reading/movie/travel list would be a huge plus. :D My second choice would be witches because with enough work they have the power to do anything. -Edit- If you've seen Pirates of the Carribean 4 then you'll know that mermaids are now badass. If I had the choice I would totally be a mermaid of vampiery doom.

 Note: You'll be seeing more of these things in the future and they will become more interactive. Stay tuned for the next poll.

 

New Elvira DVDs

This June we'll be seeing more dvds from the Mistress of the Dark. Each dvd will be  a double feature that will contain two episodes from Elvira's most rescent season. The first dvd will be a a zombie double feature with I Eat Your Skin and George Romero's Night of the Living Dead. Elvira follows up here zombie fest with back to back Hammer horror films The Satanic Rites of Dracula and The Werewolf of Washington. Future dvds will feature great horror icons such as Bela Lugosi in Scared to Death paired with Manster and Boris Karloff in The Terror with Jack Nicholson in Eagah! If you've ever wanted a way to spice up your horror dvd collectionor you just wanted someone to add snarky comments with you, while you watch these ghoulishly terrible flicks, then these dvds are for you.

No news yet on where you can get these treasures,but I'm betting you'll be able to find them here.

-Horrorwood Doll

New Dark Shadows Film

Johnny Depp fangirls can now rejoice becaue there is now going to be a film where Johnny Depp is a vampire. If you haven't heared the new Tim Burton is directing a film adaption to the 1960s supernatural soap opera Dark Shadows. The film is set to debut May 11th, 2012 and is supposed to follow the life of the vampire Barnabus Collins. It has been known that it's been Johnny Depp's lifelong dream to play Barnabus Collins. Beleive it or not the show Dark Shadows was a huge thing for the children of th 60s and 70s. The show also left a huge impact and you'd be pretty surprise by how much it has influenced the horror genre or the world in general. (Probably, should do a post on this.) Anyways in an interview for Entertainment Weekly Johnny, states "I do remember, very vividly, practically sprinting home from school in the afternoon to see Jonathan Frid play Barnabas Collins. Even then, at that age, I knew – this has got to be weird. I loved it. I loved the show,” he says. “This soap opera with gothic vampires. I knew, ‘This is not All My Children.’”

Mock poster source:http://darkshadowsnews.blogspot.com/2011/03/coming-soon.html

In another article Johnny Depp talks about his approach to the vampire.

"My approach to Barnabas will be on the flaws and insecurities of a vampire,” he revealed. “Having been in a coffin for 200 years, he experiences the absurdity of a world that he’s just entered, where macramé owls hanging on a wall or fake fruits on a dish are widely accepted. From where he comes, in the 18th century, it would have been ludicrous. I want to see a vampire who’s 200 years old or more, experience television for the first time.”


The film has been cast and it's been reported that the filming process is currently happening. Here is the current known cast list. A bit dissapointing to see that a few of my favorite characters will not be included in the film,but what do you expect whenthe film is limited to a 2-hour time restraint.

Cast

Johnny Depp- Barnabus Collins (Great actor, but will probably differ from Johnathin Frid's version.)
Helena Bohman Cater-Dr. Julia Hoffman (Freakin called it.)
Chloe Moretz- Carolyn Stoddard
Eva Green-Angelique Bouchard (Angelique is my fav. character. I'm not sure how I feel about Eva Green in the role because I haven't seen much of her work.)
Michelle Pfeiffer-Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (In my opinion Michelle should have been Angelique. No one plays delightfully crazy like she does. Not to mention she actually resembles the orginal actress a bit more apperance wise.)
Thomas McDonnel-Young Barnabus Collins (Not surprising since he has been described as looking like a young Johnny Depp.)
Jackie Earle Halie-Willie Loomis (Perfect casting here.)
Bella Heathcote-Victoria Winters
Gulliver McGrath-David Collins


-Horrorwood Doll

How to Celebrate Friday the 13th

It's Friday the 13th a day that comes, well it comes anytime the first of the month is on a Sunday. In a way this day has become a holiday of sorts.We here at Dreadful Dreary beleive that one should not spend the day being a shut-in, but a day of celebration. Here, is a list of ways you can celebrate the most unluckiest day of the year. ;)

*Watch the Friday the 13th movies. (This is kind of a given.)
*Check to see if any bulding you're in has a 13th floor or room. You'll be pretty surprised how many buildings refrain from having a 13th anything.(This is mostly true in America.)
*Adopt a black kitty or any kitty from the pound. (Just, keep in mind that adoption is for life. Quite, a few shelters waver the adoption fee for cats on Friday the 13th.)
*Bake blood spattered cupcakes or even a cake.
*Wear a hockey mask throughout your day and see what reactions await. (Pass out blood spattered cupcakes to make the experience more interesting. Please, be seinsible if you try and do this.)
*Break the rules of luck. In other words, walk under ladders,step on cracks, break any mirrors, etc.
*Visit somewhere fun like Zombie Manor,The Haunted Mansion, Disney's Tower of Terror, a murder mystery party/dinner show, an abandoned house or even a graveyard.
*Throw a Friday the 13th party and invite enough people over so there is 13 guests total.

-Horrorwood Doll

Do you like Scooby movies?-Scooby-doo Scream commercials

For those of you who watched Cartoon Network back in the 90s you might remember these commercials that aired for the Scooby movies that used to play. It's pretty interesting to see that Cartoon Network got away with refrencing a horror film like Scream, then again if I remember right back in grade school the most popular costume was in fact ghost face.

I must say that the animation in this trailer is really good, even better than the majority of animation that is used for most cartoons these days.

Random fact: Did you know Mathew Lillird who played Stuart in the first Scream is now the voice of Shaggy in  Scooby-Doo cartoons?

-Horrorwood Doll

P.S. I do in fact like popcorn with my Scooby movies.

Joss Whedon's Cabin in the Woods

Finally, some good news for Joss Whedon, his horror film The Cabin in the Woods is to finally be released and distributed by Lionsgate. The film is set to be released by October 28th and will be in 3-D. (YAY! A Halloween horror release that is not a sequel)

Joss's film was completed back in 2009 under MGM and was directed by Drew Goddard who also directed Cloverfield.  Those who are familiar with Joss Whedon's work will see Amy Acker who starred in Angel as Fred/Illyria and Dollhouse as Dr. Claire Saunders/Whisky and Fran Kranz who starred in Dollhouse as Topher Brink.

Honestly, what is up with the film industry pushing back release dates of any descent horror films. First, we had Trick r' Treat, which got pushed back so much that it hardly had a chance to show in theaters. We have the highly anticipated Don't be Afraid of the Dark and we of course The Cabin in the Woods. You wanna know what all three of these films have in common? They've all received positive test screenings. Hollywood is just hates horror that's all there is to it.

Being that this is a Joss Whedon project there will be no shortage of humor. Here is some terrible device from the man himself on what you should do if you're at a  cabin in the woods.(May I also add that if you find a strange book in a cabin in the woods, that it's probably best not to read it.

Check out the website .http://thecabininthewoodsmovie.com/


-Horrorwood Doll

Scream Queen (Yvette Vickers) Found Mummified

Just happened to stumble upon this and thought I would share.

"Former Playboy pinup and B-movie actress Yvette Vickers died at the age of 82. But it wasn't until a year later—last Wednesday—that her mummified body was found in her Beverly Hills home.
Neighbor Susan Savage found the Attack of the 50 Foot Woman star lying on the floor of an upstairs room, after pushing open a barricaded front gate, "scaling a hillside", climbing through a broken window and pushing through stacks of "clothes, junk mail and letters" to reach her, according to the Los Angeles Times .  
MORE: Five Mysterious Hollywood Deaths
Although Vickers generally kept to herself in the neighborhood, Savage decided to check on her after seeing cobwebs and old letters in her mailbox.
"The letters seemed untouched and were starting to yellow," Savage said. "I just had a bad feeling."
Vickers' body, which was lying on the floor that entire time, was so decomposed that it was unrecognizable.
"We've all been crying about this," Savage said. "Nobody should be left alone like that."
In spite of the circumstances, police suspect no sign of foul play, and the cause of death has yet to be determined by the Los Angeles county coroner's office.
During her career, Vickers starred in horror flicks like Attack of the Leeches and What's the Matter With Helen? and earned a bachelor's degree in theater arts from UCLA. She quickly rose to fame after playing Honey Parker, mistress of Allison Hayes (the titular giantess)' husband in Attack of the 50 Foot Woman."

Source:  http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/entertainment-eonline/20110503/b239774/

That is just so terribly sad. :( A whole year and no one bothered to check on her. I know she was never a huge star or anything, but its sad to see someone to be forgotten like that. In a way this is a case where fact is certainly stranger than fiction.

Films she is known for:
Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (You can watch the whole film here.)
Attack of the Giant Leeches (You can watch the whole film here.)
What's the Matter with Helen?
The Dead Don't Die
Evil Spirits 


-Horrorwood Doll

A new Buffy film without Joss Wheadon

This is old news, but I might as well post it here anyways. In 2012 there will be a new Buffy film (most likely in 3-d.) that will be  and written by Whit Anderson whose a long time fan of the original show.
 The producer will be Charles Roven (Produced Batman Begins) and Steve Alexander will produce the feature film alongside Doug Davison and Roy Lee of Vertigo Entertainment.  The film is supposed to feature an older and possibly darker Buffy, which will have no relation to  the show. The film will not feature anyone from the original show and of course the biggest uproar against this is there will be no Joss Wheadon involved.

If you have not heard of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" do a damn google search and look it up on wikipedia. To give you an idea you an idea how big the show is was voted by TV Guide as one of the top cult shows of all time. Empire magazine voted it No.2 as one of the best shows of all time. There was also a Buffy film back in 1992, but it's pale in comparison to the show. Did I mention it was a show about vampires before there was half a dozen of them like there is now?



When Joss Whedon found out about the news he released this statement to E-news.

"Kristin, I'm glad you asked for my thoughts on the announcement of Buffy the cinema film. This is a sad, sad reflection on our times, when people must feed off the carcasses of beloved stories from their youths -- just because they can't think of an original idea of their own, like I did with my Avengers idea that I made up myself.

Obviously I have strong, mixed emotions about something like this. My first reaction upon hearing who was writing it was, 'Whit Stillman AND Wes Anderson? This is gonna be the most sardonically adorable movie EVER.' Apparently I was misinformed. Then I thought, 'I'll make a mint! This is worth more than all my Toy Story residuals combined!' Apparently I am seldom informed of anything. And possibly a little slow. But seriously, are vampires even popular any more?

I always hoped that Buffy would live on even after my death. But, you know, AFTER. I don't love the idea of my creation in other hands, but I'm also well aware that many more hands than mine went into making that show what it was. And there is no legal grounds for doing anything other than sighing audibly. I can't wish people who are passionate about my little myth ill. I can, however, take this time to announce that I'm making a Batman movie. Because there's a franchise that truly needs updating. So look for The Dark Knight Rises Way Earlier Than That Other One And Also More Cheaply And In Toronto, rebooting into a theater near you.

Leave me to my pain! Sincerely, Joss Whedon."

I am of course a huge Buffy fan and the fact that they are making a film without Joss Whedon who gave the concept any depth annoys me. (Seriously, have you seen the orginal film? It sucks.) I find it odd that those behind this film feel that Buffy needs an update because when you go back and look at the show itself the writing and issues dealt within the show was slightly ahead of its time. The cynic in me beleives that this will be a pointless Twilight cash in or another mindless fail of a girl power flick. I will give the film a chance till I see the first trailer. The good thing this is an actual fan who is behind this and for all I know the film might be darker and take Buffy in a new direction, similar to how the Christopher Nolan films took batman in a new direction. However, those behind the film have failed to respect the actual creators wishes and for me that is the biggest no, no when it comes to this film. 
 
Oh yes and if you want to give yourself a heart attack read this.....It's a joke of course.

What do you all think about this?

-Horrorwood Doll

Happy Easter from Sam of Trick r Treat

 You know Easter is actually my second favorite holiday right after Halloween, of course, many don't seem to realize that the two holidays have more in common than people realize. I can find a few reasons on how these holidays are similar and thanks to our little friend Sam from Trick r' Treat I have a reason to do so.

1. Sugar High children are Abound

Easter is the day when children wake their sleepy heads from bed and tip down stairs to see a basket filled with sugary goodness. There is no other holiday besides Halloween where children have access to the fantastical amount of candies and sweets. Now, some would point out that children have to earn the candy on Halloween, while Easter it's all a free hand out; this is not entirely true because these days, kids have to have to work for their candy by doing easter egg hunts. There is even a stronger connection between the holidays as night time flashlight Easter egg hunts become more and more popular, making candy gathering a night time activity.

2. The Celebration of the Dead
Halloween is a time where one takes the time to celebrate and remember death. Easter is the time when Christianity takes the time to celebrate and remember that their savior died and rose from the grave in zombie or vampire style. Either, way both holidays have to deal with the celebration of death in some form.

3.Animal Mascots
Quite a few holidays have only one animal mascot like Christmas or Thanksgiving. (Heck,some holidays have only one mascot, regardless.) Halloween and Easter seem to both have a plethora of animal mascots, its just one holiday has mascots that have been deemed cuddlier. Which is better? Bunnies,duckies,chicks,and butterflies or bats,cats,rats, and spiders?

4.Pagen Roots
From those who have seen Halloween, the holiday originated from a pagen holiday known as Samahain, which had to do with the end of Summer and had its links to remembering the dead. Easter takes its roots from the possible celebrations and feasts that were held in honor for the Great Mother Godess of the Saxons, Eostre. (That bunny laying eggs is actually a representation on fertility and isn't just some creepy holiday mascot.)

5. Acceptable to Wear a Bunnysuit
Easter is the only other day in the year, where one can dress up in a bunnysuit and not look like a complete lunatic. If you walked down the street any other day you would get pulled over by the cops,but on Easter and Halloween it is suddenly acceptable.

And yes we are half way through the year to Halloween. (By the way these comparisons are meant to be humorous and should not be taken  seriously.)

-Horrorwood Doll

Barnes and Nobel's Leatherbound Classics

    If you are like me and have a life ambition of creating a fantastical library filled with beautiful books, then you'll love the Barnes and Nobel's Leatherbound Classics Collection. Surprisingly, horror literature seems to be a huge staple of their collection, which means that now you can own that edition of Dracula that will make your friends,family, and neighbors envious because they are stuck with some crappy paperback version.

 Originally, each book of their collection was a compilation if an artist's work. For example one book might have the complete works of Edgar Allen Poe or the most notable works of an author like Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles.

    I can not praise the overall look of these books enough. They are simply gorgeous with their specially designed cover,gilded pages, and ribbon bookmarks. These books are not just pretty, they're well made as well. I can tell you from personal experience that these books were built to last and are so well made that you'll most likely be able to pass it down for future generations.

 The only drawback to these books is that they can be pretty hefty, especially if the book happens to be three books in one.  You can pick up each book up for around $20 or so, which is a phenomenal price considering the quality you are getting. The books are often on sale, especially during the holiday season or you can purchase one of the bundles or the boxed sets for a fraction of the price. It aslso seems that new books are added every so often so be sure to check out the Barnes and Nobel website or the nearest store location ever so often.

Just recently, Barnes and Noble came out with single leatherbound novels, which you can purchase for around $14.

You can view and purchase the rest of the leatherbound collection on the Barnes and Nobel website. If you want to see more beautifuly crafted books, check out the Penguin's Hardcover Classics Collection. They are just as good visually, but the overall value and quality of the books just don't seem to match up to B&N's classics. Each book is around $20 and unlike Leatherbound Collection being a compilation of works, the Penguin classics are divided up to a single novel.

-Horrorwood Doll