Strictly Splatter
Cinezilla
Robert Elrod / Monster Portraits
The Midnight Special
Get out there and get reading!
New Blog Additions: 3/31/2010
Here they are, your brand new Horror blogs for this Wednesday night!
Strictly Splatter
Cinezilla
Robert Elrod / Monster Portraits
The Midnight Special
Get out there and get reading!
Strictly Splatter
Cinezilla
Robert Elrod / Monster Portraits
The Midnight Special
Get out there and get reading!
Horror Radar: 3/31/2010
Hello all you classy HBAers out there...we have a contest/giveaway announcement from one of our members to share with you all today:
Click da link to enter!
-----------------------------
The Midnight Special is also running a contest to win THE ANTICHRIST on DVD just by answering a few easy questions! Be sure to check out the blog and enter today:
Click da link to enter!
-----------------------------
The Midnight Special is also running a contest to win THE ANTICHRIST on DVD just by answering a few easy questions! Be sure to check out the blog and enter today:
Click da link to enter!
New Blog Additions: 3/30/2010
Be sure to check out tonight's new blog additions:
HORRORPOPCORN
The Horror Club
Get out there and get reading!
HORRORPOPCORN
The Horror Club
Get out there and get reading!
New Blog Additions: 3/29/2010
Be sure to stop by and show each of these great new blogs your support this evening:
Doo Wacka Doodles
Raculfright_13's Blogo Trasho
Also, as a reminder to any of the new Followers of the HBA, we were unable to retrieve some of your blog URLs from your user profiles, so if you do not currently see your blog title on the registry to the right, please be sure to resubmit your blog name and URL to horrorbloggeralliance@hotmail.com so that we can have you added to the ranks immediately!
Doo Wacka Doodles
Raculfright_13's Blogo Trasho
Also, as a reminder to any of the new Followers of the HBA, we were unable to retrieve some of your blog URLs from your user profiles, so if you do not currently see your blog title on the registry to the right, please be sure to resubmit your blog name and URL to horrorbloggeralliance@hotmail.com so that we can have you added to the ranks immediately!
The HBA Takes A Stab At: Clash of the Titans
The theaters have managed to steer clear of any major Horror releases since SHUTTER ISLAND, but with CLASH OF THE TITANS now appearing on screens across the country we want to be sure and see what everyone thought of the film! Please be sure to submit your reviews for CLASH OF THE TITANS to horrorbloggeralliance@hotmail.com or in the comments below so that other readers can be sure and read them:
------------------------------
Horror in Retrospect
------------------------------
Thanks again and show your theatrical support for Horror!
------------------------------
Horror in Retrospect
------------------------------
Thanks again and show your theatrical support for Horror!
New Blog Additions: 3/28/2010
Please be sure to welcome these great new blogs to the Horror Blogger Alliance this morning:
The Lavender Lair of Horror
Red Weed Reviews
Oh! So Spooky. Oh! So Scary.
Ghost Hunting Theories
The Great White Dope's Mecha-Blog-Zilla
Get out there and get reading!
The Lavender Lair of Horror
Red Weed Reviews
Oh! So Spooky. Oh! So Scary.
Ghost Hunting Theories
The Great White Dope's Mecha-Blog-Zilla
Get out there and get reading!
Horror Radar: 3/28/2010
Good morning everyone! We hope you have been enjoying the weekend, and we have some more great announcements for you this morning from your fellow HBA members:
---------------------------------
James Hawley has finished his first feature film SEWER CHEWER, and would like to invite everyone to visit the homepage to view the trailer:
http://www.sewerchewer.net/
Additional information on the film can be found at the address above, so be sure to check it out!
---------------------------------
Resurrection Jim is running another great list of his top picks for his segment "Five Favorites," this week focusing on Blu-Ray. Be sure to check out the list HERE!
---------------------------------
Steve Miller is also putting out an APB to all bloggers interested in helping with a blog-a-thon this month to celebrate the defeat of Nazi Germany:
-----------------------------
Thanks again to all of our participants and contributors, and have a great week!
---------------------------------
James Hawley has finished his first feature film SEWER CHEWER, and would like to invite everyone to visit the homepage to view the trailer:
http://www.sewerchewer.net/
Additional information on the film can be found at the address above, so be sure to check it out!
---------------------------------
Resurrection Jim is running another great list of his top picks for his segment "Five Favorites," this week focusing on Blu-Ray. Be sure to check out the list HERE!
---------------------------------
Steve Miller is also putting out an APB to all bloggers interested in helping with a blog-a-thon this month to celebrate the defeat of Nazi Germany:
I'm planning a "blogathon" of sorts across my review blogs (which "Terror
Titans," "Shades of Gray" and others) to mark the 65th anniversary of the
defeat of Nazi Germany under the title of "Nazis Quit." Right now, it's
just a one-man show, but if anyone else feels like participating, I will be
happy to post a link to their blogs at "Cinema Steve" where all my blogs
are linked and also links to individual posts that I receive links for.
Email me at stevemillermail@gmail.com if you're interested in participating
or if you have questions.
The "Nazis Quit" observance will run from April 5 through May 7. Any review
of films, books, music or artwork featuring Nazis, Hitler and other Third
Reich icons will fit the theme. (Please note, however, that this is NOT an
effort to celebrate Nazis, but rather a celebration of the destruction of
Nazi Germany.)
Also, if someone wants to design a "Nazis Quit" banner or button, I will
post that, too.
You can visit my blogs by going here:
http://stevemillerreviews.blogspot.com/
(The "Shades of Gray" blog already features a number of WW2-era movies.
Click on the "Nazis" to see posts similar to what I'm generating for the
"blogathon.")
-----------------------------
Thanks again to all of our participants and contributors, and have a great week!
Putting a Face To The Blog - Zachary, The Lightning Bug's Lair
If you would like to be featured in a future installment of Putting a Face To The Blog, drop me an e-mail at mortis45@aol.com with your picture and a link to your blog!
New Blog Additions: 3/25/2010
Please welcome the two newest blogs to the HBA:
The Haunted World of Sailor Drakul
In The Garden of the Death Orchids
Get out there and get reading!
The Haunted World of Sailor Drakul
In The Garden of the Death Orchids
Get out there and get reading!
New Blog Addition: 3/24/2010
Be sure to stop by the link below to welcome the newest HBA member to the site:
http://365horrormovie.com/
Get out there and get reading!
http://365horrormovie.com/
Get out there and get reading!
Horror Debates: Fast Vs Slow Moving Zombies
Gone are the days when a zombie's speed had to be recorded using a sun dial! Tonight's debate is over the current trend in Horror, where the once sluggish zombies have now picked up tremendous speed. Bill from Radiation-Scarred Reviews will be defending the fast-moving zombies of the past decade, while ratof13 from The World of Disgruntled Monkey will come to bat for the classic slow-moving zombies:
Should Zombies Be Fast Or Slow Moving?
------------------------------
Slow Moving - ratof13:
When I was a little boy going through school I was big, honestly now at 28 I’m still rather big but damn it there are just too many tasty things in this world. Still in school there were two things that kept me going no matter how bad the taunts got, I was actually a fast sprinter that could easily out pace my would be bullies, and secondly in case of a zombie apocalypse I could not only outrun a zombie but leave plenty of food between me and it. Now it’s the present and thanks to such movies as the Dawn of the Dead remake and 28 Days Later one of those comforts are a thing of the past. What am I supposed to do? Eat healthy and exercise so I can regain my advantage? Hell no instead I’m just going to complain that Hollywood has got it all backwards.
The origins of zombie if my research serves me correct, is all about Voodoo and how a Bokor (sorcerer, wizard, etc) would hypnotize a corpse into his or her service to perform various menial tasks. They weren’t the sharpest tools in the shed but they got the job done. The zombie was seen as a horrendous fate, a by product of the real monster the Bokor and as such were never a real threat like the vampire, ghoul, etc. There are also versions in book and movies that deal with zombies as living victims hypnotized, and in this dream state they are slow and unresponsive kind of like the zombies we all know and love.
But to be honest it’s not really the history that makes me prefer the slow zombies to the fast zombies but what the two really represent. The slow zombie in my mind has always represented the inevitable depressing ending of humanity. Zombies were never the real threat but just a background to allow the real horror of human nature take place; if people just worked together the zombies would be taken care of. The slow zombie also sometimes represents a fate that can’t be escaped. Yeah you survive and live till you die a natural death but you become a zombie anyway in the end, sucks to be you. Zombies don’t have to be fast as they are like the ocean, wave and wave will come and in the end it’s the humans who change not them. It’s inevitable and that’s frightening.
Fast zombies seem to really be a response to the need in movies to be more exciting, more fast paced. While I will not ever say that the remake of Dawn of the Dead is a bad movie I don’t really think that fast zombies have added anything crucial to the genre and may have taken away a deeper meaning that older zombie movies have. That’s not to say fast zombie movies are bad but just that they might be the lesser of the two.
Fast Moving - Bill:
So, zombies. Right now, in early 2010, I feel like we're reaching a point of saturation with the walking dead -- they're in our cinemas, our comic books, our parodies of Jane Austen novels. Simply everywhere. Everyone has their favorite take on zombies, be they voodoo-induced, radiation-awoken, or disease-carriers. From what I've seen, however, there's one aspect of zombies that arouses more debate than any others: Whether they move slowly or quickly. Slow zombies are the classics -- WHITE ZOMBIE, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, DAWN OF THE DEAD. And those are the original NIGHT and DAWN, mind you, not the remakes! Fast zombies are a more modern take, originating in 1984's NIGHT OF THE COMET and 1985's RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD, continuing on into 28 DAYS LATER, ZOMBIELAND, etc.
There's a fair degree of thought on the side of slow-moving zombies -- rigor mortis and decayed muscle would both slow a zombie's movements, for example. However, on the side of fast-moving zombies we have pure primal terror. To take a step back for a moment, back in time...there are a number of sort of primal fears in the human psyche, most of them leftovers from our earliest primate ancestors. Snakes and spiders are two of the biggest -- fearing them and their potentially-lethal bite was a survival mechanism. Fear of death is a big one, on a more metaphysical level, and I think is the primary fear that zombies play on, but with fast zombies we overlay that with an ancestral fear of predation.
Fast zombies combine our fear of dying and our fear of being chased down by wolves.
While slow, shambling undead we could perhaps flee from long enough to find a safe bolt-hole and plenty of ammunition, giving us a comfort zone, fast zombies deny us that. Fast zombies are on you, clawing and biting, before we have time to react, and forget about running. Even if they aren't faster than you (and they probably are), you'll tire before they do. With fast zombies, you have no real hope of survival beyond simply dumb luck. And that's not something you can ever count on.
-------------------------------
Excellent contributions gentlemen, thanks for your time and effort in this week's debate! Now is your chance to chime in and voice your opinion on the topic! Be sure to comment below with your thoughts.
Should Zombies Be Fast Or Slow Moving?
------------------------------
Slow Moving - ratof13:
When I was a little boy going through school I was big, honestly now at 28 I’m still rather big but damn it there are just too many tasty things in this world. Still in school there were two things that kept me going no matter how bad the taunts got, I was actually a fast sprinter that could easily out pace my would be bullies, and secondly in case of a zombie apocalypse I could not only outrun a zombie but leave plenty of food between me and it. Now it’s the present and thanks to such movies as the Dawn of the Dead remake and 28 Days Later one of those comforts are a thing of the past. What am I supposed to do? Eat healthy and exercise so I can regain my advantage? Hell no instead I’m just going to complain that Hollywood has got it all backwards.
The origins of zombie if my research serves me correct, is all about Voodoo and how a Bokor (sorcerer, wizard, etc) would hypnotize a corpse into his or her service to perform various menial tasks. They weren’t the sharpest tools in the shed but they got the job done. The zombie was seen as a horrendous fate, a by product of the real monster the Bokor and as such were never a real threat like the vampire, ghoul, etc. There are also versions in book and movies that deal with zombies as living victims hypnotized, and in this dream state they are slow and unresponsive kind of like the zombies we all know and love.
But to be honest it’s not really the history that makes me prefer the slow zombies to the fast zombies but what the two really represent. The slow zombie in my mind has always represented the inevitable depressing ending of humanity. Zombies were never the real threat but just a background to allow the real horror of human nature take place; if people just worked together the zombies would be taken care of. The slow zombie also sometimes represents a fate that can’t be escaped. Yeah you survive and live till you die a natural death but you become a zombie anyway in the end, sucks to be you. Zombies don’t have to be fast as they are like the ocean, wave and wave will come and in the end it’s the humans who change not them. It’s inevitable and that’s frightening.
Fast zombies seem to really be a response to the need in movies to be more exciting, more fast paced. While I will not ever say that the remake of Dawn of the Dead is a bad movie I don’t really think that fast zombies have added anything crucial to the genre and may have taken away a deeper meaning that older zombie movies have. That’s not to say fast zombie movies are bad but just that they might be the lesser of the two.
Fast Moving - Bill:
So, zombies. Right now, in early 2010, I feel like we're reaching a point of saturation with the walking dead -- they're in our cinemas, our comic books, our parodies of Jane Austen novels. Simply everywhere. Everyone has their favorite take on zombies, be they voodoo-induced, radiation-awoken, or disease-carriers. From what I've seen, however, there's one aspect of zombies that arouses more debate than any others: Whether they move slowly or quickly. Slow zombies are the classics -- WHITE ZOMBIE, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, DAWN OF THE DEAD. And those are the original NIGHT and DAWN, mind you, not the remakes! Fast zombies are a more modern take, originating in 1984's NIGHT OF THE COMET and 1985's RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD, continuing on into 28 DAYS LATER, ZOMBIELAND, etc.
There's a fair degree of thought on the side of slow-moving zombies -- rigor mortis and decayed muscle would both slow a zombie's movements, for example. However, on the side of fast-moving zombies we have pure primal terror. To take a step back for a moment, back in time...there are a number of sort of primal fears in the human psyche, most of them leftovers from our earliest primate ancestors. Snakes and spiders are two of the biggest -- fearing them and their potentially-lethal bite was a survival mechanism. Fear of death is a big one, on a more metaphysical level, and I think is the primary fear that zombies play on, but with fast zombies we overlay that with an ancestral fear of predation.
Fast zombies combine our fear of dying and our fear of being chased down by wolves.
While slow, shambling undead we could perhaps flee from long enough to find a safe bolt-hole and plenty of ammunition, giving us a comfort zone, fast zombies deny us that. Fast zombies are on you, clawing and biting, before we have time to react, and forget about running. Even if they aren't faster than you (and they probably are), you'll tire before they do. With fast zombies, you have no real hope of survival beyond simply dumb luck. And that's not something you can ever count on.
-------------------------------
Excellent contributions gentlemen, thanks for your time and effort in this week's debate! Now is your chance to chime in and voice your opinion on the topic! Be sure to comment below with your thoughts.
Horror Radar: 3/24/2010
Be sure to check out the following articles submitted by your fellow Horror Bloggers this evening:
------------------------
Highly Caffeinated wants to know what you think about the differences between the Horror film and the Thriller! Be sure to stop on by to catch up on HC's ongoing debate, and to voice your opinion on the two closely related genres:
http://highlycaffd.blogspot.com/2010/03/on-genre-horror-vs-thriller-part-ii.html
------------------------
Have a new feature or an announcement for your fellow members? Be sure to contact us at horrorbloggeralliance@hotmail.com!
------------------------
Highly Caffeinated wants to know what you think about the differences between the Horror film and the Thriller! Be sure to stop on by to catch up on HC's ongoing debate, and to voice your opinion on the two closely related genres:
http://highlycaffd.blogspot.com/2010/03/on-genre-horror-vs-thriller-part-ii.html
------------------------
Have a new feature or an announcement for your fellow members? Be sure to contact us at horrorbloggeralliance@hotmail.com!
The HBA's Top Ten Head Explosions
The moment you've all been waiting for is finally here: The HBA is now proud to present the Top Ten Head Explosions as voted upon by you!! This list was compiled from your submissions of over 50 titles, but ten films easily rose above the rest. Here it is, your Top Ten:
The HBA's Top Ten Head Explosions:
1. Scanners
2. Dawn of the Dead
3. Maniac
4. Riki-Oh
5. Chopping Mall
6. The Beyond
7. Grindhouse
8. Deadly Friend
9. The Running Man
10. Big Trouble In Little China
Honorable Mentions:
- The Prowler
- Wild at Heart
- Inside
And now, to celebrate, enjoy this terribly awesome head explosion to wrap up the list:
The HBA's Top Ten Head Explosions:
1. Scanners
2. Dawn of the Dead
3. Maniac
4. Riki-Oh
5. Chopping Mall
6. The Beyond
7. Grindhouse
8. Deadly Friend
9. The Running Man
10. Big Trouble In Little China
Honorable Mentions:
- The Prowler
- Wild at Heart
- Inside
And now, to celebrate, enjoy this terribly awesome head explosion to wrap up the list:
New Blog Addition: 3/23/2010
Good evening everyone! Be sure to check out tonight's newest blog addition to the HBA:
Prelude to Redemption
Get out there and get reading!
Prelude to Redemption
Get out there and get reading!
Horror Radar: 3/22/2010
Check out these great new submissions from your fellow members here at the HBA:
----------------------------
Christopher Zenga has finished his initial sketch in this world premiere of the Mr. and Mrs. Horror Blogosphere painting designed after the respective winners of the individual Horror Blogger awards! Check out the first draft below:
----------------------------
Slammed and Damned has also released an excellent retrospective on Horror host Count Floyd, which can be found here!
----------------------------
For more great articles, be sure to check out all of the HBA member blogs in the directory to the right, and have a great week!
----------------------------
Christopher Zenga has finished his initial sketch in this world premiere of the Mr. and Mrs. Horror Blogosphere painting designed after the respective winners of the individual Horror Blogger awards! Check out the first draft below:
----------------------------Slammed and Damned has also released an excellent retrospective on Horror host Count Floyd, which can be found here!
----------------------------
For more great articles, be sure to check out all of the HBA member blogs in the directory to the right, and have a great week!
New Blog Addition: 3/22/2010
Kick the week off with these great new additions to the HBA:
Horror in Retrospect
Rob Marchitti
Get out there and get reading!
Horror in Retrospect
Rob Marchitti
Get out there and get reading!
Random Question of the Day
What horror film were you sooooo excited for, but it turned out to be the biggest disappointment?
New Blog Addition: 3/21/2010
The HBA is here to wrap up your weekend with another great new Horror blog for this week's reading:
Occhio Sulle Espressioni
Get out there and get reading!
Occhio Sulle Espressioni
Get out there and get reading!
A Few Reminders
We hope everyone is having a great weekend! Here are a few reminders for the community board regarding some ongoing features:
------------------------------
The HBA's Top Ten Head Explosions list is still be generated based on your votes, the poll will be closed Tuesday night, so if you have not submitted your entries, please e-mail them to horrorbloggeralliance@hotmail.com! Check out the original post here.
------------------------------
We are always accepting pictures and personal information for anyone that is interested in participating in our Putting a Face to the Blog feature; if you are interested in spotlighting yourself on the HBA, please feel free to e-mail us with your information at any time!
------------------------------
The Horror Debates Series 2 line-up still has two slots remaining for anyone interested in arguing the topic Who Makes Better Zombie Movies: The Americans Or The Italians, head over here to sign up!
------------------------------
Thanks again and have a great week!
------------------------------
The HBA's Top Ten Head Explosions list is still be generated based on your votes, the poll will be closed Tuesday night, so if you have not submitted your entries, please e-mail them to horrorbloggeralliance@hotmail.com! Check out the original post here.
------------------------------
We are always accepting pictures and personal information for anyone that is interested in participating in our Putting a Face to the Blog feature; if you are interested in spotlighting yourself on the HBA, please feel free to e-mail us with your information at any time!
------------------------------
The Horror Debates Series 2 line-up still has two slots remaining for anyone interested in arguing the topic Who Makes Better Zombie Movies: The Americans Or The Italians, head over here to sign up!
------------------------------
Thanks again and have a great week!
Horror Radar: 3/20/2010
The HBA has an announcement for you this afternoon brought to you by one of your fellow HBA members:
Christopher Zenga of The Day After is now taking commissions for zombie family portraits! Head on over to the link below for more information and to view more of Christopher's amazing artwork:
http://thedayafterart.blogspot.com/2010/03/family-portrait.html
Christopher Zenga of The Day After is now taking commissions for zombie family portraits! Head on over to the link below for more information and to view more of Christopher's amazing artwork:
http://thedayafterart.blogspot.com/2010/03/family-portrait.html
New Blog Addition: 3/20/2010
Please welcome the newest blog additions to the HBA this Saturday morning:
Dimension Fantastica
The Vegetarian Cannibal
The Temple of the Matmos
Get out there and get reading!
Dimension Fantastica
The Vegetarian Cannibal
The Temple of the Matmos
Get out there and get reading!
Horror Debates UPDATE!!
For those of you that have already signed up, we forgot to reiterate that the maximum word count for the debates series is 500 words, so if you have begun writing, please be sure to follow this simple guideline for all fairness. Also, please remember that the debates are a friendly open forum, so as always be polite and professional in your arguments! There are still several slots open to anyone interested in joining in this round of debates, the registration is now open to all members including those who have written in the last series, so please check the previous post if you are interested in joining in!
New Blog Addition: 3/18/2010
Everybody please welcome Jinx to the HBA as our newest member:
Totally Jinxed
Be sure to stop on by and add this great new blog today!
Totally Jinxed
Be sure to stop on by and add this great new blog today!
Horror Debates Line-up #2
Alright, looks like we have a good number of participants ready to roll for the second set of debates! Here are the match-ups that have been assigned so far:
-Should zombies be able to move fast?
Yes: Bill (RSR)
No: ratof13
-Who made the better zombie films: the Americans or the Italians?
Americans: OPEN!
Italians: OPEN!
-Which is the more definitive zombie film: Night of the Living Dead or Dawn of the Dead?
Night of the Living Dead: Mark (RMR)
Dawn of the Dead: TimTE01
-Should 'infected' be considered zombies?
Yes: L.Cass
No: Elwood Jones
There are still three slots open for this round! Anyone interested in signing up for any of the remaining slots, shoot in a comment quickly to snag your place. If you have already been assigned a partner, get writing and send in your submissions to horrorbloggeralliance@hotmail.com and we will begin posting the results shortly!
-Should zombies be able to move fast?
Yes: Bill (RSR)
No: ratof13
-Who made the better zombie films: the Americans or the Italians?
Americans: OPEN!
Italians: OPEN!
-Which is the more definitive zombie film: Night of the Living Dead or Dawn of the Dead?
Night of the Living Dead: Mark (RMR)
Dawn of the Dead: TimTE01
-Should 'infected' be considered zombies?
Yes: L.Cass
No: Elwood Jones
There are still three slots open for this round! Anyone interested in signing up for any of the remaining slots, shoot in a comment quickly to snag your place. If you have already been assigned a partner, get writing and send in your submissions to horrorbloggeralliance@hotmail.com and we will begin posting the results shortly!
Sign up for the Horror Debates Series 2
We were blown away at the phenomenal response everyone received in the first round of Horror Debates hosted by the Horror Blogger Alliance over the past month! Everyone submitted thoughtful and concise arguments in a friendly forum, and we are very grateful for all of the hard work from the contributors and positive responses from your fellow HBA members. As such, we are now happy to announce the second round of Horror Debates with a brand new set of topics! We are looking for volunteers to take on the following zombie themed topics:
-Should zombies be fast moving?
-Who made the better zombie films: the Americans or the Italians?
-Which is the more definitive zombie film: Night of the Living Dead or Dawn of the Dead?
-Should 'infected' be considered zombies?
We are going to need two debaters for each topic defending each of the various arguments.
With so many members now belonging to the HBA, we ask that the members who participated in the last set of debates hold off on entering for a few days until others have had the chance to enter, after which time we will be opening up registration for any of our members! Thanks again, and we look forward to the next round.
-Should zombies be fast moving?
-Who made the better zombie films: the Americans or the Italians?
-Which is the more definitive zombie film: Night of the Living Dead or Dawn of the Dead?
-Should 'infected' be considered zombies?
We are going to need two debaters for each topic defending each of the various arguments.
With so many members now belonging to the HBA, we ask that the members who participated in the last set of debates hold off on entering for a few days until others have had the chance to enter, after which time we will be opening up registration for any of our members! Thanks again, and we look forward to the next round.
Submit your votes: HBA Top Ten Head Explosions
Alright, to avoid some of the vagueness from the last survey, let's go for something clean and concise: The HBA's Top Ten Head Explosions!! As always, all votes MUST be submitted via e-mail to horrorbloggeralliance@hotmail.com, and NOT in the comments below. This will be a blind ballot with no nominations, so you are free to nominate whichever ten head explosions rocked your faces off. You do not need to rate your submissions in order from first to last, as each vote will hold the same weight. You also do not necessarily need to submit ten nominations if you cannot think of more than a certain number of films. The hope here is to offer every film a chance to be included in the final Top Ten, and to create an organic list that is truly based on everyone's individual votes.
Also, this specific list is for head explosions; this disqualifies beheadings (which will be saved for another day), however we will accept head crushes (as long as they were awesome and or gooey).
Voting will be closed on Tuesday, March 23rd, after which the votes will be tallied and the list will appear here on the HBA homepage! We encourage everyone to participate in order to create the strongest and most accurate listing possible. Again, please do not include any possible submissions in the comments, we do not want to throw off the votes, but we look forward to reading everyone's submissions!
Also, this specific list is for head explosions; this disqualifies beheadings (which will be saved for another day), however we will accept head crushes (as long as they were awesome and or gooey).
Voting will be closed on Tuesday, March 23rd, after which the votes will be tallied and the list will appear here on the HBA homepage! We encourage everyone to participate in order to create the strongest and most accurate listing possible. Again, please do not include any possible submissions in the comments, we do not want to throw off the votes, but we look forward to reading everyone's submissions!
Random Question of the Day
Has a horror film ever made you cry? If so, which one(s)? Come on, you can admit it...
New Blog Addition: 3/14/2010
We hope everyone had a wonderful weekend, here to make things even better are a few new blogs for the start of the work week:
Dr. Goremans Nightmare Emporium
Lady Lovecraft
This Yellow Madness
Get out there and get reading!!
Dr. Goremans Nightmare Emporium
Lady Lovecraft
This Yellow Madness
Get out there and get reading!!
New Blog Addition: 3/13/2010
Please welcome the following blogs to the HBA this Saturday night:
Common Sense Movie Reviews
Get out there and get reading!!
Common Sense Movie Reviews
Get out there and get reading!!
Random Question of the Day
Whether it be a single film super special edition, or a beast of a box set, what is your single most prized DVD possession?
New Blog Additions: 3/11/2010
Be sure to welcome these great new blogs to the HBA:
Zen and the Art of Zombies
Unflinching Eye
Get out there and get reading!
Zen and the Art of Zombies
Unflinching Eye
Get out there and get reading!
New Blog Addition: 3/10/2010
Be sure to add these great new blogs for your daily reading tonight:
The Film Connoisseur
Kindertrauma
The Drunken Severed Head
Universal Monster Army
Get out there and get reading!
The Film Connoisseur
Kindertrauma
The Drunken Severed Head
Universal Monster Army
Get out there and get reading!
Voting for Mr. Horror Blogosphere is NOW OPEN!!
Head on over to Zombie DON'T Run to place your votes now for Mr. Horror Blogosphere 2009!! Chuck Conry has collected 21 of the most popular male Horror bloggers on the web for this year's selection, many of whom are your fellow HBA members here on the site. Be sure to stop by the link below and show everyone your support:
http://zombiesdontrun.blogspot.com/2010/03/mr-horror-blogosphere-voting-now-open.html
The winner of this year's prestigious title will also have the honor of appearing in a hand-painted portrait featuring both Mr. and Mrs. Horror Blogosphere 2009 comprised by horror artist and fellow HBA member Christopher Zenga!! Christopher's work and post can be found at the link below:
http://thedayafterart.blogspot.com/2010/03/mr-horror-blogosphere-gets-special.html
Thanks again to both Chuck and Christopher for their contributions to the Horror community, and be sure to stop by both sites to show your support!
Corey Haim: A Remembrance
The HBA would like to welcome all posts remembering Corey Haim for his contributions to the genre over the years before his untimely death. Please feel free to e-mail your posts to the HBA at horrrorbloggeralliance@hotmail.com and we will keep this tribute alive:
Chuck Norris Ate My Baby: http://chucknorrisatemybaby.blogspot.com/2010/03/freddy-friday-night-dance-party-jimmy.html
Slammed and Damned:
http://theronneel.com/?p=2426
I Like Horror Movies:
http://www.ilikehorrormovies.com/2010/03/another-lost-soul.html
The Captain's Ramblings:
http://jasonemartin.blogspot.com/2010/03/stephen-kings-silver-bullet.html
The Ringmaster's Realm:
http://theringmastersrealm.blogspot.com/2010/03/corey-haim-1971-2010.html
Two Thumbs, Eight Fingers:
http://twothumbseightfingers.blogspot.com/2010/03/corey-haim-march-10th-2010.html
Chuck Norris Ate My Baby: http://chucknorrisatemybaby.blogspot.com/2010/03/freddy-friday-night-dance-party-jimmy.html
Slammed and Damned:
http://theronneel.com/?p=2426
I Like Horror Movies:
http://www.ilikehorrormovies.com/2010/03/another-lost-soul.html
The Captain's Ramblings:
http://jasonemartin.blogspot.com/2010/03/stephen-kings-silver-bullet.html
The Ringmaster's Realm:
http://theringmastersrealm.blogspot.com/2010/03/corey-haim-1971-2010.html
Two Thumbs, Eight Fingers:
http://twothumbseightfingers.blogspot.com/2010/03/corey-haim-march-10th-2010.html
The HBA's Top Ten Supernatural Horror Films
The moment you have all been waiting for is finally here! Your votes have been tallied, and the Horror Blogger Alliance is now proud to present the Top Ten Supernatural Horror Films as voted upon by you:
Top Ten Supernatural Horror Films
1. The Shining
2. The Haunting
3. Poltergeist
4. The Exorcist
5. The Changeling
6. The Fog
7. Suspiria
8. The Others
9. Rosemary's Baby
10. The Legend of Hell House
Honorable Mentions:
Top Ten Supernatural Horror Films
1. The Shining
2. The Haunting
3. Poltergeist
4. The Exorcist
5. The Changeling
6. The Fog
7. Suspiria
8. The Others
9. Rosemary's Baby
10. The Legend of Hell House
Honorable Mentions:
- The Devil's Backbone
- The Innocents
- The Blair Witch Project
- The Sixth Sense
- Carnival of Souls
- A Tale of Two Sisters
- Stir of Echoes
- Black Sunday
- Ju-On
New Blog Addition: 3/9/2010
The HBA is happy to welcome our newest blog addition this evening:
Gore Gore Dancer Movie Reviews
Be sure to add this great new blog to your daily reader!
Gore Gore Dancer Movie Reviews
Be sure to add this great new blog to your daily reader!
Horror Radar: 3/9/2010
The Horror Radar brings you a few new articles as submitted by your fellow HBA members, be sure to check out these great reads:
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Theron Neel takes on the Oscar's tribute to Horror over at Slammed and Damned, sparking interest and controversy here!
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The HBA is always accepting new submissions for our ongoing feature Putting a Face to a Blog! If you are interested in submitting some photos of yourself along with fun facts that you would like to share with your fellow bloggers, we will be happy to share your story immediately!
---------------------------------
Don't forget to submit your site news and special events to the HBA at horrorbloggeralliance@hotmail.com and have a great night!
---------------------------------
Theron Neel takes on the Oscar's tribute to Horror over at Slammed and Damned, sparking interest and controversy here!
---------------------------------
The HBA is always accepting new submissions for our ongoing feature Putting a Face to a Blog! If you are interested in submitting some photos of yourself along with fun facts that you would like to share with your fellow bloggers, we will be happy to share your story immediately!
---------------------------------
Don't forget to submit your site news and special events to the HBA at horrorbloggeralliance@hotmail.com and have a great night!
New Blog Additions: 3/8/2010
Happy Monday everyone! Here are some great new blogs for you to check out:
Grindhouse Trailer Park
Hammer and Beyond
The Groovy Age of Horror
The Most Likely Zombie Break Out Scenario
Get out there and get reading!
Grindhouse Trailer Park
Hammer and Beyond
The Groovy Age of Horror
The Most Likely Zombie Break Out Scenario
Get out there and get reading!
Horror Radar: 3/8/2010
Here are a few great new posts you may have missed as submitted by your fellow HBA members:
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Honolulu Girl is hosting her very first giveaway at True Blood Twilight, where followers have the opportunity to win a SIGNED copy of the brand new comic book 'Female Force' featuring Charlaine Harris (author of Southern Vampire Mysteries/True Blood)!! Visit the link below for the complete list rules for entry:
http://truebloodtwilight.blogspot.com/2010/03/female-force-comic-book-featuring.html
---------------------------------
Honolulu Girl is hosting her very first giveaway at True Blood Twilight, where followers have the opportunity to win a SIGNED copy of the brand new comic book 'Female Force' featuring Charlaine Harris (author of Southern Vampire Mysteries/True Blood)!! Visit the link below for the complete list rules for entry:
http://truebloodtwilight.blogspot.com/2010/03/female-force-comic-book-featuring.html
Horror Debates: Is Dario Argento Overrated?
What better debate to kick off the new week than a debate over another one of the Masters of Horror? Tonight's arguments are being posed by LoTTD member and fellow blogger TL Bugg from The Lightning Bug's Lair and James Gracey of the esteemed Behind the Couch (also the author of a new book on the man himself). The question at hand?
Is Dario Argento overrated?
No - TL Bugg: When this debate about Argento was proposed, I knew I had to jump in on this one. As a latecomer to the Italian films, it has only been in the last couple of years that I started catching up on those films. While I started with Fulci’s Zombi 2 and Martino’s Cannibal God, I chose to begin watching Argento with Opera, a film I had serious problems with. While it was a well made film, the metal soundtrack that the killer seemed to carry around with him bugged the crap out of me. I’ll admit it, after that film, I wondered what the fuss about Argento was.
Being a brave fellow I decided to go back to the beginning and check out his first giallo The Bird with the Crystal Plumage. After taking in this deftly wound thriller, I started to see why people were crazy for him. Then I watched Susperia. After drinking in every frame of the 98 minute film, it all began to become clear. Not only was he a filmmaker of great skill who could utilize a rich color palette and amazing camera movements, but he was also a great storyteller. As soon as the film ended, I pushed play and watched it again because I didn’t want to miss a single frame. (When I bought a large LCD TV recently, it was the first film I had to see.)
These two films illustrated how Argento had taken the marriage of art and horror that Mario Bava had pioneered to a whole other level. Bava’s films may have looked lush and colorful, but Argento was using the colors to move the narrative forward. It was unlike anything I had ever seen. As I carried on watching his catalog I was equally blown away by films like Deep Red, perhaps the greatest film to carry the giallo label, and Tenebre, a departure from the gloomy color bathed films as Argento proved that horror could happen in the brightest of places.
Now the most recent of these films I have mentioned was 1982’s Tenebre, and it is when you get into the late ‘80’s and beyond that Argento’s reputation begins to suffer. If you sit down and watch dreadful pap like The Card Player or The Phantom of the Opera, then there’s good reason to doubt that it could even be the same Dario Argento. (Though I thought his 2 Masters of Horror episodes, Pelts and Jennifer were amongst the best of that series.) Because of missteps like the aforementioned films and, more recently, Mother of Tears and Giallo, people are ready to write Dario off. Doing this does a disservice to the incredible material he produced in the ‘70’s and the legion of film makers that he influenced including directors as diverse as Wes Craven, Quentin Tarantino, and Gaspar Noe. Few directors cast a shadow of influence so wide, and fewer have so many great films in their catalog at all.
Is Dario Argento overrated?
Yes - James: For years now Dario Argento has been riding on the coattails of the success of his earlier work. Like so many horror directors who experienced their heyday in the Seventies and Eighties, his more recent output marks him as a director whose work as a whole is at best wildly uneven and at worst shambolic, dated and utterly redundant. Indeed the last ‘great’ film mentioned in the counter argument was released in 1982. Over twenty years ago!
Famed for his lurid giallo movies, Argento works almost exclusively in a subgenre that was not only specific to Italian cinema, but whose influence and popularity was basically specific to a certain timeframe too - namely the Eighties. It was unable to obtain any sort of legacy other than one of nostalgic curiosity.
One of Argento’s characteristic traits is his unflinching ability to churn out the same entourage of ideas, images and stories time and time again. And again. His repertoire is severely limited, and nowadays this is even more glaringly obvious because the stylistic excesses he once lavished upon his early works are now completely absent, thereby ensuring the revelation of the threadbare narratives and stories more obviously than ever before. Pretty colours and fancy camera work does not a good film make.
Of course allowances can be made and excuses proffered in defence of the man who directed one of the most influential, daring and unique horror films of all time: Suspiria. Much like Tobe Hooper though, (both directors are often mentioned in the same breath as examples of filmmakers who all too briefly exhibited something truly original and startling in their early work but never came close to truly realising their full potential throughout the remainder of their strangely vacuous careers) Argento has never come close to equalling the impact of Suspiria or Deep Red. One or two great titles from years ago is not enough to ensure one’s presumed greatness or relevance is maintained. Argento is a director who has long since been thought too highly of, his films thought way too much of and whose reputation has been built up more than it ever had any right to be. Audiences are constantly let down by each new film - the culmination of this crushing disappointment perfectly exemplified by the latest plunge in his already long-sagging career: Giallo.
Let’s face it - he is an overvalued has-been.
The critical acclaim of the likes of Deep Red or Suspiria has ensured the vast majority of his more or less unimpressive body of work has been overprized; his lasting influence magnified beyond any level of credibility. He has never exceeded the expectations lavished upon him by adoring fans, the likes of whom constantly jump to his defence by citing the likes of Suspiria as justification for his continued overestimation.
Argento was once so keen to be aligned with other horror directors such as Wes Craven, John Carpenter, George Romero and Tobe Hooper. Well now is clearly is - and he can take his place with pride amongst these other ‘luminaries’ as a horror hack who has really lost his touch and is even less relevant now than he was back then.
--------------------------------------
Thanks for the fantastic arguments gentlemen, and we now hand the debate off to you! Voice your opinions on the great (or overrated) Dario Argento in the comments below, and don't forget to pre-order your copy of James Gracey's book today at Amazon.com:
Is Dario Argento overrated?
No - TL Bugg: When this debate about Argento was proposed, I knew I had to jump in on this one. As a latecomer to the Italian films, it has only been in the last couple of years that I started catching up on those films. While I started with Fulci’s Zombi 2 and Martino’s Cannibal God, I chose to begin watching Argento with Opera, a film I had serious problems with. While it was a well made film, the metal soundtrack that the killer seemed to carry around with him bugged the crap out of me. I’ll admit it, after that film, I wondered what the fuss about Argento was.
Being a brave fellow I decided to go back to the beginning and check out his first giallo The Bird with the Crystal Plumage. After taking in this deftly wound thriller, I started to see why people were crazy for him. Then I watched Susperia. After drinking in every frame of the 98 minute film, it all began to become clear. Not only was he a filmmaker of great skill who could utilize a rich color palette and amazing camera movements, but he was also a great storyteller. As soon as the film ended, I pushed play and watched it again because I didn’t want to miss a single frame. (When I bought a large LCD TV recently, it was the first film I had to see.)
These two films illustrated how Argento had taken the marriage of art and horror that Mario Bava had pioneered to a whole other level. Bava’s films may have looked lush and colorful, but Argento was using the colors to move the narrative forward. It was unlike anything I had ever seen. As I carried on watching his catalog I was equally blown away by films like Deep Red, perhaps the greatest film to carry the giallo label, and Tenebre, a departure from the gloomy color bathed films as Argento proved that horror could happen in the brightest of places.
Now the most recent of these films I have mentioned was 1982’s Tenebre, and it is when you get into the late ‘80’s and beyond that Argento’s reputation begins to suffer. If you sit down and watch dreadful pap like The Card Player or The Phantom of the Opera, then there’s good reason to doubt that it could even be the same Dario Argento. (Though I thought his 2 Masters of Horror episodes, Pelts and Jennifer were amongst the best of that series.) Because of missteps like the aforementioned films and, more recently, Mother of Tears and Giallo, people are ready to write Dario off. Doing this does a disservice to the incredible material he produced in the ‘70’s and the legion of film makers that he influenced including directors as diverse as Wes Craven, Quentin Tarantino, and Gaspar Noe. Few directors cast a shadow of influence so wide, and fewer have so many great films in their catalog at all.
Is Dario Argento overrated?
Yes - James: For years now Dario Argento has been riding on the coattails of the success of his earlier work. Like so many horror directors who experienced their heyday in the Seventies and Eighties, his more recent output marks him as a director whose work as a whole is at best wildly uneven and at worst shambolic, dated and utterly redundant. Indeed the last ‘great’ film mentioned in the counter argument was released in 1982. Over twenty years ago!
Famed for his lurid giallo movies, Argento works almost exclusively in a subgenre that was not only specific to Italian cinema, but whose influence and popularity was basically specific to a certain timeframe too - namely the Eighties. It was unable to obtain any sort of legacy other than one of nostalgic curiosity.
One of Argento’s characteristic traits is his unflinching ability to churn out the same entourage of ideas, images and stories time and time again. And again. His repertoire is severely limited, and nowadays this is even more glaringly obvious because the stylistic excesses he once lavished upon his early works are now completely absent, thereby ensuring the revelation of the threadbare narratives and stories more obviously than ever before. Pretty colours and fancy camera work does not a good film make.
Of course allowances can be made and excuses proffered in defence of the man who directed one of the most influential, daring and unique horror films of all time: Suspiria. Much like Tobe Hooper though, (both directors are often mentioned in the same breath as examples of filmmakers who all too briefly exhibited something truly original and startling in their early work but never came close to truly realising their full potential throughout the remainder of their strangely vacuous careers) Argento has never come close to equalling the impact of Suspiria or Deep Red. One or two great titles from years ago is not enough to ensure one’s presumed greatness or relevance is maintained. Argento is a director who has long since been thought too highly of, his films thought way too much of and whose reputation has been built up more than it ever had any right to be. Audiences are constantly let down by each new film - the culmination of this crushing disappointment perfectly exemplified by the latest plunge in his already long-sagging career: Giallo.
Let’s face it - he is an overvalued has-been.
The critical acclaim of the likes of Deep Red or Suspiria has ensured the vast majority of his more or less unimpressive body of work has been overprized; his lasting influence magnified beyond any level of credibility. He has never exceeded the expectations lavished upon him by adoring fans, the likes of whom constantly jump to his defence by citing the likes of Suspiria as justification for his continued overestimation.
Argento was once so keen to be aligned with other horror directors such as Wes Craven, John Carpenter, George Romero and Tobe Hooper. Well now is clearly is - and he can take his place with pride amongst these other ‘luminaries’ as a horror hack who has really lost his touch and is even less relevant now than he was back then.
--------------------------------------
Thanks for the fantastic arguments gentlemen, and we now hand the debate off to you! Voice your opinions on the great (or overrated) Dario Argento in the comments below, and don't forget to pre-order your copy of James Gracey's book today at Amazon.com:
New Blog Additions: 3/7/2010
Wrapping up your weekend, we have two new blogs to help get you in gear for the work week:
Watching Hammer
Gay of the Dead
Have a great week and get reading!
Watching Hammer
Gay of the Dead
Have a great week and get reading!
Horror Radar: 2009 Cyber-Horror Awards
At the top of the list this morning comes the official 2009 Cyber-Horror Awards, hosted by B-Sol over at The Vault of Horror!! Be sure to stop on by and check out all of this year's winners as decided by a guest panel of skilled judges:
http://cyberhorrorawards.blogspot.com/2010/03/vault-of-horror-presents-2009-cyber.html
New Blog Additions: 3/6/2010
The HBA would like to welcome its newest member blogs:
Slasher Speak
Horror Affair
Too Much Horror Fiction
Get out there and get reading!!
Slasher Speak
Horror Affair
Too Much Horror Fiction
Get out there and get reading!!
Don't Forget to Vote for the Supernatural Top Ten!!
For anyone that missed the earlier post, we are still accepting ballots for the HBA's first Top Ten list on Supernatural Horror films! Be sure to read the previous post detailing how to send in your submissions and get voting before Tuesday:
http://horrorbloggeralliance.blogspot.com/2010/03/submit-your-votes-hba-top-ten.html
http://horrorbloggeralliance.blogspot.com/2010/03/submit-your-votes-hba-top-ten.html
Horror Radar: 3/5/2010
Here are a few excellent posts you may have missed to kick off your weekend as submitted by your fellow HBA members:
Movie Feast is having a contest where they giving away a copy of CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY on DVD along with an autographed Michael Moore hat! Participation is easy - only requiring a quick e-mail - but certainly the more people who enter, the better.
Get out there and read some blogs!
Movie Feast is having a contest where they giving away a copy of CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY on DVD along with an autographed Michael Moore hat! Participation is easy - only requiring a quick e-mail - but certainly the more people who enter, the better.
Get out there and read some blogs!