Dollar Bin Horror Spotlight - Dead Hooker in a Trunk (Screener Review)

Set in beautiful Vancouver, four friends set out on an everyday errand and end up in a fight for their lives when they discover the body of a dead hooker left in their trunk. Lead by a sexy, impulsive Badass, her distant Geek twin sister, their bible thumping, Jesus loving Goody Two Shoes friend, and a chaotic, rock star Junkie pal, the group has to put aside their differences to dispose of the body before they're next. Thrown into their own personal purgatory, they face off against persistent police, a sleazy motel manager, chainsaw wielding triads, and a brutal serial killer. All the while they are followed by a mysterious Cowboy Pimp who wants to claim the corpse for his own.

This film was sent to me by the lovely Soska twins, Jen & Sylvia Soska of Twisted Twins Productions. It's their debut feature length film, and what a debut it is! It's a fast paced thrill ride that keeps you hooked till the end. Actually this film has a bit of everything, tension, a love story, a bit of gore, and a pretty cool little twist at the end. The acting and shooting was pretty well done, and this movie should win the award for the best title ever! It's not perfect though, the story got a tab bit lost sometimes in the fast pace, and even though the Junkie's arm was torn off by a passing truck (really cool scene by the way), she was still using the arm in a few scenes. But these little flaws can be overlooked for the simple enjoyment this film brings to the viewer. It really was entertaining and I would put it at the top of my list of favorite screeners. I can't wait to see what the twins do next, but one thing is for sure, I'm a fan of the Twisted Twins! Check this film out!

DBH's First Contest!

Hey there my little reaplings, do you like winning free movies? Well then today you the the jackpot, or should I say the "Pot of Gold"! Seeing as St Patrick's day is coming soon, I thought what better way is there to celebrate than watching a murderous Leprechaun! That's right folks, you have the chance to win 5 Leprechaun films in this Leprechaun Pot of Gore Boxset, valued at around $50!!!!

The set includes Leprechaun, Leprechaun 2, Leprechaun 3, Leprechaun 4 in Space, and Leprechaun in the Hood.
The contest is open to EVERYONE and winning is easy! All you have to do is answer this question, What superstition scares you the most or what superstition do you take more serious than anything??? Send the answers to horrormovieempire@hotmail.com . Simple as that! One entry per person! The contest ends next Friday (The 19th) and the winner will be announced that weekend. So get to entering and GOOD LUCK!

This contest was brought to you graciously by HorrorMovieEmpire.com, Earth's BIGGEST Horror Selection! Click the banner below to visit!

Dollar Bin Horror Spotlight - Kings of the Dead (Book Review and Interview)

One man's journal documenting his efforts at surviving a zombie apocalypse while attempting to keep his family, friends and sanity intact.

Have you ever heard anyone say they don't want the H1N1 shot cause of some government conspiracy (like my dad)? Well don't let them read this, or they might just shit their pants! The H1N1 not only kills you, but turns you into a flesh eating zombie! In Tony Faville's debut novel, he documents the trials of one man in the post-apocalyptic world. It's structured like a journal, and reads like a journal. It's not flawless (a few grammatical and spelling errors, and felt rushed in a few spots), but it's intriguing, easy to read, and most importantly, enjoyable and fun! Plus he wrote it in 22 days as part of a contest...that's right folks, 22 days! I think zombie and horror fans will get a kick out of this book, so I encourage you to pick up a copy, It is available at Amazon but you can also buy a signed copy directly from Tony (how cool is that!).

Tony was even nice enough to answer a few questions for all you little reaplings!

Q: What inspired you to write this book?

A: Well, I have always been interested in writing, I just never took that leap. When my wife told me on November 3rd about NaNoWriMo, or the National Novel Writing Month, I decided to go for it. 22 days worth of writing later, I was finished and a "winner" of the 2009 NaNoWriMo.

Q: Let's talk about the writing process. The book is structured like a journal, but when you wrote this, did you write large parts at a time, or more as a journal (day by day)?

A: Since I only had the month of November to write it, I wrote as much as I could write every day. Although, I do have to admit, when Left 4 Dead 2 came out on November 17th, I kind of lost 4 days of writing to the game. There were some nights I would knock out 1,000 words and some I would knock out 2,000. When I got down to the final weekend I had 14,500 words left and wasn't quite sure if I could finish it. My wife basically locked me in my office and told me, yes you can!

Q: Why a Zombie book?

A: I am a firm believer that you should write what you know. There are a lot of people jumping on the zombie bandwagon because they are so hot right now, they can make a quick buck. I have been a fan of the zombie genre for close to 30 years, I know the genre and I love it. If I were to write a book about knitting, well, not that I would, but you get my drift. Zombies are my thing, so it was only natural to write about them.

Q: What are you working on now and where can we learn more?

A: I am working on a prequel/sequel to the first book. It will be surrounding an individual mentioned in the epilogue of the first book named Ezra Blake. Written in the narrative style, leaving the journal format behind, and focusing on him, his history, and his actions during the zombie apocalypse.
I have a facebook fan page for Kings of the Dead and I also have my Amazon.com author page that will be receiving occasional updates.

Dollar Bin Film - "Frankenweenie"

When young Victor's pet dog Sparky is hit by a car, Victor decides to bring him back to life the only way he knows how. But when the bolt-necked "monster" wreaks havoc and terror in the hearts of Victor's neighbors, he has to convince them that despite his appearance, Sparky's still the good loyal friend he's always been.
This is one of my yardsale gems. This classic Tim Burton short film is just so damn cute! If you've ever seen this, then you know it's well made, funny, and also a bit emotional. It's a wonderful ode to the classic Frankenstein film but it's a current, fresh, and cute spin on the classic. You just feel good after watching this film! If you haven't seen it, I urge you to find this 27 minute film. You will fall in love, I guarantee it. Also, if your willing to shell out a few extra buckaroos, this film is a bonus feature on the 2 disk special edition of The Nightmare Before Christmas, another of Tim's classics I highly recommend.

***On a side note, I started a personal blog where I can post things that I can't here on DBH. Think of it like an open journal. This way, I can keep all drama off this blog. If you want to follow it, go to Rhonny Reaper's Radically Raving Rants

Dollar Bin Film - "Leprechaun 2"

An evil leprechaun is to take the daughter of his slave as a bride, but loses her when the slave sacrifices his life for her. One thousand years later, the leprechaun is determined to take the beautiful descendant of the woman for his bride.
The first Leprechaun was the perfect example of a so-bad-it's-good film. This time around, the film's even more out there with it's plot, humor, and kills. I mean let's face it, you can just tell by the whole damn storyline the only people who would be afraid of this movie is some unlucky 8-10 year old kids who still wets the bed. But none the less, the whole Leprechaun series is darkly funny and entertainingly cheesy; this film is no exception. The best part is the drunk Leprechaun, "Drink all you want... drink all you can... you can't beat me... 'cause I'm a lepre-can! Mmmph! Chaun!" I mean, what more could you want? (other than Leprechaun vs. Chucky, you know you want it!)

Dollar Bin Horror Spotlight - The Red Church (Book Review)

For 13-year-old Ronnie Day, life is full of problems: Mom and Dad have separated, his brother Tim is a constant pest, Melanie Ward either loves him or hates him, and Jesus Christ won't stay in his heart. Plus he has to walk past the red church every day, where the Bell Monster hides with its wings and claws and livers for eyes. But the biggest problem is that Archer McFall is the new preacher at the church, and Mom wants Ronnie to attend midnight services with her. Sheriff Frank Littlefield hates the red church for a different reason. His little brother died in a freak accident at the church twenty years ago, and now Frank is starting to see his brother's ghost. And the ghost keeps demanding, "Free me." People are dying in Whispering Pines, and the murders coincide with McFall's return. The Days, the Littlefields, and the McFalls are descendants of the original families that settled the rural Appalachian community. Those old families share a secret of betrayal and guilt, and McFall wants his congregation to prove its faith. Because he believes he is the Second Son of God, and that the cleansing of sin must be done in blood. "Sacrifice is the currency of God," McFall preaches, and unless Frank and Ronnie stop him, everybody pays.

Being his first novel, this book was a very enjoyable read. It created a chilling atmosphere that I found quite scary as I was reading it. The book reminds me a little of Peter Straub's Ghost Story in the sense of the feel the book gives the reader. That is not to say the book is without flaws. For me, it spent to much time over-describing past events, inhabitants of the area, and the debating of Christian beliefs. Yes, the book needs all these things, but It felt like it was dwelling on these subjects far too long than necessary. Of course, this is a first novel, and a few flaws are to be expected. That said, this book is a frightening story which is an enjoyable light read for horror fans. The the communion scene in the book is one that will stick with me, thats for sure. It has a lot of emotional scenes as well that will keep you hooked into the book till the end. The main thing this book accomplished for me is that I can't wait to see what Scott Nicholson will write next. Even with the flaws, this book is an enjoyable, easy read and will make for a great night in with a good book.
You can learn more about Scott and his works at www.hauntedcomputer.com

Amazing Online Reads to Check Out

Here there little reaplings, Rhonny here with some cool finds from around the web to share with you. They're all great, all interesting, and best of all, they're all 100% free!

Do you love a good horror story? Then you will love the site Dark Tomorrow. It features two stories in progress, free to read, and make for a wonderful time on the internet. Vampires, Murder, it's all in there. Thom Brannan and Rob Pegler write interesting tales that leave you wanting more, and when each new chapter is written and published, you'll be coming back for seconds!

Maybe you like your stories in short bursts? If so, this is the blog for you. The Wit and Weirdness of Al Bruno III is a blog that posts "5 Second Fiction" bursts of a story to the readers, while also giving suggestions of other great reads you can find. The shorts bursts are scary, funny, amusing, and enjoyable. This blog is definitely worth following!

Do you like comics? Well how about a stop at Ted Dead! This online comic was created by Greg Bogle and Cal Miller (yes THE Cal Miller who wrote the amazing book Het Madden: A Zombie Perspective). It's funny, witty, crudely drawn, and just a barrel of fun! Check this out for sure!


Or perhaps you love more than just horror films? Well Flaming Sneakers Movies Reviews gives you a perspective on all genres of film. It is run by my close college friend, RK, and features guest posts by yours truly! So please stop over and follow this blog, you won't be disappointed!

Well there you have it, some wonderful sites to check out! I hope you find something interesting within all these stops on the internet highway!