These days, Peter Jackson is best known for directing big budget spectacles. He took the Hobbits to Mordor, he cast Benedict Cumberbatch as a dragon, he brought us the sight of a motion-capture King Kong smacking around a bunch of dinosaurs. But when he was just getting his career started, he was making very different kinds of movies: horror comedies that were drenched in blood and pretty much every other bodily fluid you can think of. In 1992, he brought the world what may be the bloodiest film ever made: a zombie comedy he would call Braindead, but many fans know it as Dead Alive. And if you haven’t seen this one yet (you can watch it Here), it’s the Best Horror Movie You Never Saw.
Peter Jackson never had any formal film school training, and not just because they didn’t have such courses in his home country of New Zealand.
Peter Jackson never had any formal film school training, and not just because they didn’t have such courses in his home country of New Zealand.
- 3/8/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
There are a ton of bloody films out there, some of them more fun than others. Many of them were clearly made for gore hounds, and some come from pretty surprising places. Of course, the goriest films ever made change all the time as new movies keep aiming at beating that record, so every year, this could be a whole new list. These are a few of our favorite films with the highest amount of fake blood used during production:
Braindead aka Dead Alive (1992)
This horror comedy from Peter Jackson is a longtime favorite for many horror fans for the sheer amount of blood and gore seen throughout the film. The ear falling into a bowl of soup may be the grossest scene in the film, it’s definitely not the bloodiest by far. One of the most famous gore sequences in horror cinema comes from this film is the one where lead Lionel,...
Braindead aka Dead Alive (1992)
This horror comedy from Peter Jackson is a longtime favorite for many horror fans for the sheer amount of blood and gore seen throughout the film. The ear falling into a bowl of soup may be the grossest scene in the film, it’s definitely not the bloodiest by far. One of the most famous gore sequences in horror cinema comes from this film is the one where lead Lionel,...
- 3/19/2023
- by Emilie Black
- JoBlo.com
Love is in the air this week, and we’re celebrating romance in horror ahead of Valentine’s Day. For horror fans, nothing says romance quite like Peter Jackson’s Dead Alive (aka Braindead outside the U.S.), a twisted love story between meek mama’s boy Lionel Cosgrove (Timothy Balme) and hungry-for-love shopgirl Paquita Maria Sánchez (Diana Peñalver). The film also happens to have just turned 30, released in the U.S. on February 12, 1993.
In celebration of the splatstick horror rom-com’s 30th anniversary, here are 30 reasons we’re still so in love with Peter Jackson’s Dead Alive/Braindead.
30. The ‘50s Setting
Peter Jackson and co-writers Stephen Sinclair and Frances Walsh ensure you’ve never seen the ’50s depicted like this. The story takes place almost entirely in the quaint city of Wellington in 1957. Pastel houses and trolley cars moving down the main street belie the absolute carnage ensuing.
In celebration of the splatstick horror rom-com’s 30th anniversary, here are 30 reasons we’re still so in love with Peter Jackson’s Dead Alive/Braindead.
30. The ‘50s Setting
Peter Jackson and co-writers Stephen Sinclair and Frances Walsh ensure you’ve never seen the ’50s depicted like this. The story takes place almost entirely in the quaint city of Wellington in 1957. Pastel houses and trolley cars moving down the main street belie the absolute carnage ensuing.
- 2/13/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Long before his involvement in a series of elf-populated, jewelry-based hiking movies, New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson won hearts as the director of gloppy, vomitous, utterly repellant midnight grindhouse fare like "Bad Taste," "Meet the Feebles," and "Braindead" (known as "Dead Alive" in North America). Jackson's early films have an excited, adolescent joie de vivre that his later digital-forward technical exercises lack, and are perfect for naughty teenagers who think that films like "Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn" don't go far enough.
"Dead Alive," easily one of the goriest films ever made, is constructed like a comedy film and has a premise that wouldn't feel out of place in a Saturday morning cartoon. Lionel (Timothy Balme) lives with his controlling and guilt-trip-dispensing mother Vera (Elizabeth Moody) in 1950s Wellington. Lionel is beloved by a local shop owner named Paquita (Diana Peñalver) who believes, courtesy of tarot cards, that they...
"Dead Alive," easily one of the goriest films ever made, is constructed like a comedy film and has a premise that wouldn't feel out of place in a Saturday morning cartoon. Lionel (Timothy Balme) lives with his controlling and guilt-trip-dispensing mother Vera (Elizabeth Moody) in 1950s Wellington. Lionel is beloved by a local shop owner named Paquita (Diana Peñalver) who believes, courtesy of tarot cards, that they...
- 10/14/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Mark Allison Sep 29, 2017
He conquered the world with The Lord Of The Rings trilogy. But what about the first few films from Peter Jackson?
At the 2004 Academy Awards, The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King swept the board with 11 statuettes, equalling the records previously set by Ben-Hur and Titanic. When collecting the award for Best Picture, director Peter Jackson made a passing reference to the two films with which he had started his career in the late 1980s - Bad Taste and Meet The Feebles - commenting that they had been “wisely overlooked by the Academy at the time”.
Despite Jackson’s dismissal of his own early work, these films represent more than a curious historical footnote; they are the first steps from one of the most important blockbuster film-makers of the last two decades. When viewed from the lofty gaze of hindsight, they are not only...
He conquered the world with The Lord Of The Rings trilogy. But what about the first few films from Peter Jackson?
At the 2004 Academy Awards, The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King swept the board with 11 statuettes, equalling the records previously set by Ben-Hur and Titanic. When collecting the award for Best Picture, director Peter Jackson made a passing reference to the two films with which he had started his career in the late 1980s - Bad Taste and Meet The Feebles - commenting that they had been “wisely overlooked by the Academy at the time”.
Despite Jackson’s dismissal of his own early work, these films represent more than a curious historical footnote; they are the first steps from one of the most important blockbuster film-makers of the last two decades. When viewed from the lofty gaze of hindsight, they are not only...
- 9/13/2017
- Den of Geek
Special Mention: Un chien andalou
Directed by Luis Buñuel
Written by Salvador Dalí and Luis Buñuel
France, 1929
Genre: Experimental Short
The dream – or nightmare – has been a staple of horror cinema for decades. In 1929, Luis Bunuel joined forces with Salvador Dali to create Un chien andalou, an experimental and unforgettable 17-minute surrealist masterpiece. Buñuel famously said that he and Dalí wrote the film by telling one another their dreams. The film went on to influence the horror genre immensely. After all, even as manipulative as the “dream” device is, it’s still a proven way to jolt an audience. Just ask Wes Craven, who understood this bit of cinematic psychology when he dreamt of the central force behind A Nightmare on Elm Street, a film intended to be an exploration of surreal horror. David Lynch is contemporary cinema’s most devoted student of Un chien andalou – the severed ear at...
Directed by Luis Buñuel
Written by Salvador Dalí and Luis Buñuel
France, 1929
Genre: Experimental Short
The dream – or nightmare – has been a staple of horror cinema for decades. In 1929, Luis Bunuel joined forces with Salvador Dali to create Un chien andalou, an experimental and unforgettable 17-minute surrealist masterpiece. Buñuel famously said that he and Dalí wrote the film by telling one another their dreams. The film went on to influence the horror genre immensely. After all, even as manipulative as the “dream” device is, it’s still a proven way to jolt an audience. Just ask Wes Craven, who understood this bit of cinematic psychology when he dreamt of the central force behind A Nightmare on Elm Street, a film intended to be an exploration of surreal horror. David Lynch is contemporary cinema’s most devoted student of Un chien andalou – the severed ear at...
- 10/28/2015
- by Ricky Fernandes
- SoundOnSight
It’s what most horror films are known for: the gore that splatters on the screen. But when done right, the flying viscera becomes more than just gallons of red stuff, it becomes a chilling reminder of the fragility of the human body and of the ingenuity of filmmakers in making our most twisted fears and fantasies into a stomach churning reality. Grab your barf bag!
*****
Antichrist (2009)- His and her pain
As far as horror sub-genres go, torture porn is up there with found footage as the most understandably reviled by audiences. With Antichrist, Lars Von Trier attempted to write a film that dealt with his personal demons. Confessing that he had been suffering from depression while writing the screenplay, Trier ended up bringing torture porn to its logical conclusion by taking the title of the sub-genre all too literally and creating a macabre near-masterpiece out of trashy genre origins.
*****
Antichrist (2009)- His and her pain
As far as horror sub-genres go, torture porn is up there with found footage as the most understandably reviled by audiences. With Antichrist, Lars Von Trier attempted to write a film that dealt with his personal demons. Confessing that he had been suffering from depression while writing the screenplay, Trier ended up bringing torture porn to its logical conclusion by taking the title of the sub-genre all too literally and creating a macabre near-masterpiece out of trashy genre origins.
- 10/7/2015
- by Staff
- SoundOnSight
Top 100 horror movies of all time: Chicago Film Critics' choices (photo: Sigourney Weaver and Alien creature show us that life is less horrific if you don't hold grudges) See previous post: A look at the Chicago Film Critics Association's Scariest Movies Ever Made. Below is the list of the Chicago Film Critics's Top 100 Horror Movies of All Time, including their directors and key cast members. Note: this list was first published in October 2006. (See also: Fay Wray, Lee Patrick, and Mary Philbin among the "Top Ten Scream Queens.") 1. Psycho (1960) Alfred Hitchcock; with Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Martin Balsam. 2. The Exorcist (1973) William Friedkin; with Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Jason Miller, Max von Sydow (and the voice of Mercedes McCambridge). 3. Halloween (1978) John Carpenter; with Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence, Tony Moran. 4. Alien (1979) Ridley Scott; with Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt. 5. Night of the Living Dead (1968) George A. Romero; with Marilyn Eastman,...
- 10/31/2014
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Many horror movie killers have a signature weapon (such as Freddy Krueger's razorblade gloves, Michael Myers' butcher knife, Jason Voorhees' machete, and so on), while other deadly implements are simply picked up in the heat of the moment... which leads to some of cinema's most inspired moments of mayhem. We tend to stand up and take notice when characters get creative with their weaponry, so we decided to spotlight ten of the most unconventional (or just plain bizarre) weapon choices from genre movies and television. Basketball (Deadly Friend) I doubt if anyone thought a basketball could double as a weapon prior to seeing this Wes Craven film, but now it’s impossible to deny that sporting goods are Satan’s playthings. Elvira Parker’s (Anne Ramsey) head literally explodes when the "improved" Samantha (Kristy Swanson) uses her newfound super-strength to lob a basketball at her head with the force of an industrial-strength catapult.
- 11/8/2013
- by Tyler Doupe
- FEARnet
Every year, we here at Sound On Sight celebrate the month of October with 31 Days of Horror; and every year, I update the list of my favourite horror films ever made. Last year, I released a list that included 150 picks. This year, I’ll be upgrading the list, making minor alterations, changing the rankings, adding new entries, and possibly removing a few titles. I’ve also decided to publish each post backwards this time for one reason: the new additions appear lower on my list, whereas my top 50 haven’t changed much, except for maybe in ranking. Enjoy!
****
Special Mention:
Shock Corridor
Written and directed by Samuel Fuller
USA, 1963
Shock Corridor stars Peter Breck as Johnny Barrett, an ambitious reporter who wants to expose the killer at the local insane asylum. To solve the case, he must pretend to be insane so they have him committed. Once in the asylum,...
****
Special Mention:
Shock Corridor
Written and directed by Samuel Fuller
USA, 1963
Shock Corridor stars Peter Breck as Johnny Barrett, an ambitious reporter who wants to expose the killer at the local insane asylum. To solve the case, he must pretend to be insane so they have him committed. Once in the asylum,...
- 10/28/2013
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Syfy has scored two bonafide hits over the past few years with its acquired scripted series, Lost Girl and Continuum. It was also great that they acquired and aired Primeval: New World even though it was a one-season series, along with similarly-situated Sinbad.
Now Syfy has added another series to its list of acquireds, with the New Zealand series The Almighty Johnsons, about four modern-day brothers who have inherited the powers of Norse gods. It’s said to be a “compelling blend of fantasy and comedy” and “quirky”. I love ”quirky” but I reserve judgment as to whether or not this will qualify until I see it. I’ll definitely check them it out, but don’t we all kinda wish they could change the name?
Hang on, he’s in The Hobbit! The one on the left, that’s Dean O’Gorman, he’s Fili, one of the good looking dwarves!
Now Syfy has added another series to its list of acquireds, with the New Zealand series The Almighty Johnsons, about four modern-day brothers who have inherited the powers of Norse gods. It’s said to be a “compelling blend of fantasy and comedy” and “quirky”. I love ”quirky” but I reserve judgment as to whether or not this will qualify until I see it. I’ll definitely check them it out, but don’t we all kinda wish they could change the name?
Hang on, he’s in The Hobbit! The one on the left, that’s Dean O’Gorman, he’s Fili, one of the good looking dwarves!
- 8/15/2013
- by Erin Willard
- ScifiMafia
While we recently catalogued "The Most Violent Movie Titles of All Time" we wondered to ourselves, "But what are the straight-up most violent movies?" That line of thinking led to a lot of sordid YouTube viewing and a shameful amount of personal moviegoing recollection, with this list as the meat byproduct.
This gore-dripped inventory wound up with a few perennial fanboy faves, a few surprises and a total absence of any Korean or Japanese flicks. (!) There are, however, three entries from America's loan forgiveness officer, China, so prepare to wolf down a big dish of bloody chow mein.
9. 'The Devil's Rejects' (2005)
What Are you smokin', Rob Zombie? The dreadlocked White Zombie frontman clearly wanted to top his handywork at "The House of 1000 Corpses," so he switched genre gears by putting that film's homicidal Firefly family on the run from Johnny law. The result is a grungy exploitation...
This gore-dripped inventory wound up with a few perennial fanboy faves, a few surprises and a total absence of any Korean or Japanese flicks. (!) There are, however, three entries from America's loan forgiveness officer, China, so prepare to wolf down a big dish of bloody chow mein.
9. 'The Devil's Rejects' (2005)
What Are you smokin', Rob Zombie? The dreadlocked White Zombie frontman clearly wanted to top his handywork at "The House of 1000 Corpses," so he switched genre gears by putting that film's homicidal Firefly family on the run from Johnny law. The result is a grungy exploitation...
- 2/6/2013
- by Max Evry
- NextMovie
The prior four articles of the good and ugly in comedy horror, all of it was in the run down to this final part. We’ve looked at Frank Henenlotter, Joe Dante, and an unfathomable number of pratfalls, puns, sarcastic one liners and gore, gore, gore. If you’re favourite comedy horror hasn’t appeared, tell us what it is in the comments section below. Maybe a variation on this article will appear in 12 months with some of those omissions included.
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Now to the meat of the matter, what are the greatest films that combine both comedy and horror?
Wallace & Gromit And The Curse Of The Were-rabbit
Wallace & Gromit made their debut feature length with one of best horror homages in many a year. Maybe that’s a biased viewpoint as a Brit, Wallace and his pet dog can do no wrong on these shores.
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Now to the meat of the matter, what are the greatest films that combine both comedy and horror?
Wallace & Gromit And The Curse Of The Were-rabbit
Wallace & Gromit made their debut feature length with one of best horror homages in many a year. Maybe that’s a biased viewpoint as a Brit, Wallace and his pet dog can do no wrong on these shores.
- 10/31/2012
- by Rob Simpson
- SoundOnSight
The Almighty Johnsons: Series 2
Stars: Emmett Skilton, Tim Balme, Dean O’Gorman, Jared Turner, Ben Barrington | Created by James Griffin, Rachel Lang
“The Johnson brothers are back, and their quest to find Frigg and gain their full God powers continues. Along the way, several new and exciting variations will be explored and Axl will find himself on a more personal quest – to become Odin, he must first ‘become’ Odin… “
The Almighty Johnsons is a comedy-drama series about four brothers, raised in heartland New Zealand, who also happen to be the living incarnations of Norse Gods. They even have their own super-God-powers. Sort of – it’s just that their powers aren’t actually all that powerful. Putting Norse Gods right where they don’t want to be: in the bodies of a bunch of New Zealand lads saddled with a distinct lack of heroism and all the faults, flaws and desires of ordinary mortals,...
Stars: Emmett Skilton, Tim Balme, Dean O’Gorman, Jared Turner, Ben Barrington | Created by James Griffin, Rachel Lang
“The Johnson brothers are back, and their quest to find Frigg and gain their full God powers continues. Along the way, several new and exciting variations will be explored and Axl will find himself on a more personal quest – to become Odin, he must first ‘become’ Odin… “
The Almighty Johnsons is a comedy-drama series about four brothers, raised in heartland New Zealand, who also happen to be the living incarnations of Norse Gods. They even have their own super-God-powers. Sort of – it’s just that their powers aren’t actually all that powerful. Putting Norse Gods right where they don’t want to be: in the bodies of a bunch of New Zealand lads saddled with a distinct lack of heroism and all the faults, flaws and desires of ordinary mortals,...
- 10/26/2012
- by Phil
- Nerdly
One of the things I love about zombie movies is that there are some unspoken rules that the audience goes into the movie knowing, which then cuts out your exposition time. One of the things that I hate about zombie movies is that there are some unspoken rules that the audience goes into the movie knowing, and if one of these rules is broken...
...the movie is looked poorly upon.
Confused yet? Good! I would say that the top three of these unspoken rules would be that zombies are not alive, zombies want to either eat people or spread their zombie-ness to other by biting them, and shooting a zombie in the head or otherwise destroying its brain will kill it. The following list is full of movies that make for really fun zombie movies or are typically regarded as zombie movies, but they break at least one of the previously stated rules.
...the movie is looked poorly upon.
Confused yet? Good! I would say that the top three of these unspoken rules would be that zombies are not alive, zombies want to either eat people or spread their zombie-ness to other by biting them, and shooting a zombie in the head or otherwise destroying its brain will kill it. The following list is full of movies that make for really fun zombie movies or are typically regarded as zombie movies, but they break at least one of the previously stated rules.
- 10/10/2012
- by The Wolfman
- DreadCentral.com
A Priest, A Rabbi and Your Mom Walk Into a Movie Theatre…
You might think that your Mom disapproves of all horror films on principle. At least that’s the stereotype: the wagging finger; the warning that horror films cause nightmares. But the truth is that this is merely a bit of parental judo, reverse psychology designed to push us to watching horror films, because nothing warns us and upholds the moral order like a horror film.
What are the elements of a horror film after all? There is a monster; there is a sense of danger (as critic Joe Bob Briggs puts it “Anyone can die at any time”); the deaths are usually gruesome; and there is usually a moral. If you think about it, fairy tales and horror films are not that far apart – they are even closer to one another in the fairy tales original Grimm-er forms,...
You might think that your Mom disapproves of all horror films on principle. At least that’s the stereotype: the wagging finger; the warning that horror films cause nightmares. But the truth is that this is merely a bit of parental judo, reverse psychology designed to push us to watching horror films, because nothing warns us and upholds the moral order like a horror film.
What are the elements of a horror film after all? There is a monster; there is a sense of danger (as critic Joe Bob Briggs puts it “Anyone can die at any time”); the deaths are usually gruesome; and there is usually a moral. If you think about it, fairy tales and horror films are not that far apart – they are even closer to one another in the fairy tales original Grimm-er forms,...
- 10/4/2012
- by Michael Ryan
- SoundOnSight
Last May "Elvira's Horror Hunt" began searching for features and shorts to be screened at the September HorrorHound Weekend with grand prize winners to be announced by Elvira herself during the con. Seven features and 13 shorts have been selected, and we have all the details here.
From the Press Release:
Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, is excited to announce the films which have been selected for the 2012 edition of “Elvira’S Horror Hunt,” a horror film festival and competition presented in association with “Stan Lee’s Comikaze” and HorrorHound Magazine. The Festival, hosted in person by Elvira and Peaches Christ, is taking place in Indianapolis, Indiana, September 7th-9th.
Three (3) features and three (3) short films will be selected and presented to an all-star jury which includes Sybil Danning (Reform School Girls, Grindhouse), Bill Moseley (Texas Chainsaw Massacre II, Repo! The Genetic Opera), film writer and personality Job Bob Briggs,...
From the Press Release:
Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, is excited to announce the films which have been selected for the 2012 edition of “Elvira’S Horror Hunt,” a horror film festival and competition presented in association with “Stan Lee’s Comikaze” and HorrorHound Magazine. The Festival, hosted in person by Elvira and Peaches Christ, is taking place in Indianapolis, Indiana, September 7th-9th.
Three (3) features and three (3) short films will be selected and presented to an all-star jury which includes Sybil Danning (Reform School Girls, Grindhouse), Bill Moseley (Texas Chainsaw Massacre II, Repo! The Genetic Opera), film writer and personality Job Bob Briggs,...
- 8/25/2012
- by The Woman In Black
- DreadCentral.com
By Seth Metoyer, MoreHorror.com
It's coming up on the hectic time of year for many of your favorite horror conventions. With Halloween only a couple of months away, horror fans are getting the itch and are ready to tear up the festival and convention circuits.
One particular fan favorite coming up is HorrorHound Weekend 2012. The event, which is held in Indianapolis, Indiana, spans 3 days from September 7-9.
Some headliners of the convention include Linda Hamilton, Lance Hendriksen, Timothy Balme, Elvira (Cassandra Peterson), Anthony Michael Hall, Michael Biehn and more.
For more details or to purchase tickets, check out the official website at www.HorrorHoundWeekend.com.
Also, be sure to check back with MoreHorror.com for our exclusive coverage of HorrorHound Weekend as we'll be on the scene.
From the Official HorrorHound Weekend Facebook Group
Three days of terror – from HorrorHound Magazine! This group is for those who have attended...
It's coming up on the hectic time of year for many of your favorite horror conventions. With Halloween only a couple of months away, horror fans are getting the itch and are ready to tear up the festival and convention circuits.
One particular fan favorite coming up is HorrorHound Weekend 2012. The event, which is held in Indianapolis, Indiana, spans 3 days from September 7-9.
Some headliners of the convention include Linda Hamilton, Lance Hendriksen, Timothy Balme, Elvira (Cassandra Peterson), Anthony Michael Hall, Michael Biehn and more.
For more details or to purchase tickets, check out the official website at www.HorrorHoundWeekend.com.
Also, be sure to check back with MoreHorror.com for our exclusive coverage of HorrorHound Weekend as we'll be on the scene.
From the Official HorrorHound Weekend Facebook Group
Three days of terror – from HorrorHound Magazine! This group is for those who have attended...
- 8/4/2012
- by admin
- MoreHorror
Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none
By Todd Garbarini
New Zealand film director Peter Jackson is a favorite among genre fans most notably for his early, off-the-wall gross-out comedy/horror films. Anyone who has seen Mr. Jackson's early work – specifically Bad Taste (1987), Meet the Feebles (1989), and Dead Alive (1992) – cannot help but wonder how in the world he managed to score the director’s chair for the film versions of J.R.R. Tolkien’s massive epic about hobbits and Middle Earth. These three films, while highly entertaining, are exercises in excess and were not embraced by the masses, although they have all since developed cult followings. Bad Taste, about aliens who invade a fictitious village in New Zealand in order to harvest human beings for their outer space franchise of fast food, took four years to make on weekends and was a gross-out success. It permitted Mr. Jackson to secure...
By Todd Garbarini
New Zealand film director Peter Jackson is a favorite among genre fans most notably for his early, off-the-wall gross-out comedy/horror films. Anyone who has seen Mr. Jackson's early work – specifically Bad Taste (1987), Meet the Feebles (1989), and Dead Alive (1992) – cannot help but wonder how in the world he managed to score the director’s chair for the film versions of J.R.R. Tolkien’s massive epic about hobbits and Middle Earth. These three films, while highly entertaining, are exercises in excess and were not embraced by the masses, although they have all since developed cult followings. Bad Taste, about aliens who invade a fictitious village in New Zealand in order to harvest human beings for their outer space franchise of fast food, took four years to make on weekends and was a gross-out success. It permitted Mr. Jackson to secure...
- 3/8/2012
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
The Almighty Johnsons – Episode 1: “It’s Kind of a Birthday Present”
Stars: Emmett Skilton, Tim Balme, Dean O’Gorman, Jared Turner, Ben Barrington | Written by James Griffin | Directed by Mark Beesley
The Almighty Johnsons is a new comedy-drama series about four brothers, raised in heartland New Zealand, who also happen to be the living incarnations of Norse Gods. They even have their own super-God-powers. Sort of – it’s just that their powers aren’t actually all that powerful. Putting Norse Gods right where they don’t want to be: in the bodies of a bunch of New Zealand lads saddled with a distinct lack of heroism and all the faults, flaws and desires of ordinary mortals, the series is set to debut on Syfy UK on Thursday.
Remember Charmed? The Us television show about three sisters who were also witches? Well this is the male equivalent from Down Under.
Stars: Emmett Skilton, Tim Balme, Dean O’Gorman, Jared Turner, Ben Barrington | Written by James Griffin | Directed by Mark Beesley
The Almighty Johnsons is a new comedy-drama series about four brothers, raised in heartland New Zealand, who also happen to be the living incarnations of Norse Gods. They even have their own super-God-powers. Sort of – it’s just that their powers aren’t actually all that powerful. Putting Norse Gods right where they don’t want to be: in the bodies of a bunch of New Zealand lads saddled with a distinct lack of heroism and all the faults, flaws and desires of ordinary mortals, the series is set to debut on Syfy UK on Thursday.
Remember Charmed? The Us television show about three sisters who were also witches? Well this is the male equivalent from Down Under.
- 1/31/2012
- by Phil
- Nerdly
The horror-comedy. Perhaps the most difficult sub-genre of film to perfect. Most attempts at horror-comedy don't come off well. Either they're too scary without enough comedy or (more frequently) mostly humor with not enough horror. A lot of times they just come across as trying too hard and cheesy. But every once in a while a movie gets it just right. And when that happens, audiences embrace and celebrate the brilliant and elusive successful horror-comedy.
That being said, in celebration of the upcoming release of Trent Haaga's Chop, we did our best to put together a list of 10 horror-comedies (in no particular order) that we feel are the most impressive efforts in the field. Wocka, wocka, wocka!
Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil (2011)
We've seen quite a few attempts at horror-comedy over the past few years, but recently none has been better than Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil. Starring Alan Tudyk...
That being said, in celebration of the upcoming release of Trent Haaga's Chop, we did our best to put together a list of 10 horror-comedies (in no particular order) that we feel are the most impressive efforts in the field. Wocka, wocka, wocka!
Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil (2011)
We've seen quite a few attempts at horror-comedy over the past few years, but recently none has been better than Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil. Starring Alan Tudyk...
- 12/19/2011
- by Doctor Gash
- DreadCentral.com
The latest list in sound of sights month long look at the greatest horror films ever is taking a different look on the horror genre. There is a very narrow line that divides finding something funny and scary, which is exactly the sort of film this list is celebrating. As a genre there is two ways you can address the comedy horror. The first and the much more popular route is comedy about horror, these films rarely attempt to attain any qualities other than a comedic jibe at the genre. If you were to pick one classic example it would be Young Frankenstein – a film that satirises early horror and Frankenstein in what is close to comedy perfection (the Gene Wilder effect). The contemporary take on the genre has given the world some of the worst films of recent times in the Scary Movie franchise and its brood of mutant off-shoots.
- 10/31/2011
- by Robert Simpson
- SoundOnSight
by MoreHorror.com
Often referred to as "One of the goriest horror comedy films of all-time", Dead Alive (review) makes its high definition debut this fall as Lionsgate releases Dead Alive on Blu-ray Disc. The early film from Oscar® award winning director Peter Jackson (Best Director, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2003) is a cult classic with horror fans.
Hysterical, outrageous and filled with bloodthirsty zombies, the film hit Blu-ray this week on October 4, 2011 just in time for its 20th anniversary celebration (and Halloween). For years fans have been screaming for an unrated version, and now Lionsgate is distributing the unrated version on Blu-ray for all the hungry Dead Alive fans.
About Dead Alive:
A mama's boy who has the unfortunate task of looking after his aging, evil mother, Lionel (Timothy Balme, Jack Brown Genius) believes his dreams have come true when he meets the love of his life.
Often referred to as "One of the goriest horror comedy films of all-time", Dead Alive (review) makes its high definition debut this fall as Lionsgate releases Dead Alive on Blu-ray Disc. The early film from Oscar® award winning director Peter Jackson (Best Director, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2003) is a cult classic with horror fans.
Hysterical, outrageous and filled with bloodthirsty zombies, the film hit Blu-ray this week on October 4, 2011 just in time for its 20th anniversary celebration (and Halloween). For years fans have been screaming for an unrated version, and now Lionsgate is distributing the unrated version on Blu-ray for all the hungry Dead Alive fans.
About Dead Alive:
A mama's boy who has the unfortunate task of looking after his aging, evil mother, Lionel (Timothy Balme, Jack Brown Genius) believes his dreams have come true when he meets the love of his life.
- 10/7/2011
- by admin
- MoreHorror
Rank the week of October 4th’s Blu-ray and DVD new releases against the best films of all-time: New Releases Fast Five
(Blu-ray & DVD | PG13 | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #803
Win Percentage: 57%
Times Ranked: 5781
Top-20 Rankings: 40
Directed By: Justin Lin
Starring: Dwayne Johnson • Vin Diesel • Paul Walker • Jordana Brewster • Elsa Pataky
Genres: Action • Action Thriller • Chase Movie • Crime • Drama • Thriller
Rank This Movie
Scream 4
(Blu-ray & DVD | R | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #1420
Win Percentage: 49%
Times Ranked: 6843
Top-20 Rankings: 26
Directed By: Wes Craven
Starring: Alison Brie • Neve Campbell • David Arquette • Hayden Panettiere • Courteney Cox
Genres: Horror • Mystery • Slasher Film • Thriller
Rank This Movie
Submarine
(Blu-ray & DVD | Nr | 2010)
Flickchart Ranking: #2772
Win Percentage: 60%
Times Ranked: 1079
Top-20 Rankings: 10
Directed By: Richard Ayoade
Starring: Craig Roberts • Yasmin Paige • Sally Hawkins • Paddy Considine • Noah Taylor
Genres: Comedy Drama • Coming-of-Age • Drama
Rank This Movie
Classics & Re-releases Salo, Or The 120 Days Of Sodom
(Criterion Blu-ray & DVD | Nr | 1976)
Flickchart Ranking: #4386
Win Percentage: 43%
Times Ranked:...
(Blu-ray & DVD | PG13 | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #803
Win Percentage: 57%
Times Ranked: 5781
Top-20 Rankings: 40
Directed By: Justin Lin
Starring: Dwayne Johnson • Vin Diesel • Paul Walker • Jordana Brewster • Elsa Pataky
Genres: Action • Action Thriller • Chase Movie • Crime • Drama • Thriller
Rank This Movie
Scream 4
(Blu-ray & DVD | R | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #1420
Win Percentage: 49%
Times Ranked: 6843
Top-20 Rankings: 26
Directed By: Wes Craven
Starring: Alison Brie • Neve Campbell • David Arquette • Hayden Panettiere • Courteney Cox
Genres: Horror • Mystery • Slasher Film • Thriller
Rank This Movie
Submarine
(Blu-ray & DVD | Nr | 2010)
Flickchart Ranking: #2772
Win Percentage: 60%
Times Ranked: 1079
Top-20 Rankings: 10
Directed By: Richard Ayoade
Starring: Craig Roberts • Yasmin Paige • Sally Hawkins • Paddy Considine • Noah Taylor
Genres: Comedy Drama • Coming-of-Age • Drama
Rank This Movie
Classics & Re-releases Salo, Or The 120 Days Of Sodom
(Criterion Blu-ray & DVD | Nr | 1976)
Flickchart Ranking: #4386
Win Percentage: 43%
Times Ranked:...
- 10/4/2011
- by Jonathan Hardesty
- Flickchart
Home Invasion is a weekly article that we post to compile all the DVD & Blu-Ray Releases for this week that might be of interest to you. Included are links back to Amazon.com to purchase the item(s). We also included the descriptions and Specifications of the discs – if provided.
DVD & Blu-Ray Releases for October 4th, 2011:
Aaahh!!! Real Monsters: Season One
Scary doesn’t get any sillier than Season 1 of the hit Nickelodeon show Aaahh!!! Real Monsters! These monsters-in-training make fright a hoot as they try to learn the tricks of the scary monster trade. Check out Ickis, Oblina, and Krumm and their herculean efforts to master The Gromble’s class on proper scare techniques. So pull up a seat in the Monster Academy, the scariest (Not!) place under the city dump, and get ready for lessons so bizarre, they’re scary!
Buy the DVD @ Amazon...
DVD & Blu-Ray Releases for October 4th, 2011:
Aaahh!!! Real Monsters: Season One
Scary doesn’t get any sillier than Season 1 of the hit Nickelodeon show Aaahh!!! Real Monsters! These monsters-in-training make fright a hoot as they try to learn the tricks of the scary monster trade. Check out Ickis, Oblina, and Krumm and their herculean efforts to master The Gromble’s class on proper scare techniques. So pull up a seat in the Monster Academy, the scariest (Not!) place under the city dump, and get ready for lessons so bizarre, they’re scary!
Buy the DVD @ Amazon...
- 10/3/2011
- by Andy Triefenbach
- Destroy the Brain
Usually, this spot is reserved for our weekly rundown of the new movies available to stream on Netflix Instant but August is a dead month and there is nothing notable streaming this week. Doesn’t look like there will be for another couple weeks either, so let’s pick the best horror movies available to stream on Netflix right now:
Let Me In / Let the Right One In
Let Me In
Rated R | 2010
Flickchart Ranking: #482
Times Ranked: 9558
Win Percentage: 63%
Top-20 Rankings: 22 Users
Let the Right One In
Rated R | 2008
Flickchart Ranking: #63
Times Ranked: 78814
Win Percentage: 65%
Top-20 Rankings: 404 Users
________________________________________________
The Exorcist
Rated R | 1973
Flickchart Ranking: #281
Times Ranked: 309191
Win Percentage: 49%
Top-20 Rankings: 4116 Users
Directed By: William Friedkin
Starring: Ellen Burstyn • Max von Sydow • Lee J. Cobb • Linda Blair
________________________________________________
The Evil Dead
Rated Nr | 1981
Flickchart Ranking: #350
Times Ranked: 129936
Win Percentage: 49%
Top-20 Rankings: 511 Users
Directed By: Sam Raimi
Starring: Bruce Campbell • Ellen Sandweiss • Betsy Baker...
Let Me In / Let the Right One In
Let Me In
Rated R | 2010
Flickchart Ranking: #482
Times Ranked: 9558
Win Percentage: 63%
Top-20 Rankings: 22 Users
Let the Right One In
Rated R | 2008
Flickchart Ranking: #63
Times Ranked: 78814
Win Percentage: 65%
Top-20 Rankings: 404 Users
________________________________________________
The Exorcist
Rated R | 1973
Flickchart Ranking: #281
Times Ranked: 309191
Win Percentage: 49%
Top-20 Rankings: 4116 Users
Directed By: William Friedkin
Starring: Ellen Burstyn • Max von Sydow • Lee J. Cobb • Linda Blair
________________________________________________
The Evil Dead
Rated Nr | 1981
Flickchart Ranking: #350
Times Ranked: 129936
Win Percentage: 49%
Top-20 Rankings: 511 Users
Directed By: Sam Raimi
Starring: Bruce Campbell • Ellen Sandweiss • Betsy Baker...
- 8/18/2011
- by Daniel Rohr
- Flickchart
More high definition goodness is on the way courtesy of Lionsgate, as we're finally, finally, getting the insanity that is Peter Jackson's Dead Alive in glorious high definition! Oh yeah, and two other flicks no one really cares about.
September 20th
Scary Movie 2 Blu-ray Disc
Scary Movie 3: Unrated Blu-ray Disc
Audiences will laugh twice as hard this fall as Lionsgate debuts two hilarious Miramax films on Blu-ray Disc - Scary Movie 2 and Scary Movie 3: Unrated. Presented for the very first time in 1080P High Definition and 5.1 DTS-hd Master Audio, both horror parodies star two of comedy's leading ladies -- Anna Faris (The House Bunny) and Regina Hall (King's Ransom). Available on September 20th, each Blu-ray Disc is loaded with an assortment of special features including deleted scenes, featurettes and audio commentaries.
Scary Movie 2
The follow-up spoof picks up from where the original Scary Movie satire left off,...
September 20th
Scary Movie 2 Blu-ray Disc
Scary Movie 3: Unrated Blu-ray Disc
Audiences will laugh twice as hard this fall as Lionsgate debuts two hilarious Miramax films on Blu-ray Disc - Scary Movie 2 and Scary Movie 3: Unrated. Presented for the very first time in 1080P High Definition and 5.1 DTS-hd Master Audio, both horror parodies star two of comedy's leading ladies -- Anna Faris (The House Bunny) and Regina Hall (King's Ransom). Available on September 20th, each Blu-ray Disc is loaded with an assortment of special features including deleted scenes, featurettes and audio commentaries.
Scary Movie 2
The follow-up spoof picks up from where the original Scary Movie satire left off,...
- 7/13/2011
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
On October 4, Lionsgate will release Peter Jackson’s (The Frighteners) high-spirited 1992 zombie gore-a-thon Dead Alive on Blu-ray disc for the list price of $19.98.
Oh baby, Dead Alive is coming to Blu-ray!
The release represents the comedy-horror film’s Blu-ray debut in the U.S.
Hysterical, outrageous and filled with bloodthirsty zombies, Dead Alive revolves around mama’s boy Lionel (Timothy Balme, Jack Brown Genius) who has the unfortunate task of looking after his aging, evil mother (Elizabeth Moody, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring). While out to sabotage her son’s love life, Mum is accidently bitten by a Sumatran rat-monkey, which turns her into a flesh-eating zombie. Lionel is thus forced to put his relationship on hold to stop his undead mother and the rest of the town that she’s infected before it’s too late. That’s when the gore really kicks in!
Oh baby, Dead Alive is coming to Blu-ray!
The release represents the comedy-horror film’s Blu-ray debut in the U.S.
Hysterical, outrageous and filled with bloodthirsty zombies, Dead Alive revolves around mama’s boy Lionel (Timothy Balme, Jack Brown Genius) who has the unfortunate task of looking after his aging, evil mother (Elizabeth Moody, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring). While out to sabotage her son’s love life, Mum is accidently bitten by a Sumatran rat-monkey, which turns her into a flesh-eating zombie. Lionel is thus forced to put his relationship on hold to stop his undead mother and the rest of the town that she’s infected before it’s too late. That’s when the gore really kicks in!
- 7/13/2011
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
One of the goriest fright films of all-time makes its high definition debut this fall as Lionsgate releases Dead Alive on Blu-ray Disc October 4. The early film from Oscar winning director Peter Jackson is celebrating it's 20th anniversary A mama's boy who has the unfortunate task of looking after his aging, evil mother, Lionel (Timothy Balme, Jack Brown Genius) believes his dreams have come true when he meets the love of his life. While out to sabotage her son's happiness, his Mum (Elizabeth Moody, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring) is accidently bitten by a Sumatran rat-monkey, which turns her into a flesh-eating zombie. Lionel is forced to put his relationship on hold to stop his undead mother, and the rest of the town that she's infected before it's too late.
- 7/13/2011
- shocktillyoudrop.com
The Sundance Film Festival 2011 has a great line-up of movies this year, and I'm really excited about what we are going to get to see this year. The festival has just released their short film line-up, which is always cool to check out. Some of these movies are underated, but I've seen some pretty incredible live-action and animated short films at the festival.
Here's the official press release and list of films for you to check out:
Park City, Ut— Sundance Institute announced today the program of short films selected to screen at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. This year the Festival's Short Film Program comprises 81 short films from U.S. and international filmmakers selected from 6,467 submissions up 6% over 2010. The 2011 Sundance Film Festival runs January 20-30 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. The complete list of films is available at www.sundance.org/festival. ”It’s a...
Here's the official press release and list of films for you to check out:
Park City, Ut— Sundance Institute announced today the program of short films selected to screen at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. This year the Festival's Short Film Program comprises 81 short films from U.S. and international filmmakers selected from 6,467 submissions up 6% over 2010. The 2011 Sundance Film Festival runs January 20-30 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. The complete list of films is available at www.sundance.org/festival. ”It’s a...
- 12/6/2010
- by Venkman
- GeekTyrant
The 2011 Sundance Film Festival is shaping up quite nicely. The films in competition [1], and out of competition [2], have already been announced and each has some incredibly exciting entries. Monday brought the announcement of the 81 short films, chosen out of 6,467 entries, that will play in Park City, Utah this January. And while the majority of them are by currently unknown filmmakers, there are a few that jump out featuring names like Elijah Wood, Danny McBride, Seth Rogen, Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly and Jack Black. Actually, those guys are all in the same short. Other notables include Neil Labute, Tim & Eric and Isabella Rossellini. After the jump, we'll highlight those films and show you the full list. Scanning the list, here are the films that stick out as particularly exciting. Fight For Your Right Revisited (Director and Screenwriter: Adam Yauch) - After the boys leave the party... Cast: Elijah Wood, Danny McBride,...
- 12/6/2010
- by Germain Lussier
- Slash Film
HollywoodNews.com: Sundance Institute announced today the program of short films selected to screen at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. This year the Festival’s Short Film Program comprises 81 short films from U.S. and international filmmakers selected from 6,467 submissions up 6% over 2010. The 2011 Sundance Film Festival runs January 20-30 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah.
“It’s a marvel to discover the creativity in this year’s shorts program. These filmmakers are charged with telling compelling stories, nurturing breakout performances and engaging the audience, all in a fraction of the time allocated to features, and each one delivers,” said Trevor Groth, Sundance Film Festival Director of Programming. “For 2011, we are pleased to be able to shine a light on indigenous filmmakers working around the world in the short-form medium, and to provide festival goers with a window into native storytelling.”
“These directors have once again raised the...
“It’s a marvel to discover the creativity in this year’s shorts program. These filmmakers are charged with telling compelling stories, nurturing breakout performances and engaging the audience, all in a fraction of the time allocated to features, and each one delivers,” said Trevor Groth, Sundance Film Festival Director of Programming. “For 2011, we are pleased to be able to shine a light on indigenous filmmakers working around the world in the short-form medium, and to provide festival goers with a window into native storytelling.”
“These directors have once again raised the...
- 12/6/2010
- by Linny Lum
- Hollywoodnews.com
Well, we’ve see the list of feature-length films that are in the 2011 lineup of the Sundance Film Festival. Just moments ago, the festival revealed the full list of short films that will accompany those features – 44 in total, from a record 3,453 submissions! Wow! Glad I’m not on that judging committee.
But of note in the below list are 2 filmmakers who are followers of this blog, both I’ve communicated with in the past – one actually was mentioned on Black Filmmakers To Watch thread, so we may as well add the other.
I’m referring to Moon Molson and Tahir Jetter.
Moon’s short film is titled Crazy Beats Strong Every Time. Some may recall that, in September, I posted an entry for Moon, to help raise money to complete the short film. He was trying to raise $8,000, and actually ended up raising $10,250! So, congrats to Moon! The synopsis for...
But of note in the below list are 2 filmmakers who are followers of this blog, both I’ve communicated with in the past – one actually was mentioned on Black Filmmakers To Watch thread, so we may as well add the other.
I’m referring to Moon Molson and Tahir Jetter.
Moon’s short film is titled Crazy Beats Strong Every Time. Some may recall that, in September, I posted an entry for Moon, to help raise money to complete the short film. He was trying to raise $8,000, and actually ended up raising $10,250! So, congrats to Moon! The synopsis for...
- 12/6/2010
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
Robert Rodriguez' Machete follows a long line of improvised weaponry in film. Joe Griffin digs out some of the film's most inventive predecessors
Machete, out this week, may not be remembered by future film historians, but it does add a new entry in the strange genre of the improvised weapon movie. Indeed, characters in the new Robert Rodriguez flick use machetes (natch), stiletto heels, corkscrews and pretty much anything they can get their hands on to dispatch their enemies. In these challenging economic times, it's nice to see movie characters embrace lo-fi ingenuity in favour of fancy gadgets. Here is a tribute to the improvised movie weapon …
Lawnmower (BrainDead)
Horror movies are a good source of improvised weapons, with desperate situations forcing heroes to find their inner MacGyver. In Peter Jackson's gloriously vulgar Kiwi zombie film, our hero Lionel (Timothy Balme) fires up his lawnmower and rests it against his chest,...
Machete, out this week, may not be remembered by future film historians, but it does add a new entry in the strange genre of the improvised weapon movie. Indeed, characters in the new Robert Rodriguez flick use machetes (natch), stiletto heels, corkscrews and pretty much anything they can get their hands on to dispatch their enemies. In these challenging economic times, it's nice to see movie characters embrace lo-fi ingenuity in favour of fancy gadgets. Here is a tribute to the improvised movie weapon …
Lawnmower (BrainDead)
Horror movies are a good source of improvised weapons, with desperate situations forcing heroes to find their inner MacGyver. In Peter Jackson's gloriously vulgar Kiwi zombie film, our hero Lionel (Timothy Balme) fires up his lawnmower and rests it against his chest,...
- 11/27/2010
- The Guardian - Film News
Ahhh, one of our favorite sub genres. The fabled dark horror comedies that many of us grew up with and still love to this day. This was a list we have actually been working for quite some time, trying to pick just 10 and then put them in order was not an easy task. And we know you Bidites all to well, you will add and take away from this list for sure but that's the fun part of doing these...
#10. Gremlins (1984)
Oh, the days of amazing animatronics are long gone *sad face*. Gremlins have a great mixture of comedy, action, lovable characters and a great concept. It starts off as a cute family film then it just changes into a hilarious, frightening monster movie. The start of director’s Joe Dante’s horror comedies, Dante really shines mixing the two styles in this film. This is a cult classic and should definitely be checked out.
#10. Gremlins (1984)
Oh, the days of amazing animatronics are long gone *sad face*. Gremlins have a great mixture of comedy, action, lovable characters and a great concept. It starts off as a cute family film then it just changes into a hilarious, frightening monster movie. The start of director’s Joe Dante’s horror comedies, Dante really shines mixing the two styles in this film. This is a cult classic and should definitely be checked out.
- 5/12/2010
- by admin
- Horrorbid
Peter Jackson was born in New Zealand on October 31st, 1961. An only child, Jackson was given an 8mm camera at the age of eight, which he utilized to the fullest extent imaginable. As a youth Jackson made quite a few low budget independent films, a few of which even earned him notice.
"World War Two" and “The Valley” were two such short films made by Jackson during his teenage years, and provided Peter some notoriety early on as the blossoming filmmaker managed to incorporate some impressive stop motion effects regardless of functioning on a non existent budget. Despite a lack of formal training, the New Zealanders initial love for special effects and short films have steadily evolved into successful major motion pictures.
In an interview with David Stratton, Peter Jackson once said “I wanted my special effects movies to have little stories and plots. And so the concept of writing...
"World War Two" and “The Valley” were two such short films made by Jackson during his teenage years, and provided Peter some notoriety early on as the blossoming filmmaker managed to incorporate some impressive stop motion effects regardless of functioning on a non existent budget. Despite a lack of formal training, the New Zealanders initial love for special effects and short films have steadily evolved into successful major motion pictures.
In an interview with David Stratton, Peter Jackson once said “I wanted my special effects movies to have little stories and plots. And so the concept of writing...
- 2/28/2009
- Fangoria
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