Well, if you read the ‘Breaking News’ post that went up a few hours ago, it has now been confirmed that Kathy Bates WILL be the ‘Big Bad’ for American Horror Story S3. Playing a “true life” character, though? Goddammit, this is going to drive us crazy. So is the fact that the story is based on some horrible historic event. We’re working on a theory, though…
Monthly Archives: February 2013

Park Chan-Wook’s “Stoker” Opens Friday March 1st – Ten MORE Review Snippets That Make Us Wish It Opened Tonight!
When South Korean genre iconoclast Park Chan-wook decided to bring his peculiar gifts to a Stateside production, anything could have happened – and anything pretty much does in “Stoker,” a splendidly demented gumbo of Hitchcock thriller, American Gothic fairy tale and a contemporary kink all Park’s own… (Variety)
SOLD! Where’s the ticket buyer’s line?
Several weeks ago, we published a piece that laid out ten juicy snippets from advance reviews for Stoker that made us want to see it RIGHT THAT MINUTE! Well, we were holding back ten more. Already all hopped up to see Park Chan-Wook’s English-language début? When you read these, you’ll be looking for midnight showings so you can see it VERY early Friday AM!
- Even at this first glance, it’s a film that’s virtually impossible to get out of your head after watching it. It’s pure-undiluted Park Chan-wook, and one of the most unconventional Hollywood films you’re likely to see anytime soon. (JoBlo.com- Movie News, reviewed here by Chris Bumbray)
- All the visual flair and giddy, saturated colors inherent in Park’s films are on display here, from the warm greens and browns of the Stoker family grounds, lovingly massaged by the camera, to the privileged and manicured cleanliness of the immaculate Stoker home, in which we the viewer always remain somehow “outside.” A beautiful structure, as cold and heartless as the people within, is a physical reflection of the disenfranchised and cloistered, desperately grasping at the illusion of healthy normalcy, while the impossible-to-contain terrors of their dark family history threaten to erupt in an explosion of bloody truth and violence; a tragic inevitability. (From Sean Smithson for Twitchfilm.com; click here to read entire review)
- [Park and Chung-hoon] modulate the volatile family tensions which risk exploding in the house where Therese Deprez’s neatly handsome production design reflects the semblance of propriety — all the colors are right and each decorative object is in place. (Click to read review by David D’Arcy for Screen Daily)
- By the time behavior turns deadly and sexual, a pencil sharpener becomes one of the film’s most striking images. Style informs the behavior too; Park cuts to the next scene before India is finished talking, quickening the pace of exposition to a brisk clip. He photographs dinner conversation elegantly, and brushing hair becomes a field of grass in a seamless transition. It’s beautiful, and awesome that he even thought of that…an example of strong storytelling to which any mainstream film should aspire. (Fred Topel from Crave Online – click here to read entire review)
- When South Korean genre iconoclast Park Chan-wook decided to bring his peculiar gifts to a Stateside production, anything could have happened – and anything pretty much does in “Stoker,” a splendidly demented gumbo of Hitchcock thriller, American Gothic fairy tale and a contemporary kink all Park’s own. (Variety.com review, written by Guy Lodge)
- …the cast is entirely game to bring this bloody, very nearly silly soap opera to life. Wasikowska’s gothic demeanor should replace Winona Ryder’s Lydia from “Beetlejuice” as the new ideal for brooding teens everywhere, and as her character is defined by retaliations and revelations, the complexity of her hunter/hunted relationship with the pretty, predatory Goode is fascinating to behold. (reviewed by William Goss for Film.com)
- the Oldboy auteur’s cool, cruel family mystery never falls into faceless homage: its queasy eroticism, black wit, arch nastiness and intensely loaded images couldn’t be anyone else’s doing… [Park] Chan-wook diverts into coming-of-age turf, seen through the black gaze of 18-year-old India (Mia Wasikowska), a Wednesday Addams-alike who wields a mean pencil. (Fred Topel from Crave Online)
- As Charlie becomes a weapon for her to hurt her mother, India’s resolute composure rises …shrouding her real intentions. All the better for the vengeful girl when family history is exhumed to explain why Charlie was sent away from the Stokers’ home for years. (Review By David D’Arcy for Screen Daily )
- As the story slowly unravels and Park begins to reveal just one piece of the puzzle at a time, [Park] keeps audiences completely engaged throughout Stoker, almost acknowledging that he’s screwing with your own perceptions of good and evil through his wonderful visual style and challenging characters that will undoubtedly leave you fascinated, frustrated, intrigued and completely mesmerized by from beginning to end… longtime Park fans will undoubtedly delight in Stoker’s striking visuals and Park’s haunting exploration of how human monsters are made, making an unforgettable (albeit uneven) thriller by one of the finest modern filmmakers out there working today.— (Reviewed by The Horror Chick, Dreadcentral.com: click here to read the review in its entirety, which we highly recommend!)
- [There’s] plenty of mileage in Miller’s warped family melodrama, as the respective and inevitably linked uncertainties about Richard’s death and Charlie’s long absence are kept aloft, while Charlie’s gradual playing of India and Evelyn against each other adds queasy sexual tension to an already chilly mother-daughter relationship. Auds will either go with this festering hotbed of secrets, lies and severed heads… and debate whether Park, who otherwise oversees proceedings with amused precision, overplays his hand in the bizarre, bloody finale. (From Variety.com, written by Guy Lodge)
That last line sounds like a perfect topic of debate to us! So, who wants to start? HOLD UP! What do you mean, it doesn’t open till Friday? NOOOOOOO!
Related articles
- Ten Juicy Snippets From Advance Reviews of Park Chan-Wook’s “Stoker” That Make Us Wish It Opened Tonight! (horrorboom.com)
- Check Out This Awesome New “Stoker” Featurette, Focused On The Twisted Characters! (horrorboom.com)
- Park Chan-Wook’s “STOKER” Gets A Rave Review From Fangoria – Yet Another Reason We Cannot WAIT To See This! (Sundance Movie Review) (horrorboom.com)
- See Both Stoker (2013) Trailers in HD… Which Both Contain Cool Footage Unseen In The Other Trailer! (horrorboom.com)
- New “Stoker” Featurette/Music Video Is Beautiful Showcase For Director Park Chan-Wook and DP Chung Chung-hoon’s Work – Watch It Here! (horrorboom.com)

This Just In! Kathy Bates Officially Signed For American Horror Story Season 3 (VS. Jessica Lange)
Jessica Lange was dropping hints earlier about a female Oscar-winning actress joining their cast, which only narrowed it down to about fifty women, so that kind of went to our mental back-burner. Now we know!
The article also says she’ll play Lange’s (well, her character, obviously, not Lange herself) best friend who turns into her arch-enemy. OoooooooOOO! In January, Ryan Murphy teased that there would be a female character that’d be the most evil, malignant, vile, dangerous–OK, we’re running out of adjectives here, but we have previous pieces exclusively from EW.com with Ryan where he teases S3 that you can check out linked to here, over here, and here— American Horror Story character he’s created yet. Going up against competition like Constance Langdon, Hadleigh (Ben Harmon’s young mistress, the nastiest, most murderous female ghost in Season One’s “Murder House”), and the possessed version of Sister Mary Eunice, that’s a pretty tall order. We’re looking forward to Murphy meeting and exceeding our expectations as usual on that front.
Could Bates be the one playing the most evil, dangerous bitch to terrorize American Horror Story thus far? He’s said Jessica Lange won’t be playing anyone especially wholesome, but a glamorous performer whose character would be campy, sexy and fun (and always dressed to kill** in full beauty make-up and “blown-out” hair). He’s already done the campy but horrible, sneaky murderous thing with Constance, so now we’re narrowing it down. Our theory is still that the characters are going to play some kind of performers. Either way, we’ll keep you posted on new details as they develop on Season 3 of AHS!
*he hinted at Vera Farminga playing her, but he’s been known to veer wildly when dropping hints; also Farminga was, at the time, still being wooed by Murphy and Co to return, and he said there were no promises of her returning. She’s since been officially signed and on board for S3.
**just metaphorically this time around, at least according to Murphy.
Related articles
- ‘American Horror Story’ Casts Kathy Bates (deadline.com)
- Kathy Bates Joins AMERICAN HORROR STORY Season Three (broadwayworld.com)
- Exclusive: American Horror Story Season 3 Pits Jessica Lange Against… Kathy Bates! (horrorboom.com)

“S-VHS” (V/H/S Sequel) Gets A Title Change, An Official Website, And The First Teaser Trailer Posted Here In HD!
The trailer below still carries the original title “S-VHS”, rather than the exciting new title V/H/S 2. It looks like at least one segment underwent a name change, too, but right now, check out the first teaser trailer below in HD. It manages to look more for than the trailer for the original movie. That one also managed to give away several jump moments –actually, over half of them–including the best reveal and one of the biggest jumps in the movie, and I hope when the first theatrical trailer gets released for this sequel, they give less away. Anyway…
The official Magnet Releasing page for V/H/S 2 can be found right here, and has a nice big ol’ photo of the creepy Indonesian guy with symbols carved into his flesh from the segment “Safe Haven” – the tale from Gareth Evans and Timo Tjahjanto (AKA the makers of The Raid: Redemption) that is getting the most positive buzz right now for knocking it right out of the fucking park.*

Also from Timo Tjahjanto and Gareth Huw Evans’ “Safe Haven”
From the aforementioned Official Site:
Inside a darkened house looms a column of TVs littered with VHS tapes, a pagan shrine to forgotten analog gods. The screens crackle and pop endlessly with monochrome vistas of static—white noise permeating the brain and fogging concentration. But you must fight the urge to relax: this is no mere movie night. Those obsolete spools contain more than just magnetic tape. They are imprinted with the very soul of evil.
BLLEEEEAAAAAARRRGGH!
Even the ad copy is better-written and more exciting than the original! They’re off to a great start (now they just need to make the site a little more user-friendly for those of us with laptops, and fix a couple of their typos). Check this link for a great review that I ‘re-blogged’.

Oh, we WILL.
* to be clear, we mean that “Safe Haven” knocks it out of the park, but while we’re on the subject, The Raid: Redemption sure knocked it out of the fucking park too.
Related articles
- Sundance 2013: Check out the teaser trailer for horror sequel ‘S-VHS’ – EXCLUSIVE VIDEO (insidemovies.ew.com)
- See Both Stoker (2013) Trailers in HD… Which Both Contain Cool Footage Unseen In The Other Trailer! (horrorboom.com)
- Think the Teaser For THE EVIL DEAD Re-boot Was Sick? ‘Till You Watch The NEW Full-Length NSFW Red Band Trailer Here, You Ain’t Seen NOTHIN’ Yet! (Disturbing Image Warning) (horrorboom.com)
- Sundance 2013: Teaser Trailer for S-VHS Now Online (dreadcentral.com)
I think this was sort of a ‘calm before the storm’ episode, and all Hell will break loose soon (after all, there is No More Room In Hell). Carol gave Andrea some really good advice, though. The clip from Talking Dead for next week was REALLY gruesome, by the way–check it out if you were jonesing for more zombie gore this week with Nicotero directing. Check out the interview from EW.com, too!

Rob Zombie’s “The Lords of Salem” Have Been Waiting For You… To Check Out This Exclusive (And Creepy) EW.com Clip – Trailer #2 Included
“My premise is that there was another group of women put to death [during the witch trials] who actually were witches,” explains Zombie. “They vowed to come back and wreak vengeance upon Salem and they do it through this bizarre piece of music. Heidi has some lineage to the witch trials — but she’s also a recovering drug addict. So, in the course of the film, you’re not sure if she’s back on drugs, if she’s losing her mind, or if these events are actually happening to her.”
The Lords of Salem Official Trailer #2 and this EW.com exclusive clip have been waiting for you… they’ve always been waiting for you. Rob Zombie‘s latest horror flick– one with a supernatural element this time (unless that’s a misdirect-the plot description and Zombie’s quote above say it could be all in the lead’s mind)–opens April 19, 2013! The clip is actually creepier than we thought it would be– and the second trailer has its moments, too. Check it out!
Related articles
- ‘Lords Of Salem’ Trailer: Rob Zombie Casts His Wife In Yet Another Horror Film, This Time With Witches (screencrave.com)
- The Lords of Salem – New Trailer (puremassacre.wordpress.com)
- Here’s A New Thirty Second Clip From ROB ZOMBIE’s New Movie, The Lords of Salem (metalinjection.net)

Check Out This (Very Cool) Reblog on Cronenberg Jr.’s Body Horror Flick “Antiviral” (2012) From Theartsyfilmblog.com
We keep forgetting to mention how much we’re looking forward to this. Antiviral ALMOST made our “Ten Most Anticipated of 2013” list, in fact, it was either #11 or #12 on the list. As soon as we find a Red Band trailer, it’s going up! Meanwhile, check out this sick art… while we start looking for some viral marketing (so to speak) online – with a film title like this, it’s a great candidate for it!
Update: Hey! Found it. The URL is on the photo above, but clicking on the image with the logo up there should also take you to the Antiviral, er, viral marketing site for “The Lucas Clinic”.
Related articles
- Think the Teaser For THE EVIL DEAD Re-boot Was Sick? ‘Till You Watch The NEW Full-Length NSFW Red Band Trailer Here, You Ain’t Seen NOTHIN’ Yet! (Disturbing Image Warning) (horrorboom.com)
- Red Band ‘Spring Breakers’ Trailer Somehow Gets Darker But Has More Neon (moviesblog.mtv.com)
- New Red-Band Trailer From Trance (emileeid.com)
- Antiviral (2012) (24fpsverite.wordpress.com)
Of monsters and warrior princesses
Antiviral, an amazing body dysmorphic terrifying slow horror that you can only watch once.
From the clearly derangedly genius mind of Brandon Cronenberg, starring Caleb Landry Jones and Sarah Gandon.
via film in 2013
New BIG ASS SPIDER! (2013) Trailer Delivers – Do We Really Have To Sell You On This?
Giant Spider Movie Round-Up Part Two: Just… here. Watch this!
We’re fuckin’ THERE! Wheeeeeee!
Related articles
- Giant Spider Movie Round-Up, Part One – “Spiders 3D” (2012) (horrorboom.com)
- BIG ASS SPIDER Trailer Features One Ugly, Big Ass Spider (badassdigest.com)
- Hot Berlin Trailer*: ‘Big Ass Spider’ (deadline.com)

The Editing Room Does “Sinister” (2012) The Abridged Script – You’ll Laugh Whether You Liked The Movie Or Not!
ETHAN HAWKE
Uh-oh, everything’s suddenly quiet. That can only mean…
JUMP SCARE
(shattering the AUDIENCE’s eardrums while giving them THE FINGER)
ETHAN HAWKE
Okay we’re leaving.(excerpt written by and© Chris W. on Feb 19th, 2013, The Editing Room)
Sinister: The Abridged Script | The Editing Room.
On one hand, this movie threw me more than a couple jumps that made me scream so loud I sort of lost my voice the next day. On the other, I can’t argue with too much stuff in here, I was too busy laughing. Someone else said the Demon looked more like Ace Frehley than a Chriss Angel reject, though. Guess it’s probably a combination of the two…
Enjoy!
Related articles
- Hitchcock: The Abridged Script – From The Editing Room (horrorboom.com)
- Aliens: The Abridged Script | The Editing Room (horrorboom.com)
- Evil on Film: ‘Sinister’ (Review) (popmatters.com)
- Terry Malloy Looks At SINISTER On Blu-ray!! (web1.aintitcool.com)

Check Out This Awesome New “Stoker” Featurette, Focused On The Twisted Characters!
So! They’re pumping up the publicity machine in anticipation of Stoker‘s upcoming March 1st release, and so we get cool new things to watch like the below! Check this out, it includes interviews with Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman, Matthew Goode, and even Mr. Park himself (among others). Check it out below!
On a related note, I was watching a trailer for the ONE full-length Park Chan-Wook film I haven’t seen. Not sure why I keep putting it off, doubt it’s because it’s probably his ‘lightest’ film (if there is such a thing as a light Park Chan-Wook film; this is supposed to have a happy ending). I still can’t locate the short Night Fishing*, only a Korean-language featurette and a trailer, mostly talked about because it was shot exclusively on an iPhone (but doesn’t look like it, you could have fooled us) and noticed a shot from the full-length film I’m A Cyborg But That’s OK** that is strangely similar to a shot (so to speak) that is prevalent in both Stoker trailers (and all the PR material). Here they are side by side; I don’t think you’ll need to have anyone point out which shot is from Stoker and which is from I’m a Cyborg.
*If anyone CAN send a link to for the full feature Night Fishing (of decent quality), we’d REALLY appreciate it. Feel free to put it in the ‘Reply’ area, you don’t have to go to the trouble of sending us an email.
**I sleep all night and I work all day! I’m a cyborg but that’s OK…(Monty Python reference that pops into our heads whenever we type the title or say it out loud).
Related articles
- Ten Juicy Snippets From Advance Reviews of Park Chan-Wook’s “Stoker” That Make Us Wish It Opened Tonight! (horrorboom.com)
- New “Stoker” Featurette/Music Video Is Beautiful Showcase For Director Park Chan-Wook and DP Chung Chung-hoon’s Work – Watch It Here! (horrorboom.com)
- See Both Stoker (2013) Trailers in HD… Which Both Contain Cool Footage Unseen In The Other Trailer! (horrorboom.com)
- SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, STOKER Featurettes (theartsyfilmblog.com)