New Titles from McFarland!

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So yeah… so this whole “Print is Dead” propaganda….

McFarland has some great new books coming out this year that I can’t wait to add to my library, let alone dive into them. Yes, McFarland’s titles tend to be on the expensive side, especially for their softcover editions. But their hardcover editions, especially from the likes of Gregory Mank or Tom Weaver, are probably worth the investment. Granted these are books to read, but at these prices, they are an investment, and usually go up in value. I know it doesn’t make it any easier to drop $75 to $100 for one book, so you have to pick your battles. With some special edition Blu-rays hitting the $40 and $50 range for just one movie, it doesn’t seem that much more really. But then again, I’m a sucker for these kind of books and know I’ll be adding most of the ones listed below to my own library at some point. So let’s take a look at some of these great titles they have in store for us this year:

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William Peter Blatty – Rest in Peace

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william-peter-blatty-ripThursday, we have lost the author of one of the greatest horror novels of all time, William Peter Blatty. If you’ve never read the actual novel of The Exorcist, you’d be surprised at how effective it is, digging into your core just as much as the film version, if not more. That’s how good Blatty was. Strange though that before this novel, he was known for the most part as a comedic writer, writing several films for Blake Edwards, including the Pink Panther movie A Shot in the Dark. But once The Exorcist came out, there really was no turning back for him and he would always be known as “that guy”. But while it did pigeon hole him, he told the Washington Post in 2013, “I can’t regret The Exorcist. It’s done so much for me and for my family. And it’s given me a great deal of freedom to write what I want.”

Ever since he heard about the story about a 14-year old boy that was ‘cured’ by an exorcism in 1949, Blatty knew there was a novel in there, but it took over twenty years for it to finally come to be, in 1971. Two years later, director William Friedkin turned the book into one of the scariest films of all time, which actually got Blatty an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. A decade later, he would write a sequel to the book, called Legion, which he then adapted and directed the film version, entitled Exorcist III.

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Dead of Winter Film Fest

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dead-of-winter-short-film-festival

So Chicago area horror fans…getting bored with all this cold weather and nothing to do? Then how about coming out on Thursday, January 26th for the first Dead of Winter Film Fest! This is a film fest highlighting some of the best Horror Short Films and will feature 11 different shorts from directors like Adam Krause, Daniel DelPurgatorio, Jerry Pyle, Jill Gevargizian, and more!

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Movie Review: Don’t Knock Twice

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dont-knock-twice-poster

Don’t Knock Twice (2016)
Directed by Caradog W. James
Starring Katee Sackhoff, Lucy Boynton, Javier Botet, Nick Moran, Jordan Bolger, Pooneh Hajimohammadi

In this new film by Caradog James, we get a film that starts out in very familiar territory when it comes to story: a urban legend that consists of the person doing or saying something a number of times which in turn will call upon the monster of the movie to come get you. And it does. So once the film start, it didn’t take me long to think that we were going to retread a very old horror theme, going back to the Candyman films, and even before that. But I will say that even though that is the way the movie started, they did take the story down a slightly different path, which made a refreshing change.

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BoardingHouse Midnight Screening

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boardinghouseBack in the early ’80s, when I worked at a movie theater, we had a strange movie playing there that looked very grainy for some reason. Years later I would find out that it was actually shot on video and then transferred to film to get an actual theatrical release. It looked cheesy, terrible acting, ultra gory, and one of the strangest films I’d seen. It was called BoardingHouse. And now, I’ll have the chance to see it in the theater once again!

This coming weekend, on Friday the 13th and Saturday the 14th, the Music Box Theatre will be having a midnight screening of this film, presented by Odd Obsessions Movies, and co-presented by Chicago Film Society. Though the film starts at midnight, there is a pre-party in the Music Box Lounge at 11pm. The fact that this is being screened from a 35mm print is just unreal.

I have checked with the theater and was told that it will in fact be screening in the large theater, which makes this event even better! If you haven’t seen this film and love cult and strange cinema, not to mention a gorefest, then you will want to check this out. Just watch the trailer below and see if it doesn’t make you want to see it!

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Mystery Photo 1-9

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Last week’s photo is from one of my favorite movies from my childhood, even though I never had the chance to see it until way into my 20s! I know that doesn’t make sense but I can vividly remember seeing the trailer for The Car (1977), but never got to see it in the theater back then. Had to wait until years later and find a crappy looking bootleg before I could finally see it. And I still loved it! Of course, it is on DVD and Blu-ray for all to see! I have to say I’m thrilled to see so many people send in the correct answer. Kudos out the following: Hoby Abernathy, Scott Bradley, Dahlia Daniels, Scott Finnegan, Rick Hayden, Troy Howarth, Neil Kloster, Adam Knabe, Doug Lamoreux, Bryan Moose, Gavin Schmitt, Michael Shields, and Greg Wojick.

Okay, let’s get to this week’s photo. This is kind of how I feel sometimes going to work on Monday mornings….

And please, please, PLEASE, remember not to post your answers here so others can have the chance to make their guess. Good luck.

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The Art of Rick Melton

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If you’re a reader of Liquid Cheese, then you’ve definitely seen the incredible work of artist Rick Melton. His use of colors and the way he lays out the designs is top-notch. If you’re a horror fan, you’ll find something at this website that catches your eye. He has done pieces on the classic titles all the way into modern day, all giving that same beautiful style and look to them. Plus, prints of his work are highly affordable. Granted, they are coming from the UK, but they are worth the way. Here’s a couple of pieces that we think are amazing.

You can check out all his work on his website here: Stunningly Savage.

Soundtrack Review: Don’t Breathe

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dont-breathe-cd

Don’t Breathe
Released by Lakeshore Records, 2016
15 Tracks with a Total Running time of 59 min.
Music by Roque Baños

Typically, I prefer for soundtracks to have a melody, or some sort of musical theme. Not that I have a problem with atmospheric soundscape-type scores since there are plenty that I quite enjoy. But it doesn’t hold a candle opera to a nice classic piece of eerie music. That being said, this score that Baños has created for Don’t Breathe is just incredible.

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Horror History: Larry Buchanan

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larrybuchananLarry Buchanan
Born Jan. 31st, 1923 – Died Dec. 2nd, 2004

Buchanan holds a special place in my heart. Not the greatest filmmaker out there, or even close. But there is just something special about him and his films that hold my admiration. Many people thing that Roger Corman is king of the low budget filmmaking, but they have never heard of Buchanan. He was based in Texas and was making films at a fraction of the cost Corman was getting. And while his films may not have been “good” films, they usually turned a profit, so that means he really was a successful filmmaker. One of his first films, The Naked Witch (1961) was made for only $8,000 and made $80,000 the first month it was release. Not a bad investment.

He was hired by AIP to direct some remakes of four of their movies for the growing TV market. Again, with a considerable lower budget and only one name actor, he cranked them out in no time flat. Lucky for fans like me, a good number of his films are available on DVD, and one of them usually finds its way in my annual Turkey-Day marathon. As we said, they might not be good films, but they are entertaining.

Here are some of Buchanan’s titles to seek out: The Eye Creatures (1965), Zontar: The Thing from Venus (1966), Curse of the Swamp Creature (1966), Mars Needs Women (1967), Creature of Destruction (1967), plus many more. It may take a couple of viewings to really understand this guy, but if you are a fan of low budget drive-in style films, then you might find some enjoyment out of these.

2016 Year in Review – Part 5: Some Highlights

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Even though this year had plenty of downer moments, there were quite a few highlights that I think are worth mentioning. I know it is easy to remember the bad stuff that happens in our daily lives that I think we tend to forget all the good things, no matter how simple or small they might be. I think these are the moments that we need to focus on throughout lives, instead of the negative stuff. I think we’ll all find there are more of these high points than we realize. Here are a few of those moments that I’d like to revisit with you.

picture-of-dorian-gray-ivan-albrightThe Real Picture of Dorian Gray

I’m not sure why it took me so long to actually do this, but I finally made it out the Chicago Art Institute and got to see Ivan Albright’s painting that was used in the 1945 film The Picture of Dorian Gray. I was taking my wife into the city for a little break from reality, knowing that she is a fan of the museum, even though it has been decades since she’d been there. My appreciation of artwork has grown considerably over the last decade or so, which might have something to do with the fact that I have several friends that are professional artists, who always blow my mind with their talent. So I knew this was going to be an interesting tour. Plus, I knew that Albright’s piece from one of my favorite films is on display there, and I’d really like to see it in person.

Wandering through the huge maze that is the Art Institute, we eventually came around the corner and there it was. This piece was just huge, standing just over seven feet tall. This massive painting is just stunning to look at in person. The colors, the details, the darkness to the painting as well as the subject matter, was all just mind blowing. Standing before this masterpiece, it is kind of like standing in the Evans City cemetery, where the opening to the original Night of the Living Dead was filmed. You’re not just looking at movie history through your TV screen, but you’re standing right in front of it. I now know how people can just stand in front of a painting, gazing into it, getting lost in the colors and the brushstrokes. Almost like stepping into an emotion.

I know it is a bit expensive, but if you’re in Chicago and have the chance to go to the Art Institute, I would highly recommend it. I’d say if only to see this painting, but there are some other amazing pieces there as well.

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