A Bittersweet Last Supper With “Hannibal”

Well my fellow Fannibals, we have reached our last supper with our beloved Cannibal Doctor and his Empathic Disciple.

Of course the main thing EVERYONE is gonna talk about is the ending where Hannibal and Will take down the Great Red Dragon with a knife and a hatchet. It was a gruesome and bloody dance but once the Red Dragon was defeated Will has a revelation. “You’re right, it does look black in the moonlight…”

That was in reference to the comment Hannibal made about how blood looks black in the moonlight. Anyway, Will comes to the realization that Bedelia was right. He can’t live without Hannibal and he can’t go home to his wife and stepson. So what does he do? He takes a swan dive off the cliff taking Hannibal with him. That scene really reminded me of Thelma & Louise. I’ve heard a lot of people say they thought about Sherlock and Moriarty. The difference is that they weren’t fighting each other. Rather they seemed to just accept their fate and go out together.

Let’s not forget the post credit scene with Bedelia waiting for someone with her leg as the main course. Many Fannibals hope that this is a sign that its not over! Somehow Hannibal and/or Will survived the fall and came back to keep Hannibal’s promise to eat Bedelia. At first I just thought that Bedelia did that to herself because she was so terrified that Hannibal would escape and come for her so she beat him to the punch. Who knows.

According to Bryan Fuller, Hannibal’s story isn’t over until he’s dead. He is still hopeful that another station will pick up the series but with Netflix and Amazon turning down the offer(Fuck You, Amazon and Netflix!!) I’m not sure it’s gonna happen. Maybe a mini-series or movie is in the cards so let’s keep our fingers crossed.

Also can we just talk about Hannigram really quick? I love how Bryan Fuller isn’t afraid to come out and say “Yeah, Hannibal and Will are a thing”. Then you get shows like Sherlock and Supernatural that love to dance around the issue. So suck it, Destiel and Johnlock shippers! Our show actually had the balls to take it a step further!

Another fun fact about this episode is the ending song by Siouxsie Sioux. The title is Love Crime and you’ll be delighted to know that it was made by a Fannibal. That’s right, Siouxsie Sioux loved the show and was inspired to make music for it. Isn’t it amazing how artists can come together and create something amazing.

I can go on for days about how amazing this show is that that it is a mistake to let it go. This show was art so I guess not everyone can appreciate it. Thank you, Bryan Fuller for setting a new standard for good TV and creating such a magnificent and beautifully dark drama.

Here’s a fun video I found that plays to Love Crime by Siouxsie Sioux. It has clips from all the seasons so enjoy!

Earthlings (2005) The most graphic movie I’ve ever seen

>>>>Trigger Warning: Graphic Violence To Animals <<<<<

Consider this your last warning before I jump into my review. Don’t be a hero. If you’re disturbed by graphic, non-fictionalized torture, do not read on or click the trailers. Okay?

Call it a propaganda film if you like, but the real brutality depicted in Earthlings (2005) is gripping, intense, and undeniable.

Earthlings (2005)

Writer and director: Shaun Monson

Narrated by Joaquin Phoenix with music by Moby

This is an animal rights documentary. You’re wondering how a vegan propaganda film justifies space on this indie horror blog, but I’ll assure you the horrors revealed here are worse than any pulptastic, splatterfest film out there. Because the violence is all true. The images are real. And while this documentary is not perfect and teeters cartoonishly on the edge on self-righteous fervor, there is an undeniable truth in its message. The goal of this film is to disturb you. Watch the trailer and I assure you it will.

Shaun Monson’s unflinching “found-footage” style combined with Joaquin Phoenix’s pleasant, unnerving narration creates a potent reaction. After debating whether or not to include the trailer, I decided to post it for you. But DO NOT WATCH if you don’t think you can handle the sight of a helpless fox, tortured and skinned alive or the boasts of an “animal trainer” who clubs a screaming circus elephant for fun.

“This is horrible but it doesn’t affect me–I don’t do this to animals” is what you’re thinking. But you do. You’re complicit in ways you probably aren’t even aware of. We all are. And that’s what’s so fucking terrifying about this documentary.

The end message wants you to be vegan. And I say, fuck that. Don’t be vegan unless you really, truly want to. Omnivorism isn’t evil. How humans strip other living creatures of dignity and respect by torturing and brutalizing them is. Veganism is just one solution, not THE SOLUTION to lessen animal suffering. You don’t have to be a vegan to boycott Sea World, zoos, and circuses, or not buy products tested on animals. You don’t have to be vegan to take the extra two minutes to grab the certified humane eggs at the grocery store. You don’t have to be vegan to not wear fur. You don’t have to be vegan to support your local farm and butcher, and reject factory farming. You don’t have to be vegan to choose sustainable fisheries over cheaper, mercury-laden seafood from Asia. You don’t have to be vegan to not support fishing that fuels the Thai fishing slave industry. For fuck’s sake activism isn’t an all or nothing exercise!

Where this documentary falls short (as all/most vegan propaganda films do) is providing practical steps for omnivores after delivering its message. Because of that, I can’t give this movie an A. The highest I can rate it is a B. That said, I still encourage you to watch it. Especially if you aren’t aware of any of the issues I previously discussed.

Full disclosure: I had been a vegetarian for ten years prior to watching Earthlings. But after watching it, I became a vegan. So there you go, Mr. Director, Mr. Shaun Monson. Add another “convert” to your roster. As a new vegan, I won’t tell anyone else to follow my path as I became a vegan because I was already attracted to it and had been warming up to the idea for many, many years. Like I said before, you do not have to be a vegan to be a credible ally for animal welfare.

Earthlings isn’t for everyone, although I do think everyone should watch it.

What a Real Mortal Kombat Fatality Would Look Like!

Remember on Monday how I said I wish Raze had some Mortal Kombat moves where you had some gruesome fatalities? Well, I found this awesome video about how gory and bloody a real Mortal Kombat Fatality would look like. There were a couple of times where I cringed and thought “what the hell did I just watch?”.

It was actually pretty cool so check it out!

Submission Call! Interfictions

Have a New Weird cross-genre rotting on your hard drive? You have until 8/31 to submit it to Interfictions Magazine. Up to 5,000 words, paying .10 cents/word.

Rather than defining “interstitial” for you, we’d like you to show us what genre-bending fiction looks like. Surprise us; make us see that literature holds possibilities we haven’t yet imagined. We’re invested in helping to foster a diverse and inclusive literary culture, so work from writers of traditionally underrepresented backgrounds is welcome. Previously unpublished stories only, please. We prefer stories under 5,000 words, but are open to submissions of up to 10,000 words long. Pay rate is 10 cents/word USD. We accept simultaneous submissions. Please submit only one story during this window.

A little froufrou, yes, so I recommend checking out archived issues before submitting. But 10 cents/word is not bad, fam! Good luck!

May The Odds Be In Your Favor In “Raze”

Director: Josh C. Weller

Writer: Robert Beaucage, Kenny Gage, Josh C. Weller

Starring: Zoe Bell, Rachel Nichols, Tracie Thoms

Two enter the ring and one comes out! The basic plot to Raze is a secret society of rich people kidnaps women from various backgrounds and various knowledge of fighting. Whether it’s kickboxing classes or MMA training, these freaks want you. Sabrina(Zoe Bell) along with other women are forced to fight to the death for the wealthy’s entertainment. If they don’t fight then their loved ones are killed. If they lose, their loved ones also die. Let the games begin and let the odds be ever in your favor.

I didn’t enjoy this as much as I thought I would. To tell the truth I fast forward most of it. There were a few things that just bugged me to no end.

The first thing that bothered me: If you don’t fight or if you lose, your loved ones die. Why bother fighting in the first place? Your family or friends are dead anyway.

Second thing that bothered me: Didn’t their family and friends report them missing? Wouldn’t the FBI notice that women with fighting skills going on blind dates then disappear? Also wouldn’t the FBI also notice that the families and friends of the missing women end up dead? Too much of a coincidence….

Third thing that bothered me: There’s no prize at the end of the tournament! No million dollars, no offer to join the secret society, nothing! You’re basically a fighting dog until you die in the ring! Why bother fighting at all?!

Really, in the end you’re only watching this for the fights. You don’t care about the fighters’ sob stories, you really don’t care if they make it or not. Like I said earlier, I fast forwarded the sob story bits. I wasn’t interested and they didn’t make me want to be interested. I kinda wanted some of the sound effects from Mortal Kombat during the fights. Yeah! Finish Her!! 

I’m giving this a D

Mortal Kombat:

Trailer

Sharktopus Vs. Whalewolf Live Tweet

Which shark-themed SyFy movie is your favorite? There’s Sharknado 1, 2, and 3, Sharktopus vs. Pteracuda and Sharktopus vs. Whalewolf. Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus…are there any more?

I’m live-tweeting my reaction (@DWCHorror) to Sharktopus vs. Whalewolf at 2pm central time. Feel free to join in and laugh along. I’m rooting for #TeamWhalewolf. #TeamSharktopus is going down.

Full movie streamed HERE.

Off To Hell We Go! The Devil’s Carnival Tour Has Begun!

The wait is over! The Devil Carnival: Alleluia! is finally on it’s way to a city near you! Well…most cities. I looked up the tour dates and sadly it’s not coming to my town and I can’t travel to another city to watch it. I guess I’ll have to wait for the DVD. But that’s OK, I’m a patient woman.

The tour for Alleluia! started yesterday(August 11th) in Los Angeles and will be touring all over the country like New York, Tuscon, Chicago, etc.

Anyways, if you have’t seen the first movie then I highly recommend that you do. You’ll love the music, the make up, the plot, etc. I’ll probably say this until I die, Terrance Zdunich is a freaking genius!! So check out the websites below and buy your tickets now. Bring a friend, go by yourself, I don’t care how you get there. Just go and enjoy yourself!

Fa la la! It’s off to Hell we go! Stick a needle in your eye, it’s off to Hell we go!

P.S.

The Devil’s Carnival: Alleluia! soundtrack is now available on itunes! I know what I’m buying!

Sites:

http://www.thedevilscarnival.com/

https://www.facebook.com/devilscarnival

https://twitter.com/devilscarnival

Snowpiercer (2013) Great if you like trains, meh if you don’t.

Director: Bong Joon-ho

Starring: Chris Evans, Jamie Bell, Tilda Swinton, and Kang-ho Song

 

Korean movies/dramas are another guilty pleasure of mine. I’ve been watching Kang-ho Song since I was a wee kid. Loved him in Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) and Gwoemul (2006). Didn’t know he was in Snowpiercer (2013) until that first snort of kronol. A happy revelation, to be sure, because Chris Evans’ halfhearted “I’m not a leader!” proclamations (despite being the only white dude with the most lines/action sequences and prophetic-like story arc) was starting to bore me. Can we also give a hand to Octavia Spencer and Ah-Sung Ko? Well-done.

This is a KOREAN movie. Don’t let the big-name American actors fool you. The phenomenal, racially diverse cast are a refreshing change of pace. The fighting sequences are glorious, the wacky plot gnaws on big ideas concerning class and privilege, and Tilda Swinton was bloody fantastic. And there’s trains. And pregnant ladies with machine guns. And Ed Harris. What’s not to like?

Well, there’s quite a bit not to like after 2/3 of the movie. The ending was phoned in. I rolled my eyes several times. The story isn’t great, OK? But who cares? It’s an action movie masquerading as transgressive filmmaking. Just roll with it (pun intended…cuz we’re talking about trains, remember?)

I don’t know whether to give this a B or C. Snowpiercer aimed too high and missed the mark for me, but I was never bored while watching this film and despite the plot-holey ending, I enjoyed the ride. Oh, hell. Let’s just give it a B. If you’re in the mood for a peculiar and funny thriller, Snowpiercer (2013) is for you!

Cannibal Holocaust, Eli Roth, & Riz O

This iconic scene from the movie, Cannibal Holocaust (1979) was so troubling to Italian authorities, the director, Ruggero Deodato was forced to prove the images were fictitious in court and explain to law enforcement that he hadn’t actually killed anyone.

I’m not reviewing Cannibal Holocaust (1979). That’s been done to death and also I just don’t feel like referencing the faux outrage and calls for censorship of Eli Roth’s upcoming remake, Green Inferno (2015). My review today is about the soundtrack from Ruggero Deodato’s Cannibal Holocaust (1979) composed by the great Riz Ortolani.

But since I’m on the topic of Eli Roth’s new movie, here’s what I’ll say about it for now. When I see it, I’ll compare it against Deodato’s version and write up a gratuitous review for your enjoyment. Trailer below:

Do I think Eli Roth’s movie should be banned? Do I think a movie about white, social justice warriors getting brutally massacred by brown people is offensive? Ha. What do you think? More often in horror movies, brown and black characters are slaughtered without dignity for white entertainment. Our bodies are still first to be jeopardized onscreen and off…so am I supposed to wave torches and pitchforks over fictionalized, reversed-racial horror? You’ll find out when I watch Green Inferno.

But I digress. Let’s listen to the maestro, shall we?

What made Cannibal Holocaust so great was the off-kilter soundtrack. I use “off-kilter” ironically, because in truth, there is nothing off-kilter about it. It’s fucking beautiful. I adore horror movies with a full orchestral score and my absolute favorite composer for that sort of thing is Bernard Herrmann. However Riz Ortalani’s score is a must for any horror movie buff, too. Not only is the soundtrack beautiful, but when combined with scenes from the movie, the result is a strange, horrifying cognitive dissonance. Modern horror filmmakers alert audiences to the horror with music that is meant to frighten us. But Riz doesn’t do that, here. Instead, he uses sweeping violins, folksy guitar, and funkadelic pops of the synthesizer. By listening to the soundtrack alone, you would never know it accompanied such a gory, controversial movie.

There are 10 tracks in all but my favorites are Adultress’s Punishment (the infamous impaling scene) and Savage Rite. If you write horror, I strongly recommend you try listening to the Cannibal Holocaust soundtrack to get you in the right mood.

Have you watched Cannibal Holocaust? Green Inferno will come out September 25, 2015. Place your bets which one will be better. Whadduya think, fam? Should we all be outraged?

Gishwhes 2015 Has Begun!

So it’s that time of year again where like minded crazy people get together and do crazy things in the name of charity. I already told you that I’m participating this year again so I thought I’d tell you how it’s going so far.

This is when you come to realize that there are people you want to do this for fun(people like me) and then there are the ones who really take this seriously. So far I’m only able to do two of the Items which I’m a little disappointed in. Why? because the same 3-5 people already claimed and finished the Items I wanted to do. Then they remind how I need to check the spreadsheet one of them made and put my name beside an Item. I would if there were things left for me to do! So far all the left is the super crazy Items like take a picture with the Clintons (not photoshopped). Also I’m a little annoyed when others tell me how I should do an Item. This is supposed to be a fun and enjoyable thing to do but so far this year it’s a hassle.

i feel like I’m not contributing as much as I should. But what can I do?

I’m not saying that Gishwhes as a whole is like this. It’s really not! I guess what really makes it fun is the people you participate with. Which brings me to Saint Sarah again. She was on my team last year and she agrees that this team we’re on is a little too serious. She’s actually going to help me out with one of the Items I’m doing. We’re going to dress up my dog as The Doctor and she’s going to dress her cat up like a Dalek. If the team doesn’t like it, too fucking bad. I’m submitting the picture anyway.

Anyways, I hope all you Gishers out there are having a blast! Tell me how it’s going for you so far!