Wednesday, September 19, 2012

13 Horror Movies That Will Scare the Ever Loving C**p Out Of You!


Whether you're a horror buff or just like to have the bejeebers scared out of you on occasion, there are certain horror movies that you must have watched at least once. These are like a badge of honor for fans of the genre so if you've missed any of them, get down to Blockbusters now!

The Exorcist

Watch it with the lights on – at midday! This terrifying story of a young girl possessed by a demon will rob you of your sleep, guaranteed. There’s a very good reason that it tops just about every horror movie poll.

The Shining

Stephen King apparently didn’t like this adaptation of his novel, although I can’t see why. This brooding tale of a man slowly losing his grip on sanity is deeply unsettling. The bathroom scene in Room 237 will scare the life out of you. Watch out too for the famous “Here’s Johnny!” scene. 

Alien

Ridley Scott’s sci-fi classic pits Sigourney Weaver against one of the most terrifying creatures to grace the screen. The “stomach-buster” scene is the stuff of movie legend.


Halloween

Other movies may have pre-dated it in the slasher sub-genre, but it was Halloween that really gave the genre its shape. The story of the homicidal, virtually indestructible Michael Myers has been oft copied, but never bettered. He has entered our consciousness as an iconic boogeyman.


Psycho

It make be dated, and the black-and-white film robs it of some of its gore value, but this Hitchcock classic about the deeply disturbed Norman Bates is still one seriously scary movie. 


Friday the 13th

Some may call it a knock-off of Halloween, but Friday the 13th stands up as a very scary movie in its own right, spawning a hugely successful franchise and giving us yet another terrifying villain - the hockey mask wearing, Jason Voorhees.


Dawn of the Dead

The second of George A. Romero’s classic zombie movies, Dawn of the Dead features a group of survivors hiding from the Zs in a shopping mall. The 2004 remake is perhaps stylishly superior, but the original still tops it in my opinion.


The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Deeply disturbing, bloody and violent. TCM tells the story of a group of teens who are taken captive by a cannibalistic clan after their van breaks down. Often copied but never bettered.

Jaws

Is it a horror movie? If it scares you then yes, it is. And Jaws has some genuinely scary moments. The mechanical shark may seem a bit corny given today’s technology but no killer shark movie since has had the same impact. Avoid any of the sequels though.

A Nightmare On Elm Street

In a Nightmare On Elm Street, Wes Craven gave us a unique boogeyman, a homicidal maniac whose name has since entered movie folklore. Freddie Krueger is unlike other movie villains in that he stalks our dreams - and we all have to sleep sometime, right? Frightening and original.

Rosemary’s Baby

Don’t expect scares and buckets of blood in this gem by Roman Polanski. Do expect to leave the movie with a feeling of unease that will stick with you for a long while. Mia Farrow stars as a woman impregnated by the devil.

An American Werewolf in London

Horror and humor collide in this excellent farce about an American student who is attacked by a werewolf while vacationing in England. The werewolf transformation scenes were groundbreaking and still look good after all this time. The humor is dark and hilarious.

Angel Heart

A dark and disturbing story about voodoo in the Deep South. Mickey Rourke stars as Harry Angel, a P.I. hired for what he thinks is a straightforward missing persons case. Bleak and unsettling with a delicious twist at the end.   

Feel free to let me know if you agree or disagree with these choices and add your own in the comments below. 

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Chill, Kick Back, Kiss Your Ass Goodbye! 13 Songs About The End Of The World

2 Minutes to Midnight – Iron Maiden 

From the band's brilliant 1984 album, Powerslave. The song references the Doomsday Clock - a symbolic clock used by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists to determine how close the world might be to a nuclear holocaust. The clock reached 23:58 (two minutes to midnight) in September 1953, after the US and the Soviet Union both tested H-bombs.



Eve of Destruction – Barry McGuire 

Although several artists have recorded the song, McGuire's version is the best known. The lyrics warn of an imminent apocalypse and reference the Cold War, Vietnam, and the nuclear arms race.


Two Suns In The Sunset – Pink Floyd 

A song about a nuclear holocaust which includes the lyric "the sun is in the east, even though the day is done" (a reference to the gleaming fireball of a nuclear detonation) and ending with the lyric "could it be the human race is run.” Off the band's 1983 release, The Final Cut.



Don’t Fear The Reaper – Blue Oyster Cult 

Not a post-apocalyptic song per se, but it is about the Grim Reaper and its appearance on the soundtrack of ‘The Stand’ makes it a perfect fit for this list.



Black Curtains – Megadeth 

Nuclear war is a recurring theme in Megadeth songs (Symphony of Destruction, Peace Sells, Polaris…Rust In Peace). Black Curtains is a track from their kick ass 1994 album, Youthanasia.


The Four Horsemen – Metallica 

Referencing the biblical Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, this song is featured on Metallica’s album Kill ‘Em All,  released in 1983.



 99 Red Balloons – Nena 

A chirpy upbeat song about a nuclear war triggered when balloons are mistaken for incoming enemy aircraft. The closing lyric, “it’s all over and I’m standing pretty, in the dust that was a city,” leaves no doubt as to the outcome.


The End – The Doors 

Jim Morrison stated that the song might refer to the end of a relationship or the end of childhood, but could really refer to the end of anything. Its inclusion on the soundtrack of Apocalypse Now cements its place on the list.



Talking World War III Blues – Bob Dylan 

The title says it all. This one is from the album, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan which also includes ‘A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall’. The lyrics of that song are strongly suggestive of a nuclear holocaust, although Dylan himself says doesn’t necessarily refer to war.


War Pigs – Black Sabbath 

A classic Black Sabbath tune which ends with the lyric, “Now in darkness world stops turning, ashes where the bodies burning. No more war pigs have the power, hand of God has struck the hour.” Say no more.


London Calling – The Clash 

Title track from the band’s 1979 album, the lyrics reference several doomsday scenarios including flooding and nuclear meltdown. The title comes from the BBC World Service's wartime station identification: "This is London calling."



Gimme Shelter – The Rolling Stones 

A Stones classic that Mick Jagger described as "A kind of end-of-the-world song, really. It's the apocalypse." With lyrics that talk of fire sweeping the streets, war children, rape and murder, it’s hard to disagree.


Metal Gods – Judas Priest 

From the classic 1980 album, British Steel. Metal Gods tells the story of machines taking over the world, and ends on the lyric, “Better be the slaves, to their wicked ways, but meeting with our death, engulfed in molten breath.”

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Among The Dead (Zombie D.O.A. Book 7)

For the last twelve years, the city of Lancaster has been a safe haven to ten thousand survivors of the zombie apocalypse. But when a madman raises an army of the undead and unleashes them on the city, the people of Lancaster are thrown into a brutal fight for survival.

As the zombie hordes descend, Chris Collins and Joe Thursday lead a small group in a defiant stand. But will it be enough to save themselves and the city?

Will Chris be able to rescue his wife, who is about to be subjected to a hideous zombie experiment? And will he be able to find his three young children, alone and afraid, on the streets among the dead?

The latest episode of the Zombie D.O.A. series is an unstoppable, action-packed force de force that will leave you breathless.      




 Click the "Read More" link below to read an excerpt from

Among The Dead