Rest in Peace: Michael Jackson

It's too big not to mention, but Michael Jackson died today.

I remember watching the DEBUT of Michael Jackson's Thriller on MTV.
Now, this was the 80s... a time when music videos were new, an entire CHANNEL playing music videos was newer, and a complete horror short and video by one of the biggest pop stars of that time --and ever-- was the razor's edge. The debut of that video was an EVENT. Something you don't really see today. It also scared the crap outta me. That close-up of the zombie with the blue stuff in his mouth FREAKED... ME... OUT.

I also enjoyed watching the wide-eyed glee in Michael's character as he watches the movie-within-a-movie revealed in the glowing marquee: "Thriller."
You got a lot for your money in the video: Thriller.
Werewolves, Zombies, a musical, Vincent Price voice-over and all Directed by John Landis.

As I've mentioned in THIS post of the past, as I young horror hound, I would watch "The Making of Thriller" over and over until the VHS tape was literally wearing out. Watching Jackson, Landis and one of my heroes Rick Baker all working together was amazing.

No matter what your opinion of the man, give the embedded video a watch and enjoy the work of an artist and a showman... one more time.

Michael Jackson |MTV Music

The Box, Shutter Island & Zombieland Trailers

It's been a helluva a few weeks for new horror movie trailers.
Debuting officially this month are the trailers for Richard (Donnie Darko) Kelley's The Box, Martin (Taxi Driver, Mean Streets, Goodfellas... c'mon REALLY? ) Scorsese's Shutter Island and Ruben (um... Zombieland) Fleisher's Zombieland all hit theaters in wide release this October. All seem to be mandatory Halloween Horror Viewing for October.

It's exciting to know that we'll have such a smorgasbord of scary this October.
And by the looks of the trailers, all seem to be great in their own way.

THE BOX (October 30th):
I'm not cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs over Donnie Darko like some are, but I admire and respect the film. Frank the Bunny is a terrifying image.
All that said this film, based on Richard Matheson's classic tale "Button Button," looks fantastic.
Frank Langella's look and presence seem creepily familiar, like a modern day The Tall Man from Phantasm or Father Merrin from The Exorcist.
And due to the subject matter, I'm sure it'll spurn lots of water cooler talk and "what if" conversations much like the buzz that surrounded Indecent Proposal.



SHUTTER ISLAND (October 2nd):
I don't know if you've heard of this guy Marty Scorsese but I think he's got a real future in the talkies.
But seriously folks... Mr. Scorsese hasn't really dipped his toe in the horror pool for some time (Cape Fear was over 18 years ago back in 1991) but Shutter Island definitely looks like he hasn't lost his touch. Part Session 9, part Shawshank Redemption-- oh and some actor named Leonardo DiCaprio-- I am really digging the look and feel of this.

ZOMBIELAND (October 9th):
Zombieland looks fun.
Period.
Woody Harrelson with a shotgun.
Zombies.
What else do you really need?
If this trailer accurately represents the tone of the film I think we're really in for a buddy comedy with zombies: or a budzomcom. An American version of Shawn of the Dead.
Yes please. Where may I line up, please?



All this PLUS the arrival of the long awaited DVD release of Mike Dougherty's Trick 'r Treat means October 2009 is shaping up to be quite the month for celebratin' Halloween horror.

Monster Squad TV Show Released on DVD

On DVD TODAY is Monster Squad the TELEVISION SHOW.
I don't know much about this series as it's slightly before my time, so I'll let a seemingly knowledgeable person from Amazon dot com do the talking:

Not to be confused with the 80s movie of the same name, "The Monster Squad" was a fond memory from my childhood. This 70s NBC Saturday morning show featured a pre "Love Boat" Fred Grandy as Walt, a night watchman at a Hollywood-type wax museum who was also a criminology college student during the day. He built a "Crime Computer" to monitor police activity during his shift. The computer somehow brought to life the statues of the Frankenstein Monster, Dracula, and the Wolfman (not Laurence Talbot, but Bruce WW. The initials stood for WereWolf). To make up for past misdeeds, the three use their unique abilities to fight crime. The show featured "special guest villians" like Marty Allen, Alice Ghostly, Jonathan Harris, among others. If the show reminded you of the 60s "Batman" tv show, that's because both shows were produced by the same people. I can't wait for this DVD, and I still think an updated version of this show would work today.

Huh. Sounds like fun. No mention of special features but perhaps the fact that this series is even existing on DVD IS the special feature.
As a kid who grew up on 60s Batman reruns, I think I'll put this in the ol' Netflix queue for October. Seems like good, light background entertainment for unpacking decorations.
Side note: Ever try and spell "queue"...?
Not easy.
That word just ain't right.

UPDATED: Sock Zombie Eats Sock Monkey's Brains for Breakfast

Attention Sock Monkeys!
Get your sock-shotguns loaded with socks and decree "Sock on this!" as you shoot at Sock Zombie!

Looking like a cross between a sock puppet, a stegosaurus and a messy eater: Sock Zombie is here to eat the soft cotton brains of Sock Monkeys and stuffed animals everywhere. A great gift for the zombie lover or for that special someone who wants their Raggedy Anne to get her Resident Evil-Claire or Left 4 Dead-Zoey ON!

Available at OakBoston.com HERE for the low low price of $30.

UPDATE!: Thanks to Kate's post below (including video!) I've found yet another Sock Zombie site with the very easy to remember address of sockzombie.com.

What's there? A link to an Etsy shop with MORE sock zombies. I guess these things really do replicate quickly.
Sounds like an outbreak.
Better keep your socks quarantined in drawers.
For safety barefeet only, people.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game Released TODAY!

We live in a pretty great time for those who grew up in the 80s. If you had told young strapping "me" that I'd be able to play a movie quality videogame that has the thrills, laughs and scares of Ghostbusters I'd have thrown a rock at you and told you to get back in your time portal, you big fat liar.
And yet here we are.

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past year or so, you know of the Ghostbusters video game that's been in the works for a few years now. I even mentioned it HERE.
Well it's out today.
There's the bottom line.

For all you rock liver-unders: Atari (yes THAT Atari) has released THE summer blockbuster of a game entitled simply: Ghostbusters: The Video Game.

What separates this from all the mediocre rushed to shelves, movie tie-in games that have come before it is the fact that Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd wrote the script and all the major players (minus Rick Moranis and Sigourney Weaver) are back voicing their characters. It's really as close to a Ghostbusters III as you're going to get... unless THIS actually happens.

The game takes place in 1991 so it fits right in with the timeline of the original films and thanks to the 3D graphics capabilities of today's next generation consoles, Bill Murray actually looks like Venkman instead of a malformed midget--er, little-person as present in the Sega Genesis version.

You've got all the standards any fan would want: the original 'busters...proton packs... the Ecto 1... traps... and lots and lots of ghosts, oogie boogies, slimers and beasties to blast into ectoplasmic nothingness.

I have not purchased my copy yet but the reviews are saying what I wanna hear: It's pretty good and very fun. Read 'em HERE, HERE and HERE. Better yet, it's available on just about every next-gen system so buy it from the pretty carousel widget below.

I stick with what I said back in November: I will probably play this in October in my Halloween scary-videogame marathon sessions. Who knows, maybe Atari will release some Halloween-themed DLC with new levels and a jack 'o lantern-headed boss to fight.

To say the worst grammatically constructed sentence ever written: I still enjoy being 'fraid o' no ghosts.