Happy Birthday, Brudder!!!

Yes, folks. It is the illustrious birthday of our one and only Octopunk. Hope you have a vundabar day, darling - you deserve it!

First Look: Ghostface in Scream 4

From slashfilm, Director Wes Craven has tweeted the first set photo of ghostface’s return in Scream 4. As you already know, Scream series stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette have all returned to reprise their roles, as did Roger L. Jackson, the voice actor who provides the creepy voice of the killer.

Watch 8 Minutes of Machete From Comic Con

'Inception' Infographic, In Case You Didn't Even Understand the Basic Plot of 'Inception' (potential SPOILERS)

Click to enlarge

From iwatchstuff, Christopher Nolan's Inception left a lot of people with some questions. Is Leonardo DiCaprio still in a dream at the end? Does it matter, or should the only reality that matters be the one you're experiencing? Does the entire film take place in a dream as part of a convoluted metaphor about filmmaking? This infographic will answer none of those questions. But if you were grandma, confused by the basic idea of the First-Person Shooter Snow Level taking place a dream-level below Hotel World, hopefully this will clarify some things. No clue why Yusuf's icon has a glowing crotch. Just another Inception mystery to ponder.

lindsay has her priorities in the right place

From wwtdd, Lindsay Lohan is still the same spoiled lying retard she’s always been, and to make it perfectly clear that nothing has changed and she doesn’t give a fuck, she’s gonna make sure she looks just as good coming out of jail as she did going in. Popeater says…

…several top stylists as well as hair and makeup people have been put on call from midnight on Thursday through the entire weekend.
Lindsay knows very well that the 30-second walk from the jail to her waiting car will be photographed and seen around the world. This is why she is determined to look her best.

Oh but what will she wear…

When Paris Hilton left prison, image experts choreographed her 30-second walk to her waiting SUV step by step, even down to when she cried out “mommy.”
Lindsay’s exit will be no different and it has already been decided she will leave wearing her own brand of leggings.

If you run a jail, and your inmates come out looking sexy, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to conclude that you’re a fucking asshole who isn’t doing their job. Lindsay was there because she broke 800 laws. She shouldn’t come out looking refreshed. She should come out limping and with a tiara carved into her head.

Awesome: Flamethrower Vs. Fire Extinguisher

Dancing Pigeons - Ritalin from Blink on Vimeo.

From geekology, This is an amazingly well-shot music video of a flamethrower vs. fire extinguisher battle for the Dancing Pigeon's 'Ritalin'. God, I can't even count how many of those things I put up my nose in college. ZERO -- MY BODY IS A TEMPLE! Of doom. Back me up, Indiana. Anyway, this shit looks straight out of one of my nightmares, complete with inbred protagonists and slow-motion effects. Needless to say, I loved (myself to) every second of it.

Penelope Cruz In Character For PIRATES 4

See more here

Yogi Bear trailer looks awful

The Thing is Completely CGI in "Fantastic Four" Reboot

From worstpreviews, 20th Century Fox is done with placing actors into suit. The apes in the "Planet of the Apes" prequel will be CG and now comes word from Fox's SFX department (via ScreenRant) that The Thing will be 100% CG in the upcoming "Fantastic Four" reboot, called "Fantastic Four Reborn."

Those who remember the last two films, Michael Chiklis played the character by being covered in orange foam and makeup, while the rest of the cast needed special effects to bring their superpowers to life.

ScreenRant has also learned that Fox won't begin work on "Fantastic Four Reborn" until "X-Men: First Class" is wrapped up, and the film won't begin shooting until September.

Thor trailer (watch it while you can)

From slashfilm, Well, there’s one genie that can’t go back in the bottle. A digital copy of the trailer for Thor — the same footage shown during Marvel’s Saturday panel at Comic Con — has hit the internet.

This can’t possibly be official, so it may not last long. And I’m of two minds about posting it, but the sad fact is that whether we post it or not, it’s out in the wild. But the quality is good enough that it represents the footage properly. Watching this footage a couple more times outside the enraptured crowd in Hall H, I still like it. The scope still looks grand, and I’m hopeful that the two ‘halves’ of the film, Earth and Asgard, will come together nicely.

Haiku Hump Day: Villains

Once again it's time to loosen up those typing fingers and start writing some haikus. It's my job to try and inspire you.
Having little time to prepare a topic I searched through some saved pictures in my Horrorthon folder for inspiration. The answer was obvious, villains. Those beloved characters we all love to hate.

From the popular standbys like Freddy, Jason and Michael Myers

To the obscure and unforgettable

Often the subject of nightmares

or the source of laughter

crazy religious freaks

and number one fans

crappy parents
and children with issues

don't forget our comic book favorites

and those who made us say uncle

real life monsters

and monsters in the media
So without further ado I turn these vilainous fellas over to your creative hands. Now get typing!

What is 7 Souls?

We've just finished our new web campaign for 7 Souls, which you can see here. We've found a spoiler-free way to extend the actual book's story into a different presentational medium. I'd be very interested to hear any horrorthon comments/critiques as we begin implementing and attempting to publicize the campaign and the book, were any of you so inclinded to provide them.

http://www.whatis7souls.com

HHD 'Zults!

What a fragrant bouquet of haikus this topic generated! Even without JPX’s input (can you believe that asshole?), there was much inspiration and hilarity passing through everyone's systems. The contenders!

My first bellyache of the day came from Octopunk:

My own inside joke
When I fart in Zack's presence
I say "that was you."

Fiendishly clever!

From Stan:

Michaelangelo
God, Adam: "Pull my finger."
The art of the fart

Very classy.

From 50P:
divvy up offense
everyone gets a small whiff
it's called "crop dusting"

From The Brain:

Let 'em loose, I say!
Let's all light 'em up and have
a fart bonfire!

Excellent idea.

And finally from Catfreeek:

I make falafels
Tony loves them but later
they make fart-awfuls

Catfreeek’s flatulant wordplay was in the perfect spirit of the topic and therefore – she wins! Congrats Fartfreeek!

Good lord

Oliver Stone says Hitler and Stalin weren’t really so bad

From wwtd, Oliver Stone, who looks like Captain Kangaroo now btw, has won 3 Academy Awards and is currently working on a 10-part documentary for Showtime called “Secret History of America”. Yesterday he gave and interview with the Times of London to promote the documentary, but now everyone is freaking out over it.

Perhaps because he defended Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin, and said that Hitler is only considered evil because of the “Jewish domination of the media”. And also that making this gave him the chance to “walk in Stalin’s shoes and Hitler’s shoes to understand their point of view”, and hopes that he can put their legacy “in context”.

Oh and there’s more.


Why do people in the US think the Holocaust was a big deal?

“The Jewish domination of the media. There’s a major lobby in the United States. They are hard workers. They stay on top of every comment, the most powerful lobby in Washington. Israel has fucked up United States foreign policy for years.”

Read more here

Guillermo del Toro Attempting to One-Up Eddie Murphy's Classic 2003 'Haunted Mansion'

From iwatchstuff, As reported by everyone enjoying a Comic Con, Guillermo del Toro appeared at Disney's panel yesterday for the announcement that he will be directing a film based on the Haunted Mansion ride. The last attempt at this resulted in a 2003 film starring Eddie Murphy, Terence Stamp, Jennifer Tilly, and the PeoplePC kid that was described as "the ride of [our] afterlife" but was really mostly just Murphy producing various fearful reactions. Del Toro's take, as he described it, will be scarier, with the Hatbox Ghost (the ghost carrying a hatbox above) supplanting Eddie Murphy's shouts as the focus of the spectral estate. Expect the film in 2012, in three dimensions, and, if that wrinkly freak with the eyes in his hands from Pan's Labyrinth is any indication of del Toro's idea of "scary," with nightmare imagery that will haunt your children into adulthood.

Yawn, Avengers Logo And Teaser Site Launched

From cinemablend, Moments ago Marvel Studios officially announced the full cast of Joss Whedon’s unprecedented superhero movie The Avengers. If we get any more excited about it here at Cinema Blend HQ, we may jump out a window and attempt to fly. For your first look at the cast, go here. Then come back and check out the brand new, just released Avengers logo.

Concept Art for New "Godzilla" Movie

From worstpreviews, Back in March, Legendary Pictures announced that it acquired rights to "Godzilla" and has began developing a new movie based on the character. The plan is to have the film ready by 2012.

Now at the San Diego Comic-Con, the studio is giving out t-shirts with a look at what the new Godzilla will look like. When fans look at the image through a webcam, they will see "atomic breath" come of out Godzilla's mouth.

"Godzilla is one of the world's most powerful pop culture icons, and we at Legendary are thrilled to be able to create a modern epic based on this long-loved Toho franchise," Legendary CEO Thomas Tull previously stated. "Our plans are to produce the Godzilla that we, as fans, would want to see. We intend to do justice to those essential elements that have allowed this character to remain as pop-culturally relevant for as long as it has."

'The Walking Dead' trailer

From slashfilm, We usually refrain from posting video taped trailers/footage, but this time I can’t help myself. At Comic-Con, AMC premiered an exclusive trailer for the Frank Darabont-directed (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile) small screen adaptation of The Walking Dead at Comic-Con. I can’t tell you how excited I am about this upcoming series. Someone at the panel recorded the trailer, and has posted it on YouTube. Watch it now (while you still can)

Jack Sparrow's Comic-Con Announcement

Box office

Yay moviegoers! You are rewarding the best-reviewed movies of the summer with your pocketbooks. While Angelina Jolie earned an estimated $36.5 million of your money this weekend for her taut actioner Salt, Inception was also a huge recipient of your cash falling only 31 percent its second weekend in theaters. In fact the $43.5 million the movie earned put its total at $143.6 million for its first ten days in theaters. (In IMAX alone the film grossed $4.8 million.) Despicable Me also benefited from your discerning tastes, falling only 26 percent its third weekend in theaters for a total box office take of $161 million.

Unfortunately Ramona and Beezus did not connect with audiences. The weekend’s other new wide release generated only $8 million and landed in sixth place for its opening frame. Those who did see the movie liked it, with audiences giving the film an A- according to CinemaScore but it wasn’t enough of a crowd to push the grosses past $10 million. That’s in contrast to the B+ that Salt earned from moviegoers. Directed by Philip Noyce, the action-thriller scored equally well with men and women, though women made up a larger component of the audience with 59 percent of the audience over 25. Of course Jolie was the primary draw to the film. With Ramona, which starred newcomer Joey King and tween pop star Selena Gomez, the G-rated flick was received best by young girls and their grandmothers.

Spot four and five for the weekend went to Disney movies. Despite a weak beginning, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice held in fairly well its second weekend in theaters, losing 45 percent of its value. Grossing another $9.7 million, the PG-rated actioner has grossed $42.6 million. Toy Story 3 also earned another $9 million its sixth weekend in theaters. The monster hit of the summer lost only 25 percent of its value putting its total gross at an impressive $379 million.

Grown Ups took the seventh slot. The Adam Sandler-starrer also held up remarkably well, losing only 23 percent of its value in its fifth weekend in theaters. With an additional $7.6 million, the film’s total stands at $142 million. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is still in the top ten. The PG-13 rated romance lost 48 percent of its value its fourth weekend in release, for an additional $7 million and a total cume of close to $280 million. M. Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender grabbed the ninth slot while Predators took spot ten. Airbender earned an additional $4 milion putting its total gross at $123 million while Predators fell an additional 59 percent for another $2.8 million and has only grossed $46.5 million after three weekend in release.

A-list cast of 'Avengers' awes Comic-Con crowd

By Scott Bowles, USA TODAY

SAN DIEGO — Want to know how seriously Comic-Con fans take their material? A man was stabbed in the face here Saturday night and more than a few attendees booed organizers for temporarily halting the show.
The incident, San Diego police say, turned out to be a scuffle between two men arguing over seating, resulting in one man getting stabbed in the eye with a pen.

Not that the rest of the 6,500 spectators who filled the convention's cavernous Hall H cared. The only showdown that interested them was the double billing Saturday of DC Comics' next cinema superhero, Green Lantern, and Marvel's upcoming films, Thor and Captain America:: The First Avenger.

Turns out, the Avengers trumped them all.

In a surprise wrap to the event's film panels, Marvel chief Kevin Feige called out the A-list cast of their mega comic book adaption, Avengers, due in 2012. The film, which will entwine the stories of Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Black Widow and others, has been a dream film most Comic-Conners thought impossible because of Hollywood egos and competing studio rights.

So when Feige called the entire A-list cast to the stage —Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Chris Evans (Captain America), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) Samuel Jackson (Nick Fury), Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Mark Ruffalo (Hulk, a headline unto itself) — the place went nuts.

Game over.

"It was definitely Marvel's day," says James Gill, 23, dressed as a doctor in a blood-stained smock. He carried a digital camera with more than a dozen blurry, far-off shots of the Avengers cast, which included director Joss Whedon.

"But it's hard not to love Green Lantern, too," he says of DC Comic's morning panel, which featured Ryan Reynolds and a doe eyed boy, both of whom stole the collective heart of Hall H.

Reynolds, after some playful banter with fans, was asked by a young boy what it was like to recite the Green Lantern Oath.

(For the uninitiated, it's: "In brightest day, in blackest night, No evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil's might, Beware my power — Green Lantern's Light!")

Reynolds initially did not plan to recite the oath on stage, but was overcome by the boy's innocent question. Reynolds gave the oath as if he were summoning power, never taking his eyes off the child. When he finished, he signed a book for the child — and fans erupted.

"I loved, loved loved loved seeing the Avengers on one stage," says Monica Simon, 25. "But how could you not cry with Ryan and that little boy? That's more touching than anything we'll see in movies."

Westboro Counter Protesters at ComicCon

Westboro Baptist Church protesters showed up to let ComicCon folks know they'd be going to hell. The counterprotesters are freakin' hilarious:

Unbeknownst to the dastardly fanatics of the Westboro Baptist Church, the good folks of San Diego's Comic-Con were prepared for their arrival with their own special brand of superhuman counter protesting chanting "WHAT DO WE WANT" "GAY SEX" "WHEN DO WE WANT IT" "NOW!" while brandishing ironic (and some sincere) signs. Simply stated: The eclectic assembly of nerdom's finest stood and delivered.

Saw series sets Guinness record for success, also longest mustache

From the BBC: Serial killer franchise Saw has been named the most successful horror movie series by Guinness World Records. Producer Mark Burg told Reuters news agency he was "in shock" at beating other long-running movie franchises, such as Friday the 13th and Halloween.

The six Saw films, in which victims try to escape elaborate traps set by the "jigsaw killer", have made a total of $733m (£472m) at the box office. Saw made its debut in 2004, and a new film has been released for Halloween every year since.

The seventh and final instalment, which will be shown in 3D, is due out on 29 October. "We are done; this is it. We don't want to be that boxer who fought one too many fights," Burg said. "In every Saw movie, we left questions open and in this movie we answer every question the audience has ever had."

Although other horror films have spawned more sequels - there are 12 films based on Friday the 13th and nine for Nightmare On Elm Street - Saw has proved the biggest box office draw.

The Guinness prize will be handed over to the films' producers by Guinness editor Craig Glendayat the Comic-Con conference in San Diego.

[BBC's sidebar]

Horror films at the box office:
Halloween (10 films, 1978-2009) - $367m
A Nightmare On Elm Street (nine films, 1984-2009) - $447m
Friday the 13th (12 films, 1980-2009) - $465m
Scream (three films, 1996-2000) - $507m
Saw (six films, 2004-2009) - $733m

Saw 3D teaser trailer

Joss Whedon Officially Directing The Avengers

From ew, Joss Whedon announced today that he’s officially directing The Avengers, while on stage with J.J. Abrams at San Diego’s Comic-Con. He joked that Marvel didn’t have enough money for a real press release, so he took it up himself to confirm previous reports that he was in talks to direct the film. When pressed for further details, he said that it was way too early to reveal anything.

The news isn’t exactly surprising, but still it’s good to have final confirmation on the matter. As a Whedon fan, I’m excited to see what he can do with the material. Whedon mentioned that he was a huge fan of early Avenger’s comics while growing up, and he seemed understandably excited and humbled at having the opportunity to direct the film.

Comic Con - Johnny Depp teases fourth Pirates movie

From ew, In a surprise prerecorded video following Disney’s Tron: Legacy panel at Comic-Con, Johnny Depp appeared on-screen in his Captain Jack Sparrow costume to tease the fourth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Depp promised that Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides will feature “zombies, cutthroats, mermaids, and the vicious and vivacious Penélope Cruz.” The film is due May 2011, and if the reception from the crowd at Comic-Con to Depp’s brief appearance is any indication, enthusiasm for the franchise remains strong.

New Tron Legacy trailer looks very Tron-y!

New Photo: Thor and His Hammer

Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment present the epic adventure, “Thor,” which spans the Marvel Universe from present day Earth to the realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is the mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth), a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth by his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and is forced to live among humans. A beautiful, young scientist, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), has a profound effect on Thor, as she ultimately becomes his first love. It’s while here on Earth that Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth.

Haiku Hump Day Salutes: Gas (but not the kind you put in your car)

"Love is the fart of every heart;
It pains a man when 'tis kept close,
and others doth offend when 'tis let loose."

- Sir John Suckling,
"Loving and Beloved" (1640)

I almost postponed HHD again this week as JPX is on vacation, Whirlygirl is back east, Handsome Stan indicated that he doesn't have the time, and I'm officially out of ideas. Since I couldn't conceive of an acceptable topic, I opted for an unacceptable topic.



fart (färt)
intransitive verb
to pass, or emit, gas from the intestines through the anus

The butt expels gas and it makes a squeaky sound. It smells. Many people find it humorous. But why? That my friends, is what I ask you to ponder today, Haiku Hump Day, July 21, 2010. What is the most memorable/disgraceful/hilarious/unacceptable fart that you've come across or initiated in your lifetime?


"A turd can fossilize into a coprolite permanent enough to reveal its creator's dietary habits to distant future generations, but a fart, no matter how uproarious, slips immediately into history, never to be smelled or heard from again. No mud or amber has ever trapped it. I've heard rumors that there are corked vials containing gas from such personages as Abraham Lincoln and Marilyn Monroe, but no such relic whose origin could be authenticated has ever turned up."

- Jim Dawson
"Who Cut the Cheese?" (1999)



He or she who amuses me most shall obtain the right to state "Yeah, that's right, I won Haiku Hump Day: The Farting Edition".

(Also - check out Catfreeek's awesome post below - don't let it pass like the wind.)

What Catfreeek's Been Up To

It's time I explained myself, for some reason I have been procrastinating this update on the indie film I'm doing effects for. The film still has only a working title of “One Small Favor” but we're open for suggestions. It's slow going since no one is getting paid, therefore we are at the mercy of everyone's real work schedules. At this stage of the game we are about 50% done with filming. What this means for me is that most of the dialog scenes have been shot and the real bloody stuff is on the horizon. I can't wait! When I first started on this project the tasks put before me were so simplistic and the days so long I was beginning to wonder what I had gotten myself into.

First day of shooting (Tony bailed on me after this long day, he stays home playing video games now)

Second day of shooting. Waiting...waiting...waiting... (see what I mean...looooong day)

Since then the work has began to build and I have been able to put my abilities to good use. I'm thrilled with the challenges put before me, things like continuity and progressive bruising that I never had to contend with doing haunted house make up. I find myself experimenting at home often. I think I scared our neighbor by chopping off fingers on the picnic table in the yard. I didn't want to mess up the kitchen. He disappeared into his house when I started cheering that I had gotten the blood to splurt the right way and held up a severed finger while doing a victory dance.

One of my experiments

I make a pretty creepy looking finger, huh

Being a no budget film, my title of special effects person has since morphed into FX/Make-up/Costume person. I even had to monitor the camera once while the director dove into his one cameo scene.

I had to make the guys up as 80's glam rockers for this fun sequence.

This has been a great experience so far and I'm going to be incredibly sad when it's over. Still, I can't wait to see the end result of our efforts. I couldn't ask for a better bunch of people to be working with, so much fun and truly nice people.

This Saturday we are filming in Providence all day. I will keep you all posted on progress. I was hoping for a pre-Horrorthon completion but it's not looking good right now. Perhaps we'll shoot for Horrorthon 2011. For now just check out some of my stuff and rest assured that no kitties were harmed in the process.

I remember you -- You're the lady whom if I ever met her in person, I'd wet myself in fear.

So, here's the progression. A friend tells me to check out Listverse.com -- I'd never been before. I do a search for the word "scariest" and find this list of scary Philipinno monster legends. Then I get to thinking about the Wendigo. Immediately that reminds me of Pet Sematary, and I wind up doing a Wiki search for that. I read the article, and then my eyes fall to the dreaded name.

Zelda.

Pet Sematary came out when I was in the 5th grade. I saw it in theater. I've seen it dozens of times since and I can get through all of it just fine, except for the parts that involve Raaaaaaachellll's sister Zelda. She's only onscreen for about one minute of the entire film, but in my entire life, I don't think I've ever found anything that put me in such a state of thick, miserable fright and revulsion as that one minute.

Against a tiny voice in my head whimpering, "please, don't do this to yourself," I Googled "Pet Sematary Zelda." To my momentary relief, there aren't any video links on the top page. There was, however a link entitled, "the scariest woman in the world and how i almost got over her." It was a good post - something I might have written, almost word for word. And there's a funny bit about his sister in there too.

"Momwife is walking up the stairs of their house [or was it the old neighbor-guy's house? p.s. the neighbor was played by the same guy who played Herman Munster. true story] and starts to hear someone calling her name: “Raaaachhheeellllll!”

She walks into a bedroom and her sister ZELDA is crouched down in the corner. She comes rushing up to momwife [aka right up to the camera] and begins yelling about how momwife will “NEVER GET OUT OF BED AGAIN!!!” after she threatens to “twist your back like mine”"

As I read, I could picture clearly Rachel advancing towards me from across a fisheye room, and I literally shrank back from my computer screen -- and bear in mind, I'm just *reading* about it. I'm not even watching it by this point.

I still haven't watched it. I'm going to right now. Join me, why don't you?



[shudder]

Now why on earth did I just do that to myself?

OK, Bedtime!

HHD Results: In order to form a more perfect union...

So sorry for the 11th hour post, and this us severely truncated due to my horrible, horrible work schedule.

Everyone was, of course, brilliant, and I can't get into all my favorites - and there were many. I thought Julie was going to take it with her outstanding output, but in the end, JSP's vaunted attempt to trash almost half of the states won the day, notably this cherry on top of the apple-pie-and-hot-dog sundae:

Plain, lame, shit stain Maine
Might as well be Canada
Have a potato

U-S-A!!! J-S-P!!!

Good luck with the topic - I may or may not be in attendance. But thanks to all for another super-awesome week, and congratulations, JSP!

Paramount Unveils Comic Con Posters For Thor And Captain America

From cinemablend, San Diego Comic Con doesn't get started until tomorrow, but Paramount has already kicked things off with a bang by revealing one of the most anticipated things about the entire Con: the first look at Chris Evans as Captain America. Well, sort of. The studio has released two "exclusive Comic Con posters" at Yahoo! Movies, one for Thor and one for Cap. The posters look more like concept art than actual posters, and likely don't represent specific scenes for the film, but coupled with the Thor images released earlier this week, represent the studio's first official looks at the next two Avengers.

Take a look at the posters below (and above), and stay tuned as we arrive in San Diego tomorrow and seek out our own copies, which we assume will be handed out on the exhibition hall. Presumably much more detailed looks at Thor and Cap will also be coming on Saturday at the Marvel, and we'll be bringing it all back to you as soon as we see it.