YouTube Friday: Special Sunday Edition

So there's a little bit of horror film-related wonderfulness happening close to home.

I have the proud distinction of being a University of Wisconsin - Whitewater alumni, Class of 2007. Whitewater's a great little town in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by cornfields and cow pastures and sheep farms. The kind of town you can walk around at three in the morning and feel completely safe (as I have done on several occasions), but basically shuts down after nine pm (except for the bars, of course, though there aren't too many). Typical small college town.

Except that they call Whitewater the "Second Salem" for all the *supposed* occult happenings around town. Except that people hear whispers in the woods, drums at midnight. Except that corpses end up on hall steps, witch towers are the places of hangings, evil books cause madness, and the specters of axe murderers haunt dormitory halls.

So they say.

The reason I'm bringing it up is that Whitewater has served as the basis for a new horror movie called The Witches of Whitewater (2008) that is meant to be filmed in town. Can we say awesomeness? Way to go, Wisconsin filmmakers!

Doesn't hurt that Wisconsin has just passed legislation making film making very cheap and profitable in good old WI. In addition, Marcus Theaters has just signed an agreement to run Wisconsin films theatrically in their large chain of theaters. When a WI filmmaker once had to hustle to get a film shown on the big screen (Hello, Mike Borchardt!) now it's easier than ever to make a movie that can get funded and seen. Almost makes me want to pick up a camera, only I have no film making experience. Or talent. Or inclination. No sir, I'll just to stick to what I know.

This isn't Wisconsin's - or even Jefferson County's first foray into Wisconsin-flavored horror. The Beast of Bray Road (2005), the "stinky cinematic suppository"(to quote MST3K) was chronicled in the "based on true events" story of Bray Road's werewolf creature that purportedly stalks the lonely highway at night. About fifteen minutes away from Whitewater, the Beast is a favorite scare for Whitewater students, who drive out to the road on Halloween in hopes of catching sight of the huge werewolf. The legend, which has been the subject of books and cable documentaries, is awesome, and worthy of your time. The movie is not. It's a waste of time, money, and the irrevocably lost precious moments of your life. Blech.

For all you who would like to know more about the Second Salem and my prestigious alma mater, you can read a story by our college paper detailing Whitewater's local legends (P.S. the dead girl on the mall is absolutely true. Weird, huh?) here.

More Whitewater legends can be found here and here. And some Beast of Bray Road stuff here. Knock yourself out. Wisconsin is full of creepy shit. It's the most haunted state in the Union for good reason. The only way I can survive is my blatant, pig-headed refusal to believe any of the weird stuff that happens here. Doesn't always work, but what can you do?

In fact, all of Wisconsin's weirdness has a website. See it here.

For you Facebook bums, you can join the "They Made a Movie About Whitewater...And it's Based on a True Story!!" group.

BTW, speaking of creepy, I'm getting married here.

A now the trailer for The Witches of Whitewater (for some reason YouTube is being silly and won't let me embed). Sorry.



And, for a laugh: the trailer for The Beast of Bray Road

Halloween recap

OK, almost two weeks after the fact, I can finally talk about Halloween - now that I'm not sick of it. I have a tendency, the two weeks leading to All Hallow's, to seriously OD on all things horror.

I crashed big time this year. I'm just starting to get over it. Though, if I see one of those stupid Travel Channel shows about haunted travels, I just might pull an Elvis and shoot out the TV. Or maybe not, I always seem to get suckered into those shows. Sad, really.

This year, I once again pulled out the FX and channeled my inner Jack Pierce/Tom Savini. The results were - colorful, to say the least. Usually I go subtle. But not this year. Oh no, not this year.

Here's this year's handiwork (except for the gentleman with the black and white face. That crazy shit is all his own) :
Here's some close-ups:


To quote my sister from my Myspace page: "You're such a happy zombie!"

Of course, I just got finished eating.

And then, the piece de resistance:


Yes, I'm marrying that. Who's more pathetic: me for doing it, or him for wearing it so well?

So yeah, I don't want to dwell on this too much, because, frankly, I'm fucking embarrassed to write this.

I owe Eli Roth an apology.

Yes, finally watched Hostel for the first time. Didn't find it as repugnant as I thought it would be. Just shows what I know. I can see the point Roth was trying to make - ham fisted thought it was - but I can appreciate the effort. I even enjoyed bits of it. That eye scene - fantastic! I haven't been grossed out like that in a long time (since Dylan Moran's evisceration scene in Shaun of the Dead, to be exact). It was still full of gratuitous sex and violence - I still maintain that it's torture porn, but give Roth props where props are due. I kinda want to see Hostel II now. Just kinda.

But don't tell anybody, don't want to damage my street cred. Can you dig it?

I just had a brain flash of that Chicago song, "Saturday in the Park". You know the part that goes, "Can you dig it?" and a voice sings back, "Yes. I can!"

God, I'm lame.

And, just for fun, a Shaun of the Dead holiday greeting, seeing as everyone has lost their fucking minds and already playing Christmas music on the radio. Enjoy!

Bad Blogger, Bad!

So, just to get down to it, I suck big time. Haven't written in awhile for a couple of reasons - poor excuses, really.

First off, got a job. Yipee.

Second, got engaged. Which is largely (apart from the whole love, committing to another person for the rest of your life) turning out to be Suckville, population: ME (and my affianced).

I know, not very horror-related.

I wanted the wedding to be on Halloween of next year, but my mom pitched a fit. So we compromised and the wedding will be November 1, 2008: All Saints Day. The wedding rehearsal will be on Halloween. I'm trying to add horror elements into the wedding - but not so much that it weirds people out. Each table, however, will be named after a classic horror movie. I've put my foot down about that. Any suggestions?

Enough wedding crap. I promise to start blogging again regularly (I have missed you all - even Eric, who demands that I post the obligatory Halloween post - how very trite of you! I kid, I kid.)

There is more to come and it will positively reek of awesome and wonderfulness. Maybe some pics of my Halloween grotesqueries to appease the masses.

Til then, hope you all had a happy and safe Halloween!