Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Happy Halloween !



Wanted to take a minute and wish everyone a Happy Halloween....!

Being a fan of all things horrific and supernatural, Halloween is my favorite Holiday as it brings those things to the forefront of everyone's psyche for an entire month, love it!

So, to celebrate this day, I wanted to share the trailer to my favorite horror movie ever, "John Carpenter's Halloween". I had to tag "John Carpenter" lest it get confused with the awful Rob Zombie remake. Carpenter understands what Zombie never could, the less you know about walking evil the more terrifying it is, the biggest mistake Zombie made in his re-do was giving a lot of back story as to why Michael Myers became who he was.

This was the first horror movie that had a huge impact on me and the only one that ever really got under my skin. Images of Michael Myers in his white mask walking towards me with a butcher knife gave me the creeps for years after.

Beware tonight you never know what is out there waiting for you....Happy Halloween!



Monday, October 29, 2012

The Horror: Sing-A-Long With The Drews



Described as "Americana singer/songwriters with twisted roots", The Drews are the lean and mean husband and wife music machine Jennifer and Andrew DiMartino  and were once voted Seattle's number one band...Boo!

As it happens this duo has managed to put one great macabre song on each of their CD's that I recommend to others, listen to and use for my Halloween fun!

Their first CD "Strategically Interrupted Silence" features "Lloyd's Eyes" which chronicles the demented activity of an optometrist who steals his patients eyes and collects them as trophies. Rumor has it he and Buffalo Bill from "Silence of the Lambs" do lunch once month and talk shop.

"Lloyd's Eyes" is musically insane and perfect fun for Halloween or anytime, you want to get all "eye for an eye" on someone's butt!

Next up "Necroditty" from their great CD "Sins of Others" produced by Conrad Uno.

Time to break the title down, Yo! Necro=Dead and if you substitute the word "diddle" for "ditty" the song title would basically translate into "Diddle The Dead".

If you need more of a song explanation than this consult a mortician, because I'm not getting into it any further with you guys, so there!

Get your spook on with The Drews at: 
http://www.wearethedrews.com/

http://www.myspace.com/thedrews

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

The Horror: Richard Bates, Jr. "Excision"


Ever so often a film comes along that catches this writer by surprise, such is the case with "Excision" which I caught at Screamfest in Los Angeles, CA.

"Excision" is one of the most disturbing, yet honest horror films about misunderstood adolescence to come along in quite some time, with two great leading performances by Annalynne McCord as "Pauline" and Traci Lords as her Mother "Phyllis".

With an ending that leaves you speechless. Here to discuss "Excision" is the man behind the vision Richard "Ricky" Bates, Jr.

MS: After seeing "Excision" I really wanted to speak with you, I was not expecting what I saw, I was really blown away by it. The trailers lead you to believe it is more of a gore fest than it actually is, it's  actually a very intelligent movie.

RB: Anchor Bay who bought the movie said that selling it as a horror film was the only way to market it. I have not had any input in marketing it, other than the poster I did with Annalynne where she looks sort of like a Queen, Anchor Bay deemed to artsy for the DVD cover.

MS: Well the movie isn't exactly not horror, but the horror element is more psychological/disturbing than anything.

RB: Honestly 78% of my film influences in the movie are horror filmmakers.

Ricky (far right) and the cast of "Excision"

MS: One of the things that is fascinating about the film is Annalynne's character "Pauline" comes off as a misunderstood teenager in the beginning, she does not come off vile right away like she does as the story progresses. Traci's character comes off like a total bitch in the beginning and is someone you gain sympathy for as the story progresses.

RB: Yes, it really interesting watching this movie with parents and their children, it's like before you have children and see a Mom yelling at her kids and you think "God what a bitch". Then you have kids and you see a Mom yelling at her kids and you think "What did that little shit do"?

MS: I love the way you did not make "Pauline" an outright evil character.

RB: What I tried to do was balance her, I didn't want her to be too bad. I pulled her back a little bit, because I didn't want it to be a "F#$k You Mom" movie. I tried to make her confused about it all. Hopefully that translates.

MS: It did for me, and what's great about the ending is you do see it coming at some point, but it still has a strong impact.

RB: Yeah, it's not like there is a twist ending (laughs) it was the only way for me that the movie could end. It's funny when I made the short, the people who saw it were excited about the feature, they were like "I can't wait to see it, finally we get to see what happens after the garage scene". I'm thinking: "you are going to be sorely disappointed". (laughs) That's it, that's the end of the movie.

MS: In my opinion the ending was perfect.

Good Times
RB: Truly I would not know what to do past that, for me that's the end of the story. Traci and Annalynne really brought it that day. I think it helped that we shot that scene near the end of the shoot and they were so on the verge of killing me at that point. (laughs)

MS: Another interesting thing about "Excision" is how you cast everybody against type. For example I never thought Annalynne was a bad actress, but I did not know she could deliver the kind of performance she did as "Pauline".

RB: Yes, it's funny you should say that, so I told my Mom there was this actress, Annalynne McCord who wants to be in the movie, she said "The girl from 90210? Let me watch it and tell you what I think". she calls me the next day from West Virginia and says "Now honey I just don't know if she can pull it off". But I had seen interviews with Annalynne and spoke with her and knew she could do it, my goal was to cast against type, take a chance on actors since they were taking a chance on me. Plus I'm a young director and wanted to make a ballsy a statement "they're actors, it's not their job to be one type". It was a crazy experience dude shooting this thing, you have no idea.(laughs)

MS: Oh, I think I might. (laughs)

Ricky & "Excision"
RB: Dude, you know what I didn't tell you? Do you remember the cotillion scene when Annalynne sits next to that girl with the black glasses?

MS: Yes.

RB: That girl with the black glasses is the decoy girl on "To Catch A Predator". She is actually 28 years old and looks like she is 16! Annalynne and I were on her getting her autograph and grilling her about the show. She was the only one we were star struck over.

MS: That's funny! What inspired you to write "Excision"?

RB: I tried to make the most personal movie I could about growing up. When I was in the eighth grade I saw this movie called "Happiness" that inspired what I wanted people seeing "Excision" to experience as many extreme reactions as possible while watching it. Half of this movie is super personal kind of stuff about growing up in Virginia, me wanting to be a filmmaker and "Pauline" wanting to be a surgeon. I actually did have to go to cotillion with a cold sore on my face like "Pauline" did too, that was straight out of my life, but she does what I wanted to do, I wanted to kiss the chick, like she did to the guy with a cold sore on my mouth. This whole movie is very therapeutic for me. (laughs)

MS: Well Ricky you have a lot to live up to, what are your plans for a follow-up?

RB: I'm shooting it in March and right now it's called "The South Will Rise Again". It's a horror comedy , it's about a kid who moves to the big city and then has to move back home to the house he grew up in and live in his parents basement, but the house is now haunted. So, he, the punk rock chick from the bar and all the town weirdos get together and try to solve this mystery, it's like the "Goonies" on crack. (laughs)

Got something you want "excised"? Go to: http://excisionmovie.com/

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

The Horror: Pentatonix "Aha"


Myself & PTX, Hey Where's Avi?! Perhaps the Zombies have him...
Just in time for Halloween one of my favorite groups evuh - PTX aka Pentatnoix cuts loose with a cover of Imogen Heap's "Aha" -

In the tradition of George A. Romero's "Night of the Living Dead" and the current runaway TV hit "The Walking Dead" PTX gets all zombie on your a$$ and comes for you ...Eeeeeeeeeeeeeek!

These creatures of the night are a treat, no tricks here.... so, get down with your inner flesh eater and watch the video...Brains!




Brains are yummy at: http://www.ptx-official.com/


Wednesday, October 17, 2012

It's The Great Violin, Lindsey Stirling


Violinist extraordinaire & YouTube sensation, Lindsey Stirling has hit the road, for the very first to to sold out venues across the United States! She has a few other first too, her self titled album hit number on the iTunes Electronic chart...

Oh, and she dethroned the reigning Queen of YouTube – Her Royal Highness Taylor Swift by passing 137 Million views on her Lindsey Stomp channel.

Here to get spooky is Ms. Lindsey Stirling...!


MS: So, your debut album “Lindsey Stirling” is all original material, correct?

LS: Yes, I was so excited to release it some of the material I wrote some a while ago and some of it I wrote recently.

MS: While I know you must love all the songs you put on there, give me some that are highlights for you personally.

LS: “Zi Zi's Journey” was one I wrote a while back, it was fun for me because “Zi Zi” was my nickname, It has the feeling of an animae film theme song. In fact I want to do an animae video for it with the character “Zi Zi” resembling me. The other newer one I wrote is a Halloween-esque once called “Moon Trance” which I am shooting the video for soon.

MS: Tis' the season, so I have to ask, are you a big fan of Halloween?

LS Yes! I love dressing up in costumes, I make my own for my videos, I made my first Halloween costume when I was eight. I was a kangaroo, I made the ears the feet, the whole body and of course the pouch so I have people put my candy in it. When I look back I kind of go “Wow that was pretty impressive for an eight year old”. (laughs) One year my friends and I dressed up as Fairy Nerds, we had broken wands held together with masking tape. (laughs)

MS: Do you like scary movies too?

LS: Oh no, my imagination is way to active, I would lay in bed at night awake and freak out! (laughs)

MS: Mine was like that when I was in my twenties too, I think you will get over it when you are older (laughs) What are some of the images and ideas you have for your “Moon Trance” video?

LS: I'd like it to be something like the “Thriller” video with a lot of people dancing looking like creatures, I love that song and think doing something along those lines will look great and be a lot of fun.

Put yourself in a "Moon Trance" with Lindsey at:



Monday, October 15, 2012

The Horror: Clea Cutthroat


Bloody Clea: Say It 3 Times and See What
Happens
For Berlin performance artist and "Entertain Me" favorite, Clea Cutthroat everyday is some version of Halloween...is it any surprise it is her favorite Holiday?

Clea is currently on tour with the band Bonaparte, I decided to get my inner "Ghost Face" on and try to make her "Scream"...I don't think I did a very effective job of it, hey this was my first try at terrorizing someone cut me some slack!

Paging Ms. Cutthroat, you have a call....

MS: Hello, who is this?

CC: Michael, put down the margarita, it’s me…Clea! Naturally.

MS: Clea Cutthroat the performance artist who lives in Berlin?

CC: The one & only!

MS: What are you doing right now?

CC: I’m drinking margarita’s out of my Gatorade squeeze bottle as I sew hot pink sequins on spandex…one by one…a task that’s tedious enough to drive anyone insane (hence the margarita).

MS:Tell me your favorite scary movie.

CC: "The Shining"! Scared the shit out of my when I was 9…and still gives me the creeps every time blood gushes down the hallway after me, or I run into strange twin children as I’m grocery shopping.

MS: Mine is the original “Halloween”.

CC: Can’t go wrong with some Jamie Lee Curtis! Wasn’t there one with Busta Rhymes?

MS: Oh, that's a good one.

CC: I knew you would like the Busta version as well smile

MS: What are you going to be this Halloween?



Covered In Blood Again? With Bonaparte
CC: I’m actually performing in Graz, Austria this Halloween as its right in the middle of my tour with Bonaparte. So, in that case, I’ll be dead, a voodoo queen, a showgirl, a dominatrix, an aerobics instructor….well, you could say that everyday is a bit like Halloween smile

BUT , if I get a chance to go to a proper Halloween party after the show…I’m going as the Queen herself…Elvira!

…and you, Michael? What’s up your sleeve this year? 

MS: Me? I'm not telling you anything.

CC: Hmph. I’ll get it out of you after your third margarita smile

MS: Everyday is pretty much like Halloween for you, isn't it?

CC: Yes. I am damn lucky! BUT the only down side would be that living in Europe you don’t get the same excitement for Halloween. It’s slowly catching on…but, nothing as compared to NYC. One year I’ll have to make it back to The States for some proper celebrations.

MS: Do you take your make-up off at night or sleep in it?

CC: I could sleep in it, but then I would need a medicine cabinet full of Clearasil, and I could go as a lump of acne for Halloween! Lol! No, no…I take it all off! 

MS: Answer this next question or Bonaparte, every single one of them dies.

CC: Maybe it’s the margarita in my squeeze bottle, but this doesn’t make any sense…NEXT QUESTION!

MS: How much wood could a woodchuck, chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

CC: I plead the 5th.

MS: My patience is being tried Ms. Cutthroat.

CC: How do you think I feel after the woodchuck question?

MS: Oh, all right, how about this one? If you really did Cutthroat's how many throat's would you cut?

CC: Only as many as it would take till I could make a new ball gown smile

MS: Wrong answer, Happy Halloween Clea!


Make a new ball gown with Clea at: https://www.facebook.com/cleacutthroat
or stalk her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CleaCutthroat


Sunday, October 14, 2012

Witchcraft: Sandy Zacky


The Wicked Witch of the West
"Entertain Me"'s favorite Chanteuse, Sandy Zacky has spirit, the Halloween spirit that is. Just in time to get your Witch on Sandy has posted her rendition of the classic song "Witchcraft".

The above photo is not of Sandy...but to get you in the Halloween state of mind, we chose a shot of a spell caster everyone knows, The Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz.

Sandy with a "Y" in Concert
Many unexplained things happen this time of year that defy logic, according to Sandy with a "Y" when it comes to singing.... "Now that's the kind of witchcraft I like to practice"!

Join Sandy in a cool Halloween groove and check out her take on the classic "Witchcraft"....Boo!

Put a spell on yourself and listen to Ms. Zacky sing "Witchcraft" at:
http://www.myspace.com/sandyzackymikeclifford

Follow Sandy daily on her Facebook fan page at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Sandy-Zacky-Fan-Page/142692019103428