In Episode 74, I am joined by John Dedeke as we go over the Top 5 films of 2009 and then review the Top 10 of the Decade (2000-2009).

Episode TimeStamp Guide:

Apology (0:00-2:33)
Intro (2:34-4:08)
News (4:09-9:16)
DVD Announcements & Releases (9:17-17:18)
BREAK
John Dedeke and I cover the Top 5 films of 2009 (18:35-53:47)
BREAK
John and I cover the Top 10 films of the Decade (54:33-1:58:40)
BREAK
“Exploitation” Ed Demko joins in (1:59:45-2:27:37)
Outro (2:27:38-2:30:23)

Support Wicked Pixel Cinema:
http://www.wickedpixel.com/getcredit.html

**LOOKING FOR SPONSORS, SHORT FILMS, PROMO SPOTS & ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN THINK OF!***

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Voicemail: 314-266-7138

Episode 73 covers Not Quite Hollywood and then explores into 2 films discussed within Not Quite Hollywood which are Next of Kin (1982) and Road Games.

Episode TimeStamp Guide:

Intro (0:00-1:32)
News (1:33-9:04)
DVD Announcements & Releases (9:05-22:00)
BREAK
Not Quite Hollywood Review (23:17-39:43)
BREAK
Road Games Review (40:53-52:38)
BREAK
Next of Kin Review (53:26-1:06:54)
Outro (1:06:55-1:11:11)

Support Wicked Pixel Cinema:
http://www.wickedpixel.com/getcredit.html

**LOOKING FOR SPONSORS, SHORT FILMS, PROMO SPOTS & ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN THINK OF!***

Let me know how I’m doing!

RSS Feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/destroythebrain
VOTE for me at PodcastAlley.com
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www.myspace.com/destroythebrainpodcast
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email: andy@destroythebrainonline.com
Voicemail: 314-266-7138

Check out the Sale!

Check it out, spread, retweet…do what you do best, infect!

Hey everyone.  While I’m working on Episode 73, I thought it would be fun to do a live show.  So, January 23rd at 8pm eastern, 5pm pacific, tune in to live.destroythebrainonline.com or click the live button at the top of the page and join me, some listeners and other guests while we review a couple films and go over the top 5 genre films from 2009 and the top 10 of the past decade.

Ok, sorry….while it is not an official film teaser it is the official teaser for the fan-made film.  Daniele Bellucci and Marco Tudini profess their love for the game and are pushing forward to make a fan-made feature film.  Check out their website at http://left4deadmovie.us.splinder.com/.

Meanwhile, enjoy the embedded YouTube video and make sure you comment on their YouTube page for support.  Also, on their page, they have a donation box setup through PayPal to help them meet their goal.

Get all 3 for $61 through this package through this link and you also support DTB!

Click here to pre-order the DVD and support DTB at the same time.

Listeners will get new features like articles, news, dvd release date lists, interviews, written reviews – which will be paginated if the film/dvd/blu-ray is being covered on the podcast/show – and plenty more.  2010 will also bring you some DTB videos.  I have some rough ideas that I hope to deploy in Summer.  You will get to see some video from the conventions I attend and more.

Let me know what you want to see from the site.  What do you not get from other horror websites?

Anywho, in the past 12 hours I have worked on the site.  I’m super excited to get it up and running.  I also want to give big thanks to John Wigger from Zombie Roomie for helping me out and wrapping my head around some coding.  Go check out his comic strip.
Before I leave, here is a small taste of some things that were done today:

BTW, that Rosemary’s Baby post is a joke ….or is it?  (this statement will probably come true or is already in the works)

Enjoy & Merry Christmas.

Just wanted to record a mp3 to see if anyone is interested in co-hosting the show live this Saturday via Skype/UStream  If you don’t feel like c0-hosting, you can email me your Top 5 of 2009 and your Top 10 of the decade and I’ll read them on your behalf.  You can also send me an mp3 or wav file of you talking about those items.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN CO-HOSTING, EMAIL ME VIA ANDY AT DESTROYTHEBRAINONLINE DOT COM.

Here is the press release:

LOS ANGELES, CA, December 14th, 2009 – Severin Films today announced the launch of their all-new website at www.Severin-Films.com.

The state-of-the-art site will include individual pages for the company’s 60+ DVD and Blu-ray releases, with each page featuring stills, trailers, film clips, press links and Bonus Feature excerpts. In addition, the site will feature up-to-date news, a full company bio, mailing list, retail links, exclusive offers, connections to Severin’s popular Facebook and Twitter page, and the option to sign up for a regular newsletter. The company also plans to host noted guest bloggers for weekly on-line discussions. The site’s construction was supervised by Severin’s Evan Husney and designed by Nada Advertising of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota and Laguna Beach, California.

“Severin finally has a website worthy of its films,” said Carl Daft, co-founder and CEO of Severin Films. “As our company has grown, the equally burgeoning fan and media support our releases have received has demanded we create an online destination as unique and provocative as the company itself. Welcome to Severin 2.0.”

Severin Films was formed in 2006 with offices in Los Angeles, New York and London. Their previous DVD releases include Richard Stanley’s cult smash HARDWARE, recent Goya Award winner Jess Franco’s MACUMBA SEXUAL and BLOODY MOON, Walerian Borowczyk’s IMMORAL WOMEN, the unrated Director’s Cut of GWENDOLINE starring Tawny Kitaen, Oscar® nominee Patrice Leconte’s international hit THE HAIRDRESSER’S HUSBAND, and Enzo Castellari’s original action classic INGLORIOUS BASTARDS.

This Diabolical Deal is courtesy of Amazon.com.  You can now buy the game DEAD SPACE on XBOX 360 or PS3 for $15!  Click on the console that you want to buy it.

Be sure to buy it via the links provided to help support DTB.

Today only, Tanga.com offers The Thing: U.S. Antarctic Outpost Station T-Shirt in four colors (Grey pictured) for $7.99 plus $1.99 for shipping. That’s the lowest total price we could find for this T-shirt, inspired by the classic movie “The Thing.” It’s available in sizes S to XXXL, although sizes XXL and above cost 99 cents more.

J&B Whiskey not included.

Episode 72 covers Ryan Cavalline’s Stockholm Syndrome and The Tournament. Also, Jason Christ from Wicked Pixel Cinema joins us to talk about WPC’s Cinema Edge Awards which gives filmmakers the opportunity to gets a distribution contract with VCI Entertainment plus he announces on how you can enter a raffle to win an XBOX 360 Elite along with 5 games, WPC DVD’s and T-Shirts! Then, I finally decide to announce the winners of the promo contest I was having where you could win copies of SEVERED WAYS & BIG MAN JAPAN. (Click “Read More” to download the show and see the Show Notes and Timestamp Guide)

Episode TimeStamp Guide:

Intro (0:00-2:22)
News (2:23-11:55
DVD Announcements & Releases (11:56-24:54)
BREAK
Stockholm Syndrome Review (26:10-36:10)
BREAK
The Tournament Review (38:08-46:12)
BREAK
Jason Christ with Wicked Pixel Cinema Contest announcements (48:50-57:10)
Contest Winner Announcement (57:11-1:02:00)
Outro (1:02:01-1:05:27)

Links mentioned on the show:
Paul Naschy’s Last Film – “La Herencia Valdemar” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lh15t9iZg-k
Wicked Pixel’s Cinema Edge Awards – http://www.wickedpixel.com/cinemaedge
Wicked Pixel Holiday Bundle Raffle – http://www.wickedpixel.com/raffle

Support Wicked Pixel Cinema:
http://www.wickedpixel.com/getcredit.html

Destroy the Brain! on Facebook
Destroy the Brain! on YouTube

***LOOKING FOR SPONSORS, SHORT FILMS, PROMO SPOTS & ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN THINK OF!***

Let me know how I’m doing!

RSS Feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/destroythebrain
VOTE for me at PodcastAlley.com
www.myspace.com/destroythebrainpodcast – Add me as a friend!
www.twitter.com/destroythebrain
email: andy@destroythebrainonline.com
Voicemail & Hotline (when active): (314)266-7138

For the month I will be taking suggestions on at least 8 movies (2 movie reviews per episode with 4 episodes in the month) to review for DTB.  If there is anything you want me to cover that I haven’t, now is the time to suggest it to me.

Also, have you ever wanted to shoot the shit with me.  Maybe debate over a film that I gave a high ranking on that you thought was absolute crap or vice versa, you now have that opportunity.  I would prefer that if you want to co-host to have Skype for the best quality.  However, we can try it over the phone if you do not have Skype.

If you want to participate, click on the graphic off to the left to take the survey.

Can’t wait to hear from y’all!

According to blackfriday.fm, the game will only cost us fiends $35 (actually $34.99) if you are going to be at BEST BUY for the Doorbuster (supposed scan below). 

Yeah, you only save $25 but if you really think about it, it can be more of an experience. Imagine that you can join the undead at 3 am and rush through those doors so fast you would think that someone offered Stephen Hawking’s brains up on a platter.

I’m still debating if I’m going to do this since I actually have to work at 8am.  I just thought I should let you all know.

Look. I know what you are saying, but I have been following this project – and even almost contributed – and I think it is definitely better than remaking the film in 3D & capitalizing on a cult actor to carry your film. Too Far? Seriously, most of fiends know that with George A. Romero’s ‘Night of the Living Dead’ being in public domain, we usually see a negative side to that. Whether it is public domain DVD’s transferred from video to the acceptability of remaking the film and not having to pay the rights to do so. I do want to say I love Savini’s remake and that is an exception. However, I am the believer of the arguement that if ‘Night of the Living Dead’ wasn’t in public domain it wouldn’t be as popular or as widely seen as it is today.

One of the coolest bits about this remake – if you want to call it that – is that it has been a collabrative effort. Calling upon artists in the horror community to recreate scenes using different art mediums is a really cool thing. For those of you that cannot see this at a film festival or nearby or for those that don’t want to take a chance and put down your hard earned cash to see this, Mike Schneider with Neoflux Productions is helping you out.

Until November 15th (SUNDAY! SUNDAY! SUNDAY!) you can watch this film online via the Facebook Comic-Con. All the deets are down below via press release:

NOTLD:R Virtual Premiere
——————————–
Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated ( NOTLD:R ), will be screening November 12-15th, 2009 as part of the Facebook Comic-Con (a free virtual convention occurring through the architecture of facebook). For this screening the event page (typically just used to announce the time and place of real world events) doubles as the venue and those ‘attending’ the event will be able to view the entire feature length project for free from the comfort of their own homes… well before it’s official release. The project is now live and will remain online until November 15th, at which time, it will be taken down thus ending the screening event.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=160692464632

(Note: It is recommended that anyone who has not seen the original ‘Night of the Living Dead’ watch it prior to seeing ‘Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated’ as some of the styles are rather abstract. )

NOTLD:R
——————————–
Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated ( http://www.NOTLDR.com ) a video based art show. Artists, illustrators and animators from around the world were invited to select scenes from the original film and make them their own. With no restrictions on style, media or process the resulting works ranged from oil paintings to comic illustrations and sock puppets to digital animation. These works were then curated into a visual track of artwork and set to the audio of George A. Romero’s masterpiece, ‘Night of the Living Dead’.

NOTLD:R is not meant to replace the original film but rather to supplement your viewing experience by allowing you to see the film through the eyes and hands of these talented individuals.

NOTLD:R was a labor of love done by and for fans of the original film. It has not touched a penny during its production and will not be taking any money in profits from the work.

NOTLD:R News
——————————–
NOTLD:R is also a featured guest of the Facebook Comic-Con. At the Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated table (facebook group) you will be able to post comments, ask questions and interact with many of the international artists who contributed to this project.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=95647949762

Real world screenings and events will also be posted off of that page. If there is not yet a screening or event scheduled for your area, have your local independent (or non-profit) theater, gallery, museum, or organization email screenings@notldr.com and we will work with them to arrange an event in your area.

Following this project, Neoflux Productions is turning a similar approach to creating animated/ illustrated visual tracks to be paired with old time horror radio dramas. With ‘Unseen Horror’ we will be turning the theater of the mind into a gallery. If you would be interested in participating email mike@unseenhorror.com for details.

CLICK ON THE POSTER BELOW TO GO GET BARBARA!

Episode 71

Intro (0:00-2:04)
Editorial/Rant (2:05-17:30)
News (17:31-32:30
DVD Announcements & Releases (32:31-36:55)
BREAK
Home Movie Review (38:12-46:01)
BREAK
Surveillance Review (46:53-1:00:52)
BREAK
Contest Announcement (1:01:30-1:03:42)
Outro (1:03:43-1:05:51)

Support Wicked Pixel Cinema:
http://www.wickedpixel.com/getcredit.html

Destroy the Brain! on Facebook
Destroy the Brain! on YouTube

***LOOKING FOR SPONSORS, SHORT FILMS, PROMO SPOTS & ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN THINK OF!***

Let me know how I’m doing!

RSS Feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/destroythebrain
VOTE for me at PodcastAlley.com
www.myspace.com/destroythebrainpodcast – Add me as a friend!
www.twitter.com/destroythebrain
email: andy@destroythebrainonline.com
Voicemail & Hotline (when active): (314)266-7138

Download the Episode Here!

For the past couple of months I have wanted to change the website design.  This blog format is old and looks like crap.  I wanted to expand Destroy the Brain.  However, there is plenty of saturation of horror news & review websites out there.  This made me question, if I were to break out of just the podcast only mold, how would I make DTB different or stand out from the crowd?  This is where I need your help listeners & readers.  What would you like to see out of Destroy The Brain that you do not see anywhere else on the web?

I am horrible at deadlines, so I will not set one…but a new website with new features should be up sometime in November.  Destroy the Brain is a hard show to do, but I know that I need to set my goal back up to try to get an episode out every week.  However, this might change where DTB will have to be a bi-weekly show.  Keep in mind all, I do this all by myself so, I will be adding on writing articles and producing a solo podcast by my lonesome.

So again, I pose the question…what would you like to see from DTB that you do not see elsewhere?  Should I expand the site?  Do you still love me?

Spill your guts below.  Oh yeah…cookies & cake (this is for that special someone).

‘Paranormal Activity’ is about Micah (pronounced Mee-kah) and Katie who have been experiencing noises and strange phenomena inside their house.  Micah purchases a hi-def video camcorder to try to document and make sense of what is happening.  Later on in the film they realize that they are not dealing with a ghost, but possibly a demon.  This is when Katie’s past is revealed a bit more to Micah and this entity is something that has been with her previously to the house they currently reside in. The film has pretty much the same structure of ‘The Blair Witch Project’ which for viewers over the age of 18 will definitely reference to.  All the scary stuff happens at night and the audience is treated to a unbreakable one take shot and only anxiously await for dawn to rise.

So, lets dive into it.  Did ‘Paranormal Activity’ give me nightmares? No.  Did ‘Paranormal Activity’ effect my sleeping patterns? Nope, sure didn’t.  However, there was a guy in the audience behind me that fell asleep and snored through the last 3rd of the film.  ‘Paranormal Activity’ is a slow movie.  There is no doubt about it.  This is not a perfect movie and in watching it I kept thinking of things that could have made the night scenes creepier or more terrifying.  I believe we are treated to 10 night scenes (maybe more) and the only memorable ones are the last two nights.  The film is horribly paced and definitely could have used some editing.  The film has no credits or traditional score, however there is a low hum when the scary stuff starts to happen.  That kind of pulled me out of it.  The presentation is supposed to be realistic and if we are put in that mindset, I don’t think that distinct sound of a low hum would be apparent. We didn’t need to see all of the night scenes that were shown.  In fact I think a couple could have been cut out.  Also, if you want to see this film, if you have seen the trailer you have already ruined one of the best parts of the film.  When it happened, it didn’t scare me because I saw it in the trailer.  I will say the last image creeped me out and validated why I just spent $20 for me and my girlfriend to see it.  Only 2 people out of the 9 people in my group (including me, my girlfriend and my mother) really thought the film was generally creepy all the way through.  Needless to say, I was disappointed.  I don’t think it is a lost cause though.  A lot of people seem to enjoy the film and it is nice to see some of the younger generation actually be frightened by a film.  Another reason why I didn’t get freaked out was there was no mythology behind what was happening.  It was hinted at towards the end, but never explored.  Blair Witch had a huge story and background behind it plus had an urban legend quality to it.  Maybe that is why I found Blair Witch to be very frightening.  Plus, after watching ‘Blair Witch Project’ you could explore and read about all of this fake mythology that was devised for the film.

I honestly hope this film destroys ‘Saw VI’.  The Saw franchise really just needs to die.  It has been worn out. I think that ‘Paranormal Activity’ would benefit for someone seeing it at home for the first time as opposed to the theater.  Actually, Devin from CHUD.com wrote up a great article on why he thinks Paramount might have screwed the pooch a bit on this release. I agree with him.  I think they should have done the midnight shows for those couple of weeks in September/October and then release it out on DVD.  I believe watching it inside your house would freak you out more.  I enjoyed hearing and watching half the audience react very well to the film, but who is it to say that if I watched it alone with my 5.1 surround sound, I wouldn’t be more freaked out.

Now, there is more to this article than just a review.  I want to talk a little bit on the hype machine.  Remember a decade ago when Blair Witch came out and taglines like “SCARY AS HELL” were used in the teaser trailer and ad campaign. The film I think scared less people than what Paranormal Activity is doing, but this campaign seems to echo the Blair Witch campaign as well.  Part of me believes this is all validated, but another side of me wants to think that all of the sites being quoted and all of the magazines being quoted haven’t said anything was scary since 1999 when the Blair Witch Project came out.  It almost makes me feel that since this film had some tense moments and one startling one, that they took it and ran with it by calling it the scariest movie of the decade.  When I hear that quote, we all know they are talking about Blair Witch.  That is what pops in my mind as BWP is celebrating it’s 10th anniversary.  Have we become so short sided as reviewers to latch on tight to a films split second or brief moment of brilliance and exploit it?

Here is the deal:

If you are under 18, see ‘Paranormal Activity’.  You will have a good time and probably get scared.
If you are over 18 and have money to spend, go see with your significant other at a theater this Halloween season.
If you get scared watching some of the best episodes of SyFy’s GHOST HUNTERS, bring a extra pair of underwear.
If you are over 18 and don’t have a lot of money to spend, wait until DVD – the experience might be better for you.
If you are a seasoned horror fan, there will be moments of this film where you will love it, but for the most part..you will probably be bored.

‘Paranormal Activity’, to me, seemed like a 4th generation dub of Robert Wise’s ‘The Haunting’.  Official DTB rating 6.5 out of 10.  With that said, I do want to watch it again at home.  Alone. With no lights.

Day 10 of 31 Days of Halloween:

HARDWARE was one of those films that I saw on the video store shelf in my youth that the cover just intrigued me.  I wrote it off as a Terminator Rip-Off but it was something more…

Tomorrow is MOTHER’S DAY