Blood Red Sky

Drive-in
Originally uploaded by darrikk2002

A striking shot - no info on where this was taken.

Let's Camp!

Man it seems I've been waiting for Joss Whedon's THE CABIN IN THE WOODS foreverrrrrrrrr... Well, it seems that the wait for this development hell fright flick might finally be over! Word on the street is that this campy twist on the lonely cabin horror movie has at last been picked up by Lionsgate Films (after sitting on a shelf for a year and a half waiting for MGM to get their bankruptcy squared away). If you haven't heard of it, here's the lowdown on what is sure to be a fun ride:

The Cabin in the Woods is an American 3D tongue-in-cheek thriller-horror film, co-written and directed by Drew Goddard and co-written and produced by Joss Whedon. It stars Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford and Amy Acker. It aims to provide a new twist on the classic young-people-stranded-in-the-woods horror trope. Jenkins and Whitford will play white-collar co-workers with a mysterious connection to the cabin when a group of college kids spend a mysterious weekend there.

HISHE

If you haven't heard of HOW IT SHOULD HAVE ENDED, then let me be the one to introduce you. You can thank me later.

http://www.howitshouldhaveended.com/

Dreamland

I had the weirdest dream about Edgar Allan Poe last night/this morning. It's all fading so fast that I barely remember much of it except that Poe was dressed in an off-white suit and a panama hat like a southern gentleman (think: Tom Hanks in 'The Ladykillers') and we were sitting outside on a large plantation-style porch on wrought iron furniture. It was definitely a trip to get to hang out with him and sip tea and talk poetry. The big thing I remember is that I kept thinking: "He has nice manners, but he's too smart for me - I don't know what to say without sounding stupid..."

By a route obscure and lonely,
Haunted by ill angels only,
Where an Eidolon, named NIGHT,
On a black throne reigns upright,
I have reached these lands but newly
From an ultimate dim Thule-
From a wild clime that lieth, sublime,
Out of SPACE- out of TIME.

#9...#9...#9...

Check out this cool little feature from Darkstone Entertainment: a live feed from the set of their latest independent feature - PLAN 9 (a remake of the Ed Wood, jr. cult classic PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE). Visit their official website and then check out their production broadcast, which will have a daily Vlog from Director John Johnson as well as on occasion have a live feed from the production set! So tune in when you can and see the PLAN 9 remake being made LIVE!

http://plan9movie.com/index2.html

http://plan9movie.com/live_feed.html

TVTV

I've heard rumblings that there might actually be a DVD release for TRANSYLVANIA TELEVISION's excellent "The Real Meanin' of Halloween" special sometime this Spring. Not sure about the release date yet, but when we know...YOU'LL know! In the meantime, stop by their website and visit that b*stard Le Shoc, Furry Ackermonster, Batfink, Dwayne Frankenstein, and the rest of the gang starring in the horror that is SEASON 3 of the retro monster comedy that's really NOT for kids!

http://www.transylvania-tv.com/

Back Yard

Inaccessible Out of use Grove Drive-In theater movie screen
Originally uploaded by ⓣⓨⓁⓔⓡ～＊

Imagine having THIS view out your back window!

11.22.63

This doesn't come out until November of this year, but the dust jacket was revealed for Stephen King's latest: 11/22/63. As a student of the assassination, I've read dozens of books on the subject and studied the case very closely. Along with the majority of Americans, I know without a shadow of a doubt that Lee Harvey Oswald was the patsy he claimed to be. Let's hope King gets this right and doesn't succumb to what our 'history books' claim: that Oswald acted alone with an impossible shot on a faulty rifle (and a magic bullet). After reading the official synopsis, I'm having serious doubts. Here's the lowdown:

The synopsis: Jake Epping is a thirty-five-year-old high school English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine, who makes extra money teaching adults in the GED program. He receives an essay from one of the students—a gruesome, harrowing first person story about the night 50 years ago when Harry Dunning’s father came home and killed his mother, his sister, and his brother with a hammer. Harry escaped with a smashed leg, as evidenced by his crooked walk.

Not much later, Jake’s friend Al, who runs the local diner, divulges a secret: his storeroom is a portal to 1958. He enlists Jake on an insane—and insanely possible—mission to try to prevent the Kennedy assassination. So begins Jake’s new life as George Amberson and his new world of Elvis and JFK, of big American cars and sock hops, of a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald and a beautiful high school librarian named Sadie Dunhill, who becomes the love of Jake’s life—a life that transgresses all the normal rules of time.

State Line

Tennessee, Elizabethton, State Line Drive-In Movie (10,713)
Originally uploaded by eleatherberry

The screen looks pretty rough at the State Line Drive-In in Elizabethton, TN - but 'Ratatouille' is a fairly recent movie, so maybe this old boy is still operational. Either way, that red and yellow 'arrow' sign is pretty amazing.

Zing!

Looks like that demented dude over at the Hallowzing website has finally got his 2010 Halloween pictures up. This creep has a serious love of Halloween (and a serious case of procrastination)! Stop on by and check out the madness at: www.hallowzing.com

Kick Astro

Every once in a while at Drive-In of the Dead I'm fortunate enough to be able to get the geek out and do something really cool. Well, last week I had one of those moments where my inner fan-boy came out when I had the opportunity to interview the legendary cult director Ted V. Mikels. For those of you not in the know, Ted is one of the last living directors from the original grindhouse era of films from the 1960's. Responsible for such films as: Astro-Zombies, The Girl In The Gold Boots, The Doll Squad, The Corpse Grinders, and more - Ted has been steadily producing low budget/high entertainment cult films for almost 50 years!

It would be a huge understatement to say that I was honored and thrilled to be able to interview someone I admire so much. What's even better is when you talk to the guy and realize that he's just as cool in person as what you imagined him to be. A perfect gentleman and a real professional through and through, Ted is from the old school of film and his love for the cult genre is infectious.

If you haven't checked out any films by Ted V. Mikels, I encourage you to stop by his website and stream them on your computer (for the very affordable price of $2.00 per movie). They're a blast from the past and a groovy reminder of why we love movies in the first place.

http://www.tedvmikels.com

Quote of the Day

"Evil hiding among us is an ancient theme."

--John Carpenter

Countdown

T-minus 200 days and counting...

Green Hell

Movie Night
Originally uploaded by dpinkston (Derek)

What a fantastic photo of an abandoned drive-in theater in Anthony, KS. Love the green hues that saturate it, and the crumbling screen is both mesmerizing and sad. Another true drive-in of the dead!

The Woman In Black

Daniel Radcliffe stars as Arthur Kipps, a young lawyer who travels to a remote village to organize a recently deceased client's papers. As Kipps works alone in the client's isolated house, he begins to uncover tragic secrets, his unease growing when he glimpses a mysterious woman dressed only in black. Receiving only silence from the locals, Kipps is forced to uncover the true identity of the Woman in Black on his own, leading to a desperate race against time when he discovers her true intent.

'The Woman In Black' is based on the novel by Susan Hill and is directed by James Watkins from a script by Jane Goldman (who wrote the cool 'KICK-ASS'). Hammer's latest is scheduled to hit theatres in the U.K. on February 10, 2012, but there's no word of a U.S. release quite yet. We'll keep you posted on that - but in the meantime, check out the latest teaser trailer from the film...

Lights! Camera! Lights...

So with any spare time on the weekends, I've been chipping away at some scenes for Drive-In of the Dead's first foray into film. While I feel that it's all coming together nicely - I have learned that when working on a low budget (which is to say 'no budget') production, it's all about the lighting. I don't have big studio rigs to light my scenes, and have to work within the confines of my camera - knowing the limitations of your equipment is half the battle. What I'm shooting on is a pretty basic camera that doesn't hold up well in low-light environments, so finding a way to creatively light scenes while still telling the story I want to tell is a challenge (sometimes a frustrating, extremely time-consuming challenge). Some shots have had to be put off until much later in the day than I anticipated so I could use the low light of dusk - and don't even get me started on filming with snow! Some scenes I had shot over the winter had to be completely re-done because there was so much glare from the huge piles of snow outside (now thankfully gone!)

As we near the end of production, I'm grateful for all I've learned on this crazy experience - from the frustrations of relying on your spouse to run the camera when she really wants no part of it, to enlisting my 7-year-old as an assistant director, to building sets and staging scenes, to spending countless hours in front of a computer screen editing it all together, to waiting for the sun so the light is just right...it's all part of the magic of movies that most people don't even consider when they pop in a DVD from Netflix. I've always had an appreciation for how movies are made - but now that appreciation is on a whole new level.

More to come...

What Happens In Vegas

Just received an e-mail from ASTRO-ZOMBIES M4 producer Richard Lester in which he let drop a few interesting bits of info regarding legendary cult director Ted V. Mikels' latest Astro-Zombie movie. Here's what he had to say:

TVM Global Entertainment, in association with Blue Heron International Pictures, announced today that Ted V. Mikels' latest movie, Astro Zombies M4: Invaders from Cyberspace, is almost finished filming in Las Vegas. "We have three more scenes and a few pick-up shots to do here, and then we concentrate on second units in California, Oregon, Barcelona and Berlin," said Mikels from his Las Vegas studio. "Production in Florida, Tokyo, and New York City has been completed."

"I can assure you that the Astro Zombies are wreaking havoc and creating sheer terror throughout the world," said assistant director Gary Lester, who was in Las Vegas last week assisting Ted V. Mikels with principal cinematography. "Rumor has it that San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge will soon become a cinematic casualty." Only Ted V. Mikels knows, however, and he is not telling. "However, I will say that the people in California and Berlin better watch out," said Mikels. "They are in the direct path of an Astro Zombie invasion next month!"

Still Collapsing

Checked in with the Iowa-made zombie movie 'Collapse' to see how close this undead beast is to being finished. According to Jason Bolinger, the film's co-director, 'Collapse' has wrapped on principal photography, been edited, went through the color correction process, and is currently having a score written for it. No word yet on when a release date will be or if the film will be playing on any big screens (or in any festivals), although we have learned that 'Collapse' has attained foreign distribution through Fabrication Films and that they are working diligently on acquiring distribution stateside. As always, when we learn more about this ultra-cool zombie flick, you'll be the first to know. Until then, here's the plot for you in a nutshell:

The normal worries of a struggling small town farmer are blown away when the world is suddenly overrun by undead monsters. How can a good man protect and provide for his family in a hostile world without becoming a monster himself?

Bela's Back!

Will I be buying this comic book? OH YEAH! Here's the lowdown from the official Monsterverse website on the first (and so far only) issue of 'Bela Lugosi's Tales From The Grave.' Look for issue #2 - with a cover designed by make-up legend Rick Baker - to hit stands sometime in July!

BELA'S BACK...AND THE MONSTERVERSE HAS HIM

After more than fifty years, iconic horror film star Bela Lugosi will live again as the undead host of a new horror comic book!

The Monsterverse is proud to announce BELA LUGOSI'S TALES FROM THE GRAVE, a full-color anthology in the classic EC and Warren tradition, presenting weird and fantastic tales to keep you awake long into the night. In a special arrangement with Bela G. Lugosi, son of the famous actor, Bela Lugosi will act as host and commentator for each terror tale.

Comics professionals Kerry Gammill and Kez Wilson are returning to the field as publishers of the series and will be providing art for many of the stories. Some of the finest horror artists and writers in comics will also be bringing their talents to the book. The first issue will feature a cover by legendary monster painter Basil Gogos and an alternate cover by John Cassaday. Gammill, Wilson and screenwriter Sam F. Park will be the editing the series as well as writing stories for the book.

Look for BELA LUGOSI'S TALES FROM THE GRAVE to premiere in early 2010. For more information e-mail info@monsterverse.com or check out their website at: http://monsterverse.com/grave/

Orange Poe

Edgar Allan Poe
Originally uploaded by Dingerz

My love, she sleeps! Oh, may her sleep
As it is lasting, so be deep!
Soft may the worms about her creep!
Far in the forest, dim and old,
For her may some tall vault unfold-
Some vault that oft has flung its black
And winged panels fluttering back,
Triumphant, o'er the crested palls,
Of her grand family funerals-
Some sepulchre, remote, alone,
Against whose portal she hath thrown,
In childhood, many an idle stone-
Some tomb from out whose sounding door
She ne'er shall force an echo more,
Thrilling to think, poor child of sin!
It was the dead who groaned within.

Lords of Salem

While killing time over at Bloody-Disgusting yesterday I happened to come across this: the plot details for Rob Zombie's upcoming 'LORDS OF SALEM.' Not sure what I think about the plot - it seems very 1980's to me...but maybe that's a good thing? It's hard to tell with a director like Zombie - he's a love-him-or-hate-him kind of guy, and I haven't been exactly impressed with his last couple of movies. Anyway - here's the lowdown:

The story is about a local DJ who mistakenly unleashes a hellish curse on the town. 300 years earlier on the very streets of Salem that the townspeople walk on today, innocent folks were rounded up from their homes, convicted of being witches and sentenced to death. The Lords of Salem ran the town with an iron fist, but four witches who were tortured and killed in secrecy vowed that one day they would be back for revenge.

What do you think? Is this one going to rock like a son of a witch - or is this film going to continue the decline Zombie's been on since 'The Devil's Rejects?'

www.bloody-disgusting.com

Lonesome Pine

Virginia, Wise County, Lonesome Pine Drive-in (10,731c)
Originally uploaded by eleatherberry

The Lonesome Pine Drive-In in Wise County, Virginia - just off Alt US 58. Lonesome, indeed...

Original Rot

Ever wonder where I got the bug for dark web design? Look no further than the original: PUMPKINROT. Rot has been inspiring people to peer into the shadows, investigate strange noises, and celebrate the weirdness and wonder of Halloween for many years now. To see how he has inspired home haunters (including myself), take a walk down that lonely path to Pumpkin Hollow...if you dare.

http://www.pumpkinrot.com