Horror Fuel
☰ Browse the Crypt
Author

Capt McNeely

1,404 stories
Horror Fuel

Clever Girl’s Top 5 Films of 2015

This year was a fantastic year for film! “Mad Max,” “Jurassic Park,” “Star Wars,” and “The Terminator” all appeared once again on the big screen. Horror fans had an opportunity to enjoy remakes such as “Poltergeist,” and see sequels to “Insidious” as well as “Paranormal Activity.” We had the conclusion to “The Hunger Games” and finally got to see the works of Guillermo del Toro with “Crimson Peak,” and the rebirth of the iconic horror-thriller director M. Night Shyamalan with “The Visit.” Did any these films make my favorite five list? Read on to find out! _________________________________________________ 5.) “Dinosaur 13” Being from Chicago, I’ve had the opportunity to visit the Field Museum regularly. For those who do not know, when you first step into the main hall you are greeted by “Sue,” the worlds most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil. I had no idea that there was a story and a battle behind this impressive fossil. “Dinosaur 13” is an impressive

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Dec 28, 2015
Horror Fuel

Amityville Horrible

Reality vs. Bullshit The only fact about any of the Amityville Horror films is that the DeFeo family was murdered in their sleep inside the house on 112 Ocean Avenue. The real horror is what the surviving relatives of the murdered Defeo’s must endure every time one of these lousy films is made. Hollywood cynicism goes beyond making bad films and trying to pass them off as good or worse yet, classics. The real cynicism is from the studios that torture the DeFeo family and make a buck off a terrible situation. As a result, I wonder, has any studio that made these films ever donated a few posthumous bucks to the DeFeo family for their trouble? I’m not one for reparations, but many of these films invoke the DeFeo name. Maybe a scholarship or two set up in memory of the victims? A lot of people made a lot of money off this family’s tragedy. As a result, they

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Dec 21, 2015
Horror Fuel

‘Salem’s Lot Sucks Like A Good Vampire Movie Should

Vampires Are Back “Barlow! He’s a vampire! He must be destroyed!” — David Soul, Salem’s Lot That’s a line of dialogue from the cheesy and absolutely fun 1979 mini series, ‘Salem’s Lot. While it comes nowhere near the elegance and terror of the Stephen King novel, it totally avoids the cynicism and emptiness of the 2004 remake with Rob Lowe and Donald Sutherland. When you have vampires, especially scary vampires, why is there a need for sexual predator fathers and teachers? This was not a subject of the book, so why did the 2004 remake need to add this dimension? It’s like the Amityville Horror films (which none, and I mean ZERO are good horror films) you have all these ghosts, why does the house have to explode or someone chases someone with an axe or commit incest? Aren’t the ghosts scary enough? At least the original 1979 B movie gave us a puking a nun and a wonderful hamfisted

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Dec 16, 2015
Horror Fuel

“Man is the only animal that kills for fun,” A look into Christopher Denham’s “Preservation”

A camping trip goes awry as newlyweds Mike and Wit are suddenly joined by Mike’s brother, Sean, a former marine, in the psychological horror-thrill ride “Preservation.” They awake from their first night on the trip to find that everything has been stolen from their campsite. A weekend in the woods suddenly becomes a game of survival for the three. The film is littered with classic horror stereotypes which makes it a particularly fun watch, especially for horror fans! For me, the movie fell short in the realm of reality, and what “traditional hunters” actually do on a hunting trip. A great example of this is when the group arrives at their hunting spot and realize it is closed. To quote the characters, “That’s never stopped our family before,” and they enter anyways. With that said, the common horror movie stereotype-stupidity of these three is what makes this film a great horror film. The “closed” sign is the typical warning in

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Dec 15, 2015
Advertisement
Horror Fuel

Todd Douglas Miller’s documentary “Dinosaur 13”

If this past year at the box office has taught us anything, it is that dinosaurs STILL rule the earth! One could say that dinosaurs are Earth’s first REAL monsters…. “Carnosaur,” “Dinosaur Hell,” “Dinosaur Island,” “Dinosaur Lake,” “Extinction,” are just a few of the horror films that come to mind when I think of these prehistoric beasts… and of course there is the “Jurassic Park,” but a new documentary on Netflix shows you the nightmare one paleontologist, Peter Larson, and his team went through after discovering the largest, most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil in history. The film documents the past 25 years of Larson’s life fighting with local land owners and the United States Government. Larson ends up fighting for the fossil’s freedom and his own. The documentary has a great juxtaposition about it, which really helps tell a sad story and makes you feel for not only the paleontologist, but also for the fossil, Sue. Todd Douglas Miller’s “Dinosaur

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Dec 14, 2015
Horror Fuel

A Review of Zack Parker’s “Proxy”

Let me start off by saying “Proxy” is not your standard horror film, however, it is an extremely violent, disturbing thriller, that leads horror viewers into a new subgenera of horror films. I warn ALL viewers that this film is EXTREMELY violent, some of this violence is present in the first 5 minutes of the film, before the main title even pops up on screen. “Proxy” centers around the life of 3 individuals who have all suffered a loss, in one way or another. There are a lot of new faces in this film, however there is one very familiar face to horror fans, Kristina Klebe, better known as Rob Zombie’s Lynda in his version of “Halloween.” The films main star Alexia Rasmussen (Esther Woodhouse) does a great job at playing a typical loner, who when asked who her best friend is, she states, “her fish.” The film is a little artsy, but absolutely beautiful. The film opens with a

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Dec 12, 2015
Horror Fuel

Fox Releases “THE X-FILES – First Look”

Chris Carter explains that the X-Files is back due to fan demand in this exclusive Fox clip! Duchovny (Mulder) and Anderson (Scully), talk more about what it is like to be a fan and have the show come back after nearly 15 years of being off the air. The behind the scenes first look promises that episodes 1 and 6 will be about the original shows mythology, while episodes 2-5 will be “monsters episodes…” Does this mean we will see the two agents chasing spooks across the country like they used to? The X-Files revival premiers on January 24th. Gillian Anderson’s “Show & Tell” X-Files Comes to Blu-Ray

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Dec 11, 2015
Horror Fuel

Gillian Anderson’s “Show and Tell” for The X-Files Revival

Gillian Anderson can’t really, “tell us much,” about the X-Files Revival, but she does show us this in Fox’s “Show & Tell” teaser: Fox has been busy creating unique television and internet spots for the January premiere of The X-Files Revival. Fans have been blessed weekly with not only different teasers, but also with some great new posters that assure us that, “The Truth is STILL Out There” and to, “Trust No One.” Of all of the TV spots fans have been given, here are by far two of the best, most unique TV spots! The X-Files Arrives on Blu-Ray Chris Carter Talks About Mulder & Scully’s Relationship Status for the Revival Original Revival Trailer

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Dec 7, 2015
Horror Fuel

The X-Files finally comes to Blu-Ray

Tomorrow (December 8th), believers will finally be able to hunt spooks with Special Agents Mulder and Scully in glorious high definition as the complete series FINALLY comes to Blu-Ray! While I am personally excited to have finally have this release, I am a little shocked by the sticker price, a whopping $299.99 (WITHOUT tax)! However, Amazon and WalMart.com currently have it listed for $269.99. Don’t feel like spending $300 on this right now? No worries, Netflix updated their version of the X-files to HD with the announcement of the revival earlier this summer, so fans could catch up on all of their favorite episodes before January 24th. Chris Carter Explains Mulder & Scully’s Relationship in Revival Episodes The X-Files Revival Trailer

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Dec 7, 2015
Horror Fuel

A review of Eli Roth’s The Green Inferno

Before I go into how much I love The Green Inferno, let me start by saying the first 20 – 30 minutes wasn’t great, mainly because our main character Justine (Lorenza Izzo) has an atrocious roommate Kaycee (Sky Ferreira), whose 1990’s grunge, forced, hipster dialogue was one of the most horrific things in this film. I realize that the films director, Eli Roth, was going for with this, but it is either some of the worst acting I have ever seen or the best, Ferreira deserves an Oscar! I have seen this film 3 times and still can not decide what side of the fence I am on. Now that the worst part of the film is out of the way, let’s get to the good stuff! I personally believe this is Roth’s best film! Shooting 4k (digital) along with the films soundtrack really helps bring the jungle to life and ultimately the fear that our characters feel. The opening

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Dec 4, 2015

More from Capt McNeely

Horror Fuel

Clever Girl’s Top 5 Films of 2015

This year was a fantastic year for film! “Mad Max,” “Jurassic Park,” “Star Wars,” and “The Terminator” all appeared once again on the big screen. Horror fans had an opportunity to enjoy remakes such as “Poltergeist,” and see sequels to “Insidious” as well as “Paranormal Activity.” We had the conclusion to “The Hunger Games” and finally got to see the works of Guillermo del Toro with “Crimson Peak,” and the rebirth of the iconic horror-thriller director M. Night Shyamalan with “The Visit.” Did any these films make my favorite five list? Read on to find out! _________________________________________________ 5.) “Dinosaur 13” Being from Chicago, I’ve had the opportunity to visit the Field Museum regularly. For those who do not know, when you first step into the main hall you are greeted by “Sue,” the worlds most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil. I had no idea that there was a story and a battle behind this impressive fossil. “Dinosaur 13” is an impressive

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Dec 28, 2015
Horror Fuel

Amityville Horrible

Reality vs. Bullshit The only fact about any of the Amityville Horror films is that the DeFeo family was murdered in their sleep inside the house on 112 Ocean Avenue. The real horror is what the surviving relatives of the murdered Defeo’s must endure every time one of these lousy films is made. Hollywood cynicism goes beyond making bad films and trying to pass them off as good or worse yet, classics. The real cynicism is from the studios that torture the DeFeo family and make a buck off a terrible situation. As a result, I wonder, has any studio that made these films ever donated a few posthumous bucks to the DeFeo family for their trouble? I’m not one for reparations, but many of these films invoke the DeFeo name. Maybe a scholarship or two set up in memory of the victims? A lot of people made a lot of money off this family’s tragedy. As a result, they

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Dec 21, 2015
Horror Fuel

‘Salem’s Lot Sucks Like A Good Vampire Movie Should

Vampires Are Back “Barlow! He’s a vampire! He must be destroyed!” — David Soul, Salem’s Lot That’s a line of dialogue from the cheesy and absolutely fun 1979 mini series, ‘Salem’s Lot. While it comes nowhere near the elegance and terror of the Stephen King novel, it totally avoids the cynicism and emptiness of the 2004 remake with Rob Lowe and Donald Sutherland. When you have vampires, especially scary vampires, why is there a need for sexual predator fathers and teachers? This was not a subject of the book, so why did the 2004 remake need to add this dimension? It’s like the Amityville Horror films (which none, and I mean ZERO are good horror films) you have all these ghosts, why does the house have to explode or someone chases someone with an axe or commit incest? Aren’t the ghosts scary enough? At least the original 1979 B movie gave us a puking a nun and a wonderful hamfisted

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Dec 16, 2015
Horror Fuel

“Man is the only animal that kills for fun,” A look into Christopher Denham’s “Preservation”

A camping trip goes awry as newlyweds Mike and Wit are suddenly joined by Mike’s brother, Sean, a former marine, in the psychological horror-thrill ride “Preservation.” They awake from their first night on the trip to find that everything has been stolen from their campsite. A weekend in the woods suddenly becomes a game of survival for the three. The film is littered with classic horror stereotypes which makes it a particularly fun watch, especially for horror fans! For me, the movie fell short in the realm of reality, and what “traditional hunters” actually do on a hunting trip. A great example of this is when the group arrives at their hunting spot and realize it is closed. To quote the characters, “That’s never stopped our family before,” and they enter anyways. With that said, the common horror movie stereotype-stupidity of these three is what makes this film a great horror film. The “closed” sign is the typical warning in

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Dec 15, 2015
Horror Fuel

Todd Douglas Miller’s documentary “Dinosaur 13”

If this past year at the box office has taught us anything, it is that dinosaurs STILL rule the earth! One could say that dinosaurs are Earth’s first REAL monsters…. “Carnosaur,” “Dinosaur Hell,” “Dinosaur Island,” “Dinosaur Lake,” “Extinction,” are just a few of the horror films that come to mind when I think of these prehistoric beasts… and of course there is the “Jurassic Park,” but a new documentary on Netflix shows you the nightmare one paleontologist, Peter Larson, and his team went through after discovering the largest, most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil in history. The film documents the past 25 years of Larson’s life fighting with local land owners and the United States Government. Larson ends up fighting for the fossil’s freedom and his own. The documentary has a great juxtaposition about it, which really helps tell a sad story and makes you feel for not only the paleontologist, but also for the fossil, Sue. Todd Douglas Miller’s “Dinosaur

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Dec 14, 2015
Horror Fuel

A Review of Zack Parker’s “Proxy”

Let me start off by saying “Proxy” is not your standard horror film, however, it is an extremely violent, disturbing thriller, that leads horror viewers into a new subgenera of horror films. I warn ALL viewers that this film is EXTREMELY violent, some of this violence is present in the first 5 minutes of the film, before the main title even pops up on screen. “Proxy” centers around the life of 3 individuals who have all suffered a loss, in one way or another. There are a lot of new faces in this film, however there is one very familiar face to horror fans, Kristina Klebe, better known as Rob Zombie’s Lynda in his version of “Halloween.” The films main star Alexia Rasmussen (Esther Woodhouse) does a great job at playing a typical loner, who when asked who her best friend is, she states, “her fish.” The film is a little artsy, but absolutely beautiful. The film opens with a

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Dec 12, 2015
Horror Fuel

Fox Releases “THE X-FILES – First Look”

Chris Carter explains that the X-Files is back due to fan demand in this exclusive Fox clip! Duchovny (Mulder) and Anderson (Scully), talk more about what it is like to be a fan and have the show come back after nearly 15 years of being off the air. The behind the scenes first look promises that episodes 1 and 6 will be about the original shows mythology, while episodes 2-5 will be “monsters episodes…” Does this mean we will see the two agents chasing spooks across the country like they used to? The X-Files revival premiers on January 24th. Gillian Anderson’s “Show & Tell” X-Files Comes to Blu-Ray

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Dec 11, 2015
Horror Fuel

Gillian Anderson’s “Show and Tell” for The X-Files Revival

Gillian Anderson can’t really, “tell us much,” about the X-Files Revival, but she does show us this in Fox’s “Show & Tell” teaser: Fox has been busy creating unique television and internet spots for the January premiere of The X-Files Revival. Fans have been blessed weekly with not only different teasers, but also with some great new posters that assure us that, “The Truth is STILL Out There” and to, “Trust No One.” Of all of the TV spots fans have been given, here are by far two of the best, most unique TV spots! The X-Files Arrives on Blu-Ray Chris Carter Talks About Mulder & Scully’s Relationship Status for the Revival Original Revival Trailer

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Dec 7, 2015
Horror Fuel

The X-Files finally comes to Blu-Ray

Tomorrow (December 8th), believers will finally be able to hunt spooks with Special Agents Mulder and Scully in glorious high definition as the complete series FINALLY comes to Blu-Ray! While I am personally excited to have finally have this release, I am a little shocked by the sticker price, a whopping $299.99 (WITHOUT tax)! However, Amazon and WalMart.com currently have it listed for $269.99. Don’t feel like spending $300 on this right now? No worries, Netflix updated their version of the X-files to HD with the announcement of the revival earlier this summer, so fans could catch up on all of their favorite episodes before January 24th. Chris Carter Explains Mulder & Scully’s Relationship in Revival Episodes The X-Files Revival Trailer

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Dec 7, 2015
Horror Fuel

A review of Eli Roth’s The Green Inferno

Before I go into how much I love The Green Inferno, let me start by saying the first 20 – 30 minutes wasn’t great, mainly because our main character Justine (Lorenza Izzo) has an atrocious roommate Kaycee (Sky Ferreira), whose 1990’s grunge, forced, hipster dialogue was one of the most horrific things in this film. I realize that the films director, Eli Roth, was going for with this, but it is either some of the worst acting I have ever seen or the best, Ferreira deserves an Oscar! I have seen this film 3 times and still can not decide what side of the fence I am on. Now that the worst part of the film is out of the way, let’s get to the good stuff! I personally believe this is Roth’s best film! Shooting 4k (digital) along with the films soundtrack really helps bring the jungle to life and ultimately the fear that our characters feel. The opening

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Dec 4, 2015
Next →