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Capt McNeely

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Horror Fuel

‘American Horror Story’ Adds A “Girl” To Its Roster

Hey there, my Little Monsters. We have some casting news regarding the 7th season of the FX Horror Anthology Series, American Horror Story. Tonight via Twitter, series co-creator Ryan Murphy shared some news he was very excited about. https://twitter.com/MrRPMurphy/status/887844862426468352 Lena Dunham, who created and starred in the HBO series Girls, recently brought the series to its conclusion after six seasons, thus freeing her up to take part in the FX series. At this point, there are no details in relation to the character Dunham will be playing. She will be joining a cast that currently consists of previous AHS alums Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters, as well as series rookies, Billie Lourd and Billy Eichner. Aside from the revelation that Season 7’s premise is heavily influenced by the 2016 presidential election, wery little else is known. And while Murphy has dropped clues about Season 7’s title, the full title reveal will finally happen Thursday July 20th. So stay tuned, keep

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Jul 19, 2017
Horror Fuel

First Official Trailer For Chilling Thriller, ‘The Snowman’

A snowman is usually an innocuous sign of a significant winter snowfall and childhood merriment. However, when the name is attached to a serial killer whose murders tend to coincide with the first snow of the year, it obviously takes on a whole new sinister meaning. The Snowman is a thriller adapted from the book of the same name, written by Jo Nesbø. The story follows Norwegian detective Harry Hole’s investigation into a missing woman, who has vanished leaving no trace except for her pink scarf which is draped around the neck of an ominous looking snowman. When he discovers similarities between this case and some cold case files, Harry determines that Norway has its first official serial killer. Now Harry and his team are on the hunt to discover the identity of the killer before this new case goes cold as well. The Snowman is directed by Tomas Alfredson and stars Michael Fassbender as Harry Hole. The supporting cast

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Jul 19, 2017
Horror Fuel

Woman (In Horror) Crush Wednesday: Vera Farmiga

Hello there, my Little Monsters. We are midway through another week, and therefor it’s time to celebrate another wonderful Woman of Horror. With as many of them as there are in the genre, it can be difficult to decide on just who to highlight. But after watching one of this actress’ films last night I thought I would conjure up a Woman Crush Wednesday piece about her. See what I did there? CONJURE? OK…I know, that was cheesy. Anyway, it’s my pleasure to bring you this week’s lovely and talented lady, Miss Vera Farmiga. Vera was born in Clifton , New Jersey, to Michael and Luba Farmiga, and was raised in a rather sectarian Ukranian American community in Irvington, New Jersey. She comes from a large family and is the second oldest of seven children. The youngest of the seven is her sister, fellow actress, Taissa Farmiga. Her first language was Ukranian, and she didn’t even learn English until the

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Jul 19, 2017
Horror Fuel

Lineup Announced For Dr. Gangrene’s Fourteenth Horror Hootenanny

Dr. Gangrene’s annual Horror Hootenanny is one of Nashville’s premier Halloween-season events, with live music, showings of fright flicks, and a costume contest with prizes. Emcee’d by Nashville horror host Dr. Gangrene, past acts have included ghoul punk luminaries Forbidden Dimension, American Werewolves, Psycho Charger, Mummula, and many others. This year’s event looks to be every bit as spectacular as Hootenannies past, with headliners Beasto Blanco (featuring Calico Cooper, daughter of horror rock godfather Alice Cooper), as well as high-octane monster men the Creeping Cruds, Dead Dick Hammer, the Dead Deads, and the Vamptones. Saturday, September 30, at the End in Nashville, Tennessee, come get creeped with Dr. Gangrene! Watch videos from Beasto Blanco and the Creeping Cruds below.

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Jul 19, 2017
Horror Fuel

Album Review: The Prople Will Have Their ‘Revenge’

All right, let’s get this out of the way – the Prople is an incredibly silly name for a band, even for horrorpunk, a subgenre permeated with silly band names. That said, these central-Florida veggie-powered creepsters have crafted fifteen aggressive, catchy blasts of ghoulish punk rock venom with their debut full-lenth, Revenge. Owing far more to poppy skate punk and early-1980s hardcore fury than to any band showcasing Glenn Danzig’s gothic croon, the album is a refreshing dose of gritty, horror/sci-fi-influenced rock n’ roll in a sea of Graves-era Misfits sound-alikes. Opening track “Grim Grinning Ghosts” sets the tone with its ultra-Hallows Eve-y synth into, then things get much more belligerent (and ridiculous) from there. Star Wars nerds can rejoice in the one-two punch of “The Force Awakens” and “Daddy Built a Death Star”, while “Dirty Laundry” sounds like Black Flag gone crust. Depending on one’s favorite character from the beloved anime series, the Dragon Ball Z faithful may want

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Jul 18, 2017
Horror Fuel

New 4K Transfer Of ‘Effects’ To Hit Blu-Ray This August

Taken from the only theatrical print known to exist, AGFA (the American Genre Film Archive), a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the legacy of genre films, will unleash Effects on Blu-Ray on August 22, 2017. Written and directed by Dusty Nelson (Sakura Killers), Effects is a do-it-yourself horror flick weaving the story of a gang of coke-addled filmmakers gathered in Pittsburgh to film a faux-snuff slasher film. As a series of grisly accidents cause the casualties to pile up, it becomes clear that no one on the film’s crew is to be trusted. Equal parts low-budget Carpenter-esque student film and gory exploitation piece (think 1976 splatterpiece Snuff), Effects is both a study of the philosophy of horror, and a simple, sleazy genre film. Starring effects master Tom Savini along with Joe Pilato (Day of the Dead), and John Harrison (Tales from the Darkside: The Movie), Effects was produced by both Harrison and Pasquale Buba. Savini provides the film’s visual effects.

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Jul 18, 2017
Horror Fuel

‘Lycan’ Tears Into Select Theaters August 4

Werewolf lovers, prepare for some wild-and-wooly fright when Lycan rips into to select theaters August 4, and arrives on disc, VOD and digital September 26. Directed by Bev Land, Lycan is a hairy horrorshow based on the Georgia folk legend of the Talbot county werewolf. The film’s synopsis from the MVD Entertainment press release: “When six college kids in a sleepy Southern town are assigned a group history project, one of them sets in motion a horrific fate when he proposes they head into the Georgia backwoods to uncover the truth about the hundred year old urban legend of Emily Burt, the ‘Talbot County Werewolf’.” Lycan stars Dania Ramirez (X-Men: The Last Stand), Vanessa Angel (Kingpin), the Emmy-nominated Gail O’Grady (NYPD Blue), Rebekah Graf (Entourage), and Craig Tate (12 Years a Slave). Director Bev Land on making the film, and working with his wife, Dania Ramirez: “I knew that the journey of making this film independently would be a challenge

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Jul 17, 2017
Horror Fuel

Composer/Filmmaker Rocky Gray Discusses Upcoming Project ‘10/31’ And More

Though perhaps known on a wider scale more for his many contributions to metal music (Gray has been a member of Gothic metal acts Evanescence and We Are the Fallen, influential metalcore band Living Sacrifice, and many, many others), among horror fans, Rocky Gray is known for his retro-synth score in the indie-horror hit, The Barn. Well, it turns out that film was no fluke, as Gray sits down with Horror Fuel to discuss his many current horror projects, from music composition and his influences, to sitting in the director’s chair. Horror Fuel: The Barn is one of my favorite things to come into existence in quite some time. It captures that 1980s slasher/creature feature/endearing cheese vibe perfectly. How was it working on that slice of retro horror heaven? Rocky Gray: You said it; it really was horror heaven. For my first time scoring a full horror feature, it was really fun to work on. HF: What were your influences

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Jul 17, 2017
Horror Fuel

‘Poltergeist’ DP Claims Tobe Hooper Wasn’t The True Director

Among a haunted sea of of awful ghost movies and terrible cgi special effects, the original Poltergeist stands out as one of the most chilling and effective horror movies of all time. It’s not piss your pants terrifying (although one scene involving a toy clown actually did nearly make seven year old me piss his pants), but the strong character work, excellent suspense, and practical effects that hold up surprisingly well make the Tobe Hooper directed flick a true standout in the genre. Well now it turns out the whole “Tobe Hooper directed” aspect is more suspect than once thought, with multiple sources, including Poltergeist’s director of photography Matthew Leonetti, claiming that executive producer (and arguably greatest living filmmaker) Steven Spielberg was the true director. In a recent interview with Blumhouse, Leonetti had this too say. “Hooper was so nice and just happy to be there. He creatively had input. Steven developed the movie, and it was his to direct,

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Jul 16, 2017
Horror Fuel

‘Castlevania’ Review: Does Netflix Do The Series Justice?

Castlevania is one of those series that, despite consistent and stellar releases, has never reached beyond a fairly niche audience. I mean for fucks sake, there’s a damn genre of video games named after it (Metroidvania), but unless your fairly into retro gaming (or badass soundtracks) there’s a solid chance you’ve never really experienced the masterwork that these games are. While there is some variation, the basic premise is you’re a vampire hunter, often of the Belmont family, who storms Dracula’s castles with your magic whip, murdering monsters, minions, and freaks of all shapes and sizes, occasionally busting open a stone wall to eat the (most likely rotten) ham inside. For me, and I’m guessing for a lot of others, the best part about Castlevania is the monsters. From the MAN-EATER, a giant insect living inside a skull, to a mirror teleporting jester who cackles madly as he shoots lasers from his fingertips, these are some of the most creative

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Jul 15, 2017

More from Capt McNeely

Horror Fuel

‘American Horror Story’ Adds A “Girl” To Its Roster

Hey there, my Little Monsters. We have some casting news regarding the 7th season of the FX Horror Anthology Series, American Horror Story. Tonight via Twitter, series co-creator Ryan Murphy shared some news he was very excited about. https://twitter.com/MrRPMurphy/status/887844862426468352 Lena Dunham, who created and starred in the HBO series Girls, recently brought the series to its conclusion after six seasons, thus freeing her up to take part in the FX series. At this point, there are no details in relation to the character Dunham will be playing. She will be joining a cast that currently consists of previous AHS alums Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters, as well as series rookies, Billie Lourd and Billy Eichner. Aside from the revelation that Season 7’s premise is heavily influenced by the 2016 presidential election, wery little else is known. And while Murphy has dropped clues about Season 7’s title, the full title reveal will finally happen Thursday July 20th. So stay tuned, keep

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Jul 19, 2017
Horror Fuel

First Official Trailer For Chilling Thriller, ‘The Snowman’

A snowman is usually an innocuous sign of a significant winter snowfall and childhood merriment. However, when the name is attached to a serial killer whose murders tend to coincide with the first snow of the year, it obviously takes on a whole new sinister meaning. The Snowman is a thriller adapted from the book of the same name, written by Jo Nesbø. The story follows Norwegian detective Harry Hole’s investigation into a missing woman, who has vanished leaving no trace except for her pink scarf which is draped around the neck of an ominous looking snowman. When he discovers similarities between this case and some cold case files, Harry determines that Norway has its first official serial killer. Now Harry and his team are on the hunt to discover the identity of the killer before this new case goes cold as well. The Snowman is directed by Tomas Alfredson and stars Michael Fassbender as Harry Hole. The supporting cast

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Jul 19, 2017
Horror Fuel

Woman (In Horror) Crush Wednesday: Vera Farmiga

Hello there, my Little Monsters. We are midway through another week, and therefor it’s time to celebrate another wonderful Woman of Horror. With as many of them as there are in the genre, it can be difficult to decide on just who to highlight. But after watching one of this actress’ films last night I thought I would conjure up a Woman Crush Wednesday piece about her. See what I did there? CONJURE? OK…I know, that was cheesy. Anyway, it’s my pleasure to bring you this week’s lovely and talented lady, Miss Vera Farmiga. Vera was born in Clifton , New Jersey, to Michael and Luba Farmiga, and was raised in a rather sectarian Ukranian American community in Irvington, New Jersey. She comes from a large family and is the second oldest of seven children. The youngest of the seven is her sister, fellow actress, Taissa Farmiga. Her first language was Ukranian, and she didn’t even learn English until the

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Jul 19, 2017
Horror Fuel

Lineup Announced For Dr. Gangrene’s Fourteenth Horror Hootenanny

Dr. Gangrene’s annual Horror Hootenanny is one of Nashville’s premier Halloween-season events, with live music, showings of fright flicks, and a costume contest with prizes. Emcee’d by Nashville horror host Dr. Gangrene, past acts have included ghoul punk luminaries Forbidden Dimension, American Werewolves, Psycho Charger, Mummula, and many others. This year’s event looks to be every bit as spectacular as Hootenannies past, with headliners Beasto Blanco (featuring Calico Cooper, daughter of horror rock godfather Alice Cooper), as well as high-octane monster men the Creeping Cruds, Dead Dick Hammer, the Dead Deads, and the Vamptones. Saturday, September 30, at the End in Nashville, Tennessee, come get creeped with Dr. Gangrene! Watch videos from Beasto Blanco and the Creeping Cruds below.

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Jul 19, 2017
Horror Fuel

Album Review: The Prople Will Have Their ‘Revenge’

All right, let’s get this out of the way – the Prople is an incredibly silly name for a band, even for horrorpunk, a subgenre permeated with silly band names. That said, these central-Florida veggie-powered creepsters have crafted fifteen aggressive, catchy blasts of ghoulish punk rock venom with their debut full-lenth, Revenge. Owing far more to poppy skate punk and early-1980s hardcore fury than to any band showcasing Glenn Danzig’s gothic croon, the album is a refreshing dose of gritty, horror/sci-fi-influenced rock n’ roll in a sea of Graves-era Misfits sound-alikes. Opening track “Grim Grinning Ghosts” sets the tone with its ultra-Hallows Eve-y synth into, then things get much more belligerent (and ridiculous) from there. Star Wars nerds can rejoice in the one-two punch of “The Force Awakens” and “Daddy Built a Death Star”, while “Dirty Laundry” sounds like Black Flag gone crust. Depending on one’s favorite character from the beloved anime series, the Dragon Ball Z faithful may want

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Jul 18, 2017
Horror Fuel

New 4K Transfer Of ‘Effects’ To Hit Blu-Ray This August

Taken from the only theatrical print known to exist, AGFA (the American Genre Film Archive), a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the legacy of genre films, will unleash Effects on Blu-Ray on August 22, 2017. Written and directed by Dusty Nelson (Sakura Killers), Effects is a do-it-yourself horror flick weaving the story of a gang of coke-addled filmmakers gathered in Pittsburgh to film a faux-snuff slasher film. As a series of grisly accidents cause the casualties to pile up, it becomes clear that no one on the film’s crew is to be trusted. Equal parts low-budget Carpenter-esque student film and gory exploitation piece (think 1976 splatterpiece Snuff), Effects is both a study of the philosophy of horror, and a simple, sleazy genre film. Starring effects master Tom Savini along with Joe Pilato (Day of the Dead), and John Harrison (Tales from the Darkside: The Movie), Effects was produced by both Harrison and Pasquale Buba. Savini provides the film’s visual effects.

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Jul 18, 2017
Horror Fuel

‘Lycan’ Tears Into Select Theaters August 4

Werewolf lovers, prepare for some wild-and-wooly fright when Lycan rips into to select theaters August 4, and arrives on disc, VOD and digital September 26. Directed by Bev Land, Lycan is a hairy horrorshow based on the Georgia folk legend of the Talbot county werewolf. The film’s synopsis from the MVD Entertainment press release: “When six college kids in a sleepy Southern town are assigned a group history project, one of them sets in motion a horrific fate when he proposes they head into the Georgia backwoods to uncover the truth about the hundred year old urban legend of Emily Burt, the ‘Talbot County Werewolf’.” Lycan stars Dania Ramirez (X-Men: The Last Stand), Vanessa Angel (Kingpin), the Emmy-nominated Gail O’Grady (NYPD Blue), Rebekah Graf (Entourage), and Craig Tate (12 Years a Slave). Director Bev Land on making the film, and working with his wife, Dania Ramirez: “I knew that the journey of making this film independently would be a challenge

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Jul 17, 2017
Horror Fuel

Composer/Filmmaker Rocky Gray Discusses Upcoming Project ‘10/31’ And More

Though perhaps known on a wider scale more for his many contributions to metal music (Gray has been a member of Gothic metal acts Evanescence and We Are the Fallen, influential metalcore band Living Sacrifice, and many, many others), among horror fans, Rocky Gray is known for his retro-synth score in the indie-horror hit, The Barn. Well, it turns out that film was no fluke, as Gray sits down with Horror Fuel to discuss his many current horror projects, from music composition and his influences, to sitting in the director’s chair. Horror Fuel: The Barn is one of my favorite things to come into existence in quite some time. It captures that 1980s slasher/creature feature/endearing cheese vibe perfectly. How was it working on that slice of retro horror heaven? Rocky Gray: You said it; it really was horror heaven. For my first time scoring a full horror feature, it was really fun to work on. HF: What were your influences

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Jul 17, 2017
Horror Fuel

‘Poltergeist’ DP Claims Tobe Hooper Wasn’t The True Director

Among a haunted sea of of awful ghost movies and terrible cgi special effects, the original Poltergeist stands out as one of the most chilling and effective horror movies of all time. It’s not piss your pants terrifying (although one scene involving a toy clown actually did nearly make seven year old me piss his pants), but the strong character work, excellent suspense, and practical effects that hold up surprisingly well make the Tobe Hooper directed flick a true standout in the genre. Well now it turns out the whole “Tobe Hooper directed” aspect is more suspect than once thought, with multiple sources, including Poltergeist’s director of photography Matthew Leonetti, claiming that executive producer (and arguably greatest living filmmaker) Steven Spielberg was the true director. In a recent interview with Blumhouse, Leonetti had this too say. “Hooper was so nice and just happy to be there. He creatively had input. Steven developed the movie, and it was his to direct,

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Jul 16, 2017
Horror Fuel

‘Castlevania’ Review: Does Netflix Do The Series Justice?

Castlevania is one of those series that, despite consistent and stellar releases, has never reached beyond a fairly niche audience. I mean for fucks sake, there’s a damn genre of video games named after it (Metroidvania), but unless your fairly into retro gaming (or badass soundtracks) there’s a solid chance you’ve never really experienced the masterwork that these games are. While there is some variation, the basic premise is you’re a vampire hunter, often of the Belmont family, who storms Dracula’s castles with your magic whip, murdering monsters, minions, and freaks of all shapes and sizes, occasionally busting open a stone wall to eat the (most likely rotten) ham inside. For me, and I’m guessing for a lot of others, the best part about Castlevania is the monsters. From the MAN-EATER, a giant insect living inside a skull, to a mirror teleporting jester who cackles madly as he shoots lasers from his fingertips, these are some of the most creative

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Jul 15, 2017
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