About the future of this little horror/genre movie blog...

I hate that I'm sitting here writing this, but I've been putting it off for too long. Part of me doesn't even think it's necessary, but on the off chance that people are still interested in what's going on here at FMWL I wanted to be up front about some things with those who have been fantastic toward me and this little site over the last nearly five years.

If you are a dedicated reader - and if you are, God bless ya - you've probably noticed that the last year or year and a half has been a little slower here at the site. From Midnight, With Love is still my baby, and it's one of the things in life I'm most proud of. Being able to share my love of horror and cult flicks with the void and occasionally get feedback on said love makes me feel like a part of one big crazy happy universe and I get a delicious kick out of that. But, unfortunately, I haven't been able to keep up with it like I want to.

Now would be a good moment to point out that I'm not saying I'm leaving!  That is not where this conversation is going. So don't freak on me.

However, I do have to put FMWL on the back burner of my life for a little while. I've already started this process with less posts, refusals of some screeners and press releases I've gotten (and boy, that part bugs me the most. I miss my indie horror community, and I'm sorry I can't be there for them like I used to), and other cutbacks.  The real world has slowed me down considerably, and I can't continue to focus on the blog the same way I have in the past.

But that's not what's pushing me to pump the brakes.

The truth of the matter is that I've got a pretty big dream right now. I've been working on this site for a long time and I want to try something a little different. I'm not gonna talk about what it is here - I'm afraid of jinxes and I'm afraid I'll make myself look stupid if I fail - but there are three or four people I trust who know about it and are supporting me and I'm realizing that if I want to get this dream done I have to really focus on it. Which means less focus on FMWL, which is sad for now. But, if I get this dream out there I think it will make the kind of people who read sites like this very happy and will make all the people who love horror and want to share their love the way I do very proud.  And I want that more than anything right now.

What does this all mean for you? Two things.

• FMWL will still be here. I'm keeping the Midnight Movie of the Week going, but I'm going to work on a truncated format that will take me less time and hopefully still be interesting.  I reserve the right to post reviews and or commentaries from time to time, but I can't promise they'll be frequent.

• Secondly, I'm thinking about taking on a co-writer or two if anyone's interested. FMWL has a decent readership built in and I get a lot of review proposals and press releases that I'd be happy to share with another genre lover who can write a thing or two. I want to keep promoting great horror and other stuff and the best way to do this is to open the forum up a little bit.

If you're interested in joining the FMWL team and getting your own love of horror and genre entertainment out there, you can email me at frommidnightwithlove@gmail.com. There are no expectations from me, other than a) being a stand up person who will review things they accept for review and b) being able to write complete sentences and string thoughts together.  So if you always wanted to write about stuff or see independent horror flicks or just have a place to share your thoughts on this stuff, email me and we'll talk.  If not, no worries.

That's what I know. Like I said, I'm not leaving. I'll still be here as much as I can, you can still find me on all the Facebooks/Twitters/Instagrams I generally haunt, and I'm still gonna be loving genre flicks like a madman. So stay in touch, and I'll do the same, and hopefully someday soon I'll have my dream come true and we'll all have a victorious party.

Now that that's all said, this week's Midnight Movie of the Week post will be coming soon. Be well, Midnight Warriors.

Introducing The October 2012 Awesome Horror Party

...because I can't think of a catchier title than that.

Us horror freaks, we live for this month. The way I see it, it started with Halloween, and then we were sitting around one day and we were like: "You know what, we want more. We'll take all of October now."  And so we did. And it was good.

Here at FMWL, I have not been up to par - at least by my standards - over the last few months.  But October is like two hours away now, and my goal is to slow life down enough that I can make some fun stuff happen here this month.  I plan to do so in a few ways, which I will detail below.

• The end of The Mike's Top 50 Horror Movies Countdown?

I've been dragging this thing on since March as a way to get short posts out on days when I'm content challenged share a list of what are currently my favorite films in all of horror.  My initial plan was to post on all 50 movies by the end of October, and at this point I have 12 films to go.  Can I do it? We'll find out.

• Lots of links to October Horror Goodness from all over the cyber 'verse.

If there's one thing I can guarantee about this October, it's that there will be a lot of horror lovin' folks on a lot of websites that will be knocking it out of the park this month.  And if I can't be an everyday warrior in the name of our favorite genre, I will at least do my best to point you in the direction of some good stuff.

If you're one of those horror loving writers with big plans for October - actually, plans of any size will do - make sure to find me via email or Facebook or Twitter and let me know.  I hope to do what I can to dig up some of the best stuff I find this month, because the celebration of horror in October needs to be a lot bigger than just me.

• How The Mike Found Horror

One of my favorite horror fiends, Christine from over at Fascination With Fear, recently put together an inventive listing project that blew my mind.  And with her permission, I'm stealing it and making it my own.

Throughout October, I will post a series of lists (YES! More lists!) with a common theme - How The Mike Found Horror.  These lists will break down many of the things that entertained, educated, and even inspired me through my youth, and will explain how these entities made me the Mike I am today.  Some of these things may be review to my regular readers - I just might mention The Blob at some point - but I am really looking forward to talking about some of the little things that pushed me down this macabre path of awesomeness.  Think of it as one of those "This is Your Life" things....if you're old enough to know what that means. Heck, I'm not old enough to know what that means.  I just know it from when Mankind did it to The Rock.  Don't worry though, it'll be fun.

• And your regular schedule of reviews and the Midnight Movie of the Week and more stuff.

Because that's what I do.  Hopefully it's as awesome as Dr. Doom's acoustic album.

Midnight Warriors! True Heroes of Horror Month is Near!

UPDATED: 10/30/11 - This project hasn't moved as quickly as I wanted it too, for which I apologize!  But the good news is that there's still time for you to join the listing fun!  I plan to recap the True Heroes of Horror Lists others have provided on the evening of November 1, so if you can get a list in to me (frommidnightwithlove(at)gmail(dot)com) by then you can still add to the master list of True Heroes of Horror and get yourself/your blog pimped at FMWL!  If you have questions, see the details below.....

----------------------------------

 ORIGINAL POST:
The sun is setting on one more September.  There's less than two hours left in the month where The Mike lives and - by some strange science I don't understand - most of the globe IS ALREADY IN OCTOBER!  So I thought I'd take a moment to give a reminder of FMWL's plans for horror's favorite month - and a chance to remind YOU what you can do to be a part of it!

In case you missed it, my goal for the month of October is to compile a list of the people - actors, directors, writers, producers, whatevers - who horror fans feel are the TRUE HEROES OF HORROR.  It's a pretty vague idea for a list, and I've argued with myself about what the easiest way to explain it is.  In conclusion, my best answer is that I'm picking the 10 (TEN!) people that I think truly represent how great horror can be. If that doesn't make sense, click on the link back at the beginning of the paragraph - maybe I explained it better back then!

All you have to do is send me a list.  Got a blog and want to write it there? GREAT. Send me the link and I'll pimp your site out.  Just wanna contribute to the total tally? AWESOME. Just email me (frommidnightwithlove (at) gmail (dot) com) ten names.  You don't have to put them in any order, just gimme the names.  And if y'all could try to do so by October 20th (so I can tally up the lists and create a big list by Halloween) I'd be quite in your debt.

(If you did read this all the first time, apologies, I just wanted to post a reminder.  I GET EXCITED ABOUT OCTOBER!)

Throughout the month I will be announcing the 10 names that make up my own list of the True Heroes of Horror, each of whom will be profiled in my own unique way in a separate post.  Part of me worries that this might influence others' voting, but the other part of me says a) you're all smart mammals who can think for themselves and b) it's my blog and I'll post if I want to.  So get ready for some fun.

Along with that, we'll still have your previously scheduled Midnight Movie of the Week posts (we're creeping awfully close to hitting 100 weeks!), and I've got a TON of good stuff coming up for FMWL's Indie Spotlight scene.  I can't even tell you how excited I am to shine the light on some folks who are trying to make their own statement and become horror heroes in their own manner.

IT'S COMING FOR YOU, Midnight Warriors!  And I promise you one thing....I'll be having a heckuva good time.  So get your dancin' shoes on!

Hey Midnight Warriors....Do Y'all Hear October Comin' Around The Corner?

Because I do.  And I'm PUMPED.  Everybody loves October.  If they don't they're not human.  They're not ghoul or monster or ghost either.  They're something else.  Something lame.

Anyway, I want to make October a bit eventful here at FMWL, but to do that I'm gonna need the help.  In fact, if you're so inclined, I'm gonna need the help of YOU - that's right, YOU! - the Midnight Warrior who's reading this right now.  You see, I thought this October might be a good time to talk about the people who represent horror to us all, and figure out which names really mean horror cinema to horror fans.  But I can't do it without input from folks who a) love horror and b) aren't me.

So here's what I'm asking for - sometime between now and October 15th, send me a list of up to 10 (TEN!) people - actors, writers, directors, producers, etc. - who, in your opinion, represent the best of what horror movies can be. 

You can use any criteria you like - your favorite people, the people who are most important, the people with the best mustaches or breasts - just please list no more than ten folks.  You don't even have to rank your ten or explain your ten (though you're free to do so if you like!), just gimme ten names, which I can then bring to FMWL and (hopefully) once I have a lot of lists we'll be able to run some statistics and create a bigger list and see just who horror fans feel are The True Heroes of Horror.

If you'd like to participate in this list-producing event, let me know via email at frommidnightwithlove (at) gmail (dot) com.  If you have your own site, feel free to post your list there and just send me a link, but that's not required either.  Look, there aren't any requirements, except that you a) list names of the people in horror you love and b) kick ass. 

In the meantime, I'll be using FMWL to profile and/or comment on some of my Horror Heroes, and I also hope to spotlight some awesome guests as the month goes on.  So, if you'd like to participate in Horror Heroes Month here at FMWL...well, I've already told you what to do.  And I'd be honored to have you contribute!

Evil Dead Remake....for real? Bruce Campbell tells The Mike to believe!

That's what internet rumors are saying...and that's what Bruce Campbell is saying.

After rumors started rolling around the internet (hey look, here's some of them!) I - knowing we've been down this path before - voiced some skepticism on Twitter regarding the project.

That "GroovyBruce" fellow? Well, according to Bruce-Campbell.com - it's Bruce Campbell.

And a bit later....GroovyBruce had some reassuring words for The Mike.....

So, do you believe?

Update - 7/12/11 - As is noted in Bruce's tweet (and now the title of the post) it's an Evil Dead REMAKE that is being produced.  And, today, Bloody Disgusting (after picking up our scoop on Bruce's tweet) found out that Fede Alvarez - not Sam Raimi - will be directing the low budget remake.

Alvarez got Raimi's attention with this short film, which is well worth seeing.

Welcome to 1980s Horror Month at FMWL!

That's right....IT'S HERE.

June is my favorite month, and I wanted to do something special for it here at From Midnight, With Love.  As I looked back at FMWL over the couple of years, I realized that a) I've covered a lot of '80s films, because I do love the '80s; and b) I still haven't talked about some '80s horrors that I meant to cover, whether they be personal favorites or films that have eluded my eyes thus far.  So, for the next 30 days....we're gonna be all about the '80s.  Things won't vary too far from our normal fare, but there will be a couple of tricks up my sleeve.

For starters, I'll be spending a large part of the month counting down my personal 31 Favorite 1980s Horrors.  I'm very excited to share my favorites - even if I haven't quite finished the list yet - and hope you'll enjoy coming along for a ride through my own view of the decade's bests.  If nothing else, I hope some of the selections will surprise you.

Speaking of surprises, I've also got a few fantastic guest hosts lined up to host FMWL at times this month.  I will be taking a brief vacation in the middle of the month, but I assure you that I'm going to leave the site in some very good hands.  The writers I've talked to so far - no, unfortunately, Elvira isn't one of them - have some great insight to share with you all, and I'm hoping they can enlighten me a bit too.

If any of you Midnight Warriors out there are willing to contribute to the cause - and wouldn't mind your perspective on '80s horror being shared with FMWL's readers - get in touch with me and let me know.  I want this month to be more than just me rambling about these movies, I want to hear from YOU.  You could send me a review, send me a list, send me an opinion piece - anything that pays tribute to horror's most decadent decade.  Just hit up the email, frommidnightwithlove (at) gmail (dot) com, and let me know.

Now is the time, Midnight Warriors.  Let's show our love for that glorious time gone by, and lets have an awesome 1980s Horror Month here at FMWL!  In the meantime.....enjoy a musical selection from Caroline Munro and the 1985 slasher Don't Open Till Christmas!

FMWL's Midnight Madness Tournament Ends: The 2010-2011 Midnight Movie of the Year is....

It is finished.  By a vote of 14-9, after what seems like a lifetime of FMWL's Midnight Madness Tournament, one film has outlasted 63 others to become our grand champion.  In fact, you could say it assimilated those 63 films, because the winner is....

John Carpenter's The Thing

I'm not particularly surprised by this result.  Not only was it the tournament's overall top seed (due to its 8.2/10 rating on IMDB), it's also one of the most unanimously loved horror films out there.  The gorehounds love it for its effects, classic horror fans love its bleak setting, women love its Kurt Russell beard, etc.  There's next to no downside to the film.  

Much lauding must also go to Evil Dead II, our runner up, which made a good run as the last Midnight Movie of the Week I picked before starting the tournament.  I must admit that I picked it for that spot with the tournament in mind, so its run to the championship matchup didn't surprise me either.

There are a few things I might have changed had I picked this tournament on my own.  First of all, Assault on Precinct 13, which was gigantically crushed by Silent Night, Deadly Night in the First Round, would have at least made my Final Four.  The same goes for The 'Burbs, which I was shocked to see losing to Hammer's The Curse of the Werewolf in the first round.  The Regional Finals matchups might also have gone much differently were I voting, as I picked three losers among the four showdowns.  

On the other hand, I loved the way things shook out - thanks to the fantastic list of folks who helped pick the winners! - especially with the likes of Spider Baby, The Entity, and Killer Klowns from Outer Space (despite much controversy!) making their way deep into the tournament.  And, though I might have pushed the likes of Predator toward the finals - I can't argue with the result.  

And so it is. John Carpenter's The Thing is FMWL's 2010-2011 big thing.  May it proudly grace the sidebar until a new champion comes forth to steal its throne.

Or maybe it'll just wait here for a while.... see what happens....

 

YOU HAVE LESS THAN 8 HOURS TO LIVE....

....wait a minute.  Sorry, typo.

What I meant to say was, you have less than 8 hours left to vote in the semifinals of our Midnight Madness Tournament!  Click the posters below, go to the post, and leave a comment with your picks for the two matchups!

The Thing vs. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre!  Moon vs. Evil Dead II!  

Who wins? 

YOU DECIDE!!!!!

Links and FMWL News! - Hitchcock, Flickchart, and FMWL's March Midnight Madness BEGINS!

Aloha, Midnight Warriors!  Nothing too big to post today, but I wanted to let you in on some fantastic stuff going on right about now.  Let's get to it!

• First of all, I wanted to offer a couple of reminders.  My Movies to See Before You Die columns at Flickchart: The Blog are still rolling out on occasion, and last week I presented a sci-fi classic that could have graced the pages of FMWL - Forbidden Planet.  If you haven't been over there to check out these posts, and all the other good stuff there, you should.

• Also, don't forget to vote for the Rondo Awards!  Yes, FMWL is nominated for Best Blog, but the point is that you should vote for WHATVER YOU LIKE!  If you like classic horror, and you should, this is where you vote!  Click the link on the side, click this link right here, click something.  Just vote.  (And don't feel bad, I didn't vote for me either.)

• Speaking of great blogs, I'm honored to have had a chance to participate in the Hitch on the Hump series over at The Lightning Bug's Lair.  If the cards had shook differently, y'all might not have ever gotten a FMWL, because I may have started an all Hitchcock blog.  So, go over there to see what I have to say about my favorite director, as I discuss the legacy of Hitch's early masterpiece The 39 Steps.  And make sure to check out the rest of Mr. Bugg's stuff, because he should be talking Rondo Awards right now in my place.

And now, let's talk about what's coming to FMWL soon.  As you should know by now, the 64th Midnight Movie of the Week is now posted at FMWL, and it is March.  To many, March is synonymous with a certain collegiate basketball tournament which traditionally offered 64 teams.  If you thought The Mike wasn't gonna take advantage of that correlation...you're crazier than those who get Madness every March.

So, I present FMWL's MARCH MIDNIGHT MADNESS tournament.  Here's what's up:

• All 64 Midnight Movies of the Week, from #1 The Devil Rides Out to #64 Evil Dead II have been broken up into four brackets of 16 films.  
• To create an impartial set of seedings, the IMDB rating of each film was used to determine its seed in the tournament.  Thus, the four highest rated films earned the #1 seeds, the next four earned the #2 seeds, and so on. (Ties were broken by the number of voters giving the film its rating, with a higher vote total equaling a higher seed.)
• Once the bracket was set, I had to figure out how to get results.  Though it would be fun for me to go ahead and pick my favorites, I wanted to do something else.  So, I went out and found myself a selection committee.  About 20 of FMWL's favorite bloggers and genre fans have kindly volunteered to offer opinions on the brackets, which will allow me to simply count the votes (and use my tiebreaking hammer, as is needed) while they decide which films will move on while providing their own unique insights.

There're probably some kinks to be worked out that I haven't thought of yet, but in a week or two or three we'll have one grand champion standing tall as a grand champion.   And that excites me.

So, keep your eyes open for the MARCH MIDNIGHT MADNESS tournament, which will begin Thursday night with the first bracket and an introduction to the kind folks who'll be turning in their votes regarding the winners.

Until then, enjoy this video.  And be well.

The Best Thing To Hit England Since Fish & Chips? Dead Hooker in a Trunk is Crossing the Pond!

That's right, you crazy Midnight lovin' Brits!  One of FMWL's very favorite films of recent memory - the one that held down the #4 spot on The Mike's list of favorite genre films of 2010 - is coming YOUR WAY!

Here's the scoop:  On May 23rd, Bounty Films will release Dead Hooker in a Trunk on DVD all across the UK!  No details are available yet, but one thing is for sure - Any splatter-lovin' fan of subversive cinema is in for a real treat.

We'll have more news for you all as the day draws closer, but for now it's time to celebrate.  Go hug a furry hatted police officer or somethin', because Dead Hooker in a Trunk is on its way, and it "should make any lover of cult cinema proud".

EDIT: If you don't believe me, go hear it from the twins themselves!   Jen & Sylvia Soska, FMWL salutes you!

So, The Rondo Awards Happened...

(Yeah, I hate these posts too.  This blog isn't about me, I know.  But this is the big one in my eyes.)

It's only been a year since I was introduced to The Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards, but when I heard others talk about them and read about the history of the awards, I instantly knew that this was something I wanted From Midnight, With Love to be a part of.  I didn't talk about it, because I didn't want to sound like an attention craving fool, but I spent quite a bit of time when I should have been doing things like working or cleaning or not being a fool daydreaming about what I needed to do to make FMWL Rondo-worthy.  Robocop would say that it became my prime directive.  Somebody must have noticed, because From Midnight, With Love has made the final ballot for the Ninth Annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards!  

Instructions on how to vote are in the link above, but I'm not too worried about that right now.  Things get dramatic whenever voting and the internet get together, and I'm not going to bring that to FMWL any time soon.  As is, I'm incredibly honored - truly, deeply honored - to be listed among such great company.  The number one goal of FMWL has always been to share my love of horror and genre cinema and to help excite the same love in others, and this tells me I'm doing something right.

I'm also completely indebted to all the fantastic horror fans and writers I've met over the last couple of years.  There are so many AMAZING blogs out there that deserve to be nominated far more than I do, and being able to interact with them via their sites and social networking has been wonderful.  I won't begin to list them individually, because I'm sure I couldn't list everyone, but all of you - especially all the kind folks who've gone out of their way to congratulate me over the last 24 hours - are wonderful.  The fellowship from others in the horror 'verse is truly the best gift an introverted horror nerd could ever receive.

(And a special thanks to Mr. Joe Monster of From Beyond Depraved, who threw my name into the Rondo hat.  I present to him this certificate good for 1 (one) free firstborn child.  Good luck cashing that in, mate!)

I also need to give a quick thanks for the support to the folks from the real world that have supported my horrific endeavors.  Specifically I must say thanks to Jason, Russ, Dana, Ryan, Holly, and the whole North Grand 5 crew - who are all awesome sauce.  And my Masha, who will cry when she reads this, who is FMWL's biggest fan.  Many thanks to her for pushing the movie nerd side of me to keep up with the football nerd side of me.

And that's it.  Enough sappy crap, I've got writing to do.  FMWL's gonna start proving it's ready for the TENTH Annual Rondo Awards.....right now.  This one's for all y'all.

Midnight Warriors & Super Bowl Sunday Linky Stuff

I'm gonna be brief today, because I'm way past the point of calm.  By the time you read this, I'll be safely watching the Super Bowl with a large amount of people on site to restrain me.  If you never hear from me again, there's a great horror script to be written about my disease.  (Hint: The film ends with a madman in a strait jacket screaming "GO PACK GO!" in his final breaths.)

A few Midnight Warriors have been showing up at FMWL in the first week of Women in Horror Recognition month.  Among them are The lovely and devilish Jinx, of Totally Jinxed, who takes a look at some of the Bad Girls of Horror that she loves.  Speaking of girls and horror, The Girl Who Loves Horror has also started her own Women in Horror journey with a look the women of Stephen King fiction! 

I've also found some awesome Women in Horrorness going on at The Bleaux Leaux Reveaux, and am hearing rumors of some Women in Horror action coming soon to my favorite book blog, Shredded Cheddar.  (And no, it's not just my favorite because I'm a Cheesehead and there's cheese in the title.  It's because it's awesome.)

(Of course, there's always the official Women in Horror Month site and their Facebook page, where you can find awesome stuff too!)

And, if you missed it, my latest piece over at Flickchart: The Blog is up.  It's another in their "Movies To See Before You Die" series, and it features THIS FILM.

You know...THIS FILM:

 

Have a great day everyone!  If I'm not back by Thursday, send out the dogs!

Hey Midnight Warriors! Come Join FMWL in Celebrating Women in Horror Recognition Month!

Ladies and Gentlemen, it's that time of year again!  February is already upon us, and that can mean only one thing...THE PACKERS ARE PLAYING IN THE SUPER BOWL ON SUNDAY!!!!!!!!

Wait, wait...sorry...The Mike's mind is not functioning right.  While the above fact is true, that's certainly not the one thing I mean to speak about.  The truth of the matter, as my post's title gives away, is that it's once again Women in Horror Recognition Month.  And, boy howdy, FMWL wants to help get this party started!

I put a lot of thought into what I could do to celebrate women of horror, because I believe that it is women who have made horror what it is today.  It occurs to me that many - most likely too many - horror films gain their power over the viewer by putting women in predicaments that we don't expect women to survive.  For example, The Descent is widely considered a horror film, while a film like Predator is not as widely considered such.  What's the difference between the two films where a trained group of individuals is dropped into a survival situation and meets a menace they didn't expect?  The easiest answer to give is that viewers expect Arnold Schwarzenegger to survive an unknown evil.

And, as I pondered conundrums like the one above, I spiraled deeper and deeper into my own mind.  What do we really expect from women in our societies, and how do horror films exploit the norms that we're taught by those around us?  Are a lot of the horror movies we love exploiting the stereotypes that we are too blind to see?  And if so, which flicks have gotten it right?  Which films should we be championing as we look to the future of the portrayal of women in horror?

So, while I will of course spend much of Women in Horror Recognition Month recognizing Women in Horror (Like, duh!), I also want to break through some of the barriers we set for ourselves.  And that's where I need the help of YOU, you Midnight Warriors!

As we travel through February, I invite Midnight Warriors of all shapes, sizes, genders, and mindsets (and even of all football fandoms) to join me and share their experiences, opinions, and theories about women in horror and why we love them.  It's certainly a vague challenge, but I don't want to let semantics get in the way of the common goal.  After all, this IS a celebration.  I'm gonna dive into the psyche of the horror genre while doing my best to honor women in horror, and you can do the same....or you can do whatever you like to celebrate women in horror. 

So, do what you do.  You can email me (frommidnightwithlove (at) gmail (dot) com) links to stories you write so I can post them here, or you can send me your stories and I will post them at FMWL as guest posts.  There will, of course, be maximum linkage to your own sites, so don't feel as if I'm trying to make you do work for me.  I just want to make sure FMWL does everything it can to honor the women who have helped me love horror.

Go forth, Midnight Warriors, and pay tribute!  I can't wait to see what you all have up your sleeves.  In the meantime, I'll have a brief post recognizing some women of horror I love coming up very soon.  The Mike's ready to wave the Women in Horror flag all month long, and he wants YOU to join him!

Where to Find The Mike Lately.... (And Other Great Horror Web News!)

Remember that one time, a couple of weeks ago, when I was like "Oh yeah, I'm busy, but I'm doing something  that might be awesome?" Well, as fate would have it that cool thing became TWO cool things, and then another cool thing came up that The Mike proudly endorses.  So, he wanted to offer a quick few words to tell FMWL fans about a few really cool things going on right about....NOW.

Those of you who've been around a while know that The Mike has, on occasion, offered a guest post to Flickchart: The Blog, the talky companion to the most addictive cinema site known to man.  I'm pleased to announce that I'll be contributing a weekly piece to that site this year, and that this reign of Mikeness began this week with a post on why The Limey belongs among the "Movies You Should See Before You Die".  I won't specifically be talking about genre related films at their site, but I hope to share some pretty cool stuff.  Y'all are very welcome to come along for the ride (even if it means you have to see my creepy mug)!

Non Mike related (thus far), but also awesome is the new Planet of Terror podcast hosted by friend of FMWL Cortez the Killer over at Planet of Terror!  Check out CTK's first podcast, which is up now, and keep your eyes on Planet of Terror.  I'm sure he'll have some of the best voices in independent horror and horror blogification joining him in the future!

Last, but not least....the big thing.  Around the middle of last year, a horror website popped up and quickly made me proud to be someone who spreads the word on horror and genre cinema.  That website was and is The Bloodsprayer.com, and it quickly set out to bring together some of the best voices in the cyber horror world in one place.  It wasn't long after the site debuted that The Mike made posting at The Bloodsprayer one of his two biggest goals as one who shares the love of horror.

Thusly, I'm ecstatic to share that a guest post written by yours truly is gracing the front page of The Bloodsprayer on this very day!  Ms. Kristy Jett, the site's "First Lady of Filth", asked me for a piece on one of our mutual favorite directors, Hammer and Amicus Films legend Freddie Francis, and I put together the biographical article you can find HERE. I'm still not quite sure I nailed it, (I ran a little long and a little dull for my liking), but they liked it enough to post it.  Regardless, I'm humbled and honored to have had a chance to share my words through such a fantastic site.  So you should go check it out!

Last but not least, there's two days left to vote in Total Film's Blog Awards, and you can still find that link at the top right of the page.  The contest is pretty much ended, but I wanted to offer a deep bit of thanks to everyone who has either voted for FMWL or who has taken a look at FMWL after finding us through these awards.  It's people like y'all that make The Mike's day.  I salute you.

Now click one of those links and get reading or listening!

Non Horror-Related Memo to All Friends of FMWL...

MY BELOVED GREEN BAY PACKERS ARE GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL!

First time since this guy played for 'em....

If there's a little extra babbling or some terribly incoherent drivel in my posts over the next two weeks, I apologize in advance.  I'll be slightly preoccupied.

That is all.  Thank you for being awesome.

A Quick Midnight Bite....

Good evening, Midnight Warriors!  I wanted to take a quick moment and apologize that I haven't posted the last couple of days.  It's not because I'm sick of you all (it's not, you're alright in my book!), it's because I'm hard at work on something that (I hope) will make you all proud to love genre cinema and FMWL.

I can't tell you exactly what that thing is, but completing it will fulfill one of the two major personal goals I set for myself during the last year of writing.  I am truly excited about it, and thus I've been giving it a little more attention than FMWL this week.  Please forgive my absence.

Since this post serves as both an apology and a teaser, I thought I'd leave you with a small hint about this potentially glorious thing.  Below is one of my favorite horror related images - the teaser poster for Hammer's Dracula Has Risen From The Grave.

(Fun Fact: Dracula Has Risen From the Grave was the first film the MPAA ever rated.  As you can see above....it was approved for "General Audiences" with the G rating!)