If you're like me, you realize that Bill Adcock over at Radiation-Scarred Reviews is one of the most knowledgeable dudes writing about genre flicks on this here internet. (If not, you should learn that.)
So head on over and check it out before it ends on August 20th, and feel free to tell Bill that The Mike sent you if you're so inclined. Even if you don't want to win, you can still go check out his collection of reviews (he even recently reviewed The Manitou(!), a film which also recently blew my fragile mind) and enjoy one of the most well-written and diverse sites out there.
When From Midnight, With Love first happened, it was supposed to be my way to ramble about the films throughout the history of genre cinema that I love. It still is, but there's been an excellent side effect that came with writing about horror - I've become acquainted with some really cool people who do some really cool things in the horror 'verse.
But it's certainly not fair if I'm the only one here who's acquainted with these cool folks and their cool projects. So, I want to give you a chance to get to know them too. And, as an added incentive for you all...we're gonna give one reader who supports these projects a special prize.
Before we get to that prize (which you can probably guess from the title if you've read FMWL for a while), let's talk about three awesome things you should know about in the horror world.
Mad House Magazine
I spend a lot of time promoting independent horror films here, but it's worth noting that horror fiction is not a dead art. And loyal Midnight Warrior Jose - formerly of From Beyond Depraved, currently of Mephisto's Castle, always of awesomeness - has a new project up his sleeve that demands your attention. In his own words, here's what you need to know about Mad House Magazine!
AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO SINISTER SCRIBES
AND OTHER VARIOUS FIENDS
Do you crave classic horror stories? Do you love the musty smell of a paperback anthology containing vintage horror? Stories about creepy old houses, aristocratic vampires, Lovecraftian creatures, and tales of psychological spooks?
We wanted to send a shout out to all interested parties who would want to submit pieces in this vein to MAD HOUSE, new digital magazine that’s eager to hear the terrifying tales that all you storytellers have to share. In addition to fiction, we're open for nonfiction, poetry, and artwork.
If you pine after the Universal and Hammer horror films and worship authors like Poe, M.R. James, Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, and many others, then MAD HOUSE is the monster mag for you!
The official deadline for any and all submissions for our premiere issue is MAY 5TH, 2012. We are planning on releasing the anthology in time for the Halloween season and need to have all materials at the ready by the above timeline. Don’t miss out on your chance!
At this time we cannot offer payment to our contributors. We're putting this magazine together for the pure fun of it and out of our love for all that is classic horror. We hope to someday offer monetary compensation for the great work that we’re provided with. In the meantime it is our desire to simply put together a loving publication that we can all share with other terror-loving friends.
We prefer that your submission is in Word document format, 12 point Times New Roman, single-spaced.
Stories can reach up to a 7,000 word maximum. Maximum word count for articles is 5,000 words.
Attach it to your email and make sure you include the piece's title and your name in the subject line.
We will request short bios upon acceptance of your piece(s).
Address all submissions to madhousemag [at] yahoo [dot] com.
MAD HOUSE will require the non-exclusive right to use submissions in our free online edition and any possible PDF editions. First world electronic rights revert back to the creators three months after publication in MAD HOUSE. Reprints are more than welcome. We only ask that creators notify us of previous appearances of their work and credit MAD HOUSE for future publication of their accepted piece.
Check out our blog for more information. Be careful as you traverse through MAD HOUSE and always keep your hands at the level of your eyes! You never know who you may run into.
I can't say enough about this young man's passion for horror in all its formats, and I strongly urge anyone with a love for horror or a talent for writing to give Mad House Magazine a chance.
Ashes
Last October I got the chance to review an intelligent little pandemic horror film - think Contagion meets The Signal - called Ashes. And, it's with great pleasure that I report that the folks over at Osiris Entertainment released the film worldwide on DVD last Tuesday. I wasn't head over heels in love with the film when I first saw it, but it's grown on me with time and I think you darn sure should check it out. I'm not sure if it's on the giant web-based rental and streaming site yet, but I do know you can pick up the DVD at Amazon right about now.
Absentia
Yeah, I've talked about Absentia a lot. Heck it was in the top three of my best of 2011 list. But there's more news on the Absentia front that you need to know, particularly that a) the film is now available for rent on VOD services like Amazon and ITunes, and b) the film will be out on DVD for everyone on March 13th. I can't recommend it enough - which is part of why I'm still talking about it - so make sure you keep your eyes out for it!
Now....about that giveaway!
Why am I sitting here pimping this stuff? Is it because I'm too nice? Is it because I think I'll get attention by promoting it? NO. It's because I get excited about good horror, and I want to see these people and their projects succeed. One such success story is Dead Hooker in a Trunk, which recently hit DVD. I reviewed the movie more than 18 months ago - which is like 47 years in blogger terms - and yet, it's still relevant to horror today. And that excites the heck out of me. And I want to feel that excitement about these projects too.
Some folks in a certain program like to say that "we keep what we have by giving it away". So...I'm gonna give some one who reads this post and supports these three awesome horror projects a free DVD copy of Dead Hooker in A Trunk.
If you want to win this piece of grindhouse-y goodness, here's all I ask of you.
Go to Facebook. "Like" the pages for Mad House Magazine, Ashes, and Absentia. (I promise I won't cyber stalk you, but I will be watching the total number of likes on each page, and I darn sure better see the numbers going up!)
Leave a comment below with a name and contact info, letting me know you want in the drawing for a free copy of DHIAT.
Want to have your name in the drawing twice so you can double your chances of winning? "Like" FMWL on Facebook, and leave a comment on the wall letting us know that you support great indie and print horror!
I'm confident you all could love these projects on your own, but that doesn't mean I won't push you in their direction. So go forth and find out why I love them, then come back here (or meet us on Facebook!) by Midnight CST on Friday 2/17 to get yourself entered in the drawing for a free DVD copy of Dead Hooker in a Trunk!
The fine folks over at Random House have a copy of the new horror novel The Dead Path, by Australian author Stephen M. Irwin, that they want to give away to one lucky Midnight Warrior! I too will soon be reviewing this book here at FMWL, but I don't wanna make you all wait that long. So, I'm going to give you all a chance to win it NOW!
First, here's some details on the book from the publisher:
Do you remember the last time a book gave you the chills? The Dead Path is the ghost story we’ve been waiting for. A haunting vision in the woods sets off a series of tragic events, leaving Nicholas Close lost amid visions of ghosts trapped in their harrowing, final moments. These uniquely terrifying apparitions lead him on a thrilling and suspenseful ride to confront a wicked soul, and will leave an indelible mark on lovers of high-quality suspense and horror alike. Nicholas Close has always had an uncanny intuition, but after the death of his wife he becomes haunted, literally, by ghosts doomed to repeat their final violent moments in a chilling and endless loop. Torn by guilt and fearing for his sanity, Nicholas returns to his childhood home and is soon entangled in a disturbing series of disappearances and murders—both as a suspect and as the next victim of the malignant evil lurking in the heart of the woods. Stephen M. Irwin is the kind of debut author that readers love to discover—and rave about to all their friends. His electric use of language, stunning imagery, and suspenseful pacing are all on full display here. The Dead Path is a tour de force of wild imagination, taut suspense, and the creepiest, scariest setting since the sewers in Stephen King’s It.
You can also head over to Mr. Irwin's Facebook page, where there is an excerpt from the book available to peruse. I've only just begun the book, which comes in a nice hardcover edition with a pretty GLOW IN THE DARK(!) jacket, but the prose Irwin uses in the opening pages already has me a bit hooked.
How can I win the book, you ask? Well, it's pretty simple (no crazy screen grab challenge this time, thankfully). Leave a comment below with your name and email, and tell me one your favorite horror novels you've read. I'll accept comments through Halloween night, with the contest ending at 12 midnight (CST) on November 1st. At that point, I'll randomly pick one winner from all who have commented.
Thanks to Random House for thinking of us Midnight Warriors, and thanks to you, the reader, for being ready for a spooky novel from down under!
Remember that one time when you joined that screengrab challenge at FMWL? Well, if you do, you're a winner. That's right, we had two prizes and only had two entrants.
I'm hoping that either a) my screengrabs were just ridiculously hard; or b) everyone hates me and doesn't read the site anymore. I'd rather believe that one of those reasons is true, and not c) nobody wants some awesome Hammer flicks. Let's recap:
The Prizes: The Runner-Up (aka: Second Place; aka: The First Loser) will receive.......
Warner Brothers' Four Film Favorites DRACULA collection, featuring FOUR! Hammer flicks that star Christopher Lee as Dracula!
The WINNER (aka: Numero Uno; aka: The Grand Poobah) will receive the same prize as the Runner-Up. PLUS the winner will receive......
Universal's Hammer Horror Series DVD set, including a whopping EIGHT Hammer flicks!
If you have questions or suggestions not regarding a specific review, or would like to recommend a movie to The Mike, feel free to email him at frommidnightwithlove(at)gmail(dot)com!
Also, please leave feedback at the bottom of reviews by checking one of the boxes, or by leaving a comment! Any feedback that can help improve the site or reviews is much appreciated!
Posts
