Horror, Sci-Fi, & Fantasy, March 2013 Edition

I took a trip down memory lane with another horror fan this week. We discussed the movies that gave us nightmares, the movies that made us say, "Meh," and our favorite guilty-pleasure, deliciously cheesy horror movies.

Two horror movies in the cheesy category are:

Undead, which has a great scene where a guy fights zombie fish;
Brain Damage, which is a ridiculous movie, but inexplicably made me want to wear a turtleneck to bed for years afterwards;

And one movie that we both loved (and is probably cheesy, but neither of us could remember because we haven't seen it in years) is:

Damnation Alley (which is technically sci-fi, but it has some pretty horrific post-apocalyptic action).

I STILL remember scenes from Damnation Alley, and I only watched it once. After our little trip down memory lane, I bought the movie from Amazon . . . but I'm afraid to watch it, afraid its magical spell will be broken, especially with the outdated special effects. There's nothing worse than ruining a movie you've loved your whole life by watching it again and finding out it really isn't that great by today's standards.

Okay, enough nostalgia. On to this week's links!

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This season of The Walking Dead is almost over, so we'll have to get our zombie-fix elsewhere for a few months:

via @fearnet: Gift Guide: Chocolate skulls with edible brains!

via @fearnet: Gift Guide: Zombie Cookie Cutters!

via @horrorfreaknews: George Romero is Penning a Horror Comic for Marvel?!

via @io9: First Hints About How Zombieland Will Become a Weekly TV Show

‘Zombieland’ TV Series Coming to Amazon; Original Writers Returning as Showrunners

from Zombie Zone News: Upcoming Zombie movies (they also have lists of zombie movies, sorted by year).

from Horror-Movies.ca: A List of New Zombie Movies Worth Watching

from Flickchart: The Top 100 Zombie Films of All Time

Zombie Books to munch on. A Listmania! list by Patrick S. Dorazio

from Tor.com: 15 Essential Zombie Reads

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See you next week!

February Horror, Sci-Fi, & Fantasy

Welcome to the monthly horror/fantasy/sci-fi post!

On the fiction front, I just started reading:



Okay, onto the links!

For the ladies out there who are fans of steampunk and love shoes, I found this:
Metropolis Hades Atriedes Steampunk Victorian Gears Buckles Oxford Platform Metal Heels.
I admit, I'm not much of a "girly-girl," but I love shoes. And anything that combines two of my biggest loves, spec-fic and shoes, is awesome in my book!

From @io9: Philip K. Dick's The Man in the High Castle is coming to Syfy http://t.co/zZqWaAIz
I'd like to see Bear Grylls do a zombie apocalypse episode. Until then, we have this:
Zombie Survival Gear, the 13 essentials

I'm actually not upset about this theory. I think it's quietly elegant.
via @mjkrey: Could this be the official ending to John Carpenter's The Thing? http://ow.ly/hQVUM

via @blackgatedotcom: New blog post from Goth Chick News: Amazon Studios Scores Zombie Invasion http://ow.ly/2v1UmT

Top 10 Nightmare-inducing Aliens

And this week's "just for fun" link (because it reminds me of the Truffle Shuffle) is:
The Harlem Shake

See you next Monday!

Bonded by Blood V: Doomsday Descends

I just received my copy of Bonded by Blood V: Doomsday Descends and it looks terrific! It's a thick anthology, chock full of horror delights. There is nothing--NOTHING!--like curling up in bed with a buffet of horror stories during these long, cold winter nights, with the winter winds rattling the windowpanes.

The anthology includes my story, "Lard-Ass Larson," which is a good story for this time of year. If you've overindulged over the holidays and are thinking, "Gee. I'd give anything to lose a little weight," this story might change your mind.

Okay, on to this week's horror/fantasy/scifi links:

via @horrorfreaknews:
Upcoming Horror Movies 2013:  http://t.co/mQtHfmHE

I hate to admit it, but I'm really excited about this one. I loved The Lone Ranger as a kid, and I love all things Johnny Depp (I don't care what anyone says, his Captain Jack Sparrow is an amazing character). I'm anticipating this is going to be like chocolate in my peanut butter: bliss! Add into that the fact that Depp will be playing Tonto? His character is going to be the "7 of 9" for ladies.
via @blastr:
New trailer hints the Lone Ranger's got a supernatural origin:  http://t.co/Bw1CYRKX

When I was young, I saw a picture of The Creature from the Black Lagoon sitting on a milk crate, smoking a cigarette. I've loved these "behind the scenes" pics ever since.

via @flavorpill:
Unexpected and Hilarious Behind-the-Scenes Horror Film Photos:  http://t.co/2R9L7vCR

Best video EVER!
via @io9:
"Big Trouble in Little China" + Gangnam Style. John Carpenter approves:  http://t.co/Q57WpuKM


via @sfsignal:
Table of contents: The Year’s Best Science Fiction, 30th Annual Collection edited by Gardner Dozois:  http://t.co/up3Ip4YO


via @nprbooks:
The Year's Best Science Fiction Books Crosses Galaxies And Genres:  http://ow.ly/g9VvQ

And this week's zombie links (because we can never get enough zombies):

via @io9:
Watch the entire Large Hadron Collider zombie movie—shot at CERN—online now:  http://t.co/tIhQ31RN


via @flavorwire:
There Was No "Walking Dead" Christmas Special, So Fans Made Their Own:  http://ow.ly/ggjWN


I saw the photos that were circulating on the Net about Daryl's demise and my head almost exploded all over the wall. Thankfully, those were proven false.
via @fearnet:
Here is the FIRST look at the return of "The Walking Dead":  http://t.co/4fQjipi9


via @worldofhorror:
ABC Opts for New Zombie Series "The Returned":  http://t.co/ZGriJ55x


And last but not least:
The Walking Dead official magazine


There will be no blog post next Monday (5th Monday of the month). I'll see you the first Monday of next year!

Everything You Need for the Apocalypse

According to the Mayan calendar, next month is the end of the world. We know the date, but we don't what "apocalypse flavor" it will be (zombies? natural disasters? Bieber fever?). Just in case you're one of the lucky ones who survives it, here's a list of links and info that might come in handy.


Recipes for the Post-Apocalypse: How and why to eat rat meat by Lauren Davis

Wine pairings for the post-apocalypse: What to drink with rats, dog food, and more by Lauren Davis
(on a side note, I have a bottle of "Zombie Zin" stashed away, a nice little red wine specially created for a zombie apocalypse--see pic above).


Survival books to keep on your bookshelf in case of the apocalypse by Lauren Davis


Survival Kit - CMM Survival Tactical 1 Person Bug Out Bag w/ Crossbow & Gas Mask
(This actually has terrible reviews; I just like saying, "Bug Out Bag")


For those who like to travel light:
Zombie Apocalypse Survival Kit in a Sardine Can at Amazon.com

This one is on my bookshelf (I bought it--and the others I own--just for research; honestly!)
The Survivor Manual: An Official Book of the Hit CBS Television Show (based on US Armed Forces Survival Techniques)


And don't forget to catch as many episodes of "Man vs. Wild" as you can. I don't know if it will help you survive; I just like watching Bear Grylls get naked in the woods.


See you next week!

Lions, Ewoks, & Zombies...Oh My!

Image courtesy of Victor Habbick / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Warning: Spoilers Ahead

Of course I've been completely engrossed in the new season of The Walking Dead.

The first season was all about the zombies and the new post-apocalyptic world. The second season was mostly about making us care about the characters. This season is all about killing characters off, now that we care!

I'm stunned by the changes in Rick. No more Mr. Nice Guy, no more "let's give them a chance." It's not a bad thing, by any means, but I really was expecting Rick to let the prisoners live, even after the "lead" prisoner made some pretty blatant attempts on Rick's life. I thought it was "Randy" all over again. So I was pleasantly surprised when Rick just up and killed the guy.

Things haven't changed with Lori though, obviously: giving a dead man mouth-to-mouth in the zombie apocalypse . . . really!?! "Oh, you're dead and you're probably going to turn, but I think I'll just put my face really close to yours and see what happens." I think her character is too stupid to live. Of course, she does get bonus points for her delightful honesty in voicing her fears about the baby (what was it she said? Something about the baby dying and tearing out of her?).

I can't wait to see what happens in the next episode.


In other spec-fic news . . .

Free Reads, compiled by Regan Wolfrom for SF Signal:


Membership: 1258 men, 12 women ;)
Trekkie dating site will help you find the Vulcan of your dreams


Aw, so cute:
The Ewoking Dead


Upcoming book:
You’ve never seen the Wizard of Oz like this before


I admit it: I haven't seen any of the Paranormal Activity movies, but we all know that as a movie heads into the "IV" and "V" and greater iterations, it tends to get lame and overdone (Resident Evil, anyone?)
[Spoiler] Paranormal Activity 4 Explained

And:

Paramount Announces Paranormal Activity 5

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See you next week!