Horror Hotel Cinema : 100 Scariest Moments (2003)

Hi folks...Hotel Management here with a long overdue return to the Horror Hotel Cinema...

Tonight, we're going for something a little different. In place of the usual B-Movies, J-Horror and Cult Classics; tonights show will consist of what, if I remember correctly, was a two-part TV show that aired around nine years ago in the UK.

At that time, a vote was taken to try and discover what Britain considered the scariest moments in television and cinema history. The results were often surprising, hugely nostalgic, and served to remind many viewers, (myself included), of some of the moments that chilled our souls as kids in the 80's and beyond. For many, I'm sure it was an educational experience also. I personally have the entire QUATERMASS series sat proudly atop my DVD collection, and I'm not sure it would be there were I to have missed this thing. It ranks among my fave box-sets, and I had never even heard about this legendary, (and still terrifying), BBC serial until I slapped my eyeballs on what you'll find below.

So, settle back for a long, fun-filled trip down memory lane with a look at the 100 SCARIEST MOMENTS, as voted for by the UK. Your in for a real treat, and you'll be meeting a whole host of familiar fiends, including Myers, Kruger, Mrs Voorhees, Sadako, Pinhead and many more. Not to mention it'll make for brilliant debate fodder among you and your more geekish buddies.

Your welcome!

Editorial - The Greatest Christopher Lee Performances

As a card-carrying Hammer Horror obsessive, I'm no stranger to the mighty Christopher Lee. Known to many as the quintessential Dracula of their generation, and known to other of a younger brand as the devious Saruman of THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY, Lee has wore many guises. He's been in more sword-fights onscreen than any other actor, and has played everything from Rasputin the Mad Monk to James Bond's nemesis. In short, the mans a legend.

These are my picks, in no particular order, for some of his greatest characters. I'm focusing on Lee's performances, and the impact he made on me personally in these roles. I don't pretend to have seen anywhere near all of the mans cinematic output, so don't be angered if I missed out some greats, (as I'm sure I have). Feel free to agree, disagree, rant and rave, but remember this is my own personal selection, for reasons of my own. Enjoy..

Editorial : Twilight Zone Pinball

Everyone loves Pinball, and everyone loves THE TWILIGHT ZONE, right?

With those rather obvious facts laid out on the table, it seems that we all have ourselves a little mission to undertake. A responsibility as Sci-Fi/Horror fans to help see that a much missed Pinball table makes its way onto our consoles and back into our hearts in the near future.

Farssight Studios are looking to convert the arcade classic, (which sits proudly in the higher echelons of the 'Top 300 Pinball Machines' on 'Internet Pinball Database', and is beloved among many retro gamers and Pinball aficionados, for a variety of platforms, including PS3 Xbox 360 and I-Phone among others. As you can see from the images herein, shes a beautiful table, and deserves to be resurrected for a new generation, (and all us old geezers who miss her). Only issue is....yep, you guessed it...financing.

Critically acclaimed developers, Farsight, are looking to raise a cool $55,000 by June 17th and have so far just approached the halfway mark. If you wanna play the table as much as I do, head on over and pledge as much as you can afford, to help bring Rod Serling back into your living room.

This video explains the whole situation, and this article has links and instructions on how to donate to this fun-filled cause. Take a day off from saving the world, and save THE TWILIGHT ZONE PINBALL MACHINE!

Editorial : Adventures in Horror Fiction

Something of a personal message to all my fellow horror nuts out there.

Things have been very hectic here of late. My daughter, born in America has finally arrived on my rainswept shores and is now living happily with both her mum and her dear old dad, (who plans to brainwash her with Universal Horror, and Hammer Horror forthwith!). Much time and energy has been spent decorating my once space-age party pad into a civilized family home, yet the real reason for such a slow month last month is that I finally pulled my head out my arse and started taking my own fictional work seriously.

Things are settled now, and the coming months will see more posts than usual. I'm disciplining myself and making time for both my forthcoming horror anthology, and this here strange little Hotel just off the beaten track.

Art of Darkness 3 : Roger Koch

Your old pal Kyle recently joined a Facebook group page, ( I know, I know...Facebook is the tool of the devil, just hear me out on this one), called HAMMERMANIACS, (link here!), which, as you have most likely figured out, is a page devoted to the wonderful, elegant brand of horror that the British studio, Hammer, brought to the world in the fifties, sixties and seventies. It's a page I advise all classic horror fans to embrace as its populated by a great group of well informed, passionate souls who work hard to keep the memory of Hammer alive in minds and hearts, all over the globe.

I've only been a member myself for the past few days, and already I've discovered a treasure trove of absolutely beautiful, rare images from the Hammer archives, on-set images, cast portraits, foreign one-sheets and much more, all in one place. Its a pretty phenomenal little corner of the Internet, guys.

Editorial : A Brief History of Horror Gaming - Part 2

A BRIEF HISTORY OF HORROR GAMING - PART 2


THE FALL OF TRADITIONAL SURVIVAL HORROR AND THE RISE OF ACTION BASED HORROR

For many, Survival Horror's descent from prominence was the equal of its rise. After the tidal wave of hits that pushed gaming in such exciting new directions, came the inevitable calm. The purity of intent that led developers to embrace the influence of Horror remained, yet like in its cinematic counterparts, Horror gaming was to become a much less cerebral affair and take on a more action oriented guise. RESIDENT EVIL 4 (2005), ditched many of the elements that made its predecessors so powerful. Gone were the pre rendered back grounds and the sparse encounters with lurching zombies and while the game retained plenty of what fans cherished about the originals, (limited inventory, strong gore), its focus was moving more towards action rather than suspense. The game featured more weapons, a far more precise aiming system and, whereas the original saw the player take on one or two enemies at a time, RE4 featured large crowds of death dealing enemies at any given time. The game was praised for its visual design and its massive crossover appeal, yet remained divisive among the core Survival Horror fans. Today, RE4 represents, for many, the point where traditional Survival Horror morphed into some new, and just as SILENT HILL followed suite with the original RE's template, so would SILENT HILL : HOMECOMING follow in this new direction. It’s argued that the more action Horror based games featured, the more compromised the emphasis on terror and dread became. And although this is often a very easily defendable stance, there are games that have challenged this thought line.

F.E.A.R

FEAR (2005) combined the fast paced shootouts of the first person actioner, with the eerie discordance of J-Horror, to create a product both exciting and unsettling. Its depth of story and keenly felt Horror themes were perfectly balanced with tense gunplay, creating perhaps the first true hybrid of Horror and Action gaming. It was soon followed by Sega's CONDEMNED: CRIMINAL ORIGINS (2006), which launched on the shiny new X-BOX 360, and was an instant hit, worldwide. CONDEMNED followed the,‘FEAR’, template and put its own spin on things. As a homicide detective, the player was required to investigate scenes of murder, and the reliance on gunplay was replaced with melee combat, adding to the sense of threat that its dank, filthy environments elicited. Sure, there were guns, but ammo was extremely sparse, (the guns contents were all the ammo you could hold). The influence of Survival Horror was again very prominent. And very welcome.

Editorial : A Brief History of Horror Gaming - Part 1

A Brief History of Horror Gaming


IN THE BEGINNING

As I write this, the second game in THE DARKNESS series is sat atop the shelves in stores worldwide. A game that utilises first person action, comic-book sensibilities and is blessed with a bucketful of glorious gore. Jimmy Stewart was right, life is indeed wonderful.

HAUNTED HOUSE

It’s been a long ride to get to where we are now in the gaming world, where old masters of the genre like Mr Carpenter come to spread their creative wings. It’s easy to sit back today with our Wide-screen TVs and our super powerful consoles and live the dream, but it was a long road.  Let's face it, we Horror fans are spoiled for choice when it comes to gaming, and that's cause for celebration, kids. In an ever changing world our love for horror is a constant, but our means of experiencing and enjoying fear and the macabre are making leaps and bounds forward, and its damned exciting. We can share the gaming experience with other fans the world over without moving from our couch, we can BE the guy behind the gun with only a few bullets left and a horde of the hungry undead hot on our heels. Hell, we can even play through the eyes of the undead ! We can band together and fight off mutants, and take on lank haired ghost girls in worlds so fully realised they make Main Street look like 24th Street, but It wasn't always this way....

As a card carrying 80's kid, I was lucky enough to have been there at the start.  I grew up with each consecutive gaming system, and watched the whole story unfold as games that today's generation would, rightly, deem so basic as to be laughable, filled our young heads with nightmares and fuelled our imaginations for endless hours. Put us in a dimly lit room with a twenty minute loading time, some monotone bleeps for a soundtrack to back up the unrecognisable graphics, and we were THERE, man!

Editorial : 2011's Top Ten

Well, another year is over and we're all a little closer to the cold embrace of the crypt, but it ain't all bad. Despite the whiners, naysayers and proud owners of eternal virginity's.....Horror has had a great year. Sure, the mainstream scene has left a lot to be desired, but since when has the situation been any different? Those of us who done our homework were rewarded with a plethora of brilliant fright flicks, and a few bona-fide timeless classics to boot. This 'top-ten' was actually really hard to compile, such has been the amount of downright impressive Horror on release in the fine year of 2011. I haven't put these in any particular order, as its too damn difficult. All these films stand proudly as their own entity, and shouldn't be compared. I have my own personal best, if I HAD to choose, but I'll keep that to myself. Anyway, here's the list...I've went by the year of release, but if theres any mistakes in here, be sure to let me know, and I'll sort it out. Oh, and if you've missed any of these little numbers, do yourself a favour and give them a look. Chances are, you wont be disappointed....

Editorial : Horror Hotel Managements 'Christmas Antidote'

Its that time of year again when huge corporations hook your children in with a barrage of advertising media, and your already half empty wallet is bled dry in the name of material possession. It's that time of year again when your drug-addict uncle throws up all over your X-Box, and your drunken father lets you know, in no uncertain terms, that you were a ripped condom, and have impoverished him ever since. A time for unwanted gifts to be received and over-expensive gifts to be given in order to save face. A time for burned Turkey dinners, and overdosing on Disney movies till the stinging sugar pours from your eyeballs.

Yep, its Christmas. The most stressful time of the year for the poor among us, and the most fun time of year for the Wal-mart, Tesco and Amazon shareholders of the world. Hallelujah, indeed.....

Macabre Memories 2 : The Top trumps Horror Card Collection

I Woke this morning with one thing on my mind, and one thing only...to track down those superbly scary Top Trumps that done the rounds in our school playground when I was little more than a boob-munching rug-rat.

I was recently interviewed by THE DEVILS EYES.COM. You can read the interview here if you like, or at least the first question, as the initial I was asked was, and I'm paraphrasing here, 'What got you into Horror?'. The answer came to me straight away, despite being something I haven't thought about for a number of years. More than a number of years, in fact. My answer surprised me, I have to admit. We all have formative moments in our lives when we inadvertently become shaped by outside influences, and oftentimes, we're not conscious of them. As I spoke about those Top Trump cards that so paralysed me as a child, I realised that I HAD to see them again. Nostalgia is a powerful thing, man. And it's not always for the best.

Editorial : Halloween Tricks 'N' Treats 1 - Essential Cinema

It's that time of year again, when golden leaves dance in the streets on the biting Autumn winds. When shadows loom larger as all manner of ghouls, goblins, witches and ghosts come out to play, and when kids and adults everywhere recognise the customs of old, and celebrate accordingly...It's Halloween!

This is by far my favorite time of year. I love the ambiance, the sense of mystery, the long cold nights, the howling winds whistling through the trees. I love the store front windows filled with seasonal goodies; monster masks, macabre toys, creepy decorations and pumpkins of all sizes just waiting to be carved into fearsome Jack-O-Lanterns. I love the sound of children's laughter as they happily carry on the traditions of their parents. I just love it. Its the time of year when I feel most alive, and most content. You can keep your Santa, your Easter Bunny and your New Year Bells. All I need is a shrill howling wind in the fall, a bunch of Horror-loving friends over for drinks and a seance, and I'm about as happy as a man can be.....almost.....

Editorial : The Arachnophobic Five

Screaming like a big girl is something I am shamefully familiar with....

Ever since I was a very small kid, Ive had one longstanding, unending and totally uncontrollable fear- the fear of spiders.

Everything about these abominations repulses me to my very core. The cold cluster of eyes, the sharp fangs, the bristling hair. The way they move. The way they feed. I just plain fucking hate them.

Even the word, 'Spider', itself holds all sorts of evil connotations in my mind. It sounds wrong, nefarious, predatory, barbed and brutal to my ears. Yep, these horrible bastards were, are, and most likely always will be the fuel for my nightmares.

I think of myself as a pretty zen guy. I never kill any bugs, I let em go about their weird-ass business as they see fit. Hell, I even help em out when I can, (just the other day I gave a massive slug a ride to the nearest safe foliage). But Spiders? When it comes to these godless horrors, I would kill and kill and kill, till the whole damn species was wiped out. Only problem with my genocidal plans for the little fuckers is that I'm too damn terrified to get within ten feet of them. They had just better hope I don't grow a pair of balls sometime in the future. Hell mend em if I do!

News : Daughter of Darkness (My firstborn arrives!)

Hi everyone.

Life has been moving pretty fast recently, and sadly, Ive been neglecting my little corner of the Internet. Trust me though, there is good reason....

As of 2am, 'British Time', on the 27th of September, a future fan of all things Horror entered this world. A perfect little person to whom my whole heart belongs and to whom all my childhood and adult experiences within our genre will be relived and revered anew.

The Horror Hotel meets World War Z : On the set of the new adaptation.

Just thought I'd share some cool-ass pictures I managed to take in my home city of Glasgow, during the WORLD WAR Z shoot this past week. In case your unaware, Glasgow was being used as a stand-in for Philly, and certain parts of the city were secured for chase scenes and random zombie craziness. I tried my best to get some close up pictures for you guys, and even infiltrated a derelict building to secure better pictures, (alas, I got busted and dragged out, but the workers were kind enough to pose for a picture when I told 'em I'd make em famous). What you see below is Glasgow's famous Georges Square, and the surrounding streets, being furnished as Philly, complete with SWAT vans, American cabs, Philly cop cars and some cool street signs. It was a lot of fun seeing my beloved home being 'Americanized'.

And the Horror Blog Award goes to.....

Hi troops.
Yesterday I hopped into the Hotel only to find that my good compadre, Dr Blood, had selected me for a Horror Blog Award. For which I am very grateful, may I add. Clearly my technique of mispelling, misqouting, and cursing like a pirate have paid off, as I always knew they would!

As this 'passing on of the baton' appears to be a time honored tradition within our awesome little community. I'd like to take the time now to pass it on to some others who richly deserve some praise, and who make my mornings and evening far more interesting with their thoughts, idea and insights into our genre. Now I'll adhere to the rules of this custom as they were passed to me by the good Doctor. So lets have at it.

It Came from the Desert!

As you can all see from the photo above, taken of me yesterday, being away from my beloved Hotel has taken its toll on my dashing good looks. Its been rough, man.

So, just wanna let you all know that I'll be posting much more in the coming weeks. Sorry I've been neglecting my little corner of the internet. I've been writing for SCREAM magazine and put much of my free time into that. I'd still have had time, were it not for my freakin PC deciding to self combust last week and destroying all hope of getting my shit together. But I'm back now, and The Horror Hotel is re-open for business.

News : THE THING (2011) Trailer has surfaced.....

 Anyone who reads this site will know I'm no fan of trailers. In fact, I avoid them like the plague. Seems that these days in order to sell a film to an audience, the producers feel its necessary to give away the entire plot, all the twists, and showcase the best scenes, minus the context. After watching INSIDIOUS, I decided to watch the trailer and was shocked by how many revelations were in there. A trailer should hint at whats to come and nothing more. And to be honest I'm at a loss as to think of any recent trailer that's took the subtle route. Not to mention TV spots, Internet 'leaks' and whatever the fuck else they deem we should see. if you think back to the face rape that was Platinum Dunes ELM STREET remake, they released practically every scene with cat face Freddy online. There was nothing left to surprise or titillate the viewer during the show.A bad example I know, seeing as the film made grown men cry and women grow a third boob, but you get my point.

Macabre Memories : Scream Comic-Back from the Depths!!

When I was a kid, like most children in my neighborhood, we would camp out. We'd pitch up a tent in either my families yard, or a friends yard. We'd then spend the evening playing board games and looking at pictures of boobies and discussing the female form like we knew what the hell we were talking about. They were good times; innocent times. I'm sure most of you have the same warm memories of your youth, and I'm sure a lot of you fondly remember that looking at boobies and playing games, however excellent, was the least of the fun.

Family Friendly Horror

As fatherhood looms ever closer, I find myself in a perpetual battle with my fine lady over just which horrors will be suitable for out baby girl and at what age. I argue that I saw HALLOWEEN and THE OMEN when I was barely seven years old, and yes, they scared the unearthly shit outta me, but they helped forge my lifelong love affair with the macabre. She argues that such films are too strong in content for a 7/8 year old, and that I've, 'lost my damn mind'. I'm pretty sure shes right about that, and that just pisses me off, folks.

I'm determined to be one of those cool parents who's kid grows up and boasts about them. The open minded, relaxed, 'rock 'n' roller', type. As the years roll on, though, my grasp on coolness fades relentlessly; the least I can do is pass on my passion for horror to my girl.

The Greatest Soundtracks in Horror, Volume 1

The horror soundtrack....

It can make or break a film. Its well known that John Carpenters HALLOWEEN was deemed 'boring', and 'not scary at all', until the great man added his now universally adored soundtrack. Then, boom!, its a 'horror' masterpiece', and 'absolutely terrifying'. The music accompanying a horror film can, and often proves to be, the making or the dismantling of the movies atmosphere. They often elicit suspense, dread, humor, adventure and terror when all else fails. They're a directors best friend, and maintain a symbiotic alliance with the images the filmmaker creates. One cannot fully exist and flourish without the other. See? Soundtracks matter!