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 : 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 : 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!

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!