Chloe (Melissa Revels) and Abby (Aley Krienz) from the Tammy Dupal-penned "X Marks the Spot".

I’ve said it before and it’s worth repeating, “Indie horror is where life is breathed into the genre. Hollywood is just where it goes to die.” As my disillusionment with the corporate horror machine continues, I find some solace in the fact that small film makers are still keeping the home fires burning.

Before I go on, it’s time for a little full disclosure. Tammy Dupal, writer of the screenplay for the upcoming short, “X Marks the Spot” and founder of Twisted Central.com, is not only a friend but also a charter member of the TerrorScribe Mafia (she provided make up effects for the short, “Annotated”).

Today, I cornered her on Facebook and demanded she answer my stupid questions about making the leap from just commenting on movies to making them.
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Exactly where the hell have I been?
Mostly, I’ve been making a movie.

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Holy crap! Did we finally find a good Lovecraft movie?

While Lovecraft fans like me endure the excruciating wait for Del Toro’s “At the Mountains of Madness”, pickings are notoriously slim for any other tentacle-y goodness. Ordinarily, when Hollywood gets its grubby little mitts on any of Lovecraft’s work, the only resemblance it might bear to the original is the title. Sometimes, not even that. Lovecraft is not an easy author to adapt. It’s a job best left to professionals and scholars… like the people of the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society.

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Much has been made of the competition between “Saw” and “Paranormal Activity”, but much of that has only been at the box office. Aside from that, the creators of “Saw” (James Wan and Leigh Whannell) and the producers of “Paranormal Activity” (Steven Schneider, Jason Blum along with director Oren Peli) have teamed up for what could be a nice bit of haunted house action called, “Insidious.” Yes, I’m a bit late jumping on the bandwagon but I’ve been waiting to get a look at some of it first. This teaser, courtesy of those fine people at Shock Til You Drop, has certainly piqued my curiosity. Check it out after the jump.

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Jacob (Zak Kilberg) and Mary (Maya Parish) in "Midnight Son".

If you’re long past your puberty years, you’re probably tired of the glut of shiny happy vampires that we’ve had for the last few years. Personally, I’m even kind of tired of the other varieties that have popped up lately where we have vampires as fairly normal folks who just happen to drink blood and vampires who are completely alien monsters. More than once I’ve said wouldn’t it be nice to get something that wasn’t any of these? Something new?

Apparently, someone was listening.

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"The Valdemar Legacy" is looking for some American distribution love.

After watching a very disappointing first game of the World Series, I wasn’t necessarily looking for something to cheer me up but found it anyway.

The fine folks at Shock Till You Drop are reporting that the Spanish-made, Lovecraft-inspired “Valdemar Legacy” (or more accurately “La Herencia De Valdemar”) is being shopped for US distribution by Imagina International Sales.

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Crazy never looked so good in American McGee's "Alice: Madness Returns"

Way back around the turn of the millennium, EA release an interesting little game (by a local Dallas designer) called “American McGee’s Alice.” By all accounts – because even though I’ve had access to the game for year, I have yet to play it – it’s not a bad little bit of dark fantasy gaming.

Nine years later, they’re finally giving the girl another go with the upcoming “Alice: Madness Returns.” This trailer just broke today at the Tokyo Game Show and it gave me chills. To me, this has it all: beautiful art, fire, madness, tentacles. Do yourself a favor and check it out.

And you can find more Alice-y goodness at http://www.alicemadnessreturns.com.
Video after the jump.

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Lovecraft is all up in your grill in the upcoming "Altitude"

The fading days of summer have just turned out to be an absolute Tentacle-palooza. First, we had the announcement of the DVD release of the Lovecraftian “Closet Space”, Then there was the blockbuster announcement of Guillermo Del Toro and James Cameron teaming up to do “At the Mountains of Madness”. Now, we have news that October will also see the release of Kaare Andrews’ What-The-Hell-Is-That-In-The-Clouds “Altitude”.

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Will M. Night Shyamalan bring down "Devil"?

Want a way to instantly repel me from a movie? Just have M. Night Shyamalan’s name tagged onto it. I had a glimmer of hope for him until I actually saw that rancid accident of filmmaking they called “The Last Airbender”. He’s used up any good will I may have had for him. In my opinion, he’s finally made his decent into the Uwe Boll-level of Hell that Dante mercifully left out of his Divine Comedy. I would be hard pressed to find myself willing showing up for another of his offensive crapfests.

At least as long as he’s in the director’s chair.
Producing, apparently, is another matter.

I don’t know why, but this trailer for the upcoming “Devil” – describes as “From the mind of M. Night Shyamalan”, but is directed by John Dowdle – intrigues me. I’m not quite sure why. A group of people trapped in an elevator and one of them isn’t what they seem to be. Old and busted? Maybe but again, I found it interesting. Maybe he’s less likely to fuck up a movie once he’s out of the big chair. Here’s to hoping.

Trailer after the jump.

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Edward, Bella and the rest of Team WTF?!?

“I’d never given much thought to how I would die.”

That’s the opening line from ‘Twilight’, the first movie in the eponymous series. If that sounds like you, well, you’re probably like most of us making their way through this thing we call life. However, if you go up to a horror fan and tell them that any bit of the “Twilight” saga is a horror movie, there’s a very good chance that you won’t get to think about it any further. In fact, chances are that they will probably plan it for you.

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