Ash vs Evil Dead, Season 2 – RIP Pablo…

If any of you have been watching Ash vs Evil Dead, Season 2, we were treated to some very wonderful surprises this season such as, Lee Majors playing Ash’s Dad, Brock Williams, and Sam Raimi’s brother, Ted Raimi, playing Ash’s best friend, Chet. We also had Ash’s sister Cheryl return, played by the original actress, Ellen Sandweiss, who appears in (almost) the same make-up as the original ED movie!

However, we’ve also seen one of the members of the demon fighting force, the character Pablo, played by Ray Santiago, die in last week’s episode. We’ll miss you Pablo…you were the real Effay!

Ray Santiago as Pablo

BTW, Season one is now out on DVD/Blu-Ray. If you are a fan of the Evil Dead movies, the show is well worth your viewing!

 

https://www.starz.com/series/ashvsevildead/episodes

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all photos courtesy of Starz

Groovy Baby! Ash vs Evil Dead, season 2, starts this Sunday!

Ash vs Evil Dead, season 2, starts this SINday! Oct. 2nd

Sunday Oct. 2nd. Season 2 begins of what could be my favorite Horror TV show of all time. Why my favorite?

More cussing, more gore, more naughty tid-bits and more Motorhead songs than any other TV series ever made! Plus Ash is a character that is a lot of fun to watch 🙂

Don’t believe me? Just watch this trailer:

Ash Vs Evil Dead – Sunday Oct. 2nd on Starz Channel!

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Ash Williams, Bronx native Pablo, and Kelly are back to fight the evil hordes of Deadites with special guests like Lucy Lawless as Ruby, helping out whenever possible!

Ash

Deadite

Deadite

Pablo and Kelly – aren’t they adorable?

Kick some Ash!

We got this!

Oh, we don’t got this…

poor kelly…

blood vomit…

The demon

oh. crap!

Ruby

Ruby got her but kicked

more of The Demon

Pics curtesy of STARZ

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The World’s Most Evil Books – in movies and real life

For conjuring, spells, invocations and summoning the dark powers and Demonic entities

Books for summoning dark powers, entities, and magicks are often called Grimoires. These Grimoires were often collections of incantations and spells that practitioners accumulated in their travels, rewritten in an orderly fashion. Some were more intensive studies by monks, Satanists and sorcerers interested in the dark arts and attempting to unlock the secrets of death and the great beyond. Here’s a brief look at some of the most powerful dark arts books in the world.

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The Black Pullet – 1700s

This book from 18th century Rome gives instructions and guides on creating and using Talismans. The magic of the rings is known to bring forth a multitude of extraordinary powers of protection, healing, and spellbinding. One such ceremony concerns producing the Black Pullet, known as the Hen with Golden Eggs, to build wealth and fortune.

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The Red Dragon aka: The Grande Grimoire – 1500’s

Presumed to have been dated back to the 1500’s this book is a prized source of black magic and demonic invocation. It is believed to have been transcribed from original writings of King Solomon, known to be a master of spells, rituals and pacts with evil.

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Malleus Maleficarum – 1486

aka: De Hexenhammer (German) / Hammer of the Witches (English) This famous book is a legal treatise on the hunting, detection and persecution of witches. Written in 1486 by Heinrich Kramer after he had been given full papal approval for Inquisition and prosecution of witches in 1484. Part of it is a guide on the rules and methods of conducting a witchcraft trial, including accusations, tortured interrogation and proving witches guilty. The book covers arguments against witchcraft and how to maintain that it is real, the powers of a witch and the demon’s recruiting strategies.

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Liber Juratus – 1200’s

aka: The Grimoire of Honorius, is one of the oldest Grimoires known to man. It is said to have been created at a gathering of the world’s magicians and sorcerers for the expressed purpose of collecting all their knowledge into a single useful tool. This book of higher necromancy offers instruction on saving souls from purgatory, conjuring demons, casting spells and even powers of the church such as using angelic powers and seals. Its date of origin is unknown but can be traced as far back as medieval times in the 13th century.

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The Handbook of Ritual Power – An Ancient Egyptian Book of Spells – 700 AD

This is a 1,300-year-old book of bound parchment papers describing spells to accomplish many things including, controlling a person or freeing oneself from possession. It is written in Coptic and dialect points to its origins in the ancient cities of Ashmunein and Hermopolis. It could have been a rewriting and transitional documents of Sethian spells. It’s currently housed at the Macquarie University Museum in Australia.

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The Necronomicon – 1929

The Necronomicon was a fictional book created by HP Lovecraft in his story The Hound. It showed up in several other stories by himself and others after its first appearance and was described as written by The Mad Arab. It was not the book bound in human flesh as many people think. Although fictional, The Necronomicon was later the title of a “real” book of spells described as the Simon Necronomicon. The Simon Necronomicon is a two-part book. The first part is of how the editor, only known by the name Simon, came into possession of the book and his work to translate the book. It’s followed by the book of spells and identifiers. It claims to be able to summon entities to do your bidding or to ward off evil. The rituals are a mix of cultures including some Babylonian creation stories and Sumerian rituals.

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The Naturom Demonto – aka: The Necronomicon Ex-mortis – 1980

This is the fictional book that appeared in the Evil Dead films. It is purportedly written by The Dark Ones, who were banished into the Mirror Dimension, as a tool to release the Dark entities. This is the book that is described as bound in human flesh creating confusion and making people think that Lovecraft’s Necronomicon was also bound in human flesh.

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The Tibetan Book of the Dead

The Tibetan Book of the Dead is meant as a guide for Buddhists when they die and enter the Bardo, the hell-like place that exists between life and death. The text also includes the Signs of Death, and rituals to perform when death is near, in order to help the dying in the afterworld.

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The Book of Shadows – 1940’s

The Book of Shadows contains rituals and ceremonies for the Wiccan Neopagan religion. It was created in the late 1940’s by Gerald Gardener and used in his Bricket Wood Coven. Originally he had tried to keep the contents of the book a secret but with the expansion of the religion in the 1970’s and adaptations by Alexandrianism it soon became publically used by solitary practitioners and the demand for it led to published copies. The book had become popular after its usage in the TV show Charmed and other film references but the spells and rituals in the show never adhered to the content of the real book.

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The Hecate Scriptures – 1206 AD

My first discovery of this book was during research in my Theology class in college. I had taken notes on this book only to find at later dates the information gone. This book had instruction on how to use magic, spells and conjuring.  Also, the book supposedly disseminates the laws and rules of Hell itself. It has instruction on binding, conjuring and commanding evil entities and lists known demons of the time.

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What you’re looking at here is my research notes for my story, Skin Job. I will often do in-depth studies to gain an understanding about what I’m writing in my tales. I wanted to make sure the actions in the story were consistent with the rituals and outcomes from interactions with these sacred texts. It was interesting study to find out about these books and the ceremonies contained within them.

In my story, Skin Job, Alex uses a conjuring spell also known as an invocation, to call forth the ‘Car Nex’ demon. The book is unnamed with no markings upon its cover. It could very well be one of the books I’ve mentioned here. The book also has power in of itself as it possesses Alex and haunts his dreams until he can’t resist using it. The book torments him until its powers of darkness are unleashed.

Horror Movie Poster art – Postcard Collection- Part II

Horror Movie Poster art – Postcard Collection- Part II

From my personal collection – post card sized replications of all the famous classic films I love
The middle era horror films, 1960’s to 1980s, plus some non-horror flicks:

 

1960’s horror, sci fi and other!

1970’s and 1980s horror and sci-fi

My Clint Eastwood poster repros:

 

Hide Here! Rooms Least Likely to Get You Killed

GUEST BLOG POST: Eddie D. Shackleford

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Our homes are our sanctuaries.  They are where we go to relax, keep our belongings, and most importantly, protect ourselves from the terrors outside. Unfortunately, it’s hard to do the latter when horror movie killers, creatures, and other things that go bump in the night decide to make themselves welcome in our homes.  Once inside, they leave victims few places to hide.

Here are the rooms of the typical house which will give you the best chance of survival—from the worst to the best—should you find yourself in the company of a threatening, unwelcome guest in your home.

6. Bedroom
Topping off the list as the room with probably the most death tolls in all of horror cinema is the bedroom.  It’s a tasty choice for many a killer because it’s the usual place we go when we are at our most vulnerable—sleepy time.  Killers know that while we’re sawing logs we’re oblivious to their creaking footsteps or the ominous shadow they cast over our bed.

Friday the 13^th

For those actually lucky enough to be awake, the bedroom is also home to the ever popular hiding under the bed or in the closet.  Bad move.  You can expect the menace to thoroughly check both of those spots, if they didn’t crawl out of one of them to begin with.

Movie: Poltergeist

With no way of defending ourselves, the bedroom is the undisputed leader in certain death.  Sleep tight.

5. Bathroom
The bathroom is another terrible choice for several reasons.

First, people only use bathrooms to do a few things—all of which leave us exposed and defenseless.  Spooks thrive on this.  They get a kick out of being behind folks when we shut the medicine cabinet.

Movie: Psycho

Second, hiding in the bathroom leaves you trapped.  Most bathrooms have only one entrance, which, of course, is also the only way out.  Furthermore, they are generally small; leaving little range of motion should you pry off the shower rod to use as a weapon.

Movie: Dawn of the Dead

If you are going to use the bathroom to hide, at least check behind the shower curtain upon entering.

4. Basement/Attic
Not every home has both, so we’re lumping these two dark, cob-web-ridden rooms together.  If you do have both, that’s unfortunate.  You’ve just halved your chances of survival.

Basements and attics are, by nature, the creepiest places in the house.  They contain boxes of cursed family artifacts, possessed dolls, magic books, skeletal remains, and a hodgepodge of other things that should generally be avoided.

Movie: Insidious

Sadly, people are all too curious, snooping around despite the creaky boards, lack of light, and cats jumping out of corners—awakening demons, restless spirits, and ghouls in the process.

Movie: Evil Dead

If you’re going to hide in the basement or attic, just know that you’ll probably have to return there to send your killer back to the nether from whence they came.

3. Kitchen
While the Kitchen has been the scene for many grizzly deaths, it’s usually because of victim’s lack of intelligence rather than lack of resources.

For instance, though the kitchen doesn’t have much room for hiding, it provides useful tools to help combat the attacker such as knives, pans, blenders, you name it.

Movie: Gremlins

Kitchens in larger homes often have multiple exit points for quick escape.  And if you’re lucky enough to have doors to the kitchen, lock them, hunker down, and wait out the killer.  You’ll have plenty of food and water.

Watch out for tile and spilled blood.  That’s a good way to slip and slow you down.

2. Garage
Should you have the chance to make it to the garage, you’re doing ok.  Not too many victims in horror have drawn their last breath in the domestic carport.  A deserved exception can be seen in Scream.

Movie: Paranormal Activity 4

Your chances of survival improve dramatically if your power hasn’t been cut off yet, as there is a giant door ready to let you out into the free world.  If your power is out and you can’t reach the manual lever to the garage door, fear not!  The garage is essentially an armory, with weed whackers, hedge trimmers, shovels, and other makeshift weapons at your disposal.

Check out how resourceful the heroine is in Paranormal Activity 4, when trapped in the garage.  The whole series, which is probably now on demand with most cable and satellite providers, actually provides a good case study on good and bad places to hide in the home.

1. Laundry Room
If you find yourself in the laundry room during a horror movie home invasion, congratulations!  You’ve chosen the best place to hide.

Source: http://www.simplifiedbee.com

What the laundry room lacks in space and defenses, it makes up for in the sheer fact that hardly anyone would think to look there.  Plus, who wants to get all those nice linens all bathed in red?  No one, that’s who.  Not even killers and monsters.

Bonus points if you’re small enough to fit in the dryer.  Just hope the killer doesn’t turn it on.

At the end of the day, there’s a good chance none of these places will keep you safe forever.  But know that some are better than others and you should choose wisely before deciding to stake out in one.

And as for the bedroom— it’s best you just make it another laundry room.  No one will be the wiser.

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AUTHOR: Eddie D. Shackleford

 BIO: Eddie is a TV, movie and entertainment blogger for direct4TV.com.  Look to him for the scoop on hit movies and TV shows, sports, tech reviews, how-to’s, and more. You can follow Eddie @Eddie20Ford

Evil Dead (2013) – Movie Review – part II

Evil Dead (2013)  – Movie Review – part II

Aka: 50 reasons why the new Evil Dead Movie SUCKS! Part II

***This review is a total spoiler, please do not read if you intend to see the film. ***

This post contains Reasons 27 – 40, on why the new Evil Dead movie sucks!

If you haven’t read reasons 1 – 26, click here:
Evil Dead  Remake sucks reasons 1 – 26

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Okay, I had asked another reviewer, did it really need to be named, Evil Dead? My contention is that Hollywood loves to hijack branded names, just so they can make the biggest buck the quickest way possible and they don‘t even care if they are actual “remakes“ or have anything in common with the originals.

I think if Rob Zombie’s, Halloween was not named Halloween, a lot more people would have liked and respected it. With the Friday the 13^th remake, if you had changed the mask and didn’t call the camp grounds, “Crystal Lake” it could have been a brand new movie. On the other hand, War of the Worlds was definitely close to the book and could not have been called anything else. Same with Willard (both of which I thought were great remakes).

So, my reasons 27 – 33 are based on the decision to call this Evil Dead rather than, let’s say, Horror in the Woodlands, or something like that.

Did it really need to be called, Evil Dead?
The answer is… No!

The reasons to call it Evil Dead don’t hold up.

27) A cabin in the woods  – is in no less than 30 other horror movies.

28) The Necronomicon – is in no less than 18 movies. Besides they didn’t even call it the Necronomicon in this one.

29) Possessed women? At least 28 films have possessed women, many of which have been made in the last 10 years.

30) A Chainsaw? There’s at least 10 movies with the word ‘chainsaw’ in the title, alone!

31) Cut off your own arm? Even a non-horror film has that in it, ‘127 Hours.’

32) Evil entity in the woods – there’s a film every weekend on the Scy-Fy channel with this theme.

33) Pays homage to the first film – the movie Cabin In the Woods was a better tribute to the original Evil Dead than this remake.

 

Reasons 34 – 40 are comparisons to the original Evil Dead

Before I go on from here, we have to make a clear distinction between Evil Dead and Evil Dead II. The original Evil Dead was a more serious film with a straight forward horror style. It contained only two or three real ‘comedy gags’ in the whole film. (Ash does not cut off his hand in the 1^st film). ED II was more campy, funny and purposely leaning into dark comedy territory. If you have not seen the original Evil Dead in a while, it is time for a revisit. I watched it last night 🙂

34) The original Evil Dead had some serious atmosphere and suspense. The cabin, the mist, the dead trees all around the cabin delivered a foreboding, and you knew it was ‘wrong’ from the moment the group arrived. The new Evil Dead had NO atmosphere to speak of. Wanting to keep full tilt action in the remake also garnered very little actual suspense. Suspense is often created by the lull preceding a scary action or event and the anticipation of something about to happen.

35) Some claim the new Evil Dead is the goriest film they’ve ever seen. I think the original was gorier! Why? Pencil in the Achilles tendon, ‘nuff said!

36) Some claim the new Evil Dead was the bloodiest film. The original had Ash lop off his resurrected girlfriend’s head with a shovel and her body come to rest on top of him, squirting blood from her neck, right into his face! Blood from the rain doesn’t count, besides the band Slayer did that in live shows years ago!

37) The new one had a knot of tree branches crawl up Mia’s skirt. The original had a thick tree branch…uh… I can’t even talk about it. The whole scene in the original was just so much more disturbing.

38) The new one had a girl cutting her face with a piece of glass. The original had Ash stick his thumbs into a deadites eyes and all the way into its blood spewing skull.

39) The sound construction and composition in the original was half of the creepiness. The low hum as something unseen moved through the woods, the voices of the deadites, the jarring volume of slamming storm-shutters on the windows. All of these aspects made the original Evil Dead a better sounding film.

40) In the original, the deadite in the basement makes fun of the survivors – this to me is the ultimate evil, to have such a disregard for life that it would mock survivors – seems like something true evil would do. “I don’t wanna’ die! I don’t wanna’ die!”

Okay, hope ya’all enjoying this so far.
Tune in soon for my dramatic conclusion – reasons 41 thru 50