“They’ve been waiting, they’ve always been waiting.”

Horror-inspired rock musician Rob Zombie has become a horror director, the results of which are often mixed bags of sorts, and usually quite polarizing. With the exception of “Halloween 2,” I’ve seen all his films on the big screen. From the overly praised “House of 1,000 Corpses” to the monumentally underappreciated “Devil’s Rejects,” from the atrocity that was “Halloween 2” to his current theatrical release, Zombie has divided horror audiences. Some sing his praises, while others dismiss him as a hack. Personally, I think he’s a true visionary. I can’t claim all his work is brilliant, but one thing is certain. This guy is no hack!

Freshly disappointed by “Halloween 2,” the buzz about Zombie’s follow-up project was intriguing. There were rumors of a “Blob” remake, a dinosaur film, and more. What eventually manifested was “The Lords of Salem.” From what I recall, he was handed a very modest budget and given free rein to create. Not often does this happen, so my interest was piqued.

I’ve been following the production, absorbing every morsel of information about it. Rob Zombie was going to make an art-house horror film inspired by the demented Italian genre flicks of the 70s and early 80s? Did I understand that right? As a fan of those films I was incredibly excited. Knowing Zombie was a force to be reckoned with, I was ecstatic. This was, at the very least, going to be fascinating.

And boy, was I right!

“Lords of Salem” is a simple story, a tale of supernatural revenge spanning the ages. But the plot is incidental here, as it was often subsidiary in the Italian masterpieces that inspired it. This is about style. This is about the art of the nightmarish. This is about submerging the audience in a rarely experienced realm. This is about taking people into hell, bombarding them with outlandish sights and sounds, and then daring them to return to their mundane world unaffected, unchanged by what they’ve just experienced.

Zombie’s film is bold, beautiful, and grotesque. Every single shot, camera angle, and image is perfectly presented. Love and attention went into the design of this film, and it is more than apparent. There hasn’t been a horror film this spectacular in decades. This sumptuous design is made all the more impressive when considering the meager budget. Zombie has single-handedly raised the proverbial bar for horror films with this movie, this is a work of art that others will be measured by. It’s just that astonishing.

Equally impressive are the performances. The cast is utterly amazing. Sheri Moon Zombie proves her abilities in a solid, engaging, and remarkably believable performance. She is the centerpiece of the film, the foundation upon which the entire structure rests. Patricia Quinn is flawlessly terrifying. Judy Geeson is utter perfection. Dee Wallace has never been better. But the courageous conviction of Meg Foster will blow your mind! Foster delivers the greatest genre performance of the last twenty years, and that is no exaggeration. Wicked, fiendish, fearless beyond compare, this is a historical moment for the horror genre. Worthy of the highest honors of the acting world, it’s too bad she will be completely overlooked. No matter how well made, horror is rarely awarded, no matter how well made. A sad truth.

I was prepared for what I was about to experience when I went to see Rob Zombie’s tour de force “Lords of Salem” at the theatre. I had high expectations, and it’s a pleasure to say I wasn’t disappointed. He delivered on the promise, and has created a modern masterpiece. More so than any of his other films, this will polarize audiences. Many walked out of the showing I attended, to them I scoff. Come on, they should have known what they were getting into. This is Rob Zombie. This is true, unapologetic horror.

“Lords of Salem” is a must-see extravaganza of lurid spectacle and resonance. I can’t wait to see it again.

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Game of Thrones: “Second Sons”
Original Air Date (HBO): Sunday May 19, 2013
Season 3 Episode 8

So many revelations this season!  Daenerys is a straight baller.  Jamie actually has a conscious…and a heart.  Robb seems to have the stones to actually lead his army and make the tough decisions.  Cersei finally had that smug smile slapped off her face by dear old daddy.  Margaery may not be evil, but even if she is I don’t care because her grandmamma is divine.  And of course Jon Snow knows nothing.  With all of the things that have happened so far that have made me rethink my opinion of certain characters, I’m happy to see that some things haven’t changed.  Sansa is still making bad decisions in the name of a fairy-tale romance and Joffrey is still the douchiest of all douchebags.

With all of these revelations, this season has proven to be one for the books.  I honestly can’t really think of a poor episode.  Aside from the whole Theon thing that’s going on, the rest of the season has been stellar and this latest episode is no exception.  That being said, we now have a two-week wait until the ninth episode of the season.  Thinking back, it’s the ninth episode that leaves viewers speechless.  The ninth episode of the first season dealt with Ned’s demise and the ninth episode of the second season was the incredible battle of Blackwater Bay.  I can’t even speculate on what’s to come.

Re-evaluating Perceptions

The one thing that this show does is challenge the perceptions the viewer has of its characters.  As viewers, opinions have shifted with the evolution of the characters, but it also happens within the show itself.  Arya found herself rethinking her opinion of someone who she included in her death prayer every night. Last week left off with Arya, upset with the Brotherhood for giving up Gendry as well as the detour the group planned to take, running off into the night on her own and getting nabbed by Sandor Clegane, who still happened to be lurking about.

Waking up before the Hound, Arya grabbed a large rock meaning to smash his head in with it.  She did, after all, wish for his death every night.  However, the Hound is on to her and encourages her to give it a shot, but tells her he’ll break her hands if she fails.   Arya played it smart and chose the high road, which turned out to be in her favor.  Thinking he was taking her back to King’s Landing, the Hound set her straight and told her that he’s actually taking her to the Twins, where Robb and Catelyn will be.  Further challenging her perceptions of him, the Hound also tells her stories of his time in King’s Landing and how he saved Sansa and even went back for her.  His stories aren’t enough for Arya to drop her guard, but she considers her companion a bit differently now.

The Second Sons

At first, I was wondering just what this episode’s title was referring to.  They do manage to refer to several different things happening in the episode and while this title could refer to Tyrion, Stannis, etc, I imagine it mainly refers to the trio of mercenaries that Daenerys had the pleasure of meeting.  They do go by the name The Second Sons after all.  After watching the Second Sons pull in to Yunkai, Selmy and Jorah inform Daenerys that they are an army of sellswords who are a force to be reckoned with.  Dany blows off the warning however, and sends an invite for their leaders to meet with her.  Three arrive; two Captains, and a Lieutenant.  Even though they claim to be free to do what they want, the true leader seems to be the Titan’s Bastard himself.  He’s a chauvinistic pig who couldn’t be any more foul that what he was.  Dany however, keeps her cool and presents her offer for them to fight for her, and gives them two days to decide before she sics her Unsullied on them.

Back at their camp, the three men continue in their piggish ways, and draw straws, well…a coin actually, to see which of them will sneak into her camp to kill her.  The Lieutenant, Daario Naharis, draws the coin destined to do the deed and he seems quite pleased.  While Dany is bathing and discussing the finer points of speaking Dothraki with Missandei, Darrio Naharis enters the tent and presents Dany with a gift: the head’s of the two captains.  Thank the Seven too because I don’t think I could have handled the Titan’s bastard’s comments and ass grabbing much longer.  Darrio swears his sword, life and love to Dany and I have to wonder where this is going.  Could he end up being something more?  If so, I don’t think Jorah is going to like that very much at all.  Speaking of Jorah, he’s kind of taken a back seat to Selmy lately because it seems like she’s relying more on Selmy’s counsel that Jorah’s.  Interesting.  I hope this doesn’t mean less screen time for Ian Glenn.  Because that is not OK.

A Lannister Wedding

Sansa’s wedding day has finally approached, even though it’s not the wedding she thought she’d have.  In a tender moment between Sansa and Tyrion prior to the ceremony, Tyrion tries to ease her fears telling her he will never hurt her.  During the ceremony, Joffrey gets his kicks in by taking away Tyrion’s step stool which made my hated level up.  As humiliating as the ceremony was, the reception wasn’t much better.  Tyrion ties one on in a big way, but luckily gets out of the time-honored tradition of being stripped down and carried to the bedchamber by the guests.  The highlight was Tyrion threatening Joffrey in a scene that actually made me laugh out loud.

Meanwhile, before the festivities, Cersei, makes a veiled threat to Margaery, but then sulks about the reception and completely blows off Loras when he tries to talk to her.  The highlight of the entire reception scene however would be when Lady Olenna proceeds to run down how the new Tyrell family tree will work out once Loras and Margaery are both wedded to their respective spouses to be.

Back in their chambers, Tyrion mentions that his Lord Father commanded him to consummate the marriage and Sansa reluctantly begins to undress.  It’s all very uncomfortable, especially when she responds to Tyrion’s question about her age, telling him that she’s 14.  Sophie Turner by no means looks 14, and I tend to forget how young the character truly is.  Tyrion tells her to stop and that he won’t be sharing her bed, much to her relief.  Much to Shae’s relief too when she notices non-soiled sheets and gives Tyrion an approving look as she pulls them from the bed and takes them away.

A King’s Blood Holds Power

While Arya deals with the Hound, her other half (as I like to refer to him) is still in the company of Melisandre.  Finally back on the shores of Dragonstone, he’s introduced to Uncle Stannis and is shown to his chambers. Stannis knows what Melisandre has in store for poor Gendry and doesn’t really want to sacrifice him, but tells Melisandre to just get it over with.  From there, Stannis pays the Onion Knight a visit in the dungeon and tells Davos that he’s going to be freed.  They discuss the situation with Gendry, and as usual, Davos expresses his opinion, knowing that’s exactly why Stannis came to see him.

Meanwhile, in his chambers, Gendry is understandably apprehensive about the whole thing, wondering when the carpet will be pulled from beneath his feet.  Melisandre enters and tries to put his fears at ease, telling him again that his blood holds power.  She wines him and dines him, then drops her robe and prepares him for sexy sexy time.  Poor Gendry, he never had a chance.  Once he’s bound to the bed, Melisandre breaks out the big guns…or in this case, the leeches and places three of them on Gendry’s body.  Stannis enters, Melisandre pulls the leeches from Gendry’s body, and Stannis throws each one in the fire.  One for the usurper Robb Stark, one for the usurper, Balon Greyjoy, and one for the usurper Joffrey Baratheon.  None of that is good news.  NONE OF IT!

The Birds

Sam and Gilly are still on the run in the North.  They come upon a burnt out shack where they decide to camp for the night.  A lone crow perches in the weirswood tree and caws relentlessly while Sam tries unsuccessfully to light a fire.  Gilly finally gets the fire lit, and the two sit and discuss baby names.  Their conversation is interrupted by a ruckus outside and when Sam goes to investigate, he finds the wierwood tree packed with birds, and an Other approaching.  Sam tells Gilly to stay inside, and she’s convinced the Other is coming for her baby.  Sam grabs a sword, but is no match for the Other and is cast aside like an old newspaper.  In an effort to protect Gilly and the baby, Sam grabs the obsidian dagger he found and stabs the Other in the back.  The Other pulls his best T-1000-getting-doused-with-liquid-nitrogen impression and is destroyed.  Seeing this as an opportunity, Sam grabs Gilly and flees…..LEAVING HIS DAGGER BEHIND.  You don’t leave the only weapon that will kill these things behind.  You just don’t.  Ugh….c’mon Sam!

So now the long two-week wait until the penultimate episode.  After that whole leech burning scene, I can’t help but feel a sense of dread linger.  I mean, I really don’t care if anything happens to Joffrey.  I want him to die a painful, wretched death, but then who would I hate on?  Cut off the head of the beast and another grows in its place right?  Anyway, the last two episodes of the season are surely going to be amazing and I can’t help but think that the finale will end in a brutal cliffhanger the likes of which we haven’t seen since the world wondered about who shot J.R.

PS

Can I mention how sad I was that there was no Jamie and Brienne this week?

[Photo Credit: HBO]

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The Southwest’s premiere horror convention, Texas Frightmare Weekend in Dallas, scared up a fangtastic time May 3-5th 2013. The Hyatt Regency hotel located near the Dallas/Ft.Worth airport was gracious enough to bravely host the horrific event. Guests and convention goers from all over the globe gathered to celebrate the macabre. At every glance you could spot a celebrity gleefully signing items and taking photos with fans. Among these celebs were Danny Trejo (Machete), Sean Patrick Flanery (Boondock Saints, The Devil’s Carnival), Sean Clark (Horror’s Hallowed Grounds), Tom Skerritt and Veronica Cartwright (Alien), Gary Busey, Denise Crosby (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Chris Sarandon (Fright Night, The Princess Bride),Tom Savini (Django Unchained, From Dusk Till Dawn), and Dee Wallace (The Frighteners), just to name a few. The biggest draw to the event had to be AMC’s The Walking Dead’s Norman Reedus who had to cancel his appearance at the last minute. Although many of hoards of Reedus fans were disappointed, they were more than delighted by the extra attention received from The Walking Dead’s Jon Bernthal, Theodus Crane, Nick Gomez, Chandler Riggs, and Vincent Ward. They more than made up for Reedus’s absence with their hilarious antics and fan interactions.

Throughout the weekend many screenings took place to standing room only crowds. Some popular choices were ‘Maniac’ (starring Elijah Wood), and ‘The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh’. DarkMedia’s own contributing writer, Michele Pearson, described the crowd reaction at the screening of ‘Maniac’ as, “The crowd was really into it. BIG reaction…from laughter to shrieking.” Pearson also notes that ‘The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh’ was, “a thinking horror movie”. The highly anticipated Saturday midnight screening of the classic ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ was filled to capacity as soon as the doors flung open. Many people were tearfully turned away due to overwhelming attendance. What made this showing even more special was the fact that the movie’s own Magenta, (Patricia Quinn) was present for the screening!

Vendors lined the floors of the convention with opportunities to purchase some killer t-shirts or even a taxidermied creature. DarkMedia proved to be a prominent presence when fellow contributing writer Kevin A. Ranson showed up. It was even pointed out that Grim D. Reaper from http://moviecrypt.com/ was floating down the aisles. Now being a Southern California native, I am used to these types of conventions being huge. This convention, however, seemed more intimate. There were quite a number of people, but the ambiance was very friendly…even with a sea of fake blood covered cosplayers. The afterhours parties and events were lively, and the hotel restaurants and bars were buzzing with activity. The downside of being an out-of-towner to this convention was the fact that the hotel is located in a fairly isolated area…completely surrounded by the gigantic airport. This means that you are at the hotel’s mercy for feeding you, which is expensive. Next time, I’m gonna bring a lot of snacks. In the meantime, check out this slideshow from Texas Frightmare Weekend 2013! See how many celebs you can spot hangin’ out with Michele Pearson and I (Kimmie Chameleon).

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Review By: Paul Bowler

The final issue of The Fury of Firestorm the Nuclear Man begins with General Eiling monitoring events near the warehouse in Pittsburgh, where Firestorm had been beaten to within an inch of his life by Multiplex, Hyena, Killer Frost, Black Bison, Typhoon, and Plastique. As he prepares to issue more orders to his special operative in Pittsburgh, the General receives a very special visitor, and its someone who wont take no for an answer.

With Firestorm unconscious Jason’s dad and Tonya have to drag him to the safety of an alley, but Hyena suddenly leaps from the shadows and attacks them. Fortunately for Al and Tonya the General’s operative, Major Force, is on hand to deal with Hyena and give Firestorm enough time to recover from the explosion. After a few quick introductions Firestorm and Major Force are attacked by Killer Frost and Black Bison.

Major Force holds off Killer Frost and Black Bison while Firestorm leaves to rescue Ronnie’s mother, who is still being held captive by Plastique at the dockside. Typhoon attempts to stop Firestorm by engulfing him with a tidal wave, but Firestorm makes the water boil and defeats him. As Firestorm rushes to save Ronnie’s mother, Al sneaks up on Plastique and knocks her out to rescue Joanne.

With everyone safe, Firestorm rushes to help Major Force, who has been knocked out and frozen in ice. Firestorm smashes the ice and frees Major Force, who takes out Black Bison while Firestorm uses his transmutation powers to trap Killer Frost in the concrete pavement. He then faces Multiplex who threatens Firestorm’s family before fading away, warning him not to try and follow him.

Major Force arrives and renders Firestorm unconscious with a Neural Shock so he can take him to General Eiling at the military base. Firestorm recovers as the General’s guests arrive, Superman and Professor Stein, who are here to stop the militaries plans for Firestorm. It seems that Professor Stein faked his own death to escape his enemies, now he has returned to help Firestorm by contacting Superman and the Justice League.

Superman is pleased to meet Firestorm, as they fly away he asks if Firestorm would like to join the Justice League, and Firestorm is happy to except Superman’s invitation to meet with the rest of the Justice League, and a new era for Firestorm the Nuclear Man begins…

This incredible final issue brings Dan Jurgen’s brilliant run on Firestorm to an end. With a story featuring nearly every member of Firestorm’s rogues gallery, we really get a sense of how well Ronnie and Jason work together now, and see just how vital a role their parents, Al and Joanne, and Tonya have to play in helping him. There are some wonderful scenes after Joanne is rescued by Al, where Ronnie and Jason have to assure both of them that he is ok, and that he has to return to help Major Force to deal with Multiplex and his allies.

Dan Jurgens art for Firestorm #20 is as spectacular as ever, the intense action is inked by Ray McCarthy and Karl Kesel, along with Hi-Fi’s vivid colours, and lettering provided by Travis Lanham, each explosive set-piece is perfectly intercut with some great personal moments between Firestorm and his parents. Every one of Firestorm’s enemies also gets showcased in Firestorm #20, with their unique powers and abilities being creatively used. It’s also interesting to see how quickly Ronnie and Jason are now able to formulate strategies against each individual threat, tailoring their abilities, and using their unique shared conspicuousness to outwit their enemies.

There is a fantastic scene where Superman takes out Major Force with just a flick of his finger that really puts General Eiling in his place. It was a real surprise to see Professor Stein return as well, having faked his own death to escape from his enemies. With this final issue Dan Jurgens has really excelled himself, by brining Professor Stein back into the fold; it offers a wealth of potential for the future. As we watch Firestorm and Superman fly away into the distance, this great moment is tinged with sadness, but I am really pleased that the series has ended on such a positive note.

Firestorm returned in September 2011 as part of The New 52 reboot of the DC Universe, it was co-written by Gail Simone and Ethan Van Sciver, with art by Yildiray Cinar. The immense power of Firestorm was divided between physics student Jason Rusch, who acquired the ability to transmute matter, while the football team’s quarterback Ronnie Raymond was able to throw flaming bolts of nuclear energy. After Simone and Sciver left the title Joe Harris took over, resolving the ongoing storylines involving Rogue Firestorms, before the Zero issue of Firestorm brought Harris and Cinar’s run to an end as Firestorm became a fused entity again.

The Fury of Firestorm The Nuclear Man took an entirely new direction when Dan Jurgens took over as the new writer / artist for the series, recapturing the essence of fun and adventure that was welcomed by fans of Firestorm as it brought the series closer to the original premise created by Gerry Conway and Al Milgron during the 70’s. As Firestorm continued to learn about his powers, with Ronnie providing the brawn and Jason advising him from within their shared conspicuousness, Dan Jurgens also had the chance to develop the supporting cast.  Dan Jurgens assembled a great team to work with him on Firestorm: with inks by Ray McCarthy and Karl Kesel, Hi-Fi’s colours, and lettering by Travis Lanham, the explosive action set-pieces that graced the pages of Firestorm were perfectly complemented by Ronnie and Jason’s everyday lives as high school students.

The news that Firestorm was going to be cancelled came as something of a shock. Although sales were not still not as good as was hoped, Firestorm still had a very loyal fan base that had supported the title since it debuted at part of The New 52. Fortunately we have Dan Jurgens and his team to thank for taking Firestorm in a new direction, thereby raising the characters profile in the New 52 DCU, with Captain Atom and the Teen Titans guest staring in his own title while Firestorm went on to appear in the Throne of Atlantis crossover event as a reserve member of the Justice League.

To mark the final issue of Firestorm many fans have taken part in an event organised by The Firestrom Fan Website (After the idea was suggested by Keith G. Baker and Hector Negrete), where fans  changed their social media avatars to say goodbye to Firestorm’s ongoing series and show their support across various social media platforms. Those participating used a brilliant drawing of Firestorm provided by Luke Dabb , which summed up how many fans felt about the cancellation, using it as their avatar on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Printrest, and Blogs along with hash tags and comments including #FirestormFarewell in their tweets and messages.  By changing their Social Media avatars in this way fans wanted to show how much Firestorm means to them, and to celebrate the fantastic work done by everyone who has been involved on the title to ensure that Firestorm ends on a high.

The flame may have flickered slightly, but it will never die. It’s been brilliant to see Firestorm appearing in so many comics over the last few months, and I’m really looking forward to seeing even more of Firestorm’s adventures with the Justice League. I’ve had tremendous fun reviewing Firestorm and sincerely believe that he will have his own title again one day. You can also keep up to date with all things Firestorm over at Firestrom Fan , and enjoy the Fire and Water Podcast made by Firestrom Fan and Aquaman Shrine, it’s a brilliant podcast and I urge all of you all to go and give it a listen and check out their twitter pages and websites. Finally be sure to support Firestorm over in Justice League #20 as well, cheers everyone!

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Teen Wolf star Dylan O’Brien seems to have all of Hollywood howling for him at the moment, with news out that he’s been head hunted for yet another lead film role.

And negotiations must be going well, as word is producers have pushed the production back to January to accommodate the amber-eyed dream boat’s Teen Wolf obligations.

Glimmer, an original script, is a ‘found footage’ take on a classic time travel conundrum, in which a group of teens travel back in time to 1977 only to have a devastating impact on the present.

The script, by Carter Blanchard, was one of last year’s top ten Black List scripts – unproduced projects that have the X-factor studios sit up and beg for.

Shameless (US) star Jeremy Allen White is already attached to the project.

Workoholic O’Brien went on early hiatus from the Teen Wolf production in late April to begin shooting teen actioner, The Maze Runner, in which he plays lead role,  Thomas.

He also has a small role in Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson vehicle The Internship – out next month – and was recently seen in New Girl episode, Virgins, playing The Guy.

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