As many of you have now guessed, Halloween is my favorite holiday; and it has been ever since I can remember.  Maybe it’s the change of seasons, the briskness in the air, or how for some short period of time it’s ok to be spooky and dress up as someone else. My friends and I would talk about what were going to be for weeks and the annual Halloween party at school was always a blast.  Of course, trick-or-treating would last a couple of hours as we scrounged the neighborhood in search of candy.

Sadly, many of those things that made Halloween so great from my youth have long since disappeared. Most schools no longer have Halloween parties (they call it a “Fall Festival” or some other crap) and a lot of neighborhoods are eeriely quiet and devoid of trick-or-treaters. But in the midst of my sadness comes an event aimed at adults like me who yearn for Halloween greatness. You can find it on select nights in October at Universal Studios in Orlando and Hollywood and it’s called Halloween Horror Nights (HHN).   The greatness of this event is one that must be experienced, but I will do my best to try and summarize my experience in hopes that other like me might make the trek down for future spooky good times. 

For those who have never been to either theme park, Universal Studios celebrates movie and television in an extremely fun way. Unlike Disney, these parks pander to a more intense experience with wilder roller coasters and more elaborate stage shows. I have visted both Disney and Universal several times and my family has always enjoyed their stay at Universal more. The one thing about both theme parks that few people realize is that they are working studios. The Hollywood park was several working movie sets and many films are shot there everyday. The Orlando location films most of the live Nickelodeon shows and is also the home for TNA wresting. Having large sets at your disposal is something important to remember as we discuss Halloween Horror Nights.

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Ever since FireFly, I have had just a bit of man-love for Nathan Fillion.  Some may argue that he plays the same type of character all the time, but I find myself liking the characters he plays, so I guess I don’t mind so much.  And his portrayal of a small town sheriff Bill Pardy is no exception; he’s a likable everyman with just a tint of southern charm to him. Oh sorry, I have to pull myself together for a  minute and discuss this movie. 

Directed by James Gun, a writer for the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead (awesome film), Slither is a modern-day adaptation of the classic B-movie alien possesion story (Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Shivers). In the peaceful town of Wheelsy, businessman Grant Grant (Michael Rooker) is infected by an evil alien creature, bent on destroying human race. Grant returns home to his lovely wife Starla (Elizabeth Banks) with a sudden urge to eat a lot of meat. Soon, unusual things begin to happen; pets go missing, then livestock, and finally people. Grant slowly mutates into a hideous alien and releases slimy worms that latch onto the townsfolk transforming them into zombies. Like the Borg, these zombies are being controlled via a hive mind relationship with Grant. Sheriff Bill Pardy and a small group of survivors discover the zombies can be traced back to Grant and they set off to kill him. 

Slither is a comedy-horror film and as such it’s not very scary.  In fact, the movie didn’t do very well at the box office primarily for that very reason; audiences were expecting a horror movie and instead they got Slither.  But what Slither lacks in the scares factor it makes up for in the fun factor as this film is simply a shit-ton of fun! The effects were pretty good and oftentimes quite disgusting. If you are a fan of watching people blow up and explode into a pile of goo, then this movie is right up your ally.  The slimy worm parasites are very creepy and the sight of them makes you squirm.  

The story isn’t very deep, or new, but the funny and oftentimes clever narrative keeps you involved every step of the way. The character development is also pretty good for a horror flick. We discover that Pardy and Starla were once an item, but she couldn’t wait for his indecisions and so she married a rich man. This return to what once was story also isn’t new, but is effectively portrayed by Fillion and Banks (man she is quite hot in this film). Grant struggles with knowing this all too well and he’s obviously a man who knows that he over-punted his coverage. Finally, the film has a great deal of repeat viewing potential as there are some classic one-liners and a pile of cool scenes in it. 

So grab a beer and a freind or two and enjoy two hours of gross-out, zombie, evil alien fun…with a touch of Nathan Fillion of course! 

Last year, a few of us got together and watched an hommage to the blaxploitation horror films Insane in the Brain.  It was by far one of the best times I have had watching a Netflix streaming movie.  Zombies, pimps, big afros, and really bad acting. What else could you want?  Well the truth of the matter is such films actually existed and this week my friends I bring you one of the finest in all its glory: Sugar Hill.  Realease by AIP, makers of such fine classics such as Blackula and Scream Blackula Scream, Sugar Hill tells a familiar story for the times. 

When her boyfriend is brutally murdered by some white gangsters, Sugar Hill decides not to get mad, but BAD!   Calling upon the help of aged voodoo queen Mama Maitresse, Sugar asks her to call upon Baron Zamedi, the Lord of the Dead, for help in gaining a gruesome revenge.  The evil Baron agrees to raise an army of the dead, but in exchange for her very soul.  Will Sugar Hill get revenge on the man?  Or will Baron Zamedi get the last laugh as he drags her soul to eternal damnation?  I don’t know about you sucka, but I can’t wait to join my Robot Panic friends this Sunday at 7:00 PM CST on Xbox Live to see some funky zombie action!!!

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the greatest zombie movie of all time. Of this there is no debate. George A. Romero’s 1978 sequel to the classic Night of the Living Dead encapsulates everything great about the genre. There are thousands of undead roaming the streets, the survivors are interesting and engaging, and the setting is nothing short of classic.

Much of the film takes place at the Monroeville Mall in Pennsylvania. But the action begins at two different locations: a television studio that is slowly degenerating from an information source to all-out chaos, and a tenement building where the National Guard is invading in order to clear it of zombies. Two characters from each of these scenes join up and flee in a television news helicopter and eventually wind up seeking refuge at the abandoned mall.

Romero is a master not only of the living dead, but of using the zombie plague as a backdrop for a deeper narrative of social issues and human interaction. The longer the survivors stay holed up in the mall, the more they realize they’re not really living. And when events finally force them to act, shit hits the fan.

Again, this is the greatest zombie movie ever created and one of the greatest horror films of all time. If you’re going to seek it out (which you should), I highly recommend the Dawn of the Dead (Ultimate Edition). It contains multiple cuts of the film and tons of extra features.

It’s a zombie movie, it’s a zombie game, it’s an advertisement for a Kiwi pizza chain. But most of all, it’s awesome!

Below is the first scene of a choose-your-own-adventure zombie flick about a pizza delivery guy trying to deliver a pie to a busty blonde who’s trapped by a horde of zombies. It’s up to you to make the decisions.

Enjoy!

I was at PAX East over the weekend and good times were had by all. MC Wilson has some delightful pajamas, and I may or may not have made out with some of the L4D2 crew. Conjecture abounds.

All of that aside, there were a number of games and tabletop insanity going on at the Boston Convention Center. Here’s some stuff I played and what I thought about it:

Shank: If I was going to pick a game of show, I think this might be it. You’ve got knives, guns, a chainsaw, and some grenades. Your goal is to make a whole bunch of dudes real real dead. That’s pretty much all you need to know going into the game. The combo system is surprisingly deep, and I really hope the game gives you an opportunity to master it. Also, chainsawing dudes is really, really fun.

Breach: Ok, let’s just pretend that the ten minute speech about how this game is “real warfare” didn’t happen. Breach is a team-based multiplayer shooter with persistent experience rewards, fully splodable environments, and some pretty environments. It’s also coming to XBLA for $15. For that price I’ll definitely go for a moderny 1943.

Monday Night Combat: Hey, remember DOTA (Defense of the Ancients)? What if it had a love child with Unreal Tournament? You’d get this thing. Playtime was limited for me, but it looks like something that I’d enjoy. It has a fantastic cartoony feel and plays crazy arcadey. I’ll be interested to see more stuff about this.

You people are awesome. And by “you people”, I obviously mean the Jews our listeners. Take MSI Magus, for example. Not only did he donate the prize for the new contest (two copies of Nation Red, downloaded from Steam), but he also sent in a review of the game in order to give you a better idea of what the game is all about. And, without further ado, here it is.

Article by: MSI Magus

It seems that the market has been flooded with Zombie games recently. Off the top of my head, we have Plants Vs Zombies, World at Wars- Zombie mode, Zombie Apocalypse, Left 4 Dead (1 and 2), Zombie Driver, Zombie Bowling… You get the idea. With so many zombie games, people might see Nation Red and think, “Who needs another one of thes?” I would argue though that Nation Red is not just another cheap zombie cash in, but a great classic arcade style survival game from a developer who is actively communicating and listening to their fan base.

Nation Red sets you, as a soldier, in a zombie wasteland with the only goal being to survive and score huge points in the process. Think of it as Robotron X or Geometry Wars, but with zombies! The game controls via the keyboard and mouse, or with a dual-stick controller (your 360 controller being an option). The mouse/keyboard combo allows a little better accuracy with your shooting over the twin stick controls, with the trade off being the controller makes it much easier to use the barrel roll dodge. This is a trade off I’ll gladly taken given how important avoiding the mass of zombies will be!

One of the main things that makes Nation Red so fun and sets it apart from the flood of zombie and twin stick games on the market is its perks and item drops. As you kill zombies in most of the game modes, you will gain levels that grant you various perks. The simple ones give basic effects such as increased damage, attack speed or armor. Some perks, though, can majorly effect the way you play granting things like the ability to teleport or setting all zombies near you on fire. The zombies you kill, aside from giving experience, have a chance to drop new weapons, such as machetes, uzis, shotguns, and even some rather cool and unique weapons like the steam/nail guns. Zombies can also drop power ups from time to time that will last for a few seconds, giving benefits like a sentry gun that mows down enemies, grants invisibility, or inserts a doppelganger that fights with you, or double experience. All in all, there are dozens of perks, weapons and power ups that keep the game fresh.

There are several different modes you can play, most of which I find a blast. (more…)

TomLovesBacon over on the Twitters sent us this. Thought it was worthy enough to share on a Friday.

The last few months, I have been BioWare’s bitch as Dragon Age Origins and now Mass Effect 2 have completely taken over my gaming minutes.  As such I haven’t had as much time to jump in and kill zombies with my online crew.  Yes Lefty, I know you still find time, but I am sooooo close to nailing this alien chick that I… well, I digress.  

Now this doesn’t dissuade my love for Left 4 Dead 2.  It is perhaps the most fun multiplayer experience out there.  It’s challenging, tough and yet clever and fun.  There are some spoilers coming up, but seriously if you haven’t played this game yet, walk away from the computer now and get to it….NOW, I SAY!!! 

Ok, one of the best story endings in Left for Dead 2 takes place in Dark Carnival where you have to survive a wave of zombies in of all places a county fair rock concert stage.  The band that was supposed to be playing (we’re not really sure if there were eaten, or still in the trailer getting high) was called “Midnight Riders” and they claim to have the loudest and biggest stage show on the planet.  One player will activate the sound check tape from the booth while yet another activates the kick ass pyrotechnics show.  Not only is all of this crazy fun, but the rock and roll really added to the experience.  Simply put, it kicked ass and I could replay that scene all night (If I didn’t have alien chicks to bang). 

I often wondered if I might hear more from the Midnight Riders, perhaps in some DLC or in Left for Dead 3.  Then last week I was watching AOTS and Chris Gore was giving his DVD review.  I sat up and adjusted my eyes as I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, but Chris Gore had on what appeared to be a Midnight Riders concert t-shirt.  That’s effing awesome I thought and I immediately searched to see if these were actually available or if he just knew somebody.  Turns out, and I may be late to this party but who cares, the Midnight Riders actually have a website complete with audio tracks, a CD (which you can’t order yet) and yes Concert T Shirts!  It’s part of a viral campaign for Left for Dead 2 that I hadn’t heard of until now. 

http://www.midnight-riders.com/

It’s just another sign of just how much Valve loves you.  Not only do they make awesome games that I will keep in my collection forever.  (Seriously, ever play a bad game from Valve?   Think about that…)   But they create an immense back story on something as seemingly insignificant as the band whose music is played at the end of a level.  We read in the blog about how they are gonna keep on touring even though the airports are shutting down.  We have a bus and it works just fine!  I laughed out loud while reading how their late bass player Riggs Donner passed away twenty-four years ago.  There are even You Tube videos of their music that look like they made them themselves.  Don’t expect much from the visual sense, but I dare you not to crack up with their Christmas hit “All I want for Christmas is to Kick Your Ass!”  You’ll want to check out the CD that you can only get on tour, as the song titles are funny as shit.  Hopefully they’ll release “Get Your Friends (I’ll Take Y’all On)” or “Stick it in your Craw” sometime soon…we can only hope.

Much like life, movies with limited release, or those that go straight to DVD, are like a box of chocolates; you never know what you are gonna get.  But occasionally, you can find a straight to DVD gem or two that deserves discussion.  Such is the case with this Sundance Film Festival fan favorite Dead Snow (trailer). 

Now, John tweeted a few weeks ago that this awesome movie would be streaming on Netflix.  Sadly, our friends from Blockbuster video have claimed this movie as an exclusive for the next few weeks.  So you can’t get it from Netflix, RedBox, or any other rental place, only Blockbuster.  I left the wonderful world of Blockbuster rentals a few years ago when they charged me yet again for a late fee on a movie I returned days before.  I vowed to never rent there again, but this being the only way to enjoy Nazi Zombie goodness, I signed up again.  And I will say is, this film was well worth signing my soul away to the devils at Blockbuster.

The story of Dead Snow is not an unfamiliar one; some rather attractive people go to the mountains to spend Easter vacation at a cabin.  One of the campers had goes and meets an untimely demise.  Her worried boyfriend takes off in his snowmobile to look for her, leaving the rest of the campers behind.  The couples drink and pair off when then suddenly a wandering old gentleman interrupts their party.  The old man insults their coffee, smokes cigarettes and provides us with the necessary exposition to move the story forward. He tells them the dark history of the region: during World War II, a force of Einsatzgruppen led by the dreaded Standartenführer (Colonel) Herzog occupied the area. During three long years the Nazis abused and tortured the local people, and near the end of the war, with Germany’s defeat looming, looted all their valuables before starting to withdraw from the area. The citizens managed to stage an uprising and ambushed the Nazis, killing many. The surviving Nazis, including Herzog, were chased into the mountains, and it was assumed that they all froze to death. The hiker says the area still has an evil reputation.

The old guy leaves and wouldn’t you know it, the couples find a box of gold below the floorboards.  Reminiscent of Pirates of the Caribbean, some gold falls on the snow to awake a hoard of killer Nazi zombies.  The zombies attack the campers, killing a couple of them.  Breaking a few horror movie rules, the remaining campers decide to split up; the guys will defend the cabin while the girls try and get back to the SUVs and get some help.  What ensues is a very bloody series of chases and fights in the snowy mountains. 

There is a lot to like about Dead Snow.  First, what could be better than a hoard of killer zombies?  A hoard of killer Nazi zombies, of course!  It’s the perfect combination of evil and I can’t believe we had to wait this long to see it on screen.  You immediately love to hate these dead assholes and that makes the movie a ton of fun.  The best is Standartenführer Herzog who barks zombie orders to his dead minions. 

Next, there is a ton of action, especially at the end of this movie.  The guys who stay back to defend the cabin find a shed loaded with zombie killing tools including a bright red chainsaw.  Surrounded, these two yuppies take out a whole field of zombies in some very cool and unique ways.  Oh, we can’t go wrong with a sub machine gun mounted to a snowmobile…

Finally, the movie is gory as shit and there is a ton of blood.  And blood on the white snow stands out quite well, might I add.  The Nazi’s love to munch on their victims entrails and you get to see a lot of them.  Thankfully, the heroes in this film are not at all likable because their deaths are quite gruesome.  It’s the kind of gruesome that is so over-the-top that it should be shared with a room of people. 

Dead Snow was filmed and produced in Norway, so unless you speak fluent German you will either have to endure subtitles or a decent dubbed version.  I chose the subtitle route as I prefer trying to glean some sense of nuance from the original language.  In either case, the language is not a barrier and this movie won’t be known for an outstanding script as it’s pretty b-rated.  You’re gonna watch Dead Snow for its zombie goodness, fantastic fight scenes, and a very BAD ASS ending!  The Rotten Tomatoes consensus sums up this film quite well, “Though it doesn’t cover new ground, Dead Snow is an entertaining mix of camp, scares, and blood and guts.”