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  1. A few weeks ago I took a look at George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead, delving into the characters and what they symbolically represented in regards to Americans and the Vietnam War. In this chapter of Reel Dread, however, I don't intent to dive so far into the symbolism of Dawn of the Dead, simply because I don't believe that much symbolism exists in the 1978 feature. That's not to say Dawn is without its intricacies; it simply wears its analogies on its sleeve.

    The above is from: http://www.earth-2.net/columns/reddick/reel-dread-20

  2. Let me preface this by saying that I tend to get my hopes up when it comes to films I'm excited for. Yet they never live up to the self-induced hype, and sever only to disappoint. I'm not alone in this, I'm sure of it. Regardless, my anticipation for Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon began with a short blurb about its production in an issue of Rue Morgue in late 2005, and I made mention of it a few weeks back in Dark Prophecies and Bad Omens: Anticipating 2007. As fate would have it, a screener DVD fell into my lap, but I was somewhat hesitant to press play; I didn't want my hopes dashed... again. There was just no way Behind the Mask could live up to my high expectations, or so I thought.

    The above is from: http://www.earth-2.net/columns/reddick/reel-dread-19

  3. One of last year's most interesting releases had to be Synapse Films' Small Gauge Trauma, a collection of 13 award-winning short films celebrating the best of Montreal's famed Fantasia Film Festival. Or at least the best of the last decade. If for nothing else, the Fantasia Film Festival is responsible for introducing Hideo Nakata (Ringu), Takashi Miike (Koroshiya 1, also known as Ichi the Killer) and Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned) to North American audiences.

    The above is from: http://www.earth-2.net/columns/reddick/reel-dread-18

  4. In the first of a series of articles examining the modern horror icon, I plan on looking at their evolution from their meager beginnings to their iconic status and, more importantly, what went wrong. The sad part about it all is that most of these characters are spawned from movies that are really quite good. I hope to uncover what it is that dilutes them. There is no better place to start than the granddaddy of them all: the hockey mask-wearing, machete-swinging, unstoppable force of nature that is Jason Voorhees.

    The above is from: http://www.earth-2.net/columns/reddick/reel-dread-17

  5. 1968 was a tumultuous year in America. It was a year when students were being killed at civil rights protests. A year when American soldiers massacred dozens of Vietnamese civilians in a war that was already against the public opinion. And a year when both Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy were assassinated. The state of the union was one of unrest to say the least. This is the culture that helped one young director change cinema on a shoestring budget. George A. Romero, having only directed short pieces for Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, used guerrilla-style filmmaking techniques to redefine horror films for the modern age.

    The above is from: http://www.earth-2.net/columns/reddick/reel-dread-16

  6. I've always been a big fan of the Oddworld series, ever since Abe underwent his first "oddysee" back in the glory days of the PlayStation. I think the real hook for me with that first game was realizing there was a button entirely dedicated to forcing your on-screen character to rip a juicy, wet fart. I'd never seen anything like it before and it's one of the major reasons I went ahead and bought my first PlayStation, along with Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee. It had inspired gameplay, an offbeat sense of humor that hit all the right notes, great voice acting and incredible replay value.

    The above is from: http://www.earth-2.net/reviews/v/oddworld-munchs-oddysee

  7. There are genre directors who command so much respect that the very mention of their names can elicit a silent smile and nod from fans. While most have been around for two or three decades, Mexican-born Guillermo del Toro, in little more than one decade, has left a huge impression and looks to be the greatest crossover genre director of our generation. For Reel Dread's first director spotlight, let's take a look at his filmography.

    The above is from: http://www.earth-2.net/columns/reddick/reel-dread-15

  8. The year that was 2006 was laid in a drakkar and pushed out to sea. The longbowman beside me raised the trajectory of his bow to the sky before drawing its bowstring tight. The warrior at his side lit the tip of the arrow with a flickering torch. A dull thud signaled the fireball's launch. It lit up the sky as we watched in awe. Moments later, though it seemed like ages, the drakkar burst into flames. The black smoke billowed into the night as the ship drifted into the horizon. As it passed from sight we wished our brother well before a new being rose from its ashes like a phoenix: behold 2007!

    The above is from: http://www.earth-2.net/columns/reddick/reel-dread-14

  9. Without hesitation, I'll openly admit that Metroid Prime was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. Nintendo's promotion which promised a free copy of Prime, alongside the purchase of a GameCube, is without question the reason I'm the proud owner of a Cube today. To my eyes, it was to Nintendo what Halo was to Microsoft: justification. One title that looked like an absolute "can't miss." For the most part, Prime performed exactly like its divinely titled Bungie opposition; it delivered in grand, earthshaking fashion right from the get-go... then, a couple hours in, it hit some snags.

    The above is from: http://www.earth-2.net/reviews/v/metroid-prime