The Info Zombie Podcast #95 - Am I The Worst Guest Ever? Probably Not, But I'm At Least Part Of The Discussion . . .

Brother Theodore and a flummoxed David Letterman

     The Info Zombie never says die.  Carl invited me back for my third guest shot on The Info Zombie Podcast, even though I forgot to plug in my mic last time.  The jury is still out as to whether or not my comments being intelligible constitutes an improvement.  I also made a conscious effort to breathe quietly, modulate the volume of my speaking voice, and form complete sentences.  It's a good thing Carl is so adept at keeping me on topic.  Does anyone remember back when Brother Theodore used to do guest shots on Late Night With David Letterman?  Just me, huh?  Check out the clip.  It's not easy to keep a grouchy old man on topic.

     We are a little all over the place this time, but it was fun to see where the conversation would take us.  Carl and I talk a bit about old horror movies, new horror movies, found footage movies, unreleased movies, and books about movies.  So...movies, I guess.  
  
     -- I now realize we were actually pretty focused --

     You can listen to Episode #95 of The Info Zombie Podcast right here, or download the episode on iTunes if you prefer listening on the go.  Be sure to subscribe when you  visit iTunes, and check out all the goodies on display at The Info Zombie website, as well. 

Dog Farm Takeover - The Info Zombie Celebrates Jeffrey Combs

      Greetings to all the fine pooches of Movies at Dog Farm.  This is your temporary (g)host, the Info Zombie.  There is nothing wrong with your web browser. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. I am controlling transmission. If I wish to make it louder, I will bring up the volume. If I wish to make it softer, we will tune it to a whisper. I will control the horizontal. I will control the vertical. I can roll the image, make it flutter. I can change the focus to a soft blur or sharpen it to crystal clarity. For the text below, sit quietly and I will control all that you see and hear. I repeat: there is nothing wrong with your Dog Farm. You are about to participate in a great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery that reaches from the inner mind of The Info Zombie to — The Outer Limits. 
 

     Or at least the Dog Farm, anyway.

Jeffrey Combs as Dr. Herbert West, Re-Animator

     In true Halloween fashion, Brandon and I are switching bodies.  Bodies of text, that is.  I am submitting this to the Dog Farm readers, and Brandon will cook up something good for those hungering for brainy stuff at The Info Zombie.  Since Brandon does such an admirable job examining horror movies, I will not try to emulate the outstanding work he produces.  Instead, I will celebrate a horror movie icon.

     Let’s give a strong, Dog Farm bark to Jeffrey Combs.

     Trained on the West Coast, Combs graduated University of Washington’s performing arts program and transitioned to the stage.  In 1981 he appeared in his first film role as the drive-in teller in Honky Tonk Freeway.  From that nominal role grew a career of being the most recognizable face in horror films.

     Combs, best known for the Re-Animator series, has appeared in five adaptations of H.P. Lovecraft works.  Splitting time between stage, television, and film, the actor has portrayed some of the great authors including Edgar Allan Poe, Lovecraft, and even L. Frank Baum.  He’s been in space on Star Trek and even animated in several forms including The Question of The Justice League, and the Autobot Ratchet.

Jeffrey Combs has portrayed (from left to right) author Edgar Allan Poe, the alien Shran on Star Trek: Enterprise, and the voice of The Question on The Justice League

     A go-to actor for Stuart Gordon, others including Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson tapped the actor for some small roles made big courtesy of Combs.  He often plays the determined, quiet type with a severe intensity.  Combs’ portrayal of Herbert West crafted the archetypal performance of the eccentric genius.  Even his delivery in the forgettable Would You Rather (2013) comes off with an undercurrent of odd that causes hairs to stand erect.  Watch House on Haunted Hill (1999) to get Combs delivering a nightmare generating performance sans dialogue.  His stare from behind Dr. Vannacutt’s surgical mask holds the intensity of a bullet in the chamber on a one-way ride.

As Dr. Vannacutt in House On Haunted Hill (1999)

     Although his career has since shifted to voice overs for cartoons, the star has performed in short films, video games, and theme park rides.  As of this article’s production, Combs will be appearing in films like Art School of Horrors (2015).  This year will mark the thirty-third of film work for this actor celebrating six decades of quality living.

     We can’t get Jeffery Combs an Academy Award©, but we can do the man a solid by visiting his website, renting his movies, and giving the man some notice on social media.  Don’t let someone who has entertained us so well go on without some slight recognition.  If you catch him at a Horror Con, let him know how you appreciate his work.  Best of all, a spike in his movie sales and rentals will show the industry that we know how to treat our valued actors.

     We now return you to your regularly scheduled Dog Farm.  As we say over in the scholar’s cemetery, Keep rising from the graves of ignorance, my Zombies!

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     Thanks for sharing with the Dog Farm, Carl!  My post for The Info Zombie is forthcoming...
 

Lost In The Forest, All Alone - Fear Forest In Harrisonburg, VA Haunts Pre'Ween Again Throughout October

The entrance to Fear Forest in Harrisonburg, Virginia

     It may seem surprising, but I don't care much for haunted attractions.  They're great in theory, but I'm a big ol' wuss when it comes to actually visiting one.  It's incongruous, I know, but there's just something too tangible about the scares in a haunted attraction.  I need my scares once removed by way of a video presentation so I can deal with the horror intellectually.  I once literally ran screaming from a haunted attraction in Virginia Beach and then out into the traffic in the street beyond.

This thing spins in person, folks...

     Even so, every Pre'Ween celebration demands at least one trip to a live haunt.  When the day grows short and the air grows chilly, my inner child - wuss though he may be - craves it.  Fortunately, I have Harrisonburg's Fear Forest just a few miles away each and every October.

     Fear Forest - where they say only the trees can hear you scream - is a spooky trek nearly half a mile long through haunted woodland dotted with thrills, chills, live performers, and ghoulish attractions every step of the way.  There's just something irresistible about walking a dark woodland path by moonlight as the screams of others echo through the trees.  Plenty of other haunted attractions operate nearby here in Virginia, but Fear Forest has earned my allegiance.  I'm sure it helps that it's outdoors, and I can always run screaming without the need to dodge oncoming traffic.

     I'll also be taking my first trip through Fear Forest's second attraction this year, an interactive zombie laser showdown called the Fear Crops Zombie Harvest.  It's an interactive haunted hay wagon ride through a cornfield crawling with the undead.  This isn't just target practice, tough.  These zombie gunslingers are shooting back!

Fear Forest hours of operation for October 2014

     Fear Forest is open to the public beginning Friday, October 3rd.  You can check the Fear Forest website for complete details.

     Admission is $12.00 per person per attraction, or $17.00 per person for admission to both attractions.  If you can't stand spending too much time dreading the horrors that await, you can opt for a Fast Pass Admission to both attractions for only $27.00.
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     Fear Forest co-creator Brandy Nesselrodt generously made time in her busy Pre'Ween schedule recently to answer a few questions for Movies At Dog Farm.  She tells us a bit about the history of her haunted attraction, and she also hints as to what might be lurking in those haunted woods this October...

How did Fear Forest come into being, and was its creation initially your brainchild?

     Fear Forest actually started as an ATV trail.  My husband Chad Nesselrodt, a few friends, and myself sometimes would ride the trail at night followed by a campfire in the field.  One night Chad and I were talking about how spooky it was in the dark...and that's where Fear Forest was first imagined.  We were actors in a haunted cornfield attraction when we were younger, so we thought it would be a fun idea we could do together.  We never imagined that we would still be going bigger and better nine years later.

How many volunteers do you typically get for the Fright Crew?

     We have two attractions at Fear Forest - the haunted woods trail and Fear Crops Zombie Harvest.  The haunted woods trail usually is occupied by forty-five to fifty "monsters" a night.  Fear Crops is a laser tag attraction where the attendees get to shoot twenty or more of our walking dead.  Then there is ticket staff, tractor drivers, tech support members, and security.  That adds up to a full staff list of about eighty people a night to make our show operate.  Our volunteers do receive a cash bonus for participation at the end of the season.

Have any of your volunteers every been a little too into it?  

     We've been very fortunate that most of our Fright Crew love to scare, and have what it takes.  I would say more volunteers join thinking it is going to be easy and a lot of fun.  The exact opposite is true!  Haunting is hard work, and it takes a special person to do it.  They have to be level-headed, willing to try different techniques, and not afraid to put themselves out there. 

Have you ever had an idea for the event that you ultimately decided was too intense or inappropriate for the general public? 

     My mom actually monitors some of my ideas!  "Nothing to do with babies, religion, or devil worshipping!"  We do have church and youth group organizations that attend.  We want to keep our show on the verge of extreme, but refrain from being offensive.  I think that is why it is so well-perceived.  It's like the good old scary movies I grew up on, intense startles without having to be graphic or...(laughs) I don't even know what to call some scary movies these days!

How many visitors did Fear Forest host last year? 

     Weather is a big factor in our attendance.  Weekend nights we could have between eight hundred to a thousand attendees, while weeknights average four hundred to seven hundred attendees. 

What was the origin of your second attraction, Fear Crops?

     Zombies are a big thing right now.  We attend a trade show for haunted attractions every year.  Zombie paintball was a new thing that some vendors were promoting.  But considering how cold it gets here in Virginia in October, we felt none of our zombies were going to want to get pelted by over a thousand frozen paint balls a night.  So we took what we saw and altered the idea to suit what we wanted to offer our customers.  

     We switched it up to laser guns, and we thought it would be cool if our zombies got to shoot back!  Also, we made it a ride on old transformed ensilage wagons.  It's sort of like a safari, but the wagons suit our theme much better.

What new and exciting additions can visitors expect to see this year at Fear Forest/Fear Crops? 

     This year we've added several new scenes to Fear Forest, and we've switched some of our more popular scenes.  We have added some pneumatic props this year and some awesome visual effects our attendees have never seen at Fear Forest.  There's more detail and a lot of hard effort.  I think after nine years our guests will be pleasantly surprised by what is waiting for them.  We've also made the trail a little more tolerable for those who had a phobia of exercise.  At four-tenths of a mile, a steep climb in the middle wasn't the brightest decision in our initial trail plan.  Now the path gently follows a less strenuous curve. 

     We are hoping to continue to build an audience for Fear Crops this year.  The western theme continues there this year.  But what's more fun than an old country shoot out? 

I have to assume you probably like scary movies.  What are a few of your favorites, and why? 

     I'm really into the horror I grew up on!  Carrie, Friday The 13th, Halloween, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Fright Night - the ORIGINALS, of course!  There was something about those horror movies I loved when I was a kid that makes them my favorites still today. 

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     Thanks again to Brandy Nesselrodt for taking the time to give us a peek behind the curtain!  Be sure to visit www.fearforest.net for more info!  NOW KEEP SCROLLING...

 

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Welcome, Pre'Weeners, To The Heart Of Darkness - The Return Of The Dog Farm To The Info Zombie Podcast #84

      In what is an almost unheard of circumstance, I find myself posting twice in the same day.  Pre'Ween just makes everything craaazy!  Carl at The Info Zombie was kind enough to invite me back for my second guest shot on The Info Zombie Podcast for episode #84.  Check it out, because he may not make the same error in judgement a third time.  You can listen to the episode below or by downloading The Info Zombie Podcast #84 on iTunes.  Be sure to subscribe to Carl's podcast while you're visiting iTunes, and check out The Info Zombie website, as well.

     I also wanted to take a moment to welcome Carl and all the other bloggers helping the Dog Farm celebrate Pre'Ween this year.  Following is a list of participants already on the roster, with hopefully even more to be added later.

Giovanni Susina at At The Mansion Of Madness
Jonny Dead at Bloodsucking Geek
Bob Smash at Candy-Coated Razor Blades
Barry Cinematic at Cinematic Catharsis
Matt St. Cyr at Midnight Cinephile
Carl Boehm at The Info Zombie
The Vern at The Vern's Video Vortex
Steven Shaw at Watching The Dead
Kev D. at Zombie Hall 

     I encourage everyone to visit each of these fine websites, and you can stop by here at the Dog Farm for updates on all of the most recent posts, as well.  Just click any of the Pre'Ween 2014 graphics that currently litter the site for all of the latest!

     "Just one more thing..."
     

     This month's Movies At Dog Farm Virtual Drive-In is scheduled for Saturday, October 4th at 9:30 pm Eastern Standard.  We'll be watching Invasion Of The Bee Girls (1973).  Yeah, that's right... Invasion Of The Bee Girls.  If you're interested in joining us - and I know you are - click here for details.
    

Blood Sucking Geek Presents The Second Annual Ultimate Gore-A-Thon

      Jonny Dead at Blood Sucking Geek is kicking off the Ultimate Gore-A-Thon 2014, and the bloodbath begins on June 15th.  At The Mansion Of Madness, Blood Sucking Geek, Candy-Coated Razor Blades,  The Info Zombie, and Movies At Dog Farm are all coming back for the second time, and new participants  90s Horror Movies, Love Horror, Midnight Cinephile, Slasher Studios, Wide Weird World Of Cult Films, and Terrorphoria are bringing the new blood.  The Ultimate Gore-A-Thon 2014 runs through June 21st.

     Be sure to visit all of the participating sites, be generous with the "Likes" and "Shares", and leave lots of comments.  Horror bloggers love that.  Clicking on the Gore-A-Thon badge in the sideboard will take you directly to a regularly updated index of new posts from all of the sites.  Hats off to Blood Sucking Geek for taking the time and effort to organize the event.

The Info Zombie Podcast #73 - Movies At Dog Farm Finally Succumbs To The Subjugation Of The Pod People

Movies At Dog Farm shows its new face after assimilation. 

     Movies At Dog Farm hasn't branched out into podcasting yet, but I finally got my first taste this week when Carl at The Info Zombie invited me to guest on The Info Zombie Podcast #73.  Carl and I discuss how we became acquainted with each other, how this blog first came to be, the upcoming Movies At Dog Farm live event, the Phantasm franchise, and just exactly how friggin' old I am.  Hint: VHS didn't exist back when I first dipped a toe in the bloody pool of horror.

     Thanks to Carl for inviting me to guest on his show and effectively busting my podcast cherry.  It was a pleasure.  If you're so inclined, you can listen to the end result below or by downloading The Info Zombie Podcast #73 on iTunes.  Be sure to subscribe to Carl's podcast while you're visiting iTunes, and check out all of the other goodies on display at The Info Zombie website, as well.

Who's That Lazy Jackass Minding The Dog Farm These Days?

     It's a recurring theme with bloggers:  "I just can't find as much time to devote to my little corner of the internet as I would like.  Those mundane day-to-day problems and obligations keep creeping up, and now I'm going to have to put the blogging on the back burner."  Well, I'm not doing that again (yet), but this year has been a challenge thus far.  First and foremost, I've been remiss in acknowledging some very generous and appreciated recognition from my peers.

     Vern at The Vern's Video Vortex, Barry at Cinematic Catharsis, and Matt at Midnight Cinephile have each been kind enough at different times over the last few months to nominate Movies At Dog Farm for a Liebster Award.  Owing to a variety of different "challenges" hurled at me by the world at large since late last year, I've yet to properly respond to any of these nominations.

     For those who may be unaware, a Liebster Award is a peer to peer accolade presented by bloggers to other bloggers.  Proper etiquette dictates that the recipient of a nomination responds with a post on their own blog linking back to the blog that nominated them.  The nominee also answers a series of interview questions posed by the presenter, as well as nominating eleven other blogs for the award.  It's a nice way to acknowledge the efforts of your peers in the blogosphere, and it also provides a means to pay it forward by drawing the attention of your own readers to the bloggers you choose to nominate yourself.  Not once, not twice, but on three separate occasions now I've failed to follow through.  I suck.

     In an effort to make amends, I wanted to at least take a moment to thank Vern, Barry, and Matt for the kind recognition.  As I'm sure they know all too well themselves, blogging can often be a thankless calling.  Only another blogger truly realizes just how much time, effort, and commitment it takes to maintain a blog.  That being the case, the recognition of others who toil relentlessly on their own blogs is especially gratifying.  The support is greatly appreciated.

     Please take a moment to visit the links above, and see just how hard these guys work.  Be sure to check  out their other nominees, as well.  Following are the links to the Liebster specific posts on each of the blogs mentioned above:

Vern's Liebster Post

Barry's Liebster Post

Matt's Liebster Post

     Thanks again, guys, for your continued support of the Dog Farm.  The blogging community is one of the nicest bunch of folks with whom I've ever had the privilege to be associated. 
    
     Another case in point:  just before posting this I was enjoying a look through some birthday wishes (yeah, I'm yet another year older today), and I came across this link on Twitter from my good friend Carl at The Info Zombie.  Thanks, Carl.  You're far too kind.

A Random Assortment Of Hammer Myths, Monsters, And Maniacs (In Chronological Order, Of Course)

              MISCELLANEOUS HAMMER FILMS    

X The Unknown (1956)                                                                                            

Quatermass 2 – Enemy From Space (1957)  

                                  

The Abominable Snowman (1957)                                                   

The Hound Of The Baskervilles (1959) 

                                              

The Stranglers Of Bombay (1959)                                                       
The Two Faces Of Dr. Jekyll (1960) 

                                                                                                

The Curse Of The Werewolf (1961) 

Scream Of Fear (1961)                                                  

Captain Clegg (1962)                                      

These Are The Damned (1963)
                                  
The Gorgon (1964) 
  
She (1965)

One Million Years B.C. (1966)

  
Quatermass And The Pit (1967)  

The Devil Rides Out (1968)

When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth (1970)

Dr. Jekyll And Sister Hyde (1971) 

Hands Of The Ripper (1971)                                                            

Fear In The Night (1972)







     Here at last is the third and for now final chronological listing of titles from Hammer Films.  This is another stack of movies destined for Pre'Ween viewing, and it's comprised of titles from Hammer that don't fit the Dracula, Frankenstein, or Mummy mold (funny, I said "Mummy mold").  As stoked as I am to catch up on the titles I've missed from the big three, I'm really chomping at the bit for some of these miscellaneous  titles.                                                                                      

     The Hound Of The Baskervilles (Cushing and Lee!), Scream Of Fear (with a brand new copy on disc courtesy of the Info Zombie!), These Are The Damned (singular sci-fi / horror with a great title!)  The Gorgon (also Cushing and Lee, also a brand new disc!),  One Million Years B.C. (Raquel Welch in a fur bikini!), Quatermass And The Pit (much lauded, most recent, and most colorful of the Hammer Quatermass pics!) . . . all of these will be first time viewings for me!

 
     Also on tap:  re-watches of some known commodities that I've seen before . . . Cushing is always a win, but The Abominable Snowman is particularly good.  Watching Oliver Reed chew up the scenery again in Hammer's one and only werewolf movie will also be a treat.  The Devil Rides Out aka The Devil's Bride is always kitschy fun.  My "gold star" re-watch, though:  Dr. Jekyll And Sister Hyde!  Don't judge me.

     Happy Pre'Ween watching, everyone!