Blood, Babes and Boogeymen: Holly Will Make You Appreciate Life

As you may have noticed from checking out this site one of my favorite people to collaborate with is my good friend Holly. She has always been willing to jump into any projects I come up with for her and is always a blast to work with. She is a huge reason for the success of this site and helped me launch it in grand style with our  "Wanna Play?"  photo set, which to this day is a big fan favorite and still our most viewed set on the site. We followed that up with our popular "Movie Night" shoot. It was ultimately a no brainer to entrust Holly with TrueHorror.net's flagship character, our original female slasher bearing her name in our faux film project  "Carved"   (of which there will be a sequel later this year!)  So with all that being said, It seemed like a good time to go back to our first photoshoot together. The Billy the Puppet inspired Saw themed shoot we just about did 3 years ago. prior to the relaunch of this version of the site. It was this photoset that really cemented the fact I wanted to focus much more on photography and creating these images. It was a fun experience to first work with Holly, she was very patient and kept up a good sense of humor throughout which I find is always important during a shoot. I will say these to this day might possibly be my favorite shots I have done and also have to thank Natalie for doing a amazing job on Holly's makeup. Everything came together to create striking images that I never tired of looking at. 

My favorite photo from this set is the one seen above. It was the first photo I did that turned out exactly as I had envisioned it in my head. It was such a thrill seeing it realized and it received so many compliments upon initially sharing it that it made me really begin to trust in my ability to create these images. So I definitely see this set as a springboard for the everything that has followed. I cannot thank Holly enough for putting her trust in me with this one and glad that I could deliver.

The obvious thought here was to do a sexy version of Billy the Puppet's outfit from the Saw movies matched with a grungy setting that is so pervasive in those films. Having Holly sit on the tricycle for such a long time was not the easiest thing for her to do, but she never complained once and in retrospect,  I don't think there is any other model who could have fit on it and make it work. The green layer of texture just helped to add to the look seen in the films. 

I hope you guys enjoy revisiting these images again, as I am happy to give them some new life and some much deserved attention. After all they never had a dedicated post on the site till now. I am excited about the new projects Holly and I have been planning and can't wait to share them with you all, still till the time is right, hopefully all the previous images we have created will tide you over till then.

One more cool thing was that I got to actually share these a while back with Saw creator James Wan who was kind enough to approve. 

Below is a bonus outtake I always loved, I just really dig her expression. along with a random behind the scenes shot.

Natalie Dormer talks with us about THE FOREST

We recently sat down with actress Natalie Dormer to discuss her upcoming film The Forest. Check out our interview below as she tells us about her experience in the real Aokigahara Forest, her favorite part of filming as well as her thoughts on what this films scariest attribute is and explains how she felt about taking on this role with a story steeped in Japanese lore. 

(Please Note we had a audio synching issue with the voice and video for the first question, all other questions are as they should be)

SYNOPSIS: Rising with terrifying grandeur at the base of Mt. Fuji in Japan, the legendary real-life Aokigahara Forest is the suspense-filled setting of the supernatural thriller.  A young American woman, Sara (Natalie Dormer of “Game of Thrones” and “The Hunger Games”), journeys there in search of her twin sister, who has mysteriously disappeared. In the company of expatriate Aiden (Taylor Kinney of “Chicago Fire”), Sara enters the forest having been well warned to “stay on the path.” Determined to discover the truth about her sister’s fate, Sara will have to face the angry and tormented souls of the dead that prey on anyone who dares come near them. These malevolent spirits lying in wait for Sara at every turn will plunge her into a frightening darkness from which she must fight to save herself.

DIRECTOR: Jason Zada
WRITERS: Ben Ketai and Sarah Cornwell and Nick Antosca
CAST: Natalie Dormer, Taylor Kinney, Yukiyoshi Ozawa, Eoin Macken

THE FOREST IS IN THEATERS NOW.

Join the Experience & “Enter the Suicide Forest”

http://thesuicideforest.com/

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Review: The Boy

January has long been known as a dumping ground for sub par horror films. For years studios have released their less than desirable fright flicks in the first month of the year, I am not certain why or when this practice became a thing, I only know that it exists. This month already saw the release of "The Forest" a film that had some promise in it's strong lead and premise, failed to deliver a satisfactory horror experience and make any real noise while being quickly forgotten. So when I initially saw the trailer for Lauren Cohan's (Maggie from the Walking Dead) horror film "The Boy" I was intrigued but also very wary given the release date. Still, I am forever a sucker for a creepy doll movie, and even though I was most recently disappointed (though that disappointment was not unexpected) by the snoozefest that was Annabelle (still can't believe that movie made 256 million dollars worldwide), I was kind of excited to watch this.

The Boy revolves around the simple story of a young American woman named Greta (yes... Greta) who moves to the UK to become a nanny for the son of a stuffy old rich couple who are leaving him to go on a trip. No big deal, except there "son" Brahms is actually a large creepy porcelain doll who loves to stare at things. The reasoning behind Brahms existence and the parents strange practices revolving around it are part of the mystery. Eventually as they should when a creepy doll is involved, things get weird.

One thing about creepy doll movies is you need to really have two things going for you to make them work. The first is you need to find ways to make an inanimate object repeatedly scary or creepy and find different ways to present it to the audience to keep them from getting bored with the blank stare a doll will have. The second is you need to have a great story as to why the doll is evil or alive. Does the Boy succeed on these fronts? Yes and no.

The Boy features a solid cast who lend credence to a admittedly silly but promising premise. Lauren Cohan delivers a well balanced performance that rarely has you questioning her decision making process which helps with the suspension of disbelief necessary to enjoy a film like this. Co Star Rupert Evans also brings a likability to his role as the well meaning Malcolm. Still The Boy is a horror film and there are horror bits here that will equally satisfy and frustrate the avid horror fan. For each solid creep out moment found within, there is one that will have a horror fan rolling there eyes due to the cliche'd nature of the scare. The film would have been better served to push the envelope and commit in areas and scenes that turn out to be cheap and telegraphed dream fake outs. The landscape of January horror is littered with the corpses of films that have relied on this tired dream scare tactic. These scenes would have have been far more effective had the filmmakers figured out a way to get them to actually be REAL within the context of the story. The "character" of Brahms the boy doll is a great design that while not outright creepy like say Annabelle, still has enough of an odd look to deliver an eerie presence whenever on screen so in that regard yes it does succeed as a "Doll horror film".

I have come to realize The Boy is turning out to be a difficult film for me to review in depth as I found it a mostly enjoyable watch, and while sitting in the theater I was thinking mostly positively about it, but after processing it, I came to focus on it's flaws a bit more. The third act is where the film will either make or break it to most viewers. While I still liked what was done here and was kind of surprised at a reveal, there was absolutely no way I could overlook the fact that it was essentially the same reveal as another recent horror film which I can't name because it would spoil the entire film for you, and that it lifted a piece of it's climax from another horror film that all horror fans will find familiar. This is puzzling and you have to wonder if it was done knowingly or not. So in regards to the dolls backstory and does the film succeed? I would say yes but also no because of it being a rehash of another film in a sense.

It may sound like I did not enjoy the film after all since I just finished pointing out it's flaws, still thats not the case. I did dig it for what it was and I feel that while it isn't some new benchmark in horror, it still is a decent watch thanks to it's cast. It won't surprise the more hardcore or seasoned horror fans with it's scare tactics, but it must be said that at the preview screening I attended, the crowd which was comprised of mostly teenage girls who (undoubtedly lured there more so by the marketing teams promise of meeting some local teen youtube singer than their desire to witness a great horror film) were all screaming and jumping throughout. As I exited the theater most of them seemed to have enjoyed it and were talking rather positive about it. So perhaps this film does have an audience out there beyond the die hard horror fans and that is okay too. Horror fans are very fickle and their interests and tastes can at times be baffling even to other horror fans so you may never know what one will end up liking. As a fan of creepy doll movies it did enough right for me to give it a positive review but I can totally understand if someone does not. I think The Boy is a film that is certainly worth a look even if it may not be a film you come back to again and again, it might be one that is a fun spooky watch on a lazy night. Sometimes that is all you want out of a horror film, and more than you can usually expect from one in January.

Rest In Peace : Angus Scrimm

Angus Scrimm was one of my favorite Horror icons. As a huge fan of Phantasm for many years, I always had a soft spot for him and his character The Tall Man. My friends and I watched Phantasm together one night when it first hit dvd, The film is a blast to watch with a group, how could it not be with Jody, Reg and Michael getting caught up in some hilarious antics while trying to outsmart the Tall Man, one of our favorite memories from it, was his intro on the dvd. We all remember it and quote that "helloooo" he starts off with whenever we mention it. It caught us completely off guard and we burst into laughter not at him, but just how out of the blue it was, he then proceeds to speak about the film and you could tell he really is proud of it and he should be.

One of the few horror movie characters who, while looking like a normal human, still really scared me as a child. The Tall Man and his legion of silver spheres always seemed like a boogeyman who could never be stopped and you could never escape. That was terrifying to me. Scrimm of course would go on to do the sequels and was always a highlight in those films. Everyone I have ever talked to who had met him always stated he was the nicest man, he lived a long life and will forever be remembered and held in the highest esteem by horror fans the world over. We can all hope that the upcoming Phantasm V Ravager film will be a proper send off for Angus. Till then we will have the original and it's sequels to help his legacy and memory live on. It's time I pull my Tall Man action figure out of its storage bin and keep it on permanent display. Our thoughts go out to his loved ones, family and friends. He will be missed.

                         

Review: The Forest

At the base of Mt. Fuji lies the Aokigahara Forest aka The Suicide Forest. As you can probably guess it was given this nickname due to the high number of suicides that have occurred there over the years as it has become something of a destination for those with thoughts of ending their lives. The forest is said to have a long history of association with demons via Japanese mythology and others have claimed it is simply haunted. That little bit of info should give you an idea of the starting point for the basis of star Natalie Dormer's new horror/psychological thriller, The Forest.

The Forest tells the story of twin sisters Sara and Jess Price (both played by Dormer) who share a special bond and are able to "feel" each others presence and general state of well being. When Sara awakens one night after sensing Jess may be in trouble, a feeling that is elevated when she cannot reach her sister who has moved to Japan to pursue her teaching career, Sara does what any good sister would do and hops on the next flight to investigate.

Does this setup sound familiar to you? If so there is a reason behind that, it is very reminiscent of another Japan set tale, 2004's The Grudge.  While The Grudge was more of a straight forward ghost story about little Asian kids and hair monsters The Forest luckily ends up focusing more on ones personal ghosts. While the film still dabbles in the supernatural, it at it's core is more about human fears and sadness.

The Forest for me is a very mixed bag, there is good and bad here, but as a whole it feels as if  the bad outweighs it and doesn't quite get to the level I had hoped. On the positive side, The Forest is a very good looking film, I enjoyed the cinematography, particularly during Sara's "lost in translation" moments while exploring Japan. Director Jason Zada has some really nice shot compositions and it carries on through the rest of the film. Natalie Dormer's performance is the highlight here, as she really does bring the emotion necessary to the role, you do care about her plight and you do buy her love and concern for her missing sister.

Being that The Forest is a horror film, the main question many of you will be asking is "Is it scary?"
Well that depends on the viewer, there were quite a few audience members in our screening that seemed into it, however to a more seasoned horror fan, The satisfaction is few and far between and the reliance on predictable jump scares is cheap. There are a few sequences I found effective and wish there were more of those throughout, but the film definitely is more focused on it's characters internal struggle with her own emotions such as guilt, sadness, childhood trauma and how those can be horrific in their own right particularly when the titular forest brings those to the surface for those who enter.

I was initially intrigued by the film based on it's setting and premise, however I was a bit apprehensive as well because of the vibe I got that reminded me of those early 2000 horror films, such as the aforementioned The Grudge where they look nice, have a good atmosphere yet they just don't go anywhere. Unfortunately while The Forest has a lot of promise with it's strong lead performance and ideal setting, it fails to capitalize and commit on this promise and concept to make it a fully effective horror film. I feel that it may have worked better as a straight up drama about a woman looking for her sister if it isn't willing to relish in being a true horror film. It felt as if it wanted to walk the line for fear of becoming one or the other. I don't doubt some of the general audiences may enjoy it but for me it's a missed opportunity to do something special. The Forest is not a bad film, it's just rather bland.

Mondo resurrects the Madballs in the form of Mondoballs!

As a child of the 80's there was a plethora of strange and outlandish toys to choose from. Many of our fondest memories and fandoms come from that era. One of the strangest toys to surface back then were the supremely unique and morbidly gross Madballs. I personally remember them fondly and had a pretty big collection of them. 

The first one I was ever given was the mummy Dust Brain and from there on out, more and more creepy and cool ones made there way into my home. I even remember reading the Marvel comics and later down the line having the Madball action figures. It was a definite phenomenon at the time and all of my friends had them. My biggest and favorite memory of them though was the "dodgeball" esque fights my brother and I would have with them in our living room and the unfortunate moment he caught me in the spine with the Super Madball Touchdown Terror who had a nose made of extremely hard plastic. Game over. 

Like any toy property from childhood, they eventually fade away and all that is left are those fond memories. If we are lucky, some of those make triumphant comebacks and we are exposed to a great new interpretation of them. That is where Mondo comes in. Fresh off the success of their awesome 1/6 scale Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle line of figures, Mondo is prepped to release another line of toys that will capitalize on your nostalgia and take it to another level. 

From Mondo: 

"Introducing MondoBalls™ - gross-out toys of the 80s and 90s reimagined through the eyes of Mondo!

Everyone who’s anyone remembers Madballs, the now classic toy balls featuring disgustingly fun characters like Horn Head and Slobulus. Now imagine that same style of of toy applied to other licenses…Friday the 13th, Gremlins, Marvel and many more!

MondoBalls™ are highly detailed, affordably-priced vinyl ball figures with a wide variety of characters and licenses. Creative Director of Toys/Collectibles Brock Otterbacher says, “This line is one of the most fun projects I’ve ever had a chance to work on! We’re super excited to launch these gross little guys, and what better place to start than with three of the characters that started it all - Skull Face, Horn Head, and Slobulus, from Madballs!”

Starting in February, Mondo will be offering the first three characters in the line for pre-order, exclusive to www.mondotees.com! These are expected to ship by summer. More characters and licensing announcements to follow in this spring. For now, we’re thrilled to share a preview of Venom from Marvel Comics!"

Needless to say these look awesome and the future possibilities are endless. Cannot wait to see what is in store. Stay tuned from more from Mondo and Mondoballs!!!