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With a number of award-winning shorts under his belt, Gene Blalock is certainly a filmmaker to watch. His latest, Among the Shadows, has been receiving overwhelming acclaim, so be sure to check it out below.
But first read our Q&A with him to learn how he created such a unique film.
DC: How did the idea for this film come about? Was there any personal experience involved?
Gene Blalock: I have no personal belief in the supernatural, but all the superstition behind those archetypes make for great stories. I first heard of Shadow People on “Coast to Coast AM,” which is a late-night talk radio show that discusses the paranormal. After some research, it seemed like an interesting topic – one that I had not seen many films address – so it seemed like a fun topic with a lot of possibility. The Hat Man had this sort of iconic appeal to him.
DC: Do you really believe that childhood fears of things lurking in the dark are irrational, or is it reasonable to fear the things in the night?
GB: Even as a child, I much preferred the night. People that you pass on the street every day scare me far more than anything lurking in the shadows.
DC: And you’ve got a lot of CGI effects on-screen, something relatively unusual for a short. Was the visual style a decision that you had from the beginning?
GB: We had a great actor, Andrew Varenhorst (Argo, It’s in the Blood), who played Hat Man in the film, but we always knew we would have to enhance his performance with visual effects. After meeting the amazing Tony Hudson (former ILM visual effects artist – check him out on fxvet.net), I think we stepped things up a bit. But honestly, that is how I would prefer to work – have a physical character interact with the environment and then use VFX to further the story.
DC: How do you feel about the awards that you’ve picked up?
GB: It is always nice when others appreciate what you create. I try not to read too much into whether any of our films receive awards, but rather the feedback I get from our fans and other viewers. That said, I’m happy that it has done as well as it has!
DC: Looking at your IMDb profile, you’ve got a ton of successful shorts under your belt. Do you plan to make a feature anytime soon?
GB: I’m currently finishing up a feature-length documentary on a musician, Johnny Indovina, but I am also hoping to start our first narrative full-length film later this year. We are already in pre-production and planning, so if everything comes together as we are hoping, we can begin production on that soon.
“It’s only a shadow…”
The irrational terrors of childhood – monsters hiding under the bed and demons waiting in the closet – fade into the nightmares of our youth. You’d have to be crazy to imagine that the flicker out of the corner of your eye was real; it was just a shadow, a moth flitting by, surely nothing malevolent. But denial is only a defense against the imaginary and holds no sway against true horror. When old playmates return, is it madness or worse? Answers lie Among the Shadows.
Awards for Among the Shadows:
Best Editing – Indie Horror Film Festival (2016)
Best Director – International Movie Awards (2015)
Best Cinematography – International Movie Awards (2015)
Best Editor – International Movie Awards (2015)
Best International Short Film – International Movie Awards (2015)
Best Musical Score – International Movie Awards (2015)
The post Exclusive: Director Gene Blalock Talks Among the Shadows; Watch It Here! appeared first on Dread Central.
While the box office will surely be dominated this weekend by James Wan’s EXCEPTIONAL sequel The Conjuring 2, we must point out that it’s not the only new horror flick available for viewing today. Courtesy of Saban Films, the long-awaited adaptation of Stephen King’s Cell has arrived on Ultra VOD today, beating the theatrical release by nearly a month!
Get a sneak peek via the trailer below!
Look for Cell in theaters and on lower-priced VOD July 8.
Directed by Tod Williams (Paranormal Activity 2) and written by Stephen King and Adam Alleca, Cell stars Samuel L. Jackson, John Cusack, and Isabelle Fuhrman.
Stephen King’s best-selling novel is brought to terrifying life in this mind-blowing thriller starring John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson. At the Boston airport, Clay (Cusack) witnesses a scene of chaotic mayhem when an electronic signal turns hundreds of cellphone users into rabid killers. Desperate to find his estranged wife and son, Clay teams with a train driver (Jackson) to battle the horde of murderous “phoners” as the city descends into apocalyptic madness.
In what could quite possibly be the least surprising news story of all time, a console release for XCOM 2 has been confirmed for later this year.
Not only is the sequel one of the most critically acclaimed games of 2016 so far, but it also sold over 500,000 copies in its first week of release, so a console release was more than inevitable.
PS4 and Xbox One owners will be able to get in on the alien-blasting action when XCOM 2 hits the systems on September 6.
From The Press Release:
The critically-acclaimed sequel to the 2012 award-winning strategy game of the year is coming to Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
Earth has changed. Twenty years have passed since world leaders offered an unconditional surrender to alien forces. XCOM, the planet’s last line of defense, was left decimated and scattered. Now, in XCOM 2, the aliens rule Earth, building shining cities that promise a brilliant future for humanity on the surface, while concealing a sinister agenda and eliminating all who dissent from their new order.
Only those who live at the edges of the world have a margin of freedom. Here, a force gathers once again to stand up for humanity. Always on the run, and facing impossible odds, the remnant XCOM forces must find a way to ignite a global resistance and eliminate the alien threat once and for all.
Starring Christopher John Jennings, Candice Nunes, Jack E. Curenton, Bianca Haase, Jason Tobias
Directed by Don Bitters III and Geoff Reisner
When a meteor shower rains rocks down outside Los Angeles, Jonas (Jason Tobias) and Lars (Christopher John Jennings), two friends stuck in tired, boring lives as gardeners, head out to find a meteor stone in hopes of selling it and striking it rich. After recovering one, they become Terrordactyl targets – “Terrordactyls” are the ancient flying reptiles that launched a full force assault on the city of angels and they are NOT happy about Jonas and Lars’ find.
Trying to survive long enough to sell their stolen treasure, the two schmoes go on the run. Along for the ride are Candice (Candice Nunes), a tough-but-cute bartender, Valerie (Bianca Haase), her oversexed roommate, and Sampson (Jack E. Curenton), a drunken and brash ex-marine. The gangly group soon discovers that there’s more to the meteor than meets the eye.
Terrordactyl is directed by newcomers Don Bitters III and Geoff Reisner, working from a script by Bitters who has previously worked as a visual effects artist on television shows such as “Betas,” “House of Cards,” and “Quantico”. Reisner previously worked as a cinematographer on features including Crossroad and No Greater Love. They both bring a lot to the table in their respective visual talents – the cinematography is above average for the genre, and so are the special effects and GCI.
Unfortunately, the acting from the lead “hero” is not above, or even, average. His stilted, awkward performance might jar some, but then again it’s in line with schlock such as this. (And Terrordactyl is way better than Birdemic!) The other actors aren’t going to be accepting an Oscar anytime soon either, but they seem more charming than clunky – along the lines of something you’d see in a low-budget 1980s horror or sci-fi flick.
When it comes to the feature-feature aspect, the monsters are menacing indeed. Fans of fright flicks ranging from Godzilla to golden-age Harryhausen to Sharknado will also find something to like about the terrordactyls.
Terrordactyl is a timewaster, fun for the right mood on a lazy TV night at home when there’s nothing better on the SyFy Channel.
When it comes to Indonesian action movies, Welsh director Gareth Evans’ The Raid films immediately spring to mind. Rightfully so, as they’re incredible movies that showcase the action genre at its finest.
But they aren’t the only Indonesian exports that’ll blow your mind into smithereens. If you traverse the decades, explore its recesses, willing to inhabit its cheapest dwellings, you might just find a new home you didn’t know you were looking for.
One such treasure waiting to be rediscovered is the outrageous Lethal Hunter; and now, thanks to the fine folks over at The Gentleman’s Guide to Midnight Cinema, an Indiegogo campaign has been launches to release it on DVD.
During the 1980’s, the Indonesian film industry experienced a boom period, and some of its success can be attributed to one of its most prominent directors: Arizal. Though his most successful features were his forays into comedy and drama, his true talent lay in low-budget, over-the-top action movies which thrived on unbridled lunacy. Unfortunately, the majority haven’t been released on DVD yet, but the GGTMC community has already taken steps to right that wrong in recent years, having also released the director’s insane Final Score in 2015. The release of Lethal Hunter is a natural successor for those already acquainted with his work, but it’s also the perfect introduction to these trashy delights for newbies.
The Gentleman’s Guide to Midnight Cinema is a wonderful community of genre aficionados with a deep-rooted devotion for cult cinema. Through their podcast, discussion group, and DVD releases, they ensure that the forgotten gems of yesteryear get the love and appreciation they deserve.
This pick-up is a must-have for collectors of rare cinematic treasures. If you don’t believe me, check out the trailer below and see for yourself.
A little more than 2 years ago we ran a campaign to get the Indonesian action Final Score released, which was a success. The campaign was fully funded with 117% and we (re)introduced the world to this crazy action movie that wasn’t officially available since the VHS days.
Now it’s time for the follow-up, and our (OMG Entertainment and the GGTMC podcast/community, more on that later!) second release. For that we chose a quite logical movie: Lethal Hunter, aka American Hunter (1989), another Arizal-directed action movie starring Chris Mitchum. And not only are Mike Abbot and Ida Iash returning; this time they are joined by Peter O’Brian and Bill “Superfoot” Wallace!
Don’t just see this as helping us release a DVD; instead see it as a pre-order (with a few campaign exclusives).
As you can see, we don’t need a whole lot of money so how can we release a DVD with such a small amount? The key here is the GGTMC community; it’s filled with enthusiastic and talented movie freaks with an affection for crazy action movies (but not limited to those). Among its members are designers, writers, label owners, etc. (and of course the founders and podcast hosts!), who help get these movies back out for everyone to enjoy…
The post Indiegogo Campaign Launches to Release Outrageous Indonesian Action Movie on DVD appeared first on Dread Central.
Directed by James Wan
While James Wan has dipped his feet into other genres – like vigilante thriller Death Sentence or blockbuster Furious 7 – he always feels most at home with horror. It’s the genre that lets his imagination run free, where he gets to be inventive with his camera and put his own stamp on it. Hell, even the underwhelming Dead Silence had moments of genuine suspense and craftsmanship.
The Conjuring 2 finds the helmer back on home turf, and in many ways it feels like he’s cooling down from the gauntlet of making Furious 7. This “true story” again involves paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, respectively) as they’re sent to England to investigate a poltergeist terrorizing a family. They soon learn this pesky spirit isn’t going to stop without a fight and also discover an old case is coming back to haunt them… quite literally.
Wan has such a command of the genre at this point he can do a simple haunted house tale – and recycle tropes that have been used a million times – and somehow he’s still able to unnerve you. His deliberate pacing is the key. He lets the tension build and build, and when you think a jump is coming, he’ll hold back. Added to that, when the shocks finally do come, they usually subvert expectations and rarely feel cheap.
It’s impressive that in a film that runs 134 minutes, the pace rarely drags; and The Conjuring 2 is relentless with keeping the setpieces coming. It rarely pauses for breath, and while this approach gets a tad samey, it still holds together. The tone is set early with an atmospheric recreation of The Amityville haunting – a setting they surprisingly didn’t save for a future sequel – where Lorraine encounters a nightmarish demon that continues to plague her. This demon is a classic unsettling design from Wan, and a later scene involving a painting of the creature might be the best sequence in the film. Not all the scares work, though; a brief scene involving a CGI creature is downright silly, and the moment a character is temporally blinded drags out too long.
While Wan obviously wants to scare you, he also wants you to have some fun, too, so The Conjuring 2 isn’t some po-faced exercise in terror. It’s really funny at times (check out Wilson’s sweet Elvis impression), and there’s a warmth to the characters, especially the loving relationship between the Warrens, that keeps you invested. Madison Wolfe steals the show as the young girl the poltergeist enjoys tormenting, Simon McBurney has a blast playing the most British British person to ever British, but Franka Potente is sadly wasted as a one-dimensional skeptic.
Visually the film is gorgeous and displays Wan’s technical prowess, with the camera often gliding around the haunted house like a roaming spectre itself. A couple of shots are a little show-offy, but often any flash is in aid of the story. That said, unfortunately, the finale devolves into noisy chaos and bizarrely recalls the ending of Exorcist II: The Heretic. Tension and story get lost in the bombast, and the movie really should have dialed the noise levels down a notch or two.
The Conjuring 2 isn’t especially groundbreaking, but it’s a creepy ride with a surprising amount of heart. It’s great to see a mainstream horror that’s genuinely scary, and long may the series continue if it can keep the quality up.
What would a great horror movie be without a great soundtrack? Unfortunately, many people still don’t realize just how vital music is when it comes to creating the story that the filmmakers want to tell.
The new book Scored to Death: Conversations with Some of Horror’s Greatest Composers by J. Blake Fichera features a rare insight into the process being the creation of all those classic themes that helped to make the films that they belonged to so damn terrifying. Sounds like it’s a must read for both horror and music aficionados.
Look for it July 1st from Silman-James Press (pre-order here).
Film music is a magical phenomenon. It can create and enhance the sense of life and emotion and pacing in a film. It can also clue us in on the dark secrets hidden in a character’s soul and suggest what might be awaiting us a few frames later.
Music is particularly important to the horror film experience. It can (and often does) put us on the edge of our seats, trick us with red herrings, and propel us on a wild ride from shock to shock to shock. It is an unseen hand, subtly directing our reactions and building our anticipations.
Scored to Death: Conversations with Some of Horror’s Greatest Composers is the first book to delve specifically and deeply into the minds of noted horror genre composers—the musicians who make us tremble and jump out of our seats.
Scored to Death’s author/interviewer, J. Blake Fichera, both a film editor and a musician himself, has been fascinated by the music for horror films since his youth: “Film music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember… I grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, during a time when the music of John Williams was shining a spotlight on the artistry of film scoring, Danny Elfman was shifting gears from pop star to film music royalty, and composers like Vangelis, Giorgio Moroder, John Carpenter, and the band Tangerine Dream were providing an electronic alternative to the traditional symphonic score…. Horror films played a significant role in my upbringing. For those of us who grew up as part of the video-store generation, easy access to hundreds of movies allowed genre icons like Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and Pinhead to become cinematic rock stars…. My parents were not ones to regulate my viewing…and I was exposed to things that probably wouldn’t be considered ‘appropriate’ for a child today. My real obsession with the genre, though, began while I was in high school, when renting horror movies with my friends became a regular occurrence. Coincidentally, it was also around this time that I began playing the guitar and discovered the music of heavy metal pioneers Black Sabbath. All these things converging on my impressionable teenage brain at the same time made my falling in love with horror film music inevitable.”
So it was all but inevitable that Fichera would undertake Scored to Death, a fascinating and entertaining investigation of the dark recesses of the film music world where terror lurks. Interviewed are 14 renowned film composers who have provided music for some of the horror genre’s greatest films and franchises, including Halloween, A Nightmare of Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Hellraiser, Maniac, The Fog, Prince of Darkness, Cujo, Dawn of the Dead, Deep Red, Suspiria, Santa Sangre, Zombie, The Beyond, Insidious, The Conjuring, Hostel, The Strangers, House of the Devil, and many more.
The book introduces us to director/composer John Carpenter; sound designer/composer Alan Howarth; Italian composers (and members of the band Goblin, known for their scores for Dario Argento films) Claudio Simonetti and Maurizio Guarini; Hollywood composers Christopher Young, Tom Hajdu (of the composing team tomandandy), Charles Bernstein, Jay Chattaway, and Nathan Barr; as well as such other horror notables as Fabio Frizzi, Simon Boswell, Joseph Bishara, and Harry Manfredini.
Pre-publication comments about Scored to Death from the horror film world have been very good: filmmaker Stuart Gordon writes, “Fichera…introduces you to some of the genre’s greatest composers as they explain the process of creating unforgettable nightmares of sound.”
Filmmaker Tom Holland observes, “This book is the best opportunity you will have to peek behind the curtains of those people who create the soundtrack of your life!”
Filmmaker Larry Fessenden comments, “The musicians in this generous volume are given the time to reveal themselves and their processes.”
And B-movie aficionado, critic, and author Joe Bob Briggs writes, “Horror films live and die with their musical scores…. If you claim to know how horror movies work, this book is a must-read.”
Don’t venture again into a dark theater until you read it!
The post Learn the Stories Behind Classic Horror Soundtracks in Scored to Death appeared first on Dread Central.
The gorgeous looking horror comic series Monstress kind of slipped under our radar, but with the first collected edition being available next month, now seems like the perfect time to give it a look.
Marjorie Liu weaved the fantastical tale of a girl living in a world reminiscent of 1900’s Asia, who forms a strange psychic bond with a creature of unimaginable size and power. Sana Takeda created the dreamlike illustrations.
Astonishing X-Men and Black Widow writer MARJORIE LIU returns to comics with artist SANA TAKEDA (X-23) for an all-new ONGOING SERIES! Steampunk meets Kaiju in this original fantasy epic for mature readers, as young Maika risks everything to control her psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, placing her in the center of a devastating war between human and otherworldly forces. The adventure begins in a spectacular TRIPLE-SIZED FIRST ISSUE, with SIXTY-SIX pages of story and no ads.
With their previous film Lead Me Astray receiving overwhelming acclaim at festivals (star Alannah Robertson even won Best Actress at the Independent Horror Movie Awards), we’re couldn’t be more excited for Bendy Spoon Productions’ latest effort, Remember Redfield.
The whodunit murder mystery flick takes place in a secluded estate, where an assailant begins picking off the bickering guests one by one. Logan Webster directs.
Old loves, rivalries, and vendettas resurface at a high school reunion party held out on a reclusive estate, but the evening takes a deadly turn when one of the guests begins systematically killing all the estranged attendants, leaving the group to try to decipher who, of all their friends, has the potential to be a murderer.
Directed by Logan Webster, the film welcomes back Jace Pickard, Alannah Robertson, and Tom Danger with an ensemble of familiar faces as well as some new ones ready to be killed!
Developed by IO Interactive
Published by Square Enix
Available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One
Rated M for Mature
With the release of “Marrakesh,” half of the currently scheduled Hitman content is now out. I enjoyed the previous two episodes, but haven’t really been impressed yet. It was all technically solid, but lacked the punch to really draw me in. I’ve outlined what I was hoping for in my previous reviews (link here), but to briefly recap I feel like the game lacks identity and flavor. These games have always been about pitch black comedy and creative killings, and while Hitman has so far definitely delivered on being a great sandbox, it’s lost some of the polish in the process.
I also predicted that as the episodes came out, they would probably address these problems to some degree. Episodic releases are tricky, since games require a difficulty curve to stay interesting. When all you have is a trickle of content every month or so, it’s hard to judge each individual piece as part of a whole and not its own isolated package. I expected that with time the guided “opportunities” would be more vague and less immediately lethal, and that the larger and more open level design would necessitate more creative thinking.
“Marrakesh” kind of proves me half right. It’s a step in the right direction to be sure, but doesn’t go quite as far as I want it to. I say this keeping in mind that there are still three episodes left. If the build stays this slow, it either won’t reach the peak it needs to get to or do so jarringly quick.
What the episode nailed was establishing its own tone. It wasn’t the iconic “Hitman” gruesomely quirky, but rather went its own direction by being considerably more grounded and serious. Typically, assassinations were always more obtuse in effect and scale. Sure, nuclear launch codes would be exchanged and international drug cartels disrupted, but all of that was narrative fluff behind garroting a couple dudes in a few rooms. No matter what was at stake in the story, the reality of the level was a few guards, a target that needed murdering, and a few flavor events in between.
Episode 3 drops you off in the middle of a brewing revolution about to boil over. Swedish banker Claus Strandberg stands convicted of murder, but during transit was freed by a group of unknown gunman and now sits safely in the Swedish Consulate. The breakout, meant to appear to be foreign orchestrated, was actually the work of General Reza Zaydan. An associate of Claus, Reza hopes to use the event to stir distrust in the current president, and give justification for a military coup. You must eliminate both targets to quell the unrest and bring stability back to the country.
For a game that generally has you assassinating colorful characters in charge of various shadow governments or linchpins in grand conspiracies, seeing Hitman take notes from the Arab Spring is surprising. Targets tend to be flavored with a pinch of goofy, but there’s very little to laugh at between the tortured prisoners held in the General’s camp stationed in an abandoned school and the distant, aloof calm of the Swedish consulate. This is the blackest I’ve seen a “Hitman” game, bordering on almost losing its comedy. It’s a tight line to walk, but one that it did so well. It doesn’t try to replicate the charming elements of previous games, but creates its own tone that is just as compelling. It was a bold move that made the episode better than the sum of its parts.
However, the actual assassinations were too strict. The map itself is very large, but the targets are constrained to two tight and very well guarded areas. Most of “Marrakesh” revolves around figuring out how to get in. Once inside, the job is basically done. Getting them alone is pretty easy even without scripted events, and even if you don’t hide the body the two locations are separate enough that the alarms don’t really affect one another.
The “opportunities” have changed as I predicted, but I’m on the fence as to how much I like it. They are now less specific, guiding you towards key locations/events without giving you all the steps. Most of time, you’ll go towards an opportunity only to find that you can’t get through the door. This is where the creative thinking should come in. Unfortunately, the solutions are often very linear. Getting into a club, wear a waiter uniform. After finding a key, climb down a pipe to get to the door. There are certainly more obtuse ways to do it, but the obvious solution is too immediately useful to pass up. I appreciate not being given all the steps, but I wanted that to be because of freedom in completion.
I think that there is still a bit to go in making this a great game, but I’m pleased with the steps they have taken. I just wish that these bright bits didn’t shine a light on the flaws in the rest of the system. The next step is going to be crucial, as we’re rapidly approaching the point where the identity of Hitman will be established. Don’t take this as doomsaying, as I’m actually quite hopeful. The way that this innovated was good, and the level of improvement it brought over “Sapienza” as bigger than the one “Sapienza” brought over the “Intro Pack.” I hope they keep this curve of build, raising the bar even more in the next episode. With 6 episodes, they really don’t have any room to stumble, and Hitman hasen’t really hit its stride yet. It’s been jogging up to a run, and hopefully will finish with a solid pace.
With the survival horror game 7 Days to Die hitting shelves next month, publisher Telltale Games has released a new developer video interview, and best of all… if you pre-order, you’ll have access to Walking Dead character skins.
From the Press Release:
Telltale Publishing has announced that the hit survival horde crafting game 7 Days to Die will release on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One for the first time on June 28th as both a digital and retail product in North America and digitally in Europe; it will be available on July 1st for the first time at retail in Europe. The recommended retail price is $29.99 USD or equivalent, and the game is currently available for pre-order at GameStop, Best Buy, GAME, and Amazon. 7 Days to Die is published in collaboration with the Dallas-based independent developer The Fun Pimps.
Set in a brutally unforgiving post-apocalyptic world overrun by the undead, 7 Days to Die is an open-world survival game that is a unique combination of first-person shooter, survival horror, tower defense, and role-playing games. It presents combat, crafting, looting, mining, exploration, and character growth in a way that has seen a rapturous response from fans worldwide, generating hundreds of thousands of hours of community content on YouTube and other streaming video platforms.
Fans of Telltale’s The Walking Dead series in partnership with Skybound will be excited to learn that pre-ordering 7 Days to Die will give them exclusive access to 5 character skins from Telltale’s hit series, including Michonne and Lee Everett.
The console version of 7 Days to Die adds a new multiplayer mode supporting local split-screen for couch play; additional online multiplayer modes and features will be revealed in the coming weeks. The game will be supported by exciting DLC content, with details to be revealed in the near future.
This new interview with 7 Days to Die developers gives insight into what inspired the immensely popular “survival horde crafting game” as well as what players can expect in the console version.
The post 7 Days to Die – Developer Diary and Walking Dead Pre-Order Goodies! appeared first on Dread Central.
The new film from Chris Sparling, Mercy, was picked up by Netflix back in November; and right now we have the trailer for you to check out! Dig it!
Written and directed by Chris Sparling, Mercy stars James Wolk, Caitlin FitzGerald, Tom Lipinski, Dan Ziskie, Michael Godere, Michael Donovan, Dion Graham, and Constance Baron.
Before hitting Netflix later this year, the film will be having its premiere at the LA Film Festival on Saturday, June 4th, at 11:30 pm.
When four estranged brothers return home to say their last goodbye to their dying mother, Grace, hidden motivations reveal themselves. The family’s already tenuous bonds are tested when secrets from Grace’s past resurface, causing a restless night to go terribly awry as the brothers are thrust into a fight for their own survival.
Starring Geza Benko, Nikolet Dekany, Barbi Horvath
Directed by Demeter Lorant
Brutal, unflinching in subject matter… and an all-around fun watch for fans of mindless violence, Demeter Lorant’s short film Lucky Girl tosses us directly into the lair of a man who “rescues” three girls after a horrific automobile accident and puts them through more trauma than they could have ever hoped to experience… get out your splash guards cause this one’s gonna get messy.
Geza Benko plays a no-name serial killer (or so we’d imagine) who is seen ransacking said accident and taking the three female victims in his vehicle back to his little “playhouse” if you will. What happens next to the very unlucky trio isn’t something that I’d be willing to jot down in detail form, especially with a short runtime of less than 15 minutes in length, but rest assured that if you were to play this one on your work computer, you’d be out of work fairly quickly.
The complete inanity of the premise is outweighed by the actions of the killer – no one witnessed the accident in a span of time where this killer could ravage the scene? I guess it’s just me over-internalizing the backbone of this quickie, but Lorant more than makes up for it with a blistering display of aggression against the female form. While this might not sit well with many an audience, just remember: “It’s only a movie.”
If you have the time (and with only a quarter of an hour to offer up, you should), I highly recommend checking this one out.
Long holiday weekends make for the perfect time to sit on the couch and watch a whole bunch of movies, and VOD outlets provide the best way to do that without having to so much as leave the house. Sure, we miss video rental shops and all, but nothing beats renting movies without even putting on pants!
Out today, in limited theaters and On Demand, is The Ones Below (review), the debut feature from writer-director David Farr (screenwriter of Hanna and AMC’s “The Night Manager”). Hailed by our own Matt Boiselle as “very eerie,” the film stars David Morrissey (“The Walking Dead”), Clémence Poésy, Stephen Campbell Moore, and Laura Birn.
Whet your appetite with the plot crunch and trailer below!
Blending an element of urban dread with an edgy sense of paranoia, The Ones Below follows Kate (Poésy) and Justin (Moore), a young couple in a tiny London suburb eagerly awaiting the birth of their first child. But when the enigmatic Teresa (Bim) and Jon (Morrissey) move into the apartment downstairs, the parents-to-be soon become involved in a psychological battle of wills with the new tenants.
When it comes to delivering you the goods on a daily basis, we strive to stay both fresh and as far removed from what people refer to as “normal sensibilities” as possible. That’s why were always looking for fun ways to celebrate the genre! Enter the recurring feature Mister J’s Sense of Dread.
Each week Mister J will dive deep into his psyche to provide you with a new comic of the dreadful variety. From the horror genre to real-life events that tie into it, our new contributor will bring his insane brand of artistry to you, dear reader, with enough reckless abandon and obscurities to make the legendary Charles Addams proud!
Mister J has been drawing cartoons and watching terrible movies for as long as anyone can remember. His work appears in a variety of places but can be seen online daily at mrjcomics.com. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @misterjcomics.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy the chuckles. Look for more soon!
Directed by Heather Christopherson, L.C . Cruell, Andrew Featherstone, Dayna Noffke
Cemeteries. Let’s face it; they’re an evocative lightning rod for every emotion known to the human race: fear of death, loneliness, missing friends or family or lovers, historical fascination, vertigo at peering over the edge of death’s cliff and seeing where we will all fall sooner or later… and on and on. There is no way to walk round a cemetery and not feel anger or pain at the grave of a baby taken too soon, with teddy bears and sad, agonized, teary-eyed farewells to a child who “fell asleep” permanently. Or a young murder victim with wailing, broken-heart-drenched high school notes from friends dotted around and flowers eaten by the local deer. Or some football supporter who died in an accident, their grave draped in their team’s colors. Or a middle-aged housewife who just dropped dead, eternally missed by her numb, disbelieving family and friends.
Georgia-lensed Cemetery Tales: Tales from Morningside Cemetery certainly knows this fun-damn-mental fact of human life and death and exploits it to creepy, genuinely unsettling effect during its under-the-skincrawler running time. Unusually for Georgia, there is no air of religious extremism here – just a human, despairing, rotting one. Which works fine for me.What we have here are four separate stories about the aforementioned silent-air bucolic boneyard, buried deep in the American South, linked with an interlocking series of skits about a young couple who go camping in the middle of anywhere but where they should be. They end up bumping into a fear-tour guide, in the guise of an enigmatic, buxom young woman who tells them could-be tall tales of the cemetery’s dead denizens, inciting the couple on into drunkenness and potential sexual excess… and a non-sexual ending I did not (cough) see coming.
“The Living End” is the first tale from the dark side we see when the coffin lid of the film is prized open. Taking place in a funeral home, it presents us with the story of a young woman named Joanie (Madeline Brumby), who wakes up, well… dead. She’s lying on a mortician’s table being prepared for her funeral after her murder, and she’s none to happy about it, losing the plot as she’s about to be lowered into it. She argues with the philosophical, comforting-cum-violating mortician (Josh Lowder) prodding and probing her and refuses to believe she’s actually dead. But is she? Or is the guy just a lunatic torturing her? You know, we’ve all had mo(u)rnings when we’ve woken up in a similar predicament, and it can go either way, really. Well, we find out eventually, and I won’t spoil the ending for you. You’re welcome.
I confess that I really found this story genuinely dispiriting and unnerving – exactly what you want in a horror film, really. The woman’s strange, surreal plight bore all the hellmarks of waking up from a bad dream to me, the ones where you find yourself briefly paralyzed, unable to move for no clear reason, time is elongated and any scream would be nothing but a wasted, exhaled, shaky, loud-yet-silent breath. Her pain and confusion as she is penetrated by the clinical mortician (a low blow pun, sorry) with a huge needle to suction her blood and has her lips sewn together (a scene which made me cringe), then slowly starts inexorably to accept her inescapable fate, howling out to be saved by her boyfriend when she hears him next door… it just got to me, is all. I must say one thing I really liked about this film is that it is a straight horror film, not some modern schlocky torture porn (though it does have certain gory elements akin to that stuff very occasionally) or wacky-hyuck-fest. It didn’t choose to use a bad metal soundtrack and post-modern wisecracking teens talking about horror film character behavior, and it’s all the better for that. Indeed, this film is so bereft of the Net and cellphones and modern everyday gadgets and mindsets that, apart from a couple of technological mentions, it could have been made any time last century.
“It Takes One to Know One” is next up on the blood feast buffet. It concerns enigmatic angel-of-life-and-death Sera (Joy Kathleen Wood), a young woman with the power to kill or cure, seemingly on a whim; anybody she touches either is cured of disease or dies on the spot. The increasingly troubled nurse with wounds visits the graves of those she has killed, brooding darkly over her supernatural assignation (a metaphor for the incomprehensibility of life and death in general, who gets to live and die) and is accosted by the prying, morose, suspicious Groundskeeper (Rick Bedell), who wonders why she knows so many people who died. A fair enough question, really. Pushed to go and speak to one of the people she has saved by her concerned confidant Chuck (Joey Shealy), Sera seeks out a woman whom she cured of a terminal disease… and the reaction she gets is not at all what she expected. This oddly reminded me of the old Harlan Ellison story “Paingod,” from his 1975 short story collection, Deathbird Stories, but that is surely coincidental.
I have to say, apart from the general downtrodden atmosfear, one perfect for melancholicoholics, one of the main things I will be taking way from Cemetery Tales is the performance of young, attractive actress Joy Kathleen Wood. By turns intense, introspective, angry, hopeless, helpless, confused, philosophical, and coldly calculating when in who-knows-why execution mode, she imbues her preternatural female Grim Reaper with exactly the right amount of resignation and just-following-orders character and personality. Her dark-and-lighter-shades-of-dark interior moanologue are even mirrored in her arresting hair color, red-on-black-on-purple striations. I guess I just really liked her extremely contemporary, tattooed but vulnerable character and the existential implications implicit in her merciless, dichotomous existence. Wood is, to me, the stand-out actor in a film full of warm, accommodating performances. Those may be slightly varying in quality, but none of them ever sink into parody or knock you out of the film, being at least serviceable and/or very good, and it’s a joy to watch the young cast earnestly putting their all into what is clearly a low-budget film with lots of heart. And guts. And kidneys. And…
…Anyway. You get the groan-worthy, viscera-viewing idea.
Moving swiftly along, we encounter “I Need You,” the third tale of terror clanking along in this chainwaving-spooks cinematic ghost train. Owing a debt to Poltergeist and Beetlejuice, here we are treated to a vignette about a young quarrelsome couple who go out on a rainy night, leaving their son, Lucas (Darby Long in a performance belying his tender age), and his babysitter, whilst the boy pleads with them not to go out. Their car ends up in a ditch, and they raggedly stumble back home soaking, arguing, fit to bust about who was responsible for the accident. Wife Kim (Stephanie Stevens in a fine, emotive performance, even though the script doesn’t give her much more to do than scream hideously and cry piteously) reckons it’s her husband Ted’s (Rob West) fault, and vice versa. But things soon get worse when they realize their son is missing, seemingly kidnapped by this haunted house, and they have to somehow get him back from beyond.
It’s funny. This section deals with every parent’s worst nightmare, that of losing a child, but it’s also, more specifically, a very female fear, of losing a part of themselves. The first three films do come across as being very estrogenerated, being, as they are, all directed and written by women. I do like this because it plays around with the sometimes dickswinger braggadocio and misogyny some male directors can bring to horror films and serves up a more quietly philosophical, introspective, existential fear feast, with strong female characters who don’t just exist as male horror-canon cannon fodder. To me, “The Living End” is partly a female vanity piece, about a woman wanting to go out of this world looking her best, and “It Takes One to Know One” is partly about the often-unexplored female will or power to kill, to be a life-taker as well as a life-giver. We’re served three slices of modern skull-under-the-queasily-smiling-skin Southern Gothic that Flannery O’Connor would have felt totally at ease with, and it’s nice to have this sort of equality happening in a part of the USA far too often coming off like a woman’s worst nightmare. These are talented female filmmakers we’re dealing with here, reader, and they’re just as harsh and gut-grabbing as any male would be in the genre.
This is not, however, to deride the fourth and final film, “Nekro-fancy,” written by another woman, Nikkia Lovejoy, and directed by Andrew Featherstone, the lone man ranging amidst the female wild bunch here. The title, I would imagine, is a pun on “necromancy” (Americans don’t use the word “fancy” for finding someone attractive, so you know there’s a European sensibility on display here!) or, more specifically, the Nekromantik films, with Featherstone clearly influenced by Jorg Buttgereit’s infamous groundbreaking necrophilia films, with a side salad of Deranged and an Ed Gein chaser. His is a melancholy, strange tale of a mentally haunted mamma’s boy cemetery groundskeeper called Marcus (James Ellis) looking for a replacement for his deceased mother’s love among the dead young women who come into the funeral parlor he works in (amusingly, all the corpses he is working on appear to be attractive young females in their 20s!), whom he talks to and has sex with whilst his mother’s voice berates him in his head. But his world is rocked when the beautiful young Amity comes a-knocking on his door and he finds true love with a (gasp!) real live woman, one with desires just as insatiable as his at that. But is Amity a vile horror? Well, you’ll have to see the film for yourself to find out…
Which, ultimately, I would confidently advise you to do. This is a quiet, sometimes-understated, sometimes-ultraviolent, solid wee horror film, and all involved should congratulate themselves on getting it done and dusted. The cinematography, by Jessica Gallant and William Schweikert, is crisp, robust, sometimes poetic, perfectly capturing the look and feel of a lonely, melancholic, creepy countryside cemetery (brought back memories for me of taking Jorg Buttgereit to Ed Gein’s grave, which is another story), with many a morbid and macabre tale to be told from dead, truth-itching lips. Any fan of the genre will know what they are getting with this Atlantic-hopping shocker: something one part Amicus, one part EC Comics (the stories often had an EC twist in their tales, and were, it has to be said, pretty downbeat), one part Creepshow, and one part “Tales from the Crypt,” a real heart-attacking, tomb-raiding Crypt Kicker 4.
I have to admit, whilst watching the film, with its stabbing, decapitation, evisceration, lip-sewing, necrophilia, blood-draining, etc., I did wonder, for obvious reasons, just what kind of cemetery would allow itself to be associated with this sort of material. Having a glance at the credits, I could not see any mention of a real cemetery, though the story “I Need You” did thank Gus Thornhill’s funeral home. So unless the disparate filmmakers filmed in some god-forsaken countryside cemetery on the fly, they just mocked up a fake dirt-nap dormitory, and I must say it worked fine for me. And if they did film in a real final rest-in-peace place, I just hope they cleaned up after they finished their zombie rising and murder scenes. I hope Gus Thornhill did a full head and body count after the production vacated the premises… just in case. I’m joking, obviously. But whatever the truth of real-life death-internment camps, cemeteries, funeral homes, whatever, the quartet of scare story recorders and countryside horror exorcists certainly left with the best possible thing they could have: this fun, sick, poignant, unsettling, disturbing film.
The post Cemetery Tales: Tales from Morningside Cemetery (2016) appeared first on Dread Central.
With 2014’s An American Terror filmmaker Haylar Garcia having completed principal photography on his latest feature, Gnaw, we chatted with the Denver-based director regarding the paranormal horror flick, which stars Penelope Mitchell of “The Vampire Diaries.”
Having directed from a script he co-wrote with Kathryn Gould and Jim Brennan, Garcia said of the shoot (a joint production of Unreal Media and Wrecking Ball Pictures), “It was grueling, amazing, exhausting, and satisfying. We had such a great crew and top-level talent, both from Los Angeles and Colorado, that despite the hardcore schedule, we pulled off some really great stuff.”
Of the cast, Chris Johnson (xXx: State of the Union) and Kyle Gass (Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny) join star Mitchell for the proceedings, which revolve around a small-town girl (Mitchell) who, after fleeing an abusive husband (Johnson), tries to make a new life for herself in the big city. But it’s hard to start over when something is eating you alive… one painful bite at a time.
Glowed Garcia of his lead actress, “Penelope is a charming actor with a true passion for character. I found us laughing and getting along famously most of the time, while other times challenging each other on deep and stern levels that brought her performance itself and our overall collaboration to even more dramatic and powerful places than we’d imagined. She lights up the screen in many ways: physically, emotionally – but it’s far more than just being photogenic. Penelope’s presence seems to belong innately on film, and not just by virtue of her well-prepared dedication to her craft. Simply put, she fills and inhabits the frame like a movie star.”
As for Gass, who’s predominantly known for his comedic roles, Garcia offered, “I think many people will be surprised by Kyle’s dramatic chops. He took our character of Terry to such a wonderful and balanced place. The way Kyle was able to sculpt this character into such an anchor point for the film just floored us from the very first scene he did. On set he is a total pro, so collaborative and easy to work with, and then ‘Boom!’ He brings magic so effortlessly. I can’t even really explain how fortunate we feel to have gotten him on the project.”
With Garcia currently in post-production on the film, we asked him if there were any plans for Gnaw on the film festival circuit, to which he replied, “I would imagine that going right to a good distribution deal and/or making a sale would be amazing, but we also love horror fans and know how important the grassroots connection that is cultivated in the festival world can be. I can’t speak for the producers’ plans, but I don’t think anything is off the table at this point. I also believe that if we concentrate on making a great film that horror audiences will love, the film will find its own way.”
For more on Gnaw, “like” the film on Facebook here!
The post Gnaw Wraps! Exclusive Photos and Chat with Director Haylar Garcia appeared first on Dread Central.
The horror film Conjoined was an instant classic (watch it here), so we’re both baffled and delighted by the news that it’s getting a game adaptation. And a retro game, no less.
Yep, director Joe Grisaffi and programmer Jason Santuci are working together on a Conjoined game for the Atari 2600. Now I really have seen everything. Check out the official website, with a countdown to the Kickstarter campaign, here.
About the Conjoined Game:
Filmmaker Joe Grisaffi of Starship Films (Dead of Knight, Lars the Emo Kid, Laughing Boy, Death and a Salesman) has teamed up with video game programmer Jason Santuci of Gemintronic to produce an Atari 2600 video game based on the surprise indie horror/comedy hit Conjoined, directed by Joe Grisaffi, written by Chuck Norfolk and Tim Norfolk.
The film synopsis is as follows: When a lonely man (Stanley, played by Tom Long) finds out the love of his life has a conjoined twin, who happens to be a serial killer, he must take drastic measures to keep his love life intact while keeping himself out of big trouble.
The Atari 2600 game follows the concept of the movie. Stanley must catch the hearts that his love Alina is throwing to him while avoiding the broken hearts and daggers that her maniacal conjoined twin sister is throwing at him. After collecting all of the surgical items that appear after successfully catching a series of hearts, Stanley advances to the operation level, where he must separate the twins.
“I grew up with the Atari 2600,” says director Grisaffi. “I am thrilled to have produced a fun game with programmer Jason Santuci for the video game console that meant so much to me as a child. I am incredibly grateful to Jason for helping me realize a childhood dream of designing video games.”
The first run of the game, including a numbered limited edition, will be available through the Kickstarter campaign. The limited edition will include a classic Atari-style box, the game cartridge, a DVD of the film, a limited edition lapel pin, and a Certificate of Authenticity signed by programmer Jason Santuci, director Joe Grisaffi, and AtariAge’s Albert Yarusso, who will be manufacturing the cartridges.
Programmer Jason Santuci and filmmaker Joe Grisaffi also teamed up to create Atari 2600 games for the films Dead of Knight and Laughing Boy, both produced and directed by Grisaffi.
Conjoined has been a surprise hit for the filmmakers, with screenings at festivals and conventions all over the world, gaining new fans for both the film and the filmmakers. Viewers can find Conjoined on Amazon Instant Video and on the Independent Network Channel (INC) on Roku, with availability on other outlets coming soon.
With the third season of “The Strain” premiering on August 28th, fans of FX’s hit TV show will be looking for the perfect way to get ready for the new season, and we have your hook-up!
On June 28th, Insight Editions is releasing The Art of The Strain, which offers a look at Seasons 1 and 2 and features exclusive interviews with most of the series’ talent – both in front of the camera and behind the scenes.
The Art of The Strain (pre-order from Amazon) was written by Los Angeles-based film critic and journalist Robert Abele with a foreword by Guillermo del Toro.
From the Press Release:
Discover the secrets of FX’s hit TV show “The Strain” in this deluxe book, which delves into the twisted imagination of creator and producer Guillermo del Toro, co-creator Chuck Hogan, and showrunner Carlton Cuse to deliver a jaw-dropping insider’s look at the scariest show on television.
Covering both Seasons 1 and 2, The Art of The Strain features exclusive interviews with del Toro, Hogan, Cuse, and a wealth of behind-the-scenes talent, who reveal the full story of the creation of the show. From the challenge of adapting the original novels to the work that went into designing a uniquely terrifying vampire race, The Art of The Strain gives in-depth insight into all aspects of the production.
Packed with a wide range of stunning visuals, including concept art, candid on-set photos, and illuminating VFX breakdowns, the book showcases the wonderfully macabre vision that drives “The Strain” and explores the genesis of fan favorites like The Master, the Sun Hunters, bloodworms, strigoi stingers, and other eerily unforgettable elements of the show. Also featuring profiles of the show’s central characters and interviews with the cast members who play them, including Corey Stoll, David Bradley, and Richard Sammel, The Art of The Strain is packed with bloodcurdling images and razor-sharp revelations that will thrill fans everywhere.
The post Take a Peek Inside Insight Editions’ The Art of The Strain appeared first on Dread Central.
Welcome back to Dread Central’s The Devil’s Muse, where we take a look at great artists who focus on the dark, the macabre, the dreadful.
This week we’re spotlighting Jessica Van Hulle.
Jessica is a California native who focuses on creating story and emotion in her artwork. Most of her handiwork involves sci-fi and fantasy elements, but she also does realistic figures/portraits. Jessica has had her work exhibited in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and Seattle.
Past her illustration and fine art career, Jessica also added fashion design to her repertoire. Since 2007 she has designed sexy Halloween costumes, lingerie, and high heel shoes.
The post DC’s The Devil’s Muse: Artist Spotlight – Jessica Van Hulle appeared first on Dread Central.


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Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Wednesday the suspected Washington Navy Yard gunman's background presented some "red flags" easy to spot in hindsight and ordered a broad review of security worldwide, including clearances.
Aaron Alexis, the 34-year-old suspect who was killed by police during Monday's shooting, received a security clearance more than five years ago when he was still in the Navy and kept it in his most recent job as a technology contractor at the Navy Yard.
Critics in Congress and elsewhere say his ability to keep his security clearance despite a history of misconduct, including while in uniform, shows serious flaws in the system.
Hagel, addressing reporters for the first time since the shooting in which 13 people were killed including Alexis, said his deputy, Ashton Carter, would undertake two reviews - an examination of physical security and access procedures at all Defense Department installations worldwide.
Carter's review will look at the U.S. military's practices and procedures for granting and renewing security clearances, including those held by contractors like Alexis.
"Obviously, when you go back in hindsight and look at all this there were some red flags - of course there were," Hagel said.
"And should we have picked them up? Why didn't we? How could we have? All those questions need to be answered."
General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said it would have been hard to foresee Monday's bloodshed. "I don't know what the investigation will determine, but he committed murder. And I'm not sure that any particular question or lack of question on a security clearance would probably have revealed that."
Dempsey was also hesitant to adopt the term "red flag." "Until I understand the outcome of the investigation, I can't render a judgment about whether it was a red flag or just something that flew beneath the radar."
Alexis' secret-level security clearance would have been valid for 10 years, without the need for a renewal that could have led to new disclosures about his conduct.
Hagel said the length of time clearances are valid would be one of the areas under examination.
"Obviously, the longer clearances go without review, there is some jeopardy to that. There's no question about it," he said.
Alexis' initial background check was conducted as part of his service in the U.S. Navy Reserve from May 2007 to January 2011. He underwent a National Agency Check that was completed in August 2007 and he was determined eligible to handle "secret" material in March 2008, a U.S. defense official said.
That check for his security clearance was conducted after Alexis was arrested in Seattle in 2004 for shooting a construction worker's car tires in an anger-fueled "blackout," according to the Seattle Police Department.
The "secret" clearance was in effect during two other incidents.
In 2008, Alexis was cited for disorderly conduct in Georgia when he was kicked out of a club for damaging furnishings and cursing. Alexis was then arrested in 2010 in Texas for discharging a firearm in a case that was dropped after investigators determined his gun accidentally fired while it was being cleaned.
In 2011 Alexis received an honorable discharge from the Navy Reserve, even though the Navy had been pursuing a general discharge against him on a series of eight to 10 misconduct charges, ranging from traffic offenses to disorderly conduct, a military official said.
Private pre-employment background checks also apparently failed to properly flag Alexis as a security risk. The Experts Inc, an information technology company that hired Alexis to work on a project helping service the Navy Marine Corps intranet, said it had also enlisted a service to perform two background checks on him over the last year.
The checks revealed no issues other than one minor traffic violation, the company said.
© 2021 Thomson/Reuters. All rights reserved.

domain: news


Pinholes occur sporadically and over large areas and can affect all cast piece areas. In many cases, they only become visible after mechanical processing, but they are always visible to the naked eye. A number of measures have proven effective in the prevention of pinholes, and the most important ones are listed below.
An overview of the key measures for preventing pinholes
- Reducing hydrogen carriers, i.e. using dry charge materials and avoiding highly rusty, oily feedstock.
- Reducing nitrogen carriers (e.g. scrap steel) in the charge make-up; taking the minimum content of titanium (0.02%) into account in the case of GJL. Using returns that are blasted as far as possible.
- Increasing the chromo-saturation level if possible, setting the manganese content to no more than 0.4% Si, reducing the aluminum content (not ≥ 100 ppm). The negative effect of aluminum is intensified in the presence of titanium, pinholes occur increasingly in the case of a Ti content of 0.02% and an Al content of 0.01% to 0.2%.
- Applying inoculants with reduced aluminum content and ensuring that the casting temperatures are correspondingly high. Low casting temperatures increase the defect tendency, which is seen as a sign that the formation of pinholes is caused by a surface oxidization of the melt during casting and solidification.
- Changing the gating system so that the melt has little opportunity to oxidize; shortening flow paths, avoiding turbulence
- Keeping the hydrogen content of the melt to a minimum by means of intensive boiling during the refining period in steel casting. Ensuring careful primary deoxidation and short casting times, avoiding long flow paths
- Reducing the formation of slag
- Reducing the moisture content in the mold material, reducing the amount of inflow of core sand (nitrogen, urea), possibly refreshing the new sand
- Checking and, if necessary, optimizing the content of lustrous carbon of the mold material, possibly changing the material that forms lustrous carbon.
- Possibly reducing the amount of binders in synthetic resin-bonded molds and cores or applying a different binder and/or other catalysts.
- Coating molds and cores (nitrogen-adsorbing blocking layers, for example from the ASK Chemicals product range), drying water-based coatings, checking and optimizing the venting.
- Avoiding the input of feeder systems into the mold material system.


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Prof Iyawe Leads Discussions As LAPO Holds Devt Forum, Nov. 18, 2020
Prof Vincent Iyawe, a former Provost of the College of Medicine, University of Benin will lead discussions as critical stakeholders deliberate on maternal and child health issues at this year’s Annual LAPO Development Forum.
The event, scheduled to hold on Wednesday, November 18, 2020, via zoom webinar from 10:00 am shall be chaired by Hon. Justice Samson Uwaifo (CON), retired Justice of the Supreme Court.
According to the Coordinator, James-Wisdom Abhulimen, the Forum will proffer practical solutions to the challenges inhibiting primary healthcare in Nigeria, advocate for workable policies and strategies to ensure access to quality health care in rural communities, contribute to lowering child and maternal mortality, and improve basic health care for all.
About 1,000 distinguished personalities including government functionaries, elected representatives, policymakers, and critical stakeholders drawn from the health sector, government agencies, academia, Civil Society Organizations, Professional Associations, Local and International Development Organizations.
Initiated in 1994, the LAPO Development Forum has become a rallying point for discussions and provision of workable solutions to identified issues in poverty and development in Nigeria. Gen. Yakubu Gowon and Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR are among prominent personalities who have delivered key papers at the Forum in the past.
A non-governmental and not-for-profit development organization, LAPO addresses the root causes and manifestations of poverty such as poor health, economic powerlessness, discrimination, ignorance, social exclusion and gender inequality through innovative financial and non-financial programmes targeting disadvantaged groups across the country.
BENIN CITY NOVEMBER 3, 2020

domain: sociology


Page-3 of Eastern Naval Command Current Affairs, GK & News
The book titled ‘Blue Waters Ahoy!’ has been authored by Vice Admiral Anup Singh, who retired as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Eastern Naval Command in 2011. The book, which chronicles the Indian Navy’s History from 2001-10, has recently released by Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chief of the Naval Staff. This is, in fact, the 6th ..
The first-ever bilateral naval exercise ‘Samudra Shakti 2018’ has started between Indian & Indonesian Navy at the port of Surabaya in Indonesia from November 12 to 18. The aim of the exercise is to strengthen bilateral relations, expand maritime co-operation, enhance interoperability and exchange best practices. From Indian side, INS Rana of the Eastern Fleet ..
Vice Admiral Ajit Kumar P, AVSM, VSM has taken charge as the new Vice Chief of Naval Staff (VCNS) at a formal ceremony held in New Delhi on October 30, 2017. He succeeded Vice Admiral Karambir Singh, who has taken charge as the new Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command (ENC) on 31 Oct 17. ..
Topics: Ajit Kumar P • Chief of Naval Staff • Chief of the Naval Staff • Eastern Naval Command • Indian Navy • Jayant Ganpat Nadkarni • Karambir Singh • Military • Military personnel • Recipients of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal • Vice Chief of the Naval Staff • Western Naval Command
Indigenously-built anti-submarine warfare stealth corvette INS Kiltan was commissioned an into the Indian Navy at the Eastern Naval Command (Naval Dockyard) in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh It is India’s first major warship to have a superstructure of carbon fibre composite material resulting in improved stealth features, lower top weight and maintenance costs. About 81% of the ..
Category: Defence Current Affairs


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Zenescope Entertainment has announced it will return to Wonderland in May with a 99-cent issue. Grimm Fairy Tales presents: Return to Wonderland will have five pages of original conent, sketches and other material. Artist Al Rio will do the cover (see below), while Raven Gregory will be penning the issue.
“I always loved the dark nature of fairy tales,” says Gregory. “That sense of a moral lesson wrapped up in a horror movie — just waiting for the big bad wolf to jump out at you from around the next corner. With Return to Wonderland we wanted to rip off the pretty bow and cute wrapping paper and reveal the real meat of the beast — but we still wanted to pay homage and follow up on the events of the original.”
The #0 issue will be available in May, with issue #1 set for release in July.

domain: entertainment


What Are The Toys That Made You?
Dec 04, 2019 01:43:57
This week the guys talk about some of the off-the-beaten-path things they watched, as well as a few of the run-of-the-mill weeklies (including Mike actually watching a DC TV show after weeks of refusing to! They also dedicate some serious time to talking about Season 3 of The Toys That Made Us, and speculate what Season 4 could/should have (and then discovering what the creator actually wants to dig into.)
You can support this show by visiting our merch store
or by leaving us an
Apple Podcasts review.
Also, feel free to get in touch with us by sending us an e-mail.


Skip to comments.Mark Warner (D-VA) pushes Amnesty bill for illegals
Posted on 06/20/2013 5:31:34 AM PDT by Gopher Broke
It's time to fix our country's broken immigration system.
I've seen firsthand in Virginia that immigrants make our communities stronger -- they're small business owners, entrepreneurs, agricultural workers, top students, neighbors and community leaders.
Millions of young people were brought to this country illegally as children and have lived as Americans but have no path to citizenship. We train many of the world's best and brightest and then send them back to create jobs in other countries. It is absolutely clear that our immigration system is broken and something must be done to fix it.
That's why I'm supporting the bipartisan comprehensive immigration bill in the Senate that will begin to fix our immigration system. Please join my colleagues and me in the Senate by showing your support too: Add your name now.
This bill would create a fair path to citizenship with reasonable conditions, provide visas for entrepreneurs who create American jobs, and increase security on our borders. And the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office determined this week that this comprehensive reform will be good for taxpayers and reduce or long-term deficits and debts because it brings undocumented workers out of the shadow economy. The Senate's comprehensive, bipartisan bill is a common-sense approach to fixing our immigration system.
The United States Senate is debating this bill right now -- which means that we only have a short window to do everything we can to ensure this legislation becomes law.
There are many Senators who haven't publicly committed to how they'll vote on this bill -- and they need to hear that Americans want them to vote yes to fix our broken immigration system.
Make your voice heard: Show your support for immigration reform now.
Paid for by Friends of Mark Warner
But they’re by and large welfare candidates and perennial Democrat voters. President Eisenhower knew what to do. Round ‘em up, send ‘em back, and seal the border.
FU and your permanently glued lips on Obama’s a**.
We have all the laws needed for a self-sufficient and sovereign nation
We are going to give amnesty to 10% of Mexico’s population.
It is a political reality that we cannot force many if not most illegal aliens to leave. However we decide to deal with them, it will be a GRAVE MISTAKE to allow them to become full citizens, and especially to eventually be able to vote.
We no longer have a legitimate government in power here.
A legitimate government secures the borders and protects its citizens - the people who live there legally and support it - from attack.
A Medieval Baron protecting “his” peasants from attack by other barons had more lgeitimacy than these phonys, frauds and criminals who have seized control of elective offices.
No non-citizen has a “right” to be an American. Only we, the American people, through laws we support, can grant that right.
It has made a difference in the region.
This is simply a return to national origins immigration ~ that system was abolished by LBJ as I recall. It was considered unfair. Today it’s still unfair but the Democrats are moving ahead to hand over our immigration system to Mexico!
they’re attacking us from the federal level and state level.
i’m ashamed that i don’t have the courage to be the first to stand up and fight because i have a family to feed.
All the things Americans AREN'T, right Markie boy?
I guess he hasn’t walked through Culpeper lately.


Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt broke up nearly a decade ago, but apparently the actress still has some ill will for the woman who came between them.
The grand jury in the Ferguson shooting case will not make a decision on the indictment of Darren Wilson this weekend.
The Boston Red Sox, according to the latest offseason rumors, are one of three teams remaining in the running to sign Pablo Sandoval, the San Francisco Giants All-Star third baseman who has played a key role in all three of the Giants’ World Series championship runs in the last five years.
The University of Virginia officials say, pending completion of a sexual assault investigation, all fraternity activities are suspended.
Selena Gomez has teased a video on the eve of the 2014 American Music Awards, where she will sing her Justin Bieber-inspired anthem “The Heart Wants what It Wants.” In an Instagram video tagged to videographer pal Alfredo Flores, the 22-year old starlet is seen sitting in a rehearsal space wearing a white, dressing-robe and black boots, opened up about what she hopes fans and viewers will take from her AMAs moment.
After a babysitter was caught on video brutally beating a toddler, the girl’s father allegedly tracked down the woman suspected of attacking the girl and delivered a vicious beating.
Jamie Kennedy came up with an incredible plan to break into Hollywood when he was still a teenager. The comedian developed a persona known as “Marty Power,” a fake agent meant to catch the attention of Hollywood managers and help him find his big break.
In a rare interview, legendary singer Linda Ronstadt opened up about the Parkinson’s Disease that has stolen her voice and how it has changed her life.
A 3-year-old boy sets his house on fire, killing himself and the entire family. The incident happened inside a mobile home on Thursday in Caribou, Maine — about 300 miles north of Portland.
So-called Obamacare “architect” Jonathan Gruber has lost another gig, this time with the state of North Carolina.
Lady Gaga credits Grammy winning legend Elton John with saving her life during her struggle against alcohol and drugs.
Some of the biggest names in entertainment came together to make a video featuring them singing one of the most famous songs written by John Lennon, “Imagine.” The video was made as part of UNICEF’s new #Imagine campaign to draw attention to children’s issues throughout the world and to raise money for the organization.
A woman who was raped and burned alive has died. According to Yahoo! News, the 36-year-old Kansas woman passed away on Saturday after she was sexually assaulted and then set on fire on Nov.
A male P.E. teacher caught on camera trying to drag a 14-year-old student into a school’s pool has been identified as Denny Peterson.
Marley Natural marijuana, products, and accessories are planned to go on the market anywhere the drug is legal next year.
The game between the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets that was originally scheduled for Sunday at Ralph Wilson Stadium has been moved to Detroit, and it will take place on Monday.
Always remember the day November 21, 2014, because huge news shocked the professional wrestling landscape.
Two men who were charged Friday on gun charges were also caught trying to purchase explosives to make pipe bombs which they intended to detonate during expected protests in Ferguson, Missouri, following the decision of the grand jury considering charges against officer Darren Wilson, NBC News is reporting.
It may have come as a bit of a shock to some in the press that they are required to abide but a strict dress code when it comes to interviewing or questioning Kate Middleton and Prince William when they arrive Stateside next month.
Former MLB star Curt Schilling and his family encountered a little more scrutiny than usual at a Logan Airport TSA security checkpoint this morning.


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domain: pet


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What we reported
New developments planned this year in Springwoods Village, a master-planned community located west of I-45 and north of the Grand Parkway, include 24 Hour Fitness, Star Cinema Grill’s dine-in theater and the new Hewlett Packard Enterprise campus. Recent updates include the Oct. 1 opening of the 337-room Houston Marriott CityPlace hotel, and the multitenant office CityPlace 1 broke ground in June.
A 24 Hour Fitness location is scheduled to open Nov. 19, said Warren Wilson, executive vice president of CDC Houston, the developer of Springwoods Village. Construction has not started on HPE’s campus, which will likely be complete in 2021, Wilson said. The HP Inc. campus is complete, and Wilson said he expects it to be occupied with 2,400 employees by the end of this year. Star Cinema Grill, originally reported to open early 2019, is slated to open in June. Construction for CityPlace 1 is underway and will be ready for occupancy mid-2019, Wilson said.


My cough-drop induced discomfort passed, and I turned my thoughts to catching up with work after being out of communications for a few days. Possum was feeling better on the pain meds, so after obsessively rebooting the router half a dozen times we all walked over the lodge.
The cottage we were staying in was one of about 20 cottages surrounding a big central lodge with a dining room, pool, game room, and so on. This was where the front desk was, and this was where Possum and I demanded action while Lynn sat at a discrete distance, cringing at our combined American and Australian demands for action.
We’ve all been there: promised something that doesn’t work, facing a customer service person who can’t or won’t help. Different people approach it differently. In general, I think Americans and Australians believe we can fix anything! if only we demand action loudly enough and refuse to give up and go away.
After politely badgering a series of women at the desk, we came away with four theories ranging from sinister to silly: 1) the owner of our cottage hadn’t set up the router correctly, 2) the owner of our cottage had set up a router even though there was no Internet, then falsely lured people to the cottage with a promise of wifi, or 3), a storm had knocked out the Internet to that particular cottage three weeks ago and the owner hadn’t fixed it.
Bottom line, no Internet. “It’s just not very good here in the best of times,” explained one young woman. “We’re so remote.”
I had expected to have lousy Internet in Ethiopia, but in England? But it made sense. If I go to northern Minnesota, to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area we share with Canada, there is no 3G or even cell phone service. There are probably large swaths of the western states like North Dakota and Nebraska that don’t have Internet.
Bottom line, we were allowed to log on to the lodge’s account. The catch: we could only get a connection in the lounge, where holidaymakers enjoyed their G&Ts, raucous hen parties took place, kids ran through in wet swim suits on their way from the pool, women in lycra workout gear strutted through to get to the yoga studio, and MTV blared on multiple big screens 24/7.
But before work came pleasure, and we had a wonderful first day. The weather was fine and we went to one of the places on my bucket list, the Lost Gardens of Heligan, near Mevagissey. Heligan was an 18th Century estate that fell into ruin after World War I and has been restored to its splendor. There’s the stuff you expect in a botanical garden, like glass houses and lots of gorgeous flowers.
There were loving memorials to the servants who made Heligan tick in its heyday—supplying everything from pineapples to honey to beef to the household—and who were decimated by World War I. This is the plum room, with a photo of its tender who died in the war.
There was even a memorial in the Thunder Box, which was an outdoor toilet for servants.
There are also extravagant sections like The Jungle, which is … well a jungle. In Cornwall.
There are hidden confections like the lying lady and the shady lady. I hope you can spot them.
We got back to the resort in time for an important call I had about the proposal to the UK. I staked out a table in the far corner of the lounge and got ready to Skype. Oh, no. A DJ arrived, set up, and began projecting videos on the wall above my head. It was Disco Karaoke Nite! The Pet Shop Boys’ “It’s a Sin” started throbbing at a deafening volume. People around me were drinking and laughing and yelling BINGO! and having a great time.
This was the beginning of my remote work experience. This was it; this was where I proved to my employer that I could show up for meetings on Skype, respond to emails in a timely manner, and produce proposals as usual, no excuses.


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The state Auditor General says he wants the Keystone Exams eliminated in order to save money; KDKA's Amy Wadas reports.
Auditor General Wants Keystone Exams EliminatedThe state Auditor General says he wants the Keystone Exams eliminated in order to save money; KDKA's Amy Wadas reports.
Former Pa. Congressman Announces Presidential RunFormer Pennsylvania Congressman Joe Sestak has joined the crowded race for president.
UPMC And Highmark Back In CourtLawyers for UPMC and Highmark are back in court today over the expiring consent decree.
UPMC, Highmark, Pa. AG's Office In CourtThe looming end of a business relationship between UPMC and Highmark hangs in the balance during a hearing before a state judge.
Mueller Says Russia Investigation Is Complete, ResignsRobert Mueller made his first public statement about his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
D. Raja To Step Down As Chair Of Allegheny Co. Republican CommitteeThere’s a major shake-up in local Republican politics.
Results Are In: Political Upsets In ElectionsAlthough some of the biggest names were all alone on the ballot, there were still a few political casualties. KDKA's Jon Delano reports.
A Look At The Winners Of Pa.'s Primary ElectionsHere's a look at the winners in key races in Pennsylvania's primary.
State Senate And House Race Results In The May PrimaryHere's a look at the winners in key races in Pennsylvania's primary.
At Least 2 Pittsburgh-Area Incumbents Lose In Pa. PrimariesAt least two Pittsburgh-area incumbents went down Tuesday night in the Pennsylvania primaries.
Voter Turnout For Primary Elections Appears To Be LowVoter turnout appears to be low at polls as people from Murrysville to Squirrel Hill show up to support those running for office; Lisa Washington reports for KDKA
It's May Primary Day In PennsylvaniaPolls are now open to voters to vote in Pennsylvania's May Primary elections; KDKA's Lisa Washington reports.
Election Day Operations Moved To PEMA FacilityState officials have moved Election Day operations for the May Primary to the PEMA facility; KDKA's Lisa Washington reports.
President Trump Campaigns In Northcentral Pa.President Donald Trump voiced confidence Monday in his ability to win a repeat victory in Pennsylvania in 2020.
Pa. Election To Decide Nominees, Officerholders For High-Profile OfficesThis week's election in Pennsylvania will decide nominees or officeholders for several high-profile offices, including mayor in Philadelphia and Allentown and a U.S. House seat in northcentral Pennsylvania.
Gov. Tom Wolf Speaks Out Against Abortion BansGov. Tom Wolf is speaking out against the recent bans on abortion across the country, saying he would veto any similar legislation in Pennsylvania.
Early Poll Finds Biden Beating Trump In 2020 Pennsylvania Presidential PrimaryThe Pennsylvania presidential primary isn't until April 2020, but that hasn't stopped pollsters from taking an early snapshot of which Democrat can win the state against President Trump; KDKA's Jon Delano reports.
Pennsylvania House Passes Bill To Outlaw Down Syndrome AbortionsPennsylvania's House of Representatives is launching another effort to outlaw abortions because of a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome.
Deadline To Apply For Absentee Ballot ApproachingYou're running out of time to apply for an absentee ballot for next week's Pennsylvania primary election.
State Democrats Unveil Beyond Safe Schools LegislationState Democrats in the house have unveiled their new Beyond Safe Schools legislation; KDKA's Lisa Washington reports.
Some Lawmakers To Rally Support For Use-Of-Force LegislationNew developments could come today regarding police use-of-force legislation in Harrisburg; KDKA's Lisa Washington reports.
Joe Biden Kicks Off 2020 Campaign With Pittsburgh RallyDemocratic presidential candidate Joe Biden stopped in Pittsburgh for a campaign rally Monday afternoon; KDKA's Jon Delano reports.
Joe Biden Kicks Off 2020 Campaign With First Rally In PittsburghDemocratic presidential candidate Joe Biden stopped in Pittsburgh for a campaign rally Monday afternoon; KDKA's Jon Delano reports.
Joe Biden Kicks Off Presidential Campaign With Rally In LawrencevilleDemocratic presidential candidate Joe Biden stopped in Pittsburgh for a campaign rally Monday afternoon; KDKA's Jon Delano reports.
Biden Heads To Pittsburgh, First Stop Of Newly-Launched CampaignFormer Vice President Joe Biden is bringing his newly launched presidential campaign to Pittsburgh; KDKA's Jon Delano reports.
Former VP Joe Biden Visiting Pittsburgh TodayFormer Vice President Joe Biden is making his first campaign stop in Pittsburgh today after annoucing his candidacy for president; KDKA's Lisa Washington reports.
Sen. Casey Throws Endorsement To Biden In Democrats' 2020 Race For PresidentPennsylvania's Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey is endorsing Joe Biden for president, just minutes after the former vice president entered the crowded 2020 race.
Former Vice President Joe Biden Enters Presidential RaceEnding months of speculation, former Vice President Joe Biden announced Thursday he is launching his third presidential campaign.
Former Vice President Joe Biden Announces He's Running For PresidentEnding months of speculation, former Vice President Joe Biden announced Thursday he is launching his third presidential campaign.


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Fairytale Magic – Paparazzi – Green Cat’s Eye Stone Silver Feather Frame Ring
Only 2 left in stock
A glowing green cat’s eye stone is pressed into the center of a shimmery silver frame radiating with a silver feather and glistening white petals, creating a whimsical compilation atop the finger. Features a stretchy band for a flexible fit.
Sold as one individual ring.

domain: design


Remote Program Access
Telecon (Audio) - 719-457-6209,,495813#
Global Meet (Video/Audio) - https://incose.pgimeet.com/GlobalmeetEleven
All are welcome to join us for presentations on a variety of SE topics. We meet online and in various locations throughout DFW.
See our website for the details of the meeting and to download a meeting notice for your calendar.
System Model Simulation - Monte Carlo, Probabilities, and more…
Presenter: Dr. Saulius Pavalkis
Abstract: Rapidly increasing scale, dynamism, and vulnerabilities in the systems being engineered have presented ever-greater challenges. In part of these challenges Systems Engineers started to explore new ways of working and one of the possible solutions is to use models as a basis for the engineered systems description.
Nowadays Systems Engineers can leverage several modeling languages and tools to their advantage to build system models. However no matter how you are going to look into a model, it still remains a static description of systems being engineered. To access the full power of modeling, Systems Engineers need to transform the static system descriptions into what we could call live or dynamic model.
During this webinar we are going to build live model or in other words – an executable model. The main part will be to explore ways of building executable model and in addition to that delve into a bit more sophisticated simulation capabilities available with UML, SysML, UAF languages and Catia | No Magic tools. The features which will be covered during this webinar: Monte-Carlo simulation, different distributions, result capturing..
Bio: Saulius Pavalkis is the Chief MBSE Solutions Architect at Dassault Systems (Former No Magic, Inc.). Saulius has 15 years of experience working on modeling solutions working as a consultant, trainer, PLM products integration manager, a former analyst in the R&D department core MagicDraw team. Saulius is helping with successful MBSE adoption at major companies: Ford, Boeing, NASA, Orbital ATK (NGC), Draper. Saulius has Ph.D. in Software Engineering – models traceability, BS, and MS in Telecommunication and Electronics Engineering. Last few years represents No Magic, Inc. at INCOSE CAB. In 2018 Saulius received lifetime achievement award from No Magic, Inc. “Cameo Award for Modeling, Simulation & Analysis Excellence.” Founder and chief editor of a modeling community blog (blog.nomagic.com) dedicated to sharing practical model-based engineering experience. Contributor to systems engineering conferences: INCOSE IS, NDIA, GLRC, NMWS.