Create a Kaiju Contest + Go See Cabin in the Woods + new article at the Vault!

Not too long ago, I issues a statement at the Vault's Facebook page that I would do a big contest if I hit 1,000 likes. In almost no time at all, people clicked on enough "like" buttons to surpass that milestone. So now, it is up to me to deliver on that promise. Therefore, because I happened to be glancing at one of the numerous items in my Godzilla collection at the time, I am having a CREATE A KAIJU CONTEST at the Vault!

WIN ME!

Design your own original giant monster! Create it, name it, write up a quick story about its origins, strengths, powers, and weaknesses, and then send it to vault_master@bmoviefilmvault.com! You can draw your monster, paint it, use photoshop, build a costume and film it, use legos or clay, create it with computer animation, or whatever else you can come up with. The sky is the limit in regards to how you make your monster and present it to me. Creativity is key here!

The grand prize for creating the ultimate daikaiju? An awesome Godzilla prize pack featuring: Classic Media's "8" film GODZILLA COLLECTION on DVD, which contains Gojira, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla Raids Again, Mothra vs. Godzilla, Ghidrah: The Three-Headed Monster, Invasion of the Astro Monster, Godzilla's Revenge, and Terror of Mechagodzilla! Along with that, you'll get a cool Godzilla t-shirt (size of your choice), a bad-ass Bandai Godzilla figure, and I may even toss in a Godzilla comic book to sweeten the deal!

And if you don't win the big prize, don't fret too much as there will prizes for TWO runners-up, who will each walk away with their heads held high and a new Godzilla DVD in their hands! The contest is officially a go, so start sending in your entries ASAP! The deadline for entries is May 19th at midnight; winners will be picked and announced the following day!

Good luck fellow Godzilla fans, and may the best kaiju creator win! (Note: Also be sure to include your name, mailing address, and t-shirt size along with your entry.)

Alright, with that out of the way, I want all of you reading this to do me a huge favor: go see "Cabin in the Woods!" This is the coolest, freshest, and most interesting Horror film to come out in a very long time and it is getting its butt kicked in the box office. Despite the fact that hundreds of critics and horror fans have loved and praised it, "Cabin" has only managed to hit the number three spot in the box office top ten (a mere three-million less than "The 3 Stooges").

Therefore, since "The Hunger Games" is starting to wind down in popularity, and because NOTHING good is coming out this week, I beseech all of you cult, b-film, and horror movie fans to hit the theaters this week(end) and see "Cabin in the Woods." It's funny, it's cool, and if you go into it without spoilers, you will have a blast trying to figure out what the Hell is going on. It is a guaranteed good time at the movies!

If we all pull together and lift this movie up to number two, or even better, number one in the box office, studios will have no choice but to take notice and rethink their continued idiotic strategy of making watered-down PG-13 junk. I've already seen it twice and wouldn't mind a third go round; let's send Hollywood a message!

Finally, I've posted a new article here at the Vault featuring six incredible independent films that you should be completely stoked to see. It's a good, varied list featuring a new horror anthology that boasts 26 directors, a feature-length "mix-tape" full of fake cult movie trailers, a new hipster slasher flick, a comedic horror/LARPing/fantasy film, a Space-Nazi sci-fi epic, and a highly anticipated sequel to one of the greatest indie film franchises of all time. Ladies and gentleman, I present to you six more INDIE FILMS YOU SHOULD BE STOKED FOR (VOLUME III)!

That's it for today, but expect a few new reviews to pop up on the site very soon. And don't forget that I'm still giving away a few DVDs all this month  including a limited edition DVD of "Dead in Love" which is signed by the director and cast, plus both of the original "Hills Have Eyes" movies on DVD. Full details for winning those can be found in this blog post.

New capsule reviews at The Vault: el monstro del mar and The Demon Messenger!

Finally, there's fresh new content at the Vault! There's now two, count 'em TWO, new capsule reviews in the Vault archives for your reading pleasure. The first is from our new contributor Kenny Barnwell, for the indie creature feature EL MONSTRO DEL MAR. Shot in Australia, this ode to the films of Russ Meyer and Roger Corman features a trio of "murderous vixens" who end up battling against a tentacled terror from the deep!

Next up is THE DEMON MESSENGER, a locally shot monster movie featuring hippies and societal commentary about hydro-fracking. And it has people driving and talking... and walking and talking in the woods. OH YEAH! I almost forgot, it also has a totally bad-ass monster that belies the film's small budget! The film is premiering at the Art Mission Theater in Binghamton, NY next Friday (the 13th)! If you want to see it, click here for details on how to win two tickets! Hurry because the Friday the 13th is fast approaching!

More new content and contests coming up as the weeks continue so stay tuned b-movie fans!

More contests and giveaways at the Vault + Salt City Horror Fest!

Ok, before I get into the good stuff, I'd like to announce the first recipients of the dubious honor of "winning" March's "HORROR MOVIE EMP-TY HANDED" giveaway. Out of the (thus far) thirteen people who have sent me their invoices, the following two will be getting a Blue Underground Blu-ray in the mail. :: draws name from favorite NY Giants coffee mug :: Our first "winner" is... MICHAEL HADDOCK! You didn't seem to be too picky Mike, so out of the films on your invoice I selected Fulci's ZOMBIE! Enjoy!

The second "winner" for my HME-inspired giveaway is... :: draws another name from the NY Giants mug of destiny :: JEREMY SLATE! Jeremy, much like myself at the moment, is out of money and movies, as he missed the 45-day PayPal dispute window. Well Jeremy, hope you enjoy the new copy of NIGHT TRAIN MURDERS that I'm sending your way bud!

That's it for March; next month I'll be getting some more Blue Underground Blu-rays out to other random "contestants" in this giveaway. If you haven't gotten me your unfulfilled invoice, you have until April 6th to do so. After that, each month I'll randomly cycle through the names on my list, until each person gets a Blu-ray in their hands. That's right; there are no losers in this competition folks. The only downside is that some people will have to wait longer than others.

Moving on then..... here are two contests for everyone to jump in on during the month of April. But don't expect me to just GIVE this stuff away; you've gotta do a little work to earn your prize!

The first item up for grabs is a DVD of "DEAD IN LOVE," an indie love story involving two ghosts. From the back of the box: "Two friends, who happen to be ghosts, go in search of a girl they liked in high school. When one of them gets the chance to be with her, he has to do it in the body of an awkward nerd. Their lives will change forever in this heartfelt low budget comedy."

I've heard great things about this film, and would love to keep it for myself... especially since it is signed by Writer/Director Chris Watson and the cast! Want to win this signed, limited edition (#37 of 100) DVD? Well here's how!

Send an e-mail to vault_master@bmoviefilmvault.com with DEAD IN LOVE DVD in the subject line. In the body of the e-mail, include your full mailing address, and in a few lines (or paragraphs if you're into sending long-winded e-mails) tell me what you would do if you were a ghost. Would you seek out your long-lost love? Play pranks on people? Do some hardcore haunting? Be a total pervert? Tell me; and have fun with it! The person with the funniest and/or most imaginative entry gets this DVD! Contest will end on April 29th; winner will be announced on the 30th!

For those of you who do NOT want a mushy supernatural romantic comedy, I present to you an alternative: You can win BOTH of the original "The Hills Have Eyes" movies on DVD! Both discs are in mint condition (Part 2 has never been watched) and they can be all yours!

To win these two movies, drop me an e-mail at vault_master@bmoviefilmvault.com with HILLS HAVE EYES DVDS in the subject line. Include your name and mailing address (natch) and, since the films both star Michael Berryman, tell me about your favorite Michael Berryman role/scene/moment from any of the films he has starred in. Personally, I totally dig the guy in the first live-action "Guyver" film as Lisker. He goes from goofy to menacing in mere seconds and the practical effects in that movie rock my world! Now that you know what you must do, get your entries in by April 29th; I'll randomly choose a winner on the 30th!

Also, I'm still giving away two tickets to see THE DEMON MESSENGER on Friday, April 13th. It will be premiering at the Art Mission Theater in Binghamton, NY at 7:30 PM, and the cast, crew, and monster-suit maker Ron Chamberlain will all be attending as well. As stated in my previous post, all you've gotta do to win these tickets is e-mail me (vault_master@bmoviefilmvault.com) with a quick note about your fave Bigfoot and/or demon movie! It's quick, simple, and you've only got until April 6th to get your paws on these tickets! Hit me up ASAP before you miss out on this unique opportunity!

Finally, before I call it a night, I just want to do a quick shout out about the upcoming SALT CITY HORROR FEST! I heard about this show when I attended The Hudson Horror Show in Poughkeepsie, NY last December, and I am ready to rock n' roll! The event takes place at the Palace Theater on Saturday, April 14th and kicks off around noon! There will be food, beer (for the 21-and-over crowd), vendors, and an amazing lineup of EIGHT Horror films including:

The Bride of Frankenstein
Creature from the Black Lagoon (in 3-D!)
Tremors
Troll Hunter
Popcorn
Army of Darkness
Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2
Last House on Dead End Street

All films will be featured in glorious 35mm, with Tremors and Last House... boasting remastered prints! I'm getting giddy just thinking about it! Tickets are currently on sale for $15.00, so pre-order now (CLICK HERE for info) to reserve your seat and 3-D glasses!

Also, for anyone in the area on that weekend, Horror Movie Empire will be vending at this film festival and will be giving out refunds to anyone who has an invoice for items they have not yet received. Don't come down and try to pound the guy into dust, but do show up if you want your cash or movies that he owes you. Then when you get that unpleasant business out of the way, you can chill out with fellow Horror fans and watch eight awesome flicks with a cold beer in your hand! I'll be attending (as will Bill from Radiation-Scarred Reviews) so maybe I'll see you there!

That's all the news that's fit to print at the moment, but stay tuned for new reviews (like the one posted on the site yesterday for EL MONSTRO DEL MAR), b-movie news, and more as we MARCH into APRIL! (Zing!)

Win tickets to the premiere of THE DEMON MESSENGER + The winners of the MY BLOODY VALENTINE GIVEAWAY!

Hey all! Yeah I know... long time no post. I've been busy, and tired, and sick, and sick and tired of being sick and tired. But now I'm back to bring you good tidings. First, I would like to announce that I have TWO TICKETS to give away for the world premiere of THE DEMON MESSENGER, a new indie monster movie that was filmed in and around the Southern Tier of NY / Northeastern PA. I got to catch a sneak peek of it this past Saturday and I gotta say, few micro-budget films can boast a monster as impressive as the one featured in this movie.

The film debuts at the Art Mission Theater in Binghamton, NY on Friday, April 13th at 7:30 PM. Seating is limited so get there early and get your tickets... or save yourself the trouble and enter right now to win the aforementioned free pair of tix! Just send off a quick e-mail to vault_master@bmoviefilmvault.com with a short note about your favorite Bigfoot and/or demon movie, and you're entered. I'll choose a winner on April 6th and either mail you the tickets or give them to you in person at the film's premiere! (I'll leave that up to you!) For the full list of showtimes, check out the image below. (Click to enlarge.)

Ok, next order of duty is to salute the winners of my recent My Bloody Valentine Giveaway which ended this past Saturday. The grand prize, which consisted of a brand new super limited edition My Bloody Valentine t-shirt from Fright-Rags, an 11 x 14 photo still of Harry Warden, and both "My Bloody Valentine" movies was (the epically named) Jesse James Hennessy. He sent in a video he posted on Youtube that is just... plain... awesome. Here is his entry, entitled "Poetry is Torture:"



The first runner up was Mike MacConnell who turned in a cool drawing featuring two of his most beloved cinematic monsters. It wasn't technically a valentine to his favorite Horror characters, but a bit of love for Freddy and Frankenstein's Monster obviously went into this. Great job Mike; enjoy the "My Bloody Valentine" DVD! (Don't forget to watch it UNCUT!)

The second runner up was a man that seems to be able to win stuff from me on a frequent basis, and at this rate, he's going to need a bigger DVD rack. Chris Laycox (a.k.a. the enigmatic Chris L.) won me over with a well-written poem in honor of his favorite Horror film, and its resident monstrosity, Belial. Check it out:

What's in the basket? - By Chris L.
It's not Easter eggs or laundry,
nor tools or a severed head.
But if I knew what was in the basket,
I'd probably end up dead.
I really want to know,
there's some people who found out.
Doctor Liflander was first,
and his midsection was ripped out.
Harold Needleman got a visit,
he soon won't forget.
He tried to warn another,
but that night he paid his debt.
That poor little O'Donovan,
was greedy to say the least.
Went in to steal some money,
looked like he got killed by a beast.
A simple trip to the vet,
turned into a hellish place.
Veterinarian Doctor Kutter,
got 5 scalpels in her face.
I really want to know,
but I might end up in a casket.
Maybe I should stop asking... what's in the basket?

Great stuff Chris; your "My Bloody Valentine" DVD will be in the mail soon; hope your son enjoys it!

Well that's all I've got for now b-movie fans! Hurry up and enter to win those DEMON MESSENGER tickets, and prepare for more giveaways and (GASP!) new reviews! That's right, I have a new review for "The Demon Messenger" in the works (rough draft is nearly complete) plus I've gotten two new capsule reviews to post from the Vault's newest contributor, Kenny B. (Be sure to check out his other reviews over at Cinema Head Cheese!)

Stay tuned for more awesomeness, and don't forget to like the Vault on Facebook and follow me on Twitter!

Horror Movie Emp...ty Handed? Maybe I can help!

Ok, so by now many of you have heard of the whole HORROR MOVIE EMPIRE debacle. This gent had a crazy Blue Underground Blu-ray sale on his site in late December and now, three months later, a huge number of people have not gotten any product or refunds. It is a total mess and there's a lot of anger and frustration out there on the world wide web. Why did this dude pull this stunt? Will he actually ship product or give refunds like he's promised? Who can we turn to for a resolution to all this bullsh*t?!

I have personally tried to speak with "The Emperor" over at HME and though it seemed like I was making some headway, he vanished as suddenly as he had appeared. Though he has shown some signs of life lately, the majority of customers who shopped at his site are pretty pissed off. He has been slow to answer e-mails and doesn't seem to be in a hurry to help the hundreds (thousands?) of angry folks who are walking away empty-handed.

Don't give up without a fight fellow Cult/Horror/B-Movie fans. E-mail this guy, bug him on Twitter (@horrorempire), and send in your grievances to www.horror-movie-empire.com. (A site set up by the guys from Film Rant in response to this entire fiasco.) If you used a credit card, dispute your purchases ASAP! If you bought stuff from HME via PayPal and it HASN'T been 45 days, dispute it! (After 45 days, PayPal will calmly tell you that you are SOL, and I don't mean "Satellite of Love.") Act quickly or you will find yourself cheated out of money and movies.

For those of you (much like myself) who are totally screwed at this point (unless "The Emperor" actually does follow through and fill orders like he has promised), I am giving you a chance to at least walk away with SOMETHING after suffering through this "nightmare."

Send your UNFULFILLED INVOICES (i.e. receipts for the stuff you never got) to vault_master@bmoviefilmvault.com! And when you send me your invoice(s), make sure that you highlight TWO of the discs that you wanted the most. Then cross your fingers because I will choose one lucky person each month (at random) and mail them a brand new, factory sealed, Blue Underground Blu-ray disc (or two, depending on their price and my available funds). Don't worry about shipping or anything else; I'm footing the bill for this.

Yeah I know this doesn't seem like much, but it is the best I can do. And why am I doing this? Because I'm pissed that someone has once again ripped-off the Horror community and seemingly gotten away with it. (There's some shades of John Gray here...) Even if "The Emperor" intends to fulfill all of the orders, he has tarnished his name permanently because Horror fans have a looooong memory.

In any case, get those invoices/entries in to me ASAP and we'll get this show on the road. If I can pull it off, I'll pick more than one winner a month, but for now let's just keep this small and see how everything pans out.

Good luck to you all, and godspeed!

UPDATE: The trickle of invoices has stopped so I'm setting a cut-off date of April 6th to get your unfulfilled invoices in to me. Also, you can only enter once and can only win once. This way a large number of people will walk away with a Blue Underground Blu-ray that they had originally missed out on during HME's sale. ALSO, Horror Movie Empire will be at the Salt City Horror Fest in Syracuse, NY on April 14th. I will be heading there so I'll be getting some movies or a refund from the proprietor in person. If you live nearby, come to the film fest and chill out with me... after you get your stuff from Demetrios that is.

New giveaway at the Vault, Hudson Horror Show update, and the Great Horror Movie Empire Fiasco of 2012.

Hey all, your friendly neighborhood movie riffer/scribe here to announce a new contest. How would YOU like to win a Fright-Rags' LIMITED EDITION "MY BLOODY VALENTINE" T-SHIRT (size: XL) and a copy of both MY BLOODY VALENTINE (the 1981 classic) and MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D (your choice of DVD or Blu-ray)?! Having second thoughts? Really? Then check out this shirt design:

You know you want it....

Now that I have your full attention, here's how to win this awesome prize pack. To enter, create a valentine and/or poem to your favorite Horror film slasher, be it Harry Warden, Jason Voorhees, Leatherface, Freddy Krueger, Cropsy, etc. Entries can be done in a variety of ways. You can write a poem (which you can e-mail to me at vault_master@bmoviefilmvault.com), use your artistic skills and draw something up (e-mail it to me or post it on the Vault's Facebook page), create something with photoshop (again, e-mail it to me or Facebook it), or even shoot a video valentine and post it to Youtube. The sky is the limit here!

Get creative, start working your magic, and get your entries in by March 24th! The winner gets the prize pack mentioned above, but two runner ups will also walk away with a copy of My Bloody Valentine or My Bloody Valentine 3D (on DVD or Blu-ray).

Next up, here's a bit o' news about the upcoming (MAY 19TH!) HUDSON HORROR SHOW! The full roster has been announced (except for that pesky 5TH MYSTERY MOVIE!) and it is SOLID! If you attend (and you should) you will see 35MM screenings of FRIDAY THE 13TH (UNCUT!), DAY OF THE DEAD, PHANTASM, and the crazy awesome Hammer/Shaw Bros. co-production of LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES! Get your advance tickets now over at www.hudsonhorror.com (the last show sold out!) and save money for the vendors that will be there peddling their goods! It's a great show, with tons of giveaways, awesome trailer reels, and one of the best film festival line-ups I've ever seen, so don't miss out!

Finally, I'd just like to say a quick word to those of you who have recently (within the last two months) shopped at Horror Movie Empire. First off, I jumped right in and spent just under $200 on that site's (now literally too-good-to-be-true) Blue Underground and Code Red sales back in late December/early January, and have yet to A.) get any of the discs I ordered and B.) have a reply to any of the e-mails I've sent. As I understand it, the site is a one-man operation, and apparently this guy got WAY more orders than he had anticipated. Also, he probably did not expect the insane backlash that occurred weeks later when hundreds (thousands?) of angry customers started to blow up his Twitter feed and Facebook page. (The latter of which was taken down because things got reeeeal ugly on there.)

So as it stands, it has been two months since I have placed my orders and I'm still empty-handed, and I know there's quite a few of you out there who are too. Personally, I don't want a refund; I want the stuff I paid for because I most likely will never be able to find any of those discs that cheap anywhere else. And heck, even if I did want a refund, it'd probably be another few weeks before I saw the money. This is just a really shitty scenario all around.

With all that said, if you got burned by Horror Movie Empire in the last two months, don't feel left out. You are far from alone. But there is still hope for some of us....

Supposedly the Horror Movie Empire "staff" will be at the next Monster Mania convention in Cherry Hill (less than three weeks away! YAY!) so I am planning on paying them a personal visit. I am bringing my invoices with me in hopes of getting at some (but preferably all) of the stuff I've already paid for, or at the very least, get my cash back. And I figure if I have a few other people come with me to their table/booth, they'll be even more eager to help us out. (No, we're not going to perform a lynching, just you know... strength in numbers and all that.) So e-mail me (vault_master@bmoviefilmvault.com) if you're going to the convention, and we'll unite our powers for TRUTH, JUSTICE, and BLU-RAYS! (And DVDs too!)

However, if you cannot make it to the convention, feel free to e-mail me your Horror Movie Empire invoices (complete with added complaints, to vault_master@bmoviefilmvault.com) and I'll be sure to pass them along and maybe walk away with some of your stuff. (Which I will gladly ship to you, at no charge, because "The Vault Master" is awesome like that.) It's a shot in the dark, but this is the best plan I've got and totally hinges on whether or not they even show up at the con.

That's all I've got for you right now folks, but before I go, here's a quick recap: ENTER MY NEW CONTEST (be sure to like the Vault on Facebook too by the way, and share my FB page with your friends!), GO TO THE HUDSON HORROR SHOW ON MAY 19TH, and DO NOT SHOP AT HORROR MOVIE EMPIRE.COM UNTIL THE CURRENT SITUATION IS FULLY RESOLVED!

G'night all and stay tuned for new stuff!

Hudson Horror Show returns in May; new Fright-Rags tees; Vault updates!

GET TICKETS NOW!

The Hudson Horror Show IV: A December to Dismember was a resounding success last month so it is no surprise that it is coming back on Saturday, May 19th to the Silver Cinemas South Hills 8 theater! Last time they wowed me (and all those that attended) with a solid line-up that included "Werewolf vs. the Werewolf Woman," "Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla," "The Beyond," "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," "Rolling Vengeance," and "Silent Night, Deadly Night!" This time, they are bringing out even bigger guns, featuring the likes of George A. Romero's "DAY OF THE DEAD" and Don Coscarelli's "PHANTASM!"

Tickets can be pre-ordered right now (via PayPal) over at www.hudsonhorror.com for $26.00. If you don't pre-order (you'll wish that you had) you will have to pay $30.00 at the door and watch as all the people who pre-ordered their tickets online, file into the theater before you, and get the best seats. Also, be sure to bring extra money for the vendors who will be selling a vast array of DVDs, Blu-rays, DVD-Rs, action figures, comics books, etc!

I can't wait to see what the other three (four?) films that make up this show's already impressive roster. (I'm personally hoping for another kaiju film, or maybe a crazy Shaw Bros. flick like "Infra-Man!")

Also of interest to all you Horror fans out there, are the three new t-shirt designs from those magnificent folks at Fright-Rags! They've got a Limited Edition THE WOMAN tee available now; there's only 200 in existence and they are $24.95 apiece! Also new to the Fright-Rags catalog is a really cool shirt design for Adam Green's "Frozen" ($21.95) and the hilariously awesome parody tee, "Zombie Wars" (also $21.95)! Check out all the designs below, then head over to Fright-Rags and treat yourself. Go ahead, you've earned it!

Only 200 available! Order NOW!

Warning: This shirt may give you hard nipples!

Zombies Wars: A New.... BRAAAAAINS!

Lastly, I have been working on the Vault a LOT lately. Some of the stuff you can easily see (the RSS Feeds on the home page for instance) but a lot of it has been technical stuff behind the scenes to keep the site running smoothly. Everything is tuned up now, so I can finally add some new content! Expect a new article (about my day at the Hudson Horror Show IV) and new review (ROBOT MONSTER IN 3D!) to pop up on (hopefully) Monday! With that stuff completed, I can look to the future which involves a hefty checklist of things I want to accomplish before 2012 ends including:

• Add screencaps to any and all reviews on the site that are currently lacking them.

• Fixing up and posting all of the old reviews from the dusty Vault archives.

• Setting up a regular update schedule so the site doesn't lay fallow for months at a time.

• Get some guest writers to contribute to the Vault. (I can't pay you, but I can send screeners your way. Work for freebies!)

• Record some new podcasts; maybe bring some "guests" onto my show. (Guests being fellow movie nerds.)

• Record and edit some video reviews for my Youtube Channel. (Along with continuing my Riff Brothers web project.)

• Start doing interviews with folks in the (b)film industry!

Yeah... that's quite a bit, but hey, it's a new year and I really want to make a commitment to building The Vault into something much bigger. So far, 2012 has proven to be a great year and I have high hopes that I can accomplish most, if not all of the items on my lengthy checklist. Wish me luck and keep fighting the good fight fellow b-movie lovers! Blog ya later!