The Zombie Tarot

 I was fortunate enough to receive a sneak peak at The Zombie Tarot by Stacey Graham (professional Tarot Card reader) and Paul Kepple (kick ass zombie artist.)  I love Tarot cards, I always have, but I have often wondered "How does this really relate to me?  How is this really going to help me in the future?"  Now, with recent events in Florida, I may need all the extra help I can get!!  On to the Zombie Tarot!!!

The Zombie Tarot can not only help you with your past, present, and future (seriously, Zombies aside, it was spot on target about my future.  Just got some big job news shortly after my first reading.  Unfortunately, job news does not involve actual Zombies.  Just job Zombies.), it can also help you decide what to do when the face eaters leave Florida and begin their path of destruction.

It is super easy to use (I find most Tarot decks very confusing.  So much shit to remember!  Ugh!) and features really beautiful illustrations by Paul Kepple.  If you are not interested in learning the mysteries of Tarot at least you have pretty Zombie pictures to look at!!  Coming out June 5th, a perfect Flag Day gift.

Thanks Quirk Books!

Real Horror: Zombies in Miami

Yikes!!!  This is some crazy shit.  Drugs are most likely the culprit.........although it could be the first sign of the Zombie Apocalypse.  I knew it would start in Florida.

The Walking Dead Season 3

Can't believe we have to wait until October!

The Thing from another world (1951)

I am so lucky to have a revival movie house within walking distance!  I love the Stanford Theatre but they play, if I am lucky, one horror or sci-fi film per year.  For 2012 they decided to play one of the best, Howard Hawks' The Thing from Another World.  Based on John W. Campbell Jr's Who Goes There? (see my review here), The Thing from Another World inspired countless filmmakers, not the least of which is John Carpenter, who would direct the remake in in 1982. 

Although he didn't "direct" it, The Thing is very much a Howard Hawks film.  Rapid fire dialog, action, humor, strong characters.  It bears very little resemblance to the source material, a rare instance when the remake follows the origin story more closely than the original film.  Researchers in Arctic discover a downed flying saucer.  The Air Force comes to investigate, and accidentally blows up the ship. 

Luckily (or unluckily as it would turn out) one of the passengers escaped the ship in time, and is now encased in the ice.  The Scientists want to thaw him, the Air Force Captain, played by Kenneth Tobey, wants to wait for orders.  A misplaced electric blanket is going to decide the fate of all of them.

Didn't the Norwegians do this?

 

The great James Arness plays the monster (aka "The Thing").  Unlike the shape shifter/human morpher of Carpenter's film, this "Thing" is more of a...........vegetable.  Don't knock it till you see it: carrots can be very scary!

I have seen this film a few times before and I appreciate it more every time.  It's damn funny and holds up well.  Arness is very scary as the monster, sort of a more demonic Frankenstein.  So here is my suggested Thing marathon:  see The Thing from Another World.  Then see The Thing.  Then read Who Goes There?.  Then watch the The Thing again.  Then watch The Thing from Another World again because it is so damn charming.  Please skip the mess of a prequel. 

Take Shelter

Another day, another non-horror horror film.  Take Shelter is arty: let's get that out of the way. If arty is not your thing, if you only love films that have aliens or hot babes or gore, this film is not for you.  Directed by Jeff Nichols, Take Shelter stars Michael Shannon (also known as the most intense man in the world) as Curtis, a blue-collar kind of guy who begins to have visions of an apocalyptic event brought about by a great storm. 

This worries his family: loving and patient wife Samantha (played by Jessica Chastain, who apparently is in everything but I swear this is the first film I have seen her in), and daughter Hannah (Tova Stewart).  Not helping the situation is the fact that Hannah is deaf and the family can barely afford the care she needs.  When Curtis loses his job due to his erratic behavior, the ticking time bomb that is his mind goes off.

Curtis comes from a family with a history of mental illness.  His mother is schizophrenic.  Watching the film you are never sure if these "visions" are a product of his troubled mind or the real deal.  What is real is the problems they cause.  Take Shelter is a film about the fallout from a man losing his mind.  Not horror, although horrible things happen to this man and his family.

At least until the very end.  The final scene flips this film on its head and made me love it!  I won't, of course, give it away.  (It's really good.)

Michael Shannon is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors.  His performance in Bug was amazing (just try to ignore Ashley Judd.)  If you are a fan, see this film!  Just remember: arty, heavy drama.  Don't come yelling at me if you don't like it.

WTF?

This is my kind of parade!

Creepy Comics: Bizarro