New wave of horror-Toetag Pictures

The horror genre has had it's ups and downs over the years and at the moment is seriously on a downward slide. The majority of horror movies coming out today are either remakes or money grabbing sequels.
There are very few new ideas left in Hollywood and the big players have seen the reasonable success of remakes like Texas Chainsaw Massacre and the Omen and are cashing in big time much to the delight of the thrill seeking audiences.
What about the true horror fans. People who spend fortunes on the latest uncut, remastered, signed and numbered editions of their favourite gore fests? People who spend their hard earned cash going to horror conventions to meet and greet their horror icons? People who have always being there for the genre when most look down their noses at on screen atrocities? Who cares about them?
The answer to that can be found in the underground of horror. Magazines like Rue Morgue and websites like Severed Cinema are flying the flag and shining a beacon for anyone out there who truely cares for the survival of scary movies.
One of the best independent movie companies is Toetag pictures. Led by Fred Vogel they created a genre bursting movie called August Underground in 2001. The movie is basically a pseudo snuff movie following a killer and his camera wielding partner in crime. It is a horrific experience to sit through this movie as it is so realistic. That my friends is what horror should be like. Horror movies should never make you feel comfortable, that's missing the point. You should be scared, horrified and disgusted. This movie does all three and will never leave you.
Toetag followed this with two sequels Mordum and Penance. Both shot again in a similar home video fashion. Mordum is officially the sickest movie ever made and Penance is not a walk in the park either.
They produced a more conventional horror called the Redsin Tower which is another masterpiece of sickness but with more traditional horror film elements.
The point is this. People were not being scared anymore and these movies have breathed fresh life into a dying genre and should be applauded and more importantly, supported.
Go visit them at www.toetagpictures.com and see what all the fuss is about.

Friday the 13th-A review

This is the movie that started one of the most famous horror franchises and launched the most famous horror icon of modern times.

It's 1980 and John Carpenter's Halloween has been a huge hit at the box office despite it's very modest budget. Sean Cunningham is a filmmaker desperate for success see's this as a way to make some quick money so he picks a 'famous day', prints an ad of the words Friday the 13th breaking through a glass window and started a real buzz. At this point there was no script or story, just a title! It proved to be a masterstroke in marketing as the hype built up for the movie and Cunningham delivered the goods with a lot of help.

Tom Savini came on board and came up with some very graphic deaths. Henry Manfredini created one of the most chilling scores in film history. Betsy Palmer put a big name into the film. And the rest is history.

The story is simple. A group of kids open a camp at Crystal lake for the first time since a massacre at a different camp nearby. One by one they start getting killed in gruesome fashion. Who will survive? Who is doing the killing? By now you should know!! If you don't, stop reading and buy the dvd. If you do well read on.

The film was never intended to spawn a sequel, it's 10 and counting. But it is so well set up and written that the whole history of Camp Crystal Lake leaves the viewer intrigued. The legend of how Jason, the young son of one of the camp workers drowned while the kids who were supposed to be taking care of him were too busy getting busy with dope, booze and sex. The return of his estranged mother who has revenge burned into her brain.

The acting is pretty good from Crazy Ralph to Pamela Voorhees with all the dumb kids in between all very convincing as dumb kids! Kevin Bacon started his career in this and this is by far his best movie!!

Savini's effects are what really made this film stand out. Graphic and bloody but cut short enough to leave an impact without going into too much detail.

Manfredini's score is so creepy that without it the film wouldn't have been as scary.

All in all a 10 out of 10 horror movie. It is a slasher flick worthy of the slasher title.

All horror fans should own a copy of this. Thankfully the eurpean edition is the same cut as the US version so censorship is not an issue with this.

Go buy it now

Proud to be Irish..yeah right

Its great to be Irish sometimes, isn't it? Especially when 'one of our own' wins an oscar or something. The hysteria that arises from such event it sickening to me and raises the point that we couldn't give a shit about anything from our own country unless some foreign voice tells us it's great.
The Oscar won by Glen Hansard and Markita Irglova(sp) was well deserved. The Frames have had a hard slog over the years to get both national and international recognition for their music. Anyone with a decent ear for music can recognise the talent that is bursting from Mr Hansard. Their album 'For the birds' regularily appears in the 'Top Irish albums' polls and to be honest they don't have a bad album in their back catalogue. Their live album 'Setlist' is one of the greatest live albums ever, capturing every drop of sweat and every last voice heard in Vicar St on the nights they were recorded. So why are the public so surprised and overwhelmed? Because thats what we do.
It all became clear to me when Glen and Markita appears on Tubridy(sp) tonight. Ryan eagerly placed his tongue so far up Glens arse I'm sure he could taste his lungs. Mr. Tubridy is someone that wouldn't know the Frames unless he was putting a photo in one and it really sickened me to see this. I don't blame Hansard. After years in the wilderness they must bask in the light of success but it just illuminates the problem we have.
Kevin Shields of legendary shoegaze band My bloody valentine (yes they are Irish too..not many of us know this or care) once said he was advised to go to Germany or anywhere except Dublin to try and make it. Sound advice. He did and they became one of the most influential bands of the nineties. With U2 and Smashing Pumpkins a tiny sample of artists who claim to have been influenced by their classic album Loveless. Still today you'd do well to hear any of their songs on Irish radio, with the exception of Dave Fanning who once did a 'John Peel' and played a song twice in a row because 'it was so damn good'. This is what we should be doing. I'm not saying we must all worship certain bands but for god sake their is so much talent in this country going to waste and the majority of us are keeping our money for overrated bands that only grace the cover of NME.
It's like the fascination with Arcade fire. Yes I like them. I have Funeral and its pretty good but it's nothing special. It's musically no better than the Frames. Or what about the Irish band Jimmy Cake? Ever heard of the them? If you want ten people with loads of instruments other than the conventional 'drums,guitar and bass' why not check them out. Their gigs are incredible. Like a mixture between Scottish rockers Mogwai and a David Lynch movie. Bands like Jimmy Cake are trying something different and the results are incredible. Go see them once and you'll know what I'm on about.
Fair enough their are certain bands that deserve 'hero' status in any country they visit but for christ's sake lets give the local guys a chance.
We are bursting with musical talent.
Damien Dempsey is one of the singers getting a lot of recognition but there are so many who find his 'thick dublin accent' a put off. Ok Damo time to put on the American twang so you sound like every other gobshite! Anyone passionate about Irish music and history should open their arms (and ears) to his music and at least go to one gig. Never have I seen grown men weep while they sing. They care about what he sings about because it's real and not a load of flowered up bollox.
Gemma Hayes from Ballyporeen is someone who is trying something different away from the other singer songwriters. Her music ranges from soft piano songs or slow acoustic numbers to loud melodic shoegaze noisefests. She has been nominated for the Mercury music prize with her first album(pity she didn't win that, tubridy would have loved the taste of her) and is all set to release her third studio album with the help of Kevin Shields.
Alphastates is the result of Gerry Horan and Catherine Dowling getting together to make some great music and again is so different to most of the bands doing the rounds over here. Their mixture of rock, electronica and pop is a breath of fresh air. Their first album Made of Sand is a joy and an album everyone should own. They are set to release their new album soon.
I've already mentioned the Jimmy Cake but there are so many out there that deserve our attention. So don't wait for the oscar.
Check out Irish bands/singers, Irish movies(how many of you only saw Once after the oscar??And for god sake get up off your arses and go and support an Irish team(and I don't mean going to Glasgow to see Glasgow Celtic) I mean an Eircom league team. Yes the league is not a patch on the Premiership as the money Ronaldo earns in a week would probably pay a teams wages for a month. But the league will never get anywhere without our support. Every year people moan about how we do crap in european competitions but what about when St. Pats drew 0.0 against Celtic away or Bohs beating Kaiserslauten? These were times when crowds were going and there was a real buzz about the league. Tardelli went to Richmond park last night to watch Pat's beat Linfield so why can't you go.
Rant over and point made!