Howdy! Yes, the Graveyard has pretty much been kaput. As mentioned a few weeks back, I suffered a hard drive crash and lost quite a bit that wasn't backed up. One thing I lost was my ability to capture and edit video and sound. Also, the program I used to make a few graphics also went bye bye. Thus, I am in the slow process of putting everything back together and re-acquiring that which I need to do the job. Long story short: I won't be working on any new reviews for some time yet. It may be summer before this place gets back up to speed. Rest assured, it WILL be back at some point, I just can't say for sure when. So stick with me and be sure to check back in another month or two!
Shadow
B-Movie Graveyard Navigation
Monday, March 02, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Where The Hell?!
Where the hell have I been? Well, I my computer crashed and pretty much made my life hell. I have a new machine now, but am still trying to retrieve my files from the old drive, so things are utter chaos at the moment. No, I didn't have a recent backup of everything, which is why I'm a wreck these days, contemplating the possible loss of 15 years worth of data.
Anyway, I'm still trying to piece everything back together. Who knows when I can get back to updating the Graveyard.
PS: For Andrew at BadMovies.org, that email was legit. ;)
Anyway, I'm still trying to piece everything back together. Who knows when I can get back to updating the Graveyard.
PS: For Andrew at BadMovies.org, that email was legit. ;)
Sunday, November 02, 2008
New Review: She Demons
The She Demons page is done!! This one was supposed to be completed in mid August, but after I got started on it, I just lost all interest in it and was consumed by other things that needed to be done. As it is right now, I want to work on some other things, but didn't want to leave this place hanging, so slowly and surely I got this She Demons page completed...although it took me two and a half months to do it! Now that it is finished, I am going to take some time off again. That is not to say I am abandoning the place, cuz I am not. I just want to work on some other things and the Graveyard was sort of all consuming when it came to my free time.
I also need some time to spruce up a few things around here, like getting those last few old style reviews updated. So to make a long story short, there won't be any new reviews around here til 2009. Even then, it might be a month or two before something does appear. For the next year or so, the updates around here will be even more sporadic, and we all know how irregular they have been up until now! The Graveyard celebrated its 4th anniversary a few days ago and after four years, I really do need an extended break. However I love this too much to not return at some point. So until then, thanks for stopping by and be sure to check back in down the line!
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Last Book Read: The Beast House
The Beast House by Richard Laymon
The final (I think) book in Laymon's Beast House series about an old house in a Northern California coastal town that is home to a monster. Unwary travellers come to town, along with a rather unscrupulous author hoping to write a book on the place and cash in. Blood, screaming, death and monsters ensue. 'nuff said.
She Demons is coming along. Ok...I lie. I haven't worked on it in several days, but I fully intend to have it completed soon. Too many projects, too little time!
The final (I think) book in Laymon's Beast House series about an old house in a Northern California coastal town that is home to a monster. Unwary travellers come to town, along with a rather unscrupulous author hoping to write a book on the place and cash in. Blood, screaming, death and monsters ensue. 'nuff said.
She Demons is coming along. Ok...I lie. I haven't worked on it in several days, but I fully intend to have it completed soon. Too many projects, too little time!
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Last Book Read: To Wake The Dead
To Wake The Dead by Richard Laymon
An ancient Egyptian Mummy that comes to life each night in search of her missing infant, people being held in cages and subjected to strange sexual abuse by unknown captors, teens running away from home and heading to Los Angeles to make it big in Hollywood, a lonely blind woman who yearns for somebody to love, a museum curator stalked by a crazy woman who has designs on her boyfriend and an Egyptian man haunted by the past. All these seemingly unrelated threads eventually meet by the book's end.
I'm kinda torn on this one. I enjoyed it, but the various story threads had nothing to do with one another and then only converged in what seemed more like convenience than anything else. The book also came to a very abrupt end. I prefer just a wee bit more closure than that. Since the author died over seven years ago, from what I have read, this is a manuscript that was never published and has since been sold by his widow. If this is true I can see why it wasn't published before, as IMHO it could have used just a bit more editing, polishing and fine tuning.
The She Demons page is coming along, but a lot slower than I had previously planned. With so many other things to work on, I have found that my enthusiasm for the review has waned somewhat, so this one will probably be another couple weeks away at the soonest.
An ancient Egyptian Mummy that comes to life each night in search of her missing infant, people being held in cages and subjected to strange sexual abuse by unknown captors, teens running away from home and heading to Los Angeles to make it big in Hollywood, a lonely blind woman who yearns for somebody to love, a museum curator stalked by a crazy woman who has designs on her boyfriend and an Egyptian man haunted by the past. All these seemingly unrelated threads eventually meet by the book's end.
I'm kinda torn on this one. I enjoyed it, but the various story threads had nothing to do with one another and then only converged in what seemed more like convenience than anything else. The book also came to a very abrupt end. I prefer just a wee bit more closure than that. Since the author died over seven years ago, from what I have read, this is a manuscript that was never published and has since been sold by his widow. If this is true I can see why it wasn't published before, as IMHO it could have used just a bit more editing, polishing and fine tuning.
The She Demons page is coming along, but a lot slower than I had previously planned. With so many other things to work on, I have found that my enthusiasm for the review has waned somewhat, so this one will probably be another couple weeks away at the soonest.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Last Book Read: The Attraction
The Attraction by Douglas Clegg
In 1977, a group if college pals make a cross country trip to Los Angeles. While crossing the Southwest, they come upon one of those roadside attractions hidden away in some back room at a privately run gas station, this one featuring the dried corpse of some Aztec creature known as a flesh scraper. Naturally, they don't heed the warnings posted around the body and soon the thing is alive and stalking them.
This one was pretty standard stuff. It read like an episode of Masters of Horror. While things were a little slow at the start, things picked up once the gang hit the desert. The title story is only one of two novellas in this book. The other one...well, let's say I read it for the sake of being complete, but wasn't thrilled with it.
As for the upcoming review for She Demons, I am slowly but steadily working on it. Some new projects came my way and I'm trying to find time for each one of them. Thankfully, my job allows for plenty of time to read, otherwise there would be no way I could be working my way through the books this fast.
In 1977, a group if college pals make a cross country trip to Los Angeles. While crossing the Southwest, they come upon one of those roadside attractions hidden away in some back room at a privately run gas station, this one featuring the dried corpse of some Aztec creature known as a flesh scraper. Naturally, they don't heed the warnings posted around the body and soon the thing is alive and stalking them.
This one was pretty standard stuff. It read like an episode of Masters of Horror. While things were a little slow at the start, things picked up once the gang hit the desert. The title story is only one of two novellas in this book. The other one...well, let's say I read it for the sake of being complete, but wasn't thrilled with it.
As for the upcoming review for She Demons, I am slowly but steadily working on it. Some new projects came my way and I'm trying to find time for each one of them. Thankfully, my job allows for plenty of time to read, otherwise there would be no way I could be working my way through the books this fast.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Last Book Read: Slither
Slither by Edward Lee
Some scientists, accompanied by their military escort and a ditzy reporter, travel to a small island off the Florida coast to look for an elusive species of worm. Unbeknown to them, also coming (separately of course) are college kids who use the place to party as well as some redneck losers who grow their pot on the island. Did I mention the island once housed missiles and has lots of abandoned buildings and bunkers? Little do all these people know, but someone else is on the island already. Someone who has been genetically engineering a very dangerous species of worm. One that grows to thirty feet in length. Ick!
This book is chock full of unlikable people, which is good because the reader won't mind when they meet some spectacularly nasty and unsettling ends. If this book was a film, it would be drenched with blood and gore. It may also turn people off oral sex for the rest of their lives. I found it a little too convenient that the protagonists just happen to be experts on worms when there are monster worms wriggling around on the loose. The total left turn the book takes in the last fifty pages may annoy some readers, but I just found it mildly amusing. Don't confuse this book with the gory film with the same name from 2006.
Some scientists, accompanied by their military escort and a ditzy reporter, travel to a small island off the Florida coast to look for an elusive species of worm. Unbeknown to them, also coming (separately of course) are college kids who use the place to party as well as some redneck losers who grow their pot on the island. Did I mention the island once housed missiles and has lots of abandoned buildings and bunkers? Little do all these people know, but someone else is on the island already. Someone who has been genetically engineering a very dangerous species of worm. One that grows to thirty feet in length. Ick!
This book is chock full of unlikable people, which is good because the reader won't mind when they meet some spectacularly nasty and unsettling ends. If this book was a film, it would be drenched with blood and gore. It may also turn people off oral sex for the rest of their lives. I found it a little too convenient that the protagonists just happen to be experts on worms when there are monster worms wriggling around on the loose. The total left turn the book takes in the last fifty pages may annoy some readers, but I just found it mildly amusing. Don't confuse this book with the gory film with the same name from 2006.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Last Book Read: The Wyrm
The Wyrm by Stephen Laws.
The quiet village of Shillingham, straddling the lands between England and Scotland, has a terrible secret. Alas, only one man knows this secret, his family having been entrusted with it for generations. This is why he so violently opposes the removal of a centuries-old gibbet that stands in a nearby crossroads. The village wants to put it in a museum and make way for a sleek new highway that will bring tourists and money. However, the gibbet is there for a reason and what they find buried beneath it is both shocking and surprising. It's the consequences of unearthing it that may spell doom for everyone.
I really enjoyed this book. Like the last book I read from this author, it started off slow, but for some reason I was just able to sink my teeth into this one faster. Again the reader is left wondering if the threat is supernatural in origin or otherworldly (as in from another planet)...or perhaps both. Once the "thing" under the gibbet has been released, all hell breaks loose and things rapidly go down the crapper for the people of Shillingham. There are some truly creepy moments, such as the big scene in the hospital or when one of the main characters is stalked in her own home by the thing that was buried under the gibbet. Just what is it? Better read it for yourself!
The quiet village of Shillingham, straddling the lands between England and Scotland, has a terrible secret. Alas, only one man knows this secret, his family having been entrusted with it for generations. This is why he so violently opposes the removal of a centuries-old gibbet that stands in a nearby crossroads. The village wants to put it in a museum and make way for a sleek new highway that will bring tourists and money. However, the gibbet is there for a reason and what they find buried beneath it is both shocking and surprising. It's the consequences of unearthing it that may spell doom for everyone.
I really enjoyed this book. Like the last book I read from this author, it started off slow, but for some reason I was just able to sink my teeth into this one faster. Again the reader is left wondering if the threat is supernatural in origin or otherworldly (as in from another planet)...or perhaps both. Once the "thing" under the gibbet has been released, all hell breaks loose and things rapidly go down the crapper for the people of Shillingham. There are some truly creepy moments, such as the big scene in the hospital or when one of the main characters is stalked in her own home by the thing that was buried under the gibbet. Just what is it? Better read it for yourself!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Last Book Read: Darkfall
Darkfall by Stephen Laws, not to be confused by a book with the same title from Dean Koontz (which I read about 12 years ago). One Christmas Eve, during a fierce storm, everyone in a large office building vanishes. The only thing left behind is a severed human hand. Miles away, a body crashes into a greenhouse, seemingly dropped from a great height. While, smashed up something bad, it's obvious that the corpse is missing a hand. Elsewhere, people that had vanished are re-appearing, but now they are changed. It's up to a police detective to figure out just what the hell is going on.
This one started off rather slow, but gradually built to a pretty tense and hectic final hundred pages. The entire story unfolds over the course of one night, lending an almost cinematic feel to events. In fact, this book feels like it would make a good movie, which is probably a sign that it would not, as book to screen adaptations are rarely (if ever) good. Is the threat supernatural in origin or more worldly? Even after finishing the book, I'm not sure that question can be solidly answered. Yes? No? Maybe Both? Read it and decide for yourself.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Last Book Read: Ghoul
Ghoul by Brian Keene. I finished this one up Monday night. I had read two of his earlier books - the zombie novel The Rising and City of the Dead, so I was kind of expecting something similar. Rather than an apocalyptic zombie fest, what I got was a more character driven novel about youth and the illusions we have as kids. Illusions like friendships lasting forever or the world being a rather OK place. Set in 1984 and featuring a trio of twelve-year olds as the protagonists, I got the feeling that much of their world - from comic books to video games to Saturday morning cartoons - were things fondly remembered by the author himself. Being only three years older than twelve in that year, much of it rang true with me as well. Settings aside, I rather enjoyed this book, which was kind of short on horror (til the end at least) and long on characterizations. Sadly, I'd have to agree with the assessment made by the main character at the end: nothing last forever...except monsters. Whether that be a flesh eating ghoul hiding out in the local cemetery or monsters of a more human nature doesn't seem to really matter.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Small Update
While there is no new review yet, I have made some cosmetic changes to all the existing reviews. These are primarily in the "Basics" and "Extras" sections where I moved some things around, added some color to certain bits of text and re-sized a few other things. Mainly this was done to move the Amazon purchase links to the top of the page. It's not that I'm trying to drum up more money (which would be nice) but with the product links at the bottom of the page, they would often have trouble loading properly on the pages with the longer reviews - often appearing as blank gray boxes further up from where they should have been and then zapping into place once a viewer released their mouse button while scrolling down. Since my reviews seem to be getting longer anyway, this was happening more and more often and it was driving me nuts, even if no one else ever noticed it. Thus, with these picture links at the top of the page and only text links at the bottom, this problem has been eliminated.
Also in the extras section is a "Share This" link, powered by the good folks over at sharethis.com. This allows a reader to share the review with others via email, social sites like Myspace, Facebook, Digg or Stumbleupon as well as numerous blog sites (Blogger, Wordpress, Livejournal, Typepad and others). In the future there will also be a link to an all new forum, but that is a month or two away at the very least. Now I need to go get started on my review for She Demons.
Also in the extras section is a "Share This" link, powered by the good folks over at sharethis.com. This allows a reader to share the review with others via email, social sites like Myspace, Facebook, Digg or Stumbleupon as well as numerous blog sites (Blogger, Wordpress, Livejournal, Typepad and others). In the future there will also be a link to an all new forum, but that is a month or two away at the very least. Now I need to go get started on my review for She Demons.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Two New Reviews
First up is 1956's The Mole People.
Then we have 1984's Silent Night Deadly Night.
I'd also like to add that it has come to my attention recently that my email has mysteriously crapped out on me. I have no idea why it stopped working. So anything sent to shadow@bmoviegraveyard over the last couple months has failed to reach me. This would explain why I never replied to anything that might have been sent. My apologies for the screw up. I have a new address at webmaster@bmoviegraveyard so fire away!
Then we have 1984's Silent Night Deadly Night.
I'd also like to add that it has come to my attention recently that my email has mysteriously crapped out on me. I have no idea why it stopped working. So anything sent to shadow@bmoviegraveyard over the last couple months has failed to reach me. This would explain why I never replied to anything that might have been sent. My apologies for the screw up. I have a new address at webmaster@bmoviegraveyard so fire away!
Friday, June 13, 2008
RIP - Minnie The Dog 2004 - 2008
Sadly, The Other Half's parents had to have one of their doggies put to sleep. Minnie was a Chihuahua/Doxie mix and was still very young, but had developed several problems that led to her early passing. Plus, the vet they took her to was the same vet we took Dusty to and they got the same lame response we got with Dusty. It's now apparent that the vet office in question seems less interested in actually helping the animal and more worried about advocating an endless series of costly tests and medicines that only serve to line their pockets and which don't help the dog at all. I will never take Sandy or Jag to that place again.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Full Moon For Father's Day
There is a cool sale going on over at Full Moon Direct. For the 24 hours of June 15th (Midnight to Midnight) all DVD box sets are 50% off. Plus, there is the Full Moon Archive Collection that consists of 18 DVD's (though it is not offered at 50% off). Additionally anything you buy will come with free shipping. I may have to go see what I can dig up. I already own all the box sets currently put out by Full Moon, and thus in turn, all the films in the Archive collection. Still, there might be something worth getting...
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Thursday, May 01, 2008
April Stats
I haven't done this in a while and figured what the hell. So here are the stats for the Graveyard for April:
Total visits: 11843
Average visits per day: 394
Five top reviews:
Humanoids from the Deep
The Blob
One Million Years BC
Reptilicus
Horrors of Spider Island
Total visits: 11843
Average visits per day: 394
Five top reviews:
Humanoids from the Deep
The Blob
One Million Years BC
Reptilicus
Horrors of Spider Island
Monday, April 28, 2008
New Review: Tentacles
Read it here.
Yes, I know this blog has been quiet this year. I'll try to be better, but when it comes down to it, it is either post in this blog or work on reviews. I think you know which one is more important.
That, plus the usual stuff conspiring to rob me of time: long hours at work.
Yes, I know this blog has been quiet this year. I'll try to be better, but when it comes down to it, it is either post in this blog or work on reviews. I think you know which one is more important.
That, plus the usual stuff conspiring to rob me of time: long hours at work.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Another Double Shot Of Cheeze!
It's update time at the old Graveyard and this time around we have Shadowzone from 1990, the touching tale of an underground complex, a visitor from another dimension and a group of morons. This film is my entry in the Full Moon Rising Roundtable, which can be accessed HERE. Be sure to check out the other fine reviews from poor folks who suffered through a film brought to us by Charles Band.
After that is the glorified cheesy goodness of 1958's Queen of Outer Space, starring everyone's favorite cop abuser: Zsa Zsa Gabor! Yes, it's sexist pigs in space when astronauts encounter an all-female society on Venus. Marvel at the sets, costumes, props, FX work and even footage "borrowed" from other films.
After that is the glorified cheesy goodness of 1958's Queen of Outer Space, starring everyone's favorite cop abuser: Zsa Zsa Gabor! Yes, it's sexist pigs in space when astronauts encounter an all-female society on Venus. Marvel at the sets, costumes, props, FX work and even footage "borrowed" from other films.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Two New Reviews
I'm back! Yes, after close to two months, I finally posted in this damn blog. The simple truth is that I have been very busy with a number of things: dogs, relatives in the hospital, work and all sorts of other things. It has left little time to devote to things like this blog, though I did continue to work on reviews for the Graveyard. Thus, the TWO new reviews debuting today. First up is The Giant Claw, featuring one of the most ridiculous monsters ever, then comes The Earth vs. The Spider, a 1958 flick from Bert I. Gordon. I have also drawn up a schedule to help me get the reviews done faster that it has been taking me, and hopefully if it works out, updates around here will be more often. Here's hoping!
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Happy New Year!
Happy new year to everyone! I know I took off all of December from new reviews in order to concentrate on updating those last four that were in the old format, but things didn't work out quite the way I had planned. So how many did I actually get updated? A whopping ONE. Yes, just one. December was really super busy for me, but I'm sure many people can relate. Hopefully, I can get those last three reviews updated before 2008 is over. I knew when it came time to update those older ones, that it was going to take me a while.
So next up on the plate is The Giant Claw, the 50's flick about a gigantic (as big as a battleship no less) buzzard from outer space (an anti-matter galaxy no less) dubbed La Cacanya. The monster is brought to life by the FX wizardry known as puppetry, as the beast is played by a less than convincing marionette. This one ought to be a fun film to help get me back into the swing of things.
So next up on the plate is The Giant Claw, the 50's flick about a gigantic (as big as a battleship no less) buzzard from outer space (an anti-matter galaxy no less) dubbed La Cacanya. The monster is brought to life by the FX wizardry known as puppetry, as the beast is played by a less than convincing marionette. This one ought to be a fun film to help get me back into the swing of things.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Updated Review: Zombie Lake
Zombie Lake is now in the new format. Only three more films to upgrade!
Zombie Lake
In other news...all is well here. I'm enjoying the holidays and time off from new reviews. I hope everything is going great for everyone.
Zombie Lake
In other news...all is well here. I'm enjoying the holidays and time off from new reviews. I hope everything is going great for everyone.
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Offline
So the recent fires in Southern California have damaged the fiber optic network for my Internet service provider...or at least, that is what we were told earlier. The Internet has been out since Friday and with the exception of a handful of sites (this blog being one of them) I cannot access anything. Thus I am posting this message here for anyone who was wondering where I have been. The email servers have crapped out, too...so I can't send or receive anything. In other words, I'm SOL until things get fixed. Oh well, it just leaves me time to watch some movies.
In other news, the annual company Christmas dinner was last night and unlike the last two years when I won spectacularly useless gifts, this time I won something good: a $150 gift card to Best Buy! This year they changed things up. Rather than being called up one at a time and randomly winning a prize, we were called up three at a time, presented with an audio/visual clue and the first to correctly answer the question got to choose their prize. I was called rather early and aced my question (it was a quote from the movie Airplane) so I chose the gift card, seeing as how the HD DVD player had already been snatched up. Overall, it was much better than last year with the sole exception of a co-worker who went into diabetic shock, collapsed and nearly died. It was the quick thinking and knowledge of another co-worker than saved his life. The evening could very well have been a tragedy, but turned out OK in the end.
In other news, the annual company Christmas dinner was last night and unlike the last two years when I won spectacularly useless gifts, this time I won something good: a $150 gift card to Best Buy! This year they changed things up. Rather than being called up one at a time and randomly winning a prize, we were called up three at a time, presented with an audio/visual clue and the first to correctly answer the question got to choose their prize. I was called rather early and aced my question (it was a quote from the movie Airplane) so I chose the gift card, seeing as how the HD DVD player had already been snatched up. Overall, it was much better than last year with the sole exception of a co-worker who went into diabetic shock, collapsed and nearly died. It was the quick thinking and knowledge of another co-worker than saved his life. The evening could very well have been a tragedy, but turned out OK in the end.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
New Review: Night Of The Demons
Holy shit! A new review! It must be the end of days! Nah, I just finally was able to wrap this damn thing up. This one is my longest review ever. At over 32,000 words in length, it took me well over 2 hours just to proofread it. I advise packing a lunch if you attempt to read it.I have decided to take the rest of the year off from new reviews. I'm still adjusting to my longer hours at work and The Other Half still needs lots of help. Plus, there is the Christmas season, and while I am not all religious, I do want to spend some quality relaxing time with the wife and perhaps the in-laws (who break at least one cosmic law by being likable and fun to hang with). Note that I said that there would be no new reviews before 2008. I am planning on updating those last four reviews that were never upgraded to the new format. And since I recently acquired a much better print of Horrors of Spider Island, I plan on updating all the media files for that one as well.
For now I need to get some sleep. After food poisoning, trips to the hospital and spending most of the weekend getting Night of the Demons finished, I am worn out. There is no way I can miss work tomorrow, so sleep is a high priority. I hope everyone enjoys the new review and as always, if you spot a mistake, please let me know. I won't be revealing what my next review is going to be until the end of December, but here's a hint: it's in black and white and features a monster that is for the birds. G'night!
Friday, November 23, 2007
For Every Action...
...there is an equal and opposite reaction. Well, I wish I had known that yesterday morning! It turns out that after having food poisoning so recently, eating so much food - especially rich food like rare meat - was the last thing I should have done. The tummy and the intestines were still trying to recover from that lethal Slim Jim, so dropping that huge Thanksgiving meal on it was not a good idea, and it only aggravated things. I felt fine until about 10:00 PM. Then my guts started to hurt...bad. I tried to go to sleep, because I had work today, but the constant pain made it impossible to sleep for more than 15 or 20 minutes at a time. So about 4:00 AM I knew I was going to have to go to the hospital...which is where I went. I got poked with needles, had some truly vile green shit poured down my throat and even had my junk examined. The end result? I was forced to stay home from work, but I am feeling better. Of course, I cannot eat anything too rich yet, but I'll manage. Naturally, I slept half the day since I got so little rest last night, so it looks like I'll be up late tonight. It's just as well, I'm almost done with this blasted Night of the Demons review, so I can use the time to work on it.
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