You might know from reading the blog I am pretty big horror fan. When I got the opportunity to interview one of the biggest up and coming directors in the horror genre… well, I couldn’t resist. Adam Green first got his start directing the first Hatchet film, which exploded on the horror scene due to the fact it was a throwback to everything horror fans loved, but no one was really doing.

EDIT: Hatchet 2 was just pulled from theaters today by the MPAA for being unrated. Expect a post about this as soon I as get comment from the director on exactly what happened.

Horror fans are a truly fickle bunch. What was it like directing Hatchet, something so widely embraced in the horror community?

Well, in terms of the first one, the acceptance was a little bit of a surprise, because it was a very selfish film in the fact that I basically got a group of friends together that  made the type of film we would like to see again. I am a huge horror fan I love all of it, but in the 90’s and early 2000’s I was really starting to forget why I got into this stuff in the first place, the torture stuff really doesn’t do it for me the remakes have gotten a little out of hand and the PG-13 “Horror-Lite”.

Where was the villain? Where was the gore? Especially the old-school gore, the latex and silicone like Savini did, where did these great people go?

So when the film first premiered at the Tribecca Film Festival we had no idea what to expect but then all of a sudden like it was standing ovations, praise and reviews and awards and like world wide over the next year and a half of touring it, it just really blew up. I think it’s just like beating a drum that a lot of the horror fans appreciated and caught on to it’s been an amazing ride.

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Blade Runner. Back To The Future. Indiana Jones. Star Wars.  They all have had the pleasure of being represented by the artwork of Drew Struzan.  Whether you knew it or not, you have seen Drew Struzan’s work for years. Drew has spent decades honing his artistic abilities to the status of legend. He is without a doubt one of the greatest living artists in the world.

Unfortunately for those of us who appreciate a well designed movie poster, or good art for that matter, we are given an ungodly amount of terrible “floating heads” or “photoshop lineup” posters that make me just as excited to watch a movie as I’m excited to watch paint dry. Uninspired, no emotion, lifeless. The exact opposite of everything that Drew brings to his work.

Luckily this year we not only get a documentary on his work, but Titan Books has published The Art Of Drew Struzan, which collects many of his classic works and includes many never before seen comps and finished pieces that were rejected or canceled for different reasons.

The Art Of Drew Struzan is comprised mostly of images. Those images pretty much speak for themselves.  From thumbnails to tight comps, and eventually finished paintings.  The text contains maybe a paragraph or two per film. A few more paragraphs if the story to complete an image it is a long one.

Drew, and accompanying writer David J. Schow, make those few sentences and paragraphs feel intimate. While reading through the book a second time, it feels like this book shouldn’t exist. Getting a peek into the process behind all those famous images feels like a huge privilege. It is both exciting and many times infuriating.

More after the jump!

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Guest Post by MA

In this charming word game by Philadelphian Peter P’Orsi, the player makes words from bubbles that contain letters, which float from the bottom of the screen.  Extra and bonus points are given for words that rhyme and are alliterative. As the game progresses, the bubbles start coming faster and faster. Keep trying to spell, because once the bubbles touch the bottom of the screen, you’re out of air, and the game is over.

The graphics are lovely and faintly reminiscent of the world of Bioshock, just without the scary splicers.  The rendering of the bubbles and the physics of their movement is very realistic.  The game also uses the accelerometer to maneuver the bubbles around the screen.

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Raise your hand if you remember the amazing Haunted Poe performance from last Halloween. I know I do; I had one hell of an enjoyable time. The magnet is still on my fridge to prove it, and my girlfriend’s screams still echo in my mind.

The same geniuses at BRAT Productions who brought that gem to fruition are planning to showcase playwright Erik Jackson’s black-comedy adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie.

This Halloween, Carrie is going to blow your mind. The venue, Underground Arts at the Wolf Building is being completely transformed into the spitting image of a ’70s era high school.

As an added bonus, BRAT recently launched the “Horror High: Outrageously True Tales From Your Graduating Class!” ticket contest on Facebook. I’m sure everyone reading this has some hidden horror story just waiting to come out — add your story in the comments section to be entered to win two free tickets to see Carrie.

They’re giving ‘em out for the best overall story and the story with the most likes. The most mortifying memory, prom or otherwise will even win a BRAT t-shirt.

For a bit more information, feel free to check them out on Twitter, like them up on Facebook or stalk them on their website.

Comments Locked! Winner Emailed! Thanks!

Last month, Peter Jackson’s epic Lord of the Rings trilogy hit stores on Blu-ray in single disc editions. Originally the films were only available packaged together as a trilogy box set. As expected, the visual quality is fantastic, the CGI looks incredible, and the sound… if you own a surround sound system, you are in for a serious treat. I’m gonna say it, watching Lord of the Rings in high definition at home is infinitely better than seeing it in the theater.

One criticism? The Blu-rays are the theatrical editions of the film. I figured that the Blu-ray release would include the extended versions that were packaged on DVD. I suppose we’ll see them eventually. Until then, this’ll do.

Now, we’re hosting a pretty epic giveaway in honor of the release of these Blu-rays, thanks to the kind folks at Warner Bros. One winner will receive a box chock full o’ goodies, including:

Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring Blu-ray
Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers Blu-ray
Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King Blu-ray
LOTR Playing Cards
Two LOTR Bookmarks
LOTR Jade necklace from New Zealand
LOTR Navy Blue Ornament
LOTR Travel Candle
LOTR Poster

That’s right. All three films on Blu-ray, a bunch of swag, and a jade necklace from New Zealand. All this can be yours, dear reader. Just enter the contest.

How? Leave a comment about your favorite Lord of the Rings character, OR retweet this contest with @geekadelphia somewhere in the tweet.

We’ll select one of you at random come next Monday. Good luck, and thanks to Warner Bros. for the sweet prize package.

Tony Trov and Johnny Zito’s zombie killing girl gang, the Black Cherry Bombshells, are making their premiere on DC Comics’ iPhone / iPad comics application this Wednesday, October 6th.

Unfamiliar with the title? Here’s a quick summary of the story.

The Black Cherry Bombshells is the tale of ultra-violent girl gangs fighting for supremacy of a doomed future. There; every man on Earth has been mutated into a flesh-eating zombie. The Black Cherry Bombshells – wild, tattooed bandits – are gaining a reputation as the baddest bootleggers in Vegas. That doesn’t sit well with the local crime boss; the woman they call ‘The King.’

Described as the Powerpuff Girls meets Dawn of the Dead, the Harvey nominated comic is a lot of fun. To learn more about the comic, visit the strip’s official website.

Black Cherry Bombshells
www.blackcherrybombshells.com

Like most of the internet I walked out of the film Catfish with one main question, “is Catfish indeed REAL and a documentary?” Well luckily for me last week both Ariel Schulman (the Director) and his brother Nev Schulman (the Star) were in town and nice enough to sit down with me, and talk about some of the criticism the film is getting about it’s authenticity on the internet in our little Geekadelphia piece Catfish Descaled. Enjoy the interview and please check out the film at the Ritz East this weekend!

Check out part 2 after the jump!

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How ironic is it to be writing about the film The Social Network, a movie about the founding of Facebook, while waiting for the film to be downloaded?

I am one of those people that always read the book before the film, I usually do this just to see what the filmmaker left out, or simply left to the imagination. It does mean most of the time I just walk out of these films questioning every choice made by the director. I should also probably note that I am a junkie for Silicon Valley tell-alls, I am always fascinated by the stories of these unlikely heroes and villains and what happens when they are suddenly challenged with enormous wealth or power and how it either destroys or corrupts the individual.

When I heard they were making a “Facebook movie” I’ll admit I was intrigued. I have read quite a few articles in Wired about the infamous Zuckerberg and knew that he was one of the more litigious online successes, so in preparation I picked up The Accidental Billionaires to find out what was in store for me. The book was very underwhelming and I had convinced myself that they had to have embellished quite a bit of the book to make it interesting enough. Especially for a film by David Fincher scripted by Aaron Sorkin. Luckily I was wrong.

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Splice, the sci-fi horror flick starring Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley, hit stores on October 5th, and I’m giving you a chance to win a copy of this creepy film right here on the Geekadelph. Unfamiliar with the plot? Here’s a brief synopsis.

Superstar genetic engineers Clive (Adrien Brody) and Elsa (Sarah Polley) specialize in splicing DNA from different animals to create incredible new hybrids. Now they want to use human DNA in a hybrid that could revolutionize science and medicine.

But when the pharmaceutical company that funds their research forbids it, they secretly take their experiment underground – risking their careers to push the boundaries of science and serve their own curiosity and ambition. The result is Dren, an amazing, strangely beautiful creature of uncommon intelligence and unexpected physical developments. At first, Dren exceeds their wildest dreams. But as she grows and learns at an accelerated rate, her existence threatens to become their worst nightmare.

The winner will receive a Splice Blu-ray combo pack and an adorably weird plush Dren doll. The combo pack comes complete with a Blu-ray disc, DVD, and a digital copy. Nice!

How can you win? Just leave a comment, or Retweet the contest to your followers with @geekadelphia someplace in the Tweet. I’ll pick someone at random next Friday. Good luck, and scope out the trailer below!

Oh, and check out October Freight Fest from Warner Home Entertainment, here!

Meh, I’ve never been a big fan of The Fire. They’ve had a handful of notable groups pass through their doors, but I rarely seem to see anything good listed there these days… well, with the exception of this month’s Feed Philly 2010 concert.

An event organized to help raise awareness of the hungry situation in the Philadelphia region, this concert kicks off on October 9th. Philabundance is involved, and local groups Jonas Sees In Color and The Jean Marie are performing.

Sure, this doesn’t seem like something us Geeks would cover, but hey, it’s a charity event. A fundraiser. Doing a little good is something everyone should be into. Right?

For more details, visit Feed Philly 2010′s official website.

Feed Philly 2010
October 9th, 2010
www.feedphilly2010.com