Belcourt Spreads Halloween Fun All October

This year the mighty Belcourt theater in Nashville is again bringing a horde of Halloween fun to Music City, but instead of presenting it marathon-style in one all-day event as they did the past two years, they're spreading it out over the entire month of October this year!

First off they are introducing a weekend classic series of VINCENT PRICE films! Anyone who knows me knows of my obsession with all things Price related - and now I'll get a chance to see 4 Price classics on the big screen, and you will too - THE TINGLER, THEATRE OF BLOOD, MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH, and HOUSE OF WAX (2d). Showtimes will be announced soon, but if they do it like they did the Hitchock and Harryhausen classic series of this summer, they'll show them on Sat. and Sun. afternoons.




Next up is a series of double-features every weekend! These look to be especially fun, screening one film at ten and a second-feature at midnight each week. Check out these great films - Argento, Fulci, and even Rosemary's Baby and The Wickerman!  Amazing lineup...

Wickerman 

Oct 18-19 - 

Special Restored FINAL CUT version!

Convalescent Terrors

I am always intrigued when creative people tread common territory. I’m not talking about plagiarism, mind you, just coincidental mining of similar themes. I ran across just such a case recently while I was reading an old issue of WEIRD TALES MAGAZINE – actually, it was a Weird Tales paperback book, the 4-issue series Edited by Lin Carter. It was in issue 2, a story called FEAR by JOSEPH PAYNE BRENNAN.

It is one of Brennan’s supernatural detective stories featuring detective Lucius Leffing, on a case in Connecticut with his assistant. Here’s the plot – Leffing and partner have been called to investigate a series of strange deaths at the Hemlock Hills Convalescent Center. Turns out a supernatural being is stalking the halls of the nursing home, and the patients are dying of fright at the sight of the hideous being.

I was, of course, immediately reminded of BUBBA HOTEP, written by Joe R. Lansdale and filmed by Don Coscarelli. Perhaps the only similar element between the two stories is a supernatural entity in a nursing home, but that in and of itself is pretty significant. Beyond that the two stories diverge pretty widely, and Lansdale’s plot features a retired Elvis Presley in place of a supernatural detective. The actual monster is different, too – it’s an ancient mummy in the Lansdale story, while here it is the physical manifestation of a witch who was burned alive 200 years prior. Still, the description isn’t that far off from ole Bubba H. –

“The air appeared to shift and waver and the ghastly remains of a face, little more than a blackened skull with shreds of shriveled flesh, etched itself immediately in front of me. Puffy lips writhed away from a toothless mouth set in a rictus of final agony. The red, glazing eyes seemed to reflect fire; they glared from the wrecked face with an expression of ultimate fear and ferocious hatred which I hope never to see again.”

Brennan and Lansdale were definitely both inspired by the depressing and oppressive nature of retirement homes, and the constant companion of death that always lingers nearby. Makes for an interesting study in similarities between the two tales. 

2-part interview about Vincent price

It was my pleasure to appear one more on MonsterKid Radio to chat with host Derek Koch, this time doing a top-three Vincent Price film countdown. We talked all things Price related, and had a great time in the process.













You can check it out here:
Part 1

 

Part 2

 

Dr. Gangrene on Monster Kid Radio

Last week it was my priviledge to appear as a guest on the podcast MONSTER KID Radio, to discuss the film Tarantula, its star John Agar, and much more, with host Derek Koch.

 

You can check out part one here

 

and part two here

Horror Hootenanny 10

It's coming again, Dr Gangrene's Horror Hootenanny!!

The TENTH annual shock n roll event takes place Sat Oct 5th at THE END in Nashville TN - check out the podcast at the top of the page for a sampler of the mayhem we're bringing to Nash-evil this October, with special guests THE KOFFIN KATS, Dead Dick Hammer, The Creeping Cruds, and Alucard! This is a Halloween shindig, so wear those costumes and get a discount on admission!!

More info coming soon!!

New Midnight Syndicate CD released today!!

 

Midnight Syndicate releases MONSTERS OF LEGEND album

July 19, 2013 (Cleveland, OH) - Symphonic gothic horror musicians MIDNIGHT SYNDICATE have just released their sixteenth studio album, MONSTERS OF LEGEND. This "tribute to the golden age of horror" is inspired by horror films from the silent era, Universal Studios' horror classics, Hammer Films, and other European horror films of the 60s and 70s. It features sweeping symphonic horror instrumental music and sound effects in the signature style the band helped pioneer. "We want to make you feel like you are a character in one of those classic horror films - that you've entered a world where any one of those iconic Universal monsters could be right around the corner," said composer EDWARD DOUGLAS. The CD artwork features original images from classic Universal Studios horror movies including BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, WEREWOLF OF LONDON, and DRACULA.

"Those classic horror films are at the core of what we do in Midnight Syndicate, so to do an entire disc based on them was a lot fun," added Douglas. "Musically it required us to use more traditional orchestral instruments, and use them in more ways than we have in the past. The result is a fuller orchestral sound with a heavy classical music influence. There are plenty of nods to James Bernard, Bernard Herrmann, and other early film composers." Although the band promises the new disc will deliver the dark atmosphere haunted house designers, roleplaying gamers, and Halloween music enthusiasts expect from them, they feel they've crafted a disc that transcends their favorite time of the year. "Like CARNIVAL ARCANE, we feel we've taken things up a notch both musically and with the sound design on this release," said GAVIN GOSZKA. "There's a lot there to listen to and lose yourself in."

 

In addition to over 50 minutes of new music, the band went back into its archives and recreated several tracks from its early releases Born of the Night and Realm of Shadows, bringing the total runtime of the disc to over 65 minutes. "Both the new album and those older ones are set in and around the mysterious hamlet of Arcacia. We felt it would be a great opportunity to breathe new life into a few of our lesser known tracks from those discs to help tell this story. For additional atmosphere the band called on voiceover artist Dick Terhune. "Dick's known throughout the haunted house industry as the "Voice from Hell," needless to say he was the perfect match for this disc," added Goskza.

The CD is available now through the band's website, as well as iTunes and Amazon.com. It will also be available in select Halloween retailers beginning in August. A collector's edition 12" vinyl version is also available on the band's site.

--- 7 / 19 / 13

Official Midnight Syndicate website: www.MidnightSyndicate.com
Midnight Syndicate on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/MidnightSyndicate
Midnight Syndicate on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/MidSyndicate
Dick Terhune - Voice From Hell website: www.VoiceFromHell.com

Free Kindle short story

My July short story is free on Kindle now through Friday - you can get it here:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00DTGQR0O/weirdwestern-20/

This is another Weird western flash fiction - nice, quick read. This short story is the seventh in a series called Thirteen for 13 - thirteen short stories released during the year 2013, one a month. Look for all thirteen to be collected into one volume later this year!

 I just ran across a link to it on a website called weirdwestern.com - if you're a fan of western-horror then check it out, they provide links to tons of cool weird western stories.