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The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982) sometimes appears in horror movie resource books, despite being a “fantasy” film. Maybe including the film is appropriate. Fantasy often serves a mix-and-match genre, with horror creatures finding their way into a sword-and-magic tale. The marketing and distribution team that cut the epic theatrical and TV trailers stressed frightening horror elements – witches, deformed …

Long-time fans of horror films likely can’t shake the shock from seeing “cannibal zombie entertainment” find mainstream acceptance. Decades ago, George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead pulled in well over $5 million during its original 1968 theatrical run, yet few production companies took a change releasing an equally violent copycat. It wasn’t until 1974 that a creepy film …

Top News Stories from Marketing Macabre | March 2022 “Blood Moon Over the Chesapeake” from Occult Horror Author, Eve Lestrange Now Available on Amazon Nora McCully had disappeared from South Baltimore, but long before she disappeared, pieces of Nora’s personality began to fade and what sprouted from a single seed of curiosity became a bewitching bloom full of beauty, but …

The opening sequence of Alligator (1980) brings audiences to Florida to watch a man lose a wrestling match – and almost his foot – to an alligator. The spectacle prompts an announcer to say, ”Sometimes the alligators win.” Hardboiled and burned-out police officer David Madison could substitute many words for “alligator” in that statement, and the sentiment wouldn’t change much. …

Welcome back for part 2 of our expedition into that emerald green hell known as the rainforest. This leg of our journey is equal parts arthouse and grindhouse. Each of these films in some part helped shape my novel Primeval Waters. We’ll kick it off with an overlooked nail biter from the director of The Exorcist. Missed Part 1? Click …

Scholars say there are four primary conflicts in literature—man vs. nature, man vs. man, man vs. self and man vs. God. Well, no backdrop better combines all these elements than the Amazon Rainforest—an untamed jungle populated with hostile tribes where all of God’s creatures are out to devour you, if your own fear and ignorance doesn’t kill you first. That’s …

Cinephile loner Eric Binford is not Cody Jarrett, the iconic cinematic gangster James Cagney portrayed in White Heat (1949), but Binford thinks he’s Jarrett. Binford’s love interest Marilyn O’Connor is not Marilyn Monroe, although she becomes the late star in Binford’s mind. Real-life is not a movie, yet Binford can’t tell the difference. Tragedies result when Binford’s warped fantasies disrupt …

Strategic 13 Step Press Release Initiative For Filmmakers Today we are going to explore the journey that your press releases should take from beginning to end. The unfortunate truth is that a lot of filmmakers think that issuing a press release is a one and done effort, but it’s lazy marketing. In order to maximize your outreach, you need to …

HNN Shop is featuring everything that made the 1980s the ultimate decade for horror and pop culture, totally!   We are starting out our 80s Tee Tribute to none other than the Hot Rod himself, Rowdy Roddy Piper.   He ruled professional wrestling with Piper’s Pit and exploded into the horror genre with They Live. THEY LIVE T-SHIRT ON SALE NOW

Key Ingredients for an Unforgettable Killer in Slasher Horror By Alexandrea Weis

To me, the characters that appear in a horror film can make or break the movie in general. If you like the characters and want them to survive, then chances are you will enjoy the film that they appear in. On the other hand, if you could care less about the characters and just want them to get killed off …

What Makes a Ghostly Tale Horrifying? By Alexandrea Weis For many, their first introduction to the horror genre isn’t the slasher that hides under the bed or the disturbed boy next door who plays with his collection of rat skeletons. It’s a ghost story. One in five Americans have encountered a spirit, and even more believe they exist. Despite the …

10. Death Breed Three ghoulish tales of horror and suspense. Death Breed is an anthology combining several of the legendary horror greats. Wolfsbayne is a story of two detectives who find themselves in a series of murders that tie them into the gypsy and werewolf underworld. Featuring cameos by Debbie Rochon, Linnea Quigley, Gunnar Hansen, Lloyd Kaufman and Reggie Bannister. …

The mysterious maniac in director Bob (Deathdream) Clark’s Black Christmas (1974) has no redeeming values. Unlike so many morality-lesson-driven Yuletide tales, Black Christmas’ madman, Billy the Killer, finds no redemption at the end. He remains a vile and evil murderer whose deranged psychosis drives him to taunt and kill. The ambiguous ending hints the killer receives no just punishment, either. …

It’s entirely possible that you’re not going to run out, rent and line these up for Christmas day. And it’s also pretty likely that quite a few of these titles are just simply beyond renting anyways. Most likely an old VHS rental local might do the trick. However, it’s always nice to know what your options are…and for your viewing …