Thursday, January 26, 2012

Hudson Horror Show returns in May; new Fright-Rags tees; Vault updates!

GET TICKETS NOW!
The Hudson Horror Show IV: A December to Dismember was a resounding success last month so it is no surprise that it is coming back on Saturday, May 19th to the Silver Cinemas South Hills 8 theater! Last time they wowed me (and all those that attended) with a solid line-up that included "Werewolf vs. the Werewolf Woman," "Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla," "The Beyond," "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," "Rolling Vengeance," and "Silent Night, Deadly Night!" This time, they are bringing out even bigger guns, featuring the likes of George A. Romero's "DAY OF THE DEAD" and Don Coscarelli's "PHANTASM!"

Tickets can be pre-ordered right now (via PayPal) over at www.hudsonhorror.com for $26.00. If you don't pre-order (you'll wish that you had) you will have to pay $30.00 at the door and watch as all the people who pre-ordered their tickets online, file into the theater before you, and get the best seats. Also, be sure to bring extra money for the vendors who will be selling a vast array of DVDs, Blu-rays, DVD-Rs, action figures, comics books, etc!

I can't wait to see what the other three (four?) films that make up this show's already impressive roster. (I'm personally hoping for another kaiju film, or maybe a crazy Shaw Bros. flick like "Infra-Man!")

Also of interest to all you Horror fans out there, are the three new t-shirt designs from those magnificent folks at Fright-Rags! They've got a Limited Edition THE WOMAN tee available now; there's only 200 in existence and they are $24.95 apiece! Also new to the Fright-Rags catalog is a really cool shirt design for Adam Green's "Frozen" ($21.95) and the hilariously awesome parody tee, "Zombie Wars" (also $21.95)! Check out all the designs below, then head over to Fright-Rags and treat yourself. Go ahead, you've earned it!


Only 200 available! Order NOW!


Warning: This shirt may give you hard nipples!


Zombies Wars: A New.... BRAAAAAINS!

Lastly, I have been working on the Vault a LOT lately. Some of the stuff you can easily see (the RSS Feeds on the home page for instance) but a lot of it has been technical stuff behind the scenes to keep the site running smoothly. Everything is tuned up now, so I can finally add some new content! Expect a new article (about my day at the Hudson Horror Show IV) and new review (ROBOT MONSTER IN 3D!) to pop up on (hopefully) Monday! With that stuff completed, I can look to the future which involves a hefty checklist of things I want to accomplish before 2012 ends including:
  • Add screencaps to any and all reviews on the site that are currently lacking them.
  • Fixing up and posting all of the old reviews from the dusty Vault archives.
  • Setting up a regular update schedule so the site doesn't lay fallow for months at a time.
  • Get some guest writers to contribute to the Vault. (I can't pay you, but I can send screeners your way. Work for freebies!)
  • Record some new podcasts; maybe bring some "guests" onto my show. (Guests being fellow movie nerds.)
  • Record and edit some video reviews for my Youtube Channel. (Along with continuing my Riff Brothers web project.)
  • Start doing interviews with folks in the (b)film industry!
Yeah... that's quite a bit, but hey, it's a new year and I really want to make a commitment to building The Vault into something much bigger. So far, 2012 has proven to be a great year and I have high hopes that I can accomplish most, if not all of the items on my lengthy checklist. Wish me luck and keep fighting the good fight fellow b-movie lovers! Blog ya later!

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

STOP SOPA AND PIPA!

THE BATTLECRY THAT COULD SAVE THE ONLINE WORLD!

Greetings b-movie fans! I make it a point to NOT discuss religion, sports, or politics on this blog because, well quite frankly, they are topics that cause arguments and/or severe boredom. But now, I and many others have been awoken from our slumber by a threat that stands to ruin the internet for all of us Americans. The freedom to share information, pictures, videos, and ideas is at stake here, and it is time we all pulled together and did our part to stop SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act) from becoming part of our nation's legislation.

Essentially, these bills which are meant to "deter piracy," give corporations (particularly companies in the entertainment industry) the power to get "infringing" sites BLOCKED from the web. (I guess this is sort of a thank you letter from Congress to the companies that helped Reps and Governors fund their way into the seats they will most likely lose if either bill is passed... but I digress.)

Essentially the web will be CENSORED and sites will be blocked from American web-surfers, based on whether or not a company like... oh, say... SONY believes that a site has infringing material. This essentially renders the Fair Use Law moot and means that any website on the internet, be it Wikipedia, Youtube, Facebook, or sites like The Vault or even Badmovies.Org could be blacklisted and banned by the powers that be.

That is why, for most of today, dozens (hundreds? thousands?!) of blogs and websites (including reddit, Google, and Wikipedia) will be "blacking out" to protest SOPA and PIPA. With that said, between 8AM and 8PM the Vault, The Riff Brothers blog, The Casual Gaming Blog, the Genre Watch blog, Radiation-Scarred Reviews, and Bill's Beta Ray Blog will be unavailable.

If you have a blog or website, make sure you do your part to spread the word about SOPA and PIPA, and do what you can to open the eyes of everyone else around you. Contact your congressmen (and women) and tell them to STOP SOPA AND PIPA before they totally f*ck up the last bastion of absolute freedom in the world!

For more information, check out this article and this article. Knowledge is power after all. Also, for more SOPA related rants from yours truly, FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER!

Thursday, January 12, 2012

FRIDAY THE 13TH MIDNIGHT MADNESS: Donate to charity and win prizes and/or pre-order an awesome new Fright-Rags Jason Voorhees shirt!

At midnight tonight (Eastern Standard Time), there will be two things you will absolutely NEED to do. First off, you will need to donate $5.00 (via PayPal or credit card) to the SCARES THAT CARE charity drive. Not only will you be doing a great thing (some of the money is going towards a family who's young son is a burn victim) but you can win some truly awesome stuff like an X-BOX 360, a Kindle, passes to various conventions and events, celebrity autographs, and more! Here are the full details on how you can help out someone in need, build up some good karma, and possibly win something cool in the process:

HELP THREE FAMILIES WHO ARE IN NEED OF OUR SUPPORT! DONATIONS FOR THIS EVENT NOW BEING ACCEPTED! (Scares That Care! is an IRS approved, 501 (c)(3) charity.)

During our first Friday the 13th Donation Day, we raised $2,200. During our Halloween event, we raised $1,220. This all comes from our fans simply logging in and donating a minimum of $5.00. When we have the kind of support, we can accomplish great things!

Donate Via Paypal - scares_that_care@yahoo.com
Or call toll free 1-855-666-2275 with your credit card, and speak to me directly to make your donation! (PLEASE NOTE - I work a full time day job. All calls will be returned to accept your donation. Please leave a message and I will call you back, or simply call after 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time!)

Please invite your friends! We are now able to accept credit cards as a form of payment; we will be drawing random donor names, so that I can give away the following:

XBox 360
Amazon Kindle
Autographed Kane Hodder Picture as "Jason Voorhees"
Handcrafted Hockey Mask - signed by Derek Mears
Autographed Robert Englund photo as Freddy Kruger
Autographed John Waters Book
Three(3) single day passes to "Blood On The Beach" Convention
One pair of VIP passes to the "Monster Mania" Convention
Three pairs of passes to "Days of The Dead" Convention.
Three pairs of passes to the "Dead Winter" Convention
One pair of passes to the "Horror Realm" Spring Break Massacre Show
One pair of passes to the Horror Realm Convention in September
HorrorDecor.com Gift Pack

And many other prizes!

For every five dollars donated, an entry number will be assigned. The more you donate, the more chances you have to win! Yes, you can donate multiple times during the event if you wish!

"Scares That Care!" is an all volunteer organization, which means that one hundred percent of your donation will go to those who need it. All donations are tax deductible!
I've already donated my five bucks, so you best hop to it b-movie fans! Before I move on I'm gonna wait until you've made your donation..... Did you do it yet? Yes? Good jobby! Now on to the next most important thing ever! FRIGHT-RAGS is taking pre-orders, beginning at midnight tonight and ending at 12:00 AM (EST) on Monday, January 16th, for their new GI JASON tee and hoodie! As mentioned in this previous post, the t-shirts will be $25.95; the hoodies will be $49.95, and will come in all sizes! Let's take one more look at this bad-ass shirt, designed by Jason Edmiston:


CLICK HERE AT MIDNIGHT TO PRE-ORDER THIS BADBOY!


That's it for now; stay tuned for some new stuff at the Vault and its satellite blogs!

Saturday, January 7, 2012

JANUARY CONTEST AT THE VAULT! WIN RAY HARRYHAUSEN DVDS!

While perusing this amazing book (a huge thanks to my friend Adam for hooking me up with it!) I realized I had a few Ray Harryhausen DVDs just sitting around and collecting dust, and decided that they needed a home. Therefore, through the month of January, you can enter to win any ONE of these THREE Harryhausen classics: 20,000,000 Miles to Earth, IT Came from Beneath the Sea, or Earth vs. The Flying Saucers!

Rules:
Send me an e-mail at vault_master@bmoviefilmvault.com with your preferred Harryhausen film of choice in the subject line. Include your name, mailing address, and in a few short sentences, tell me about your favorite monster or moment from a Ray Harryhausen film. Simple enough right?

You can put in an entry for each movie, but you will only walk away with one. Winners will be selected at random on January 31st. Prizes will be mailed out promptly on February 1st. For more info on this contest and to see me ramble on incoherently, check out the Youtube video below:



And don't forget to like the Vault on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, or subscribe to my Youtube channel! Get those entries in folks and good luck!

Friday, January 6, 2012

Limited Edition Fright-Rags tee & hoodie coming this Friday the 13th + cool b-movie fan fiction!

If none of you are familiar with Fright-Rags or Canadian artist Jason Edmiston visit their sites and take in all the glory. Go ahead, I'll wait.... pretty damned cool stuff right? I count myself lucky that I actually own some of Jason's artwork; it was pricy but 100% worth it and is now sitting above my TV in my living room.

Night of the Creeps vs. The Monster Squad poster. Signed by Jason Edmiston, director Fred Dekker, and "Creeps" star Tom "THRILL ME!" Atkins! If you want your own, or any of Jason's other artwork, visit his Etsy store HERE!


Anyway, my point of all this is to announce that Fright-Rags and Jason Edmiston have teamed up to bring us all an awesome Limited Edition t-shirt/hoodie that will only be available next weekend starting at 12:01 AM EST on Friday the 13th and ending at midnight the following Sunday. This is a pre-order so it won't run out, all shirt sizes will be available for both men and women, and pricing is as follows: T-shirts are $25.95 / Hoodies are $49.95. Since this is a pre-order item, it could take up to four weeks for your item to arrive. Oh jeez... almost forgot to show you what it is that you can pre-order. You ready for this? I hope you are fellow nerds:

He'll get you on the land, the sea, or air!

I'm all ready to pre-order mine next Friday, you should be too! Maybe it if goes over well, we'll get a whole line of GI slashers! Sky's the limit as far as I'm concerned!

Also, before I close out this blog post, I wanted to share some b-movie fan fiction that was sent my way a few days ago by a writer named Tommie Johnson. It's a nifty little short story about the creation of a new team of heroes for a secret government group called the OIMC (Official Institute of Monster Control).

Its set in a universe where Japan is abandoned to due constant kaiju attacks, genetic body modification is all the rage with the kids, and Tromaville is a legit place and popular tourist attraction. Needless to say, I totally dug it. Give Tommie's A World of Schmucks and Monsters a quick read won't you? And see if you can pick out all the references to b-cinema he's packed into this monster-filled tale.

Well, I've got this entire day to myself, so before I chillax and do whatever it is that I want to do, I have some errands to run and some chores that need doing. Later tonight I will be posting a video on Youtube announcing a new contest at the Vault, and maybe I'll even get some writing done. (I've got a half-finished account of my trip to the Hudson Horror Show last month that needs completing... among other things.)

Have a good weekend everybody and check back soon for new content!

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Silent Night, Deadly Night contest winner has been chosen; Chicago Fear Fest now calling for entries!

Well I've finally picked a winner for last month's Silent Night, Deadly Night giveaway! After perusing photos of the six entrants who wanted to get their hands on the entire SNDN franchise, I finally settled on the gentleman that is featured in the images below.

PUNISH!

NAUGHTY!

The fellow in the Santa garb, and WINNER of all five Silent Night, Deadly Night films is Chris Laycox from Cambridge, Massachusetts! Congrats on your victory Chris; you are now permitted to act smug! Your movies will be shipped tomorrow; expect them early next week!

With that contest concluded, you may be wondering, "Jordan, will you be doing one for the month of January?" Well yes indeed! I will be announcing details very soon and... what's that? You're curious to know what's at stake this time around? Well... I didn't want to ruin the surprise but... it involves... Ray Harryhausen.

Moving on then, I received an e-mail about an all new indie Horror film festival in Chicago, IL called CHICAGO FEAR FEST. They are currently looking for entries, so if you have a short or feature-length Horror film, this is the place to send it! Here is the press release I was graced with earlier today:
CHICAGO’s newest indie horror film fest announces a call for entries! CHICAGO FEAR FEST

APRIL 13-14, 2012

MUVICO THEATERS ROSEMONT 18 ROSEMONT, IL
www.chicagofearfest.com


CHICAGO, IL – January 1, 2011
Chicago may be known as the “Second City”, but Chicago-based Horror Enterprises Flashback Weekend (Horror Conventions & Drive-In Film Fests), Horror Society (web based horror news & Horror film fests), Sinister Visions (horror website & graphic design), and Zombie Army Productions (Haunted House design & film production), are working to establish Chicago as the 1st city of Horror!

The weekend of April 13-14, 2012, these four Titans of the Chicago Horror Community and Muvico Theaters are teaming up to present CHICAGO FEAR FEST, a major two day indie horror film festival. All of the festival selections will screen at Chicago’s premiere movie going experience; the Muvico Theaters Rosemont 18 located in Rosemont, IL.

CHICAGO FEAR FEST will showcase the very best in cutting edge independent horror films. The lineup will include short films, feature films, celebrity guests, panel discussions, and Q & A’s. Festival after-parties will be held in Bogart’s, a full service bar and grill located on the second floor of the Muvico Theaters Rosemont 18.

Films will be judged based in 3 different categories: Best Feature, Best Short and Audience Favorite. The winning director of each category will be invited to appear as a featured celebrity guest at the Flashback Weekend Chicago Horror Convention to be held August 10-12, 2012 in Rosemont, IL.

CHICAGO FEAR FEST will be a celebration of the art of indie horror film making by encouraging and supporting independent filmmakers from around the world. CHICAGO FEAR FEST and Muvico Theaters are committed to promoting excellence in independent filmmaking by fostering a community of filmmakers and encouraging an appreciation of independent film.

We are accepting film submissions from horror filmmakers now! This is your chance to get your film screened in Chicago in front of an audience of high profile media, film critics, film-making industry professionals, and horror fans!

For more information about the festival and for film submission, please visit our website at WWW.CHICAGOFEARFEST.COM and follow us on facebook and twitter!!
That's it for now but expect all sorts of updates and new content to appear across the vast B-Movie Film Vault Empire soon! And to fully keep up to date on what I'm doing, watching, eating, or thinking, be sure to like the Vault on Facebook and follow me on the Twitter!

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Six Fright-Rags tees back from the dead, new Riff Brothers stuff, a plea from Underbelly, and more!

First off, HAPPY NEW YEAR b-movie fans! This is the very first blog post of 2012 (and truthfully, the first thing I've written in quite a while) so I'll kick it off with a ton of news regarding the Vault and some of its closest friends. First off, lets take a gander at what Fright-Rags has to offer at the moment:


Those glorious folks over at my favorite Horror t-shirt company have just brought six old designs back from the dead. You can pre-order any of them between now and January 8th, and get a nice 15% chunk off the final price! CLICK HERE to do some shopping! (Me? Well I ordered the "They Live" and "THRILL ME!" tees because my old ones are in pretty rough shape. Thank God they came back into print!)

Also, keep your eyes peeled next week, because I have a strong feeling that the Fright-Rags crew are going to be releasing something AWESOME on FRIDAY THE 13TH! Will it be a new Jason Voorhees poster? A shirt design? A huge collector's edition gift set? Guess we'll just have to wait until next Friday to know for sure!

Next up, my other web project, THE RIFF BROS., has done a crossover with a gent named Derek Huey. Derek is the mastermind behind the no-budget "The League of Science" web-series and invited us to poke fun at episode one of his show. So far it has been well-received (though I'm sure actor David Sitbon may want to throttle us) and it looks like we'll be doing the next three episodes. Until we get those completed, check out League of Science with Riff Bros. Commentary:



And speaking of web-series, UNDERBELLY is looking to storm the internet in 2012. They are regrouping, setting up a set "broadcast" schedule (every Thursday starting in February) and are looking for input from fans and viewers. Check out their latest vid, then send them some comments and help 'em get things sorted out for the new year:



Finally (for the moment) there's a helluva good deal going on over at HORROR MOVIE EMPIRE! They are currently having a sale on Synapse, Impulse, and Panick House DVD & Blu-ray titles: DVDs are $10, Blu-rays are $12, and DVD/Blu-ray combos are $15! This sale ends on January 8th so take advantage. Oh, and you get FREE SHIPPING TOO! CLICK HERE to start shopping! (Note: This site is a "one-man operation" and due to the large volume of sales, the owner is about a week behind on mailing out orders. So if you buy some stuff, prepare to wait a bit for it.)

Well that's all I've got for you at the moment. I'll be announcing the winner of last month's SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT GIVEAWAY tonight/tomorrow and I'll also be working on podcasts, videos, articles, and reviews. 2012 is going to be a landmark year for The Vault and its mini online empire, and the only way for that to happen is for me to get up off my lazy arse and get things done!

So Happy Belated New Year everyone! Here's hoping that 2012 is a good one for all of us!