Sam Raimi has made quite a name for himself in the horror community over the years.  In the new film produced by the horror legend, The Possession (formerly known as The Dibbuk Box), it seems he has returned to a familiar theme he explored in The Evil Dead.  Instead of a cryptic book that unleashes an ancient curse, here you have an old wooden box that seems to take control of a poor girl.  It’s a well done trailer that reveals a number of creepy scenes.  Hopefully the trailer doesn’t reveal too many of the scary sequences that the film looks to have.  We will know when the film hits theaters on August 31.

A young girl buys an antique box at a yard sale, unaware that inside the collectible lives a malicious ancient spirit. The girl’s father teams with his ex-wife to find a way to end the curse upon their child.

On June 1^st we all will once again witness the terrors from the sea as our beloved ancient piranhas will invade a water park in the sequel Piranha 3DD.  This week we have a new clip that has just gone viral and features the one and only David Hasselhoff.

When the first film was released I was asked by friends what I thought of the movie. The first word that came to mind was “fun.”  It had all the elements of a monster movie and a couple campy things thrown into the mix as well. For those who didn’t like the movie I think your expectations of monster films is a little too high as the movie did a great job paying homage to features in that genre. So I hope with this next installment you won’t think so highly as the water demons head up stream to a local water park to wreak havoc just like before.

In this recently released clip we find one of the stars of the film David Hasselfhoff playing a keyboard and working on a song. The funny part of the clip involves him mentioning the woman in bed he was just with and calling her by the wrong name. In true Hasselhoff fashion there is a girl next to the other in the bed whose name is the one in the song.

Piranha 3DD gets a small theatrical release on June 1^st the same time it hits the VOD circuit. It stars Ving Rhames, Christopher Lloyd, Paul Scheer, David Hasselhoff, Gary Busey, Katrina Bowden, Danielle Panabaker, Matt Bush, Chris Zylka, David Koechner, Meagan Tandy, Paul James Jordan, Jean-Luc Bilodeau, Hector Jimenez, Adrian Martinez, and Clu Gulager and is directed by John Gulager.

Synopsis of ‘PIRAHNA 3DD’:

“Having awoken from their spring break extravaganza at Lake Victoria, the swarm heads upstream where they look to make a meal out of Big Wet, a local water park where when it comes to fun, nobody does it wetter! Thought they came to get wet, get loaded and get some, the staff and patrons get more than they bargained for when they must face the fiercest, most bloodthirsty piranhas yet. Lead by the strong-willed, studious Maddy and her friends, Barry and Kyle, the trio must dive in and take on these man-eating creatures using every ounce of their being…but can they be stopped?”

Destroy the Brain has advance tickets to give away for Men in Black 3. Tighten up your black ties and suit up, this entry in the popular franchise is 3D and is primed for someone to dress up as an agent. It’s not a requirement that you do so in order to get tickets, we just thought it was a great opportunity. The screening will be at Galaxy 14 Cine at 7pm on Thursday, May 24th!

Synopsis

In MEN IN BLACK™ 3, Agents J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) are back… in time. J has seen some inexplicable things in his 15 years with the Men in Black, but nothing, not even aliens, perplexes him as much as his wry, reticent partner. But when K’s life and the fate of the planet are put at stake, Agent J will have to travel back in time to put things right. J discovers that there are secrets to the universe that K never told him — secrets that will reveal themselves as he teams up with the young Agent K (Josh Brolin) to save his partner, the agency, and the future of humankind.

Trailer

How to Enter

• You MUST be in St. Louis at the time of the screening (7pm, Thursday May 24th)
• Answer this question by leaving a comment below: What special makeup effects legend does the makeup for the Men in Black films?
• Be sure to leave your email address or when you sign up to leave a comment you use your email address. If you use Facebook Connect and fail to give us your email address, chances are high on you not getting a pass.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched Dario Argento‘s hallucinatory foray into ballet, murder, and witches.  Suspiria’s first 15 minutes alone, set to the nerve-racking music of Goblin, is one of the most intense and beautiful scenes staged in a horror film.  I use the word staged because not only does the film center around a prominent European ballet school, but its over the top brightly-colored visuals and “Grand Guignol” style make the film a classic in the world of Italian splatter films.  David Gordon Green, who recently has been known for his stoner comedies first made a name for himself with more dark and gritty coming-of-age films like George Washington and the underrated Undertow. Next up for the director is the much talked about remake of Suspiria.  The writer and director has talked at great length over the years about bringing this adaptation to the big screen.  For a while there actress Natalie Portman was to slip on the ballet shoes yet again – after winning an Oscar for Black Swan – to play the lead Suzy Banyon.  After her departure from the project, news regarding the film seemed to all but cease.  Now, a new name is thrown into the mix and is officially confirmed through sources to Variety.  Isabelle Fuhrman, who creeped out horror fans as the “young girl” in Orphan and who portrayed a merciless killer in The Hunger Games will play the lead in the upcoming remake.

You would think given my love of Argento’s film and my disdain for the reasons behind most remakes that I would absolutely hate reading this news yet alone writing about it.  However, I find myself more intrigued by this remake than anything else.  Aside from the fact that I think David Gordon Green could bring something quite interesting to this project, I absolutely love the announcement of Fuhrman in the lead.  There are two reasons why I love her portraying the American dance student.  One: she made what should have been an absolutely ridiculous premise very memorable in Orphan and helped make the film one of the most interesting major studio films to come out in the past few years (keep in mind I said interesting, not necessarily good). Second: Fuhrman is at the young age of 15 which makes her much younger than when Jessica Harper played her in the original.  This could be construed as an attempt to garner the attention of a teen audience.  Yet, I think the main reason for the young age of the casting has to do with Argento’s original concept of the film to begin with.  Argento has revealed in interviews that his intent was to have the girls in the dance school much younger than what was in the final product.  That is why the dialogue in some of the scenes comes off as more juvenile and catty between some of the girls.  The producers were scared of backlash if the film showed several young girls get killed on screen.  So as a result, girls in their twenties were cast instead.  To compensate for their age, Argento augmented the sets to make the girls appear much younger and shorter in the film.  Some of these decisions include having much higher ceilings and raising the handles/knobs to the doors the girls were going in and out of to make them appear more like the pre-pubescent girls that Argento originally envisioned for the film.  Isabella Fuhrman’s casting seems like a genuine nod to the Italian director’s vision.

There is not a specific release date set for the film yet and no other cast members have been announced either.  Since Suspiria is such a loved and popular property in the horror genre, I’m very curious to see how fans will react to this.  Let us know your thoughts.  Leave your comments below.

SUSPIRIA is a horror film centered on Suzie, a bright and ambitious American student who travels to Europe to attend a world renowned school. After a fellow student is brutally murdered and several other cruel and strange homicides disrupt the once quiet life on campus, Suzie realizes that the academy may be a front for a more menacing organization.

Set to debut at this years Cannes Film Festival, Dario Argento‘s (Suspiria, Tenebre, Deep Red)  Dracula 3D has finally released its new official trailer.  Shot completely in 3D, this film starts Rutger Hauer as Van Helsing and Thomas Kretschmann  as Dracula.  Not too much new here in regards to story or plot. It’s pretty much what you would expect in terms of the Dracula lore.  Visually from what I saw in the trailer, it looks like there can be some visual value to the film but other than that it doesn’t look too promising. I’m not sure how fans will approach this and I can see it hitting on demand video pretty soon. Who cares what I say though, see for yourself!

Synopsis:

“The tale begins with Jonathan Harker, journeying by train and carriage from England to Count Dracula’s crumbling, remote castle situated in the Carpathian Mountains on the border of Transylvania. The purpose of his mission is to catalogue the big library of Dracula. At first enticed by Dracula’s gracious manner, Harker soon discovers that he has become a prisoner in the castle. He also begins to see disquieting facets of Dracula’s nocturnal life. One night while searching for a way out of the castle, and against Dracula’s strict admonition not to venture outside his room at night, Harker falls under the spell of three wanton female vampires, the Brides of Dracula.”

Look, I had to do it with that title. It was just too damn tempting. With the new version of Total Recall coming out this August, Lionsgate Home Entertainment will be putting out a new edition of the Schwarzenegger/Verhoeven blockbuster! This edition, dubbed the “Mind-Bending Edition”, features a new transfer approved by Verhoeven. Read on for the fine details on the release below.

From the Press Release:

Just in time for the 2012 release of the theatrical remake, fans can experience the original sci-fi masterpiece like never before when Lionsgate releases Total Recall: Mind-Bending Edition on Blu-ray Disc and Digital Download this July. Comprised of an all-new Director approved, high-definition transfer from the original film negative and including exclusive bonus materials, there’s no better time to revisit this cult classic starring action legend Arnold Schwarzenegger (Terminator). Winner of a Special Achievement Academy Award® for its groundbreaking visual effects, the blockbuster action film was also nominated for two Oscars®*. Inspired by the short story “We Can Remember it For You Wholesale” by Phillip K. Dick, Total Recall: Mind-Bending Edition features a screen story by Ronald Shusett & Dan O’Bannon and Jon Povill and a screenplay by Ronald Shusett & Dan O’Bannon and Gary Goldman.

Highlighted by an exclusive, never-before-seen interview with director Paul Verhoeven and restoration comparison, Total Recall: Mind-Bending Edition also contains additional bonus materials that fans will love including a behind-the-scenes documentary, a “making of” featurette, a special effects featurette, audio commentary with Arnold Schwarzenegger and director Paul Verhoeven, a photo gallery and the theatrical trailer. Total Recall: Mind-Bending Edition will be available on Blu-ray Disc July 31st for the suggested retail price of $14.99. The new HD version of the film will also be available on Digital Download July 17th featuring the new interview with director Paul Verhoeven.

Action star extraordinaire Arnold Schwarzenegger is perfectly cast as Quaid, a construction worker haunted by dreams of Mars in the year 2084. Against the wishes of his sexy wife (Sharon Stone), Quaid goes to Rekall, a company that implants artificial memories so he can “remember” visiting the red planet that is now being settled by human inhabitants. However, Quaid soon learns he is actually an amnesiac secret agent from Mars – or is he?

*Best Sound Effects Editing and Best Sound, 1990

 BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES*

• ALL-NEW Interview with Director Paul Verhoeven (exclusive to release)
• ALL-NEW Restoration Comparison- a look at high-definition transfer from original film negative (exclusive to release)
• “Models and Skeletons: The Special Effects Of Total Recall” featurette
• Audio commentary with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Paul Verhoeven
• “Imagining Total Recall”- documentary featuring behind-the-scenes interviews with the film’s stars and special effects specialists
• “Making of” featurette
• Photo gallery
• Trailer

*Subject to change

Ok, while we wait for an official version (which I thought we would see today), here is the best version that I could find out there.

Michael and I discuss the film on the podcast and how we think it might be released on Episode 84 of the podcast which will be released this Friday. I think both of us are generally excited about the film. I can tell you that this seems to go back to the theatrics we saw on display for House of 1000 Corpses, which is probably my favorite Rob Zombie Film.

Synopsis

Heidi, a blonde rock chick, DJs at a local radio station and, together with the two Hermans (Whitey and Munster), forms part of the “Big H Radio Team”.

A mysterious wooden box containing a vinyl record arrives for Heidi, “a gift from the Lords”. She assumes it’s a rock band on a mission to spread their word. As Heidi and Whitey play the Lords’ record, it starts to play backwards, and Heidi experiences a flashback to a past trauma.

Later Whitey plays the Lords’ record, dubbing them the Lords of Salem, and to his surprise, the record plays normally and is a massive hit with listeners.

The arrival of another wooden box from the Lords presents the Big H Team with free tickets, posters and records to host a gig in Salem. Soon Heidi and her cohorts find that the gig is far from the rock spectacle they’re expecting: The original Lords of Salem are returning, and they’re out for BLOOD.

Our Summer edition of Late Nite Grindhouse is upon us with our June show. We are proud to be bringing you the 1983 creature film The Deadly Spawn in 35mm at the Hi-Pointe Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri. Late Nite Grindhouse takes over the Hi-Pointe the first full weekend of every month. The Deadly Spawn will be showing June 1st & 2nd. Hope to see you there!

Synopsis

A group of campers stumble upon the remnants of a meteorite and discover some fanged, worm-like creatures have hitched a ride to Earth. After the “camper” appetizer, the alien spawn take refuge in the basement of an isolated house and prepare for the main course! With the people in the house now becoming the entrees of an intergalactic monster buffet, a group of teenagers, led by a small boy, decide to take this matter into their own hands‚ to stop the aliens from reproducing and rid the world of THE DEADLY SPAWN once and for all!

Late Nite Grindhouse Presents
‘The Deadly Spawn’
Friday, June 1st, 2012
&
Saturday, June 2nd, 2012

At The Hi-Pointe Theatre
Located at 1005 McCausland Avenue
Saint Louis, MO

Pre-Show @ 11:30pm
Film @ Midnight

RSVP for the Friday Show on Facebook Here

RSVP for the Saturday Show on Facebook Here

Like Late Nite Grindhouse on Facebook As Well!

It’s something we have been working on for sometime now and I’m happy to announce that Destroy the Brain will be hosting a one night only screening of Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon. This film is one of the most underrated gems of the 2000-2010 decade. Its deconstruction of the slasher genre while still entertaining the audience is one of the most perfect blends I have seen in years. Before there was The Cabin in the Woods, there was Behind the Mask.

Trailer

If you have never seen the film and live in the St. Louis area, come check it out as director Scott Glosserman will be in attendance and we will be hosting a Q&A with him. This is your once in a lifetime chance, more than likely, to see this film on the big screen with a crowd! We hope you all come out!

Tickets are $10 and must be purchased on the Gathr website! BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW!

RSVP for the event on Facebook here.

Though we still have a few months to go before its August 3rd release date, the marketing campaign for the upcoming Total Recall sure seems to have dropped off over the past month.  It was the beginning of April when we last heard anything about the film and that was when they premiered the first trailer.  I can only assume once the smoke finally clears from The Avengers we will finally be seeing much more from the film.  Given the fact that a number of Columbia/Sony Pictures films are right around the corner – Men in Black 3 and The Amazing Spider-Man – we will more than likely get another taste of the Len Wiseman (Underworld) remake in the form of a new trailer.  I wasn’t blown away by the initial trailer but I still want to see more from the film before I completely erase it from my memory.  Five new stills from the action/thriller have popped up online and can be seen below.

For a factory worker named Douglas Quaid, even though he’s got a beautiful wife who he loves, the mind-trip sounds like the perfect vacation from his frustrating life – real memories of life as a super-spy might be just what he needs. But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, Quaid becomes a hunted man as he finds himself on the run from the police.

If you saw Hammer’s Woman in Black earlier this year you were most likely treated to the first trailer for the film 7500.  It’s a new thriller from writer and director Takashi Shimizu (Ju-On, The Grudge) that stars Leslie Bibb, Ryan Kwanten (True Blood), and Amy Smart. Following a group of passengers on a flight that encounter a paranormal force, the film looked like a claustrophobic and entertaining haunted house flick aboard a plane.  Well, it seems the film has suffered the same fate as some of the characters in the film. The film has suddenly disappeared from the 2012 calendar according to Box-Office Mojo.  While this is extremely disappointing to hear, 7500 is not all but lost.  An undetermined 2013 release date is now planned for the film.  Fans of the Japanese director will have to wait another year to see his new ghost story.  At least we have the great Ju-on to hold us over until then.  Just avoid Shimizu’s The Grudge 2 at all costs if you can.  That film will certainly not leave you wanting to board 7500 next year.

Source: Box-Office Mojo (via Cinema Blend)

Many of you have most likely finished the game Batman: Arkham City by now and have (hopefully) recovered from the shocking ending that takes place in the game.  It’s apparently a wild ride of a game – that I hope to play very soon myself – that improves on the gameplay of the initial Batman: Arkham Asylum game released by Rocksteady and WB Games and incorporates an intriguing storyline with a number of villains from the caped crusader’s rogues gallery.  On May 29th, a new “Game of the Year Edition” of Arkham City will be released that will include all of the previous DLC (downloadable content) previously offered as well as a new pack entitled “Harley Quinn’s Revenge.”  Not to act as someone giving away a spoiler here, but it should go without saying that this takes place after the events of the game.  Take the title for what it is.  For those not wanting to shell out another $50 for the game, this new added storyline will be available on May 29 also as a standalone download.  A new trailer for the bonus story has emerged online.  It was previously reported that in the story players will have to alternate between playing as both Batman and Robin in a attempt to thwart Harley’s plot and shut down Arkham for good.  However, this new trailer fails to give us any indication of that whatsoever and exists more as a gamer’s wet dream by highlighting Harley’s skin-tight, leather outfit, and shows off her ditching her blonde hair color in favor of a new darker tint.  It’s still a pretty cool teaser that balances the character’s dark and sexy personality.  Just don’t expect to see any new gameplay in it.  Check it out below.

Click the link to pre-order it now.

See larger image Batman: Arkham City Game of the Year Edition (Video Game) List Price: $49.99 USD New From: $49.96 In Stock This title will be released on May 29, 2012.

It’s Friday again and that means it’s time to update your iTunes or your favorite RSS feedcatcher and listen to the new episode of The Destroy the Brain Podcast. My co-host, Michael Haffner, and I cover the Tim Burton film Dark Shadows which is out today. Find out if it is worth your time.

Show Notes

Intro

What We’ve Been Watching (1:30)

• Michael:  The Avengers (review), Bad Moon, The People vs. George Lucas
  
• Andy: Asylum Blackout, 42nd Street Forever: Blu-Ray Edition

Cannes News and Kickstarter projects (24:22)

• Out of Print – the New Beverly documentary
• The Lost Films of Herschell Gordon Lewis Restoration Project

Picks of the Week for May 15th Releases (34:34)

Michael’s Pick: The Grey

Andy’s Pick: Chronicle

BREAK (44:19)

Dark Shadows Discussion (47:06)

Outro (1:34:31)

Contact us

• Email Michael & Andy at podcast@destroythebrain.com
• Leave us a voicemail at 425-419-1687

Leave us a review & Subscribe on iTunes | Follow us on Twitter & Facebook

I’m not going to say a whole lot about this trailer other than warn you that it is very NSFW and it’s bloody fantastic.  Excision is a coming of age story of a social outcast played by AnnaLynne McCord.  The trailer is darkly funny and extremely over the top.  Imagine the film May “cranked up to 11.”  I absolutely love the look of this film and the colorful cast along with it.  Traci Lords, John Waters, Malcolm McDowell, and Roger Bart co-star in the film that will be released by Anchor Bay later this year.  It might be a little early to say that this is one of my favorite trailers of the year.  Regardless of how the film turns out, this trailer rocks.  Literally, it rocks due to Nine Inch Nails playing in the background as well. Also, the poster for the film can be found below which seems to recall the paintings of Frida Kahlo. Enjoy.

The previous version of this trailer was requested to be removed. We have uploaded the new version and have featured it in this post.

Image Source: Bloody-Disgusting

The comedic British trio are back together after years off following 2007′s Hot Fuzz.  Each have gone on to separate adventures over the years after the success of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz – the first two films in the commonly referred to “Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy.”  There was no question whether or not director Edgar Wright would team up with the two actors to make the final chapter, but a lot of questions lingered regarding when we were going to see it especially following the buzz around Marvel studios recently and their interest in having Wright adapt Ant-Man.  Not to mention his plan to direct The Night Stalker for Disney.  Thankfully, everyone’s fears can be put to rest as not only a date has been set for the production to begin but a synopsis has been revealed as well.  Wright and Pegg have teased recently that they were working on the final draft of the script but never did I believe it was going to happen this year.  Deadline is reporting that filming starts this September!  The planned film, The World’s End, is scheduled to arrive in theaters in the spring of 2013.  You can read the official synopsis of the film below.

20 years after attempting an epic pub crawl, five childhood friends reunite when one of them becomes hell bent on trying the drinking marathon again. They are convinced to stage an encore by mate Gary King, a 40-year old man trapped at the cigarette end of his teens, who drags his reluctant pals to their home town and once again attempts to reach the fabled pub, The World’s End. As they attempt to reconcile the past and present, they realize the real struggle is for the future, not just theirs but humankind’s. Reaching The World’s End is the least of their worries.

After Shaun of the Dead ripped apart the zombie/horror genre and Hot Fuzz threw the book at the buddy-cop film genre, The World’s End seems to combine the absurdity of “bro” comedies and road-trip films like The Hangover and Road Trip with the over the top insanity of disaster films.  Obviously, as we have come to expect from all of Wright’s films, it will most likely be an amalgamation of different themes and genres in a way that only the clever Brit can form together.  After reading the synopsis of the film, are you excited to see what the trio will give us in their final chapter in the planned trilogy?

Destroy the Brain is proud to have Max Allan Collins write up a guest post to explain the character of Mike Hammer and the screen adaptations of this character. We want to thank Tom Green from Titan Books for giving us this great opportunity.

The publication of Lady, Go Die! has elicited Hollywood inquiries as to the possibility of a new Mike Hammer movie.  Accompanying this interest comes the usual question, “Who do you think should play Mike Hammer?”  Since Mickey Spillane always said that Mike Hammer is a state of mind, my suggestions range from Josh Brolin to Denzel Washington, from Ben Affleck to Jason Statham.  I am always open to imaginative casting.  Tom Hanks made a great Michael Sullivan in Road to Perdition, after all.

Mickey always complained about the Hollywood movies from his Hammer novels, although he had complimentary things to say about the two TV Hammers, Darren McGavin and Stacy Keach.

McGavin brings an affability that did not compromise the character’s brutality.  The recent A & E video release of all 78 McGavin episodes reveals a really tough, violent series strewn with lovely B movie actresses from Yvette Vickers and Allison Hayes to Peggie Castle and Whitney Blake (both veterans of Spillane films).  The late ‘50s show has considerable Manhattan location shooting, really adding to the Spillane flavor.

Keach is for many the definitive Hammer, and I’ve been blessed to have him play Hammer in two full-cast, radio style productions of “novels for audio” of mine
(The New Adventures of Mike Hammer).  He’s a fine Hammer, and his feature-length TV movies, several of which are available on DVD, are solid examples of his charismatic take on the character.

The somewhat difficult to see original I, the Jury – released in 3-D in 1953 – cast an unknown as Hammer, Biff Elliott.  Elliott was a rough-and-tumble Hammer, a very accurate screen version in a much underrated film shot by noir master cinematographer, John Alton.  Spillane never described Hammer, so the “state of mind” was hard for the first screen Hammer to live up to.

Armand Assante in the 1981 remake is a rough-and-mumble Hammer, very much in a Brando vein, sexy and brooding and brutal as hell.  Spillane hated the film, finding it pornographic; but for the first time the sex and violence of the novels made it onto the screen.

In the ‘50s, the tough, sexy novels had a real time getting past the censors.  Robert Aldrich did the best job of it in Kiss Me Deadly (1955), and the smug, self-interested Mike Hammer of Ralph Meeker may be the best screen Hammer of all.  Even Mickey came to like Meeker’s portrayal, though it took him decades to come around.  Kiss Me Deadly is a noir masterpiece, even rating a recent Criterion edition, but the follow-up, My Gun Is Quick (1957, available on DVD) is a pretty shoddy affair.  Physically right for Hammer, TV actor Robert Bray shouted most of his lines.

The most accurate-to-the-novels Hammer, not surprisingly, is Mickey himself in The Girl Hunters (1963).  Who could have guessed this self-proclaimed “amateur” actor could hold the screen with such commanding confidence?  Many movie critics (including those of Time and Newsweek) called Mickey “great.”  The DVD is out of print, but TCM shows the film frequently.  It’s no “Kiss Me Deadly,” but it’s the real Mike Hammer, all right.

MIKE HAMMER: LADY, GO DIE! is Mickey Spillane’s lost second Mike Hammer novel – originally penned after I, The Jury and never before published!

Completed by his friend and literary executor Max Allan Collins, the master of crime fiction’s Lady, Go Die! is finally making it to print almost 70 years.

“Perhaps the most exciting discovery in Mickey’s papers,” explains Collins. “is the sizeable fragment of what was clearly the second Mike Hammer novel, Lady, Go Die!, written between I, the Jury and My Gun Is Quick (even predating the second-completed/published Hammer novel, The Twisted Thing, held back by Spillane till 1966).

“Mickey Spillane has been a huge part of my private and professional life since childhood.  He was the role model that led me into mystery,” says Collins.  ”We became friends in the early 1980s…Over the years, Mickey entrusted me with numerous unpublished manuscripts, including two half-completed Mike Hammer novels. Shortly before his death, he said to his wife, Jane, ‘When I’m gone, it will be a treasure hunt around here. Call Max — he’ll know what to do with what you find.’”

When Hammer and Velda go on vacation to a Long Island beach town, Hammer becomes embroiled in the mystery of a missing well-known New York party girl who lives nearby. When the woman turns up naked – and dead – astride the statue of a horse in the town square, Hammer feels compelled to investigate.

Lady, Go Die! is available via Amazon in Hardcover or Kindle format.

Last week it was announced that the new Black Ops game is gearing up to hit your game consoles this winter. With that announcement there have been details on the game plus artwork that have now gone viral. The upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops II is set in the future of 2025, and of course, the ever popular “zombie” mode has returned.

In my opinion, you can thank Black Ops for the resurgence of zombie killing in games within the past few years. With franchises like Resident Evil leaning towards a more dark magic influence on its characters and games like Left 4 Dead focused more on melee, Black Ops chose another direction to go.  Already popular with the fans of 1^st person shooter games like Halo, Call of Duty, the game was smart to unleash its zombie pack for horror fans.  It allowed fans of two genres in gaming to co-exist as one. Plus the sales for Ops has skyrocketed since the pack. So how can they improve on what was done before? Well, the head of the company Treyarch, Mark Lamia, had this to say:

“We have given the zombie team free reign to do pretty much whatever they want with the mode regardless of the direction the campaign is headed in… It’s a totally different frame of mind when you sitting down to play zombies. It’s you and your friends and its co-op and it’s blasting Zombies….Black Ops II has the most ambitious zombies that we have ever created. If you ask zombies players what they want, they want more zombies. They are going to get that, more game modes and more ways to play it,”

This time the co-op mode will allow you to have 8 players instead of 4 for more carnage. Word is they also will have guest appearances again like the cameo from George Romero, but outside of that, that’s all the details as of now. With an expected release date of November 13^th, look for more details and trailers hitting this summer.  For now, check out the cool teaser art seen below that was posted on twitter with the following advice: “Zombies are coming…… Where’s your shotgun?” Happy gaming!

You can pre-order the game by clicking the link below.

Back in 2010, Dyer Straits Productions launched Contamination in St. Louis. Bringing Fred “The Hammer” Williamson along with some Day of the Dead cast, Contamination was a blast for all involved. Now, 2012 brings the third edition of this Pop-Culture, Horror & Sci-Fi Convention to St. Louis at the Renaissance Hotel! Read the press release below and get ready for a hell of a good time!

From the Press Release

St. Louis, MO – May 7, 2012 – Dyer Straits Productions (DSP) presents year three of St. Louis’ only pop-culture, horror and sci-fi convention on June 15-17, 2012.  Contamination 2012 3D takes place at the Renaissance St. Louis Airport and is bigger and better with film icons, TV stars, models/Playmates, super heroes, ghost hunters, filmmakers and musicians.  Peter “Chewbacca” Mayhew (“Star Wars”) and a cast reunion of the original “TheMunsters” TV show (Butch “Eddie” Patrick & Pat “Marilyn” Priest) are headlining this year along with an impressive lineup of icons at this highly anticipated follow-up event.

In addition to super heroes The Flash (John Wesley Shipp) and “Shazam’s” Captain Marvel (Jackson Bostwick), horror fans will get their fix with Michael Berryman (“The Hills Have Eyes 2”), Planet of the Apes enthusiasts will be able to meet Linda Harrison (Nova) from the Original “Planet of the Apes & Beneath the Planet of the Apes” along with Don Pedro Colley (“Ongero”) from “Beneath the Planet of the Apes,” plus many more (full list on their website).

Fans of all genres will get a total “Celebrity” experience with a weekend full of options: a chance to meet the celebrities, get autographs and pictures and a lucky few will even get to know their favorite celebrity one on one at an intimate dinner overlooking the Lambert Airport landing strip.  Contamination’s 24 Hour Grindhouse Cinema returns…a new 3D haunted attraction has been added…take a ride in “The Munsters” Koach Kar…be amazed by burlesque and side show acts…party in the pool Friday night… get your dance on at ”Club Chaos” Saturday night…shop in the dealer room all weekend…attend seminars with the celebs and filmmakers…and end the weekend with a live charity auction to raise money for “Scares That Care.”

Tickets for the weekend convention are available online now for a discount, but prices will be higher when purchased at the door.  A limited amount of VIP Passes and Celebrity Dinner tickets are available online while supplies last.  Vendors can reserve a spot, sponsorship packages are still available and discount rooms at the Renaissance St. LouisAirport are still available.  Much more information can be found on the DSP website.  Check the site and their Facebook page for updates and a complete list of celebrities, artists, filmmakers, musicians and vendors.

The successful events that began this new tradition in St. Louis – Contamination 2010 and Contamination 2011: The Sequel – have featured film legends from popular horror series such as “Halloween,” “Friday the 13^th,“”Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Candyman,” cult favorites “The Boondock Saints,” pop culture icon Larry Thomas “The Soup Nazi” from “Seinfeld,” Grammy winning G Tom Mac, sports legend Ken Norton and showcased one of the most recognized cars in the world – The Batmobile.

Links

http://www.con-tamination.com

http://www.facebook.com/ContaminationSTL

http://twitter.com/horrorscificon

Amid a flurry of black birds, the three leads to the upcoming Snow White and the Huntsman emerge on this new poster.  I never would have thought a re-imagining of a children’s fairy tale would be one of my most anticipated summer movies of the year.  Then again this doesn’t have quite the same feel as the animated Disney film many have grown up with over the years.  The marketing campaign for this more action, adventure heavy take on the material has been nothing but eye-catching from the beginning.  Not to mention seeing Charlize Theron play the dark role of the evil queen has gotten me thrilled to see her in action.  Add in two of today’s young and popular stars – Twilight‘s Kristen Stewart and Thor‘s Chris Hemsworth – and you have an exciting  film that seems to appeal to many different age groups.  The new poster combines a lot of imagery from previous stills and posters but still comes across as fresh and exciting.  I’m curious to see if this film happens to live up to the expectations many of us have set for the film.  Snow White and the Huntsman opens in theaters on June 1.

“From The Arthouse to The Slaughterhouse” is a new column that will take a look at the films that have impacted the history of cinema by blurring the line between the beautiful and the grotesque; the thoughtful and the bizarre; the artistic and the horrific.  Not content with settling for a straightforward approach to either the arthouse or horror genre, these films defy the standards of “talky” arthouse films and “B movie” shocks and find a way to bridge the gap between the two categories.  It’s a look into the films that oppose explanation, interpretation, and reasoning.  Yet for some reason, they stick in the minds of both scholars and horror fans alike long after the final reel.

The 1929 silent film, Un Chien Andalou (The Andalusian Dog), is the first film we will be taking a look at.  Nothing seems more appropriate to say the least.  At a time when Hollywood had their sights set on large-scale dance numbers and musical revues, two Spaniards released a film that no one expected yet alone understood.  Does anyone fully understand it to this day?  Un Chien Andalou, written and directed by Luis Bunuel and co-written by Salvador Dali, opened the general public to the world of the Surrealism film movement.  Surrealism came about as a result of the first World War as many soldiers came back from the war suffering from violent dreams (Post Dramatic Stress Disorder – before it was commonly known as this) and the popularity of psychoanalysis as a tool to cope with the understanding of these dreams.  Not only that, but the idea that high society – whose love of fine art and traditional ways of thought – was to blame for the start of the war.  The Surrealist movement was not just limited to famous paintings by Max, Dali, and Magritte, but it also included explorations in theater, music, literature, and cinema.  Numerous films were released in the 1920’s that were considered Surrealist works.  In 1928, Man Ray – a famous surrealist artist – released a short film entitled L’Etoile de mer (The Sea Star).  What could be seen as a loose inspiration on Bunuel and Dali, the film follows a couple whose troubled relationship is told through photographing the entire 16-minute short completely out of focus.  The film culminates with the woman standing in front of her male companion with a large knife.  It can be said that this male and female relationship and the branding of a sharp object was later reversed for the duo’s first film exploration together in 1929: Un Chien Andalou.  In 1930, the two would re-team for L’Age d’Or, a film that attempts to illustrate sexual repression by the church through references to the literary 120 Days of Solom and that of the symbol of a scorpion.  Unfortunately this film failed to get as much notoriety as their first collaboration and is mostly known as the film that marked the collapse of the two’s friendship.

Much has written about Salvador Dali.  His name and iconic mustache are almost as famous as his paintings of melting clocks and elephants on stilts.  Un Chien Andalou’s director, Luis Bunuel, is slightly more of an enigma.  He got his start helping out on the films of experimentalist filmmaker Jean Epstein.  Much later in his career he will become known for his scathing critiques of the bourgeois and high society. He told his friend Salvador Dali at the time that he was having dreams about a cloud slicing the moon like a razor slicing an eyeball.  This simple description became the premise for what is considered to be one of the most unforgettable and violent images in cinema history.  A straight blade is dragged across a woman’s eye causing it to ooze forth from the slit.  Later revealed to be a baby calf’s eye, the striking scene takes place within the first minutes of the film and seems to shake the shackles off of what was surely considered to be traditional cinema at the time.  Keeping in mind that the film was made in 1929 gives the scene today even more of an impact in hindsight.  It’s a disgusting shot that could shock even the most die-hard gore fans.  Needless to say, audiences at the time were shocked as well.

Now this is just the first few minutes.  In the 16 –minute short film we are treated to a severed hand, ants crawling out of a man’s palm, and two bloody donkey carcasses.  Many have said that the images in the film constitute to nothing more than a random nightmare of sorts that is more interested in shock than logic.  But upon closer examination, a careful and symbolic narrative is revealed  that explores man’s dark and suppressed desires.

The film begins with a man preparing to enjoy a late night shave.  He makes his way to the window and notices the full moon dissected by a thin cloud as he sharpens his blade on a barber’s belt.  It is here where the film suddenly cuts to the iconic scene in question.  After the gooey sequence, we flash forward to “Eight years later” and see a young man (Pierre Batcheff) dressed in a nun’s habit riding a bicycle down the street.  The woman (Simone Mareuil) from the intro scene is now seen watching the man ride down the street before crashing his bike.  She brings him up to her place where he proceeds to show her his hand revealing a hole with ants crawling forth from it.  Soon after, the two watch a strange woman in the street poking at a severed hand on the ground to the amusement of a staring crowd.  The woman in the street than appears to kill herself by standing in front of a moving car. This sight seems to “turn on” the man who begins to grope at the breasts of the woman in the apartment.  She attempts to elude the man and is forced into a corner.  In a startling series of images, we now see the man restrained from reaching the woman by suddenly revealing two large pianos tied to his back.  Not content with that bizarre image, Bunuel and Dali take it one step further by having a bloody donkey corpse laying over each of the pianos.  The duo then interchanges shots of the man pulling the pianos and shots of him pulling two clergymen tied to the ends of the ropes.  After this segment, a title card of “16 months before” reveals two selves of the same man – one good and one evil – as they seem to fight to be with the woman.  The bad self shoots the good self, causing his body to relocate and fall dead in the woods.  She is then left with the bad self who is seen literally wiping his mouth off his face.  Another time lapse takes place and we see that she has abandoned the evil half of the man and has found a new nice gentleman to be with.  You think it is all a happy ending for the two as they walk along the beach until the closing shot shows the happy couple buried in the sand, up to their elbows, unable to move.

It may seem hard to make sense of some of these images after an initial watch, but upon multiple viewings a dark theme seems to emerge.  Broken narratives that leap backward and forward in time always seem to create a mild sense of confusion and disorientation.  Yet, if you can ignore the leaps in time, at the heart of Un Chien Andalou lies the story of a man attempting to repress his inner dark desires.  This is most evident in the scene following the death of the wandering woman in the street.  After watching her die, the man seems to become aroused and begins to lunge out and grope at the woman who just took him in.  What makes this scene even creepier is how his face suddenly becomes more pale and his eyes become just pools of whiteness.  For horror fans it’s not a stretch to say that he resembles a thoughtless zombie.  Well . . . not completely thoughtless.  The camera now takes on the role of showing us what is going on inside the mind of the zombified man.  We now see the woman’s breasts being groped as they are in her character’s dress, then fully unclothed, and then finally wearing an apron.   It’s as if he is fantasizing about multiple women while he’s molesting her.  These thoughts of sexual fantasies seem to take on a more violent and aggressive approach causing the woman to exert all her energy and hide towards the corner of the room.  His conscience seems to have taken the form of interchanging images of him dragging a pair of clergymen and two heavy pianos adorned by bloody animals.  These drastically different images seem to represent the two sides of his inner self – the good, ethical self and the evil, violent self – that are later forced to fight one another for the heart of the woman.  Whether it is pure and caring or aggressive and obsessive, the love that the man has for the woman is inside of him.  So it seems that Bunuel and Dali are making the point that maybe violence is born out of love or vice versa.

It is because of poetic moments like the one mentioned above that make Un Chien Andalou more than just a bizarre excursion into Surrealism.  Between the images of the man in the nun’s outfit, to the instance where he becomes scared at the sight of ants crawling from his hand, to finally him lunging towards the woman in the corner, a picture is painted of a man dealing with his own insecurities of being a man.  He wants to be the dominant and confident one around the woman even though he is first seen emasculated in a nun’s outfit riding a bike instead of driving a car; this is followed by him crashing his bike and humiliating himself in front of her window.  Once he meets the woman, his desire to be dominating (whether by groping or holding her down with his hands) is obstructed by the reveal of a hole in his hand.  It’s not certain if this is supposed to represent the resurected Christ showing his wounds to Mary, his mother, after he rises from being crucified.  The Freudian implications of these images makes perfect sense given the time period and the Surrealist movement’s general interest in psychoanalysis and dreams.  Though you could argue for days about what many of these images symbolizes and how they fit into a cohesive narrative, one doesn’t have to be a doctor to notice the violent and sexual undertones at play here.

Un Chien Andalou is an enigma to both film buffs who have studied the film for years or to the casual viewer who is looking to witness some of the very first gore scenes recorded in film history.  It’s a film that still holds the power to shock and disturb without a single line of dialogue or note from tense music; the film has in its place a more jovial traditional French score.  Andalou acts as an assault on the viewer as if we too are having our eye forced open to watch this like the girl from the intro.  Much like the films that we will be talking about in this new column, Bunuel and Dali’s film analyzes in an artistic fashion, disturbing and strange subject matter that quite often delves into violent and shocking imagery.  “From The Arthouse to The Slaughterhouse” is a discussion of the films that intend to disrupt people’s expectations of what is accepted in typical arthouse and horror films.  What a great way to start than with one of the very first films to do as such.

Un Chien Andalou can currently be found on Netflix Instant or on DVD through Amazon.

Before you cut out for the weekend, be sure to download the latest episode of the podcast. Every Friday we release a new episode of the newly revamped podcast hosted by myself and Michael Haffner. This week, we cover the independent horror film Absentia (Purchase on Amazon | Rent on Netflix | Rent on Amazon Instant).

Show Notes

Intro

What We’ve Been Watching (1:34)

• Michael: Captain America: The First Avenger, 11-11-11,
• Andy: The Avengers (review), The Raven, Area 407, Shame, Chinatown, The Voice

Australia not getting a Theatrical Release for The Cabin in the Woods (34:40)

Picks of the Week for May 8th Releases (37:34)

Michael’s Pick: Forbidden Zone – Blu-Ray (Arrow Video)

Andy’s Pick: La Haine – Blu-Ray, 42nd Street Forever: The Blu-Ray Edition

BREAK (48:10)

Absentia Discussion (51:45)

Feedback (1:27:07)

Outro (1:34:55)

Contact us

• Email Michael & Andy at podcast@destroythebrain.com
• Leave us a voicemail at 425-419-1687

Leave us a review & Subscribe on iTunes | Follow us on Twitter & Facebook

After six individual films (including the mostly forgotten Ang Lee Hulk film), several cameos and crossover appearances, and anticipation that mounted as high as Stark Tower, fans are finally treated to the film that Marvel has been building towards for years.  The Avengers carries a lot of weight with it as it charges into theaters today.  Thankfully it has an entire team of characters that we have come to love over numerous films to help with the burden.  Outside of it being one of the most anticipated summer blockbusters of the year, the film is the first time we’ve seen a collective like this assembled on screen.  With the X-Men films, the team dynamic was there from the start and we were never introduced to each of the mutants through their own individual films.  With The Avengers, Kevin Feige and Marvel have gathered together four unique characters from four very different movies and have thrown in two assassins and a handful of agents that have had limited exposure in the previous films.  This seemingly impossible task seemed destined to fail.  Yet, you have to hand it to director and co-writer Joss Whedon.  He knows these characters and their universe better than all of our comic knowledge combined.  Not only that, but he’s had the experience in dealing with multiple heroes and their internal and external conflicts all at the same time before.  Whedon is a pro after seven seasons of juggling “The Scooby Gang” in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and a crew of misfits in Firefly.  It’s amazing that Whedon hasn’t been tapped by Hollywood prior to this.  I’m sure that will all change after this weekend.  The Avengers is a rare instance of how a blockbuster film can have both the brains and the brawn.

You don’t have to be a gamma ray inflicted scientist or a billionaire weapons engineer to be able to figure the plot out.  In fact, you most likely gathered the general plot through the many tv spots or posters you have seen over the past few months.  Loki (Thor’s brother) is on the hunt for the Tessarect (or cosmic cube, if you’re one of those people).  With this glowing cube he hopes to open a gateway where a mythological army will come forth and destroy the world.  Like all mindless villains, he wants to be their leader and believes the human race is “meant to be ruled.” A team of superheros is soon gathered by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) of S.H.I.E.L.D. in order to put a stop to his plan.   If you thought it was hard trying to gather together a former WWII hero (Captain America), a snarky playboy (Ironman), a dangerous scientist (The Hulk), a mythological warrior (Thor), a Russian spy (Black Widow), and an expert marksman (Hawkeye), then you should see how difficult of a time they have getting along with one another.  I could go into much more detail about some of the many side stories that play a part in the film; one of which really took me by surprise beginning just in the first 15 minutes.  However, some of these unexpected story arcs that aren’t hinted at in any of the film’s marketing campaign is a real treat to discover.

As just mentioned, a main theme of the film is a focus on the problems that many of us “normal” people face everyday: getting along with one another.  Beginning first as strangers who are forced to work with one another, these six strangers soon seem to exist as family members who have to lift one another when another is down or need a helping hand when another is battling creepy aliens; you know … real family stuff.  This focus on the character’s relationships and interactions with one another is one of the joys while watching the film.  Robert Downey Jr. has obviously been given a majority of the jokes – much like his two solo films – but all of the cast are given an ample amount of time to expose their unique traits and idiosyncrasies.  Whedon’s focus on the heart of the characters plays a major part of the middle third of the film.  Some people may not jump on board as easily as the true comic fans when this part of the film plays out like The Breakfast Club with brightly colored costumes.  But if you have enjoyed the journey these superheroes have taken us on during each of their previous adventures then you won’t mind when the film slows down and takes a deeper look into their lives.  What most people will recognize is the inclusion of some curious background details regarding Scarlett Johansson‘s Black Widow.  They may fall on deaf ears unless you are very familiar with the comic character, but it helps flesh her out as more than just someone that looks great while flipping around guys and choking them with her legs.

Much like you would expect from a summer blockbuster, The Avengers offers a number of exciting action sequences.  The main one most will remember the film for is the finale.  It’s a platform for Whedon to show off all the characters in action at once, showcase some very funny visual gags (two of which will have the audience applauding wildly for The Hulk), and to reveal his competence in directing an action sequence that is exciting and smart.  What I mean by smart is Whedon’s attention to detail and visual storytelling.  As much time as he has put into the characters’ funny quips, he has spent an equally grand amount of time in creating a final spectacle that is easy to follow and understand without turning into a mess of explosions, laser blasts, and flying fists.  He demonstrates an astute knowledge of when to cut from a shot and how best to feature a long take showcasing the extent of the battle.  It’s a finale that’s well worth the wait and is all the more impressive after you have already been blown away by a handful of other action set pieces including a forest fight and an attack on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier.

It may sound like I’m giving Mr. Whedon most of the credit, but I really do think it’s mostly justified in this case.  He is able to take a guy in a blue nylon suit, a bright green creature, and a villain who wears a theatrical horned headpiece, and has made all of these loud and flashy looking heroes look grounded in reality somehow.  A character like Batman has so much of an easier time coming across as realistic and gritty.  It’s not so easy when dealing with a Greek god who wears a cape.  There’s not a second in the film though when you question the plausibility of the situation.  Every situation and frame comes across as a balancing act between maintaining a very human based reality while acknowledging the medium of comic books.  It is in fact the “inferior” medium of comics where these characters were brought first to life.  As someone who read comics religiously growing up, I couldn’t help but be reminded of panels and full page spreads while watching the film.  Whedon and his cinematographer- Seamus McGarvey- have tapped into what makes an impactful composition on paper and has brought these eye-catching visuals to life.  You can brush off The Avengers as being just another superhero film.  You can dismiss it for having a story that’s derivative of every “good vs. evil” story in the book.  I will even let you knock it for being slightly too long which some may count as evidence of it being too self-important.  But the fact of the matter is that this is damn fine storytelling regardless of the fact that it’s a summer blockbuster.  Superhero films don’t have to be dark and gritty to be considered more accepted among elitist critics.  More importantly, they don’t have to be relegated to just “B movie” grading.  The Avengers is an unabashed comic-book movie that marks a new level of quality for future Marvel films to strive for and is deserving of much more than an “A” for effort.

I have to admit that I was getting a little worried about the release for You’re Next.  Lionsgate has done little to subside these fears by not releasing a single thing so far this year in regards to the film.  Aside from a few stills that popped up in late 2011, not a poster, a single new image, or teaser has invaded the web for the upcoming home-invasion film.  Last we heard in regards to the film is that a short time prior to its premiere at Fantastic Fest last year – which you can read Andy’s glowing review of the film from the fest by clicking HERE - Lionsgate picked it up for distribution with a tentative fall 2012 release.  Considering Lionsgate was the studio behind the horror genre-bender, Cabin in the Woods, I fully expected at least a teaser to play in front of that film to get audiences acquainted with another film that seems to defy horror expectations.  You’re Next is a home-invasion film that’s aware it’s a home invasion film.  It’s a horror comedy that actually takes the horror elements EXTREMELY seriously.  Trust us when we tell you, it will in all likelihood be the horror film that you will continue to watch on repeat with your friends at midnight showings ten years from now.  It’s quite funny actually that you have two films in one year that seem to coexist as love letters to the fans who have grown up watching the same films over the years.

Like I said, I was beginning to worry if the film was going to even see the light of day this year.  Thankfully the film’s writer, Simon Barrett has put my fears to rest.  Barret recently wrote this on Twitter followed by the picture of director Adam Wingard (A Horrible Way to Die) which you can see below:

YOU’RE NEXT EPK shooting with @AdamWingard.

Beneath the post, Barrett was asked if the film has an official release date yet.  He responded with, “Not just yet. Hopefully will know soon.” For those unfamiliar with the term EPK, it’s an abbreviation for Electronic Press Kit and usually exists as interviews with the cast and crew that can be used for promotional purposes, behind-the-scenes interviews, or extras on DVD/Blu-ray.

Like the title of this article says, it’s certainly not a huge update.  At least this gives me hope though that the film will get released sometime soon.  Trust us when we say, this will be a film you will want to see.  And if you are from Destroy the Brain’s home state of Missouri, you might be surprised to know that the movie filmed around the outskirts of Columbia, MO.  Just another added bonus to a solid thriller.  Be warned though: a certain Dwight Twilley Band song will be stuck in your head for months after seeing the movie.

Not too much has been said about the release of the new Resident Evil film Retribution since its new trailer dropped online a few months back. Normally Milla is very active with the fans keeping them up to date on her Twitter handle. For some reason things have been hush hush on set due to everything going viral these days, and I can understand why. Another reason could be due to the lackluster effort of the previous film. The hype just isn’t there anymore. To quote my girlfriend, “There is another one?” Well, yes there is, and a new picture from the film has been released.

Set to hit theaters on September 14th in 3D, Resident Evil: Retribution stars Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez, Colin Salmon, Sienna Guillory, Boris Kodjoe, Oded Fehr, Shawn Roberts, Kevin Durand, Johann Urb, and is directed by Paul W.S. Anderson.

Synopsis:

“The Umbrella Corporation’s deadly T-virus continues to ravage the Earth, transforming the global population into legions of the flesh eating Undead. The human race’s last and only hope, ALICE (Milla Jovovich), awakens in the heart of Umbrella’s most clandestine operations facility and unveils more of her mysterious past as she delves further into the complex. Without a safe haven, Alice continues to hunt those responsible for the outbreak; a chase that takes her from Tokyo to New York, Washington, D.C. and Moscow, culminating in a mind-blowing revelation that will force her to rethink everything that she once thought to be true. Aided by newfound allies and familiar friends, Alice must fight to survive long enough to escape a hostile world on the brink of oblivion. The countdown has begun.”

Source: Resident Evil Xtreme

Destroy the Brain has passes to give away to the screening of the new Tim Burton film Dark Shadows starring Johnny Depp on Tuesday, May 8th. Not only do you get to see it for free but you get to see it before anyone else in St. Louis! Want em? Of course you do. Here’s the deal though, normally we make it pretty easy on you by just leaving a comment. We figure it might be fun to do something more.

How to Enter

In order to be qualified for passes, send us a “Vampire” themed photo to contests@destroythebrain.com. This could be anything from fake (recommended) blood dripping from your lips, stealing blood bags from a blood bank (not recommended) to you hissing at the sunlight. You guys & gals know what vamps do, entertain us and we will entertain you with free passes. The earlier the entries on this one, the better your chances are to win because we will give out the passes while supplies last! Pictures will be uploaded on the website, so keep it PG-13.

THE SCREENING IS TUESDAY, MAY 8TH! THE SCREENING IS AT 7PM at RONNIE’S 20 CINE. MAKE SURE YOU ARE AVAILABLE ON THE DATE AND THE TIME. 

No Purchase Necessary. Dark Shadows is Rated PG-13 for comic horror violence, sexual content, some drug use, language and smoking.