Trailer: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Official)

Posted on October 24, 2013 by Arleigh

We take a brief break from all things horror here at Through the Shattered Lens to bring to you the first official trailer for Marvel Studios second film in their Phase 2 of their Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier sees the return of Steve Rogers aka Captain America (The first Avenger) post-Battle of New York. He’s now an official member of S.H.I.E.L.D. but soon realizes that his 40’s ideals may not mesh well with the all-encompassing and super-secretive intelligence organization. From the look and feel of the trailer it looks like the film’s directors, Anthony and Joe Russo, are going for the conspiracy thriller tone for this new Captain America entry.

This is a good choice considering that the screenplay has been heavily influenced by Ed Brubaker’s run on the Captain America comics which also introduced the Winter Soldier of the film’s title.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is set for a Spring, April 4, 2014, release date.

Horror On The Lens: Slugs (dir by Juan Piquer Simon)

Posted on October 24, 2013 by Lisa Marie Bowman

First released in 1988, Slugs is literally one of the ickiest films ever made.

The plot of this Spanish horror film is pretty simple. In a rural community, all of the local slugs have mutated into savage, sharp-toothed carnivores. While the slugs slowly consume the locals, health official Mike Brady (Michael Garfield) wonders if maybe — just maybe — this could all be connected to the nearby toxic waste dump.

Despite some less-than-stellar performances and a plot that makes less sense the more you think about it, Slugs works. Some of that is because slugs themselves are just naturally creepy. However, the majority of the credit must go to director Juan Piquer Simon who truly takes this film to its disgusting extreme. This film is probably most famous for a scene in which one character comes to regret his earlier decision to eat one of the slugs.

Horror On TV: Twilight Zone 5.21 — “Spur of the Moment”

Posted on October 23, 2013 by Lisa Marie Bowman

18 year-old Anne Marie Henderson (Diana Hyland) is being pressured, by her family, to marry Robert, a dull stockbroker (Robert Hogan). However, Anne Marie is still in love with her former fiancee, David (Roger Davis). As the day of her marriage approaches, Anne Marie suddenly finds herself being chased by a woman in black who yells at her not to get married…

This episode of the Twilight Zone was originally broadcast on February 21st, 1964. It was directed by Elliot Silverstein and written by Richard Matheson.

Horror On The Lens: The Devil’s Rain (dir by Robert Fuest)

Posted on October 23, 2013 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Satanic priest Jonathan Corbis (Ernest Borgnine) has spent decades pursuing the Preston family. The Prestons, it turns out, have a book of powerful Satanic magic in their possession. After Corbis causes the Preston patriarch to melt in the rain, Mark Preston (William Shatner) decides to confront Corbis and his followers…

Released in 1975, the Devil’s Rain was presumably made to capitalize on the success of films like Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist. The film itself is a bit incoherent but it’s worth watching just to see shameless overactors William Shatner and Ernest Borgnine acting opposite each other. The cast also includes Ida Lupino, Keenan Wynn, Tom Skerritt, and Eddie Albert, which means that there’s not a single bit of scenery that doesn’t get chewed at some point.

If watch carefully, you can spot John Travolta making his screen debut towards the end of the film.

Horror Song of the Day: Every Woman In the World (by Air Supply)

Posted on October 22, 2013 by Arleigh

Who said a song from a horror film had to be horrific. Some songs just attaches it’s hooks into you and won’t let go and one such song that one wouldn’t associate with the horror film genre just does that with the latest “Song of the Day”.

In 2006, a little horror-comedy film came out directed by James Gunn called Slither. There’s a repeating gag in the film that both highlights the film’s horror and comedy. It’s scored by a classic Air Supply ballad by the title of “Every Woman In the World”. It’s the love song of Grant Grant (played Merle Dixon himself, Michael Rooker) and his loyal and faithful wife, Starla (played with earnestness by Elizabeth Banks). It comes on whenever the two share a tender moment even when things get thick and slithery.

Every time this song plays on the radio now I can’t help but think back to Slither.

Every Woman In the World

Overnight scenes dinner and wine
Saturday girls
I was never in love, never had the time
In my hustle and hurried world
Laughing my self to sleep, waking up lonely
I need someone to hold me, oh

It’s such a crazy home town
It can drag you down
Till you run out of dreams
So you party all night to the music and lights
But you don’t know what happiness means
I was dancing in the dark with strangers
No love around me
When suddenly you found me, oh

(Chorus) Girl, you’re every woman in the world to me
You’re my fantasy, you’re my reality
Girl, you’re every woman in the world to me
You’re everything I need, you’re everything to me
Oh girl

Everything good, everything fine
That’s what you are
So put your hand in mine and together we’ll climb
As high as the highest star
I’m living the lifetime in every minute
That we’re together
And I’m staying right here forever, oh

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. – Girl in the Flower Dress: Review

Posted on October 22, 2013 by Viktor VonGlum

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D… where do I start… I want to like this show for two main reason: it is inspired by comics and created by Joss Whedon (I dug all of his other shows & films). But it’s not clicking with me. Something is missing. It seems tame, almost like the creative team is holding back. Would the show have a different tone if it was on another network? Did the ABC/Disney element mute the tone?

What I liked:

The hints of characterization for May before she reverted to cliche warrior woman.
More clues about Coulson has changed after being shanked by Loki (I still believe that he’s Life Model Decoy (highly advanced robotic duplicate of SHIELD Agents)).
The prospect of improved Extremis villains.
More details about Skye’s past.

What I was expecting:

Some of Steranko’s trippy spy fiction.
High tech weaponry and gadgets (the hovercar isn’t enough).
Official Uniforms.
Recognized Agents like Carter, Wu, Dum Dum, and Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine
Some actual villains because the “making of Graviton isn’t enough” and these pastiches of established characters aren’t enough. Tired off the misunderstood post-humans after NotLuke Cage.
A fully fleshed out cast: it seems like Coulson and Skye are getting all of the characterization, Ward, May, Fitz & Simmons are so cliche.

Review (Spoiler Free):

Tonight’s episode felt like a remix of the pilot episode. Both episodes featured seemingly innocent post-human goes nuts after interacting with Centipede. “Scorch” lacked the emotional tether & motivation of NotLuke Cage and the drive for acknowledgement wasn’t enough for me.

Visual Expectations (courtesy of Kris Anka):

(Courtesy of Aaron Kuder)

Horror On TV: Twilight Zone 5.26 “I Am The Night — Color Me Black”

Posted on October 22, 2013 by Lisa Marie Bowman

As a small community prepares to execute a remorseless killer, the sky above the town turns pitch black. Even as the Sheriff and the town priest try to figure out what’s happening, the town prepares to administer its own version of justice.

Some reviewers have complained that this Twilight Zone episode is a bit too heavy-handed for its own good but it’s actually one of my favorite episodes, (Then again, I’ve always been against the death penalty and, for the most part, critics only consider a show to be heavy-handed when they disagree with the message.) While the writing may not be subtle, this is a well-acted episode and, while watching it, you truly do get the feeling that a community is slowly giving into the darkness of hatred.

This episode was written by Rod Serling and directed by Abner Biberman. It was originally broadcast on March 27th, 1964.

Horror Scenes I Love: Joey Fatone Gets Eaten By A Shark

Posted on October 22, 2013 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Joey Fatone, moments before getting eaten by shark

Now I know what you’re asking. Does this scene, from the 2012 SyFy original film Jersey Shore Shark Attack, really count as a horror scene?

It does if you’re the one getting eaten.

Just ask Joey Fatone.

Don’t worry…he’s okay!

Incidentally, this film started my current love affair with SyFy original movies.

Horror On The Lens: Killdozer (dir by Jerry London)

Posted on October 22, 2013 by Lisa Marie Bowman

A bunch of manly men are building an airstrip on an island off the coast of Africa. Two of them come across an oddly glowing meteorite and they make the mistake of trying to move it with a bulldozer. Needless to say, the bulldozer gets possessed by an alien presence and soon, the men are all being pursued by the … Killdozer!

My boyfriend and I recently sat down and watched this 1974 made-for-TV movie. Jeff enjoyed it while I thought Killdozer was perhaps one of the silliest films I have ever seen in my life. That’s not surprising, however. Killdozer is a guy film all the way, celebrating both the destructive power of machinery and the ability of men to tame that power.

Killdozer may not be a great film but it’s a film that feels rather appropriate for October.

Horror Scenes I Love: Dead Alive aka Braindead

Posted on October 21, 2013 by Arleigh

“Party’s over!”

[spoilers]

The latest “Scenes I Love” is from a horror-comedy classic from the early 90’s.

Before Peter Jackson traveled and chronicled Middle-Earth he was a Kiwi filmmaker who dabbled and had fun with low-budget splatstick horror. One such film was the horror-comedy zombie flick Dead Alive aka Braindead. The scene in question happens in the extended climactic third reel of the film and has to go down as the goriest and bloodiest film sequence ever shot.

Watching this clip makes one wonder how Peter Jackson was the same person who made this film and the Tolkien films.