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Mark's Horror Movie Retro Review: Bram Stoker's Dracula

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  Bram Stoker's Dracula hit theaters in 1992 and promised excited movie-watchers a true adaptation of the beloved novel. Dracula has an all-star cast, with Gary Oldman playing the lead Prince of Darkness, and Anthony Hopkins, fresh from his Oscar win as Hannibal Lecter, playing Van Helsing. Added to the mix are Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves. Even Carey Elwes and Tom Waits got in on the action of this blockbuster.  I was only 9 years old when Dracula debuted, and I remember a buzz with the adults as this was a quality "date" horror movie, as it blended the raw, sexual desire of Dracula with just enough gore and violence to keep the non-romantics interested.  To me, Gary Oldman's portrayal as Dracula may just be the best version of Dracula on film. He is sensual and real; he's broken and predatory. Oldman plays Dracula the way he should be played, whether it is the withered Count in the castle, or the handsome young bachelor on the prowl.  Gary Old
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Top 10 Horror Movies of the 1970s

One could really make a fair argument that the 1970s were the greatest decade of horror. There are no "fun" horror movies here. All of the movies on this list have one goal, and that is to scare the living hell out of you. From massive sharks that made it to where you never wanted to go into the water again, to a demon possessing an innocent girl, to zombies, to cannibals, to a teenage girl coming into her own body and awakening something sinister; the 1970s had it all. In Part 2 of my series, we rank the top 10 movies of the 1970s. Top 10 Horror Movies of the 1970s (Part 2 of a Series of Wrong Opinions) 1. Jaws (1975) 2. The Exorcist (1973) 3. Alien (1979) 4. Halloween (1978) 5. Dawn of the Dead (1978) 6. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) 7. Carrie (1976) 8. The Omen (1976) 9. Suspiria (1977) 10. The Wicker Man (1973)
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Mark's Horror Book Review: Frostbite by David C. Hayes & Sean Seal

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It's no secret that I have a soft-spot for David Hayes, as he has been a great friend and horror-collaborator of mine for several years now. He has a twisted mind, and the man can shower literary guts and gore galore. However, in that warped mind are the skills of a seriously talented wordsmith, who can craft clever sentences that can either have you holding your mouth to stifle a laugh, or to prevent yourself from puking. In this tale, Hayes takes on another holiday (look up Rottentail, an Easter-themed graphic novel of his now turned into a major motion picture) and decides to ruin Christmas for all of us good little horror boys and girls. The art work is beautiful, and the story fun and light-hearted. Well...for a Hayes story anyway. It is a short read, with a layout reminiscent of a child's book, but a word of advice: Do not show this book to any children! I highly recommend you picking it up this Holiday Season. It may end up being a new Christmas classic! Frost
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Top 10 Horror Movies of the 1960s

I figured the best way to start this horror blog is with a countdown of the best horror films by decade. I chose to start with the 1960s, as horror films before this time period, to me, just never held my interest; and while I appreciate the trend setting films that were created prior to the 1960s, I just cannot judge them when compared to the technology of recent films. Hate away, but I wanted to be honest. Also, after reading many Top 100 Horror Movies of All Time lists, I felt horror movies were more accurately ranked by the decade, and not overall. To compare something like The Wolfman (1941) to The Conjuring (2013) is just not fair to either movie. So without further ado, let's kick this off with the 1960s. Top 10 Horror Movies of the 1960s (Part 1 of a Series of Wrong Opinions) 1. Psycho (1960) 2. Night of the Living Dead (1968) 3. Rosemary's Baby (1968) 4. Witchfinder General (1968) 5. The Birds (1963) 6. Eyes Without a Face (1960) 7. The Innocents (1961)
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