Horror Block

Hey there, horror fans.

Unless you’ve been living in a cave, in which case kudos to you, you can’t have missed the ever expanding world of monthly subscription boxes. They used to be centred around beauty samples but have now spread across all areas.

Want monthly treats for your pet? There’s a box for that.
Want specifically french/korean items? There’s a box for that too. Heck, there’s even a box designed to support you during your.. uh.. monthly flow.

I’ve been a subscriber to Birchbox for a while now as god knows I love to jump on a band wagon. However, I fear November’s will be my last because there’s a new player in town: Horror Block.

Created by the lovely people at Nerd Block who offer a wide variety of nerd/geek boxes for a range of age groups, there was no way I could resist the charms of this blood splattered offering. Receiving my first box on All Hallow’s Eve seems like a sign I’d be foolish to ignore.

So join me now as we delve in to the mysteries of my box.. my, uh, horror box. Aw shi-, you know what I mean. Shut up!

It arrives!

Zombie cat not included in all boxes

Goodies!

Front of the box...

...Back of the box.

First set of stickers..

..Second set of stickers.

Anniversary edition of Fangoria, taking a look at my favourite director & film series.

Can't wait to make this little guy!

Love this! The otheroption was Sam from Trick or Treat

A blu-ray DVD!

And finally, my favourite thing in the whole box…

Jason.

How good is this tshirt? Worth the price of the box by itself!

You can order your own monthly horror box here from as little as $13.99 a month (excl. postage). November’s box is set to be Hanniball-tastic so, if you’re a fan, make sure you subscribe soon!

Do you get any monthly subscription boxes? Let me know if there are any others to check out in the comments.

Laters xx

The Babadook

Hey there, Horror Fans.

On Sunday, we went to see The Babadook and yes, it’s taken me this long to write my review.

Directed by: Jennifer Kent.
Starring: Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Daniel Henshall, Tiffany Lyndall-Knight, Benjamin Winspear, Carmel Johnson.
Rated: 15 cert
Length: 95 min.

Amelie is stressed. Following the death of her husband, Oskar, she’s raised Samuel alone. A lack of sleep and Samuel’s continually increasing behavioural problems have her on edge. Then a book arrives. A dark, mysterious book filled with terrifying drawings and even more troubling rhymes.

“Cause if it’s in a word, or if it’s in a book, you can’t get rid of the Babadook..”

Adapted from her 2005 short film, Monster, this is Australian filmmaker Jennifer Kent’s debut feature as a writer-director and what a satisfying yet incredibly unsettling debut feature it is.

Essie Davis’ Amelie is outstanding, with her emotions delivered raw and realistic as she plays a mother plagued by depression, insomnia but the overriding need to provide for and protect her son. Noah Wieseman is equally brilliant as Samuel, a child living with an overactive imagination and the pain of never knowing his father. Between them, the tension is palpable and unnerving.

As the film progresses we’re given a deeper insight in to their world and when the Babadook arrives, Kent’s greatest strength as a writer-director is revealed: she makes you care about the characters to the point that you’ll find yourself genuinely worried for their safety.

To tell you anymore about the film would be giving away too much. It covers so many aspects of human nature before the horror even begins that when it does, you’ll be begging for a rosy outcome.

Whether the film delivers on this, you’ll have to find out for yourself. While lacking in the formulaic scares so often used in films nowadays, the Babadook offers its audience a totally unique experience and I, for one, can’t wait to see what other films Kent turns her hand to next.

“So close your eyes and count to ten.
Better hope you don’t wake up again.
‘Cause if it’s in a word,
Or if it’s in a book,
You can’t get rid of the Babadook.
You’ll see him if you look.”

Rating: 10/10.

Laters xx

Scardiff UK 2014

Now in its second year, Scardiff is Cardiff’s first (and only) horror convention. Thanks to the wonderful Iz, I’ve had the pleasure of working at both as part of the Front of House Crew (or the Zombie Corp as we tend to be).

In a change to the previous year, aside from the event now being run by the fantastic Wayne and Rebecca, the first big thing for Scardiff 2014 was the change of venue. Previously housed in the Mercure Hotel, this year saw us taking up residence in the Cardiff Masonic Hall. This building is amazing. Spread over 3 floors, a lot of the rooms look like they haven’t been touched since the mid-70s. The main temple is outstanding, all dark wood and ornate carvings. They couldn’t have picked a spookier setting.

Duke of Connaught Temple

I arrived at the gad-awful time of 8am on the Sunday morning, ready to help set up and get my zombie game-face on. As my lovely OH was exhibiting at this event, with the comic he has co-created called Stiffs, I filled him with coffee and dragged him with me.

The Stiffs guys – Ain’t they a handsome bunch?

As with last year, our zombie make-up was done by some lovely girls from a local college, as part of the work needed for their portfolios. I’ve got to say, they were fab! Not only were they also there at ridiculous o’clock but the make-up was professionally done.

Make-up by the lovely lady. T-shirt by me.

At 10am we threw open the doors and prepared ourselves for the hordes. Including pre-bought tickets, around 300 people attended this event – Amazing! Exhibiting at the event were the following people..

Notable Special Guests:
Gary Slaymaker (TV & Radio Presenter)
Adam Nevill (Bestselling Author)
Tim Lebbon (NY Times Bestselling Author)
James Plumb (and the rest of the MadScience Crew)
Dan Henk (Tattoo Artist)
Dylan Teague (Comic book Artist for 200AD, Marvel & DC)
Jenny Jackson (SFX Artist)
and of course, running the show – Wayne Simmons (Bestselling Author)

Notable Exhibitors:
Animal Zone UK
Waterstones
Zombie Shop
Shottle Bop
The Morbitorium
The Rollin’ Hot Dog Co.
D’Vinyl Records
Anastasia Catris
Stiffs

The event was allowed use of 4 rooms, as well as the large landing and foyer spaces, all spread over 2 floors. All panels and the film premiere of Kerb Crawlers were held in the main temple on the ground floor. Upstairs, the exhibitors and guest were split over 3 rooms. The below photos were taken around 11am, when the event was still hotting up. Trust me when I say it got a LOT busier as the day went on!

In the main stage room, there were around 15 exhibitors. Plenty of space was left for people to walk around and look at the stalls without clogging up the aisles and a last minute cancellation meant that there was space in front of the main stage for the cosplay competition. Ah, the main stage. A place I avoided for a lot of the day, thanks to a delightful phobia I have. I sneaked back up at one point, just to get you this photo, even though it gives me palpitations just looking at it. The blood and gore, I’m fine with, but that knee, man. Oh boy. Even though I know it’s fake because I saw the model wandering around later, that knee gets me every time.

Fantastic work by the SFX ladies but urgh, it gives me the shivers.

Going back to the Cosplay competition, there were more people dressed up than I would have thought possible. Everyone that came really embraced the spirit of the event and put in some excellent effort. People were still turning up in full costumes at 4pm when we were due to close at 4:30pm – Madness! My favourites were definitely these Silent Hill characters.

Silent Hill

Being completely honest, the highlight of the day for me was Animal Zone UK.  These guys were amazing. They brought with them an array of spiders, scorpions, snakes and some (rather frisky) tortoises. The main attraction, however, was Honey. Honey is an Albino Burmese Python and is gorgeous. At 4st, she’s a heavy girl but was so friendly and calm with everyone who held her.

Ana Catris & Honey get acquainted

Overall, the day was a HUGE success. There were more people through the door than the organisers had hoped and I didn’t hear a bad word about the event from exhibitors for customers. Foolishly, I’ve also already offered my services just in case there’s another event next year and personally, I can’t wait!

For more information on the event, make sure to check out their: Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter as well as this review by Walesonline.

Laters xx

Sunday Scares – Urban Legends

Hey there, horror fans.

This week I want to take a look at some of the most popular and well known urban legends out there.
The idea of urban legends has always appeared to me and is something that is often used as the basis for horror films. The definition of an urban legend is:

“a humorous or horrific story or piece of information circulated as though true, especially one purporting to involve someone vaguely related or known to the teller.”

These legends can range from the bizarre (Alligators living in the New York City sewers) to the absolutely terrifying (anything involving someone hiding in the backseat/house). Guess which end of the spectrum we’ll be looking at today?

The Phone Call from Inside the House.

The Story: “A teenage girl (yes, it’s always a girl) is babysitting at night. The children have been put to bed and she’s settled down with popcorn and a movie. Suddenly, the phone rings. A strange voice at the other end of the line tells her to “go check on the children”. As anyone would do, she hangs up. This happens again and again. Beginning to freak out, the girl calls the police. They ask her to try to keep the caller on the line next time, so they can trace the call. Right on cue, the strange voice calls again, the girl keeps him on the line and the call is traced.. to inside the house! She escapes just as the police arrive but not everyone lives.”

The Analysis: There are so many variations on this story including the delightfully innocent version that reveals it was all part of a prank by the kids. I like that one. This legend has been around since the 60s and is the basis for the 1979 film, When A Stranger Calls (remade in 2006 for reasons unknown). What bothers me most is the unbelievably fast response time by the police. Seriously, unless she lived right next to the police station, they would’ve taken at least an hour to arrive!

The Kidney Heist

The Story: “A man is travelling alone on a business trip. One night, while stopping in a bar for a nightcap, a woman introduces herself an the two hit it off. The next morning, the man awakes in a strange hotel room with crippling pain shooting across his back. An ambulance is called and, after a thorough examination, the doctors explain that one of his kidneys has been removed.”

The Analysis: This is a relatively new legend, in the grand scheme of things. Reports have been circulating for around 20yrs of this happening all across America (not here in Britain though, we wouldn’t stand for it). It’s important to note that in all versions of the story, there are no records of said kidney victims visiting a doctor and, after repeated requests by The National Kidney Foundation, no one has ever come forward to validate the tale. I’m sorry but if someone stole my kidney, you can be damned sure you’d here about it EVERYWHERE!

The Fatal Hair Do

The Story: “Little Sally Schoolgirl has had her hair in braids for almost 3 months. She begins to complain to her mother about headaches but is ignored. On going to school, she complains to her teacher about the headaches and they decide that, maybe, it’s time to undo the braids. On doing so, they find her hair to infested with spiders that have been burrowing in to her scalp. The girl is rushed to hospital but, sadly, it’s too late.”

The Analysis: Well, that tale features a heavy does of parental neglect! Again, there are many variations on this story although they all seem to agree on the spider aspect. Reports of women’s hair being infested with spiders have been recorded as far back as the 13th Century, where the woman’s vanity called forth a “demon spider” to nest in her hair. I think the main thing to take from it though is that you’re less likely to suffer a spider infestation if your hair is clean and not in braids/dreads/a beehive. You have been warned.

And finally…

This one genuinely unnerves me. You have been warned.

The Russian Sleep Experiment

The Story: “During the 1940s there were reports that Russian researchers were experimenting on prisoners of war. One of these, involving a toxic gas based stimulant, was trialled on 5 people with the plan to keep them awake for 15 days. After the 5th day, events took a much darker turn. You can read the rest of the story here, if you want to.”

The Analysis: This story first appeared in 2010, on the website CreepyPasta (mentioned in this previous post). The experiments were carried out on prisoners of war is not up for debate. Even a tiny bit of research can bring up a long list of the atrocities committed during the 1940s in the name of science. A lot of research has been done in to the effects of sleep deprivation and none, at least none that have been published, have listed any results like those in this story.

Do you have a favourite urban legend? Let me know in the comments below. Oh, and hey, maybe leave the lights on when you go to bed tonight. Just in case.

Laters xx

Sunday Scares – Author Spotlight

Hey there, horror fans! 

It’s that time again where I try to encourage you to check out books by another horror author that I’ve been reading lately. 

This week: Christopher Ransom. 

Born in Colorado, Christopher Ransom began writing at a young age. He studied literature at Colorado State University before working in a variety of customer service roles, including a hardware store and an international reptile wholesalers. At 25, he moved to New York and then quickly switched to Los Angeles, all the time pursuing his writing career (also known as managing a Barnes & Nobles and freelancing as a copy writer). 

In 2004, they relocated in to a 140-year old former Birthing House in Wisconsin, which is where he wrote his first novel… The Birthing House (get it, huh? Huh?). He’s since gone on to write a further 4 novels, with a 5th due out soon. 

If you happen to wander across his website, Ransomesque, you can’t help but notice how his own interests are reflected in his books. His love of BMX bikes, for example, is a major part of his latest novel, The Orphan. 

I’ve read all of his books so far (in order, no less), and yet I honestly couldn’t tell you if I like them or not. So, where should you start on your Ransomesque journey? Why, from the very beginning of course! 

The Birthing House 

Blurb: When Conrad buys a big old house in Wisconsin, his wife Jo doesn’t share his enthusiasm, reluctant at the idea of leaving their LA life. But Conrad’s new purchase is not all that it seems. Soon Conrad is hearing the ghostly wailing of a baby in the night, seeing blood on the floor & being haunted by a woman who looks exactly like Jo. 

My Blurb: This book is a bit weird but as far as first books go, it was good enough to keep me hooked and made me want to read more of his work. It’s pretty clear that this book was influenced by his new house but that’s ok because I find the whole idea pretty interesting. Imagine living in a house where you can be 90% certain that death has occurred. It maybe my overactive imagination talking, but I’d be creeped out all of the time! 

The Haunting of James Hasting

Blurb: James Hastings’ wife is dead – her life snuffed out in a horrific accident. Dizzy with grief and guilt, James withdraws into his sprawling mansion, losing himself in liquor and memories of Stacey. Until the day two women enter his life. One is Annette, a gorgeous stranger with a dark past. The other is not a stranger, and her past is all too familiar. First her voice echoes through the phone lines, and from behind the ballroom doors, then her shoes reappear, streaked with mud and grime, as though unearthed from the grave. Soon Annette begins saying things only Stacey could know, enveloping James in a spiral of terror and violence that threatens to destroy his home, his sanity, and his soul. 

My Blurb: Ok, this book is ever so slightly ridiculous and can be quite difficult to follow. James is the double of a famous rapper but it’s this line of work that eventually destroys him. Once you’ve got the hang of who’s who and whether you’re dealing with James or Ghost, it gets a bit easier. It’s worth pointing out that this isn’t a ghost story but the tale of a man close to the edge and losing all grip on reality. The build-up is well-written and there are points, like the ballroom, that are genuinely quite creepy. Sadly, the end just falls a bit flat. 

The Orphan 

Blurb: The truth is more terrifying than you can imagine. Darren and Beth always dreamed of having a son, but when young amnesiac Adam enters their lives, he brings with him a creeping darkness that threatens to engulf their family and everyone around them. As Adam’s memories claw their way to the surface, Darren finds himself haunted by thoughts of his own childhood – and of a boy very much like Adam who has done an unspeakable wrong. As buried secrets are unearthed, their happy home becomes a hunting ground for a relentless evil and an obsession that will not die. 

My Blurb: This is the most recent one that I’ve read, and the most recent he’s released. It was.. easy to read but again with the weird! The story revolves around a guy who is very much trying to re-live his childhood through his BMX collection. All the while, a young boy who really wants a BMX is being chased by something that sounds like it could be aliens. Weird. It is incredibly easy to read though and I did find myself wanting to finish it.  

Ok, so my reviews haven’t actually turned out that favourably but I assure you these books aren’t all that bad. They take a bit of getting used to but you are rewarded with the brilliance with which Chris deals with the supernatural side of things and his descriptions, in The Orphan in particular, are hella impressive. 

If you like horror that’s a bit off the wall, Christopher Ransom could be right up your street! Make sure to check out his other books: The People Next Door and The Fading. 

Laters xx

Sunday Scares – Internet of Horrors

Hey there, horror fans!

Hopefully, you’re all well aware by now that the internet is a dark and terrifying place.
On a human level, it’s filled with trolls and stalkers and creepers – oh my! Even more so than that, it serves as a place where the most horrifying tales that the mind can conjure up have been collected, stored and shared.

If you haven’t heard of CreepyPasta, you’re doing the internet wrong. Same goes for some of the horror threads on tumblr and reddit.

A personal favourite of mine on these sites is the short horror stories. Often no more than 2 or 3 lines, some of these have really raised the hairs on the back of my neck.

Here are some of my favourites:

“I could hear my mum calling me in to the kitchen. As I started to head down the stairs, I heard her voice whisper from her bedroom “Don’t go down there. I heard it too.”

“I was tucking my son in to bed when he whispered to me “Daddy, there’s someone under my bed. I look under the bed for his amusement and see him, another him, under the bed. Staring back at me, he’s visibly shaking as he whispers “Daddy, there’s someone in my bed.”

“I just saw my reflection blink.” – yeah, try not to think of that one next time you look in the mirror at night time.

You can read more of these here.

Another thing the internet is great for is horrible, horrible comic style stories and short films.
Don’t believe me, check out this (NSFW) offering from Korea – Bongcheon Dong Ghost Story.
Or what about this. It’s quite long but is both beautiful, sad and terrifying all at the same time – The Enigma of Amigara Fault

And this short film will play on your already shredded nerves.. Lights Out

And finally, because I couldn’t possible mention Internet Horror Stories without linking to the delightful terror that is.. Slender Man. A quick Google image search is enough to give you the heebie-jeebies for days!

I’ll just leave this here…

Scream when you spot him..

Have I missed any harrowing slices of horror from this list? Let me know in the comments!

Laters xx

Sunday Scares – Director Spotlight

Hey there, horror fans.

After my abysmal lack of posting last week (sorry!) this week I’m back with another Director Spotlight. So grab the popcorn, sit back and let the terror unfold…

Source

Born in 1948, John Howard Carpenter is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, editor and composer. He developed a taste for low budget horror films early on and started filming horror shorts before he’d even started high school. He later attended the University of Southern California where he had his first taste of success with a short student film, Captain Voyeur.

With a back catalogue of work spanning most genres, Carpenter is most well known for his work on horror films and the most notable of these is Halloween (1978).

Over the years, he’s managed to make his name synonymous with the horror genre (possibly helped by him putting his name in front of each of his film titles). With his minimalist lighting and use of steadicam, his influence can be seen in many modern horror films. For example, The Purge takes plot inspiration from Escape From New York, with director James DeMonaco even stating that he plotted the sequel (The Purge: Anarchy) while listening to music from the film The Thing. 

Most Notable Films

Halloween (1978)
Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence, Tony Moran
Plot: After murdering his sister as at the age of 6, Michael Myers has been institutionalised for almost 15yrs. The night before Halloween, 1963, and he breaks out, heading for the only place he remembers – Home.

The Fog (1980)
Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Adrienne Barbeau, Janet Leigh
Plot: A small fishing town, built 100yrs ago on the site of an ancient leper colony, becomes engulfed in a killer fog. But it’s what’s in the fog that’s the problem.. Ghost Pirates! Sorry.. it’s ghost pirates!
(Note: Kudos for casting JLC again. She was quite the Scream Queen back in the day. I also like that Nancy Loomis pops up in this film as well. Also – I LOVE GHOST PIRATES!) 

The Thing (1982)
Cast: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, T.K. Carter, David Clennon, Keith David
Plot: Scientists based in the Antarctic are interrupted by seemingly mad Norwegians. After a dog is killed, an alien life-form is unleashed that has the ability to take over other bodies.. and there’s no way of knowing who’s already been taken over.. 
(Note: Make sure to check out Kurt Russell’s awesome hat.)

Christine (1983)
Cast: Keith Gordon, John Stockwell, Alexandra Paul
Plot: Arnie has fallen in love – with a car. As he busies himself with restoring “Christine”, his friends notice that the car isn’t the only thing changing and the results could be deadly. 
(Note: This film isn’t great but gets included because it’s based on the book of the same name, written by my favourite author)

John Carpenters Vampires (1998)
Cast: James Woods, Daniel Baldwin, Sheryl Lee, Thomas Ian Griffiths
Plot: A vampire slayer is tasked with retrieving an ancient catholic relic, which has the power to make vampires survive in sunlight. He’s not the only one looking for it though. Can they find the relic before the vampires do? 
(Note: I do not like James Woods. There, I said it.) 

What’s your favourite John Carpenter film? Let me know in the comments.

Later xx

(All film images taken from IMDB)

Sunday Scares – Film Review

Hey there, horror fans.

This Saturday saw me have a rare day without plans and an empty house. This can only mean one thing – Horror Movie Bonanza. Netflix is the perfect tool for indulging my horror needs, even if sometimes the results are a bit.. disappointing.

Here’s what I watched.

Case 39
Director: Christian Alvart
Cast: Renee Zellweger, Ian McShane, Bradley Cooper.

Plot (from IMBD): A social worker fights to save a girl from her abusive parents, only to discover that the situation is more dangerous than she ever expected.

What Did I Think: Blah, blah, blah. Films about possessed children are ten a dozen nowadays and this one brought nothing new to the game. With two dimensional characters, I quickly got bored and read a magazine instead.

Rating: 3/10

Midnight Meat Train
Director: Ryûhei Kitamura
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Vinnie Jones, Leslie Bibb

Plot (from IMBD): A New York photographer hunts down a serial killer.

What Did I Think: First off, no. The most terrifying ride I ever took was Duelling Dragons in Universal Studios, Florida. Seriously, those rollercoasters pass within 3 feet of each other! Anyway, the film. Based on the short story by Clive Barker, this film packs a punch in the “so bad, it’s good” stakes. Some of the cgi graphics are.. interesting. The story is ok, but none of the characters are really engaging and the “twist” ending was a little predictable. All that aside, I actually really enjoyed it. I’m a sucker for “bad” horror though.

Rating: 5/10

Maniac
Director: Franck Khalfoun
Cast: Elijah Wood, Nora Arnezeder

Plot (from IMBD): As he helps a young artist with her upcoming exhibition, the owner of a mannequin shop’s deadly, suppressed desires come to the surface.

What Did I Think: This was definitely my favourite of the bunch. The use of Goodbye Horses near the beginning was brilliant (and if you don’t get why, you’re watching the wrong horror films) Throughout the film, you never see Elijah Woods face directly and this was just one of the many stylized camera angles that made this film engrossing. If you’ve seen Sin City, you’ll know how creepy Wood can be. Here, he takes it up to a whole other level.

Rating: 7.5/10

Have you see any of the above? Or maybe you have a horror film suggestion for the next time I have a free day? Let me know in the comments!

Laters xx

Sunday Scares – Cardiff Tattoo and Toy Con 2014

Last Saturday, when the stars had aligned perfectly, myself and PJ woke up to a rare day off together. After a quick trip to the vet with Little Cat (she’s fine, just a spot of conjunctivitis) we arrived home to an exciting text from the wonderful Ana Catris. She had a table at the Cardiff Tattoo & Toy Con and wanted to know if we fancied a spot on the Guest List. There was no way we could refuse!

This is only the second Cardiff Tattoo and Toy Convention but you’d never know it. With over 100 award winning tattoo artists, toy designers, retailers and comic book artists there’s something for everyone. We arrived at the Mercure Cardiff Holland House Hotel at 11.20am and were greeted by a very welcoming crew, headed up by the amazing Iz. Our wristbands were attached and, gripping the map tightly, we set off to find Ana.

An Ana Monster in her natural habitat

CTATC was spread over 3 floors with each floor having its own collection of tattoo artists and retail stalls. Everywhere you went you could hear the buzz of tattoo machines at work. We found Ana on the third floor, sat opposite Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett). A quick catch up (and a sketch request by PJ) and we were off to explore what else the con had to offer.

Ground Floor

This is where the majority of the tattoo artists were as it is the biggest space and in the main hall I counted at least 8 rows of tattoo stands. Before entering the hall, the foyer held its own delights. An amazing cupcake stall, a large taxidermy display (including some adorable 2-headed ducklings that PJ wouldn’t let me buy *sulky face) and some friendly ladies selling all manner of Superhero themed housewares and clothing.

Entering that main hall was exciting in itself as R2-D2 was guarding the doorway and beeping at everyone who came near. Of course, I had to stop and snap a photo.

The main room in the Mercure is pretty darn large. As you entered, you were met with retail stalls which included the lovely folk at Beadasaurus and some rather expensive signed photos. Venturing further in, the tattoo wonderland began. After marvelling at the number of people contorted in to awkward looking positions to get their tattoos done, we were dazzled by the sheer level of artwork. Every stall had a portfolio of their work and there were some really amazing pieces. A lot of stalls also had “Walk-in” spaces available with prices clearly displayed. I managed to restrain myself (or rather, my lack of money held me back)

First Floor

Heading up the stairs to the first floor, we could hear Darth Vader’s breathing. The 501st UK Garrison were in attendance and really making their presence known. This time their line-up included Storm Troopers,  Darth Vader and a Sith Lord with rumours of a certain Bounty Hunter maybe joining them at some point. The room held more tattoo artists, including the lovely Chloe Black, and the Fish 4 Comics stall.

The 501st UK Garrison and Jeremy Bulloch

Second Floor

The first room on this floor was home to the Star Wars.. uh.. stars, Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett), Alan Ruscoe (Plo Koon), Nathalie Cox (Juno Eclipse) and Toby Philpott  (Jabba the Hut) as well as artists Ana Catris and Dylan Teague. PJ wanted a signed picture of Boba Fett, so we headed over. Jeremy Bulloch was a really friendly guy who was happy to chat about Star Wars and all the other TV/Film projects he’s been involved in. Unfortunately, we didn’t get time to speak to the other Star Wars guys due to how busy their tables were and us being pressed for time by this point.

 The second room on this floor hosted more tattoo artists, including Physical Graffiti who I’ve talked about before here. We stopped briefly to say hello to Tasha Pollendine and I couldn’t resist picking up this print from her table. Also on this floor, although we only briefly popped to these rooms, were a tattoo ink wholesaler and a piercer.

Owl Print by Tasha Pollendine

Overall

Considering we entered the con thinking there might not be much to hold our interest, we were there for around 4hours. The level of artwork was outstanding and it as fascinating seeing so many people getting tattoos (and more than a little increased my desire to get another one). Having checked social media, I’ve seen nothing but glowing reviews for the event and kind of wish we could’ve gone along for the Sunday too!

 At £15 for the day and £25 for the weekend (both include free entry to the Convention Party that was held in The Full Moon), it might not sound cheap but was definitely worth it. The crew were fantastic (I’m a little bias though as it’s the crew I often work with at cons) and the hotel staff were friendly. All the tattooists were professional but welcoming and it didn’t even feel awkward stopping to watch someone have a tattoo done.

I can’t wait for next year now and, who knows, maybe I’ll take advantage of one of those Sunday Walk-in spots.

So many tattoos

Some of the Retail stalls

Tattoo Artist “Research” and our trusty map

  Did you attend the con? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Laters xx

(All views, opinions, thoughts, feelings and pictures are my own)

Sunday Scares – Director Spotlight

Hey there, horror fans!

This week, I’ll be looking at a favourite Director/Producer of mine, Guillermo del Toro.
So grab a cuppa, sit back and let’s take a (crimson) peak.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Name: Guillermo del Toro Gómez
Born: October 9, 1964

Del Toro has made a name for himself as a jack-of-all-trades. A Director, Producer, Screenwriter, Make-Up Supervisor, and Novelist, it seems that there’s few things he can’t do.

Raised by a strict catholic family, del Toro fell in love with filmmaking in his teens. Whilst studying at a film college in Guadalajara, he was presented with the opportunity to study special effects and make-up with the legendary Dick Smith (The Exorcist, Scanners) and spent the following 10yrs working as a makeup designer. This was where he formed his first company, Necropia. Later on, after taking to the directing route, he formed his own production company – The Tequila Gang.

His work is famed for its dark fantasy and fairy-tale horror. His lifelong fascination with monsters, teamed with his catholic upbringing has resulted in some stunning visual pieces that include religious and insectile imagery. His filmography covers a wide variety of films from comic book adaptions, historical fantasy and outright horror. Not to mention his most recent offering, Pacific Rim, which was just damn good fun.

 Del Toro: the Director – His Spanish language films are where my love for him began. Cronos, the Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth are beautifully constructed pieces of art that delve in to both politics and our obsession with immortality.

In a more Hollywood vein, Hellboy, Blade II and Pacific Rim are both visual stunning and show a director who truly enjoys what he is doing.

Pan’s Labyrinth, Pacific Rim and Hellboy

Del Toro: The Producer –  There are probably quite a few films that you’ve seen without even realising del Toro had any hand in them (Kung Fu Panda 2 and Puss in Boots, for example)

The ones that show a clear del Toro influence visually are based in the horror genre. The Orphanage (a heart-breaking tale of loss that I recommend everyone watch), Julia’s Eyes and Mama. We’re not going to mention Splice. I did not like Splice.

Del Toro: The Writer – I’ll be honest and say that I’ve not read any of The Strain Trilogy. With the shocking amount of unread books I already own, I just haven’t gotten around to it yet. But I will. The stories are based on the idea of vampires as parasites that introduce an incurable and fast-acting virus in to the host’s genes. If you like vampire fiction with a more scientific edge, this is the series for you. Don’t enjoy reading (you weirdo) then fear not, a TV series is on its way!

In closing, and this is further evidence that del Toro is more than worthy of your time, since 2006 he’s been trying to get a screenplay based on Lovecraft’s At The Mountains of Madness green lit. A seemingly impossible feat but one that, if realised, has the potential to be epic.

What’s your favourite del Toro work?

Let me know in the comments!

Laters xx