Heavy Metal Vomit Party - Full 4th Issue!
Editors Note:
We're now somehow four full issues deep into the life of this newsletter, and our ranks continue to grow! If this is your first full issue as a new subscriber welcome! I feel the need to start this issue by sharing one of my favorite fall traditions with y'all. When pumpkins hit the shelves at my local grocery store, there is a slight nip in the air. Then I KNOW that it's time for my yearly re-read of the single most significant piece of writing in the history of humanity. IT'S DECORATIVE GOURD SEASON MOTHERFUCKERS! It's officially the best month of the year, and I'm proud I get to spend it yammering about horror movies and metal with all of you. Thanks for reading and for sharing. OUR NUMBERS GROWWWWWWWW!
Wax Museum HMVP Record Recommendations Late September 2020
Deftones - Ohms
I certainly won't be surprised if you were already aware this record was on the way. It's one of the more high profile releases I've ever recommended here on HMVP, to be sure, but my reason for including it is to make sure that those of you who might have had a soft spot for Deftones over the years don't sleep on this one. Ohms is, for my money, one of their best and most fully-formed records since White Pony, a record that I'm sure quite a few of you share my affection for.
Frozen Soul - Crypt of Ice
We'll have to wait until January 2021 to hear Crypt of Ice in full, but it's looking very much as though Frozen Soul will be sprinkling some breadcrumbs along that icy trail for us. The eponymous title track makes it clear that it's going to be worth the wait. It also reminds me that I need to pre-order one of their toasty new long sleeves from Holy Mountain; Winter is Coming after all.
200 Stab Wounds - Digested Desire
Just dropped both to celebrate the ultra-limited Hostile Records Cassette Asian repress of their Piles of Festering Decomposition ep and the forthcoming Maggot Stomp release of the EP on CD and vinyl. Digested Desire is another home run for a band that has thus far only hit home runs. Over the weekend, the band announced via their Twitter that the writing for their debut album was nearing completion, and I honestly can't wait.
Blood Streams - Horror Movies & T.V. Available Now on Streaming
Arrow Player Streaming Service
Launched just in time for the Halloween Season, Arrow's new streaming service boasts a modest 4.99 a month price tag and a library that feels like the genre film lovers answer to The Criterion Channel. Equally cool is that you can check out a number of the mini-docs and supplemental features they've created for their various releases throughout the years. I'm already a big fan of what Arrow does. Especially after their recent decision to start releasing 4K UHD discs. On a semi-related note, I have to say that I feel like sending a decorative fruit basket to whoever on the Arrow team made their upcoming Tremors 4K release happen). Like their brilliantly curated catalog of physical releases, Arrow's streaming service is a welcome new edition to the rapidly expanded world of streaming services. It's a good thing we're all in quarantine. There's time enough at last!
Scare Me - Shudder
Shudder has a jam-packed October of new releases, but they started strong with this Sundance alum that about stories and the power they can hold. Not only one of the better horror comedies in recent memory, Scare Me is one of the only horror films I can think of that very literally revolves around the telling of old school campfire-style scary stories. It's a perfect way to start the best month of the year. Also, if you've been enjoying Season 2 of The Boys on Amazon Prime, you'll get another outstanding performance from the new Boys series regular Aya Cash here. There'll be many new horror films, and shows released this season, of course, but I don't think there will be any that are as much fun as Scare Me.Â
Spiral - Shudder
I first made the acquaintance of filmmaker Kurtis David Harder when he attended the Chattanooga Film Festival. We had the privilege of screening Harpoon, the terrific jet black comedy that Kurt had produced. Kurt and his fellow producer Mike and Harpoon director Rob Grant accompanied our screening of Harpoon and endeared themselves to every one of our attendees who caught the film or met them. They also clinched that I'm pre-signed up for any projects of any kind they make in the future. These are smart filmmakers who understand the mechanics of excellent genre storytelling, and Harder's Spiral continued that streak. Some viewers have compared Spiral as a kind of a queer spin on getting Out, but I don't think that gives the film nearly enough credit. Spiral quickly got under my skin, and now that it's on Shudder, I've revisited it twice already. It's a rock-solid and unique piece of work, a film that makes a perfect inclusion on any 31 Days of Halloween movie watchlists.
Camera to Console - A Nightmare on Elm Street
Here's another little treat to get your October headed in the right direction. Filmmaker Dustin Kramer has figured out a perfect way to bridge my love of movies and video games with his new Camera to Console series. In each roughly 15 minute episode, Kramer looks at films that were given official video game tie-ins. Sure everyone knows about the desert landfill filled with unpurchased copies of Atari's shit-ass E.T. Game, but how many of you knew that in a stunning display of missing a film's entire point that there was a Fight Club fighting game. A Fight Club fighting game that featured Fred Durst from Limb Bizkit as an unlockable character!? The mind boggles. In his latest episode, Kramer takes the deep dive into the infamous A Nightmare on Elm Street game I somehow never knew I wanted, and now that I have it, I, of course, had to share it with all of you. Kramer himself told me that we have an episode about the highly underrated The Thing game for Playstation to on its way too. I'll also hold out hope that he does one on Rockstar's still not sure whether or not I dreamed it The Warriors game.
Learnt Offerings - Horror books, comics, games, and more!
Hades - Nintendo Switch
If the idea of an even more demonic version of Diablo sounds pretty nifty to you than Hades is about to be your new favorite game. This hellish dungeon crawler is packed with cool lore, excellent graphics, and a unique and memorable score that will hopefully see a vinyl release very soon. I love this game and the timing of its release was dead perfect.
The Low Low Woods
Writer Carmen Maria Machado and artist Dani's collaboration The Low Low Woods is another standout horror mini-series from author Joe Hill's DC Black Label Hill House Comics line. After getting their publishing, a bit delayed by the Diamond Distribution shut down early on in the pandemic, these fantastic series are all finally seeing release in collected editions, and I can't wait to get my hands on this collection and revisit this brilliant piece of work from the beginning. The story concerns two young girls trying to solve the mystery of a plague that seems to be feeding directly on people's memories in their small town of Shudder-To-Think, Pennsylvania. To begin reading this series is to finish the whole damn thing the same day.Â
Garbage Pail Kids Welcome to Smellville
When it was announced that there would be not only an original Garbage Pail Kids novel but, in fact, a series of Garbage Pail Kids NOVELS, I knew I'd be reading them. When I later discovered that these novels would be fully illustrated and written by RL MOTHERFUCKING STINE, I went so far as to pre-order the first one. Now over 100 pages in, I'm here to recommend the SHIT out of this experience to you. Did I mention it comes with stickers, and that one is for a fictionalized version of the author named R.L. Slime? Honestly, it's surreal that this even exists. Still, I'm having so much fun with it that if you grew up with any place in your heart at all for the icky hero's and heroines of Topp's infamous trading card series, then this is a genuine curiosity and though its a low bar to clear it's 1,000 percent better than the Garbage Pail Kids movie or the truly heinous to behold animated series.Â