REEL ZOMBIES trailer is now up! The new zombie-comedy from Primal Films, makers of ZOMBIE NIGHT and ZOMBIE NIGHT 2. I did some Make-up FX work on this movie and also did my part as a couple zombies...see if you can see me in the trailer!!

Got a new Webshow going on!!!

The first episode is online at the Website for it:

www.FilmsUCK.net

or check it out below (maybe):

OK so I'm late with my monthly CULT OF THE VIDEOMONKEY write-up! Blame BAR7 cause they are usually hounding me for it but this month they haven't... actually it's just about all written but then I got side-tracked when I decided to see if I could concieve, shoot and edit a video from start to finish by myself in less than an hour....

And here is the result, sure it's only 10 seconds long, but it's effective and I just know Cosmic is gonna screen when she clicks the links to it I plastered all over her desktop:

Hunny'>http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=1895268530">Hunny, you were right not to come to bed..

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.addToProfileConfirm&videoid=1895268530&title=Hunny, you were right not to come to bed..">Add to My Profile | http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.home">  More Videos

And if the above code didn't work you can see it in my MYSPACE VIDEOS on my profile!

Happy New Year kats and kittens! So was the fat bastard in the red suit good for you this year? Did you find any special consumables and sundries under the old Xmaz bush? I hope so. And if you didn't get anything from your friendly neighbourhood VideoMonkey, it's cause it's still sitting here under my tree. But just cause you are too shy to come and visit, doesn't mean I'm not gonna look after you so here is a few Xmaz goodies from me, for free, to thee:

First off, we have one of Chim's favourite bands, ZOMBINA AND THE SKELETONES, releasing a new 4 track EP just in time for Xmaz. It's appropriately called CHAINSAW FOR CHRISTMAS, So get yourself a free copy by visiting the ZOMBINA ARMY MYSPACE and downloading the tracks and cover art. It's free and legal cause the Undead don't play by corporate rules..

This next one is for you guys who are too cheap to go out and buy your cool action packed shooter video game, but instead download it from a Torrent site (or Kazaa or Limewire if you are really lame ass), and then whine about not being able to play multi-player cause you used a key generated code to install and couldn't register. This game is called GUNZ and not only does it have a cool name, but it's fully free and fully multiplayer and kickass as any Half-life Mod I've ever played. Download and go to a server and shoot to kill!!! Get it HERE. It has a very Anime/Matrix atmosphere to it. Get a gun in each hand, back-flip off the wall and draw your samuri sword when your bullets are gone.

Seems the other couple I had for you expired at Midnight Dec 31, 2006, so I'd be pointless to put them since by the time you ready this, they'd be done. See a New Year is not always a joyous thing. In fact it seems that each New Year brings with it a new load of crap, but hey, this is supposed to be about movies and not about social commentary.... right? There is something ironic in the last sentence, but yeah, yeah, yeah, get on with the movies... so what did this VideoMonkey get for Xmaz... tell us about them!!

Well considering the fact that I got well over one hundred and thirty-some new movies over the holidays, I'd have my work cut out for me it seems. But instead, I have just three words for you. And these glorious words are: 'Fifty Movie Boxset'!!!

I saw one called CHILLING CLASSICS for $50 at 'Sams' in the mall (don't ask what I was doing at a mall, I'd have to answer 'suffering'). So as soon as I got home I checked it out on Amazon and found there were two more, TALES OF TERROR and DRIVE IN MOVIE CLASSICS, availible at considerably less than those robber prices at the mall. And in ordering two of them, I saved even more! So I have CHILLING CLASSICS and TALES OF TERROR, and the third one will be along in time for next months write-up. Noteable flicks, besides the usual Bela Lugosi/classic horror public-domain flicks you always find on these box-sets, include: MANOS: THE HANDS OF FATE which for the longest time was at the very bottom of the IMDb, TALES OF FRANKENSTEIN, an unsold TV-pilot from the late 50's, BAD TASTE, Peter Jackson's (King Kong remake, Lord of the Rings to all you Hollywood spoonfeeders) first gore filled alien invasion flick, THE BLOODY BROOD which answers the question, 'what if Columbo was on the other side of the law and a Beatnik?', DRIVE-IN MASSACRE, a classic slasher flick which is about due for one of those shitty remakes, and THE DRILLER KILLER, another classic punk-psycho killer movie. All in all, for less than fifty cents a movie, I can't complain about even the worst movie on the discs (and there are some glorious doosies), and I'll still be watching these well into the new year.

Outstanding among the many other additions to the vast collection of DVDs here in the VideoJungle, includes the 30th Anniversary Edition of SPIDERBABY. Finally a decent quality picture version, unlike the old VHS bootlegs, and the extras and Jack Hill's audio commentary made for one happy monkey. If I had to pick how I was going to die, I'd be by playing 'Spider' with Virgina. Of course, good luck finding one, as they are out of stock at Amazon and the used ones start at $49.99US.

Also making for a happy VideoMonkey was the entire series of the live-action version of THE TICK on a two DVD set. Chim loved the original cartoon series of the TICK back in the days when he could still stand broadcast television, so much more intelligent and original than the brainwashing tard-toons our children of today must endure. So imagine his surprise when he got the DVDs of the live action series, especially when he was totally unaware a live-action TICK series even existed!

The Zombie flick of the month, is a definate not for the kiddies! So if you are one of those prudish types, please skip this paragraph and say five Hail Mary's and read this comic. Sure I've seen Zombie Porno's before, mostly those 70's early '80s Joe D'Amato flicks like EROTIC NIGHTS OF THE LIVING DEAD. And I kinda got a kick out of them, cause basically they were your typical guts and gore Italian Zombie gorefest with some hardcore action thrown in, ocassionally involving the Zombies. And I catch a lot of those Seduction Cinema flicks, which are basically softcore horror porn, which also, at least make an attempt at having some kind of story to string together the formulaic sex scenes. SO when the chance to check out PORN OF THE DEAD came along, I thought hey, this could be cool. And I guess it was to a degree. It started out really cool, and my expectations were peaked, but then it petered off into your typical mindless porno, only with Zombies. Still, I did manage to only hit the fast forward button four or five times, and the production values and the look and style seemed to but up there with a typical B-grade Zombie movie, and the bonus part is the zombies generally munch out on whomever they are fucking after the cumming is done. Especially cool is the guy who gets his dick bit off, full on and gory-like, and what did he expect was gonna happening shooting a load in a zombies mouth? I dunno, maybe if there was some inkling of a storyline joining the fuck segments together, this might have been something. But it does raise some serious points like how much zombies like to get it in the ass, and that the penis is the last part of the body to rot, and that contrary to popular belief zombie jism is NOT green or yellow puss but milky and tastey just like mine, and that zombies not only act in packs to hunt living flesh but they can also act in unision to triple penetrate a porn-slut.n You can check out the site and maybe order yourself a copy HERE. It'd make a cool triple bill with XXXCORSIST and THE RE-PENITRATOR.

Finally there is one more flick that should have been under everybody's tree. I had the oportunity to check this out a while ago and the official DVD release was made just before Xmaz. I only hope I should make an Indie Movie this cool (and outstandingly bizzare) someday! The movies is called NANCY RAY SMIGGEN'S FAMILY TREE AND THE MAJIC EXTRAVAGANANZA and it is just as strange and unusual as it's name. Off the top of my head, I'd describe it as: what if David Lynch made a Troma movie? Even Troma president Llyod Kaufman was impressed by this one and called it: "GORY, FUNNY, AND STRANGELY SEXY. TRULY MAGICAL." I'm not sure I can do the story justice here, and I certainly cannot begin to describe the vibe I got from it (maybe like watching a bus load of clowns crash into a train loaded with sex toys in slow motion and you can't look away), but here goes. This guy, Matthew, wants to be the worlds greatest magician, so he practices as best he can all day long. He is NOT a fruity little wanker like Harry Potter though, he is one of those 30ish guys that live at home with their mother and were it not for magic, would be working for Dick at Stream. Now we've all seen domineering mothers, but Matthew's, well let's just say the tasks he must perform stir even my jaded stomach. And to make matters worse, she and her gentleman friend, a Tommy Lee caricature, make so much noise fornicating that Matthew cannot concentrate to practice. One day, his mother misscarages on the lawn (or at least that is my interpretation, I think a pathologist might be required for a second opinion) and Matthew gets told to clean it up. He buries it in the garden and a tree, a magic fetus tree, grows. Matthew finally has some friends and this BASKETCASE-looking thing he picks from the tree becomes his assistant for his first big magic show at the Crab-Hatchery. From there on the movie starts to get really strange. Will Matthew be a success? I don't want to ruin the blood soaked ending. But hell, check THIS CLIP and see for yourself how messed up this is. You can get this flick right from Nancy Ray Smiggen herself from her MYSPACE. Hurry before they raise the price!!!

CULT OF THE VIDEOMONKEY

Merry Xmaz and Ho Ho Ho...and all that Xmaz claptrap!

Yeap kids, it that time of year once again. The time to spend those wallets dry trying to buy a little happiness for you and all your loved ones. The time of year when bells jingle and Santas Ho and halls get decked and that merry stuff! So get with it kids... get a tree and stocking and get ready cause you all know what the true meaning of Xmaz is...

Yes that's right!

It's all about the presents!

So what does ole Chim want under his Xmaz tree this year? Why all of last year's Hollywood Xmaz blockbusters on DVD.... NOT!!!

Nah, Chim wants 50 Movie Boxsets!!! There is a whole swack of new ones just released, and I want 'em. In Chim's book, quantity often far makes up for lack of quality. But then again, you could put 50 of this years Hollywood Holiday crapfests into a box set and I'd still not pay $20 for it unless it came with some free beer.

"All right Chim", you say, "what are some good Xmaz flicks that we can pollute our twisted little minds with?"

OK I'm getting to that, but first the Zombies.

This months Zombie Flick is not even released yet. And not only that, it's not your typical Zombie flick either, if fact these zombie are chickens. Yes that's right, I said chickens, zombie chickens! This time our flick is Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead.

Yeap, Lloyd Kaufman himself gave me a preview DVD of this personally, and I have to say this looks truly cool. Maybe Troma dropped the ball a bit with TALES FROM THE CRAPPER, but from the preview of this, it looks like they are right back in true form. This could even be better than TERROR FIRMER or CITIZEN TOXIE. Billed as cinema's first chicken-zombie horror-comedy and poking satrical fun at fast-food America, it even has catchy musical numbers!

Check out the fully cool website:

And you too can help!

You see unlike a Hollywood Studio with a gazillion dollar budget, half of which goes into brainwashing you ...er...marketing to get you to see it, an Independant movie has a limited budget which usually goes entirely into making the movie itself. Troma has been the longest surviving Independant studio ever, and this movie could be a make or break in it's continued existance. Troma is like the Pope of independent film...it inspires thousands of independant film makers and leads the way. If it were to end, well it would be a sad day indeed. So what I'm asking you, what Lloyd is asking you, is to spread the word. Check the site and see how cool it looks, tell your friends how cool it looks, if you have a website put a link (like I just snickered on this one) on it and if you have a MySpace, go to The Poultrygeist MySpace and add them to your top friends, in other words, SPREAD THE WORD!

Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead is due to be released in January 2007, so tell your local video store to get you a copy and if you know of a theater with a DVD or 35mm projection system, tell them you'd like to see it shown and send them to the website.

Now on to the Xmaz stuff...

But first I have one more movie to obligatorily plug.

You guys all thought SHAWN OF THE DEAD was some funny shit right? Right? Well if you didn't, skip this next paragraph...and while your at it skip on over to the damned Disney Website and watch one of their DVDs you braindead mug (and be sure you run a spyware scan when you are finished). But anyway, what SHAWN OF THE DEAD was for zombie movies, this movie is for slasher killer movies. The name of the flick is :

The story in a nutshell, young Cliff is being dropped off at school by his alcoholic mother, only to be tormented by his teacher and peers. Thirteen years later, Cliff escapes from a mental institution to find that the school that he vowed revenge on is no longer standing. Disappointed and with nowhere to go, Cliff wanders onto the doorstep of horror film addicts Merv and his best friend Onkey. With visions of slashers and maniacs and box-office grosses (oh my!) dancing in their heads, wannabe schlock kings Merv and Onkey fit Cliff with a potato sack on his head and cover his face with a hockey mask, transforming him into the ultimate homicidal filmaniac. Things soon take a turn for the worst after the killer "finds his groove," dispatching shoppers and employees alike in a supermarket. With their Frankenstein officially out of control – killing everyone in sight -- Marv and Onkey start to have second thoughts. Can they stop their own creation or are they – and the town -- doomed? Find out....it's from Anchor Bay so your local video store might just have a copy, or get you one if you ask nice.

And now back to your regularly scheduled Xmaz program. The following are Chim's top five Xmaz flicks for this year. You may see some repeats from last years list, these are what we call CLASSICS. Yes you watch them every year and they become classics, unlike other Xmaz specials like a certain STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL that a Mr George Lucas wishes would never have been seen even once.

The first has to be BLACK CHRISTMAS. This is not only a great Xmaz film, but a great film all around. Even before John Carpenter's Halloween, this film set the standard for the stalking slasher psycho killer movie. And this one is easy to see to. It's always on TV cause it's Canadian! But the DVD is worth it for the cool extras.

Chim's next pick is a magical little psycho Santa flick called CHRISTMAS EVIL. This kid who loves Christmas is mentally scarred when he discovers not only that Santa is not real, but that Santa is his dad and likes to go down on his mom under the Xmas tree. He grows up living only for Xmas and even works in a toy factory. But, the hypocrisy and cynicism of the world cause him to snap one Xmas eve. The ending is awesome! This one used to be a prize to rare VHS collector going for $75 or more on Ebay or in Amazon Stores, but thanks to the DVD revolution you can get it on a number of box sets for pretty cheap.

The next one is also a Psycho Santa flick from just last year. It's called SANTA'S SLAY. In this flcik we find out the true origin of Xmaz. Santa Claus is actually a demon who lost a bet with an Angel, so he becomes the giver of toys and happiness for 1000 years. But now the bet is off, he returns to his evil ways and begins killing the people of Hell Township. It's a throw-back to 80's style horror-comedy films like Gremlins, and is good for a laugh as well as some hoopy thrills. See James Caan get his in the opening scene. You should be able to find this in your video store, but the price is right at AMAZON!

My fourth pick is TARD SPASM. It's the feel good heavy metal retard party movie of all time! Say what Chim?!?! I never heard of this! Of course you didn't, cause it's never really been released or anything This is one of those pass around videos, like TANYA HARDINGS WEDDING NIGHT, that used to find there ways into tape traders collections. What this is is a home movie type video made when the worst Metal band in the world Gob Stopper plays for a Christmas Party for the Children's Haven School in Sarasota, Florida. Children's Haven is a school for the mentally disabled. Now you are likely in one of two schools of thought about this. Either you are the sort that likes to laugh at retards and listen to crappy heavy metal, in which case you love this, or else you are the sort who think laughing at the mentally disabled is morally wrong and are whole heartedly offended by it. Now I must admit, I'm more near the camp of the former but I tell you true, if you seriously watch this and give it a chance, that feeling will go away and you will feel that you are no longer laughing at them, but laughing with them...because I'll tell you true, these people (well most of them anyway) had a truly fun time, maybe even the best time of their lives. As far as I know it's only availible online here!

And my final pick for Xmaz 2007 is The Junky's Christmas. This is the perfect Xmaz tale for a jaded basterd like your true and humble VideoMonkey. It's a claymation in the style of those Rankin and Bass Xmaz specials we used to watch as a kid. It's written, narrated by, and stars the late great William S Burroughs. Burroughs takes down a book and reads us the story of Danny the Carwiper, who spends Christmas Day trying to score a fix, but finds the Christmas spirit instead. Severed leg's, drunk Doctors and and a 1/4 grain all go into making this a superb little tale that every family should gather round come christmas morning. When the story is done Burroughs puts the book down and celebrates Xmaz carving the turkey with his best switchblade. This used to be another rare one but now it out on DVD with a couple other good shorts, but you'll likely have to go to AMAZON to get it.

So there you have it. Chim's Xmaz flick pics for 2006. Chim's going to be watching these flicks over a few glasses of Xmaz cheer while he waits for his extra special christmas present which he bought for himself. Any other present he gets of a non-sexual nature with just be stocking stuffer compared to this one. For this year Chim will have a professional quality camera! Next year indeed will be the year of the VIDEOMONKEY! You can check it out, at it's best price ever:

Well that's it for this time, until next year, see you under the mistletoe!!

P.S it took me over 12 trys to get this to post...Jeeze MySpace!!! Glad I only post 'em once a month...

...then I gotta give it a shot.

Hey Adam ate Eve's apple and then she gave him the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge (no where in the Bible does it say it's an apple).

Anyway here it is:

Name:	Chim Chim the VideoMonkey
Birthdate:	Too young to remember
Birthplace:	Dunno musta happened during one of my blackouts
Current Location:	2nd floor
Height:	3ft 5in (I'm sitting down)
Piercings:	where ever I like
Tatoos:	2
Boyfriend/Girlfriend:	nope/yes
Overused Phraze:	damned spacemonkeys...
FAVORITES
Food:	Pizza
Candy:	Nigger babys
Number:	69
Color:	green..it's the color of my god
Animal:	doggie
Drink:	Absinthe
Alcohol Drink:	Absinthe
Bagel:	everything
Letter:	S
Body Part on Opposite sex:	cunt
This or That
Pepsi or Coke:	whatever's cheapest
McDonalds or BurgerKing:	fuck fast food...you corporate Johns!
Strawberry or Watermelon:	Strawberry..I have cream for them
Hot tea or Ice tea:	hot tea...green
Chocolate or Vanilla	Chocolate
Hot Chocolate or Coffee:	either
Kiss or Hug:	Kiss (with their make-up!)
Dog or Cat:	Dog
Rap or Punk:	Punk
Summer or Winter:	Summer
Scary Movies or Funny Movies:	Scary
Love or Money:	Money
YOUR...
Bedtime:	early as possible (weekends excepted)
Most Missed Memory:	ummm.... I forgot
Best phyiscal feature:	my cock
First Thought Waking Up:	fuck..I didn't die before I woke
Goal for this year:	die befoe I wake..
Best Friends:	Sara
Weakness:	alcohol mixed with lack of sleep
Fears:	nothing...
Heritage:	heterosexual
Longest relationship:	ask Sara...
HAVE YOU...
Ever Drank:	must be more specific...I think there is still two things I haven't drank
Ever Smoked:	no...not stupid enough
Pot:	if I don't have to pay for it
Ever been Drunk:	about 25% of the time
Ever been beaten up:	ask Sara
Ever Shoplifted:	thieves (outside of D&D) are assholes
Ever Skinny Dipped:	in my younger days and now and then in the bathroom
Ever Kissed Opposite sex:	any specific part of one?
Been Dumped Lately:	not in the last few months anyway
IN A GUY/GIRL
Favorite Eye Color:	black/greenish brown
Favorite Hair Color:	flexible
Short or Long:	long/longer
Height:	short/short
Style:	?/ sara's style
Looks or Personality:	personality for both
Hot or Cute	neither/hot and cute like Sara
Drugs and Alcohol:	depends on the drugs, so I'll say alcohol
Muscular or Really Skinny:	neither...
RANDOMS
Number of Regrets in the Past:	12 798
What country do you want to Visit:	Peurto Rico (so I can sleep on a bathroom floor)
How do you want to Die:	horriblely and bloody and my pic goes to rotten.com
Been to the Mall Lately:	fuck no...
Do you like Thunderstorms:	yes
Get along with your Parents:	now I do
Health Freak:	define this...do I waste money? no!
Do you think your Attractive:	yes...Greek gods wanna be me
Believe in Yourself:	who else is gonna?
Want to go to College:	been there..done that!
Do you Smoke:	is this survy put out by a taboco company? NO AGAIN! IT"S STUPID!
Do you Drink:	as much as humanly possible
Shower Daily:	at least
Been in Love:	yes
Do you Sing:	I like to think so... but I'm keeping my dayjob
Want to get Married:	only to Sara
Do you want Children:	why? you got some for sale?
Age you wanna lose your Virginity:	69
Hate anyone:	it's easier to list who I don't
CREATE YOUR OWN! - or - GET PAID TO TAKE SURVEYS!

Now I'm fucking survy-cool!!!

Woot.. (insert stupid smilies here)

Yes Virgina, Halloween is much better than Xmas!!! At least this year it has been. You know, they should really have more of a Halloween Season, like they do with the Xmas Season, cause that's how I played it this year. Starting the weekend after Thanksgiving it was Halloween Season and it's still going on as of this writing!

But before I get into that, here's the ZOMBIE REVIEW you have all been waiting for!!! Yes, AWAKENING: ZOMBIE NIGHT 2 has had it's world priemere! What? You never heard of it? Get thee to the back issues! This is the movie Primal Films shot in the nearby town of Deseronto, and ole Chim and the Bar 7 gang were all over it.

"So in other words", you are saying, "this is going to be a totally biased review!"

Well OK, yes, yes it is. But I have to tell you, honestly, I was not disappointed in this movie at all. And some of the other people not involved in production that I dragged to the opening said they liked it too, and I didn't even have to hold a gun to their heads. And this is a relief to this VideoMonkey who was beginning to believe it might never get seen. Dave, I'll never have any lapse of faith in Primal Films again!

For those not familiar, and it was pointed out to me that you should prolly see the original ZOMBIE NIGHT first, it's your basic Zombie fare, with a plague of zombies, who are light sensitive, having taken over the world. A group of surviors come up with a plan to escape to the relative safety of an island so they hold up in a marina and attempt to repair a boat. Unfortunately a less scrupulous group of survivors decides that they want the boat too. And of course there is the zombies, who just want to eat everybody! If you did see the original ZOMBIE NIGHT first and were not impressed, or even if you were impressed, AWAKENING is at least 10 times better!

One thing that definately made a difference was the acting. Much of the lead cast were professional actors and they gave fine performances. Definately heads above the sometimes wooden acting often attatched to Indie B-Movies. Certainly production values were way up on this movie too compared to your usual Indie movie fare. Having been on set, I knew this, but it did show in the final product. Of course, to the trained eye of the VideoMonkey, I did see a few shortcomings, but hell at about 1% of the budget of a Hollywood Studio flick you have to expect some.

There were a few let downs though. But unless you were on set seeing the production, they wouldn't concern you cause the final movie looks great. There were a lot of cool cool zombies, and no doubt, with the very talented Make-Up FX people working on this, that I saw during my time on set, but there just didn't seem to be that many featured in the final cut. I mean check out the website for zombie pics, but in the movie, you might see them way off in the background. I think they could have been featured in close ups a bit more. Also there were hundreds of zombies there one night, and plenty on other nights too, but it just didn't seem like that many in the movie. There were a few other things that I thought were cool that were shot but didn't see in the final cut, like a certain someones original death scene. I understand though that time was a factor and some shots couldn't get done and I also, from what I understand, realize that some footage that was shot was unable to be used. In fact, a good portion of the movie seems to have been shot on the weekend of the reshoot. SO if you were there for that..good chance you will see yourself.. and all you zombies that emailed me at my ZOMBIE NIGHT 2 website to get your name in the credits, if you filled out a form, you can stay and watch your name scroll by!!!

The VideoMonkey count in this movie turns out to be five... you can see a VideoMonkey get shot in the head when they clear out the shop...you can see a VideoMonkey bust through the gate and lead the zombie horde into the marina...there is a VideoMonkey with an axe in his face walking by during the night fist fight...and there is the briefest glimps of a VideoMonkey when the Redeemer makes a breakout...then a VideoMonkey rides in on a monster truck in his army helmet during the final credit sequence...there are a few VideoMonkeys on the cutting room floor.

As cool as this movie was though, by the time you read this, you will have all ready missed it's two theaterical showings. But stick close to the Website for info on more screenings and hopefully it'll be released on a DVD near you soon...

And now back to the Halloween Season report!

First off there was the usual Halloween costume shopping and such, and wow, Value Village was the Halloween place to be for that. They had activities for the kids, specially appointed staff to help with finding costumes and they stayed open tll midnight on the weekends.

Then there was the Haggarty Farms Halloween Corn Maze which was as always a scare blast as we walked through the tall corn in the dark as scare people jumped out at us from all sides and chased us with chainsaws.

But these scares paled in comparsion to the frights the following weekend as we took the annual tour to Toronto to see SCREEMERS. Beside the usual half dozen haunted houses and all the rides, but this year they had an excellent live show called Execution Theater, where none other than Vlad the Impaler himself, murders a number of people live on stage. That Vlad is quite the amusing fellow and...not to wreck the surprise...let's just say that much of the audience fled the theater screaming.

Prior to this however, ole Chim made a stop by the International Festival of Authors to check out the author of HOUSE OF LEAVES, the scariest book he has ever read, Mark Z Danialewski. What an amazingly cool and interesting guy!!! Chim picked up his new book, ONLY REVOLUTIONS, even though he had it on order from Amazon (and now he has two copies), cause he can't resist getting things signed. Although not really a horror novel, if it is as interesting as it looks (and so far it is), it'll be worth buying two. It's read from each end, each being the story from one of two characters perspectives. Although the publisher suggests reading 8 pages one way then 8 the other, it'[s totally up to the reader which way to do it. The book is just chuck full of secrets...

That same weekend on the Sunday there was supposed to be the 4th Annual Toronto Zombie Walk which we thought might be a blast and good make-up practice. But it was raining and latex and water don't mix too well, so Chim skipped it and went straight to his MAKE YOUR OWN DAMN MOVIE CLASS with the master of Independant Film and president of TROMA Entertainment, the one and only Llyod Kaufman. This was Chim's second meeting with Llyod and he was as usual just as funny as he was informative. I think I plugged his MAKE YOUR OWN DAMN MOVIE book once before here, but now there is a 5 DVD boxset, which outlines the book and course with hours of informative and Troma-riffic material. This is a definate MUST for anyone interested in making Independant films and a hoot for anyone just interested in them.

But still there was one more weekend before Halloween, and the topper for the Halloween season was at the Bloor Cinema for the world Premiere of AWAKENING: ZOMBIE NIGHT 2. All the main cast were with a pile of other people and you've all ready read about how that turned out above. But the night was not over yet cause ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW followed, with Toronto's awesome shadow cast. They frown upon the throwing of rice and confetti, but anything, and everything else goes.

And of course what would Halloween be without some good and scary DVDs. Just in time, Amazon delivered a pile of box sets from a new company called Pendulum Pictures. The have 6 movies on each set and are $12 or less each, so Chim got all ten of 'em! The box sets have names like DEMENTED DEVIANTS and BRUTAL BLOODSUCKERS and FATAL FEMMES and are chuck full of Indie Horror flicks. Sure some are god-awful by your Hollywood standards (and some even by my VideoMonkey standards too) but six for ten bucks...you get what you paid for. But there were several pleasant surprises also... at least one on each set.

One other pleasant DVD surprise was winning Count Gore De Vol's 'Eye's Have It' contest. The idea was to name the actor to whom the close up pick of their eyes belonged. Chim would recognize the late great Vinnie P's eyes anywhere and so he entered and his name was picked and he scored a 30th Aniversary 2-Disc Special Edition of JAWS. It's just chuck full of extras and behind the scenes stuff. This month the contest is to pick to whom the Moustache belongs. Check it out HERE (hint...think Gomez Adams).

So there you have it... the 2006 Halloween Season. Just one more thing left. A second showing of AWAKENING: ZOMBIE NIGHT 2 at the Empire Theater, right here in Belleville... Now how much cooler was this stuff than some obese old guy in a red suit and colored lights on a tree?

Until next time....

Let's go make some ART!!!!

Yes!!!

There will be a second showing right here in your own favourite VideoMonkeys own city of domicile!

AWAKENINGS aka Zombie Night 2 will be showing at the EMPIRE THEATER (a really sweet venue!) on NOV 5th at 7:30pm....

It's a big theater but Chim is bringing all his friends so come early and save me a seat up front!!!

Truth be told I was going to hold out on this until I saw the flick at the premiere at BLOOR CINEMA on Oct 28th...just in case it sucked... but from my time on set.. and my full confidence in Dave and Mike and anyone else who might have contributed to the editing (*fingers crossed*) I'm sure this movie will be worth a watch and ole CHim will NOT be the least bit embarrassed to be part of the cast and crew...

Seriously... Zombie Night was kinda cool..with the right attitude and intoxication level going on...but it was no NOTLD (that's 'Night of the Living Dead to you non-zombie fan lamos).. but the ZN2  (that's ZOMBIE NIGHT 2 to the same losers) script was solid from the first read...and although I'd have to call Dave Francis's style of film-making less than structured...he has a gift for improvisations and taking full advantage of 'targets of opportunity'.. so in my professional opinion, this has got to rank right up there with AMONG US...at the very least!

SO be there or be square!!!

Oh yeah, and one more event! And I highly recommend this to the other Bar 7 members and anyone else who is interested in Independant Film Making! Just before the Zombie Walk, on Sunday, October 22, 1PM, Innis Town Hall, University of Toronto, the King of Independant film, Llyod Kaufman, president of Troma Entertainment, will be giving his Make Your Own Damn Movie Masterclass. Meeting Llyod Kaufman is a lot like having sex for your first time...it's a one of a kind thing, and although you are not quite sure what to expect, you know it's gonna be good. And seriously, this guy KNOWS film making! Check out the details HERE and check out the TROMA WEBSITE for lots of cool stuff (and hot Tromettes)!