Rob Zombie Re-Imagines "Halloween"

After a number of sequels over the past two decades, the "Halloween" series of movies needed a kick in the pants, and it's getting it in the form of a brand new film from rocker-turned-movie-director Rob Zombie.

The former frontman for heavy metal band White Zombie has successfully branched off into filmmaking, with his previous movies gaining loyal fans, and even critics noting his distinctive style and flair. And now on August 31st he's releasing Halloween the movie, his own re-imagining of the 1978 horror classic that started it all.

My favorite horror classic? That might well be "The Shining," Stanley Kubrick's filming of the Stephen King novel. I was an adult when I saw it, but it still scared the crap out of me.

The visual effects and style added to the feel of menacing and impending doom. Rob Zombie has visual style in spades, and no doubt that's a lot of what he'll bring to the table in his "Halloween." He's the writer as well as the director, and he's even taken to writing his own comic book in recent years. So he's got a good sense of putting together a story as well.

As the writer and director, it's Zombie's vision of "Halloween" all the way through. With the style he's established in his earlier movies, it'll be very interesting to see what he can do with a new take on an old classic.

Check out the trailer below. It's scary for sure, but there isn't a lot of slashing and screaming. It seems to be creating a sense of dread, anticipation, and fear of what's around the corner, rather than just piling up a lot of gory killings. The mask is very creepy, too. Zombie seems to be working on putting fear into your mind. To me, that makes for a more satisfying horror film than just a lot of gory scenes over and over.



And with Rob Zombie at the helm, you know Halloween the movie is going to have a killer soundtrack (pardon the pun).

If there was any movie franchise that needed a new face and a fresh look, "Halloween" is it. And Zombie may just be the ideal guy to pull it off and breathe new life into a story everyone's familiar with.

They Live in Your Blood and Feed on Your Brain, in "Bug"

Forget those summer blockbuster movies about the green ogres and the pirates. For me, the ultimate summertime popcorn movie is a good creepy horror flick. And I've long been a fan of the science fiction/killer virus/psycho-killer bloodborne pathogen variety of scary movie, so I'm intrigued about that creepy new bug movie called, appropriately enough, "Bug."

The movie has quite a good pedigree in terms of the people behind it. It's directed by William Friedkin, who scared the bejesus out of many young-uns (and adults) with "The Exorcist," undoubtedly one of the most terrifying movies of all time. Star Ashley Judd has become kind of a specialist in thrillers and creepy flicks.

And screenwriter Tracy Letts, a member of Chicago's world-class Steppenwolf Theatre Company, wrote the script from his own play. It's not every day that you hear about a scary flick penned by someone who's got some real chops in writing drama.

Check out the trailer and see if it doesn't make your skin crawl. "They live in your blood, and they feed on your brain" ... now that's a tag line for the kind of summer movie I like to see. (It also sounds like some women I've dated, but that's another story.) In the trailer Ashley meets a guy in a bar and they end up in a cheap motel, and find bugs crawling around. Yes, that's not exactly uncommon for a low-rent, out-of-the-way motel, but these are not your ordinary bugs.

Are these bug movie bugs just a genetic accident, or have they been engineered as a terror weapon? The trailer doesn't tip its hand, but I like the fact that it doesn't tell you. Better to go see the movie and feel that chill coming up your spine (and no, it's not because of the air conditioning!)

The studio is apparently using two different posters to promote the movie. I like the one above one because it actually shows the bug. It's a pretty creepy looking one with lots of legs and tentacles and other pointy things -- the better to bite you with, no doubt. I saw this poster when I walked onto the platform of a New York City subway station this past Monday, and that's one place where a picture of a three-foot-high bug really gets your attention.

The other poster (below) shows Ashley Judd's face, and a partial side view of what seems to be a man's face. It vaguely hints at something creepy, but to me it doesn't really convey the horror of what the movie's about. If a movie is about murderous bugs, and it's called "Bug," I think you'd better show the bug right up front.

The trailer quotes the Chicago Tribune calling this "One of the most disturbing horror movies imaginable." Now that's the kind of recommendation that'll get me into the theater!