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FEO NEWS FOR SPRING 2006:
- APRIL -
The detritous of old Horror/Thriller history can be found here.

AWARDS

CommunistVampires.com has bestowed unto feoamante.com their CommunistVampires award

PlanetDoom.net has bestowed unto feoamante.com their Cool Site Award

APRIL
These are archived news items, many of them outside of this website, so overtime, the links may not work.

APRIL 28

From David B. Silva
HELL OF A NOTE
Many of you may not realize that Hellnotes has been in existence for ten years now. That's a long stretch. During this time, the landscapes of the Internet, publishing, and horror have all changed dramatically. Hellnotes would have died four years ago. Instead, Judi Rohrig stepped forward, volunteered to take it on, and has since made it her own. My sincere appreciation goes out to her. I'm sure if you're reading this, you realize the value she's brought every week to horror writers and fans alike.

Now, for the third time in its history, Hellnotes is preparing to go through another transition. This next metamorphosis for Hellnotes is going to be an effort to keep up with many of these changes. As a result, the newsletter is going to take on a look and feel quite different from its current form.

First of all, it's going to be free. Because it's free, it will be delivered in the form of a blog, which you'll be able to visit at hellnotes.com.

We're taking this new approach because it appears to be the best shot at keeping Hellnotes alive while maintaining its value to the horror field. I hope you'll all come along for the ride.

From BlackMetal.com
VICIOUS WASP RUMORS
VICIOUS RUMORS drummer Larry Howe has joined W.A.S.P. as the replacement for Stet Howland. "[Larry] auditioned a few weeks ago and Blackie [Lawless, W.A.S.P. mainman] called him back and told him he had the gig," VICIOUS RUMORS bassist Dave Starr said. "He flies to Los Angeles this weekend to start work with the band for the new tour dates that start soon.

"As far as Larry and VICIOUS RUMORS goes, we have a break now with no tour dates while Geoff [Thorpe, VICIOUS RUMORS mainman] finishes the new [VR] CD so the timing is good for everyone," continued Dave. "Larry says Blackie wants him to do the tour and then what happens next will be figured out down the line. Larry remains a member of VICIOUS RUMORS. I still want Larry to do the WILDESTARR CD with my wife and I, and I hope he can still do that at some point later this year.

"This is great news for Larry, and I gave him congrats on the phone. It's a win-win situation for everyone involved."

W.A.S.P.'s U.S. tour is scheduled to kick off May 19 in Sacramento, California. W.A.S.P. had utilized the services of YNGWIE MALMSTEEN / SILVER MOUNTAIN drummer Patrick Johansson for the U.S. dates they played in February/March.

For more Metal news, sign up for the BlackMetal.com newsletter.

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APRIL 27

Basil did the cover for Rob Zombie's HELLBILLY DELUXE

BASIL GOGOS TO DARK DELICACIES
If you plan on being in the Los Angeles, california area this weekend, you may want to know about the following,
At Dark Delicacies Bookstore in Burbank, Famed Horror artist, Basil Gogos, will sign his new book, FAMOUS MONSTER MOVIE: Art of Basil Gogos. The signing takes place on Saturday, April 29 at 2:00pm.

Then, later that day at 6:00pm, film director Courtney Solomon will be signing posters for his upcoming Horror movie, AN AMERICAN HAUNTING. The posters are free but the warning remains the same for both Basil and Courtney: While Supplies Last!

For more info, go to Dark Delicacies.

META-FANGO
Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors, which will take place in Burbank, California on June 2-4 of 2006, is pretty much set to outdo last year's convention, where attendance blew the roof off of Creation's Star Trek conventions.

Scheduled guests include:
Director Guillermo Del Toro: MIMIC, BLADE II, THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE, HELLBOY.
Actor Lance Henrickson: TERMINATOR, ALIENS, NEAR DARK, ALIEN3, ALIEN VS. PREDATOR, ABOMINABLE.
Actor Bruce Campbell: EVIL DEAD, EVIL DEAD 2, ARMY OF DARKNESS.
Director/Producer Stuart Gordon: RE-ANIMATOR, DOLLS, FROM BEYOND, KING OF THE ANTS, DREAMS IN THE WITCH HOUSE.
Film Auteur Lloyd Kaufman: THE TOXIC AVENGER.
SFX Artist Greg Nicotero: DAY OF THE DEAD, EVIL DEAD 2, PHANTASM II, A NIGHTMARE ON ELMSTREET, THE CELL, MINORITY REPORT, KILL BILL, THE AMITYVILLE HORROR [2005], THE HILLS HAVE EYES [2006].
Director Tim Sullivan: 2001 MANIACS.
Director Ryan Schifrin: ABOMINABLE.
Writer David Schow: THE KILL RIFF, THE CROW, CRITTERS 4, LEATHERFACE.
Comic Artist & Writer, Steve Niles: 30 DAYS OF NIGHT, CAL MCDONALD, WAKE THE DEAD, LITTLE BOOK OF HORROR: DRACULA, LITTLE BOOK OF HORROR: FRANKENSTEIN, GIANT MONSTER.
Actor Dee Wallace Stone: THE FRIGHTENERS, ABOMINABLE.
Actor Bill Mosely: HOUSE OF 1,000 CORPSES, THE DEVIL'S REJECTS.
Actor Sid Haig: HOUSE OF 1,000 CORPSES, THE DEVIL'S REJECTS.
Producer/Director Charles Band: PARASITE, DOLLS, FROM BEYOND, NETHERWORLD.
Director Bob Clark: BLACK CHRISTMAS.
Director William Malone: SCARED TO DEATH, CREATURE, HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL, FEARDOTCOM.
and way more are expected guests.

For more information, go to Weekend of Horrors.

HAPPY HORROR MYSTERY BIRTHDAYS TO -
Off again, on again, lead guitarist for KISS,
Musician Ace Frehley (Albums: HOTTER THAN HELL, DESTROYER, LOVE GUN, PSYCHO CIRCUS and way more. Movies: KISS MEETS THE PHANTOM OF THE PARK [TV], REMEDY) is 55.
Okay, the fact is that I have many adult friends who think that the old Scooby-Doo cartoons were nothing more than product marketed unmitigated crap. At the same time, and with a hint of shame, they'll also admit that, as kids, the damn cartoon babysat them for a up to a good hour or so every Saturday morning. No doubt, in another 20 years, there will be a world famous paleontologist who'll fess up to being influenced by Barney the Purple Dinosaur, as a baby. So with so many contemporary Horror and Mystery fans and writers acknowledging early inspiration from the cartoon, I'd be remiss to leave it out of the loop.

One other, particularly important thing about Scooby-Doo and that is: The entire show was based upon the idea that there really weren't any ghosts, monsters, or other supernatural entities. If you used your head, were reasonable, rational, and looked deep enough, you'd find an unsavory character behind the mystery; looking to take criminal advantage of frightened or gullible people ("Yeah, and I would have gotten away with it too: If it wasn't for you rotten kids!"). A solid life lesson well taught to the young masses.

So if you were a childhood fan of Scooby-Doo, maybe you really shouldn't feel that bad about it. And while we're on the subject, here is a Happy Birthday to the voice of Scooby's best pal, the perpetually frightened Shaggy.
Voice actor Casey Kasem (Norville "Shaggy" Rogers of various SCOOBY DOO cartoons since the beginning in 1969) is 74.

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APRIL 26

I AM LEGEND!
Well, not me directly, I'm actually talking about Richard Matheson's famed story of apocalypse, zombies, and vampires. The tale which, as played by Vincent Price in THE LAST MAN ON EARTH, inspired George Romero to make NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD.

SciFi.com has a story on Warner Bros. announcing that they'll make I AM LEGEND starring Will Smith in the title role as, well, The Legend! And not the kind of baggy legend where he's ghosting around all-white golf courses either!

The movie is slated to be directed by Francis Lawrence, director of music videos for Green Day, Janet Jackson, Domita Jo, Brittany Spears, and Jennifer Lopez! Francis has prior Horror movie experience, as you may recall, when he directed the ... uh ... exciting, CONSTANTINE ...

The script will be reworked by screenwriter and producer, Akiva Goldsman, known for his work on such Thrilling SF classics like, LOST IN SPACE: The Movie, BATMAN FOREVER, BATMAN & ROBIN, PRACTICAL MAGIC, MINDHUNTERS, and CONSTANTINE, as well as Starsky & Hutch: The Movie.

Akiva also had co-writing credit on A Beautiful Mind and Cinderalla Man. Good movies, don't get me wrong - but not Horror or even science fiction.

And uh ... And uh ... ah ...

Well, if there WAS any trouble, I'm sure that Will Smith, being the solid actor he is, would be able to sniff out any problems on a Science Fiction type Horror Thriller movie, in the same way he sensed trouble on his other SF/Thriller movies like ... uh ... Independence Day, Wild Wild West, MEN IN BLACK II, and I, ROBOT.

Oh crap! I can't keep pretending! Will Smith is just the wonderful lipstick on this pig and Warner Bros. doesn't look like they're even trying!

Oh well, maybe, like ID4, it will at least be so-bad-its-good.

IT'S OFFICIAL: A VAMPIRE MUSICAL SUCKS!
When will some folks ever learn? Monsters that prey on humans are not supposed to be cuddly or sympathetic: they are supposed to scare you. That is why it's HORROR, and that's why HORROR and musicals rarely work!

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW worked because it was satire! THE PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE worked because it was satire!

Beauty and the Beast gets away with a sympathetic monster because he isn't EATING people!

The Frankenstein monster gets away with being sympathetic because he isn't TRYING to hurt anyone.

But KING KONG wants to KILL! Ann Darrow is merely his pet for the moment! GODZILLA wants to DESTROY! And Vampires want to eat PEOPLE!

Monsters can have a sense of humor, certainly: A WICKED sense of humor. But trying to make your monsters lovable and cute while they are devouring people just! Don't! Work!

I say this because Warner Bros. new musical, LESTAT, with new music by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, and based on the Anne Rice novel, THE VAMPIRE LESTAT, is tanking with the critics big time in New York - just as it did with critics in San Francisco. This follows the proud tradition of all vampire musicals bombing in New York.

Could have been worse though: it could have been a Vampire Opera. Have you ever been to a classic Italian opera? It's best if you don't understand the language. A classic opera, say about vampires, and translated into english, would go something like this.

"I'm going to bite you!"
"He's going to Bi-ite me!
"Yes, I'm going to bite you!"
"Bite me?"
"Bite you!"
"Bite me?"
"Bite you!"
"Me?"
"You!"
"Me?"
"You!"
Opera Chorus
"Bite her! Bite her! Oh yes, he's going to bite her!"
And this is not a weak attempt at humor, that is ACTUALLY how a classic opera goes down!
Which is why rock operas like TOMMY are far superior! They have a POINT!

Anyway, the peasants, i.e. the critics, are going after LESTAT with torches blazing. Catch the full news article:

Critics Pour Scorn, Cliches on NY Vampire Musical.

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APRIL 25

Hey Takashi, speaking of being short on ideas, whose idea was it to make your movie poster look like something from RINGU?

TRASHING HOLLYWOOD, JAPANESE STYLE
People from all over the world look down their nose at Hollywood almost as much as Hollywood looks down their nose at them. Yet everyone still goes to movies. It's a love hate relationship I guess.

Hey, what better example of this dichotomy than Japanese director, Takashi Shimizu (JU-ON, THE GRUDGE)? Hollywood has made him yet another young millionaire. Does he appreciate it? Hell no! Though he still wants Hollywood to keep feeding him while he bites. Takashi says (among other things) that Hollywood is short on ideas, that's why they go to Japan to get new stuff.

Is that what the most revered Japanese directors were doing when they remade Shakespearian plays, they were really clueless unimaginative clods who had to schlep to England to get an idea? Is it now a sign of weakness to admire tales from other lands and bring those stories to new audiences?

I dunno, but Takashi thinks he knows. Read more about his self-important opinion at CNN.

J'Horror Director: H'Wood Short of Ideas.

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APRIL 24

CANDY IN THE DUMPSTER
Is always a nice treat. Kinda like finding money in an old coat. In May, Dark Arts Books will release CANDY IN THE DUMPSTER, a collection of 12 new and used stories from Jay Bonansinga (yes, THE Jay Bonansinga!), Bill Breedlove (yes, THE Bill Breedlove!), John Everson (yes, THAT guy!), and Martin Mundt (not a character from The Simpsons). John Everson writes to say that the book contains a new tale of his, 'The White House', and two stories from his previously published award winning collection, CAGE OF BONES.

With an introduction by Mort Castle (yes, HIM!), the book will debut at the World Horror Convention in San Francisco, California. Go to the WHC2006 website right now and just TRY to find out WHERE in San Francisco it's actually being held! HA! Just TRY!

From Scott Goldberg
THE DAY THEY WENT TO LONG ISLAND
If you plan to be in Long Island, New York the first week in May, you may want to know about the following:
THE DAY THEY CAME BACK' will be playing at the 2006 LONG ISLAND FILM FESTIVAL, on Thursday May 4th and Sunday May 7th, 2006 in Glen Cove, Long Island at the Glen Cove Cinema (85 School Street). The film will be shown in Block III and on Thursday May 4th, 2006 at 8:15 PM with ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS opening the block, following with THE DAY THEY CAME BACK and a 10 minute Q&A with the Director, Cast and Crew right after. $10 for the movie block. Tickets can be purchased at the door.

THE DAY THEY CAME BACK was already awarded 'Best Short Screenplay/Story' by the '2006 Long Island Film Festival'.

Q & A PANEL with Director Scott Goldberg (The Day They Came Back, All I Want For Christmas, The Forest Hills),
actors Chiko Mendez (The Day They Came Back, All I Want For Christmas), Marlene Villafane, Kristen Spaeth, Charlie Mundt
and crew Eric Ramos, Marinho Nobre and John T. Farley.

Horror Documentary Filmmaker Christopher P. Garetano will be on hand to document the festivities and shoot footage for his upcoming horror documentary 'SON OF HORROR BUSINESS'. Scott was currently shot in a DVD extra segment with Conspiracy Theorist, John Brodie, for Chris' film, 'HORROR BUSINESS' currently titled 'THE MONTAUK PROJECT', which will be out this summer in stores.

From Viki at Twilight Tales
RIP'N FOR FRED HUNTER
On Thursday, April 20, 2006, Chicago mystery writer and dear friend of Twilight Tales, Fred Hunter, lost his battle against cancer. Come celebrate his life and work with us as we feature readings from Fred's work as part of our normal open mic night.

We will be selling Fred's books as well as his extensive DVD/video collection. All sales proceeds will be donated to the Paws Animal Shelter on Clark Street.

Regular open mic rules apply - 20 minutes for fiction, 10 minutes for poetry, sign up at the door, which open at 7:00 PM. The show will start around 7:30.

HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
Whether by luck or intent, this actress is making a name for herself in Horror Thriller movies. Happy birthday to
Actor Melinda Clarke (RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 3, MULHOLLAND FALLS, THE KILLER TONGUE, SPAWN, DYNAMITE, .COM FOR MURDER, THE ANIMATRIX) is 37.
Back in the 1970s, this veteran producer and director must have got bitten by the Horror Thriller bug when, in the same year, he directed episodes of two Horror Thriller TV series. He's had a long career in Horror Thrillers ever since.
Director/Producer Richard Donner (THE TWILIGHT ZONE [TV - original series, six episodes], THE SIXTH SENSE [TV], GHOST STORY [TV], THE OMEN, THE GOONIES, SCROOGED, TALES FROM THE CRYPT [TV], DEMON KNIGHT, CONSPIRACY THEORY, BORDELLO OF BLOOD, X-MEN, RITUAL, MATTHEW BLACKHEART: MONSTER SMASHER [TV]) is 76.
And on Sunday -
Actor Craig Sheffer (NIGHTBREED, BLUE DESERT, EYE OF THE STORM, BLOODKNOT, THE GRAVE, DOUBLE TAKE, EXECUTIVE POWER, THE FALL, SHADOW OF DOUBT, HELLRAISER: INFERNO, RITUAL, KILLER BUZZ, DRACULA II: ASCENSION) is 46.
And on Saturday -
If today is your birthday, you share it with actors famous for both their Horror / Thriller roles, and their roles in sexually explicit movies. Jack Nicholson starred in the highly controversial Carnal Knowledge as well as The Postman Always Rings Twice and Marilyn Chambers career was mostly porn including her film, Little Shop of Erotica, spoofing Nicholson's early work.
Actor Marilyn Chambers (SEXUAL ECSTASY OF THE MACUMBA, RABID) is 54.
Actor Eric Mabius (THE MINUS MAN, CRUEL INTENTIONS, THE CROW: Salvation, TEMPTED, RESIDENT EVIL, REEKER, VOODOO) is 35.
Actor Jack Nicholson (THE CRY BABY KILLER, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, THE RAVEN, THE TERROR, CHINATOWN, THE SHINING, THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK, BATMAN, WOLF, MARS ATTACKS!, THE PLEDGE) is 69 today.

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APRIL 20

DEAD DAUGHTERS COME ALIVE 2006
Once a mad mother drowned her three little daughters overnight.

Some years later, already in a mental hospital, she was herself murdered with three types of cold steel. Witnesses said that it was done by three teenage girls...

The ghosts of the dead daughters took vengeance on their mother, but neither was their thirst of revenge quenched, nor did their hatred dispel.

A deadly chain reaction began: They have great power. And this power is growing. They cannot rest in peace.

Maybe they’re not just ghosts. They are...

From Russian Director & Writer Pavel Ruminov comes the Horror Thriller film, DEAD DAUGHTERS.

And though they seem to be quite dead, they now have their own Live Journal! Ah, the miracle of Internet!

English website: theddmovie.com

Russian website: ddmovie.ru

HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAY TO -
In 2000, this actor, after a long career, seems to have caught the Horror Thriller bug, so Happy Birthday to
Actor Andy Serkis (THE ESCAPIST, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, DEATHWATCH, THE LORD OF THE RING: THE TWO TOWERS, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING, BLESSED, KING KONG) is 42.

Check out all of our THE LORD OF THE RINGS reviews
Check out all of our KING KONG reviews.

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APRIL 19

WELCOME NEW FEO AMANTE SUPPORTER!
I was at the Wal-Mart last night and I bought myself a supporter. Really lifts and separates the boys well, I must say! I don't know why I didn't buy one sooner!

And speaking of support, please welcome our new advertiser, Steven W. Woeste. Steven has wrote reviews for us in the past (CARRION COMFORT, CONFEDERACY OF THE DEAD, DONNIE DARKO, HEAVY METAL, THE RISING), but now has a new Horror book he'd like you to know about: TO WAKE THE DEAD.

ABOMINABLE REVIEWS ARE A GOOD THING
Exciting news to report. ABOMINABLE director, Ryan Schifrin, is going to be on ABC's Nightline this Friday, April 21st. Early reviews on his movie are ABOMINABLY good, so they taped an interview with Ryan as well as our New York premiere for a story they are running on horror being hot right now.
Included in the segment are Wes Craven (DEADLY BLESSING, A NIGHTMARE ON ELMSTREET, SCREAM, RED EYE), James Wan and Leigh Whannel (SAW), and Tony Timpone (Fangoria).

Very exciting for a nationally broadcast show!

HAPPY THRILLER MYSTERY BIRTHDAY TO -
Today's birthday girl is making just enough mystery thrillers to unbalance her career making rom coms. Do you remember any of her romantic comedies? Neither do I. But everyone recalls her twisted side. Happy Birthday to.
Actor Ashley Judd (THE PASSION OF DARKLY NOON, A TIME TO KILL, KISS THE GIRLS, EYE OF THE BEHOLDER, DOUBLE JEOPARDY, HIGH CRIMES, TWISTED) who is 38.

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APRIL 18

Ray Harryhausen at the height of his career, sitting with the illustrious Feo.

From Del Howison
THE ART OF RAY
If you plan to be in the Los Angeles, California area this weekend, you may want to know about the following.
On April 22nd at 2 p.m., Ray Harryhausen will sign his new coffee table book THE ART OF RAY HARRYHAUSEN. The book will go on sale March 1st. Book must be purchased at Dark Delicacies to get a number for your place in line. Mr. Harryhausen will sign the new book and ONE other item at no charge.

For more information including directions, check out Dark Delicacies.

BUSH MADE ELI DO IT
First off, Happy Birthday to Eli Roth, who is 34 today.

And now, the caveat.

I just want to say that I like Eli Roth (CABIN FEVER, HOSTEL, 2001 MANIACS). I've met the guy, he's a good guy, and his films, while not yet great, show a potential for greatness. I think his next Horror movie will blow me away.

But the dude has absolutely no idea what-so-ever about Horror movies or the history of Horror movies and he is so out of touch with current horror movies that it's kind of unsettling. I mean, how can ANYONE be so amazingly unobservant and still think they can speak knowledgeably?

Continued at Blog/MySpace/FeoAmante.

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APRIL 17

QUICK BITE
Horror Writer, Lisa Morton (THE HALLOWEEN ENCYCLOPEDIA, THRALLS, BLUE DEMON, GLASS TRAP), and her teammate, Dan Weinstein, have moved their used bookstore, The Illiad Bookshop, from the old place where they rented for too much money, to the new place where they own the freaking store outright. The Illiad's new home is in Burbank, California on 5400 Cahuenga Blvd. with plenty of parkinig and easy access.

Check out iliadbooks.com.

David Hartman

From David Hartman
ATTACK OF THE SIDESHOW MONKEY
Hey Gang! I am currently working on a music video for Rob Zombie. It is for the song "American Witch" and will be in the same style as my animated short "Codename: Embryo", really limited animation but full of monsters and naked witches. Should be fun.

I hope to have it finished soon and I'll be sure to update once it is finished.

I'll have a couple pieces of art in the upcoming 13th annual of "SPECTRUM". If you are not familiar with this annual it showcases the best art in Sci-Fi, Fantasy and comics illustration. It is an honor to be included in this book, but even better than that ... I won the Silver Award in the comics category for my "Devil's Rejects" comic cover.

Visit Sideshowmonkey.com.

HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
Actor Olivia Hussey (BLACK CHRISTMAS, DEATH ON THE NILE, THE CAT AND THE CANARY, VIRUS [1980], ESCAPE 2000, DISTORTIONS, PSYCHO IV, IT, ICE CREAM MAN, THE GARDENER, EL GRITO, ISLAND PREY) is 55.
Actor Roddy "Hot Rod" Piper (HELL COMES TO FROGTOWN, THEY LIVE, IMMORTAL COMBAT, JUNGLEGROUND, SCI-FIGHTERS, DEAD TIDES, CYBERCITY, JACK OF HEARTS) is 52.
Actor Emma Watson, who began her career with the dark tales of magic and monsters for children with the Harry Potter movies (HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE, HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS, HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN, HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE) and never left! Her next movie HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX is currently filming. We should all be so lucky; so wish this kid a Happy 16th birthday!

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APRIL 14

DESTRUCTION KINGS
Sometimes fans of Horror just feel compelled to make a cheapo movie only for fans of Horror. Something that we would get, understand, enjoy, and ... laugh at? And that movie is made without any regard to research audience response, marketing to a non-horror audience, or what audience specific age range it needs to be marketed to.

Very rarely does such a movie become successful. There is SHAUN OF THE DEAD and ... I think that's it.

Now Tempe Video, which has established itself as the place that movie makers with no talent, but huge volcanic fields of passion, can go to get their movie distributed, announces the release of DESTRUCTION KINGS!

Man, monkey & monster face off in an apocalyptic showdown!

Featuring the talents of Dracula, the Werewolf, and of course, Funkenstein!

Written, produced & directed by CHRIS SEAVER, with a cast you've likely never heard of, and make-up effects that the actors sometimes need to keep on their faces by holding them in place, DESTRUCTION KINGS will hit the direct to video store shelves this July 11.

You have been warned. You have been SO warned!

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APRIL 13

E.C.McMullen Jr.

From E.C.McMullen Jr.
WHAT AM I DOING?
Everybody calls me Feo Amante (it's my nickname, do you have one?), but my real name is Eddie McMullen, and even that is an abbreviated version of my real name which is just too damn long to bother with right now. From time to time, I get emails from folks wanting personal information about me.

What I do outside of this site? I'm promoting all of these writers, reporting the news on them, what about the news on me? They ask if I'm getting published anywhere. They want to know if I'm a writer and, if so, what have I written?

The answer is, Yes I am and Plenty. To keep up on my latest shenanigans, check out my professional updates at FeoAmante.net.

I also have a place at MySpace.com/FeoAmante. If you are into fictional Horror, Thriller, Mystery, and Suspense, maybe you can become a MySpace friend too.

What's more, I've just sold two scripts! Read all about it at Feo Amante.net!

HOW DO WE RATE?
The Internet Movie Database has been going strong for well over 10 years and is one of the largest websites on the Internet. According to Internet tracker, Netcraft.com, imdb.com ranks 61 out of the hundreds of millions of websites out there.

I'm just telling you all this because it's important to know that all movie reviews here at feoamante.com are cross linked to imdb.com, and we often get in the top categories of websites reviewing any movies in our passion. Our most recent reviews of Scary Movie 4 (we're only Horror site to post a review as of this writing), The Lost, and The Terror Within all rub shoulders with only 3 to 5 other review sites (as of this writing). That all changes on Friday! Find out what we're talking about today.

HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAY TO -
One of the busiest actors in Hollywood is also the least known, by movie goers, for his face. That's because he's always keeping his pretty mug covered in make-up, or doing voices for Horror video games and cartoons like Scooby-Doo, and he shows no sign of changing that anytime soon.
Actor Ron Perlman (THE NAME OF THE ROSE, SLEEPWALKERS, CRONOS, THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN, THE LAST SUPPER, THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU, ALIEN: Resurrection, THE SHAFT, BLADE II, STAR TREK: Nemesis, RATS, HELLBOY, QUIET KILL, 5IVE GIRLS, THE LAST WINTER, and way more) is 56.

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APRIL 12

Harry Shannon

From Harry Shannon
ZOMBIE OPUS DEAD AND GONE
Fangoria.com just posted a terrific article on DEAD AND GONE, the indie horror script written by Harry Shannon (BAD SEED, NIGHT OF THE BEAST), and directed by Yossi Sasson of darkhaze.net. The movie, which stars Quentin Jones, Kathryn Bates, rocker Ben Moody and Kyle Gass of Tenacious D, is about to return to the mountains for a few days of re-shoots. Chris Bruno (Sheriff Bannerman on TV's "The Dead Zone") will also appear.

Check it out at Fangoria.com.

DWARF FIGHT!
Okay, I now have to concede that KISS is indeed bigger than any other rock band out there ever! It's likely bigger than any singer ever - with the possible exception of Elvis, who is more famous now than he even was in life.

I mean, Sinatra never had Sinatra impersonators - besides his son, that is. And while Elvis may have had dwarf or midget impresonators, I don't believe they ever fought over who came up with the idea first! But now there are two dwarf KISS impersonator bands, Tiny Kiss and Mini Kiss, and they are after each other's freaking throats!

Check out the story at LA Times.

Sort of from Matthew Warner
MATTHEW WARNER'S EYES ARE EVERYWHERE
AAAAH! Getcher goddamn eyes out of there you creep!
Anyway, Horror & Thriller writer Matthew Warner's new novel, EYES EVERYWHERE (Screaming Dog Press), willl soon be available. EYES EVERYWHERE is a psychological suspense story about a father who comes to believe his wife is conspiring with a bioterrorist to conduct experiments on their children. EYES EVERYWHERE is also a depiction of the experience of paranoid schizophrenia, and has been hailed by prominent psychologist David B. Reid as "a vivid and accurate portrayal of the insidious nature of a most devastating and difficult-to-treat mental illness.

"EYES EVERYWHERE features artwork by Mike Bohatch and an afterword by Gary A. Braunbeck. The limited edition will be released in June 2006, and the trade hardcover in August of this year. The limited edition includes a bonus novella, "Die Not In Vain," plus interior illustrations from Mike Bohatch.

Matthew Warner is the author of THE ORGAN DONOR and DEATH SENTENCES, which, as those highly rated reviews clearly show, is an author worth reading ... with your own eyes of course.

TOMB IT MAY CONCERN
Do you remember the TOMB RAIDER PC game back in the days of the 1990s? The game that saved Eidos, they called it! Wasn't it fun? That buggy piece of crap! Those miserable find-the-pixel-and-jump- from-there-or-die rooms. Those Laura-is-stuck-in-a-wall-and -the-game-will-hang-up-until-it-crashes adventures. Ugh! Why the hell did we ever play it?

Oh yeah, now I remember. Because Laura had a bodacious body. It was actually the first game to welcome women into the realm of first person shooter PC gaming as they could actually play/pretend to be the Laura avatar. Guys just wanted to run the beautiful 3D cartoon around and get her into trouble.

Then there were the movies and after that nobody was having any fun. And the game was more bug ridden.

Toby Gard, the character designer who created Laura, left after the first game was in the can to pursue other ventures. Now, the game company that brought you Tomb Raider, expects that you've been breathlessly waiting for the next installment. Well wait no longer!

Toby has returned for the all new, LAURA CROFT TOMB RAIDER: Legend, which debuted Friday in Europe. It will soon be available in the U.S. on XBox 360, XBox video game machines, Sony Playstation 2, and PC.

And guess what new things you'll be doing? You'll be running your Laura Croft avatar around jungles, mountain ruins, and tombs, you lucky freaking devils!

Get all of the full details at TombRaider.com.

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APRIL 11

BLACK TO THE BASICS
Brian Freeman writes in to tell us that BASIC BLACK by Terry Dowling, is a brand new collection of fiction from the author who has been called "Australia's finest writer of horror" by Locus magazine and "Australia's premier writer of dark fantasy" by All Hallows and "one of the best prose stylists in science fiction and fantasy" by The Year's Best Fantasy 4.

BASIC BLACK is published by Cemetery Dance, which has won a whole mess of awards over the years for publishing a whole mess of Horror.

So get out of the mess you're in by reading a whole mess of horror!

From Scott Goldberg
THE DAY THEY WENT TO THE FILM FESTIVAL
If you plan to be in the Glen Cove area of New York state, you may want to know about the following -
At the 2006 Long Island Film Festival, THE DAY THEY CAME BACK and ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS are scheduled for opening night - Thursday evening May 4 in theater #1 in Block III which will start at approx. 8:15 PM.

THE DAY THEY CAME BACK is a 22-minute zombie film about an outbreak that plagues Long Island as a group of Special Ops Soldiers must find a way to stop it. Starring Friday the 13th alumni Paul Kratka, Chiko Mendez, Marlene Villafane... Shot at Welwyn Preserve in Glen Cove, Long Island during 2005.

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS is a dark comedy/horror short about a demented man, Santa Cruz who spends the holiday's with his "daughter" Isabelle. A really weird, twisted and disturbing dark comedy short.

The 2006 Long Island Film Festival is at
5 School St.
Glen Cove, NY 11542

If you can't make it, you can check out the short film at ScottGoldbergFilms.com.

UPDATE April 12:
THE DAY THEY CAME BACK was awarded 'Best Short Screenplay/Story' by the '2006 Long Island Film Festival'.

From Arvid Nelson
DARK HORSE COMICS TO PUBLISH REX MUNDI
It's true, Dear Reader. I'm leaving my beloved Image Comics for Dark Horse, publisher of The Goon, Conan, and Hellboy, amongst other things. I'm so sad to leave Image, but the more time goes by, the more I feel I did the right thing. I have an enormous respect for creators like Robert Kirkman and Erik Larsen who are able to make the Image business model work for them. Fellas, you did what I could not.

Dark Horse is going to give me the extra support I need to see Rex Mundi to completion. I won't be paying for it out of my pocket anymore. Scott Allie, the head editor at Dark Horse, has suggested a lot of things that are going to make the rest of Rex Mundi even better. Thanks, Scott. I can't tell you how nice it is to have an editor after thrashing around in the dark for so many years.

And you know what just occurred to me? Dark Horse has, honest to Christ, the coolest, funnest, most creative and most innovative comics out there. I'm so honored to be among such great company.

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APRIL 10

Tom Piccirilli

From Tom Piccirilli
TOM JUST GOT STOKERED AGAIN
(FeoNote: Perennial Stoker nominee and three time winner, Tom Piccirilli, tells us all the following. Actually, he tells us a lot more. But if you want that, then get your own damn subscription to his newsletter. It's free!)
Hey gang, just got word that NOVEMBER MOURNS has made it to the final ballot of the Bram Stoker Awards in the novel category. It's a great honor to see my name alongside those of David Morrell, Gary Braunbeck, and Charlee Jacob. Thanks to everyone who read, recommended, voted for, or otherwise supported the book.

The anthology CORPSE BLOSSOMS, edited by RJ & Julia Sevin, and featuring my tale "An Average Insanity, A Common Agony" has also been nominated. Congrats to the Sevins, who suffered a hell of a hard hit during Katrina but still managed to get out a kickass antho along the way.

My next novel THE DEAD LETTERS is due to hit shelves September 26th. If you check out the LATEST NEWS section of my website, you'll see the cover art as well as the new cover art for the reissue of A CHOIR OF ILL CHILDREN. Both have a much more "suspense thriller" feel to them, and it's nice that CHOIR will finally have the Dean Koontz blurb on the front.

Judi Rohrig

From Judi Rohrig
STOKER NOMINATIONS
Former feoamante.com reviewer, published Horror writer, and editor of Hellnotes, Judi Rohrig, sent us this newest list. The 2006 Bram Stoker nominations. All Noms are in regard to their work published in 2005.

NOVEL
CREEPERS by David Morrell (CDS)
DREAD IN THE BEAST by Charlee Jacob (Necro Publications)
KEEPERS by Gary Braunbeck (Leisure)
NOVEMBER MOURNS by Tom Piccirilli (Bantam)

FIRST NOVEL
THE HIDES by Kealan Patrick Burke (Cemetery Dance Publications)
SCARECROW GODS by Weston Ochse (Delirium Books)
SIREN PROMISED by Alan M. Clark and Jeremy Robert Johnson (Bloodletting Press)

LONG FICTION
BEST NEW HORROR by Joe Hill (Postscripts #3)
IN THE MIDNIGHT MUSEUM by Gary Braunbeck (Necessary Evil Press)
SOME ZOMBIE CONTINGENCY PLANS by Kelly Link (Magic for Beginners)
THE THINGS THEY LEFT BEHIND by Stephen King (Transgressions)

SHORT STORY
AS OTHERS SEE US by Mort Castle (World Horror Convention 2005 Program Book)
HAECKEL'S TALE by Clive Barker (Dark Delicacies)
TIMES OF ATONEMENT by Yvonne Navarro (Taverns of the Dead)
WE NOW PAUSE FOR STATION IDENTIFICATION by Gary Braunbeck (Endeavor Press)
INVISIBLE by Steve Rasnic Tem (Sci Fiction, Mar. 2005)

ANTHOLOGY
CORPSE BLOSSOMS by Julia and RJ Sevin (Creeping Hemlock Press)
DARK DELICACIES: ORIGINAL TALES OF TERROR AND THE MACABRE by Del Howison and Jeff Gelb (Carroll & Graf)
OUTSIDERS by Nancy Holder and Nancy Kilpatrick (Roc)
WEIRD SHADOWS OVER INNSMOUTH by Stephen Jones (Fedogan and Bremer)

FICTION COLLECTION
HAUNTED by Chuck Palahniuk (Doubleday)
LOOKING FOR JAKE by China Mieville (Del Rey)
MAGIC FOR BEGINNERS by Kelly Link (Small Beer Press)
TWENTIETH CENTURY GHOSTS by Joe Hill (PS Publishing)

NONFICTION
THE BRADBURY CHRONICLE by Sam Weller (William Morrow & Co.)
HORROR: ANOTHER 100 BEST BOOKS by Stephen Jones and Kim Newman (Carroll & Graf)
MORBID CURIOSITY #9 by Loren Rhoads (Automatism Press)
MORE GIANTS OF THE GENRE by Michael McCarty (Wildside Press)
WHY BUFFY MATTERS: THE ART OF 'BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER' by Rhonda Wilcox (I.B. Tauris)

POETRY
FREAKCIDENTS by Michael A. Arnzen (Shocklines Press)
SEASONS: A SERIES OF POEMS BASED ON THE LIFE AND DEATH OF EDGAR ALLAN POE by Daniel Shields (Foothills Publishing)
THE SHADOW CITY by Gary W. Crawford (Naked Snake Press)
SINEATER by Charlee Jacob (Cyberpulp)

From Tribuzy
BRAZIL HEAVY METAL GOES BANG!
If you plan to be in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil this weekend, you may want to know about the following:

Kiko Loureiro, Angra's guitar player, for the first time in Rio de Janeiro, in the tour of his solo album "No Gravity". Featuring Angra's bass player Felipe Andreoli and Fernando Schaefer (Pavilhão 9).

Tribuzy, bestseller band of 2005 in Brazil and in several countries of world, in the tour of their debut album "Execution". With a very special jam in the end of the concert, featuring Kiko Loureiro (Angra).

Dr.Sin, in the tour of his new album, "Listen to the Doctors". Where the band plays their old successes, and all their influences, covering bands such as: Kiss, Motorhead, Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, Van Halen and more.

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APRIL 8

HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
Actor Tim Thomerson (FADE TO BLACK, JEKYLL & HYDE TOGETHER AGAIN, THE OSTERMAN WEEKEND, TRANCERS [all], ZONE TROOPERS, NEAR DARK, DOLLMAN, STRINGER, BAD CHANNELS, DIE WATCHING, NEMESIS, DOLLMAN VS. DEMONIC TOYS, THE HARVEST, FLESHTONE, NEMESIS III, UNSEEN EVIL, DEVIL'S PREY, THEY CRAWL, PROJECT VIPER, PAPARAZZI, THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE) is 60.

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APRIL 7

From Black Metal.com
DIO IS COOL WIDDIT
Legendary heavy metal vocalist Ronnie James Dio "wasn't invited" to BLACK SABBATH's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony and "wasn't bothered" by the fact that he wasn't present at the event, according to the Cleveland Scene Clubs Editor Ferris. After hearing that Ronnie wasn't at the Rock Hall, Ferris called the offices of Niji Management (which is owned by Wendy Dio) to see if Dio's camp had any kind of quote from Ronnie. Niji's Diana DeVille, who answered the phone, said, "Ronnie was not invited, but he's not bothered by it, because he is busy working on his own projects. He wishes them the best."

In related news, the Cleveland Scene did a "Last Word" regarding the best non-Ozzy Osbourne SABBATH album. Results include a quote from Alternative Press editorial director Aaron Burgess.

Dio recorded a total of three studio albums with BLACK SABBATH - 1980's "Heaven and Hell", 1981's "Mob Rules" and 1992's "Dehumanizer" - in addition to appearing on the classic live album "Live Evil" in 1983.

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APRIL 6

DAN SIMMONS IS JUST DAMN SCARY!
Even when Simmons is writing Science Fiction, the dude can't help but write SCARY SF! He's truly a credit to the origin of Science Fiction which was also the origin of Horror, Mary Shelley's scientificallly accurate THE MODERN PROMETHEUS (aka FRANKENSTEIN - Mary kept in contact with Sir Charles Darwin, through letters, in order to perfect the scientific aspects of her tale as much as possible). In fact, no matter what Dan Simmons writes, besides Horror, SF, Detective Thrillers, what have you, they always wind up giving you a jolt or at the very least, a case of the creeping eeries.

Because I have a subscription to Judi Rohrig's excellent HELLNOTES, I was able to read her current link to Dan Simmons latest tale, available for free online. And now, because you have access to me, you too can read Dan's latest story.

DanSimmons.com/News/Message.

But you still are missing out on the rest of Judi Rohrig's HellNotes, unless you actually subscribe to HellNotes.

And as for Judi: we could be one step closer to time travel in our lifetimes.

Professor Predicts Human Time Travel This Century

Feo Amante

MORE GLOBAL WARMING HORROR
"Scientists researching global warming are being muzzled by the Whitehouse!" Or at least, that's what James Hansen, director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, wants you to believe. The Bush administration is silencing him. They won't let him speak! yet he's been able to freely tell his story to the New York Times and the Washington Post without any retribution. What's more, he goes around giving speeches at universities like the New School University in New York, where he said of his working conditions, "It seems more like Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union than the United States."

Lou Dobbs on CNN actually called him "The man silenced by NASA." Lou, at his ever bombastic, called the silencing, "Outrageous!" "explosive charges of a cover-up at the highest levels of our government." "the White House faces charges that it is manipulating science to fit its own political agenda."

Oooo!

Continued at Blog.MySpace.com/FeoAmante.

HORROR MOVIES IN A SNAP
You have a home video camera? Make your own damn Horror movie. You got a cell phone that shoots video? Make your own damn horror movie. You don't know how to make your own damn movie? Here's the keys, use my links to get Lloyd Kaufmann's Make Your Own Damn Movie book, or Make Your Own Damn Movie DVD instructional set, or even the MAKE YOUR OWN DAMN MOVIE book and DVD set.

Now what? You don't have the equipment to edit your freakin' Horror movie? Lucky for you, you have us, and we have the links to a website that allows you to do JUST that, ONLINE!

Check out Eyespot.com.

I mean, damn! It couldn't be easier!

HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
Her Full House days long past, today's birthday girl has since filled her career with television thrillers which, to be honest, really ain't too bad! Happy Birthday to -
Actor Candace Cameron Bure (I SAW WHAT YOU DID, MONSTER MASH: THE MOVIE, SHARON'S SECRET, VISITORS OF THE NIGHT, NO ONE WOULD TELL, NIGHT SCREAM) is 30.
You probably didn't know this about today's birthday boy, but in addition to his long time role in the TV hit, Cheers (Hey Cliffy!), he . . . Well, yes, he was in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. But he was . . . Yes, he did have a recurring role in the first two Superman movies. But the thing is . . . yes, he is a successful voice-over actor these days: having done all six of the Pixar movies. But when he's being an actor in regular movies, he has done an awful lot of Horror/Thriller in his career! So Happy Birthday to
Actor John Ratzenberger (TWILIGHT'S LAST GLEAMING, WARLORD'S OF ATLANTIS, MOTEL HELL, OUTLAND, GOLIATH AWAITS, FIREFOX, WARLORDS OF THE 21ST CENTURY, HOUSE II, TICK TOCK, SPIRITED AWAY, MONSTERS, INC., THE INCREDIBLES) who is 59.

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APRIL 5

From Ed Peters
DELLAMORTE DELLAMORE
On Tuesday, June 13th, Anchor Bay Entertainment, an IDT Entertainment company, will release the eagerly-awaited U.S. DVD premiere of CEMETERY MAN, one of the most requested horror titles of the last decade. Revered by consumers and industry critics alike for releasing classic and cult horror films, Anchor Bay continues that tradition for Cemetery Man (aka Dellamorte Dellamore) with a new anamorphic widescreen transfer.

Directed by Michele Soavi, Cemetery Man stars Rupert Everett as Francesco Dellamore, a cemetery caretaker who finds that his seemingly dead-end job has recently become a little harder. Along with his sidekick Gnaghi (Francois Hadji-Lazaro), Francesco spends his days interning corpses and his nights killing “returners” – those who have risen from their grave seven days after burial. Life changes for Francesco when he falls for a beautiful, mysterious widow (Anna Falchi). When fate intervenes, Francesco must choose between Love Eternal and the Living Dead.

Ever since its release in 1994, Cemetery Man has shocked and tickled with its unique balance of the macabre and the comical. Anchor Bay Entertainment dug deep to find bonus features worthy of the film’s reputation, including:

Widescreen Presentation (1.66:1), enhanced for 16x9 TVs

Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound

DEATH IS BEAUTIFUL: The Making of Cemetery Man featuring all-new cast and crew interviews including director Michele Soavi, star Anna Falchi and more

Michele Soavi Bio

Trailers

 

YOU MUST BE DREAMING
Brief, lost, disenchanted, and disconnected: These are the stories whose entities inhabit the various works found at DreamPeople.org. Within their tales, people and things find themselves detached from reality, or forced to face a new reality for which they aren't prepared. D. Harlan Wilson recently took over editorial duties at Dream People: A Journal of Bizarro Literature. The stories are from various writers, new and old, including an interview with Horror writer/editor/publisher Shane Ryan Staley.

Why not check out the DreamPeople ...

AOL IS CERTAINLY DREAMING
At least 10 years after everyone else had thought of it, talked about it, cluttered message boards with the idea, and untold articles in various print magazines wrote about it - and even featured it on their covers - even after Gateway Computers attempted a "little too early" version of it in 1997, AOL CEO, Jonathan Miller, made this "prediction":
"Video consumption is exploding on-line and on-demand is going to be the dominant way to consume content,"
Break it down from techno babble: Internet will soon be the new TV.
Well no shit! Way to go, Jonathan Miller! Your far sighted, visionary mind, unnerves me!

But what was the first clue, Johnny me boyo? Was it NBC selling their shows online? Was it iPod selling TV shows and movies online? Was it MovieLink selling movies online? Was it Microsoft's Windows Media Center Operating system that's installed in every home PC sold in the past year? Was it everything that has been going on for the past decade (plus) slowly settling like sludge into the bottom of your friggin' brain pan? The unknown AFP writer, who wrote this story, went on to say that such a bold and unforseen statement (which ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX have been preparing for, lo these many years), "must have sent shivers down the spines of the packed audience of TV execs."

Yeah, sure: Preaching to the choir will do that.

So where are your shivers coming from?

LET'S MAKE A REALLY DAMN EXPENSIVE MOVIE!
When Peter Jackson announced that he wanted to make J.R.R. Tolkien's THE LORD OF THE RINGS, and that he wanted to shoot all of the movies at once, it was brave and daring, but there was also a sense to it. The movie company, New Line Cinema, really put itself on the line for it, as the studio had never come close to even half the budget of the three films, shot as one.

It paid off for many reasons, not the least of which, THE LORD OF THE RINGS had a huge built in audience. If the movie was even half good, it was reasoned that the studio could at least break even.

Then Peter Jackson announced that he wanted to make another movie. he wanted to re-make KING KONG. What's more, the one movie would cost at least as much as all three LORD OF THE RINGS movies combined!

New Line thought things over, then quietly took its winnings from the table and left. Universal Pictures bit though, they bit big time.

So I have to ask: If you set the budget for your film so high that your picture HAS to become the biggest selling blockbuster of all time just to break even, what the hell do you expect to happen if it just becomes ONE of the biggest selling blockbusters of all time?

The first big budget King Kong remake to lose at the box office. Both remakes had better SFX than the original, not that it mattered.

Peter Jackson's KING KONG grossed in about $550 million dollars world wide. The studio gets half that. The movie cost about $350 million to make, distribute, advertise, and dub. That means that Universal, sharing profits with Jackson's Wing Nut Pictures as well as a group of investors in the film under the umbrella of Big Primate Pictures, got only 275 million dollars. Now that's really damn good money! For a $100 million dollar film, which, in itself, is a very high budget.

So guess what happened yesterday? After spending millions of dollars on a preview collector's box KING KONG (containing a DVD which has essentially what the 2 disc KING KONG movie DVD has - and it didn't sell well), and spending over $15 million to make and distribute the KING KONG DVDs, both single and 2 disc, Peter Jackson's KING KONG became the highest selling first week DVD ever, selling 6.5 million units to a tune of $100 million dollars! The studio, again, gets about half that, making it $50 million. So after becoming one of the biggest selling movies world wide, of all time, and after becoming the biggest selling DVD of all time, KING KONG might just break even in 3 weeks.

Remember all of that money the next time some Hollywood fluffheads bitch about the stupid things Americans are spending their money on, when they could be helping the poor.

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APRIL 4

Feo Amante

GEEK R@WK
I was a guest on Geek Rawk last night, MusicPlus TV's show on pretty much everything that could possibly interest a geek. Show co-host Kasey was out ill, so don't be writing me asking about her. I don't know. Don was there, so it was pretty much a sausage show.

Still, Don knew his stuff regarding Horror and I'm always intrigued by people who felt genuinely scared by some book or movie that didn't even make a blip on my radar. This shows, still again, how critics, or even reviewers like me, can't possibly be the only voice concerning the quality of entertainment. You either find yourself in agreement with a reviewer or you don't. When you do, then you know you share a common perception and you can trust that person to let you know what's great and worthwhile in your shared interests.

Over 100,000 of you trust me every month, and that number is growing. So I appreciate your visits, making this site get noticed, and I'll really appreciate you dropping something in the tip jar up there where it says, Pay the Piper.

Hey! Where else can you go to get all this and a tin cup?

W.D. Gagliani

HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAY TO -
Actually, I have Lisa Mannetti of The Chancery House to thank for today's first birthday greeting, as I was blissfully unaware. I know Bill, of course, and now, you will too!
Writer W.D. Gagliani (SHADOWPLAYS, WOLF'S TRAP) is of indeterminate age, but apparently was born on this day. Hey Bill, write me and let me know!
Today's birthday boy is getting a pass based soley on his performance in a number of Thrillers made since 1999. Happy Birthday to
Actor Hugo Weaving (THE MATRIX - all, THE LORD OF THE RINGS - all, LITTLE FISH, V FOR VENDETTA) who is 46.

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APRIL 3

Feo Amante

START OF THE MONTH UPDATE
Okay, we're three days into April and this is what's happening.

According to Urchin 5.0, feoamante.com received over 102,000 Horror, Thriller, Mystery, and Suspense lovin' actual visitors world wide (that's y'all I'm talking about here!) who, in turn, visited over 244,000 pages. 49.41% of you were regular visitors - thanks gang! - and 50.59% of you were unique visitors (possibly new), so welcome!

For those of you at MySpace that I rejected (MySpace.com/Feoamante), sorry - and tough! I'm there to make, meet and greet fans of Horror, Thriller, Mystery, and Suspense. So if you are a "Fun chick" who is a "Jazz fan" (and actually, I really love jazz but that's beside the point), looking for friends to "party with, lol!", and especially if you've got friggin' Hello Kitty images anywhere on YOUR MySpace site, then keep it movin', sister! This goes the same for guys looking for "fun older men ;)". Y'all can keep moving.

Here are the folks I wanted to be in MySpace friend's list for the month of March.

Kevin "By God" McQueen

Kevin "By God" McQueen.
I met this guy in line at the premier of the remake of THE HILLS HAVE EYES (review at girlsandcorpses.com). We got to talking about horror, which was a good start. We introduced ourselves and he said something to the effect of "My God! You're Feo Amante!" I smiled benignly and laid a benediction upon his humble head. It turns out that Kevin produces a show called GeekR@wk, on the cable network, MusicPlusTV. I'll be appearing on the show this Monday, April 3, at about 9:30pm. The show will be saved at the website, MusicPlusTV.com. So if you don't get the cable channel, you can still check it out after the fact. I'll supply the links here, because I'm just that cool.

James Newman

James Newman
James is actually a published author and we've covered him here at feoamante.com when I did a review of his chapbook, HOLY ROLLERS. In fact, James has even wrote a few reviews for us.
GODHEAD: 2000 Years Of Human Error
DANZIG 777: I, LUCIFERI
and more. Now James has novels out in bookstores, like MIDNIGHT RAIN and NIGHT OF THE LOVING DEAD (co-wrote with James Futch).

Ryan Harding

Ryan Harding
Horror author and Metal musician, Ryan got just under the gun on March 31. He hasn't appeared in the Myspace friends arena yet, so he might just be a MySpace April friend. Still he has done a lot of reviews here and even has a story posted, so check out a few.
Ryan Harding's BOTTOM FEEDER
IMPALED NAZARENE: NIHIL
DODHEIMSGARD: 666 INTERNATIONAL
ANGEL CORPSE: EXTERMINATE

More MySpace friends came in on April 1 through today, but that's for next month's update.

Feo Amante

FEO AMANTE, IN THE LITERAL SENSE
Recognition is always nice, even when it comes from unexpected places. Maybe ESPECIALLY when it comes from unexpected places.

The Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library of Ohio has a website (who doesn't?) and when directing readers to Horror literature resources online, offers six options. Feo Amante's Horror Home Page clocks in at #3. Pretty sweet! Thank you Cleveland!

From the University of Zaragoza, Spain, writer José Ángel García Landa, has written A Bibliography of Literary Theory, Criticism and Philology (11th Edition, 2006).

Among the many resources for his work, José lists Feo Amante.com in the Gothic Novel; Horror Fiction section. Thank you Sr. García Landa and Zaragoza!

WHEN DRONES SNIFF SUCCESS
(FeoNote: This announcement was a little thin, so I'd like to judiciously inject a bit of drama, only where necessary. Thanks for your indulgence)
TRAGICALLY, there is nothing worse for the End Boss of any organization than when one of their damn worker bees discover that they're more than their niche.

SADLY such a tragedy has befallen Tina Jens (THE BLUES AIN'T NOTHIN') of castle TWILIGHT TALES. Yes, this faithful leader employed a happy henchman named John Everson. John was a joyful little worker bee who knew his place within a much larger Oppressive Capitalist Organization like Twilight Tales (capitalist on the outside, but run like a soul-crushing communist state on the inside! Watch for mixed metaphors in this article!). According to Tina, John:
Designed book covers with a contemporary, snazzy look, that virtually jumped out at the reader.
And
Took over shipping and distribution when the records were in disarray and accounts had been allowed to lapse.
Also
Whipped incomplete records back into shape (he whipped them good! He whipped them REAL good!)
Designed a specialized database that ties invoicing, ordering, and inventory all together (Tina's new henchman, Martel, will do that part now).
Wassmor,
John designed a corporate look for T.T., in stationary, business cards, the website and invoices, carrying that over into the book line, catalogue, and print ads.
But then! HORROR struck! John won a 2005 Bram Stoker Award for his 2004 novel, THE COVENANT! He ... he began to realize his worth! His son Shaun was born (no foul to Tina or T.T., but hey, births are always a cause for celebration!)!

For you see, John Everson is THE John Everson. Author of such Horror works as FAILURE, VIGILANTES OF LOVE, CAGE OF BONES, and a myriad of short stories in various anthologies and magazines.

And now! <sob!> Now he's leaving his whip-cracking End Boss, Tina Jens and Twilight Tales! And after she let him help her edit SPOOKS! (wandering Trekkie fans take note: you have entered a Horror site, you bloated buncha rubes, and Spooks is not plural for Spock).

HORRIFICALLY and personally, I wish John the best. We shared an anthology in DECADENCE 2. Plus, he let me talk like Sean Connery into the ear of his delightful wife, Geri, at the World Horror Convention, 2002.

TEARFULLY, its a sad, sad day for Tina Jens. Oh, she's trying to keep up a brave face (as well as a seductively pouty lower lip), but the days of an organized and stringent politburo, at least at TWILIGHT TALES, are gone for now.

TODD IS SPAWNING MORE
2006 is quickly turning into a great year for Spawn comic fans. 2005 gave us the milestone 150th issue of Spawn, a new Spawn collection along with the much-anticipated release of the Image Anniversary hardcover. That was just a small taste of what we have in store for 2006. In late February, some lucky fans were able to get a first look at some of these projects during Todd McFarlane's panel at the New York Comic-Con.

Continued at Spawn.com

Feo Amante

GLOBAL WARMING HORROR
Want to write a Horror story about Global Warming? This should speed you on your way. The Times of India catches Greenpeace in a willful lie concerning their pet project du jour, Global Warming (make sure your browser won't accept pop-up ads 'cause HOO, do they try and lay them on ya!).

Global warming or global cooling?

Then famed scientist, Freeman Dyson (of the Dyson Sphere and Albert Einstein's Institute for Advanced Study) weighs in.

Freeman Dyson also showed, wa-ay back in 1979, that if there were such a thing as global warming, it could be solved (at a cost 1,000 times less than what the dysfunctional Kyoto Treaty demands), with 1970s technology. Famed (or infamous, depending on your pov) Nuclear physicist, Edward Teller, agreed.

Over at RealClimate.com, they'll have none of this. Their resident Global Warmer, William Connelly (also has a blog at STOAT, in fact, he runs seven blogs, all concurrently and is presently employed by the BAS as a climate modeller), in an effort to refute the old Global Cooling model of the 1940s - 1970s, actually uses heresay by quoting, misquoting, (and denouncing) Rush Limbaugh, quoting a 1975 Newsweek article, instead of actually quoting the Newsweek article itself (easily found, but hey, why not make a straw man and demigogue out of ol' Rush? That way you can claim that, if Rush Limbaugh - of all people got it wrong - why that tars every Global Warming skeptic! Intellectually honest, right?)! Connelly, while one of the major voices in the Global Warming debate, has not made a name for himself among his peers, for his intelligence, not even from his peers at his own University (William likes to make his scientific points by quoting the NIV Bible and ancient Chinese philosophers). His frequent, infantile name-calling toward those who disagree with him is becoming micro-legendary. William Connelly has also gained some kind of fame for using computer models that irrefutably prove that actual real-life climate patterns don't, in fact, exist. How can this be, you ask? How can you disprove reality? Because all computer climate models rely entirely on what information is fed into them. So if you don't supply all the correct information, the computer model works with what it has got. Basically, you can make your computer model say anything you want it to say. But other scientists, looking at your work, will know if you've cheated or not. That's probably why William has seven blogs, so he can take his results to the public, instead of peer review, (and he does this pretty much daily) and drown out his critics in search results. William likes to say that his models can accurately predict the climate for the next 100 years to within a single temperature change, in truth, his models cannot predict next week's climate with more than 50% accuracy, or, in other words, no better than a guess. In short, William appears to be a fraud like TeeVee psychic boob, Sylvia Brown. William can easily prove otherwise by taking a JREF type challenge. No money, but just to actually stand by what he claims. If his climate models work so well, then surely he can accurately predict the weather for the years 2007, 2008, and 2009 without a hitch. That's three years with four seasons. Go for it, Willie! Prove you actually know what you're talking about.

William also likes to quote Chris Mooney (whose own "intellectual honesty" was exposed here, in February of this year, in the article, Crichton Crises).

So now you've got your info and the pros and cons of the debate. Get to writing!

HAPPY HORROR / THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO:
Chip off the old Bava block,
Writer/Director/Producer/Actor Lamberto Bava (TERRORE NELLO SPAZIO, KILL BABY...KILL!, HATCHET FOR THE HONEYMOON, BAY OF BLOOD, BARON BLOOD, THE HOUSE OF EXORCISM, THE LAST SURVIVOR, TENEBRE, DEMONI, THE MIDNIGHT KILLER, DEMONI 2, SHOCK, MACABRO, A BLADE IN THE DARK, LA CHIESA, BODY PUZZLE, THE TORTURER) is 62.
And on Sunday -
In both TV and movies, today's birthday girl has largely directed her career toward work in the Horror / Thriller / Mystery / Suspense genres
Actor Lindy Booth (EERIE INDIANA [TV], TEENAGE SPACE VAMPIRES, THE SKULLS II, AMERICAN PSYCHO 2, ODYSSEY 5, WRONG TURN, DAWN OF THE DEAD [2004], CRY WOLF) and is 27 today.
This birthday boy hasn't turned his sights on our favorite genres in any specific way, yet he has been in some Horror classics - both good and cheesy - that are hard to ignore!
Actor Dabbs Greer (HOUSE OF WAX [1953], INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS [1956], THE VAMPIRE [1957], IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE, EVIL TOWN, PACIFIC HEIGHTS, SUNDOWN: THE VAMPIRE IN RETREAT, HOUSE IV, THE GREEN MILE) is 89.

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THE BREED Starring Adrian Paul (THE HIGHLANDER), Bokeem Woodbine, and Ling Bai (THE CROW), This Alternate History movie is part Horror, Part crime, part S.F. and all Vampires. From the screenplay by our own Christos N. Gage and Ruth Fletcher Gage.