Short films are sometimes a tricky thing to create for an aspiring filmmaker. I'm one of them, and understand the process all too well. Many struggle to fit all their ideas into a 10-or-15-minute window. That's the vibe I got from Goodnight, Halloween; they're trying to fit a full movie into a quarter of the time. There's clearly a whole dystopian fantasy world the filmmakers wanted to explore, but couldn't due to time restrictions. This leads to a heavy emphasis on world building, to the detriment of its other aspects. The characters and plot aren't as fleshed out as they could be, leaving this story flashy, but shallow. That's unfortunate, because the lack of interesting characters, and good flow, are exactly what keep a viewer from being interested in the world you're trying to build. All in all, I do like where they were going with the story, but I think this one needed a little more time in the over to balance it out. I'd still call Goodnight, H...

Halloween might have been Saturday night, but we're still celebrating here at From The Basement with this, the podcast version of our annual Halloween Spooktacluar. This year, Jason and Shawn welcome filmmaker Brian Avenet-Bradley, the writer and co-director of the indie horror hit -- and Basement fave -- Echoes of Fear ! Brian discusses the real-life scares he and his wife/filmmaking partner Lo Avenet-Bradley experienced in their home, and how these provided a good portion of the Echoes of Fear script. Just how much the haunted-house thriller is based on real life? Stick with us! And stick around, as The Basement Boys welcome back Dusan Magdolen of the Kamloops Film Society to update listeners on November's programming at the Paramount Theatre. And Mike S provides one last horror-themed review in the form of The Last Broadcast, and early found-footage movie Brian has a surprise connection to. You get to hear it all too, for the low price of free, by pushing play on the player ...

It's the night before Halloween, and those cool cats at From The Basement have a pre-Halloween treat for listeners to the mighty Radio NL 610 AM Kamloops. That's right, it's time for Jason and Shawn's annual Halloween Spooktacular, and they've brought someone who knows a thing or two about scaring people into the studio this eve. Brian Avenet-Bradley (pictured above with actress and past-Basement guest Trista Robinson) wrote and co-directed the brilliant indie horror flick Echoes of Fear . And tonight he shares the creepy stories that prompted him to write this acclaimed chiller. That's right, the haunted-house thriller was inspired by events that really happened to Brian and his wife/filmmaking partner Lo Avenet-Bradley, and you're going to hear them tonight. What are they? Stick with us! And don't you dare touch that dial, as The Basement Boys welcome back Dusan Magdolen of the Kamloops Film Society as he provides a rundown on what films will screen at...

We're pretty stoked to put our support behind the upcoming horror release The Call, starring genre icons Tobin Bell (Saw) and Lin Shaye (Insidious). And we've got a slick interview coming up to tie into the film's Halloween release. The Call opens everywhere tomorrow, Oct. 30. That's right; you can watch Timothy Woodward Jr.'s retro flick in drive-ins, premium VOD and Digital right before All Hallow's Eve. And this one comes from the creator of Final Destination, so along with its stars, the pedigree is good! What's it about? In the fall of 1987, a group of small-town friends must survive the night in the home of a sinister couple after a tragic accident brings them to the couple's door. Bell and Shaye play the couple, and the friends are played by Chester Rushing, Erin Sanders, Mike Manning and Sloane Morgan Siegel. Shawn and I have the pleasure of interviewing the talented and beautiful Erin Sanders (below) for next week's Basement broadcast! Erin ...

I'm admittedly a little late to the party when it comes to chiming in on Adam Sandler's latest comedic vehicle, the Halloween-themed Hubie Halloween. That's primarily because I've never been a huge fan of Sandler's antics and this flick, which is very much a throwback to his earliest efforts, just felt out of place in today's times. But, after Shawn railed against Hubie Halloween on last week's From The Basement broadcast (he turned the film off after five minutes), I decided to check it out. I just had to see how bad the movie is. Hubie Halloween does get off to a shaky start, and I too wanted to turn it off after five to 10 minutes. All we get at the outset are people being mean to Sandler's simple minded Hubie Dubois, and that got old fast. But once things slip into gear, and Hubie sets out to save his town from not only a potential werewolf, but a Michael Myers-like serial killer, the film won me over. Hubie Halloween ended up being funny, and it had...

October. It's a time when the leaves start to fall, and the air gets crisper. It's a time when mysterious fogs start to roll through the trees, and strange sounds echo from the bushes. It's a time when the veil between the Living and the Dead tears a little. It's a time when The Basement brings you " Halloween Day by Day "! That's right, we're back for a FULL MONTH of horror related news and reviews!  The gang has some great treats for you... and maybe a trick up their sleeves. What sort of stuff do we have to offer this year?  Well- let's reach into the candy bowl, and find out: Mike S will be bringing you horror book reviews every Tuesday, and comic reviews on Saturdays.  Mondays will see him counting out some of his " Top Five Lists ", while checking out " The Omen " movies on Wednesdays.  Friday's is "tip and sip time" as he kicks back and samples some horror and October themed brews.  And don't worry - he ...

I know it's April, but we ARE half way to Halloween... so it seemed like a good opportunity to travel back to 1986 and watch the under-seen horror flick Trick or Treat. Not to be confused with Michael Dougherty's cult classic, this Trick or Treat takes place during the hair-metal-and-Satanic-panic craze of the mid to late 80s, and features a great soundtrack by Fastway. Like many horror movies of the era, this one has few scares, is played partly for laughs, but still manages to entertain. The film is about a high-school outcast who's haunted by the spirit of his dead rock-n-roll hero. At first, the spirit helps the outcast get back at his tormentors... then things get nasty. Marc Price is great as our hero, and reminds me of a lot of kids I knew in high school. Tony Fields is also good as Sammi Curr, the dead rock god. He manages to bring the right amount of menace and metal cool. And yes, that's Gene Simmons as a DJ and Ozzy Osbourne as a Bible-thumping, ant...

Reading is a big part of my daily routine during this COVID-19 business, and I'm tearing through a book a week at the moment. So I figured it was high time to dust off the weekly Book Review, and provide like-minded peeps with some possible reading material. Being a huge fan of the Halloween franchise, I was stoked to get my mitts on a copy of Dustin McNeill and Travis Mullins Taking Shape: Developing Halloween From Script to Scream. It traces each film's journey from script to screen, and includes interviews with the directors, writers, producers, cinematographers and even the authors who penned the novelizations. As you can tell, this is a pretty in-depth read. You learn everything you'd ever want to know about the franchise, including all the behind-the-scenes shenanigans that resulted in some of the best -- and worst -- movies. To be honest, it's a miracle some of these films were ever made. As a fan, this is a fascinating read. I enjoyed the stories behind ...

Sure, we're all shut in right now, but that doesn't mean there isn't something to celebrate. What's worth celebrating, you ask? April is a week away, and do you know what April represents? Six months to Halloween, bitches! And the fine folks at Shudder are taking this six-months-to-Halloween thing seriously, as they've got a number of gruesome goodies on deck for April to celebrate with Halfway to Halloween Month! Check it: -the premiere of a new Shudder Original Series, Cursed Films. This a five-part documentary exploring myths and legends behind some of Hollywood's notoriously cursed horror movies like The Omen and The Crow -an all-new season of The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs, with a weekly hosted double feature streamed live on ShudderTV -the long-awaited second season of the hit Australian series Wolf Creek -the Friday the 13th collection: including the first eight movies in the franchise -the return of Shudder's Halloween Hotlin...

I'm honoured to know Lindsey CH. Her and I train together in boxing and kickboxing. In addition to being (literally) a kick-ass martial artist and fighter, she's an amazingly talented musician, focused on piano and violin. In the spirit of the season (pun intended), I wanted to share with Basement Dwellers her rendition of John Carpenter's classic Halloween theme. It's beautifully done, and Lindsey has a bit of fun with it, as the below video attests. Thanks, Lindsey, for letting us share your talent with our audience. Much appreciated! Enjoy, and stick with us! View this post on Instagram Happy Halloween!🎃👻🎬 Swipe right for Bloopers😁👉👉👉👉👉👉👉👉👉 • • • @brilliantmusicians • • @ornyadams • • • #halloween #halloween2019 #happyhalloween #music #musicvideo #musician #musica #musically #musicians #musicvideos #musicartist #musicislife #instamusic #violin #musicproducer #vancouver #vancouvertalent #yvr...

It's been a while since I'd seen this classic, so I wondered how well it holds up. And I must say, it holds up quite well! 1978's Halloween is much more of a suspenseful slasher flick than later sequels might suggest. Rather than focus on spectacular kills, the film spends its time building Michael's presence. It feels like he's always somewhere in every camera shot, watching and waiting. Adding to this is good 'ole Doctor Loomis, as played by Donald Pleasance. His cold, frightful monologues help you, the viewer, believe Michael might be more than a man. Of course, as this series would go on, our boy Loomis would remain the highlight of each film. Last, but not least, we have the excellent score. It's simple and effective, creating a tense atmosphere with mostly a piano and synth. It amazes me it only took three days for John Carpenter to compose the music for the whole film. All in all, this movie deserves its classic status. This one is a Good, a...

So the big day is upon us. The scariest day of the year. It's Halloween, and we're all entitled to one good scare. Mike S is going to wrap up our Halloween Day by Day his own way, and Marcus Flor has a trick or treat up his sleeve, but I thought it would be fun to share my Top 5 Heroes of Halloween; those characters -- good or bad -- who best represent the holiday, at least to me. So let's get down to business, in no particular order: Laurie Strode As portrayed by Jamie Lee Curtis, Laurie is the very embodiment of perseverance, empowerment and sincerity. She is the most recognized Final Girl, and went from being a sweet, innocent babysitter to one of the toughest, most believably broken survivors in film history. She's vulnerable, but there's never any doubt she could kick ass. I like all of the character's incarnations. It's Laurie and Jamie Lee. It just works. Michael Myers A force of pure evil. A killer without mercy. The less we know ...

Did you honestly think I'd let this year's " Halloween Day by Day " go by without covering THIS particular theme? Shame on you, ye of little faith! John Carpenter's musical theme to his first movie is just a masterpiece of horror-movie music.  It's a pulse quickening, uneasy melody that matches your racing heart and panicked thoughts.  It always sounds as if it's coming from the shadows behind you- just like the stealthy stalking of Michael Myers himself.  The different layers of tones and melodies keeps changing sides, and makes you look over your shoulder at any little sound in your empty house. This theme is the sound of slow, inevitable fear and death coming for the unwary- relentless in it's approach, unyielding in its mission, uncompromising in its plans for you. It is the sound of " Halloween ", the night death came home. My words can't do this piece of music justice, really.  Just listen to it below, and simply enjoy!...

'Twas the weekend before Halloween, and all through the house, some creatures are stirring... and they aren't a mouse... or mice... or whatever... But Jason and Shawn are back with a Halloween special designed to hit you right in your creep-out zone as they review Patrick Lussier and Todd Farmer's latest effort, Trick! Lussier and Farmer were originally tasked with crafting a sequel to Rob Zombie's two Halloween movies. That flick didn't happen, but the talented duo obviously had a Halloween-themed story to tell. Is their new movie as good as My Bloody Valentine 3D and Drive Angry? Stick with us! And stick around as The Basement Boys sound off on their Top 5 things to watch this Halloween. There's some expected flicks and TV shows on the list, and some that might surprise you. Either way, Jason and Shawn have some choice viewing ideas that might help you plan your post-trick-or-treat watch. Throw in some commentary on the latest movie trailers, a revie...

Halloween is less than a week away, and true to the spirit of the season, there's one scary movie hitting theatres this weekend hoping to cash in on the holiday. And Jason and Howie are going to tell you all about it, plus a new crime thriller, when From The Basement hits the Radio NL 610 AM Morning Show at 7:20 this morning. The scary movie is called Countdown, and it's about an App that predicts when you die. Yes, there's an App for everything these days. Can Countdown deliver the seasonal goods? Stick with us! Not in the mood for something scary? Then there's the cop flick Black and Blue starring Naomie Harris. It looks quite good, and is racially charged. Maybe that's your thing? Throw in the rundown on what's worth watching at home and you've got yourself a segment! So tune in via the AM dial, or the player to your right. It's radio that's so awesome, you'll be awesomed out by its awesomeness.

Some movies are critic proof. I'd hypothesize most horror and action movies, and comedies, fall into that category. And that's because fans go in knowing what they want and, as long as they get it, they're happy. The new slasher pic Trick is one such movie. Director Patrick Lussier, who wrote this with long-time writing partner Todd Farmer, has crafted a violent, gory Halloween-based slasher that is exactly what we want such a film to be; a violent, gory Halloween-based slasher. If you go in wanting anything more than that... well, then I can't help you. Lussier and Farmer made the brilliant My Bloody Valentine 3D and the fun Drive Angry. They wear their sensibilities on their sleeves, and those sensibilities are, for the most part, on display here. Police gun down a masked killer on Halloween night in 2015, but the killer comes back every year to kill again, working his way toward the survivors and cops who shot him. I lost track of the body count after 30 mi...

I'm not usually about all-cap headlines in The Basement. It's the former mainstream journalist in me. You just don't do it... But, when we're talking about our Terrifying Twitter Tweet-a-long Extravaganza, you go all caps, or you go home. It's that simple. Mike S is madly in the middle of our Terrifying Twitter Tweet-a-long Extravaganza as I write this. Like almost nine hours in! I don't know how the man does it, but he does it. He's tweeting about 30 Days of Night at the moment. We encourage you all to stop in and pay him a visit. Follow along for the remained of the day, or just say hello from time to time. His tweets are funny and informative. It's all about being entertaining. We're over at @camethebasement , and he's tweeting until the midnight hour. You can also find Mike S and his tweets at #24HourHorrorMovieTweetAlong. Stick with us! Source: Twitter

The Halloween season is in full swing, our Halloween Day by Day articles are killing it, so why not keep the seasonal mood alive with a groovy trailer full of creepy goodness. As always, not a question; a statement. Christopher M. Carter's film offers a trio of Halloween-themed tales that take place -- you guessed it -- One Night in October. See what I did there? Pretty clever, right? Shutting up now and letting you watch: Looks like we're gonna get some definite low-budget chills when this flick hits Digital and VOD Oct. 15. One Night in October stars Jessica Morgan, Casey Norman and Rachel Netherton. What say you? Gonna check One Night in October out? Source: Wild Eye Releasing

There's been considerable debate among Halloween fans these last 12 months about which franchise reboot is better, David Gordon Green's Halloween (2018) or Steve Miner's Halloween H20: 20 Years Later. I say they're both great. Decidedly different, but great. I've sang the praises of Green's film before , but haven't revisited H20 in some time. Thankfully a window of time opened recently, and I was able to give it a watch. It was interesting watching a movie that came out 20 years after the original... some 20 years later. Much like Carpenter's classic did in 1998, this flick aged well. There's a few gripes; like all versions of the Myer's mask -- yup, they used multiple masks in this one -- suck. It just never looks good, especially the CGI one that appears in one shot. And Chris Durand tries hard to be a good Michael, but he doesn't quite pull it off. He just doesn't move right. I concede, the sequence where he surprises Laurie...

Our Mad Twit is at it again. Mike S got his start in The Basement tweeting along to our live broadcasts at CFBX 92.5 FM The X. Hard to believe that was nine years ago! Since then he's moved on to writing articles for this site and doing pre-taped reviews for the podcast. Well, he's back in Twitter mode this Sunday. Yuppers, Mike is taking over our Twitter account for a 24-hour, live-tweet horrorthon. In other words, he's watch non-stop horror movies for a day, and tweeting along to them. Madness, you say? Maybe, but Mike is all about the horror-movie madness and tweeting, so it seems like a marriage made in hell. The fun kicks off at 12 a.m. on Oct 13 and doesn't end until the 13th. You can follow the fun @camethebasement and engage with Mike throughout the tweet-a-long. He encourages interaction and participation. Big thanks to Mike for coming up with the idea and taking it on. It's much appreciated, amigo. Stick with us! Source: Twitter