Did This Short Inspire Adam Green's Frozen?

Unlike some people, I haven't seen the film yet, so I have to ask...

... is Adam Green's Frozen (2010) an "homage" to "The Ski Lift" episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm (from 2005)?

The Wit and Wisdom of John Carpenter

Compare and contrast the wit and wisdom of "internet pundits" with John Carpenter (from a recent interview on Moviemaker.com).

Internet Pundits (IP): "All these remakes of horror films are proof that Hollywood has run out of ideas."

Moviemaker (MM): What’s up with all these remakes? It feels as if your whole filmography is being recycled.

John Carpenter (JC): It’s a brand new world out there in terms of trying to get advertising. There’s so much going on that if you come up with a movie that people have never heard of they don’t pay attention to it — no matter how good it is. So it becomes, “Let’s remake something that maybe rings a bell and that you’ve heard of before.” That way, you’re already ahead.

IP: "Remakes should stay true to the spirit of the original film."

MM: Is it true that when you heard Rob Zombie was remaking Halloween, you gave him your blessing?

JC: Sure, why not? We talked about it. He told me what he had in mind, and I just said, ‘Make it your own film, man. Don’t worry about the original. Just do what you want to do.’

IP: "Rob Zombie is (to be polite) an untalented director."

MM: Do you feel better about it because he’s a director whom you like and trust?

JC: It’s not a question of trust. It’s not that I don’t trust anybody but Rob. He is fine to do it — he loves horror films, he’s a very talented guy and I like him personally.

IP: "Rob Zombie raped the Halloween franchise, John Carpenter and/or my childhood with his remakes."

MM: What was your reaction to the protest on Sunset Boulevard? It was reported that people were holding signs that said things like “Rob is raping a classic.”

JC: Aw, those are all homeless people. You can’t pay attention to that. They were panhandling.

MM: But those are your fans!

JC: Those are my only fans. They all live under freeways. Poor Rob. He gets a whole ration of shit from people. I don’t understand it.

IP: "Classic horror films don't need to be remade."

MM: Some just think this version is unnecessary.

JC: They’re not unhappy about Rick Rosenthal [who directed Halloween II and Halloween: Resurrection], but they’re pissed off about Rob? Please! The protests are only going to increase the number of people who go to see the movie—that’s all they’re going to do. Not my fans, because they can’t afford it—they’re just trying to get some money to buy drugs. (laughs) But everybody else will say, “I heard about that protest. We better go check it out.”

IP: "Torture porn is destroying modern horror."

MM: With the current wave of horror movies such as Hostel, Saw and The Hills Have Eyes scoring at the box office, it seems safe to assume that Halloween, Escape from New York and The Thing will likely be gorier and more violent than the originals. That’s ironic, considering that when The Thing  was released, it was attacked for having too much “pornographic violence.” I guess today’s audiences are more conditioned to handle that kind of intensity.

JC: Yeah, but that’s what happens. And that’s okay.

MM: Wow, you really don’t have a problem with any of this, do you?

JC: Why should I? I don’t understand what I’m supposed to be upset about.

I've been saying the same things for years. I had no idea how much I have in common with John Carpenter.

Zombies, Killer Leprechauns and Ray Harryhausen

Clear your DVRs - I just updated My Horror on TV Calendar.

Note: Networks that don't edit for television include Turner Classic Movies, Fox Movie Channel, HDNet and MGMHD.

The 2009 Cyber Horror Awards

Once again, Brian Solomon (from The Vault of Horror blog) has assumed the burden of using the disparate opinions of over 40 horror bloggers to determine the winners of  The 2009 Cyber Horror Awards.

Here are the nominees, my choices and the winners. Be sure to visit http://cyberhorrorawards.blogspot.com/ for Brian's commentary on why the winners deserved to win.

Ray Harryhausen Award for Best Visual Effects

Winner - Coraline
My Vote - Drag Me to Hell
Jennifer’s Body

I voted for Best Visual Effects in a Horror film. Read into that what you will.

Albert S. D'Agostino Award for Best Production Design

Winner - Steve Saklad, Drag Me to Hell
My Vote - Gareth Stover, Halloween 2
Nathan Amondson, Blood: The Last Vampire

Drag Me to Hell took place in some houses and a bank. Halloween 2 covered the gamut from hospitals to the inside of Michael's head. No contest.

Tom Savini Award for Best Makeup

Winner - Greg Nicotero, Drag Me to Hell
My Vote - Lene Bruksas, Ragnhild Prestholt, Gudmund Saksvik & Elisabeth Haugan Sorensen, Dead Snow
Scott Stoddard, Friday the 13th

I voted for Nazi zombies over talking goats - and I don't take it back.

Bernard Herrmann Award for Best Score

Winner - Christopher Young, Drag Me to Hell
Bruno Coulais, Coraline
Jeff Grace, I Sell the Dead

I didn't have strong feelings in the category, so I didn't vote.

Molly Arbuthnot Award for Best Costume Design

Winner & My Vote - Magali Guidasci, Zombieland
Isis Mussenden, Drag Me to Hell
Katia Stano, Jennifer’s Body

Once again, the zombies won. Go figure. ;)

Karl Freund Award for Best Cinematography

Winner & My Vote - Anthony Dod Mantle, Antichrist
Daniel Landin, The Uninvited
Peter Deming, Drag Me to Hell
Sharone Meir, Last House on the Left
Zoran Popovic, Grace

Love it or hate it, Antichrist is a great looking film.

Linnea Quigley Award for Best Supporting Actress

Winner - Lorna Raver, Drag Me to Hell
My Vote - Vera Farmiga, Orphan
Amanda Seyfried, Jennifer’s Body
Danielle Harris, Halloween 2
Ok-bin Kim, Thirst

Lorna Raver's performance was too over-the-top for me, but I'm unsurprised she won.

Dwight Frye Award for Best Supporting Actor

Winner - Bill Murray, Zombieland
My Vote - Brad Dourif, Halloween 2
Brian Cox, Trick ‘r Treat
Kyle Gallner, A Haunting in Connecticut
Noah Sagan, Deadgirl

Another unsurprising winner, but too comedic to win my vote in the Cyber Horror Awards.

Vincent Price Award for Best Actor

Winner - Woody Harrelson, Zombieland
My Vote - Willem Dafoe, Antichrist
Dylan Baker, Trick 'r Treat
Kang-Ho Song, Thirst
Peter Saarsgard, Orphan

See my previous comment.

Jame Lee Curtis Award for Best Actress

Winner & My Vote - Isabelle Fuhrman, Orphan
Alison Lohman, Drag Me to Hell
Emily Browning, The Uninvited
Jordan Ladd, Grace
Megan Fox, Jennifer’s Body

Isabelle Fuhrman did a great job. I never saw the final twist coming, yet it made perfect sense.

---

 As I stated in my review of Triangle, I'm a fan of non-linear, recursive storytelling. Trick ‘r Treat won my next three votes for pulling this off really well.

Curt Siodmak Award for Best Screenplay

Winner & My Vote - Michael Dougherty, Trick ‘r Treat
Craig Rosenberg, Doug Miro & Carlo Bernard, The Uninvited
Diablo Cody, Jennifer’s Body
Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick, Zombieland
Sam & Ivan Raimi, Drag Me to Hell

David Cronenberg Award for Best Director

Winner & My Vote - Michael Doughery, Trick 'r Treat
Chan-Wook Park, Thirst
Paul Solet, Grace
Ruben Fleischer, Zombieland
Sam Raimi, Drag Me to Hell

Val Lewton Award for Best Film

Winner & My Vote - Trick 'r Treat
Drag Me to Hell
Grace
Thirst
Zombieland

Once again, be sure to visit http://cyberhorrorawards.blogspot.com/ for Brian Solomon's insight into why the winners won in each category.