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Showing posts from March, 2020
💀💀The Age Of Gods And Monsters lives on in the hearts and imaginations of those that wish to keep it alive. Ghoulish Grin Films is a small entity but its heart is on fire with the ghosts of old. It is an entity that cherishes the classics and gives it a modern platform. Long Live Indie Horror! 💀💀 Welcome to the site...and thank you for your support! Enjoy!

"FORSAKEN" [Arthouse Horror]

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The new release from Ghoulish Grin Films, "FORSAKEN" has been released for streaming on YouTube, Vimeo, and the Jess Solis Film Freeway profile. The only proper label for an experimental piece like this is 'Arthouse Horror.' It is the expression of the current times and the definition of underground...my old stomping grounds. Or perhaps I've just been here all along and just decide to embrace what I am. Who knows. This whole year (so far) has been a 'who knows.' But even then I can still see the light. I hope you can too. https://vimeo.com/402596248 https://filmfreeway.com/FORSAKEN460 A note from Director Jess Solis.

O Captain My Captain (Happy Birthday William Shatner!)

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An icon of science fiction, William Shatner is an Emmy Award winning television veteran and author of several science fiction novels. A classically trained Shakespearian actor, he appeared on stage and landed many different television roles, including my favorite...an appearance on "The Twilight Zone." He's even dropped some outlandishly odd music. Treat yourself and watch some of his musical performances. But to everyone that recognizes him, whether casually or not, he will always be Captain James T. Kirk of The U.S.S. Enterprise. That original show created an entire culture of Trekkers who live the life of Star Trek and the values that Gene Roddenberry brought to that universe. Shatner's performance as Captain Kirk brought a leading man swagger with the wisdom of a leader of the future. Many a comedian and impressionist lovingly mocked his pausing style of acting, but in moments in the shows and films he showed solid chops and...isn't imitation the fondes...

The Cinematic Birth Of The Monster (Edison's "Frankenstein 1910")

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On March 18th 1910 Edison Studios, owned by entrepreneur and inventor Thomas Edison, released a 14 minute adaptation of Mary Shelley's legendary "Frankenstein." It is the first adaptation of the modern mythos, setting the stage for future adaptations and cementing the legacy of the story. The film was originally believed to have been lost, like many other silent films. It was purchased in the '50's by a film collector and in the '70's came to light as a discovered and important gem. Now, like all silent films originating before 1924 has fallen into the public domain. This silent film may not have the chill factor for todays modern horror fans, but like many other silent horror films it holds a fascination factor that modern films can rarely capture. Enjoy this bit of cinematic history as the great majority of us catch up on our viewing. It's a great time to become aware of our history of horror, science fiction, and fantasy through these historic...

A 2020 Virtual St. Patrick's Day!

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Amid our trying times, things have been shut down. Let me correct myself...EVERYTHING'S been shut down. The absolute opposite compared to last years St. Patrick's Day. Remember last year's St. Patrick's Day? Like any other previous year. A fun parade. People dressed in festive green. Eating Irish dishes. And yes...drinking. An all around great day. And now a fundamental change to our way of life has just put that to a standstill. So...what do we do? Just throw our hands up? Or do we make the most of a strange and lonesome situation. I say the latter! Let us heal our bladders and livers and enjoy the source of this holiday. And I don't mean the man himself (yes, I know he's British). Let us celebrate the art, tradition, and music of The Irish! I grew up loving Celtic music (still adore it) and it's magic can heal our hearts. In these times let us make the most of it. Enjoy your day with music and love. Please be safe and enjoy your St. Patrick...

Demons & Wizards III - A Trilogy Of Metal Greatness

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When I heard two of my favorite metal heroes, Hansi Kursch of Blind Guardian and Jon Schaffer of Iced Earth, were teaming up for a supergroup called Demons & Wizards, I was more than ready for what they had to offer. And in 2000 the release of the now classic debut album gave me a combination of Schaffer's lightning fast riffage and Kursch's soaring vocals to songs that hold up to all of the great metal music from days past. Listen to "Fiddler on the Green" for an example of their greatness. Because of their main bands still being active, it would take five years for a follow-up. But "Touched By The Crimson King" was worth it. A worthy follow-up to the classic debut album, it had it's own collection of classic jams with the same winning formula. Then...silence. Iced Earth and Blind Guardian were always the priority, and new music from those two legendary metal bands would take up their time. But many wanted that third album. But we also wonder...

Movie Theaters "A Quiet Place" (Part 2 Delayed)

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We're now seeing a temporary 'new normal.' Major events being cancelled. Seasons cancelled. Distancing. It's a very anxious and uncertain period not just now but in the coming months. And this is spilling into the box office. I was able to see "The Invisible Man" when it came out but in the back of my mind I was still thinking of world events and how they may shape the coming months. And it seems as if theaters will definitely get hit. "A Quiet Place 2" has been delayed until our collective leadership starts to get a hold of the panic and uncertainty. When that happens? Who knows. I know we're all hoping it's sooner rather than later. As many close to me know I'm a big theater goer. There's nothing like going to the movies in a theater with an enthusiastic crowd, enjoying a film on the big screen. The environment, the fandom. It's for many (including myself) an escape from the problems of the real world. Now the real worl...

"Invisible Man 2020" - A Return To Form For Universal

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I went into the theater ready to see the 2020 adaptation of H.G. Wells' "The Invisible Man" with expectations, I won't lie. I knew the reviews were great, and being a fanatic for the Universal Monsters era, I wanted perhaps more than it could potentially offer. To my delight it gave me all I wanted. The opening sequence (as I try not to spoil anything) had the feel of a Universal Monster movie in a modern setting. I was actually quite shocked at how well they were able to capture that classic feel in a modern setting. From that point on I was ready for an instant classic. And that's what I think Universal gave me. It's been a long time coming. Over the years they've had some films from the properties that were fantastic (Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 retelling "Bram Stoker's Dracula) and Kenneth Branagh's 1994 retelling of "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein), at least fun ("Van Helsing" and the Brendan Fraser "Mummy...