What would you do in a Zombie apocalypse?

Last night I had the most intense of dreams, the likes of which I haven't had for quite some time. To be frank, I blame the fact that this week was also the week of the season finale of The Walking Dead, though in truth the dream was frightening not just because of the Zombies, Negan et al - no it was also frightening for another reason. 

The dream began with myself and a couple of others in a Spaceship (of course it did) as we slowly descended back to Earth. The ship resembled on of those old school Flash Gordon type depictions of a space capsule, inside it was all metallic silver and contained hundreds of flashing lights - none of which actually seemed to serve a purpose. I can't remember who the others were with me in the dream, but as events transpired that doesn't really matter as they didn't 'stay around too long'. As the ship descended it became clear that we were over some small town and we were about to land in one of the main streets - the problem was that there were hundreds of Zombies all over the bloody place!

Naturally, as it was my dream, I immediately took charge and grabbed my pump-action shotgun (I wonder what Sigmund Freud would say that symbology?) and told the others that as soon as we landed we would have to fight our way through the hoards in order to reach my house where we would have access to any number of tasty weapons to help us devise a safety plan.

And so fight our way through the Zombie hoard we did. Well, I did, because my fellow humans quickly became Zombie fodder as I heroically and skilfully dispatched one creature after another as I made the way to my house. Believe me, I don't usually have such intense, frightening and exciting dreams, but up to this point this one was a doozy! 

I knew that as soon as I got to my house I would be safe - but then disaster! The door to my house was already open and it was completely bare! I turned around in the hallway, empty shotgun in my hand (shut up, Sigmund!) to face the Zombie hoard with nothing else to use to save me.........and there the dream ended.

One day I'll be as cool as these two.... but not today.

I don't know about you, but there was a time when I was getting a little impatient for the Zombie apocalypse to start. It's all the fault of The Walking Dead, and not just the TV programme. I discovered the Graphic novels a couple of years after they first appeared back in the dim and distant days of 2003. Yes, yes I know......once again I was quite ineptly behind the times, which certainly wasn't the first or last time that I would be. To be precise it was the summer of 2006 in which I first discovered the stunning artwork and storytelling that depicted a world where an unknown apocalyptic event has transformed the majority of the human population into slobbering, rotting flesh-eating zombies.

You have to remember, that this was a time when the contemporary horror scene was yet to find itself surrounded by a collection of shiny sparkling vampires, shuffling lumbering zombies or towns full of impossibly good-looking people in search of blood that is true. No, in those far more innocent times the comic book adventures of Kentucky Deputy sheriff Rick Grimes, a man who is wounded in his police role and emerges from a short coma to see his world now infested with undead, was for me a hugely enjoyable trip into gory zombie fantasy land. This story of Rick, his family and small group of fellow survivor who spend each day trying to adapt and simply survive in this crazy new world, was simply intoxicating. As you can tell, the effect that it's had on me may not be entirely healthy.

So when the apocalypse finally comes here in Scotland, It isn't that I want to see the near total decimation of the human race happen - though there are a good few number of people on my personal dislike list who I sincerely hope get their come-uppance by getting their face eaten off by a zombie..... very slowly and very painfully. 

No, it's simply that once the inevitable apocalypse does happen, I've always been pretty sure that not only will I survive it but I would also no doubt be taking a leading role in gathering the remnants of humanity together. Yes indeed, though I could never quite decide if I would be the charismatic and forceful leader who pulls a ragtag collection of individuals together with his ingenuity and forceful character (not to mention rugged good looks), or whether I might be the distant yet charismatic loner that helps bind the group together with his sense of purpose and charm (and rugged good looks).

I want one of these outside my house....

The one thing that was certain in my fevered little mind is that I would be suitably heroic. It was inevitable.

However, nowadays I'm not so sure that that would be the case and in part it's the dream that finally confirmed it. No I wouldn't be the hero leading his group to safety (or in the TWD season finale, to a battering from Lucille). In truth I think that I would be that lonesome figure (probably on his sweet way to becoming as mad as a box of Frogs), holed up in his house with food, water and enough stuff in my house to satisfy any sort of Zombie apocalypse security plan

So the morning after the dream I began thinking of how best I would I manage if it all actually happened today and I had to defend my home from the Zombies  - well it keeps me off the streets if nothings else. So hopefully without falling into the trap of producing a Macauley Culkin Home Alone scenario, here's some of the things my feverish little mind came up with......

The first thing I wondered was whether, seeing as though I don't have a fire engine with usable water hose outside my house, my current security alarm would provide a suitable first line of defence. Now before the local burglars in my area start thinking that my alarm system is in need of replacement, it isn't. I had it checked over by professionals some time ago and they concluded that it was perfect for burglar and general safety protection. However they seemed reluctant for some reason to confirm whether my security system was any use in protecting me from zombie home invasion - apparently the zombie apocalypse is not covered in the paperwork agreement. Who knew?

So I immediately decided on two possible plans of action. My first task was to see whether an upgrade to my home security system was an option, however I soon became bored of working through the number of online options. The best seemed to be a site called Simplisafe.com which has an package option that even includes some professional type people coming to your home when required.

Last minute security plan - Living room defence

It all looked great, but I decided for now to go with the second plan of action; namely to think about hiding myself away with just the things that I currently have lying about my house. It is these that I would use to heroically defend myself and my loved ones from those dastardly flesh eaters.

There is however just one small problem with this second option, I'm just not very good at that self sufficient stuff. Robinson Crusoe, Castaway - two stories where a stranded individual builds all sorts of life-saving contraptions using little more than a few stick and stone tools to leave him almost entirely self sufficient. No not me, I'd probably be dead within a week, either from starvation after eating the wrong type of fruit or after my very badly built treehouse had collapsed on its first night to break my neck.

Thankfully the area of Scotland where I live is known for it's Granite stone, in fact I live 45 miles north of 'The Granite City', otherwise known as Aberdeen. As a consequence my house, being an old house made of granite is as solid as a, er, rock. I'm pretty sure that if you had told the early house builders that when they decided to use granite as a building source a handy side effect was that it would also be well on the way to being Zombie proof, well frankly they would have looked at you with a blank stare. Well, OK, so it may not be 100% zombie proof, but at least it would give me a chance to put into action my 5-step security plan to survive the apocalypse.

Step 1 - Credit card to buy stuff

After years of studying zombie apocalypse law it seems clear to me that in the event of a full on type outbreak of Zombieism society would have maybe a week before everything we know and love collapsed. You know, general law & order, the emergency services, the Internet & Burger King would soon disappear into a chasm of social panic. All that would be left would be having to make life of death decisions such as choosing whose group of insane psychopathic human survivors you were going to take up with.

Well not for me matey, because as I mentioned I would be taking refuge in my home and never ever leaving. So, I reckon I have a week before all goes to crap, not just because it's the estimated length of time before the fabric of society begins to crumble but also it's about how long I anticipate that my house would hold out against the Zombies. So how would I best use this time? Well my cunning plan would be to credit the crap out of my credit card and buy as much stuff from those well known online stores, Simplisafe security systems, weapons, food etc etc etc - after all, there's apparently nothing but nothing these days that you can't buy online.

I know that not all of it would get through -  for a start the poor postman may struggle against the increasing zombie hoards.... but in a few days I reckon I could order enough provisions to fill my three upstairs rooms. It's not as if I would have to worry about not being able to pay off my card bill. Genius.

Last minute security plan - Kitchen defence

Step 2 -  Defend the living room

A week has gone by, the granite walls and thick wooden door have held steady for a while, but now the pesky zombies are inside. Once again I have to rely on my knowledge of zombie lore. The way to be sure of despatching one back to the grave is to give them something big, sharp or heavy to the brain. Luckily I have a cunning plan here too because, not only is my house old, so too is the heating system - in other words I have a coal fire heater. It's all so straightforward ......heat the fire up........stick some of this coal handling appliances in the fire........ and when they're hot enough take the red hot fire appliances (wearing protective gloves of course) and poke the hell out of zombie heads!

This should keep me going for a day or so, especially as I'm an avid reader and so have enough books in the room the heat that baby up good and proper!

Step 3 - Defend the kitchen

Naturally the protection of the first room wouldn't last forever....so the next line of defence is the kitchen - or as I like to call it, the zombie death room. Honestly, if the health and safety brigade were to some day bring in legislation to guard against unsafe implements then our kitchens would be practically empty! I'm sure that I'm not alone, but in mine I have knives of all sizes and sharpness, forks, fruit veg peelers, cheese graters, blow torch (to caramelise), meat cleaver, corkscrews, lobster cracker, egg slicer, meat grinder, nutcracker, food blender......to name but just a few.

Seriously, it's enough to fill any killer's pleasure kill room and there's more than enough in there to make sure the flesh eating intruders get a good thorough bashing to the head.

Step 4 - Lure them to the garden shed

In a month or so I will have lived in my home for exactly 10 years. The one thing that still hasn't changed from when I moved in is the design of my garden. The chap who lived here before me built a nice narrow long garden with pretty flower beds bordering a very narrow path all the way down to the bottom...... in other words, a perfect zombie killing area!! Once again, like the kitchen, the common all garden has enough implements of death to satisfy all levels of bloodthirsty endeavour......spades, hammers, pitchforks, axes......... and more!

Last minute security plan - Garden defence

It's simple, lure the zombies along the kill path, bash their brains in with my variety of garden tools until we get to the bottom of the garden and eventually to the shed. "Why the shed?" - I hear you ask....... because in the shed is the daddy of all zombie defence weapons - my trusty chainsaw!! The buggers will have no chance. The only fly in that particular ointment is my inept accident prone ability to hurt myself when I'm just doing ordinary zombie free gardening. It's debatable what would go first, the head of a zombie or  a hand of mine.

Step 5 - Go back in the house, hide upstairs.

After that, surviving the apocalypse gets even easier as I wait things out for a few years on my own and go steadily as mad as a box of frogs until the likes of Rick and Daryl have sorted out the mess.

It's almost too easy.......

This article can also be found via the 5D website www.5d-blog.com. There you can find a veritable feast of blog articles, news items, pictures and other mouth-watering salutations to the gods of the geeks and the nerds. We have now inherited the earth you know.

Portrait Of The Inner Mind

Way, way, way back in the deep dark days of 2013 I put together an article concerning a short independent film from Finland that quite frankly blew my mind. Ordinarily, I would now point you in the way of that article, however after reading it again myself I quickly thought the better of it. The fact is that it's not an especially well written example of my attempts at scribbling a few 5D thoughts - hmmm, I know what you're thinking, you are about to comment on the fact that three years later my attempts are still on the lame side of 'please don't give up the day job'...... well you may have a point, but I have definitely improved over the years - from outright abysmal all the way to barely mediocre, I'll settle for that.

So to save you from scrolling through the 5D archives, I'll do the work for you. The film in question was called Behind The Cross and tells the story of Father Michael, who when we join him in the movie, is already well down the road on his personal journey into the depths of insanity. To say that he is having a crisis of faith would be something of an under-statement.

It seems that a life that has been somewhat disturbed (courtesy of some horrifying flashback episodes to his childhood) has now manifested itself beyond simple spiritual breakdown and become the absolute definition of atrocity and horror. Father Michael's monstrous acts of violence and murderous depravity mirror his continuing ability to find a remaining link to his faith in the hope that god will still absolve him from the terrible sins he is committing.

So we have themes in this movie of sex, torture, insanity and religion. So no one to upset there then? Still not offended? Well if that wasn't enough, we also have scenes of a priest masturbating in his car, masturbating also to a shop mannequin and then urinating over his still sleeping gimp - Jolly good. Behind the Cross was a truly interesting film about the connection between the murderous mind of a madman and his religious existence. The film is rich in the symbolism of his faith and how it interacts with the priest's descent into insanity - this truly is a voyage into the ocean depths of a madman.

The film came courtesy of Finland's Tomi Kerminen, who under the auspices of his company has a clear aim, for MACABRE MEDIA's mission is to create, produce and give thrilling, scary, strange and of course a bit evil independent entertainment for all the horror lovers out there!

Tomi has described to me the style of his film as experimental, aggressive and even avant-garde. This can also be said in part for his latest offering Portrait Of The Inner Mind. 

He is not wrong.

Tomi told me earlier in the week that he is currently working his next 'longer short' film and in the meantime wondered whether I'd be interested in sharing my thoughts on a two minute film he made a little while ago. My instant reply was in the affirmative, however I soon began to wonder just how one reviews a film that barely lasts longer than my average romantic liaison? Hmmm, it's a tricky one.

Well let's start with the (very brief) synopsis:

" On average we have three to five dreams a night.

Most are quickly forgotten. But sometimes the dream is different... deeper.

It purifies you and soon you're hungry for more."

Portrait Of The Inner Mind is essentially a sequence of dreamlike images accompanied by a impassioned narrative from Bill Rogers which results in a piece of work that combines numerous interesting experimental elements of horror and art house.

There is something of a poetic quality to the film, which in truth should actually be no surprise as Tomi told me afterwards that the films origins lie in the desire to produce a short movie from a poem or a piece of writing by somebody. So instead of basing the film on anothers work he simply decided to write the thing himself and then shot the film in the Basque Country (northern Spain) - as you do.

If this film is taking us on a journey into the dreamlike state of Tomi's unconscious - well let's just say that there is a lot of deep dark stuff lurking down there! Because for a film that lasts just less than two minutes the viewer is constantly left guessing as to what the next visceral image will be and what the next philosophical question will follow from the narrative. Whether this is an attempt by the filmmaker to explore some interesting philosophical musings or whether this is simply a form of therapy for Tomi isn't clear. The one thing that is certain is the the dreamworld here offered by Tomi Kerminen is both enticing and fascinating.

Did I enjoy it? Yes I did. Did I completely understand it? No I didn't. However that's ok because for me true art asks its audience questions that may never produce a clear and concise answer. 

Have a look at the teaser trailer at the link RIGHT HERE to see for yourself.

The Facebook page for Mr Macabre can be found RIGHT HERE

You can also find out more information about Mr Macabre, Portrait Of The Inner Mind & Behind The Cross at the Macabre Media website RIGHT HERE

This article can also be found via the 5D website www.5d-blog.com. There you can find a veritable feast of blog articles, news items, pictures and other mouth-watering salutations to the gods of the geeks and the nerds. We have now inherited the earth, you know.

Interview with Peter Shinkoda

I've made it no secret in the past of my love for the greatest superhero of them all, Daredevil – Yes, he is and if anybody disagrees with me I’ll fight them in a vat of three day old custard until they relent.

I wrote about my obsession with the eponymous Devil of Hell’s Kitchen just last year in a rambling shambling blog piece which, if you have the inclination, you can read right here at http://stuart66.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/a-love-letter-to-daredevil.html. In the article I blathered on about my early fascination with the comic adventures of the superhero, my raging disappointment with the movie version (Yes, Colin Farrell, I’m talking about you) and my absolute delight at the television adaptation that graced our screens a year or so ago in a blaze of gritty superhero delight.

It was quite a popular blog piece  – I know that because none other than the redoubtable Vincent D’Onofrio, who was magnificent in the role of Kingpin, retweeted the link to my article saying that it was, and I quote, “Very cool”. Star-struck, Moi? You better believe I was! – In fact it's a year or so later and I’m still banging on about the retweet. Thanks to his couple of words (which in my mind I translated as "perhaps the greatest blog article about Daredevil that I have ever read") the page views of that particular article went stratospheric. Which was nice. 

However, the series wasn't all about Mr D'Onofrio, because it's safe to say that as an ensemble piece Daredevil is up there with the best of them. I would go so far as arguing that, in my humble opinion, there wasn't a weak link amongst any of the principle characters - Charlie Cox nailed the central performance for example and the likes of Rosario Dawson and Deborah Ann Woll gave their characters a level of complexity not always offered to female comic book roles. This skillful ensemble cast also included a wealth of excellent supporting characters with Peter Shinkoda as Nobu being of particular note. 

So you can imagine my excitement when last month the second season of Daredevil premiered on Netflix in all its 13 episode binge-fest glory. I was about as giddy as a giddy boy could be - though I did have a plethora of questions.

Will Charlie Cox continue to nail the part of Daredevil?

Will the series keep up the high standard of gritty superhero realism?

Will the Jon Bernthal be a great Punisher?

Will the character of Nobu return from the dead to kick Daredevils arise once again?

Will Rosario Dawson continue to be the epitome of sex on legs?

Will any star of the show retweet me this season?

So many questions, so little grip of reality……..

There will no doubt be a more in-depth blog article on series 2 at some point (you've been warned) but for now let me just say that in terms of the above plethora of questions...... Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, not yet.

In the days before the Internet (those dark, terrifying days) when one followed someone around while continually asking to speak to them, not to mention going through their personal messages and photos, the result was invariably to be the subject of yet another restraining order. These days it's simply called following someone on social networking and so its perfectly acceptable to stalk someone until they either give in, or block your account. So it was with genuine joy that after weeks of pestering one of the cast of Daredevil for an interview, he finally relented. The blocking of my account will inevitably follow at some point, but at the moment in my mind Peter and I are the best of mates.

As I mentioned earlier, one of the many delights of the Daredevil series was the attention to detail given to the entire cast, and not just to the couple of central characters. The role of Nobu may be a smaller one in the scale of things if compared to someone like The Punisher, but his place as one of Daredevils nemesis is critical, as is his involvement with 'The Hand'. The performance of Peter Shinkoda has been a joy to watch so it was with real delight that not only did Peter agree to a short interview with me but he has also (some would day foolhardily so) become a Facebook friend of mine.

According to his Wikipedia page.......

Nah.........actually I know that there are those who scoff at the accuracy of Wikipedia, so I'll leave it up to Mr Shinkoda himself to do the talking instead ........

Q) So for those not in the know, tell us a little about your early life 

A) I was just a regular kid growing in Canada playing sports, riding my BMX, reading comics and hanging out. I'm still pretty regular.

Q) How and when did the acting bug bite?

A) The acting aspirations started at a very early age watching TV and movies of course.

Q) I loved Falling Skies and your character of Dai, but I always felt the part was somewhat 'underwritten' for you. Would you agree? 

A) I would agree to that, yes.

Q) What was the audition process like for the part of Nobu in Daredevil?

A) Auditioning was secretive but I knew what was going on.

Q) So, you find yourself in scenes with the legend that is Vincent D'Onofrio. What was the experience like?

A) Acting with Vincent D'Onofrio was thrilling and somewhat daunting!

Q) The fight scenes with Charlie Cox in both series are wonderful. How much were you allowed to take part in the sequences?

A) I'd participate in all my fight scenes as much as the stunt coordinator Philip Silvera would allow. The fights are extremely dangerous to execute and my gifted stunt double Micah Karns is exceptional!

Q) Daredevil was always my favourite comic book superhero so I was nervous about the TV adaptation, but my god it's stunning! Have you seen the finished product?

A) Thank you. Legions of people work hard to put it all together! I've seen season 1 in its entirety but I've only see a few episodes into season 2 as of yet!

Q) I know you're a bit of a comic book fan, so c'mon....... Daredevil v Spider-Man, who would win?

A) My understanding is that Spiderman would win because of his super strength and endurance?!

Q) So go on, spill the beans - who is the giggler and joker on the Daredevil set?

A) My time on set during season 2 was very intense. 

Q) Do you like or dislike watching yourself on screen?

A) I need to watch my work to assess what I've done. That being said - I hate it watching myself.

Q) You've recently been over her in Europe at the Dutch Comic Con - what was the experience of the comic con and  Amsterdam like? 

A) One of the best comic conventions I've been to yet is certainly the Dutch Comic Con. Everybody was gracious and pleasant in The Netherlands. I appreciated every moment in that country!

Q) What are the future plans for Peter Shinkoda?

A) Keep on grinding away in my industry and hope to make a difference, as well as entertain a few people along the way.

Q) Oh & finally.......Rosario Dawson's phone number is..................................................................................................................?

A) Get in  line, Stuart.

Pete.

Ahhh, dagnab it - my cunning plan of finding out more about the wonderful Mr Shinkoda with the cherry on the top of the Daredevil cake being Rosario Dawson's phone number has backfired. But hey, at least now I'm in the line!! 

I would like to publicly give my thanks to Peter for taking the time out of his busy schedule to chat with me. Talented, good looking and an all round nice guy that he is.........kind of reminds me of myself!

You can find the official Facebook Fanpage for Peter Shinkoda at https://www.facebook.com/ThePeterShinkoda/timeline

You an also follow Peter on Twitter via his handle at @PeterShinkoda

This article can also be found via the 5D website www.5d-blog.com. There you can find a veritable feast of blog articles, news items, pictures and other mouth-watering salutations to the gods of the geeks and the nerds. We have now inherited the earth, you know.

Cult Cinema: An Arrow Video Companion

When it comes to blogging about things Sci-fi, fantasy & horror I know that there are a good number of people who regard me as something of a cult - well at least I think that's what they said. In truth, many of my friends and family view my incessant blogging and never ending obsession for cult movies with a fare modicum of barely disguised mirth. It's not only that, but they often cannot resist the urge to openly deride a particular cult movie that I may championing at that point. "Oh, a cult film" they say - and believe me, I know what's coming next..... "you mean a film that only a few people have seen, in other words, not very successful?!" Ahh, such biting and insightful wit.

They know nothing.

I think that it's pretty safe to say that that the term 'cult movie' means so many different things to many people. In fact I would argue that the circumstances around ones introduction to the phenomenon of the cult movie often has the foremost affect on how one views them for ever. For me my introduction was simple......

Picture the scene - it's the early 1980's in a small Yorkshire town in England. A young man who has more than a few dreams in his head, stars in his eyes, and a growing obsession with all things science fiction and horror, hears something startling and wondrous on a national news bulletin. Namely, a that particular movie which had over the years gained a reputation of controversial and mythical proportions, arguably as no other has in the history of movies, was finally to be released on video. 

Amazingly after some seven years after its initial production the seminal horror movie The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was finally going to see the light of day over here in the UK. Believe me, this was big news. Since its release in the UK in early 1975 the availability in cinema's had been withheld by the British Board of film classification who believed vehemently that the magnitude of violence, particularly in two noted scenes and the feeling of claustrophobic terror in the last 3rd of the film, was far too much for the sensibilities of a British audience. Therefore deeming that it was therefore unsuitable for a BBFC X certificate to be issued. Ah bless the BBFC for protecting us from making up our own minds.

So it finally seemed in those dark and distant days of 1981 that the British Board of film classification had finally seen sense it seems and permitted the movie's release - though as it soon turned out, the video was soon to be removed from the video stores after new video classification rules came in ('Thank you, Margaret Thatcher...). Indeed, no theatrical or video release was going to take place for another 18 years, thanks to the backward and miss-placed 'protection' of the the public sensibilities. 

However, before it was unceremoniously pulled from the shelves, a lucky few of us had managed to get our hands on the film, and it's iconic horror bad-buy, that had by now achieved cult status of fabled proportions. From this moment onwards I was obsessed with films that had for one reason or another, fallen under the mainstream radar from the likes of John Waters, Russ Meyer, Roger Corman, George A. Romero and many others became my cinematic fixations.

So when I was sent an early copy of Cult Cinema: An Arrow Video Companion, well I was a little thrilled, and quite rightly too, because after spending a couple of gorge-filled days on it, I can safely say that it's excellent!

Arrow Video is one of the foremost distributors of cult cinema on DVD and Blu-ray. From the classic to the obscure, the Arrow Video collection encompasses all styles and genres: horror films and Westerns, science fiction and sex comedies, yakuza epics and neo-noirs, the subversive, the transgressive and the unclassifiable. This hardback volume brings together 25 of the world's leading genre experts and critics to guide you through the multi-faceted beast that is cult cinema.

Exploring the stars, the filmmakers and the trends, Cult Cinema: An Arrow Video Companion approaches its subject from five angles. Each section is devoted to a different facet of cult filmmaking - the opening chapter features seven essays devoted to key cult movies, and is followed by those on directors, actors, genres (and sub-genres), and finally distribution, which examines how different methods of seeing a film, from travelling shows to DVDs, has allowed cult films and their audiences to flourish. Consider this book as a look at cult cinema through the lens of Arrow Video, a pretty broad view: Tinto Brass, Joe Dante, science fiction, super 8, Suzuki Seijun, Boris Karloff, Battle Royale, horror all-nighters, video nasties and much more besides. 

My two particular favourite sections in the book are The House Is The Monster, a fabulous section by Tim Lucas regarding another cinematic obsession of mine, the stunning The Fall Of the House Of Usher and also The Importance of Being Vincent by David Del, a study of the redoubtable Vincent Price. 

The Fall Of the House Of Usher was the first in American director Roger Corman's series of adaptations of stories by writer Edgar Allen Poe. The series was filmed between 1959 and 1965 and consists of eight classic Poe tales: House of Usher, The Pit & The Pendulum, The Premature Burial, Tales of Terror, The Raven, The Haunted Palace, The Masque of The Red Death and finally The Tomb of Ligeia. 

All the films in the series featured the legendary Vincent Price, except for The Premature Burial. In The Fall of The House Of Usher, Price provides a performance that brilliantly conveys the tortured mind of a man who knows that he has no choice in the terrible actions he has to take. He makes Roderick a genuine figure of sympathy and empathy - Roderick is not evil, nor the villain of the piece as many people incorrectly seem to summise. We see his loving commitment to his sister and that the knowledge of what the curse will eventually of to her is slowly devouring his soul. But of course, the real horror here is the character of the house itself in all its atmospheric and colourful glory - a masterpiece.

This book will do two things; Firstly it will serve to further enhance the obsession of fellow cult movie enthusiasts; Secondly, it might persuade a few of the mainstream movie snobs out there that cult movies may actually be worth something after all.

Complete list or writers: Robin Bougie, Michael Brooke, Paul Corupe, David Del Valle, David Flint, Cullen Gallagher, Kevin Gilvear, Joel Harley, David Hayles, Pasquale Iannone, Alan Jones, Tim Lucas, Michael Mackenzie, Maitland McDonagh, Tom Mes, John Kenneth Muir, Kim Newman, James Oliver, Vic Pratt, Jasper Sharp, Kenneth J. Souza, Mike Sutton, Stephen Thrower, Caelum Vatnsdal, and Douglas Weir.

Introduction by filmmaker Ben Wheatley (Kill List, High Rise, Free Fire)

Cover Illustration by Graham Humphreys 

The book will be available to buy on the 12th April. You can order the book directly through Amazon RIGHT HERE or through MVD RIGHT HERE

This article can also be found via the 5D website www.5d-blog.com. There you can find a veritable feast of blog articles, news items, pictures and other mouth-watering salutations to the gods of the geeks and the nerds. We have now inherited the earth, you know.

Guest Blog #1 - Into the Future: 5 Pieces of Sci-Fi Tech that Exist Today

Welcome to the first of the guest blog slots for 5D. This inaugural piece comes across the pond from 5D headquarters and deals with the fascinating subject of modern technological devices that can trace their origins back to a variety of Sci-Fi sources. It's a great read so check it out!

If you would like to be a guest blogger for me then you can contact me through my website at www.5d-blog.com.

Into the Future: 5 Pieces of Sci-Fi Tech that Exist Today

Science-fiction has given us a glimpse of the future where advanced technology enables humans to build a better world for themselves. You may have a favorite piece of sci-fi tech on your eventual wish list but these five REAL futuristic devices find their roots in the inspiring genre of tomorrow.

Star Trek PADD - The Original iPad

The Apple iPad and Samsung Galaxy tablets have made on-the-go computing easy without having to lug around a heavy laptop or a cumbersome charger. But Captain Picard and his crew made use of similar technology with their PADDs- Personal Access Display Devices- twenty-three years before Apple introduced the iPad. While the Enterprise is shown making use of the PADD for exploration and maintaining a galaxy-class starship tablets of all brands are being used in a variety of ways. From fast access to records and data in healthcare to a cat toy, the PADD is here to stay.

Iron Man Armor - Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit (TALOS)

Stan Lee created the character of Tony Stark as a Cold War era Howard Hughes in 1963 while Robert Downey, Jr. gave the character new life in the 2008 movie. His fully-equipped weapons arsenal and flying suit gave the US Department of Defense its own ideas. The TALOS repels bullets, allows wearers to lift heavy objects and comes with heating and cooling systems. The system is due to be unveiled in 2018 but it lacks the one thing we all want from the Iron Man armor - flight.

Credit Cards - Credit Cards in Looking Backwards by Edward Bellamy

While modern sci-fi giants dominate screens and store shelves we often forget that there was a time when some of the things we use every day were future imaginations. Such is the story with credit and debit cards. Though we swipe them for seemingly everything, Edward Bellamyin his 1888 classic novel introduced the idea of credit cards to the world. While the actual idea didn't catch on until the 1950's with Frank McNamara creating the Diner's Club. Bellamy's novel is full of eerie accurate predictions of our own modern credit card system.

Earbuds - Ray Bradbury in Fahrenheit 451

Ray Bradbury is a literary master and his dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 continues to be a recommended classic. Each time you pop in your earbuds to listen to your favorite tunes you have Bradbury to thank for imagining the concept. In truth in-ear listening devices were first developed in the 1850's, but Bradbury gives them the progressive twist they needed to become a modern forecast. His future world calls earbuds "seashells" or "thimble radios." In fact Bradbury's novel goes on to make several future technology predictions that have since been made real.

Star Trek Tricorder - Futuristic Healthcare

Gene Roddenberry's future visions in Star Trek continue to inspire future innovations and the thought of a tricorder to be used in healthcare is one that has a lot of push. In the show we see Doctor Crusher whip out her tricorder, hover it near a patient and get an instant vitals reading on a palm-held device. The Qualcomm Foundation has an active grant program for those who create a tricorder to their specifications. The Scanadu Scout is a great example of tricorder technology that makes use of something everyone has these days - a mobile smartphone.

When it comes to sci-fi technology, life imitates art as it inspires scientific advancement. Some ideas may seem far-fetched but we can always hope that one day teleportation or warp drive will come true.

Jessica Kane is a professional blogger who writes about technology and other gadgets and gizmos aplenty. She currently writes for Total Voice Tech, her go to for dictation equipment.