No Chills in the Summer

by: RFR Casket Crew Claymation Werewolf

Okay, I realize that I’m a new guy here in the Casket Crew. The last thing that I would want to do is make waves while you ghouls are just getting to know me but sometimes I’ve just got to speak my mind. So at the risk of being controversial I’m just going to come right out and say it; I think Halloween should be in the autumn. That isn’t to say that we shouldn’t celebrate that spooky holiday 365 days a year. Of course we should. I just believe that fear works best when kept cool.

I was driving through the countryside with my werewolf bride today, it was about 86 degrees outside and we had the windows down. The sky was blue, the sun was shining and there was hardly a cloud in the sky. As I looked across the fields of green grass, blooming flowers and singing songbirds, the thought hit me. Boy, do I hate summer.

It seems strange that I would despise a season that everyone else seems to love but I do. To begin with I hate the heat and always have. Not only does the heat rear its ugly head in the summer but so does it’s source. The horrible, horrible sun. Because of my pale “redhead” skin, I sunburn very easily and in fact can sunburn while sitting in the shade. Some days, when I walk outside into sunlight it’s all I can do to keep from pulling my cloak over my face and hissing. All that being said, the worst thing about summer has to be the fact that it feels so far away from everything creepy. The days get longer, the nights get shorter and the streets fill up with the one thing I really do fear. Other people. I always miss the chill in the air, the early sunsets, the wind blowing dead leaves across the sidewalk as they rustle around your feet. All these things announce to me the impending arrival of trick or treat, of bobbing for apples and of costume parties. In short the arrival of Halloween.

Horror in general is at its eerie best in the fall. Monsters strike while school is in session. Ancient horrors return with the harvest moon and unless you happen to be at a summer camp, it is the height of poor taste to be a slasher in the summertime. One of the only things about summer that I appreciate are the barbeques and they RARELY get invaded by zombies. There are no vampire pool parties (or baseball games!) And creatures of unspeakable evil from the darkest depths of Hell do not enjoy flying kites. Fall is the time for bonfires for ghost stories and for the heavy consumption of alcohol, followed by the casual sex that will lead to your grisly doom.

I hope I haven’t made any enemies out there. I’m sure that I’m not the only one who wishes for cold rain, biting wind and grey skies. Who longs for the day that the watermelons in the fields are replaced with pumpkins…Who dreams of fall.

There are a lot of things at home in the bright sunny summertime. Children’s animated movies for instance! I’m just saying, if I end up being slaughtered by a cruel and twisted maniac neither alive nor dead with a rotted heart full of rage and revenge, then that would be bad. If this same slaughter happens and I also have to be hot and sweaty with the sun in my eyes? That just seems unnatural.

Until next time…Sit Back Relax and Rot Away…and have a nice day!

RFR Casket Crew: Meet the Maestro of the Macbre

by: RFR Casket Crew Maestro

Greetings Deadite Army,

Let me Introduce myself, I am the Maestro of the Macbre and I am thrilled to join the Casket Crew!

Having several years experience scoring, designing sound and running haunted attractions, I will share with you my secrets of sound, the importance of ambiance and general principles of haunted attraction. I will also have interviews with some of the greatest haunt composers and creators in the industry.

A little about myself, I hold a Bachelors in Music and Composition, and have adapted this into sound design for props, rooms, and overall haunts. I began by wiring a working tour mine for sound, with a source over 100 feet away. I’ve worked with small budgets and large. I’ve used my knowledge to create new sounds and songs for the Haunt industry. This experience led me to create “Prelude to a Nightmare”: A new haunt sound.  Which subsequently led to Scare Tactic Productions, which specializes in everything audio for your haunt.

In 2010 I released my first commercial work entitled “Carpe Noctem” which is available on iTunes and any other music download site. In the footsteps of great haunt composers such as Midnight Syndicate, Nox Arcana, and Virgil; I looked to create something new and unique while respecting what they have done for the industry. My second album “Dark Ride” will drop in September and contain haunting melodies for Carnival Themed haunts as well as provide music for general creepy events.

I am also working on a top secret 3D Zombie flick, scoring and designing sound. That will be set to release within the year.

In addition to my music and sound work I am also very avid in the Haunt and Halloween communities. I will share also many industry reviews, interviews and events.

So check back often. In the meantime keep up to date with me on: Twitter @preludetoanight or @rfr_maestro

or join the mailing list at: Revebnation

And as always…Sit Back, Relax and Rot Away!

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PRELUDE TO A NIGHTMARE CARPE NOCTEM VIDEO

Haunt Tactics and Zombie Go Boom Join Forces

Haunt Tactics, a supplier of Costumes and Props for the Haunted Attraction Industry is also the supplier for Zombie Go Boom.

Haunt Tactics believes that the Haunter is your tactical advantage. With NEW Zombie Armor they have created full body zombie costumes. The body parts are fused to lightweight compression suits in the molding process giving amazing 360′ detail. These costumes are amazing to say the least and add to any haunted attraction.

Now you can see these costumes in use as part of Zombie Go Boom. When thinking of how to describe Zombie Go Boom, you have to think recent televisuion shows like ‘Deadliest Warrior’ or ‘Mythbusters’ to get in the mind set and then think Zombie Zombie Zombie.

Anyways, the combination of these two is fun, hilarious, keeps zombies in our culture and adds a bit of humor to your day if sitting in that office at work, your garage building new props, painting walls black for your haunt, or just interested in getting exposed to zombie culture.

For more on Haunt Tactics visit: www.HauntTactics.com And to get your first viewing of Zombie Go Boom….Check out the Video below.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE

Seattle Breaks World Record for ZOMBIE WALK!

by: RFR Casket Crew Jigsaw Jim

Greetings Deadites,

Yes it’s true, the suicide Capital of the lower 48 (my kind of town) had over 4500 “zombies” participating in last weekends Red, White and Dead, Zombie Walk beating out New Jersey the previous record holder. Eat your heart (or brain) out “Walking Dead”.



CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO

Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files: Fool Moon #1 (Horror Comic Review)

by: RFR Casket Crew Denise

Harry Dresden’s life is a mess. His top client (and close friend) Lt. Karrin Murphy, no longer trusts him, Chicago’s underworld and the cops alike think he’s mobster Johnny Marcone’s supernatural enforcer. And the enigmatic White Council continues to view him with suspicion. If all that weren’t enough, a pack of werewolves have unleashed a wave of terror on the Windy City. But as is always the case when it comes to the creatures of the Nevernever, there’s far more going on than meets the eye. Before it’s all over, Harry will find himself caught between friends, enemies, and arcane forces bent on his destruction. Is it any wonder he can’t find a date?

This first issue of the Dresden Files is well drawn and both writer and artist do an excellent job bringing the characters to life.

I’ve been a fan of Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files book for about two years. Jim has a way of telling a gritty crime noir with just the right amount of supernatural happening for it to be entertaining and engaging. The comic’s first issue was right on par with the books.

Whether reading or listening to Jim Butcher’s books, it was always apparent that Lt. Murphy was a small seemingly delicate woman while Harry Dresden was extremely tall. While the chemistry was crystal clear in the books, it is visually stunning to see it drawn in a comic, and once again it is apparently clearly illustrated that these two have something between them.

While vampires have had their fifteen minutes of fame in past years and zombies are all the rage this year, I personally like a goood old fashion werewolf story. After reading the first issue of Fool Moon, I want more.

Netherworld’s New Haunt for 2011, THE NIGHTMARES

With the Haunt Season fast approaching, many haunts are full in motion with this year’s theme, style and construction. Rotting Flesh Radio is planning our haunt tours and many events like to overhaul the whole haunt in getting ready. Others just change a room or two. But Netherworld figured, it is our 15th Year, Let’s just add a New Themed Event. And so All-New for 2011 is THE NIGHTMARES!

The Nightmare is an event with such a backstory you will be thrust into horror, terror and possibly even wet yourself.

“Earths last defenders were being slaughtered. With the eternal darkness of the Blood Night wrapping the world in a fetid mist, gargoyle swarms and other foul monsters continued the hunting and subjugation of the human race. As hordes of evil creatures emerged from the NETHERWORLD, the Illuminati Warriors who opposed them fell swiftly in battle to the savage beasts. Then the most deadly blow of all was struck . With the tolling of ominous bells came the rulers of the NETHERWORLD, the dread NIGHTMARE KINGS! These powerful THINGS seemed at first glance to be little more than gaunt, ancient, fanged and taloned ghouls wrapped in burial shrouds. But they possessed dark powers to warp reality, to change their very forms and summon the living nightmares of any who would dare confront them.

Commanding armies of massive war beasts, these specters glided like noxious gray shadows over the landscape, hunting human survivors and feasting on their deepest fears before consuming their souls.

The Prophet had foreseen all of this and had told the great master of the Illuminati, the EYE. Together they had prepared a plan to save what remained of the Earth. First using ancient voodoo rituals, they summoned from the grave an army of ZOMBIES to protect the Illuminati and do battle with the NIGHTMARE KINGS. But this was only a delay tactic to give the EYE time to end the Blood Night (The accursed event that gave NETHERWORLDs hordes the free run of Earth). At long last the EYE had come to an accord with Goulich, the Vampire Lord who had called the Blood Night down upon Mankind. Sealed in the Mansion of the Prophet, guarded by the undead, Illuminati warriors and the very forces of nature, the Prophet, the EYE and Goulich worked together to undo the Vampire Lords spell. Soon the NIGHTMARE KINGS and their minions would penetrate the defenses and destroy them all.

The end was near. The NIGHTMARE KINGS and their armies had begun to breach the mystical and spiritual barriers around the Prophets Sanctum. Goblins with digging beasts burrowed into the sub basements of the mansion, as Gargoyles swarmed the skies above. Would the combined powers of THE EYE, the Prophet and Lord Goulich be enough to end the Blood Night before the world was completely over run?

We dare you to experience THE NIGHTMARES, the final chapter of the Blood Night Saga this Halloween season at the legendary NETHERWORLD Haunted House!”

So Deadites, as you venture out to find those haunts that will leave you running scared, Netherworld has upped the stakes once again this season.

For more information about the Netherworld Haunted House and the All-New “THE NIGHTMARES”, visit: www.FearWorld.com

This is Heavy Metal on a Sunday Night

As the weekend is almost over, let’s keep the party going with some Heavy Metal! Yes, one of our favorite Horror Bands LORDI can help keep the party going with rocking tunes, riffs, horror, zombies and more.

Sit Back, Relax and Rot Away Rotting Flesh Radio style this Sunday night!

Phantom Foundry Memorial Day Weekend Discount Code, New Mummy Costume

Haunters it is time to start thinking about those premium costumes, custom made for your event!

Phantom Foundry is starting out their third haunt season in business by kicking the cover off the casket, Rotting Flesh Radio style!

They figured that a product release around Memorial Day would be perfect-family, cookouts and great deals for all of your haunt costume needs! (What’s more American than zombies!) From now until Tuesday (May 31, 2011) at midnight, all
orders placed will receive FREE domestic shipping AND 10% OFF! Just enter the coupon code ZOMBIE in at checkout. (International customers are also entitled to a shipping discount. Please contact them prior to ordering.) Phantom Foundry will be available all weekend so do not hesitate to call or email with questions.

COSTUMES: Mummy2Val has really outdone herself with the 2011 premium costume, The Deluxe Mummy, a head to toe outfit consisting of distressed and siliconed stretch fabric that is sure to amaze and terrify all who come across it!

And they have perfected their version of the Creepy Ragdoll head design, offering excellent visibility and airflow as well as complete freedom of head movement. And let’s not forget the brand new Boy Doll! (If you already own one of the doll costumes, you can contact them if you’d like to get one of the new heads at a discount.)

For all the products, discounts and items available for your haunt visit: www.PhantomFoundry.com

Note: All discounts will be taken care during the online checkout process. Remember to use the coupon code: ZOMBIE or give them a call at 877.218.1372

Horror Legend to Speak at The ScareHouse ScareCamp in Pittsburgh

Actor Doug Bradley, (He Can Be Heard on Rotting Flesh Radio Show #218 Here) internationally known by legions of horror fans for his role as Pinhead in the Hellraiser film series, will deliver the keynote address at the upcoming ScareHouse ScareCamp presented in Pittsburgh on Saturday, June 11th. He is one of only three actors to play the same horror character at least six consecutive times, the others being Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger in eight consecutive films) and Tobin Bell (Jigsaw in all seven Saw films.)

The producers of “One of America’s Scariest Halloween Attractions” (Travel Channel) will present a fun and full day of scaring, screaming, and surprises with the first annual ScareHouse ScareCamp. The team of expert designers, artists, and performers plan to present a fast-paced schedule of classes, demonstrations, and an exclusive look at plans for their new attraction: Pittsburgh Zombies.

“Mr. Bradley has created one of the most influential and intimidating horror icons or our generation,” said ScareHouse Creative Director Scott Simmons. “This is a rare opportunity for both current and potential ScareHouse performers to learn the secret skills required to create unique and original characters.”

The day’s schedule will also include a rare lecture from Todd James, winner of a Guinness World’s Record for creating the world’s longest walk through haunted house. And the first-ever Zombie Academy will offer expert and in-depth instruction in movement, communication, and flesh-eating.

There is NO COST to attend The ScareHouse ScareCamp but advance registration is required and only limited spaces are available. Only registered guests who receive invitations from The ScareHouse will be allowed to attend. Walk-ins are not permitted. Event expected to reach capacity very quickly.

Registration is open to both current and potential ScareHouse cast and crew members.

The ScareHouse
118 Locust Street
Etna, PA 15223

Date: June 11th, 2011

Time: 10:00 am- 6:00 pm

Email: ScareCamp@gmail.com to request an invitation.

ABOUT SCAREHOUSE:
The ScareHouse is ranked as one of America’s best haunted houses by Travel Channel, AOL, Forbes, Fangoria, and Haunted Attraction Magazine. “Pittsburgh’s Ultimate Haunted House” is open on select dates from September 23rd through October 30th. Tickets, directions, and more information available now at www.scarehouse.com.

Phoenix Fear Con this Weekend!

PRESS RELEASE:

“Summer Frights”
Phoenix FearCON IV Film Festival and Convention
MADCAP Theaters
730 South Mill Ave, Tempe, AZ 85281.
Saturday,May 21st 2011 — Noon-after midnight.
Showcasing the best horror cinema from around the world

Presented by Trash City Entertainment
Tickets: $15 Advance $20 Day of Event
SPECIAL VIP TICKETS: $35.00
(VIP will include special VIP seating at all screenings, front of the line access, special laminated pass and swag)

Tickets available online at www.phxfearfilmfestival.com and
www.phoenixfearcon.com

Featuring the World Premiere of several feature length and short films, screening at our event. Cast and Crew of many of the films will be in attendance for Q&A and panel discussions

USA Premiere! “Eaters” – a zombie film, coming straight out of Italy. Directed by Marco Ristori & Luca Boni. Produced by Uwe Boll.

Other Features: True Nature dir. Patrick Steele / Skew dir. Sevé Schelenz / Shorts from around the world!

Featuring special appearances by
Scream Queen Tiffany Shepis
Special Musical Guest: VOLTAIRE
PLUS! Special Q&A Panel Discussion about Stop Motion Animation with Voltaire
performers: Fancy Pants and Tom Tuerff
AZ Rhythm Connection Tribal Drummers
Zombie Belly Dancers – Shahrinaz
Gillian Payne – SPECIAL FX Makeup Demonstrations!
Kaos Funeral Car and Cremator – Custom Hearse Exhibit
Thrill the World Zombie Dancers
Zombie Runway Fashion Show
Awesome Merchandise Vendors
Silent Auction with fabulous items donated by our merchandise vendors, Full Moon Features plus McFarlane Toys (*Auction benefits our charity KidTIX)

Best Creature or Makeup Costume Contest – $300 prize for best in show -Thanks to Instant Renters.com The largest independent Horror Film Festival in Arizona. As an independent film festival and convention, we are committed to presenting only the best in independent horror feature and short films from around the world. That fact alone has made the Phoenix FearCON Film Festival one of the most popular convention type film festivals in Arizona. We expect a record turnout this year and are hoping to be able to break records as well as introduce the horror fans to some fantastic new films not yet released.

This event is a horror film festival and convention. This is our 4th year doing this event and in May of 2011, we have grown and expanded over a busy weekend in the heart of a busy, bustling city. This street is nestled in the center of town in Tempe Arizona (Mill Avenue & University.

Get more on the event at: http://www.phoenixfearcon.com