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Discovery Channel Unveils Shark Week 2018’s Programming and Daily Schedule

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Although it is probably hard to believe for those of us who grew up watching Shark Week before it was time to go back to school in the fall, this year will mark the 30th Anniversary of the week long shark extravaganza.   2018’s Shark Week will premiere on  Sunday July 22 at 7:00 P.M. and continue through Sunday, July 29, and according to the official press release “…will feature the most hours of shark programming ever on Discovery Channel with over twenty hours of celebrity surprises and jaws-dropping shark stories.” read more

‘Shark Tank’ Hosts to Swim With Sharks on Shark Week 2018

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In an exclusive report by Entertainment Weekly, it has been learned that the hosts of ABC’s Shark Tank will finally be entering a realm where their big bucks and big mouths don’t impress anyone: in the water with some real sharks!

Hosts Mark Cuban, Kevin “Mr. Wonderful” O’Leary, Barbara Corcoran, and Daymond John will each pair up “…with an oceanic organization to receive an education in the issues facing those misunderstood predators of the sea, ranging from habitat destruction, overfishing, and bycatch. The Sharks (minus Lori Greiner) will then return to the Shark Tank set, where they will reunite with fellow Shark, Robert Herjavec, and pitch each other as to why their organization deserves a $50,000 donation. Each Shark will then cast a vote for the organization that is most deserving of the money.” read more

The Discovery Channel’s Shark Week 2017 Viewing Guide

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Horror fans and sharks have gone together like peanut butter and chocolate ever since Steven Spielberg gave us Jaws in the summer of 1975.  For many fans, it was their first horror experience and one that they have cherished ever since.

Although not as old as Jaws, the Discovery Channel’s annual Shark Week debuted in 1988 (and officially kicks off this year on Sunday July 23rd at 7:00 p.m.) and has continued to “wet the appetite” of shark enthusiasts everywhere.  Although the network end their episodes with warning about conservation and stories about sharks not being as dangerous as advertised, the network is happy to send us mixed messages with titles such as “Great White Shark Serial Killer Lives!” and “Devil Sharks”. read more

What to Watch On 4th of July

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If you’re anything like me, you’ll want to eschew the sunshine and merriment that generally takes place on Independence Day. Lots of heat, loud noises, barking dogs and soggy potato chips? No thanks.

How about some good old horror/sci-fi/thrillers that take place on or around this jolly holiday instead? I promise to not add any terrible movies to this list just to fill it up (sorry, I Know What You Did Last Summer).

In no particular order, here are some goodies that come to mind:

JAWS (1975) read more

Titan Comics’ HookJaw #1 Review

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The world changed in 1975 for fans of horror movies (and for sharks for that matter). Spielberg’s Jaws transformed the film industry and forever scared people out of the ocean in 1975, and not surprisingly, the inevitable rip-offs that followed failed to capture any of the quality or story-telling aspects of the original summer blockbuster.  This didn’t slow down the Hollywood machine however, as every aquatic creature (Orca, Piranha) and land animal (Grizzly, Alligator) got a shot at cinematic fame and fortune. read more

How did The Shallows Earn a 77% Score on Rotten Tomatoes!?

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The Shallows was released to theaters on June 24th. It made over $118 million worldwide on a $17 million budget. It is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, having earned a Tomatometer score of 77%.To put that into perspective, John Carpenter’s The Thing has a Tomatometer score of 80%. Rotten Tomatoes’ “Critics Consensus” is as follows:

“Lean and solidly crafted, The Shallows transcends tired shark-attack tropes with nasty thrills and a powerful performance from Blake Lively.”

Sounds promising, doesn’t it? After following the critical and financial success of the movie, I decided to pick it up on Blu-ray, hoping it would be more like Jaws and less like Sharknado. Instead, I was surprised to discover a movie that contains the following scene: read more

Funko Teases a Third Edition of Horror Mystery Minis

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Our friends at Funko are at it again with their third series of horror-movie themed Mystery Mini figures. With over 50 versions of Mystery Mini toys, including four series’ of The Walking Dead, two series’ of Horror Classics and two WWE series’, Funko has built quite a following among genre fans and toy collectors who eagerly await the next big release.

Both previous series’ of the Horror Classics sets were wildly popular as they included figures of famous horror characters like Hellraiser’s Pinhead, Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Frankenstein’s Monster and many more. The folks over at PopVinyls got the skinny on set three which looks to include not only alternate versions of Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger but also a host of other horror goodies such as Jack Torrance and the Grady twins from The Shining, American Psycho’s Patrick Bateman, Universal’s Mummy and The Wolfman, The Exorcist’s Regan MacNeil and more! read more

Hudson Horror 11 Recap

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Hardcore horror film aficionados descended upon the city of Pouhkeepsie, NY, once again on Saturday, June 13th for the eleventh installment of the tri-state area’s most glorious and scream-tastic horror film festival, Hudson Horror Show.  Fans of the fest and the folks that work tirelessly to make it happen twice a year were treated to a full slate of movies ranging from the cult-ish (Madman) to the under-appreciated (Ms .45) to the downright iconic (Jaws).

Hudson Horror Show 11 also featured a couple of cool attractions, perks only for the enthusiastic attendees: a chance to take a picture with Jaws shark prop “Bruce” (along with an original barrel used in the film) and a meet-and-greet/film Q&A with Madman actors and filmmakers Gary Sales, Tom Candela and the Madman himself, Paul Ehlers.  Bill Diamond (Monster TV Network, The Dark Crystal, Fraggle Rock) was also on hand to greet the film-goers.
All of these treats, along with the always-satisfying selection of diverse vendors, added up to an enjoyable and successful (tickets sold out in less than an hour, a new record!) installment of Hudson Horror.  HNN’s Sean McLaughlin and Larry Dwyer were once again on hand to take in the terror-filled ambiance and munch on some popcorn while viewing all of the 35MM goodness.  While we’re not at liberty to divulge the identity of the “mystery movie”, we can say that vampire fangs were passed out at the door, and  that it was an ’80s flick starring some horror (and Hollywood) heavyweights.  And of course, another Hudson Horror staple, the horror and exploitation film trailers, were again a big hit.  Our favorites were April Fool’s Day (how long before THAT’S on the festival slate???) and ’70s slasher gems To the Devil a Daughter and Meatcleaver Massacre.  Yes, just a few days after his passing the legendary Christopher Lee was well represented at Hudson Horror XI. read more