Paracinema ‘Kills’ it with Issue 19!

The latest issue of Paracinema Magazine is out and ready for you to jump head first into what promises to be the greatest issue of all time! And why, pray tell, might this issue be so off the chain?! Well, as the fantastic Garry Brown cover illustration shows, issue 19 features some serious love for one of my favorite film/films, Kill Bill. In fact, the issue features not one but TWO articles about Quentin Tarantino’s martial arts revenge epic, one of which comes from a very good friend of CNAMB, Zach from The Lightning Bug’s Lair, with the other Kill Bill piece coming from the one and only me.

Here’s a peekaboo of our epic Kill Bill coverage:

It’s Complicated: An In Depth Look at the Evolution of Bill and The Bride’s Turbulent Relationship in Kill Bill
by Matthew House

The Devil’s in The DeVAS: The Many Foes of Beatrix Kiddo
by Zachary Kelley

Soooooo what are you waiting for? Head over to Paracinema’s website and pick up a few copies for yourself… you deserve it!

Click Here!!

Of course, there are plenty of other goodies to be had, so if reading a couple of pieces about Kill Bill isn’t enough to sell you on picking up issue 19 (then how dare you), then check out all the other tasty little treats that are in store:

Phoebe Moves in Stereo: How Fast Times at Ridgemont High Gave Birth to a Classic Scene
by Mike McGranaghan

John Carpenter and the Apocalypse: A Study of Three Films
by Justin LaLiberty

Lost Video Archive: Skatetown USA
by Seth Goodkind

Aural Enigmas: Sound Design in Ti West’s The Innkeepers
by Todd Garbarini

Japan’s Direct to Video Explosion
by Josh Johnson

Firing Broadsides: Creating a Horror Canon
by C. Rachel Katz

Corpse Fucking Art: A Guide to Necrophilia in Horror Cinema
by Samm Deighan

“I’m sorry if the end of the world makes me a little nervous.” An Interview with Kelli Maroney
by Chris Hallock

What’s In A Name? The Rise and Decline of Hollywood Fall Guy Alan Smithee
by James Gracey

Last Words: Burn the Innocents with the Aggressors
by S. Patrick Gallagher

Freddy's Friday Night Dance Party!: The Flower of Carnage Edition!

Even though it's still somewhat early in the season, the horror that is summer has already reared its ugly mug, causing plenty of 90+ days, filled with as much humidity as an early Schwarzenegger film. One thing that can help curb the annoyance of the summer sizzle is some snow filled cinema, and if we're in the snow, why not spill a little blood to add a hint of color to the virginal pallet? It is summer, so the flowers are blooming - The Flower of Carnage, that is. 

Written by Kazuo Koike, with music by Masaaki Hirao, The Flower of Carnage (Shura no Hana) is the theme song from the 1973 Japanese samurai revenge flick, Lady Snowblood. What makes this song just a little more special is the fact that it was sung by Lady Snowblood herself, Meiko Kaji. I'm a huge fan of Lady Snowblood and pretty much anything that Meiko Kaji touches, so naturally every second of this song makes my head and shoulders sway back and forth like long grass in the wind. It's a very soft and beautiful sounding song, which is a great contrast to the subject matter of the lyrics as well as the film in which it was written for. The title The Flower of Carnage really says it all, as that is the character of Lady Snowblood…a gorgeous and delicate flower, that is capable of true carnage in the name of vengeance.  

The Horror Hangover

Hey there hot stuff, the hangovers should be getting worse as you all are drinking yourselves into an "I can't afford or figure out what to get for Christmas" coma! I'm here for you, lovely reader and I will give you the gift that keeps on giving, and no, it's not a picture of me this time. It's The Horror Hangover!

Starting at 11:00 AM (2007) Hot Fuzz is on Comedy Central. Edgar Wright's follow up to his masterpiece, Shaun of the Dead is not nearly as good, but a whole lotta fun with its comical situations and extreme flashes of gore. Anything teaming up of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost and Wright is all "Wright" in my book and Hot Fuzz is a great way to start off the Hangover this Sunday.



Also at 11:00 AM, King Arthur (2004) is showing on SyFy. I never saw this film, but thought it looked like a pretty decent action/adventure film. Clive Owen is the man and he may be enough to make this one worth a shot at some point.

SyFy follows up King Arthur with The Brothers Grimm (2005) at 1:30 PM. I'm a big Terry Gilliam fan, but I have only seen bits and pieces of this mish mash of fairy tale and horror and it seemed okay. Monica Bellucci is in it, and she is hawt enough to garner a full viewing at least!



1:30 PM brings the pain with Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003) on Spike. LOVE Kill Bill and I can and will watch this movie every time it's on. I'm sure it will be edited to shit, but it is still a fun view, censored or not. This just makes me wish that Tarantino would release The Whole Bloody Affair, for crying out loud.

At 2:00 PM, Tales From the Darkside: The Movie (1990) is showing on WGN. Not all that familiar with this station, but I looked into it and it is Chicago based and an affiliate of the CW, so hopefully most people get this channel. Anyway, I love this horror anthology staring Christian Slater, Steve Buscemi, James Remar and Blondie in a great wrap around story. I haven't seen it in many years, so it is my definite pick of the week.



3:00 PM brings us Heat (1995) on ION. Michael Mann's best film by far and another I haven't seen in a wicked long time. Great cast of actors that were still great at this time, Heat is an awesome crime film that is a sure bet for a great Hangover movie. "Hoo-hah!" That's my Pacino imitation.

And to end the day, at 4:00PM Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004) is on Spike. I love Vol. 1 more, but this second part to Tarantino's epic is quite great and the Pei Mei segment alone is worth the free price of admission.

Snow Angels

Brrrr...it sure is getting cold outside, but there is not yet a flake of snow to be seen in my neck of the woods, which is somewhat unfortunate. I love when it snows and being from Massachusetts, I have seen more than my fair share. I really only hate snow when it starts melting and gets all slushy and gross - otherwise, I love the look of it as it coats my surroundings in purity and solitude.

To help quench my thirst for the white stuff, I busted out a few of my favorite revenge based fight scenes that take place in the snow, with some women hot enough to melt their respective fighting surfaces.

A movie that everyone should see if you are a fan of Asian cinema and Martial Arts (or even if you're not), Lady Snowblood is amazing and has more style and originality than 90% of films made today. The film's star, Meiko Kaji is one of the most beautiful Japanese actresses to have ever graced the screen.

Lady Snowblood: Vengeance is A Dish Best Served Cold



Rarely (and surprisingly) do I use the NSFW tag, but it is necessary with this next clip for the pinky violence classic, Sex and Fury. I should warn you that you will have to watch this video a few times; it will take you at least one viewing to get over the fact that the "Snow Angel" in this clip, Reiko Ike is completely nude while she jacks these dudes up. Once you get over that, there is some awesome stuff to be seen here. The music is so great, as well as the way it's shot, in particular when you only see her legs, her shadow, and limbs hitting the ground.

Sex and Fury: Nude With A 'Tude - or - I think Your Headlights Are On



As you saw with the previous clips, Kill Bill was inspired heavily by both films and this "chilling" scene in particular by Sex and Fury's backdrop and look. I couldn't have the other two clips and leave this one out, because it truly is a goose bump inducing snow set fight scene and one of my favorites.

Kill Bill Volume 1: That Really Was A Hattori Hanzo Sword