“Let’s All Go to the Lobby…”

If you’re bored as fuck tonight, in a movie-watching mood, or just a sick bastard in general, Kevin at The Lobby DVD shop on Whyte has something special for you.

First up, Martyrs, the most controversial horror film of 2008, hits DVD today, (a month earlier than the US!). This French film reputedly made audience members pass out during several screenings last year due to its extreme nature. The plot? I can’t even begin to describe it… from what I understand it goes from revenge fantasy to spiritual torture porn, with strong religious overtones. To give you an idea of what to expect, director Pascal Laugier has been tapped by the Weinsteins to direct the upcoming Hellraiser remake.

With titles like Haute Tension, Inside, Frontiere(s), and now Martyrs, it seems like this new wave of French horror (it even has a wiki entry: the “New French Extremity”) is running roughshod over anything Hollywood has to offer.

Also out this week is Lucio Fulci’s Cat in the Brain. Long before Adaptation or Being John Malkovich came Fulci’s whacked-out movie-within-a-movie. Director Lucio Fulci (Zombie, The Beyond) plays himself, tormented by strange visions while filming his latest gore opus. If you like this one, DEDfest has a Fulci-related surprise for you this summer… stay tuned for details!

And last but not least – The Sinful Dwarf. I never knew there were Dwarfsploitaion movies until now. Mere pointless words can’t do this justice, so here’s the trailer:

Kev will be doin’ his thing ‘til 9PM tonight, and he’s got shitloads more on the shelves, including Timecrimes (another TIFF favourite), a few releases from this year’s After Dark Collection, and Frankenstein the Rapist. Yes, you heard that right.
--------------------------------------------------------

ATTACK OF THE SWEET TRANVESTITES
See Rocky Horror the way it was originally meant to be seen – live onstage. Dylan “the Vylan” Caddy has informed me that this is the final weekend for the Odd Lot Theatre Company’s presentation of the cult classic musical. It’s rare we get a piece of live theatre this cool, so head out and support these guys while you can. Tickets are available at Tix on the Square.

----------------------------------------------------------

BUCKLE OF DOOM
In other news, our friends at Rue Morgue have found yet another way to suck those sweet, sweet dollars out of my pocket: a new pewter belt buckle designed by the amazing Ghoulish Gary Pullin. Here’s the pic (click on it to hit the Rue Morgue Shoppe of Horrors):

Also, I just picked up my copy of issue #88 dedicated to the late Lux Interior of The Cramps. Lux passed away from heart failure earlier this year. Only the gang at RM has enough of a don’t-give-a-fuck attitude to put Lux on their cover and give him the props he deserves, so props to them.