V/H/S Review

Hello again, ghosts and ghouls!

I feel like it's been a hot second since I've really had time to sit down and watch a horror movie these days. HOWEVER, I figured I'd review and oldie but goodie that I've watched a few times now. If you have any films in particular you'd like to see me review, shoot me an email! I'd love suggestions! You can do that at taylorterriblehorror@gmail.com. We can even just talk horror and be best friends. Cool? Cool.

V/H/S was given a limited release here in the US, but that didn’t stop it from taking the horror scene by storm. It’s an anthology of short horror films, so basically, you’re getting a handful of horror films all in one two-hour period. What horror fan is opposed to that?

Essentially, the film opens up with a group of jerks who want to steal a VHS from a house, in which they find that there is more than just one tape. They begin to check out the footage, only to realize that there’s some really fucked up shit on there that they probably didn’t expect.

I’m not exactly sympathetic if you haven’t seen V/H/S, because you’re kind of three years behind. It’s been talked about endlessly for being a truly original film, and each of the short films within this one weird, twisted story has its own strengths. 

Before i give too much away, I’m going to limit myself to telling you guys about just one of the films. It’s called “Second Honeymoon”; while most of you, I’m sure, will disagree that this is the scariest one of all of them, I was really freaked out. It’s so uncomfortable…anyway, let me tell you about it!

A couple goes on their second honeymoon (hence the name) where they encounter a stranger asking for a ride for the next day. That night, someone takes Sam's (the husband) camcorder that he’s been filming pieces of the honeymoon on, and films the couple sleeping. The camera shoots the intruder sticking Sam’s toothbrush in the toilet and stealing $100 from his wallet before whipping out A KNIFE and holding it up to Stephanie. (At this point I was hyperventilating a little).

Alright, I’ll stop there so I don’t give away any of the good stuff. There are also paranormal shorts that went into this film, so if you’re not looking for a thriller about someone breaking into someone’s personal space, you’ve got some sci-fi, some zombie action, the works.

It truly is a film for everyone, and is worth watching at least once. Never again will you want to hear someone say “I like you”.

I'll be using the rating system that we use over on Nightmarish Conjurings (another horror site I write for)!

Story/Concept: 2

Direction/Style: 1 (I only give this a 1 because I’m not the biggest fan of found-footage…if you enjoy it, this is 500% a 2)

Scares: 1

Atmosphere: 2

Rewatchability: 1.5

TOTAL: 7.5

It truly is a film for everyone, and is worth watching at least once. Never again will you want to hear someone say “I like you”.

With that being said…I like you all…a lot.

Until next time, stay spooky!

Taylor Terrible <3

New Year, New Horror!

With 2016 right around the corner (when you all read this, it will be December 22nd or later), we're all beginning to make our New Year's resolutions. Mine include going to the gym more (this is my resolution literally every single year and I do really well up until about May or June...you know, bathing suit season), learning to de-clutter my life, my house (you guys, I own a house! WHAT?!), and most important, get into some new horror!

I have quite a few things up my sleeve for the next few weeks and content to ring in the new year that I'm SO excited about. While I've said before that things will be crazy for me for a bit, I'm going to try to keep you all as updated as possible. I have one more video on my YouTube channel that will be going up as soon as it's all cut together and edited, but in the meantime, I have a few things I'd like to get around to.

My plan is to bring in some paranormal investigation to my channel, so while it's not necessarily about the horror industry, it's something I'm interested in and I hope you guys are able to have as much fun with it as I do! I plan on making that its own series, so hopefully every 2-3 weeks I'll be able to introduce all of you to equipment that I have and use, places I've gone to investigate, etc. It'll be a good time, I promise.

I was very generously sent a copy of Zach Bohannon's Empty Bodies: Open Roads (the fourth installment in the Empty Bodies series) that I need to get around to reading, and I was also sent two books by author Mark Taylor, an author from the UK that got in touch with me. When I finish those, I'll be doing reviews of all of them (potentially in one post) as I've gotten quite a few requests to do more book reviews.

Other than that....The Forest hits theaters January 8th, and you'd better believe that I'll be seeing the earliest viewing possible! There's been some controversy surrounding the content in the film, as people are finding it offensive...but what don't people find offensive these days?
After The Forest comes The Boy, and I'm beyond excited for that one. You all know how much I love myself some creepy dolls.

With that being said, that's the track that I'm on right now! I'm so, so sorry if it feels like things have been hectic or lacking in content lately. Between moving from my apartment back home temporarily and working on ripping walls out and putting new walls in the new house, painting, and working two jobs, I haven't had nearly as much time as I would have liked to focus on this blog, my channel and my all-around horror obsession. It's been neglected. It's heartbreaking. My dark little soul is not happy about it, trust me.

If you have anything you'd like me to review, the best place to let me know would be my Facebook page. I've had some great people interact with me on there, and I'd love to hear from all of you! I'd also love to do a giveaway once my channel hits 200 subscribers. I'm at almost 100 now, so tell your friends!

If you do read this on the 22nd (or any time before the holiday), I want to wish you all a very merry Christmas. My gift from all of you has been your love and support and I appreciate it every single day. Have a happy and safe holiday!

Until next time, stay spooky,
Taylor Terrible <3

Top 5 Horror Movies to Get You in the Christmas Spirit

If you're anything like me, ghosts and ghouls, the months of September through December are some of the most exciting for us horror fans.
September rolls in with the anticipation of Halloween (and the smell of freshly sharpened pencils and crunchy leaves...no? That's just me that gets excited about pencils?).
October comes and IT'S THE MONTH WE LIVE FOR. SKULLS AND GHOSTS AND SPOOKY THINGS EVERYWHERE. PURE HAPPINESS. You also feel the unrelenting urge to wear a costume 24/7 and pretend to be Sam from Trick 'r Treat.
November arrives and we're kind of depressed, but...food. So much food. Also Thankskilling makes its way back into your head.
And then we receive December. It rolls in like a giant snowball (get it? Because sometimes it snows in December?) and us horror fans are excited because it's the second time this year that we get to watch The Nightmare Before Christmas and we get to eat cookies and be around trees that smell delicious. However, Tim Burton films aside, we also get some pretty cool Christmas-themed horror.
I'm here today to give you a quick list of some horror films you should be watching this holiday season!

5) Jack Frost (1997)

After an accident in which serial killer Jack Frost is genetically melted into the snow on the ground, he returns as a killer snowman.
Yes, it is as cheesy as it sounds, and yes, it's a horror comedy, but it's absolutely worth watching. It's hilarious.

4) Black Christmas (1974)

A sorority house has been receiving threatening phone calls over Christmas break from a killer on the loose. Turns out he may be closer than they think...
Black Christmas is one of the earliest slasher films, which makes it a fun watch. The name probably sounds familiar as the film got a remake in 2006, but I say watch the original first!

3) Gremlins (1984)

At Christmastime, a man goes searching for the perfect gift for his son. He finds a Mogwai in Chinatown, and when his son forgets to follow the three most important rules to keeping it happy and healthy, all hell breaks loose.
If you've never seen Gremlins, we're done. Also, Howie Mandel voices Gizmo, and that makes me love this film even more.

2) Silent Night (2012)

One of the crazier films on the list- a killer Santa is on the loose, conveniently, amidst his small town's annual Santa parade on Christmas Eve. You can only imagine where it goes from there.
Starring Malcom McDowell as Sheriff Cooper. Need I say more?

1) Krampus

Come on, you all knew I was going to say this. If you're in need of plans this holiday season, get your butt to the theater and see this film. It's fun, hilarious, slightly horrifying at times, and it's everything you could possibly want in a holiday film. Family togetherness, and killer cookies.

Alright, there you have it! I hope this list helped you choose what to watch this holiday season- there are just a few weeks left until Christmas so make sure you squeeze these in before it's over!

Do you have a favorite holiday horror film?

Until next time, stay spooky!
Taylor Terrible <3

KRAMPUS Review!

Hello, ghosts and ghouls!
I have to say, I knew I was excited to see Krampus, but I didn't really think that I would be this insanely excited to review it.

I saw it the day of its release: December 4th, and let me tell you, I was really disappointed with the turnout of the theater. I saw a 10:40 showing, and myself and my group of friends were 6 of about 15 in the theater. The place was dead...no pun intended. Okay, maybe a little pun intended.
Anyway, it seemed like we had a nice crowd of decently interested horror fans who were looking to seriously watch the film. I say this because typically, at the theater I go to, it's screaming 16 year olds who snuck in or their moms bought their tickets to an R-rated horror film. Needless to say when I saw the PG-13 rating on Krampus, I got pretty worried about the people that may be at the theater.
But, like I said, there really were no people, and no one under the age of 20. (-relieved sigh-)

Now, let's get into the film!
For those of you that don't know Krampus' origin story, he's a German folklore character. He's essentially the anti-Santa. Santa Claus brings gifts to the good kids, Krampus tortures the kids (and families) that have lost the Christmas spirit. This brings us to the home of Tom, Sarah, Beth, Max, and Omi. After Max writes a letter to Santa only to have it ridiculed at the dinner table by his nasty cousins, he rips it up and throws it out the window. This summons Krampus to remind Max just how important the Christmas spirit is.

This movie, you guys, was incredible. Michael Dougherty (writer and director of Trick 'r Treat) wrote and directed this film, and it shows. The cinematography, the storytelling, the characters...everything about it was stunning.
For a PG-13 film it was surprisingly terrifying; Krampus' "little helpers" were actually some really disturbing Christmas-decoration-esque demons that made me want to take my lights down (and never play with a Jack-in-the-box again).

I have to say, although they essentially included no gore at all, and the film wasn't graphic, you could tell that what was happening was pure horror. I appreciated that they left a decent amount up to the imagination, because to be honest, I've been looking for a film that allows me to insert my own thoughts. Lately, most horror films have been cut-and-dry, "here's what's happening" crap.

As always, I really don't want to give too much of the film away (although I could talk for hours about how brilliant I thought this film was), so I HIGHLY recommend that you see it ASAP (hence why this review is going up early!).
I give this film a solid 10/10. No ifs, ands or buts about it. There wasn't a single second of this film that I disliked or thought was unnecessary, I would watch it again a million times over, and it's solidified itself as one of my favorite holiday films (right alongside Trick 'r Treat, of course).

UGH YOU GUYS GO SEE KRAMPUS RIGHT NOW. Also, Fright Rags put out an awesome Krampus collection and you should check it out. I'm dying to order the sweatshirt. Let's wear matching Krampus sweaters, okay?

Until next time, stay spooky!
Taylor Terrible <3

Quick Post: Update! Where Have I Been and Happy December!

Hey ghosts and ghouls, I know I skimped on a post last week, but I promise it's only because life's been crazy busy.
With that, this isn't really going to be a post about horror (other than saying I'm missing it really, really bad right now). I've been in the process of moving, as my other half and I bought a house. Exciting, right?! ...Kind of. It's been crazy stressful and crazy busy, hence why there haven't been very many posts and they've been kind of lacking in content.
I promise that when this whole process is over, I will be back to posting as normal! I'm so excited for Krampus to come out this week so I'll absolutely be reviewing that soon.
My videos will be posting every Monday as usual, because it seems that the YouTube platform I've created is growing way faster than I ever thought it could! I typically film 4 videos at once, so it only takes a day, as opposed to laying out blog posts  a few days in advance ahead of time (I know, I'm a big nerd).
Other than that, I just wanted to hop on and say happy December! Can you believe the holidays are coming up?! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving; I'm thankful for each and every one of you every single day. I love you all!!
Until next time, stay spooky,
Taylor Terrible <3

Hellraiser Retrospective is Up!

Hello ghosts and ghouls, this is going to be a very quick post...
As all of you know, I'm absolutely obsessed with Hellraiser. It's been my favorite horror franchise for a number of years now, and honestly the obsession has never really died down even slightly.

To commemorate my love of the greatest horror franchise, my newest video is a retrospective of all 9 films!
Click the link below to check it out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BIptMohva4

Let me know which of the Hellraiser films is your favorite, and which franchise you'd like to see me do this with next!

The Hallow (2015) Review

Just when I thought that the found-footage film was going to take over the horror industry and we'd be left with a bunch of awful films that made our favorite genre look like a joke, director Corin Hardy brought us The Hallow, and I want to kiss him on the mouth for it.

For those of you that were getting so tired of found-footage, this film is going to rock your world. Adam and Claire Hitchens are a couple moving to rural Ireland with their infant son. Adam is a geologist looking to do some research in the surrounding woods...though the locals are telling him to stay away. The creatures in the forest don't take well to visitors...and if you have a baby they'll probably want it.

This film has a little bit of everything for all types of horror fans. If you prefer a slow-burn horror film, you're in for a treat. My only real frustration with this film stemmed from the fact that it took almost an hour for it to pick up and get exciting (I'm an instant-gratification kind of person), but other than that, there's no found-footage (can you tell I hate found-footage?), there's some body horror (one of my favorite types of horror...it freaks me out so bad!) and it's abundant on freaky creatures living in the woods.

When I tell you guys...these creatures are awesome. They were all done with very practical VFX because Hardy didn't want to make them look fake, and trust me, they don't. The sounds they make are awful, too...I was hearing them in my sleep.

While it's not making its way into my top 10 horror films, I do appreciate the film for what it is and I definitely think it's worth a watch if you're feeling tired of the norm in horror (which is lately pretty awful). The Hallow is on VOD now, so I would definitely give it a watch! It's fun, it's stressful, and it's such a breath of fresh air.

Until next time, my creepy people, stay spooky!
Taylor Terrible <3

Happy November! Tell Me What You Want to See!

Hello again, ghosts and ghouls. Can you believe that October has come and gone, and we're now moving into the final months of 2015?

With that, October was a super busy month for me. Within the month, I wrote quite a few articles on my moviepilot because Halloween was on its way, I wrote a few posts here, and I moved my vlog to a new outlet, my YouTube page!

But with such big things happening, I feel like I have been neglecting my readers. If you have been here from the beginning, you know that this blog is usually where I do my reviews, but now that I've been moving my outlets to multiple places, I want to change it up. With that being said, I'm sure that I've asked this in a post before, but I want to know what you, my loyal, fabulous readers, want to see.

If you're enjoying everything that's going on so far, let me know! If you have a film you'd like me to review, feel free to leave me a comment. If you want me to review a book, I do those too! I'm down to try a little of anything, so don't hold back.

Feel free to contact me with any specific comments, questions or concerns at taylorterriblehorror@gmail.com, or find me on Facebook (I usually respond really quickly to Facebook messages).

Alright, loves! Welcome to November at TTTC...I can't wait to get creepy with you!

Until next time, stay spooky <3
Taylor Terrible

All Hallows' Eve Review

When you think of Halloween, what's the first thing that comes to mind? For me, it's trick-or-treating in costume while the wind rustles the leaves on the trees as you walk down the street, your costume shoes stomping on the leaves that have already fallen and you hear that satisfying crunch...-sigh-

Naturally, I love all films that revolve around October 31st. Trick 'r Treat is classic, and is in my top 5 favorite horror films of all time. Halloween doesn't get much more iconic. So when I heard about All Hallows' Eve (2013), I said "oh, I'm probably going to love this one!"

                                            photo from screamhorrormag.com


All Hallows' Eve tells the story of a babysitter and the two bratty kids she's watching after their Halloween festivities. They've been trick-or-treating and the night is rapidly coming to a close. The children are sitting around watching movies when Sarah (the babysitter) ushers them to bed. But the bratty brother finds a VHS tape in his trick-or-treat bag (uh...what?) and insists on playing it. After thoroughly disturbing themselves by watching a psychotic clown named Art become the ringleader to the "terror" on the tape, Sarah is left in the house alone while the children sleep. Is someone there with her?

Okay, you guys. I'm not going to lie, I went into this film with insanely high expectations because you all know how much I love, love, LOVE killer clowns. Pennywise is my man, Twisty is my BFF...any evil clown I can find, I will watch and devour with my eyeballs. I'm not scared of clowns, I just adore them. Don't ask me why.

Anyway, I'd heard about this one before, and I saw Art and thought "alright, this is right up my alley, let's go for it!" and then never got around to watching it. Cut to last night, and I was jumping for joy when I found out my friend had it on DVD. Popped it in, and I let the excitement commence...

Except it never came. This actually may be one of the worst films I've ever watched. There's no plot, and what the film lacks in plot, it only slightly makes up for it in gore. Sort of.

You get to see a baby cut out of a woman, and there are "creepy" aliens with noodle arms, but the whole process of getting to the points that are supposed to scare you are unnecessary, kind of annoying, drawn out, and really boring. The VHS itself is cool, it's almost like an anthology but it doesn't make any sense and it never comes together at the end, but nonetheless, it's the easiest part of the film to watch, besides Art.

Art is AWESOME. He's weird, disturbing, and he's very present. He's never lurking in the shadows, he's right in your face (except for the "second film" where he's kind of just a painting).

If you're looking for a good, classic Halloween film, skip over this one and move on to something more sophisticated like Trick 'r Treat. It's essentially the same, but done better.

This one gets a 3.5/10. Womp womp.

Do you guys have any great film suggestions for me? Let me know! Email me at taylorterriblehorror@gmail.com!

Alright guys, tomorrow is my birthday so I'm taking a trip to Sleepy Hollow. I'll let you know how it goes!!

Until next time, stay spooky <3
Taylor Terrible

American Horror Story: Hotel...WHAT WAS THAT?!

Hello again, my ghosts and ghouls.
Today, I'd like to talk to you all about the first episode of American Horror Story: Hotel, because I feel like some images from this season are permanently burned into my brain and I will never be able to unsee them.

I know a ton of people are disappointed that the fabulous Jessica Lange did not return to star in this season (I specifically say "did not return to star" because there are talks of her potentially taking on a small role at some point in the season, though it's not confirmed). HOWEVER, from the looks of this first episode, this cast looks pretty stellar.
I'm not going to lie, I loved Kathy Bates because she's amazing and calm as always, but Dennis O'Hare completely stole the show as Elizabeth Taylor. Werk, honey.
I'm also not going to lie: I'm not convinced on Lady Gaga's character. I'm not sure if it's intentional or not that she's entirely monotonous and predictable. Part of me feels slightly biased because I typically don't enjoy her in general, but her character annoyed me and I found myself wishing her off-screen.

Other than the weirdness that is this crazy cast, can we talk about the insanity that was this storyline?Spoilers ahead! If you haven't seen it yet, don't be mad!

Re-Animator (1985) Review

I need to preface this review by saying: the fact that none of you have suggested this film to me is actually slightly offensive. I'm actually bitter about the fact that no one has ever said "you should probably watch Re-Animator" to me. I'm so disappointed in you all. -sigh-

Now that my sentiments are out in the open...I went into this film totally blind. I've heard people talk about it, but as some of you know, I'm typically the last to jump on the bandwagon when it comes to "classic" horror films, for some reason. Most of the films that I fall in love with are the ones I'm the last to know about. I don't know why it happens that way, but it does...and I think I'm okay with it.

Anyway, all I knew about this film was that it's based on a story by H.P. Lovecraft (insert swoon here), and that Jeffery Combs is a psychotic medical student that brings dead things back to life. For those of you that have never seen the film, there's the synopsis for you! To be honest, I would typically give a little more, but there are so many things about this film that I don't want to give away by giving you a full play-by-play of how the film goes. You really just need to watch it for yourself.

I'm truly a gore-hound. I am in love with watching people get torn apart. I think it's awesome when someone's head explodes. Re-Animator does not skimp on the pure beauty that is insane amounts of gore.

It also does not skimp on attractive men. Herbert West, will you marry me?

This is also one of the strangest films I think I've ever seen. Once you get past the fact that the film is paying homage to the horror classic Psycho by using the same music, and you get past the fact that it's a cheesy 80's horror, it's really strange, disturbing, and actually pretty gross. There are some scenes that made me cringe big-time (and you'll cringe through the whole film if you don't like needles), and there are copious amounts of laughable weirdness.

While the film is noticeably 80's (it's fun, campy, and the VFX are slightly derpy), the storyline is great and really doesn't leave much to be desired. As far as rewatchability goes for this film, I would watch it again tomorrow! It's AWESOME. So much awesome.

As for a number rating, I give this one an 7/10! I'd watch it again (see above), it fills my requirements for a good horror film (slightly cringeworthy, good story, fun characters and gross deaths), the only change I would make would be some of the actors. At times they were just totally not believable.

Have YOU seen Re-Animator? What did you think?

The Green Inferno: Review

I wanted to post this earlier, but I'm trying to keep my Tuesday posting schedule straight...but I was given the opportunity to see The Green Inferno on September 21st, and it was CRAZY, you guys.
Here's the trailer if you haven't already seen it:

I got the invite through Moviepilot.com, so I had the chance to go in as press, which was awesome in itself. We were checked in and sent up to the top floor of the Regal theater on Broadway in Union Square- the final stop on the Green Inferno fan appreciation tour.

Upon arrival, we were greeted with wine, soda, beers...the whole ordeal was kind of surreal. I felt like a modern-day-creepy-female-Gatsby. I was handed a glass of white wine and I was excited to mingle around with other horror lovers...and then Eli Roth walked out.

Roth and Lorenza Izzo (the star of the film) sat at a table to sign posters for fans and screeners. Naturally, I made a fool out of myself by standing there and staring, and making a joke about how the Red Band trailer made me need to stop eating my bacon, egg and cheese on a bagel. But really, if your film can stop me from eating, it's intense. I eat a lot.

We were slowly filtered into the theater, and once everyone was seated, we were introduced to Eli and Lorenza again, along with the producer of the film, Nicolás López.
The film was deliciously disgusting, incredibly gory, and at one point I felt the wine roiling in my stomach, trying to make its way back out of my throat. BUT I persevered and held it down, and from the particular scene (eye-gauging, tongue-extracting and bone-cutting) on, I was okay. Mostly.
I did have to tell myself to breathe quite a few times because I caught myself holding my breath. I also started craving chicken tenders at one point, so I don't know what kind of person that makes me.

It's incredibly graphic, though. Roth told us at the beginning of the screening that he was trying to make the most violent film ever created. I think he succeeded...and surpassed anything that will be made for a long, long time. 
Also, fun fact, the tribe that he filmed with had no idea what electricity was, so the crew brought a television and a generator and showed the tribe Cannibal Holocaust and they though it was some kind of hilarious joke, and that's when they agreed to portray greedy, crazy cannibal people. 

Anyway, I don't want to give too much away, but the film is insane and beautiful and awesome. I highly, highly suggest it for anyone looking to be grossed out, thrilled, horrified, or all of the above.

Giving this film a rating out of 10, I give it an 8.5!! Make sure you check it out; it'll be in theaters on September 25th!

Burnt Scrolls: A Review

Over the past year, I've had the pleasure of coming in contact with some really incredible people in horror. I won a giveaway and met Zach Bohannon who is now one of my good friends, and through him, I was put in touch with Shannon of Nightmarish Conjurings. Afterwards, I followed someone on Instagram, and it turns out he's a really, really amazing writer...Mr. Jeremy Megargee.
Now, I've reviewed Jeremy's work here before. You may remember me reviewing his novel Dirt Lullabies and totally fangirling over it. His descriptive language is impeccable. His storytelling is beautiful. So when I got a message asking if I'd like a copy of his newest creation, Burnt Scrolls, I almost fell out of my chair, but "calmly" responded "oh yeah sure cool thanks!"
I just recently moved out of my house (a little over a week, when you all read this) so I ran home to pick up a few things (a Harley Quinn costume, a tea infuser...the essentials), and I had a package! I shredded the thing apart when I saw who it was from. I held the book up to the ceiling Lion King-style, and smiled. My book of short stories and poetry was here!! And it had the sweetest note inside!
I took Burnt Scrolls to work with me. I hoped it would be slow. It was. So I sat and I read, and as usual, I blew through another one of Megargee's books in 48 hours.

There's something about the way he writes; it's like a fine wine. You marvel in its beauty with each sip you take, and eventually you're so consumed by its delectable flavor that you drink and drink and drink until you're incoherently drunk. That's the best description I can give of what happens when I read his work- I become drunk on literature, and I can't consume enough.
This book is a little different than anything he's written before- it's much more personal. "Cathartic", as he puts it. It's a book of short stories and poems, and for those of you that have read his other works, you're in for a treat! The short stories (3 of the 4) are "prequels" and stories of characters from his other novels. The poems are a journey; some are horrific and creepy and others are personal and sweet.

Let's talk about a few of my favorites:
All of the short stories are totally consuming, but I'll talk about my top 2 as to not give away much more than I need to.
Welcome to Rust Valley takes place ten years after the events in Dirt Lullabies. As always, it's beautifully written, and the descriptions of the cave that Benjamin travels into...it practically had my mouth watering, it was so stunning. The characters, as usual, are fun to connect with and although the story is short, you find yourself rooting for them.
Black Rose Petals tells the story of my girl Thorny Rose from Dirt Lullabies. Before I go any further talking about this story, let me tell you a little something about myself: I have the tendency to fall in love with certain characters, specifically the underdog of most stories. Now, when I read Dirt Lullabies and I learned about Thorny Rose, I started doing my makeup the way she was described, I wanted to be her friend, I wanted her to come over and drink tea with me. SO when I saw that she got her own short story, I nearly fainted. Okay, maybe not literally, but I was way too excited. Her story is sad, believable, and tragic. She's every Halloween-lover's dream. I can't get enough of her. She's amazing and this story is amazing. Yes.

As far as the poetry goes, it's all very personal. You can tell that the topics are from a deep place within Jeremy's soul, so reading it is like sitting down across a table from him while he tells you about the deepest, darkest places of his mind. It's really an experience that I wasn't expecting, but I was deeply thrilled by the end of the book.
A specific poem in particular really touched me: The Stray. I wont' tell you what it's about, but what I will tell you is that I messaged Jeremy to let him know that I was sitting at work crying like a fool because of it.

All in all, this book is a solid read. Like I said, you can blow through it with the intensity of the stories- they reel you in and don't let go until you hit the poetry, which then takes you on such an intense roller coaster ride that you may end up crying. I don't know, maybe it's just me.
However, I highly suggest it! If any of you guys pick it up and read it, let me know! I'll link the page where you can buy it here: http://www.amazon.com/Burnt-Scrolls-Collection-Tales-Poems/dp/1515352250/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

You can follow Jeremy on Facebook and on instagram at @xbadmoonrising!

Until next time, ghosts and ghouls, stay spooky!
Taylor Terrible <3

Welcome to the Toy Chest!

Hi, my creepy ghosts and ghouls!

I'm noticing lots of new traffic to my blog, and I assume it's because many of you have seen my new web show, titled after my blog!

This is such a huge deal for me- I'm so excited that I have all of you here as part of the Terrible Toy Chest, and I'm glad you liked the video enough to make your way over here!

For those of you that are readers but didn't know that I had a webshow, follow the link here!
The show will also be posted on YouTube on the Lucky Six Productions page.

For those of you that are viewers that are just stumbling across this page now- hello! I'm so happy you're here, and I love you already!

Some things will be cross-posted- sometimes I'll be doing videos of my posts, and sometimes I'll be doing posts related to my videos. But most of the time, I'll just be doing my thing, talking about horror and loving every second of it...regardless of where I'm doing it!

Alright, creeps, this was just a quick post to get you all acquainted with each other...and with me! I'll be posting again on Tuesday, so I'll see you then.

Until next time, stay spooky!
Taylor Terrible <3

The Horror Shelves

If you've been here from the very beginning, I did a really brief post on some of the cool horror stuff I have laying around my bedroom. Since then, what I call the "horror shelves" as it's my entire desk, have grown exponentially.
In the original post detailing my shelves, I had room to keep the bottom shelf totally open to use for my computer. I had a few of my MoodyVoodies dolls there, but that was it...
The shelves now look like this (and this is the view from my bed, which is amazing to wake up to in the morning):

The photo is from my Instagram: @taylorterrible ...go follow me!!

So let's talk about some of the new additions to that bottom shelf...
That little guy laying back on my other Voodies is a Bughuul doll from Sinister! He was, of course, made by MoodyVoodies, and is signed by Nick King! I believe I talked about that in my post about Haunt Faire.
I had to move my POP!s to the bottom shelf as well to make room for the resin Puppet Master statues on the top shelf, so they've all been lined up on the bottom. Since I took that picture, I added Pinhead to my POP collection as well (of course, are you surprised?) :)
I got a gorgeous case to put my horror mystery minis in from The Container Store, so those are the little shelves you're seeing front and center with those minis on them.
The Pinhead canvas you see on the far right came from my final Horror Block. I miss getting Horror Blocks every month, but adult life says you can't have nice things so my plan is to go back and subscribe again eventually, but until then, I'm just trying to pay my bills. -sigh- The cool t-shirts were awesome.
I've also acquired one of my new favorites: it's behind the Puppet Master collection so it's probably near-impossible to see, but my other half's mom (might as well be my mother-in-law) gifted me her Rocky Horror Picture Show original record from when the film came out!
I had a Bughuul mask made that I'll be wearing for Halloween and that's what you see on the far right, and not pictured is a canvas painting of Bughuul so basically my Sinister collection is exploding.

That's what I've got so far! Maybe one day I'll do a full overview...but who knows when the collecting is going to stop (the answer is probably never)?

This post is queued before the video is set to go up, so I'll edit it when it's released: if you haven't seen it already (I post about it on the Terrible Toy Chest Facebook page) some of my articles are being turned into a little web show so you guys have a better opportunity to connect with me!
If you don't already follow the Facebook page, I'll link it here so you guys can follow along and connect with me more personally there as well!


Until next time, loves, stay spooky!

Interview with Zach Bohannon

Hi there, my ghosts and ghouls!
It's September! Do you know what that means? We're one month closer to Halloween, and we are officially entering the month that puts us in FALL!!!!
This week's post is going to be a little bit different than what I normally put up; it's going to take you to another website.
I was given the opportunity by my good friend Shannon over at Nightmarish Conjurings to interview another friend of mine, author Zach Bohannon (Empty Bodies, The Witness). Instead of essentially copying and pasting the interview I wrote for her to here, I'll just link you guys on over to the interview, if you're interested!
http://nightmarishconjurings.tumblr.com/post/127794140323/zach-bohannon-interview

If you get a chance, check out Zach's work. He's incredibly talented and an all-around awesome guy.
Let me know what you think in the comments!!
Until next time, stay spooky <3

Paranormal Investigation Day and Life Update

It's been a long, horror-filled week for me this week. I screened Sinister 2 exactly a week ago, I've been reading Clive Barker's Books of Blood every chance I get at work, my awesome horror author friend Zach Bohannon sent me a copy of Empty Bodies 3 to read...I've basically been running around like a chicken without a head.
I also found out that someone is posing as me on Tinder! For those of you that know me personally, you know I wouldn't use Tinder if you paid me. For those of you that don't know me personally, my boyfriend and I have been together 2 and a half years, and cheating makes me feel so angry I can't even explain it. The moral of that story is: if someone contacts you saying that they're me, this person has been using my pictures, they're saying that they work at my day job, and they'll talk to you about horror. If someone contacts you, please do not hesitate to contact me. Twitter is probably the fastest way that I'll see it, so you can find me at https://twitter.com/taylorterriible. If you don't have Twitter, comment below and I'll get in touch with you.
BUT amongst all of the craziness, I need to be able to find some time for myself and my friends. I spent some time with one of my best childhood friends on Sunday, and she had never seen Sinister before so I watched it with her...I think it was my 6th or 7th time. I don't mind, it's easily one of my favorites.
Afterwards, we were feeling inspired to conjure up some Pagan deities so we ran over to the local abandoned asylum to do some ghost hunting! I was gifted a P-SB7 by my boyfriend for Christmas last year, and it's been getting a ton of action.
In the pouring rain, we drove to the Kings Park Psychiatric Center. Of course, I didn't record any of the session that we had because I literally always forget to record, but we caught some really cool EVPs (electronic voice phenomena).
We found a building with a few broken windows and an open door so we sat in front (I really, REALLY don't want to go inside these buildings- I consider myself sensitive to energy and I was getting awful feelings even being around there) and talked.
We caught a little girl who was saying that she didn't want to be inside, and we caught a man saying "it's summer" and I said "did you just ask if it's summer?" and we got "it's hot".
They were some of the clearest voices I've ever gotten and I'm SO sad I didn't record them. If you guys know of any fun, haunted places I should check out, let me know!!
Until next time, stay spooky! <3

Sinister 2 Review

Hello, ghosts and ghouls! See?! I told you I'd be posting my Sinister 2 review! There's a method to my madness.

I was very generously sent to see the film on Monday, and today is the day of the release, so I went about 4 days early. I was sent to a teeny tiny theater in the middle of Manhattan, where I sat amongst some really cool people in horror, one of which was a writer for Fangoria. If you're reading this, I didn't catch your name, but hello!

Now let me tell you a little about Sinister 2; it's very different from the first one. If you enjoyed the first one, and you would like me to be honest with you, the sequel is fun but you shouldn't go in with incredibly high expectations.

Bughuul is scary, as always. He's easily one of my favorite horror villains...we're talking like top 3. They show him a ton in this one (a little too much for my taste) and it ends up making him look a little bit silly, but the scares are very much welcomed amongst what's going on with the rest of the storyline.

Deputy So and So is back and he's blander than the last film...it kind of just feels like his heart isn't in it. Then we have the rest of the film from the perspective of the most annoying group of children to ever grace the big screen. Their dialogue and acting is mediocre which makes the film feel of the same caliber, because they literally never go away. They're everywhere. Constantly.

That brings me to my favorite part: the deaths in the film. They're great. If you loved the Super 8, gruesome films from the first movie, you're in luck because these do not skimp on the gross-out factor. They involve some of my biggest fears this time, too...alligators, and dentists. NOPE. They also include that great, horrifying music that almost forced me to turn off the first film.

I honestly wish there were more that I could say about the film. I have really mixed feelings because Sinister is a film that I consider a big part of what shapes me as a horror fan- it made me realize what truly makes me feel scared and uneasy. I expected this film to do the same and while I still absolutely adore Bughuul more than anything, this one felt like a cop-out. My feeling about why this film was made was: "well, the first one did well, so let's capitalize on it". Listen, guys, I'm all about you making money on your movie! Just...how come it wasn't up to the standards of the first?

I'm going to give this film a 4.5/10 because it could have been worse, but could have been better.
 I desperately wish that they would have left the perspective the same, and I understand why that didn't happen...but it really ruined it for me.

Let me know what you guys think when you go to see the film! I actually went to see it for a second time last night...don't laugh at me! Little Bughuul came with me and he loved it...understandably so.

Until next time, stay spooky <3

A Post is Coming

Hello, my spooks. I know, I missed a post on Tuesday, but with good reason! I'll be releasing a post tomorrow instead. I was lucky enough to be sent to screen Sinister 2  early, but I wasn't allowed to post about it until yesterday.
There is already a post up on my Moviepilot about it (they sent me to go see it so I wanted to make sure they got a post ASAP) but it's not a complete review of the film.
My review will be released tomorrow! I'll update you on my Facebook page as to when it goes live. If you don't follow my Facebook page already but you're a reader, I would LOVE to be able to interact with all of you so head on over to https://www.facebook.com/TerribleToyChest and say hello!
I'll see you all tomorrow for my Sinister 2 review!

I Went to Haunt Faire!

Over the past few weeks, things have been super busy. Between working one job full-time and working another casually, sometimes it's hard for me to sit back and really appreciate a day. I've been thinking a lot about how I haven't really had much time to myself...so I said "hey, I'm going to treat myself to one day of awesome spooky weirdness".
I ended up at Haunt Faire here in New York where I live. It's not often that a horror convention comes anywhere near here; typically things take place in NYC or New Jersey. I don't know why, it's just where the horror scene settled, I guess.
I hadn't done much research on Haunt Faire prior to buying tickets because I had a family party later in the day and didn't think I'd have time to go...but then I found out Nick King was going. If you don't know Nick King, you will know him as Bughuul from Sinister, and the sequel (which comes out August 21st and I'm counting the hours).

I saw Sinister a few months ago at a friend's house, and it was one of the few horror films where I had to close my eyes and check behind me to be sure that there were no crazy demon children. I was really, truly horrified at the death scenes, and I loved every second of it. Minus when I got home and was walking around the house in the dark. So naturally, when I found out the actor behind one of the most horrifying characters to ever grace the screen in a horror film was going to be at this convention, I said "you know what? Screw it. I'm buying tickets, and I'm going."

Cut to that Sunday (I work Saturdays, but took Sunday off). I loaded baby Bughuul that I got from MoodyVoodies into the car, and I was off (and incredibly determined to get him signed. Here's a picture of all of the Voodie babies:

I walked around for a bit inside and checked out who was around at the tables before heading over to meet Nick King. I realized right away that this was less of a horror convention and more of a job fair of sorts for people that wanted to work in haunted houses around the tri-state area. There were very few vendors, but there were plenty of fun haunts!
The vendors that were there had a lot of fun hand-painted dolls, magnets, makeup, etc. I somehow ended up with a huge painting of Bughuul, but I have no regrets about it...

The painting in back is the one I got at Haunt Faire, though I don't have the artist's name. I don't think it's even signed, to be honest. The mask on the left is part of my cosplay/Halloween costume in progress from JD Morgan Studios, and there's baby Bughuul on the right (after signing!).

When I tell you guys I think I was there for an hour total, I spent 30 of those minutes with Nick King talking about his upcoming projects and other conventions he'd be at, I spent 10 talking to Philip Friedman who is the Bride in Black from Insidious, and the other 20 minutes were spent wandering around looking at vendors.
All in all, it was a cute convention. What I'm really looking forward to (as always) is Bizarre AC in October. It's a few days before my birthday this year, so I'm going to be spending that weekend scared, dressed up, and probably drunk/hungover. If any of you will be joining me at Bizarre AC, let me know in a comment! I'd love to hang out!

I'll sign off with a photo of me hanging out with Nick King after he signed my little Bughuul:

He isn't nearly as scary in person! :)

Until next time, stay spooky!
Taylor Terrible

My Moviepilot!

Hello ghoulies,
For those of you that don't know, I don't only write here, I also write for moviepilot.com. If you want to go directly to my articles, you can find me at: Taylor Terrible.
Those articles include "more fun", less personal posts, more along the lines of quizzes and such. I would love if you checked those out as well!
For my blog, I like to stick to reviews and more personal things as this is a place that I created on my own. I also write reviews for NightmarishConjurings.com every other Friday, so sometimes my reviews are cross-posted.
I never thought that I would be able to say that my little horror family has grown so much, and I want to thank everyone that has been here for the Terrible Toy Chest since the beginning. Your support in my writing means more than you know, even if you've only read a few posts.
I love you all so much! Thank you for being here with me for this!
Love always,
Taylor Terrible

The Hole (2009) Review

I’ve been looking around and I’ve found that there are about a million movies with the name “The Hole”. I got the one that I watched confused with the Kiera Knightley version from 2001, in which the story is completely different from the version I watched. (Oops!)

            So here is the synopsis of the correct film that I watched:

“A pair of brothers stumbles upon a mysterious hole in their basement that leads to the darkest corridors of their fears and nightmares.”

With the help of their new next-door neighbor, the boys decide to investigate the weird happenings in their new home, such as ghostly girls and creepy clowns (my favorite). The hole in their basement is the source of all of their fears once they open it, and they soon find out why it was sealed shut. Essentially, the hole creates everything that you are afraid of and sends it after you. Uh oh.

           

            This story is surprisingly deeper than it lets on. It’s lighthearted and fun, more of a thriller than a horror, however it’s definitely worth the watch. The story is almost sad once you find out what’s going on at the end, so it makes it worth watching all of the way through. I went in to watch the film honestly thinking that it was going to be ridiculous and childish, but, like I said, it’s fun, it’s deep, and you know what? For a much younger cast, the acting was wonderful.

            If you’re looking for a fun, kind of creepy film to watch on a rainy day, this is a good one. It’s not over-the-top classic, but if you have Netflix and need a good suggestion, start here! It’s a quick watch, so at 92 minutes long, it’s easy to get through.

I know this was a super quick review, but it's a short film! I'll be writing a post for next week about my experience at Haunt Faire this weekend.

Until next time, stay spooky,

Taylor Terrible

Grave Encounters (2011) Review

As someone who has been into the paranormal from a young age, I’m always interested in watching horror films that showcase paranormal activity (well). After some experiences that I consider to be potentially paranormal, I wanted to be able to prove or disprove the existence of a life apart from what we have here in the “mortal” realm.While I still have yet to be able to prove or disprove this theory, I’ve spent lots and lots of time brushing up on my share of mediocre ghost hunting, as well as watching all of the shows I can get my hands on that are about paranormal investigation (my guilty pleasure is watching marathons of Ghost Adventures, eating popcorn and giggling at Zak Bagans).So with that being said, when it comes to films about paranormal investigation, I tend to have my reservations. I worry that they won’t do the field the justice it deserves (it’s not easy!) but I try to keep myself current in terms of horror films, so I watch all of the cheesy ones, and I also try to watch all of the good ones.Therefore, today, I’ll be reviewing Grave Encounters. 

The synopsis of Grave Encounters from IMDB:“For their ghost hunting reality show, a production crew locks themselves inside an abandoned mental hospital that’s supposedly haunted- and it might prove to be all too true.”I wish there was more to it than this, so I’m going to give you the synopsis I think you all deserve:“For their hilariously realistic, slightly cheesy ghost hunting reality show, a production crew full of cocky jerks lock themselves inside an abandoned mental hospital that’s supposedly haunted- and shit gets real.”
Basically, this group of “paranormal investigators” (I put it in quotes because they don’t actually truly believe in the paranormal, as far as they let on in the film) decides to go to one of the most haunted places they can find, assuming it’s a hoax as they’ve found it normally is, and starts to find that maybe they’ve been wrong about the paranormal this whole time.The building moves around within itself, doors disappear, they find ghosts of the people that died in the hospital.
As far as how scary the film is, I never really felt terrified per say, however I did experience a few moments when I was really freaked out. I have to say, one of my biggest fears in the world is hospitals (abandoned or not). There’s something about the smell of functioning hospitals, the way the fluorescent lights make everyone look sick, the sounds of the beeping monitors…it all makes me so uncomfortable. So seeing this group in a sad, dilapidated, abandoned hospital made me feelexceptionally uncomfortable.
There really weren’t many jump scares, which I very much appreciated. Lately I’ve been on a real hate-streak of films that rely on jump scares for the “horror” of the film, and this one was more about the horror of the situation. I like that. That’s a very good thing.
I’ve also been very against found-footage-style films, and this one absolutely is. I don’t really know what it is about this one, to be honest, that makes it seem so much more real than all the others. I think they don’t play so much off of the fact that they’re filming through one entity and they make an effort to change shots every once in a while so you aren’t watching exclusively through one camera. I don’t know, all I can say is that this one looks better than all the others and I didn’t despise it.

But, all in all, if you’re interested in movies about ghosts, found-footage films, films about paranormal investigation…I really like this one! I didn’t expect much going in, and I was pleasantly surprised when it ended and I wasn’t miserable!
Let me know what you thought of Grave Encounters, creepies!

Until next time,

Taylor Terrible
PS: I just found out there’s a sequel! I’m going to have to look into that soon! 

Can We Stop With the Found-Footage Films Already?!

Alright, this is something that's been on my mind for quite some time now. Typically, when I hear about the release of a new horror film, I get really excited. I usually get pretty elated, actually, because it's always nice to hear about something new within the horror community.

You know, American Horror Story only comes around once a year, and seldom are there horror films that are actually scary these days. Most are remakes. Even more are found footage.
Pardon my French here, but WHAT THE FUCK is going on with all of these found-footage-style films?! Can we cut it out already?!

Let it be known that when I talk about found-footage films, I mean anything handheld. That kind of changes the game for some, because many people see a difference between found-footage and handheld. I guess the best way for me to describe the kind of horror films I'm complaining about is: anything filmed by something like a camcorder, so anything handheld and seen through the POV of a camera. (Just stop it already. STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP.)

Found footage dates back all the way to the 1980's with Cannibal Holocaust which was an absolutely disgusting film and I loved every second of it. However, the progression of these films has gone from gory, interesting and scary (think Blair Witch) to cheesy, overdone, and stupid.

If we're speaking honestly, I think many horror films today are not made to scare horror fans, I think they are typically made to attract an audience that pretends to like horror films. I don't know, maybe it's just me, and maybe people will be angry at me for that statement. Do I believe that horror films deserve the exposure and the money? Yeah, absolutely. With all of the cinematic universes like Marvel and DC taking over, I wish horror got a little bit more love because it tends to be overshadowed.

However, lately, they have been relying entirely on jump scares...and to put it nicely, it's really sad. Where are the Nightmare on Elm Streets? Where are the Hellraisers? Instead, horror fans are put through the atrocities of The Gallows and Paranormal Activity 100000000.

Let's just talk about these awful found-footage films:
As Above So Below is one of the more recent ones I've watched. I don't think I've ever been so bored by a horror film because it's dark, shaky, and all-around not entertaining. There's no substance. Blah.
The Bay. Scary in concept, but the shakiness made me nauseous. I have to say, I kind of enjoyed this one because bacteria terrifies me, but the making was boring.
VHS (the first) was pretty good, but VHS 2: please go away.
Anything Paranormal Activity: I hate you.

But the list goes on. The list is SO LONG, and it seems to be that every film that's been released in the last two years has been something found-footage, and they're all the same story. Does anyone else feel this way? Like they're watching the same horror film every time a new one comes out? No? Alright, well, then I'm a crab.

Maybe I'm just saying bah humbug because I've never really enjoyed found-footage films, yet I keep watching them in an attempt to stay current. Maybe I've never found one that satisfies my taste (besides Grave Encounters, which I love because it sees the humor in those types of films).
I would love to find a found-footage film that makes me want to cry (in the good, horror-loving way, not the bad "I can't take this anymore" way). I want to be scared out of my wits by something that isn't cheesy!

Please, everyone, if you share this sentiment, please let me know. If you love found-footage, please recommend one that is substantial that I may like.
If you want to help me out here, I really enjoy: Hellraiser, anything with creepy dolls, possessions, hospitals. Anything with those topics, or that kind of idea. Just...help me out.

I really just hate this sub-genre. Why does everyone like it so much.

/endrant/

I love y'all,
Taylor Terrible

PS: ugh.

The Gallows (2015) Review

Assuming the best, I purchased my ticket early and made the decision to go see The Gallows with a group of friends on the night of its release.
Sitting in a theater full of too-young-kids that probably snuck in, and guys yelling about how many girls they got laid by that week, I realized the kind of group that this film attracted: "I think I like horror so I came to see this lame movie".
I guess I gave away on my opinion in that last sentence, but we'll get into that.

The Gallows is a story of a group of high schoolers that get trapped inside their school one night while trying to dismantle the set of the school's play, because the lead (a football player) doesn't want to be a part of the play anymore. While they're inside the school, the play's previous lead (who died in a freak accident during the show- he was hanged on stage) comes back to haunt them.

So back to my review of the film: it was awful. It was so bad. If I could take back that hour and 20 minutes of my life, I would gladly do it. I'll explain...
It was an almost-found-footage kind of film. It was all shown through the video camera that one of the characters is carrying around, conveniently documenting everything that goes on. I guess to keep with the theme of having an irresponsible kid holding the camera, the shots are awful, shaky, and nauseating. The camera is CONSTANTLY moving and blurring and cutting in and out, to the point where I actually had to cover my eyes to keep from feeling like I had vertigo. In relation to it being found footage: I am so tired of found footage horror films. It seems like that's all there is lately; it's a cop-out in my opinion because rather than making things truly scary, you minimize what the audience sees by using a video camera. It's lame. It's so, so lame.
Anyway, the acting is fine, I never really felt like the acting was cheesy at any point, however the characters were pretty bad. There was the jock, the theater nerd, the cheerleader, and the football-player-turned-lead-in-school-play. Cliche. Nothing special about a single one of them.

As for the film itself: it was an hour and 20 minutes of awful, unnecessary jump scares and loud noises. I was playing with my melted chocolate bar in the wrapper more than I was watching the film because I was so bored (and nauseous because of the camera). Some jump scares didn't even have anything to do with the "scarier" parts of the film, they were literally just fillers.
The twist at the end was pretty okay- I'll give it that much. I enjoyed how unexpected it was, but even that wasn't done well.

So I guess that was my awful, scathing review of The Gallows. If you want to save yourself some money and time, don't go watch this film. If you have nothing to do and you really want to torture yourself, hey, feel free.

...but really, don't see it.

Until next time, guys! Sorry this review sounded so angry, it was just honestly one of the worst films I've ever seen. :P