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[OMFG] Watch An Animated Short Created To Pitch Platinum Dunes’ ‘Halloween’ Remake!!

A lot of you guys have no idea how competitive and difficult it is to get hired for a directing gig. It’s kind of like getting a job at Starbucks, only you’re going up against a handful of name directors who spend tens of thousands of dollars creating pitch packs and short videos to land the job. I’ve heard of directors spending $25,000 (and up) of their own money to make a short video showing the producers and financiers of a film what they can do, and what their vision is.

With that said, I’m really excited to share the following video and images created to pitch for Dimension Films’ next Halloween, when Platinum Dunes was aboard to produce (they aren’t anymore). Federico D’Alessandro, the head Storyboard Artist and Animatics Supervisor over at Marvel Studios (who worked on Thor, Captain America, Avengers, as well as Iron Man 3 and Thor 2), contacted us with an animatic video short and some keyframes used to sell himself to Platinum Dunes. I like to pretend what I’m watching is the un-produced Halloween remake.

As a lifelong ‘Halloween’ fan it would be a dream to direct a reboot of the franchise that’s so near and dear to my heart,” said D’Alessandro. “I created this animatic to show the tone and storytelling that I would bring to the project if I were lucky enough to have that chance.” He added: “It turned out pretty cool, but unfortunately while I was in the middle of working on it, talks fell through between Platinum Dunes and the Weinsteins…so I missed the boat on that one.

What do you guys think of the following short and imagery? Would you have been happy to see this as the Halloween re-remake? Would you want to see Dimension and Weinstein Company get behind it? READ MORE

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John Carpenter’s ‘Halloween’ Back In Theaters This October!

If you’ve never seen John Carpenter’s 1978 classic Halloween on the big screen, you just may be able to fix that problem next month. No matter where you live, apparently, since it seems to be getting a fairly wide re-release.

The official Facebook for the film says “This will be the biggest run the film has had since shocking audiences in 1978.” We’re not sure how big this means it will actually be, but hopefully it’s wide enough for you to go check out (wherever you are). Screening before the film will be Justin Beahm’s new mini-doc You Can’t Kill The Boogeyman: 35 Years Of Halloween.

Halloween Movies will soon have info regarding the release, as will we. You’ll know it as it comes in.

The-Simpsons

TV: Black Holes and Paranormal Activity In “The Simpsons” Treehouse of Horror XXIII

Every year I look forward to “The Simpsons” Halloween “Treehouse of Horror” episode, only to be disappointed. For some reason the writers behind the record-breaking animated series feel the need to inject non-horror themed stories, focusing on pop-culture like Harry Potter. Will this year’s episode be different?

Black holes, Back to the Future, demonic possession and the end of the world await “Simpsons” fans in the upcoming season’s “Treehouse of Horror XXIII” episode.

TV Line reports that this year’s installment of the annual Halloween-adjacent special will air on Sunday, October 7, executive producer Al Jean reveals. The first segment will be “The Simpsons”’ Marty McFly act. “Bart goes back and prevents Marge and Homer from ever getting married, and we see what happens next,” says the showrunner. (For what it’s worth, Jon Lovitz – who voices Marge’s high school paramour Artie Ziff, among other characters – is involved.) Another segment is “a found-footage parody” – in the vein of Paranormal Activity – “where something really strange is going on in the Simpson house,” he adds.

Also on tap: “We have a segment where a mini black hole terrorizes Springfield and starts sucking everything in, and it’s to tie into the discovery this summer of the Higgs boson,” he says, referring to the so-called “God particle.” Finally, Jean adds, “We also deal a little with the Mayan prophecy of the world ending this year.

Sounds like a great line-up this year, what would you guys have liked to see?

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Exclusive

If You Could Remake ‘Halloween’ Or ‘Hellraiser’, What Would You Do?

There’s nothing more frustrating to us horror fans than sitting around waiting for some of our beloved slasher icons to make it back to theaters. While the studios continue to pump money into various superhero franchises, the horror legends we grew up loving are sitting on the couch getting fat on Cheetos. Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema are sitting pretty on Friday the 13th, while Warners and New Line has A Nightmare on Elm Street and Freddy Krueger in a coma. Then there’s Universal who’s attempting CPR on the Child’s Play franchise with the direct-to-video Curse of Chucky, now in pre-production, and Lionsgate has a January date set for their Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D.

This leaves a few other familiar faces that have a home with Bob and Harvey Weinstein’s Dimension Films. While the duo continue develop both a Scream sequel/reboot and TV series, they’ve also set their sights on getting both Pinhead and Michael Myers back in theaters.

Back on April 1 we broke the news that Platinum Dunes was in talks to take the producing reigns on Dimension’s next Halloween installment. (They may have also taken on the Hellraiser remake.) Sources told Bloody exclusively this weekend that, after nearly four months, Dunes is no longer working on either film. We can also confirm that the Weinsteins want to re-remake Halloween.

MORE INSIDE… READ MORE

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Hey Guys! What’s Your Favorite Slasher Movie?

While I love all the permeations of horror to varying degrees (supernatural, hauntings, werewolves, zombies, J-horror etc…), slashers are probably my favorite sub-genre. While I can occasionally get myself in the headspace of being frightened by a poltergeist or work up enough suspension of disbelief to get on-edge during a zombie film, slashers require me to do a lot less mental projection in order to go along for the ride.

Why? Because I’m afraid of real people chasing me through the woods with knives. While it’s of course an extremely unlikely event, it’s still something of a possibility. I consider home-invasion films a branch of the slasher genre for this very reason. The reason I lock my door every night? I’m taking an active step (or empty gesture) against someone entering my home and dismantling me. It’s a far bigger concern to me than my residence being built on an ancient burial ground (though I’ll let you know if that changes the next time I move).

I also think I love slashers the most because of the nostalgia factor. They remind me of simpler times. The fact that they’re typically in rural settings holds them in stark contrast to my daily life in the city. Many of them are downright relaxing and comforting to watch in the moments when someone isn’t getting killed. Of course this is part of the point – something evil infiltrating something idyllic. It also doesn’t hurt that the 80′s were the heyday of the slasher film (obviously Scream aren’t Halloween rural or from the 80′s. But they exude a charming small town optimism that I like). I know many people who considered that era a dark time, but its cinematic depiction in these films is positively utopian compared to our current reality. Plus, there’s usually sex. That always helps.

To that end I ask, “what’s your favorite slasher film?” Mine changes daily, actually. I know that when I did my Friday The 13th Rankings I pegged Part 6 as my favorite entry in the franchise. Oddly enough I feel that Jason Lives doesn’t feel like much of a slasher to me tonally. So I’m going to keep it in the family, but go with Friday The 13th Part 2 as my favorite slasher under the criteria discussed above. Again, this changes all the time. Halloween is obviously a much, much MUCH better film, but I’m in a rural mood today.

What about you? Does your favorite slasher change day-to-day like mine does? Or is it consistently your favorite?

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Amy Reeder’s Halloween One-Shot Heads To Image

A few weeks back we announced Amy Reeder’s independent project, “Halloween Eve”, which she was funding through Kickstarter. As with other recent projects, the book was funded after only a few days and was subsequently picked up by Image Comics. It set to release just in time for Halloween this year, as a wicked 40-page one-shot title. The story follows Eve, a young girl who works in a costume shop that mysteriously comes to life, which leaves her fighting for a way out. If spooky masks and clowns give you the creeps, “Halloween Eve” should be right up your alley. READ MORE

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[Awesome] Check Out This Beautifully Retro Horror-Inspired Music Video

Sometimes a music video goes for a horror vibe and falls flat on its face. But sometimes you get a video that just nails everything it’s going for and I can’t help but smile as my beloved genre gets the proper treatment. Such is the case with the music video for Jjamz “Heartbeat”, which is directed by Eddie O’Keefe. The video has the look and feel of Halloween, a figure known as “The Shape” that reminds me of a cross between Phantasm’s The Tall Man and Poltergeist’s Henry Kane, and visual color play like Argento’s Suspiria. All of these attributes are delightfully offset by a surprisingly catchy and chipper song. Check out the awesome video below and download the song for free here. READ MORE

Amy Reeder’s ‘Halloween Eve’ On Kickstarter

Many of you know Amy Reeder as the talented artist who was recently “separated” from “Batwoman”, after a creative difference with writer J.H. Williams III. But, that’s water under the bridge as she moves on to a creator owned project on Kickstarter alongside Brandon Montclare. Halloween Eve is a one-shot 40-page comic about Eve, a young adult who works in a costume shop, filled with clowns, dolls, ghosts, and demons that come to life late one night. The project is already over 100% funded with 18 days to go, and you can snatch yourself a copy for only $10.

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Take The Expanded Ultimate Horror Challenge!!! How Do You Rank Now?

We have heard your cries! MANY of you felt that the The Ultimate Horror Challenge wasn’t comprehensive enough! So we included an additional 20 films that round it out a bit more. Many of these are from your suggestions! But this still isn’t a list of every horror movie ever made. And it still doesn’t contain every major work of every horror auteur (there’s still no John Carpenter’s They Live or Wes Craven’s The Last House On The Left).

The next update will be the Ultimate Horror Challenge: Final Edition – where we take your best new suggestions and use them to get up to 101 films that every horror fan should see! So in addition to your ranking, let us know which films should make the cut! Should newer fan favorites like Frozen or The Devil’s Rejects be included? Should we go back and pick up a few more old-school slashers? You’re shaping the Final 20! Discuss and vote and I’ll tally it up!

There are now 81 Films listed below the jump. Each film you’ve seen earns you 1 Point. Count out how many you’ve seen and let us know which category you fall into!

1-10 Points: Soccer Mom

11-20 Points: Mildly Adventurous

21-30 Points: Casual Fan

31-40 Points: Enthusiast

41-50 Points: Hardcore

51-60 Points: Unstable

61-70 Points: Need Meds

71-80 Points: Psychopath

81 Points: Special Circle Of Hell

Head inside to take the challenge! The films are listed in no particular order. This is NOT a ranking! READ MORE

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Take The Ultimate Horror Challenge!!! What’s Your Score?

This isn’t a list of every horror movie ever made. Nor does it contain every major work of every horror auteur (you’ll notice we didn’t include John Carpenter’s They Live or Wes Craven’s The Last House On The Left). Rather, this is a compendium of films that we feel – in one way or another – are essential viewing for every horror fan. Some are mainstream (Poltergeist), some aren’t (Cannibal Holocaust). It’s a broad sampling of key films from the genre.

But you don’t have to be a horror die-hard to take the challenge! If you’re comfortable being a “Soccer Mom”, simply clock how many of these you have (or haven’t) seen and let us know! There are 61 Films listed below the jump. Each film you’ve seen earns you 1 Point. Count out how many you’ve seen and let us know which category you fall into. You can give us your specific count in the comments or yell at us for the films we’ve left out!! The categories are:

1-10 Points: Soccer Mom

11-20 Points: Mildly Adventurous

21-30 Points: Casual Fan

31-40 Points: Hardcore

41-50 Points: Unstable

51-60 Points: Psychopath

61 Points: Special Circle Of Hell

Head inside to take the challenge! The films are listed in no particular order. This is NOT a ranking! READ MORE

[Book Review] ‘Life Lessons from Slasher Films’

For those smarty-pants who approach their horror entertainment from an academic perspective, Life Lessons from Slasher Films was released this month by Scarecrow Books, a highbrow publishing line specializing in reference works and college textbooks (and priced accordingly). Rather than attempt to compile an all-inclusive slasher-pedia like the recent Slasher Movie Book, author Jessica Robinson contrasts and compares a handful of staples from the sub-genre: Friday the 13th, Halloween, Black Christmas, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Psycho, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Scream. Drawing parallels and spinning theories, Robinson (who has penned a couple of fiction titles under the alias “Pembroke Sinclair”) draws some shrewd connections between the films, even as she occasionally stretches the boundaries of logic. Life Lessons from Slasher Films is a well-conceived think-piece, but I took some umbrage with a few of Robinson’s assertions. Some of you die-hard slasher hounds may feel the same way. The full review follows. READ MORE

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Full Blu-ray Specs For Anchor Bay’s ‘Halloween 4′ & ‘Halloween 5′!

Michael Myers is back, and he’s never looked better. On August 28th, Anchor Bay Entertainment revamps two of the most iconic horror films to ever grace the big screen with Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers. The classics will be coming to blu-ray with all new HD transfers and over an hour of both archival and newly created bonus features! Check out full specs below.

Halloween 4:He had maimed 16 people to get to his sister. He was shot and incinerated, but still the entity that Dr. Sam Loomis (the legendary Donald Pleasence) calls “Evil on two legs” would not die. Tonight, Michael Myers has come home again…to kill! This time, Michael returns to Haddonfield for Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris) – the orphaned daughter of Laurie Strode – and her babysitter Rachel (Ellie Cornell). Can Loomis stop Michael before the unholy slaughter reaches his innocent young niece?

Bonus Features: Deleted & Alternate Scenes (30 minutes of NEW scenes!), Audio Commentary with Director Dwight H. Little and Author Justin Beahm (NEW), Audio Commentary with Actors Ellie Cornell and Danielle Harris, Audio Commentary with Writer Alan B. McElroy, Halloween 4/5 Discussion Panel, and Theatrical Trailer

Halloween 5:Michael Myers survived the mine explosion thought to have killed him. One year later, his traumatized young niece Jamie is horrified to discover she has a telepathic bond with her evil Uncle…and that Uncle Michael is on his way back to Haddonfield. But Dr. Loomis has a new plan to destroy The Boogey Man in his childhood home using Jamie as bait. With enhanced gore and effects, vengeance has never looked so gruesome!

Bonus Features: Audio Commentary with Director Dominique Othenin-Girard and actors Danielle Harris and Jeffrey Landman; Audio Commentary with Actor Don Shanks and Author Justin Beahm (NEW); Halloween 5: Orginal Promo (NEW) and Halloween 5: On Set Footage (NEW – 17 mins. of raw footage) READ MORE

Exclusive

No Joke, Platinum Dunes Getting Behind ‘Halloween’ Franchise

 No Joke, Platinum Dunes Getting Behind Halloween Franchise

While some of you may think this is an April Fool’s joke, it’s not. Bloody Disgusting can exclusively report that Platinum Dunes is in talks to take the producing reigns on Dimension Films’ forthcoming Halloween sequel.

Word has it that Michael Myers’ return will not be in 3-D, nor will it instill the popular found footage model, which was originally being explored for the potential Friday the 13th sequel.

We’re hearing that Platinum Dunes is out to writers and directors, which could mean that – and as much as we personally love them – My Bloody Valentine and Drive Angry duo Todd Farmer and Patrick Lussier are no longer involved.

Platinum Dunes’ Brad Fuller and Andrew Form are responsible for remakes of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Amityville Horror, Friday the 13th and A Nightmare On Elm Street, as well as originals like The Unborn and Horsemen. They’re in post on the futuristic horror Vigilandia, as well as developing the latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles adaptation.

What would you guys like to see Platinum Dunes do with the franchise? Continue Rob Zombie’s story, do a fresh reboot, or what? READ MORE

[Random Cool] See Freddy, Jason And Michael Myers Grow Old!

shiningtwinsland32412 [Random Cool] See Freddy, Jason And Michael Myers Grow Old!

Being a serial killer, retarded or otherwise, isn’t a job with a healthy retirement plan. And as good as you are, it’s lonely at the top. Freddy Krueger doesn’t have a special someone to grow old with, Jason doesn’t understand basic economics and the ladies never flocked to Michael Myers’ charming personality.

Photographer Federico Chiesa understands this and he’s crafted a new series of photographs that relay the fates of our favorite villains. The photos are part of his series “Horror Vacui” (latin for “fear of empty space“) and they’re something you’re definitely gonna want to check out.

Hit the jump to see the fates that await some of our most iconic evil-doers! READ MORE

‘Halloween 3D’ Pulled From Dimension’s Release Schedule! It’ll Be Back, But As What?

Hallowmyers13112 Halloween 3D Pulled From Dimensions Release Schedule! Itll Be Back, But As What?

Halloween 3D isn’t gonna happen this year. Aside from the fact that it’s no longer listed on Dimension’s release schedule, it’s also simple math. It’s March. For a quality film to come out by October it would at least have to start shooting around now. But not only is Halloween 3D not shooting, it’s not even in pre-production. There’s no cast. There’s no approved script. It’s still in development.

When BD’s Brian Collins sat down for a chat with Todd Farmer about the status of this project back in September, the date still looked to be October of this year, if not sooner. Farmer had worked on a draft that the studio had set aside, but his takeaway from the experience was that Dimension wanted it soon, regardless of whose take they ultimately might end up using. “Absolutely. The date has been set. October of 2012. And even that can be pushed forward if the movie’s ready, like the last couple.

Apparently things have changed and Dimension hasn’t found a take on it that excites them. In a way, this could be perceived as good news. It’s widely known that Dimension still wants to make the project, and I take it their enthusiasm for the brand hasn;t dimmed since last year’s Farmer interview. Perhaps they’re just putting a lot of care into making sure it’s done right this time.

When the Halloween franchise returns, where would you like to see it go? A continuation of Rob Zombie’s path (not likely)? Or a whole new take? What would it look like to you? READ MORE

[Special Feature] 10 Widely Seen And Wildly Underrated Horror Performances!

 [Special Feature] 10 Widely Seen And Wildly Underrated Horror Performances!

While many of our favorite horror performances enjoy their richly deserved iconic status, there are plenty of great turns out their that don’t get nearly enough credit. And it can happen for a variety of reasons. Perhaps the movie tanked or wasn’t well regarded. But sometimes the films were hugely successful (or found cult popularity later) and their roles were simply outshined by the other stars, or elements, in the picture.

In this list I take a look at 10 performances that I feel haven’t gotten their due. I wanted the focus to be on films that you’ve likely seen (and love), so there’s a chance you may already feel the same way about many of these performances. In some cases these are roles that already get a fair amount of credit in the horror community – but are ignored in popular discussion of the performer’s overall career.

Disagree? Did I miss someone? Make sure your voice is heard in the comments!

Hit the jump to check out the list! READ MORE

Dear Filmmakers: Subvert A Genre All You Want, But You Have To Respect It First.

 Dear Filmmakers: Subvert A Genre All You Want, But You Have To Respect It First.

A little while ago I tossed up an article about the sale of Black Rock at Sundance. In fact, it should be the piece right below this one.

Right after doing so I saw that Devin Faraci, one of my favorite critics, had already filed his review of the film over at Badass Digest so I headed over there to check it out. You can do the same by clicking here.

Now I’m gonna state in bold letters that I have not seen Black Rock. For all I know it could become my favorite movie of 2012. I don’t always agree with Devin (maybe 70% of the time), but he’s one of a handful of about 5 or 6 critics whose reviews are my “go-tos” when I’m deciding what films to spend my time or money on as a consumer (I don’t always see everything for free, especially non-horror stuff). Whether or not I ultimately agree with his take on something, he’s got a knack for thoroughly explaining the reasoning behind his reactions that’s in a language I can relate to.

So I was surprised to come across a couple lines in his piece on Black Rock that echoed something that’s been on my mind for sometime in regard to genre and people who think they’re slumming in it.

Hit the jump to see what I’m talking about. READ MORE

Interview

TV: ‘Simpson’ Show Runner Reveals October’s Treehouse of Horror Episode!

 TV: Simpson Show Runner Reveals Octobers Treehouse of Horror Episode!

“The Simpsons” Treehouse of Horror Halloween episode has been a tradition for 21 years, of the 22 that “The Simpsons” has been on. They’ve skewered classic and popular horror movies like The Shining (“The Shinning”) and Cape Fear, and stories like “The Monkey’s Paw”.

Show runner Al Jean told me what all three segments of this year’s Halloween episode would be when I saw him at the Television Critics Association party for Fox. Talk about looking ahead… Spoilers follow! READ MORE

COMICS TO FEAST ON: Week Of October 26th 2011

For horror nuts like us who thrive off of suspense, gore, and a good old-fashioned ghost story, there is no better time of the year than Halloween. There’s just something about the chilly fall breeze, the naked trees, the wind that whirls, calling out to the dead. This week is the perfect time to nestle up in your favorite chair by the window with a brand new horror story.

With the ever-increasing number of books coming out between the tie-ins, the
crossovers, and the new series, we’ve got to limit our list of comics for the week somehow. Rather than cramming so many previews down your throat that you barely breathe, I’m going to give you my ten most anticipated books of the week. So feast your eyes on these! Whether you’ve been into comics since you were a young’un, or you’re new to the game, I’m here to help you decide which books to read. Read on for the skinny…

 COMICS TO FEAST ON: Week Of October 26th 2011 COMICS TO FEAST ON: Week Of October 26th 2011
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Happy Anniversary John Carpenter’s ‘Halloween’!

 Happy Anniversary John Carpenters Halloween!

Today’s a very special genre anniversary as back on October 25, 1978 John Carpenter’s iconic Michael Myers made his feature film debut in Halloween. Originally set to be a sequel to Black Christmas, Carpenter’s slasher starring Scream Queen Jamie Lee Curtis pulled in a whopping $47 million at the boxoffice. It spawned several sequels, a Rob Zombie-directed remake, which also had a sequel hit back in 2009.

The 1978 independent slasher followed a psychotic murderer (Tony Moran) institutionalized since childhood escapes on a mindless rampage while his doctor, Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence), chases him through the streets. Nancy Kyes, P.J. Soles and Charles Cyphers also starred.

Have your say below! READ MORE

COMICS TO FEAST ON: Week Of October 19th 2011

Welcome back to COMICS TO FEAST ON! As we venture further into the fall season it means two things. First, the conclusion to major events like, Fear Itself. Second, and perhaps more pertinent, is the approach of All Hallows Eve. With Halloween coming up in just a few weeks comic publishers see it as their duty to release whole bunch of new horror comics and graphic novels to bloody up the shelves this month. Be on the look out for these horror stories, many of the indie books look to be quite the fright fest.

With the ever-increasing number of books coming out between the tie-ins, the
crossovers, and the new series, we’ve got to limit our list of comics for the week somehow. Rather than cramming so many previews down your throat that you barely breathe, I’m going to give you my ten most anticipated books of the week. So feast your eyes on these! Whether you’ve been into comics since you were a young’un, or you’re new to the game, I’m here to help you decide which books to read. Read on for the skinny…

 COMICS TO FEAST ON: Week Of October 19th 2011 COMICS TO FEAST ON: Week Of October 19th 2011
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GRAPHIC CONTENT PICK OF THE WEEK: Lonmonster – ‘The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor’

With season two of AMC’s The Walking Dead under way, shattering records, the zombie craze is more alive than ever. The Walking Dead has always been that special something in the hearts of horror comic fans, and the series continues to find more advocates as it branches off into new mediums. Season one of TWD was proof that it can be successfully adapted to television, but can Kirkman do it again? Will TWD make for an exciting and psychologically horrifying novel as well? I strongly believe that TWD, despite how mainstream it becomes, will always stay true to its fans and always do its best to give a good name to the zombie movement. Rise of the Governor doesn’t simply retell events from the comics, it provides a first person origin story for the fan favorite villain known as ‘The Governor’. Just in time for the Halloween season, this is one book no TWD fan should pass up. Read on for the skinny…

 GRAPHIC CONTENT PICK OF THE WEEK: Lonmonster – ‘The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor’
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[Interview] Catching Up With Amy Lee Of Evanescence!

evanescenceband2011 [Interview] Catching Up With Amy Lee Of Evanescence!
BD Music caught up with Amy Lee, the enigmatic singer of hard rock band Evanescence, to discuss the new album, future plans, and we also found out what Amy Lee’s favorite Halloween costume was when she was trick or treating! Make sure to check out our review of the new album here and check the interview after the jump!

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Download Celldweller’s Cover Of The Halloween Theme

 Download Celldwellers Cover Of The Halloween Theme
Celldweller has made a metal cover of the infamous Halloween theme. Even better than the track is that it is free for download! All you have to do is go to Celldweller’s Facebook page and give it a ‘Like’. I snagged my copy and I’m having fun blasting it at any house that I think has a babysitter in it. This is just one of the ways I entertain myself.

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