Werewolves Within 2021 Director: Josh Ruben Ubisoft Film and Television
Newly appointed Forest Ranger Finn Wheeler (Sam Richardson) heads to Beaverfield, a small scenic town whose residents are currently divided by a pipeline proposal presented by a slick oilman Sam Parker. Finn meets the sweet and helpful postal worker Cecily, who helps him navigate his first day and introduces him to the town’s most eclectic residents, including estranged couple Trisha and Pete, wealthy transplants Devon and Joaquim, blue-collar besties Gwen and Marcus, activist environmentalist Dr. Jane Ellis, isolated hunter Emerson, and local lodge owner Jeanine, whose husband has mysteriously disappeared recently.
When a blizzard knocks out all power, the residents take shelter in the lodge. The next day Finn finds a generator ripped wide open and a mutilated body under the lodge porch, which could be Jeanine’s husband. Tensions over the future pipeline continue, as Finn investigates the mystery beast terrorizing the town. Does Forest Ranger truly have a sinister werewolf on his hands or is there a more down-to-earth explanation for these heinous crimes?
Veep alumni Sam Richardson leads an all-star cast in this campy horror-comedy based on the hit video game of the same name. While the video game was set in a medieval village, this movie takes place in modern times. The plot may not seem entirely original but entertains nonetheless. It’s funny, quirky, spooky fun, not chainsaw terrifying blood splatter, and it works perfectly with the witty banter between the characters. Filmed just before the pandemic hit, Director Josh Ruben shot on location in Hudson Valley, near Woodstock in New York, and used mostly practical effects and make-up for the monster and scares. Ruben, known for his successful meta horror-comedy Scare Me for Shudder, makes the most of a low-budget creature feature and impresses audiences with his creativity and wit.
Much in the way of Bruce Campbell’s legendary hero Ash from the Evil Dead series, Finn is not your typical hero. He’s just an ordinary everyday man who finds himself suddenly dealing with an extremely dangerous supernatural problem, maybe. The always solid funnyman Sam Richardson has built an impressive resume playing affable, offbeat characters and he aces the assignment yet again.
The town residents are basically a who’s who in television comedy. There are a lot of familiar faces here, including Groundlings and American Dad star Michaela Watkins, What We Do in the Shadow’s Harvey Guillen, American Horror Story heartthrob Cheyenne Jackson, and Orange Is the New Black and Stranger Thing’s comedienne Catherine Curtin, just to name a few. Everyone is a suspect. Everyone is a potential victim. And, they all equal parts funny and annoying in their own way, viewers aren’t sure if we should root for their survival or their slaughter.
The real treat here is Milana Vayntrub though. Best known as the AT&T spokesperson Lily, Milana once again uses her charm and girl-next-door likeability to keep viewers guessing whether she’s a misunderstood postal worker or a wolf under sheep’s clothing. I’ve never seen her in anything but a phone commercial so it was delightful to see her get a chance to shine a little and show off her comedic chops.
All in all, Werewolves Within is better than most horror movies based on video games. It’s a smartly written whodunnit that keeps the twists and turns going all the way to the end. This is a great date night or just staying home on a Saturday night movie.
I would like to get back on some type of schedule. It’s easier said than done sometimes, but in effort to do so, I’m reviving Friday Fright Nightcaps to coincide with our monthly theme. This May is Cemetery Appreciation Month and our theme celebrates cemetery life, so I put together a classy, refreshing drink, perfect for springtime and a tribute to the afterlife.
White Wine Peach Sangria
Ingredients:
750 ml. White wine (Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, etc.,) 12 oz. Peach Vodka (New Amsterdam) Fresh Fruit
First, cut up some fresh fruit. I used peaches, blackberries, red raspberries, apples, and strawberries. Any fruit will do. Next, pour entire contents of wine bottle into a pitcher. Lastly, add 12 oz or about half a bottle of Peach Vodka. I choose to use New Amsterdam brand, but you can use whichever brand you choose. Stir well and refrigerate for about 12-24 hours. Serve chilled.
During this last week in April, Halloween lovers reanimate after a long hibernation. Walpurgisnacht marks the halfway point to Halloween and revelers are planning for a ghoulish good time.
Our theme this month has been Zombie Spring.
trampled gardens flowers covered in blood spring of the undead
Artists have really been taking a hit these past two years. Many are unable to attend shows and conventions where they can sell their art and connect with fans. It’s more important than ever to help bring these two groups back together. Give the gift of spooky Creepmas art this holiday and support great Halloween and horror artists at the same time. Win-win!
Rhode Montijo is the gift to Halloween lovers that keeps on giving. You can purchase blind boxes, Krampus-Grams, original art prints, sketches, pins, and more.
Diana Levin is the queen of spooky cute and she also draws up these hauntingly beautiful images all year long. Patreons members can get an exclusive art feed, behind-the-scenes, first crack at original art listings, merchandise discounts, and more.
Celebrate the Hallow days with Visionary artist John Pelico inside his spooky world of killer pumpkins. You can pick up pins and stickers for the stockings, unique original art prints, and one-of-kind luminaries, like the Batty tripod lamp.
Wreathing Havoc art print by John Pelico, Killer Pumpkins
You don’t need a Disneyland reservation to access fabulous art from master Disney illustrator and Tiki enthusiast Jeff Granito. The man shows off his legendary style all 365 days of the year, but there’s something special about the way Creepmas collides with tiki culture.
I heard Santa has a Krampus tattoo from master tattoo artist Shane Murphy somewhere only Mrs. Klaus can see. I don’t know if that’s really true, but if you can’t make it out to Massachusetts, Shane offers amazing art prints, posters, enamel pins, t-shirts, and sweatshirts all year round.
‘Shadow Of Saint Nicholas’ 11×14″ Tattoo Flash Print by Shane Murphy
My Creepmas wish is for Santa to bring all Halloween lovers everywhere a copy of Ray Bradbury’s The Halloween Tree, illustrated by Gris Grimly. He also has a lot of great Halloween art and cool holiday cards.
From magnets to enamel pins, prints to stickers, comic book illustrator and Halloween enthusiast Drew Rausch has all your stocking stuffer needs covered. Stop by his booth at Seasons Screamings and finish your holiday shopping.
All I Want for Christmas is Another Halloween by Drew Rausch
Apofiss is one of my favorite cat artists. I love her gorgeous and whimsical style. I dug her cute black cat Halloween art prints and changed my Google background to her art and even bought last year’s cat calendar, which was absolutely stunning and made with good-quality materials. Pick up your own 2022 calendar and count down the year with these festive felines.
From superheroes to supervillians, it’s simply magical the way fantasy illustrator Joe Roberts brings characters to life with stunning realism and beauty. Joe hails from the UK, but we can find his art prints on Society 6, Red Bubble, and Fine Art America.
Full disclaimer, I have no idea what NFTs are, they seem really scary, but some of them are very expensive and people are tripping over themselves to say they own one, unlike the pet rock, which no one admits to owning anymore. I figure if NFTs are your thing or the Halloween lover you’re gifting, this spot seemed like a very nice place to find one.
The Saturday after Black Friday is always Shop Small Business day. No supply chain issues. You help the economy. You help independently-owned and small businesses thrive. You find amazing, fangtastic gifts for your favorite Halloween and horror lover. Helping makes you feel good. Everybody wins!
In Burbank-Los Angeles, SoCal:
Dark Delicacies – If you’re looking for horror books, horror collectibles and memorabilia, and spooky novelty items https://www.darkdel.com
Camp Horror/Bearded Lady’s Mystic Museum – If you’re looking for horror clothing, horror movie collectibles, strange vintage oddities, and spooky novelty items https://beardedladysmysticmuseum.square.site
Halloweentown Store – If you’re looking for Halloween costumes and masks, horror clothing, Halloween and horror collectibles and memorabilia, and spooky novelty items http://halloweentownstore.com
Monster-A-GoGo/Kreepsville -If you’re looking for horror or goth clothing and spooky novelty items https://store.kreepsville666.com
Local Boogeyman – If you’re looking for creepy T-shirts, horror clothing, horror props, and spooky novelty items https://www.localboogeyman.com
Small businesses were chosen at random. Many I’ve purchased from in the past and they’re good people. All of them ship almost anywhere (check their website for shipping costs and details).
If you know of a local, independently-owned, small business that provides great gifts for Halloween and horror fans, share their link and location in the comments.
Unlike most Halloween fans, I do not get immediately sad after Halloween because there’s still so much spookiness going on to carry us through Thanksgiving, through the holidays, all the way into next year. What a fabulous time to be a horror fan because there are some incredible apparel, collectibles, products, and amazing box sets of the greatest films in history out there, and, for the next 5 weekends, I’m going to post my gift-giving guides for your favorite Halloween and Horror fans.
The Bela Lugosi Collection at CreepyCo. ($10-70) https://www.creepycompany.com/collections/bela-lugosi Lugosi Enterprises is dedicated to preserving the memory and legacy of the man forever associated as Count Dracula. They’ve been quite savvy, selective, and tenacious about their licensing agreements in recent years and that’s more apparent than ever with their deal at Creepy Co. This holiday, you can find some awesome apparel, including button-up shirts, t-shirts, PJs, socks, enamel pins, and much more.
Custom designed Bedding and Bathwares – There will be Cute at Society 6 ($17-$120) https://society6.com/therewillbecute Artist and illustrator Caley Hicks brings her world-class spooky cute to Society 6 with these Halloween baths and bedding sets. Normally, I’d include Caley’s works in an upcoming Artist gift-giving guide, but I’m in love with the idea of having a Headless Horseman decorated bathroom.
Magnetic Poetry – Edgar Allan Poet Kit ($12.95) https://magneticpoetry.com/collections/themed-kits/products/edgar-allan-poet Is your horror fan a haunting, witty wordsmith with a gothic heart? Well, here’s their chance to shine with this unique and fun way to create original refrigerator poetry, inspired by the Master of the Macabre, Edgar Allan Poe.
Dead Sled Coffee ($18-$20) https://deadsledcoffee.com/ Why we don’t have coffee bars filled with coffee, horror, and heavy metal music on every corner is beyond me. For the people who don’t care where their coffee comes from, or, at the very least, trust that their favorite musicians and horror icons have lawyers and management that have already scoured Dead Sled’s ethics and ability to produce good-tasting environmentally friendly coffee.
Godzilla Jenga/Godzilla Monopoly ($22-40) https://toywiz.com/godzilla/diecast-microman-miscellaneous-toys-figures/ I don’t talk about Godzilla enough. He is the King of the Monsters after all, which is why I got so excited when I found a Godzilla version of Jenga and Monopoly from USAopoly. Why play Jenga when you can play Godzilla Jenga! Finally, a reason to be excited for family board game night. Just don’t let Grandma play as King Ghidorah.
100 Horror Movie Scratch-off Chart ($25) https://popchart.co/products/100-horror-movies-scratch-off-chart Whether you’re watching for the first time or revisiting old favorites, this is a cool way to keep track of the which classic horror films you’ve watched.
Elvira Meets Vincent Price Comics (($1.99 and up) https://www.comixology.com/Elvira-Meets-Vincent-Price-1/digital-comic/943748 Dynamite Entertainment brings the Mistress of the Dark together with the Merchant of Menace to save the world from Apocalyptic doom! In a madcap mix of comedy and horror, the Hollywood star spector and horror hostess with the mostess pair go together like peanut butter and jelly. Digital subscriptions start at $1.99, regular comics are $5, but special limited edition variant covers are for collectors only.
Frankenstein Complete Legacy Collection ($26-47) https://www.uphe.com/movies/frankenstein-complete-legacy-collection If for some reason the giant 30 film collection of the Universal Monsters Legacy Collection isn’t your jam, then consider getting The Frankenstein Complete Legacy Collection, which, in my opinion, contains all the best films of the Universal Monsters collection. including Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.
Horror Movie Figure Collectibles from NECA ($39-70) https://necaonline.com/2020/12/12-days-of-downloads-2020-day-9-ultimates-visual-guide/ Start a yearly tradition of giving the gift of a horror movie 7″ scale action figure with accessories, officially licensed, made with high-quality materials, packaged in beautiful boxes. These are not toys, these are collectibles and horror fans should own them all. Well, at least one, your favorite one.
Halloween/Goth Shoes ($45-$120) https://strangecvlt.com/ I’ve heard it said if you’re gonna join a cult, then, join a shoe cult, and there’s no better place to start than Strange Cvlt shoes. From sandals to flats, Mary Janes to platform boots, this is the only socially acceptable fetish a girl can have without getting burned at the stake.
Friday the 13th Blu-ray Collection – Deluxe Edition ($129-159) https://www.amazon.com/Friday-Collection-Blu-ray-Betsy-Palmer/dp/B07GNV288V Bring Jason Vorhees home this holiday! Finally a worthy Blu-ray collection of the most successful, long-running slasher series in film history. All 13 movies, some digitally remastered in 4K and featuring a booklet, behind-the-scenes, commentaries, interviews, and special features in the most incredible packaging I’ve ever seen from Scream Factory.
Season’s Screamings Tickets – December 17-19, Pasadena Convention Center ($30-60-95) https://midsummerscream.org/seasons-screamings/ This one-of-a-kind holiday horror convention promises just as many chills and thrills as its parent-con Midsummer Scream, which was canceled earlier this summer. This is the place to find dark holiday gifts and spooky stocking stuffers. The event includes special ghoulish guests, over 200 exhibitors and vendors, and the Hall of Yuletide Spirits, a “dark showfloor of holiday themed haunts and yard displays, created by Southern Californias most talented haunted house creators.” Did I mention Pasadena is simply lovely this time of year?
Amazing Pre-order Gifts: Every penny is worth the wait!
☆Dying Light II Stay Human – Feb 4, 2022 ($60-80) https://dl2.dyinglightgame.com/ Techland’s sequel to the worldwide phenomenon Dying Light could be the dream of every gamer and zombie fan alike. Trailers and early play-throughs show a creative, technical, and visual feast. The first Dying Light game featured hours of gameplay, multiple DLCs, great customer and technical support, and developed a strong community of fervent players (like me) anxiously awaiting this new gaming adventure.
☆Mezco’s Monsters – Tower of Fear Deluxe Boxed Set – March-May 2022 ($95) https://www.mezcotoyz.com/5-points-mezcos-monsters-tower-of-fear Delight your inner child with this fabulous-looking multi-level diorama playset featuring 5 highly detailed poseable classic monsters and a host of accessories, all packaged in a collector-friendly box to bring your own favorite horror stories to life! This product is for collectors, not children.
☆Bela Lugosi as Dracula by Infinite Statue & Sideshow – June 2022 ($300-355) https://www.sideshow.com/collectibles/dracula-bela-lugosi-infinite-statue-909742?var=909743 Sideshow and Infinite Statue teamed up with Kaustic Plastik to give us the Dark Prince himself, Bela Lugosi! This handpainted, incredibly detailed sixth-scale figure features two different sculpted heads, ten poseable hands, fully costumed, accessories, and captures the beauty and essence of the most recognizable horror icon ever created. The Deluxe version features a spooktacular coffin for $355. This is the ultimate tribute to both the character of Count Dracula and the beloved actor who embodied him. A must-have collectible for vampire fans.
Halloween Horror Haiku 
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