Happily Never After

Watching this REC 3: Genesis has become one of the only Valentine’s Day traditions I have. I originally reviewed this one for the October Horror Movie Challenge in 2014. Decided to do a new review after watching it tonight. There are some spoilers, but the movie is 13 years old, so you've been warned. 

Plot 

Two young lovers have their wedding day ruined when a demonic zombie outbreak happens at their wedding.

Review

If you aren't familiar REC is a four film Spanish horror franchise. The first two movies are about an apartment building that sees some sort of zombie-like outbreak. The first two films are two of the best found footage movies I've seen. REC 3: Genesis starts out in the same found footage style, but once hell breaks loose one of the protagonist breaks the wedding videographer's camera and the film shifts to a standard cinematic flick.  In case you're wondering, the fourth and final film in the series is also shot in the standard manner. Of the four movies, REC 3 is my favorite. It is a departure from the other three in that it's a standalone story and it also has quite a bit dark comedy. 

Koldo and Clara are the perfect protagonists. They are an attractive young couple, truly in love, and getting married. The cast of characters are pretty entertaining.  We have various family members, a videographer, Sponge John (a character that is legally distinct from Spongebob Squarepants), and a person that infiltrated the wedding reception to file a law suit against the happy couple for any copyrighted song played. Though I like the characters, they are flawed. Like most folks in horror flicks they make some really stupid decisions. For example, it's revealed that the infected zombies are possessed by demons. The demons can be seen in reflections. The creatures also can't enter holy ground, are harmed by holy water (at least that's what Koldo's grandmother says), and held at bay when they hear the priest praying or reading scripture. Do survivors stay in the church where it's safe? Of course not.

Watching Clara cut part of her dress off with a chainsaw and then fighting with it is one of the most badass and hot things I've seen in a movie.

Like many horror flicks, this one doesn't have a happy ending. Despite that I think it has a romantic one. I'm don't get me wrong it's fucked up, but it's still sweet. You can see gifs of it in here.

In Your Game

I recently got my pdf copy of SURVIVE THIS!! Zombies! Ultimate Edition so I thought I'd stat the demonic zombies out for that system. I'm also adding that book and several other Bloat Games books I have to my "to review" list.

Fallen

These zombies were created when demons cast out by God at Genesis returned to Earth and possessed mortals. 

Pack Size: 1-12

Armor Class: 13

Hit Dice: 2
Move: 12
Actions: 1
Attack: Bite (1d4-1 + fallen infection), claws (d4-1 + fallen infection), slam (d4), by weapon
Special: Undead (they can run), Unholy, toughness +2, Fallen zombie
Bonuses: +3 to melee attacks, +3 to damage, +2 to Spot & Listen
Alignment: Evil
Morale: 10

Madness: -

Terror: 12

HDE: 1

Unholy infection: If their bite or claws deal damage, the target must make a Poison Save, or they will become infected. If infected, they are at -2 to all attack & skill rolls, lose ½ their Move (rounded up), and lose 1 HP an hour until magically or psychically healed or until they make another Poison Save attempt. They may try another Poison Save every 3 hours. If they die while infected, they will become a fallen.

Undead-like: While they are technically living, like undead they are immune to Poisons, stuns, being sickened, Diseases & Critical Hits.

Unholy: While they appear as regular zombies, a Fallen's reflection reveals its true forms. Any Holy Man can spend their turn reciting prayers or quotes to cause all Fallen to become immobile while listening to the religious words. The Fallen cannot enter holy ground.

Fallen zombie: They will continue to try to eat the living until they are reduced to 0 HP. 

Music Monday - Smile For Me

Smile For Me is a Joker-themed song by Divide Music. Like most of his supers related tracks I really like it.

Here are links to Joker related content I've created:

D&D 5E

• Joker
• Tommy Wiseau's Joker
• Joker Imposter
• Harley Quinn
• Bob the Goon
• Gaggy
• Clown Hunter
• Mr. Hammer
• The Batman Who Laughs
• Smilex Gas

Survive This!!

• Jokerized Zombies
• Clownhunter 
• Bob the Goon
• Tommy Wiseau’s Joker

Light City

• Titan Joker 
• Hyena 
• Tommy Wiseau’s Joker 
• The Batman Who Laughs 
• Bob the Goon 
• Smilex Gas 

October Horror Challenge - Splinter (2008)

"Body Horror" is the prompt for Day 10. I decided to rewatch a flick I think is pretty underrated. 

Plot

A young couple are carjacked and find themselves trapped inside a gas station and besieged by a horrific parasite that takes over its hosts and turns them into killing machines.

Review

This one is a gem. Jill Wagner and Paulo Costanzo are fantastic as leads. However, I think the true MVP of this one is Shea Whigham. Yes he's a violent criminal and has does some awful things, but he's not irredeemable. While he starts out as the villain, he becomes the hero, even seeking redemption in the end.

The creatures of Splinter are horrific and the practical effects are fantastic. They are savage killers and even touching them can infect a creature. The way the parasite takes over its host is also gnarly. Seeing Whigham's arm twisting and cracking is legitimately disturbing. The way it effects the body sticks with you.

If you get the chance to watch this one you definitely should. 

 Your Game 

Much like the clickers of The Last Of Us, the ravenous creatures are animals and humans infected by a fungus that drives them to infect others. For this reason, I'm statting the creatures out as SURVIVE THIS!! Zombies!.

Splinter

Armor Class: 15

Hit Dice: 4
Move: 12
Actions: 2
Attack: Claw (1d4) or Bite (1d4)
Special: +3 to Toughness, any attack spreads splinter parasite, creatures attacking splinter in melee must make an infection saving throw, track by heat
Bonuses: +3 to Melee attacks, +3 to Damage
Pack Size: 1d4+1 or solitary
Methods of Termination: immolation

Movies Watched: 11

New to Me: 7.66

Oh The Horror (Kickstarters)!

My friend Eric Bloat has two projects on Kickstarter that you should check out.

Bloat Games is releasing SURVIVE THIS!! Zombies - Ultimate Edition in its final form. It will include all previous content (STZ 1e, The Body In The Road adventure, STZ 2E, and STZ 2E Among the Living). There will be content as well. Like the other ST Ultimate Editions this will be a gorgeous full size hardcover. I love the new art commissioned for the cover.

The other Kickstarter I wanted to mention is the Bloat Zines THE HORROR OF IT ALL Kickstarter.

This is a collaborative fanzine that discusses all things horror, such as:

• Horror Novels
• Horror Movies
• Horror Video Games
• Horror Toys
• Horror Comics
• Horror Conventions
• Tabletop RPGs
• Cosplay
• Pop culture 
• Halloween
• Cryptids
• Monsters 
• Community content and much more!

The project has less than three days left. If you love horror, check it out!

A New "Exotic" Zombie For Your Survive This!! Games

Why should 5e have all the fun? I decided that SURVIVE THIS!! Zombies! 2E needed a version zombie strippers too. I've seen a few zombie stripper scenes in movies, but the one in Scout's Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse is my favorite. You can watch the scene here.

Zombie Stripper

These insidious zombies still look mostly human (perception related rolls to identify them as zombies are made with disadvantage). They also retain their flexibility and fluid movement and can be quite distracting. If alone when encountering survivors the zombie will initially start doing an erotic dance. After two rounds of this those witnessing must make a Mental saving throw or toss an item of value to the zombie. This will cause the zombie to be distracted for one round after which it will attack. These zombies can also be distracted for one round by throwing cash, even when pursing prey.

Armor Class: 15

Hit Dice: 3
Move: 12
Actions: 1
Attack: Claw (1d4) or Bite (1d4)
Special: +2 to Toughness, bite spreads zombie virus, appear human, work the pole 
Bonuses: +3 to Melee attacks, +1 to Damage
Pack Size: 1d4+1 or solitary
Methods of Termination: destroying the brain

TMNT vs. The Walking Dead

 

Source

Why The Zombie Apocalypse Would Fail Quickly

This is pretty funny and makes some great points.

October Horror Movie Challenge - Wyrmwood: Apocalypse (2022)

Plot

In this sequel to 2014’s  Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead, Rhys is an Australian soldier and zombie hunter that delivers captured citizens to the Surgeon General and military in hopes of finding a cure. This brings him into conflict with Barry and his zombie hybrid sister, Brooke (protagonists of the first film). During the course of the film he finds out that he might be on the wrong side. 

  Review

I loved Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead! It was a wild zombie flick that felt different. Set in Australia the zombie infested world of Wyrmwood isn't your typical zombie apocalypes. Typical combustible liquids such as gasoline and diesel hare gone inert. However the zombies blood is flammable and they breathe out this fuel-like substance during the day. This causes them to be more sluggish and allows them to be converted into fuel sources. However, at night they cease to breathe it out and become fast zombies. The first film also showed this made them more volatile and flammable. There are also hybrid zombies that can control other zombies. This one the inspiration for one of the classes I wrote for SURVIVE THIS!! Zombie! - Among The Living.

If that sounds balls to the wall crazy, it's because it is. The film is a movie that's constantly moving. There are tires screeching, zombies moaning, explosions happening, and automatic weapons firing. It's a super fun flick. The film's new protagonist, Rhys, is a resourceful Max Max-esque style soldier and a total badass. It's nice to see Barry and Brooke returning. Nick Boshier also returns as the Surgeon General. He is thoroughly creepy. 

In Your Game

During the day, Wyrmwood Dead act as typical walkers from SURVIVE THIS!! Zombies! 2E. At night they become runners. They can also use tools and weapons if ordered to do so by a hybrid. Non-hybrid Wyrmwood Dead gain the following trait:

Extremely Flammable: Fire does double damage to the Wyrmwood Dead. Additionally a critical hit against one will cause it to ignite and explode, dealing 1d10 damage to all creatures within 10 feet.

New Movies: 12

Other Horror Movies Watched Since Last Post: 

Challenge Total: 25

October Horror Movie Challenge - The Sadness (2021)

 

Plot

Jim and Kat are a young couple in Taiwan. The past year they've been living in a society that's been combating the seemingly benign Alvin virus. However, after the country lets its guard down the virus mutates and turns citizens into crazed psychopaths driven by their most primal urges. The movie follows Kat and Jim and they try to survive and reunite. 

 Review

The movie definitely taps into real world events. The Alvin virus has a lot of parallels with Covid-19. Folks that get it tend to have cold and flu like symptoms and most survive. There's also a video Jim watches early in the flick where a host berates a scientists warning to be diligent against the virus by saying it's shameful to politicize illness. The virus also definitely gets inspiration from the Garth Ennis created zombie series, Crossed. Those infected become rabid beings that just want to torture, fuck, and kill. This makes them even more dangerous than the rage zombies of 28 Days Later, because they can still think and plan. They are also more tragic because (as explained later in the movie) they know what they are doing, they just can't stop it (which is why some are seen crying before they commit their awful deeds).

This movie is a gross, blood soaked, and grotesque thing. There are so many awful bits of dialogue and graphic violence. There are also multiple incidents of sexual violence. That being said, it's not just a piece of offensive trash. The film is a nihilistic piece of art. The tension is nerve wracking and the visuals are unforgettable. If you have a strong stomach and want to watch a brilliantly shot zombie picture with unforgettable sights, this might be one for you. Tim put it well in his review, this is not a movie you enjoy, it's one you experience.

In Your Game

The Sad Ones could be seen as a malevolent living zombie so I'm giving Zombies! stats for them. The virus is transmitted by bodily fluids so bleeding or vomiting on victims and sexual encounters will lead to infection.

The Sad Ones

Armor Class: 12

Hit Dice: 3
Move: 12
Actions: 1
Attack: By Weapon 
Special: +5 to Toughness, all attacks made by the Sad Ones are made with advantage, all attacks made against Sad Ones are made with advantage
Bonuses: +2 to Melee attacks, +2 to Damage
Pack Size: 1d4+1
Methods of Termination: any method that kills a normal human

New Movies: 3

Other Horror Movies Watched Since Last Post: Return of the Living Dead, Bones, Evil Dead (2013)

Challenge Total: 7

100 Days of Halloween: Day 64

The Beyond #29 has a great classic zombie scene.

100 Days of Halloween: Day 59

 The cover to Ghostly Weird Stories #122 is definitely one of the my favorite shares for this.

Astro Zombies

The reanimated corpses have experienced some sort of strange radiation or spore that's reanimated them. They are tougher than typical walkers and the remnants of their space suits make them slightly fire resistant and harder to damage.

Armor Class: 15

Hit Dice: 4
Move: 9
Actions: 1
Attack: Claw (1d4) or Bite (1d4)
Special: +2 to Toughness, additional +4 toughness vs fire, bite spreads zombie virus
Bonuses: +5 to Melee attacks, +1 to Damage
Pack Size: 1d4+1
Methods of Termination: destroying the brain

Overworld KS Coming Soon

Overworld is the next Kickstarter by a game designer that creates epic content and is just one of the nicest folks I know, Eric from Bloat Games. Seriously though, I do want to brag on my friend for a second. Eric is a kind soul and has given me some great opportunities to be creative and get my work out there. I can think of several times in the past he's made his games more accessible to folks. I've never really heard him speak negatively about another publisher's work. Eric is just a good dude, that makes great content, and does so without stirring controversy (redacted one-sided nut job incident aside). This is why I love promoting and supporting his work and why I think you should too.

Okay, now that my love letter to Mr. Bloat is done, I'll talk about the project. Overworld is a bestiary zine inspired by The Legend of Zelda! The zine is going to be released in three different formats. There will be a system neutral version, a 5e version, and a version written specifically for Bloat Games take on the OSR, SURVIVE THIS!!. I personally am going to pick up the 5e and SURVIVE THIS!! versions. A little birdie told me there will be a bundle option to get all three, and to be honest, that's the one level I'll most likely back at. I think the use in 5e is obvious. If you're using this book with SURVIVE THIS!! there are several cool ways you can use it. It will provide great classic monsters for Fantasy and Vigilante City. The creatures can be new alien species for SURVIVE THIS!! The Blackest Space. A really fun option for Dark Places & Demogorgons, We Die Young, and What Shadows Hide would be to have the pc's sucked into The Legend of Zelda (or your world's version of it). Think of the fun of your werewolf riot girl or J'town geek questing through Hyrule trying to snag the Master Sword to defeat the bad guys and get back to the real world.

You can go to this link and click "Notify me on launch" to stay up to date with the project.  If you want more Legend of Zelda inspired content from Bloat Games you should consider checking out Eric's Patreon. The image below is a sample of the cool stuff he's doing there.

Character Creation Challenge - Day 16

Today's character is a fresh survivor for SURVIVE THIS!! Zombies!. Based on the background and stats I rolled, I picture him as a retired French chef that recently moved to the US to take up a teaching role at small culinary school.

Corbin Allard 

Class/Level: Survivor 

Background: First time US visitor

Str: 11 (+0)

Int: 11 (+0)

Wis: 15 (+1)

Dex: 9 (+0)

Con: 12 (+0)

Cha: 17 (+2)

Sur: 11

Critical: 9
Death: 11
Infection: 13
Mental: 11
Poison: 10

Language: English

AC: 10/11 (Dex/In Melee)
HP: 7
Move: 12

Attack Damage:

Chef's Knife  +1 to hit, 1d6-1 damage

Skills: 

Brawling

Cooking 1 (+2)

Dancing 1 (+1)

Persuasion 1 (+3)

Abilities:

+1 to resist Intimidation

Equipment:
$100, chef's knife, messenger bag, passport, personal journal with recipes

Music Monday - Dead Don't Sleep On Me

JTMusic have released a new Back4Blood track. I don't know that I like it as much as the first, but it's still really good.

Jokerized Zombies

I have no desire to play State of Survival, a zombie mobile game, but I thought this trailer for their (very random) DC crossover with Joker was cool.

I'm going to stat out these "Jokerized" zombies using a hybrid Vigilante City/Zombies! stat block. 

Jokerized Zombie 
Armor Class: 15
Hit Dice/Points: 6 
Move: 15
Actions: 2

Attack: Claw (1d6) or Bite (1d6-1) 

Special: Zombie, Tear attack (1d6+1+ 1d4 damage on damaged foes turn from bleeding) - counts as two actions 

Bonuses: +5 to attacks, +2 to damage, Athletics: Basic +5 

Morale: 10 

Terror: 12 

HDE: 8

Method of Termination: Damage to the brain, severing the head, burning the body

• Zombie - Immunity to Poisons, Diseases, Toxins, Fear, Mind Probing, Mind Control, Pain, Surprise Attack damage, and Critical hits. Anyone bit or scratched by a Jokerized zombie must make a Poison save or they will become infected. If infected they are at -2 on all attack and skill rolls, lose 1/2 their movement, and lose 1 HP a minute until they die, at which point they become a zombie with these this special abilities. If used in STZ2E use the Infection saving throw instead. 
• Maniacal Laugh - One per round combatants within 50 ft of a laughing Jokerized zombie must make a save vs. Fear. If failed the person must use their turn to move away from the zombie. If pass, there are no game affects, though the character is still thoroughly creeped out.

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021)

Plot

Claire Redfield returns to her home, Raccoon City, to warm her brother of a vast conpsiracy. Once a booming city and formerly the home of pharmaceutical company, Umbrella Corps, the town is dying. While talking with Chris, a mysterious siren goes off and Chris gets a call to investigate a mansion in the nearby mountains. As the residents of the city become flesh eating zombies, the siblings must fight for their lives and deal with a vast conspiracy.

 

Review

A combination and reinterpretation of the video games Resident Evil 1 and 2 this movie is definitely closer to the source movie than the original franchise. This version of Raccoon City could have been a hundred different dying towns in the Rust Belt or greater Midwest. It ever kind of reminded me of my home town. 

I enjoyed the cast. Kaya Scodelario was fantastic as Claire. Hanna John-Kamen's take on Jill was interesting. I like the idea that she might be a little crazy. Tom Hopper's Wesker is definitely an original interpretation of the character, but I liked the down to earth Wesker better than the pretentious one. Donal Logue (who I didn't know was in the movie) was funny as Chief Irons. Neal McDonough plays a perfect bad guy, as usual. I was happily surprised to see Letterkenny's Nathan Dales in the movie. Robbie Amell was beefy eye candy, which lets be honest, that's what Chris is in most of the games.  

Okay, I skipped over one of the leads because I wanted to talk a little bit more. Avan Jogia's Leon S. Kennedy while a vastly different interpretation than previous versions. Yes Leon was introduced as the rookie in RE2, but he was super capable. This Leon is comedic relief. The circumstances that lead him to Raccoon City are silly he's already there and known when things start. This didn't sit well with me as some of the other changes, because Leon is my favorite protagonist in the series and is a total badass. However, when all was said and done, I liked the character in the movie. Avan Jogia did a great job of playing the clueless rookie. The fact he was easy on the eyes, might have helped. 

The effects of the movie were hit and miss. While I do like the slower transformation of the townsfolk into bio-weapons, the zombies looked lame at times. The monster CG didn't look like big budget Hollywood, though it was alright. The exception being the Licker, which I thought looked great. Lisa Trevor is thoroughly creepy and looked cool. There are some really cool shots in the movie.

The last thing I wanted to talk about are the video game Easter eggs. There are a lot. Names are dropped constantly, there's some footage of the beginnings of Umbrella that tie back to the franchise. My favorite throwback though is a line Jill has that references two of the more absurd bosses in the first game.

It's final verdict time. Do I think this was a great horror flick. Sadly I do not. I think it had a lot of great potential and sadly didn't live up to it. That being said I think it's a fun movie and I enjoyed it. I really hope it does well enough to get a sequel. 

In Your Game

Add Lickers to your Zombies! or other ST games.

Licker

Armor Class: 15

Hit Dice: 8
Move: 15
Actions: 2
Attack: Bite (1d6-1) or Claw (1d6) or Tongue (special)
Special: +5 to Toughness, bite spreads zombie virus, 
Bonuses: +5 to Melee attacks, +3 to Damage
Morale: 10
Pack Size: 1
Methods of Termination: Reduction to 0 HP

Anyone hit by the Licker's tongue attack is restrained. While restrained they have Disadvantage on all physical rolls except for trying to escape. It requires a DC 15 Str or Dex check to escape. This can be a straight stat check or skill check if players justify use of the skill. 

Music Monday - Nothing Like The Rest

 Honestly I’m a little disappointed in Back4Blood. I was hoping for a game that felt like Left4Dead. Unfortunately I think they put too many new bells and whistles on it. The ridden are cool zombies though and I love the special ones. At some point I’ll give them the STZ2E treatment. Until then you can enjoy this JTMusic Back4Blood video.

October Horror Movie Challenge - Death Ranch (2020)

 

Plot

Set in the 70's, Brandon is a convict that escapes and meets  up with his two siblings at their grandfather's abandoned ranch in Tennessee. There the trio are captured by a group of cannibalistic Ku Klux Klansmen and have to fight their way to safety... and get some bloody revenge.

Review

This on is not high art, but it's entertaining if you are a grindhouse fan. It's a combination of Blaxploitationa and Hicksploitation. Brandon (played excellently by Deiondra Teagle) and his sister Angela (played by the badass Faith Monique) are the primary protagonists. There's not really a whole lot of story or exposition. Brandon committed a crime and his brother and sister meet up with him. They are ambushed by some KKK assholes, who like to eat and/or fuck their victims before hanging them. The barn and surrounding woods are the only real set pieces, which is simple but works. There's some great practical gore that's rather nasty, including genital mutilation and an eye being bitten out of someone's face. The film contains racist language and sexual violence (though it mostly occurs off screen), so it could definitely be a hard watch for some. However, if you can stomach those and want to see some racist assholes get taken out in bloody and painful ways, this is a flick for you.

In Your Game

Cannibalistic Ku Klux Klansman

Armor Class: 10

Hit Dice/Points: 1/2
Move: 12 
Actions: 1
Attack: By Weapon

Bonuses: +1 to hit

Special: disadvantage on courage saves

Morale: 5

HDE: 1/2

Movie Count

New To Me: 16

Total Movies: 24

October Horror Movie Challenge - Return of the Living Dead (1985)

Plot

Frank and his new employee Freddy accidentally unleash chemicals from a government experiment. The chemicals reanimate the dead who crave the brains of the living. Unlike typical zombies, these ones are intelligent. Meanwhile, Freddy's friends are hanging out in a nearby graveyard when the ghouls rise. 

Review

I love this movie and have talked about it many times. This is the punk rock zombie flick. It takes place in Louisville, KY, home of the Bloat Games crew. This flick has so much going for it. The cast is an eclectic and entertaining mix. The soundtrack is killer. Linnea Quigley dances naked. It also has one of my favorite zombie movie lines: "Come in dispatch. Send more paramedics." There are also several very memorable characters. This one has two of my favorite zombie flick protagonists, Don Calfa's Ernie Kaltenbrunner and Miguel Nunez's Spider are fantastic. They are also very practical, unlike may horror protagonists. 

In Your Game

If you want to use the zombies of this flick in  your game, check out this post I did a few years back.

Movie Count

New To Me: 15

Total Movies: 23

October Horror Movie Challenge - V/H/S/94 (2021)

 

Plot

Like the previous films in the series, this film is a series of found footage shorts that have a framed story. This time the frame is a police raid on a cult hideout. Storm Drain deals with a humanoid rat seen beneath a city. The Empty Wake involved a reanimated corpse in a wake with no guests. The Subject deals with a scientist creating cyborgs and a military raid. Finally The Terror involves a domestic terrorist group and their attempt to use vampire blood as a weapon.

Review

I really liked this anthology. Then again, I've been a fan of this whole series. Personally, I liked the The Terror best. There's nothing like seeing a bunch of super patriotic conservative terrorists can taken out. Storm Drain is my second favorite. Ratma is a cool idea, even if its not fully fleshed out. It also takes place in Westerville, Ohio. It mentions Westerville, but I know its the one in Ohio because it mentions "our Buckeyes" and a annual pumpkin festival. The Subject is action packed and a lot of fun. The Neohuman cyborgs are horrific and have a Tetsuo, the Iron Man vibe. Finally, The Empty Wake is crazy, but has a very random ending. If you like found footage anthologies, check this one out on Shudder. 

In Your Game

Neohuman

Armor Class: 14

Hit Dice/Points: 8
Move: 12 
Actions: 1
Attack: Handcannon (3d6) or Blade (2d6)

Bonuses: +2 to hit, +6 to melee damage

Special: Toughness 5, can make two attacks if taking a melee attack action, can be distracted if presented with evidence of former life

Morale: 10

Terror: 13
HDE: 7

Movie Count

New To Me: 10

Total Movies: 16