Munchkin Cthulhu Review
By Matt-M-McElroy | May 12, 2008
Munchkins have hacked their way through dungeons, kung fu temples, starships, haunted houses, and super-foes. Now they face their greatest challenge - Cthulhu! Will they survive? Will they retain their sanity? Will they . . . level up?
Munchkin Cthulhu combines the zany comedy of the previous Munchkin games with the oddities of the Cthulhu Mythos created by H.P. Lovecraft and its further developments by other authors and game designers.
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New Trail of Cthulhu Releases
By Matt-M-McElroy | May 7, 2008
The folks over at Pelgrane Press have been busy with all kinds of new Trail of Cthulhu updates.
Over at RPGNow you can scoop up the Trail of Cthulhu Player’s Guide for $10.95. This slimmed down volume contains everything you need to play in the game. Of course, your GM should probably have the complete book, which is available at Indie Press Revolution (in a mix of options, including bundle deals) and in eBook format at RPGNow.com.
Topics: Horror News | No Comments »
H.P. Lovecraft Comics from Caliber Comics
By Flames | March 30, 2008
Along with Edgar Allan Poe and Stephen King, Howard Phillips Lovecraft is considered one of America’s most innovative and popular American horror writers. The master of the weird tale during the first decades of the 20th Century until his premature death in 1937, Lovecraft’s distinctive style and canon of work has influenced as many authors as the stories of Ernest Hemingway and Dashiell Hammett. Lovecraft’s earliest published work, Herbert West: Re-Animator, was turned into the 1985 cult classic film, Reanimator.
Caliber Comics has published a number of Lovecraft’s classic tales and inputed a modern spin for today’s audiences and the writers are developing new tales based on Lovecraft’s imaginations in addition to adapting some of the classic stories.
Topics: Horror News | No Comments »
Flash Fire Mini-Reviews (Scary Short Stories)
By Matt-M-McElroy | March 14, 2008
Last week we talked about the most well-known vampire in the world, Dracula. The Dark Prince will probably return for another round of Mini-Reviews at a later date, since we only had the chance to check out a few of the products featuring Dracula and there are certainly many more available.
This week we are going to take a look at some great collections of scary stories. There are fiction anthologies on every subject imaginable. Fans of Horror & Dark Fantasy have many authors and publishers to choose from. Some of the authors featured in this week’s mini-reviews include Jim Butcher, Laurell K. Hamilton, Kelley Armstrong, David Wellington, C.J. Henderson, Tanith Lee and Patricia A. McKillip…just to name a few.
Here are a few anthologies that I’ve had the chance to check out recently…
Topics: Flash Fire Mini-Reviews | 1 Comment »
Darker Projects: Gothik with Nox Arcana
By Matt-M-McElroy | February 20, 2008
From the dark imaginations of Mark Kalita, Paul Mannering and H.P. Lovecraft: an original horror audio drama set in a city where the sun never rises … where the supernatural explains what science cannot … where modern man and ancient myths collide … and monsters are very, very real.
Featuring music from Nox Arcana, this audio drama is worth downloading. It is a pretty big file, but one you don’t want to miss.
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Green or Red Cthulhu?
By Matt-M-McElroy | February 16, 2008
Sideshow just posted links to a new Cthulhu Statue from the folks at SOTA Toys.
Deep in the waters of the South Pacific lies the sunken city of R’Leyth. Beneath the ocean’s surface dwells the fearsome Cthulhu, a creature of enormous size and great power from the world of H. P. Lovecraft’s fictional works. The legend of Cthulhu’s colossal size and gruesome visage evoke fear and reverence from those who cross its path, human and animal alike.
Should I get the Cthulhu Statue or the Sideshow Exclusive Edition?
Topics: Horror News | 5 Comments »
Cloverfield…monsters and movies.
By Matt-M-McElroy | January 24, 2008
Derek C. F. Pegritz really enjoyed the new Cloverfield movie from J. J. Abrams. The movie has done really well in theaters and is getting some pretty good feedback on various forums. Instead of writing up a review, Derek gives us:
Modern Monsters and Modern Humanity
This is a great look at monster movies over the years and Derek tells us his thoughts on why Cloverfield is so much fun. Whether you enjoyed the movie or not, Derek’s essay is worth reading.
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Cthulhu Live 3rd Edition Review
By Flames | September 8, 2007
Having been a fan of the Cthulhu Mythos and Live Action games for years, I was thrilled when I came across a book that merged the two. I first discovered Cthulhu Live years ago in its 2nd Edition format and had a blast running the game, creating characters and designing plot hooks for players. I had a lot of fun with the game and was really excited when I heard there was a 3rd Edition in the works.
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Lovecraft Graphic Novel Review
By Flames | May 14, 2006
Most of us who love the horror genre have at least heard of H.P. Lovecraft. His influence spreads out like the tentacles of the beings that populate his stories–into movies, comics and role-playing games, as well as the works of today’s great horror writers.
Topics: Comic Book/Graphic Novel Reviews | No Comments »
Necronomicon (Nox Arcana) Review
By Flames | November 12, 2005
Nox Arcana delves headfirst into the darkness with its musical tribute to the Cthulhu mythos. Creating a haunting festival of sounds to this is a challenging feat—every day that passes Cthulhu transforms into more of an icon than a mere concept of Lovecraft’s imagination. Nox Arcana delivers its tribute in a jarring way; this is not a CD that should be idly played in the background, this is a performance that demands your attention.
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Delta Green: Dark Theatres Review
By Flames | October 10, 2005
Delta Green is a new take on H.P. Lovecraft’s Mythos, bringing the fight against darkness and horror to the 90’s and beyond. Delta Green is made up of government agents secretly working against a larger conspiracy of horror and madness. This anthology offers us eight tales from around the world of various agents and the missions that bring them into conflict with creatures of terror.
Topics: Fiction Reviews | No Comments »
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth Review
By Flames | May 6, 2005
There were parts that I loved, terribly, which were almost all thematic and setting/scene based. There were parts that I very very much hated, and that was all gameplay-based.
Here’s what I loved:
The sanity system. If you look at stuff closely (the priest crucified on the cross, for example) you get More out of the game, but you also lose more sanity points (which gradually recover over time). When you’re low on sanity, you start talking to yourself and hearing things. Apparently when you run out of sanity, you take whatever gun you’re holding and kill yourself.
Topics: Video Game Reviews | No Comments »
Beyond the Wall of Sleep Film Review
By Flames | October 10, 2004
Starring: Fountain Yount, William Sanderson, Kurt Hargan, Marco St. John, Rachel Mellendorf, Rick Dial and Tom Savini. Directed/Written by: Barret J. Leigh and Thom Maurer,. Based on original short story by: H.P. Lovecraft., Music Composed by: Kaveh Cohen. Columbia Picture, 2004, 84 min. Rated R., Reviewed by Jeff Jacobs
As an adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s short story, “Beyond the Wall of Sleep” is riveting horror film, filled with a deep, dark emphasis of mystery. The film emphasizes on early 20th century psychiatric research, combined with inexplicable evidence of the occult.
Topics: TV Series and Movie Reviews | No Comments »
Waking up Screaming Lovecraft Review
By Flames | October 4, 2004
Waking up Screaming is an anthology of tales written by H.P. Lovecraft. Lovecraft today is considered to be the father of modern horror. Before picking up the work, I read some accounts of his background through the Flames Rising links. Entranced with the trappings of a colonial life, Lovecraft lived in the early 1900s casting out all things modern. He frequently wore older styles of clothing, and made his home in Providence. Upon his death, his work was posthumously published by two of his friends. Lovecraft enjoyed some success during his lifetime, however, it wasn’t until World War II that his work gained in popularity.
Topics: Fiction Reviews, Reviews | No Comments »
Cthulhu Live 2nd Edition LARP Review
By Flames | September 4, 2004
Cthulhu Live is set in the universe of eldritch horror created by Howard Phillips Lovecraft. Cthulhu Live is a theater-gaming experience of horror, action and suspense. The participants are both actors and audience. The game is a full evening’s worth of fun every time it is played.
LARP (Live Action Role Playing) offers players a chance to get into costume, test their acting skills and interact with many more characters than the standard tabletop game usually entails. Several different LARP games are available; Cthulhu Live remains one of the most widely played in several countries.
Topics: Roleplaying Game Reviews | No Comments »