THE ESSENCE OF EVIL

On the 25th anniversary of Prince of Darkness, we ask John Carpenter to explain his fascinating yet misunderstood excursion into the heart of pure malevolence.
PLUS: Alice Cooper talks about playing the film’s lethal, bike-wielding street schizo; composer Alan Howarth on how he and Carpenter created their groundbreaking score, and more.

by Michael Doyle, Dave Alexander, A.S. Berman and Patrick Dolan

PARASITE FEVER

The 2012 Toronto International Film Festival unveiled all kinds of horror gems, including The Bay, a sickening found-foorage parasite movie from veteran Hollywood director Barry Levinson.
PLUS: A round-up of the Fest’s genre films.

by Phil, Brown, Dave Alexander, Stuart F Andrews, Liisa Ladouceur, Ron Mckenzie, Sean Plummer and April Snellings

THE DUALITY OF DARKNESS

Silent Hill: Revelation 3D writer/director Michael J. Bassett reflects on a series that dirtorts its characters’ worst fears into a nightmarish vision of Hell.

by Dave Alexander

WEST OF HELL

A new album and novel from country doom duo Those Poor Bastards revels in ole timey grime and gore.

by April Snellings

NOTE FROM UNDERGROUND

Apocalypse angst.

DREADLINES

Best Worst Movie director returns with home haunter doc; The Gate’s Louis Tripp reinvents himself as a musician, writer; Dark Regions press launches psychological horror imprint.

THE CORONER’S REPORT

Weird stats and morbid facts. Sick Top Six: Sentient Slime.

NEEDFUL THINGS

Six Million Dollar Man Bigfoot Retro Figure, Death Wish Coffee, Zombie Foot Dog Chew, and Zombie Apocalypse Hot Sauce.

CINEMACABRE

CineMacabre features Richard Bates Jr.’s Excision, plus reviews of Sinister, House at the End of the Street, The Barrens, Haven: The Complete Second Season, The Moth Diaries, The Life and Death of a Porno Gang, Lost Woods, Kids Go To The Woods…Kids Get Dead and Mourning Wood. Reissues reviews Terror Train (1980), Fallen (1998), Mother’s Day (1980) and Sleepwalkers (1992).

THE LATE-NITE ARCHIVE

In The Vault: The Poverty Row Cinema of Sam Newfield.

BOWEN’S BASEMENT

Dug Up: The Giant Gila Monster.

BLOOD IN FOUR COLOURS

Features Love Monster, plus reviews of B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth – The Return of the Master #1 of 5, Night Stalker #1, Homecoming #1, Lobster Johnson: Caput Mortuum and Judge Dredd: Cry of the Werewolf.

THE NINTH CIRCLE

Spotlight: The web-based freaky, fictional folklore of creepypasta. Plus, reviews of Real Wolfmen: True Encounters in Modern America, Popular Revenants: The German Gothic and Its Internationcal Reception, 1800-2000, Raising Hell: Ken Russell and the Unmaking of the Devils, David Wong’s This Book is Full of Spiders: Seriously, Dude, Don’t Touch It, A.J. Colucci’s The Colony, Love You To Death: The Unofficial Guide to The Vampire Diaries Season 3, Guy Adams’ Sherlock Holmes: The Army of Dr. Moreau, and Glen Hirshberg’s Motherless Child.

THE FRIGHT GALLERY

The Cult of Chris Kuchta

THE GORE-MET

Menu: Porkchop II: Rise of the Rind and Zombie Babies.

AUDIO DROME

Featuring the dark electronica of Pittersplatter. The Devil’s Playlist grills The Mission Creeps about their latest disc, Halloween. Plus reviews of Eraserhead OST, Frankenweenie OST, Friday the 13th OST, Troglodyte, The Evil Streaks, Seremonia, The Jimmy Psycho Experiment and Mastamind.

PLAY DEAD

Reviews of Darksiders II, The Sims 3: Supernatural, The Walking Dead and Murder of Crows.

CLASSIC CUT

The Stone Tape (1972).

GIVEAWAYS THIS ISSUE

15 new subscribers will win an autographed copy of Ian Rogers’ SuperNOIRtural Tales, courtesy of Burning Effigy Press.