Thursday, December 27, 2012

Of Silence (2012)

WARNING: May Contain Some Spoilers

Colby is man confined by his past horrors and the current ones that invade his broken life. After an accident causing damage to his ear Colby's love of scuba diving is lost, as well as a steady pay. And with the death of his wife following in recent wake it doesn't help as Colby becomes more withdrawn from family and life. Debt collectors, a worried family, and no other job passion Colby is falling further into depression. And to make matters worse he begins to hear strange and frightening noises, ones his family and the people around him cannot hear. As Colby divulges further into isolation and deeper into his wife's death, he's to uncover a horrifying presence that could take away the only meaningful thing left to him, his sister Haley.

Of Silence is a different kind of horror film. A simple but aesthetic piece that looks more to a sophisticated level than that of something floating around the indie circuit. Although I can see where a few people may not care for it as writer, director, and star of the film Jeremiah Sayys pays more attention to the subtler build than to a hellacious climax. There's not much visually occurring as the director wants you to listen rather than see the nightmares that surround Colby's life. As any void of dialogue is filled with unique sounds that don't attest to the common horror noises. There's an unsettled sense in your incapability to define what they are. However, your not denied entirely of a monster as the final product does offer a creature but still yet it remains mostly in the shadows. The special effects department creates creatures that look rather interesting, a bit of shame as you never get full exposure but that of course adds to the effect. Less detail is attended to some of the smaller effects, i.e. the smoke, but an overall professional effort on their part.

Usually when a person tries to write, direct, and act in a film they tend to be mishandled, with the qualities varying between the fields. But Jeremiah Sayys seems to have it down as he's preeminent in all aspects. There's a small moment in the film where Colby shows a remote bliss, one that really isn't seen throughout the rest. A smart directorial and acting choice for the film as the slight act elevates both the performance and the character. It let's way to a Colby that the audience never really gets to know, but at one point did exist. And of course the rest where he's imprisoned by his melancholic temper is acted out in a a believable and appropriate manner. The supporting cast is good with noteworthy Ashlee Gillespie as Haley, who acts as the somewhat brighter note of the film. And Matthew Lawrence as the brother, who I recognize from my nineties childhood. On a visual standpoint Of Silence in flawless in cinematography. Scenes in blackness appear intentional and not because of misused lighting. And the set design is captured in a serene gloss that I personally care for as a visual palate.


Outside of the strong technical structure there's also a lovely score that fit to the film perfectly. A defined and disturbed lullaby of sorts that I could recognize in an instant if played again. Not all may like Of Silence, as I said it's a cautious film that paces itself before any horror moment. Some may not personally like the surreal world Colby's life becomes as it fades in and out of memories, visions, and overall bizarre occurrences. Which is a weaker point in the film as it's often hard to decipher exactly what happened and what didn't. I hope to watch it again some day to maybe fill in some of the blanks that it left for me. It's also tending to characters before action, as your often more involved in Colby's state of dejection than the weird noises. But don't let it mislead, Of Silence is a stunning little film that I quite enjoyed. I'd watch again and I'd recommend as a watch for any slow burn horror fan.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Press Release: EPX Game Announces that Night Whisper Lane is Free on Wednesday December 19th 2012 on Apple’s & Amazon’s App Store


Toronto, Canada – December 18th, 2012 – Today EPX Games announces that Night Whisper Lane is free on Wednesday December 19th 2012 on Apple’s And Amazon’s App Store.

Download the Game via Apple’s App Store
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/night-whisper-lane/id571163727?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4 


Download the Game via Amazon’s App Store
http://www.amazon.com/EPX-Games-Night-Whisper-Lane/dp/B00A6LQHGO/ref=sr_1_1?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1355167448&sr=1-1&keywords=Night+Whisper+Lane
 


Night Whisper Lane has been nominated for best Adventure Game, Best Game Soundtrack & Best Action Game iOS; please help us out by nominating us at 

About The Game:
Experience the game they're calling "Point, Click & Die" - Now even more terrifying! 


★★★★★'“Night Whisper Lane has a great premise, a nicely spooky atmosphere, and some solid-if-too-basic gameplay. hope with the release of subsequent scenarios EPX will hone their craft. I am totally willing to point, click, and die some more.”' - JTM Games

★★★★ "Night Whisper Lane is worth a purchase, it's creepy, fun, and will keep you occupied for a while" - Bleeding Dead Film Reviews 3.5 / 5

★★★ Hard to solve, "Have you wondered how it would be, if some invisible force would push you into a big house full of mysteries and great dangers?" -- apposky.com - 6.8 /10

★★★★★ "I'm an avid player of horror games like resident evil and silent hill, and I am really enjoying night whisper lane! What I like about it are its simple tap controls and turn based boss stages, it's quite unique!" - cindygirl0812

★★★★★ "If you're looking for a fun, scary mystery game look no further" - bertybottom

Night Whisper Lane is a BRAND NEW survival horror game that many gamers refer to it as "Resident Evil Meets Final Fantasy"

See how long you can survive before One of the many deadly traps get you, "whatever you touch might be a trap"

Can you escape the horrors of Night Whisper Lane and live to see another day.

Night Whisper Lane is the 1st authentic Survival Horror gaming experience specifically designed for iOS that merges classic “Point and Click” gameplay with a “Turn-Based Battle System” to help you fend off whatever evil awaits you in this seemingly endless labyrinth.

You find yourself in presence of an old ominous house without the faintest idea of how you got there, yet you feel drawn to it and are compelled to enter. Immediately you look down to your arm and see….Goosebumps. As you reach to find the door you entered blocked, the shivers spread to every toe and finger tip.

You will need to trust your instincts, wit and memory to uncover the mystery behind the house and its connection to a mystifying femme fatal. Will you survive long enough to escape from the terror on Night Whisper Lane?

WARNING/DANGER: There are many hidden traps and deadly encounters on your journey that can and will kill your character! Be mindful of what you interact with as you look for items to solve puzzles and unlock doors & passages.

Weapons & ammunition are scarce so keep an eye out for them and manage them wisely because fighting empty handed is certain death.

Make sure to restore your character's health by using Bandages and First-Aid kits especially if you have a sneaky suspicion a trap or encounter is lurking around. This concludes the Survival Guide.

★★★ Features: ★★★

- Original Survival Horror Gaming Experience specifically made for iOS
 - Multiple Game Endings
-“Point and Click” gameplay featuring an engaging “Turn-Based Battle System”
- Authentic Survival Horror Story, even down to the camp
- Startling 3D rendered rooms and areas with a hint of surreal
- Gruesome booby-traps are hidden, some more deadly than others
- Challenging Enemy/Boss Battles
- Variety of items, weapons, health packs and other secrets to uncover
- Eerie soundtrack
- Auto Game save feature works in the background 
- Animated Boss Battles (Added in Version 1.0.1)
- Help / How To Play section in Main Menu (Added in Version 1.02)
- Restore Save File from death from Booby-Trap (Added in Version 1.0.2)
- In Game Map (Added in Version 1.0.2)
- iPad Retina Full support (Added in Version 1.0.4)

★★ Coming Soon: ★★

- Scenario 2
- Scenario 3
- Scenario 4

★★★★★ Become a fan! ★★★★★

Come join us on Facebook and Twitter!
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/EpxGames
Twitter - http://twitter.com/EPXGames
YouTube Channel - http://www.youtube.com/user/EPXGames
Homepage - http://www.epxgames.com

★★★ Please rate! ★★★

If you like the game, please leave a rating!

 If you have any issues please drop us an email -support@epxgames.com

Night Whisper Lane includes Scenario 1; A New Scenario will be released every 2-3 months. All Scenarios will be FREE 

Download the Game via Apple’s App Store
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/night-whisper-lane/id571163727?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4 


Download the Game via Amazon’s App Store
http://www.amazon.com/EPX-Games-Night-Whisper-Lane/dp/B00A6LQHGO/ref=sr_1_1?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1355167448&sr=1-1&keywords=Night+Whisper+Lane
 


View the HD Night Whisper Lane Version 1.0.2 Feature Trailer on YouTube at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f35PWoDHeOU 


To download the trailer for use on your site, please visit the link below
http://www.sendspace.com/file/7p3civ
 


For more information on Night Whisper Lane visit www.epxgames.com 
Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/EPXGames 
Like us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/EpxGames 

About Us
EPX Games is an independent studio based in Toronto, Ontario. Our love for games and the development of them has led to our first major release: Night Whisper Lane for the iOS platform. We believe that innovation; dedication, originality and enjoyment are at the heart of amazing games.
 


We will continue developing more titles that follow the same principles. We specialize in the development of games that are easy to play, easy to learn, and most importantly fun! We hope to captivate gamers of all ages from various backgrounds to enjoy the games we have to offer!

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Horror Short: Foodie (2012)

Directed by Christopher G. Moore
Written by Christopher G. Moore and Eryk Pruitt
Staring Nick Karner, David Berberian, and Alena Koch
Director of Photography Ismail Abdelkhalek

When Mueller gets invited to Kitchen X, an elite dinner party that only invites select members, his excitement is only matched to his avidity to food. As promised the dinner brings a unique experience unlike anything Mueller is prepared for, literally. Foodie is a quirky, albeit uneasy film about a food lover's nightmare. The thirty minute short could easily be an episode from Tales From the Crypt, or any horror anthology show for that matter, as it shares the same macabre sense of humor. It's almost like someones odd unbecoming nightmare as horrible things occur yet everyone is cheery, which makes it all the more unnerving. The gore is tended and used fittingly throughout the short, most effectively at the end.

Writers Eryk Pruitt and Christopher G. Moore use a couple of classic horror scenarios and build an original plot around them. Moore depicts the tone of the film without effort, intuit to the appropriate balance between the black humor and the horror. As well as divulging into the bizarre world of food lovers, capturing the language and mannerisms to fine detail. I really enjoyed the opening credits as it sets you up perfectly for what your about to see. The music was equally on key with the film as the original score and selected tracks are used to set you off. The set design though is a bit pallid in comparison to the oddity of the film and the cinematography as equally lacking. Not to attest that they're poor by any means but rather didn't have the level of creativity the other aspects of the film had. I'd easily recommend Foodie as a horror comedy watch, the premise should keep you interested and the end results isn't dissatisfying. You can purchase Foodie on DVD at the film's site, foodie-themovie.com.

If your interested in me viewing your short film please contact me at my email bleedingdead22@yahoo.com. But no more Twitter requests please, I tend to lose them after time.

Friday, December 7, 2012

Press Release: Night Whisper Lane Coming to Amazon and Nominated for Best Adventure Game


My review of Night Whisper Lane is available here. But there's also a contest in the review, a fairly easy one in my opinion, where you can get the game for free on your IPhone. I have 20 promo codes to give away and so far I have given away none. So your chances are pretty spectacular. 



EPX Game Announces that Night Whisper Lane is coming to Amazon’s marketplace & Night Whisper Lane has been Nominated for best Adventure Game, Best Game Soundtrack & Best Action Game on iOS.

Toronto, Canada – December 7, 2012 – Today EPX Games announces that Night Whisper Lane Version is coming to the Kindle Marketplace for the Kindle and Kindle HD on Monday December 10th 2012.
Night Whisper Lane has been nominated for best Adventure Game, Best Game Soundtrack & Best Action Game iOS; please help us out by nominating us at
http://www.bestappever.com/c/adgm/571163727 (Best Adventure Game)
http://www.bestappever.com/c/sogm/571163727 (Best Game Soundtrack)
http://www.bestappever.com/c/acgm/571163727 (Best Action Game)
About The Game:
Experience the game they're calling "Point, Click & Die" - Now even more terrifying!

★★★★ "Night Whisper Lane is worth a purchase, it's creepy, fun, and will keep you occupied for a while" - Bleeding Dead Film Reviews 3.5 / 5

★★★ Hard to solve, "Have you wondered how it would be, if some invisible force would push you into a big house full of mysteries and great dangers?" -- apposky.com - 6.8 /10

★★★★★ "I'm an avid player of horror games like resident evil and silent hill, and I am really enjoying night whisper lane! What I like about it are its simple tap controls and turn based boss stages, it's quite unique!" - cindygirl0812

★★★★★ "If you're looking for a fun, scary mystery game look no further" - bertybottom

Night Whisper Lane is a BRAND NEW survival horror game that many gamers refer to it as "Resident Evil Meets Final Fantasy"

See how long you can survive before One of the many deadly traps get you, "whatever you touch might be a trap"

Can you escape the horrors of Night Whisper Lane and live to see another day.

Night Whisper Lane is the 1st authentic Survival Horror gaming experience specifically designed for iOS that merges classic “Point and Click” gameplay with a “Turn-Based Battle System” to help you fend off whatever evil awaits you in this seemingly endless labyrinth.

You find yourself in presence of an old ominous house without the faintest idea of how you got there, yet you feel drawn to it and are compelled to enter. Immediately you look down to your arm and see….Goosebumps. As you reach to find the door you entered blocked, the shivers spread to every toe and finger tip.

You will need to trust your instincts, wit and memory to uncover the mystery behind the house and its connection to a mystifying femme fatal. Will you survive long enough to escape from the terror on Night Whisper Lane?

WARNING/DANGER: There are many hidden traps and deadly encounters on your journey that can and will kill your character! Be mindful of what you interact with as you look for items to solve puzzles and unlock doors & passages.

Weapons & ammunition are scarce so keep an eye out for them and manage them wisely because fighting empty handed is certain death.

Make sure to restore your character's health by using Bandages and First-Aid kits especially if you have a sneaky suspicion a trap or encounter is lurking around. This concludes the Survival Guide.

★★★ Features: ★★★
- Original Survival Horror Gaming Experience specifically made for iOS
- Multiple Game Endings
-“Point and Click” gameplay featuring an engaging “Turn-Based Battle System”
- Authentic Survival Horror Story, even down to the camp
- Startling 3D rendered rooms and areas with a hint of surreal
- Gruesome booby-traps are hidden, some more deadly than others
- Challenging Enemy/Boss Battles
- Variety of items, weapons, health packs and other secrets to uncover
- Eerie soundtrack
- Auto Game save feature works in the background 
- Animated Boss Battles (Added in Version 1.0.1)
- Help / How To Play section in Main Menu (Added in Version 1.02)
- Restore Save File from death from Booby-Trap (Added in Version 1.0.2)
- In Game Map (Added in Version 1.0.2)
- iPad Retina Full support (Added in Version 1.0.4)

★★ Coming Soon: ★★
- Scenario 2
- Scenario 3
- Scenario 4

★★★★★ Become a fan! ★★★★★
Come join us on Facebook and Twitter!
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/EpxGames
Twitter - http://twitter.com/EPXGames
YouTube Channel - http://www.youtube.com/user/EPXGames
Homepage - http://www.epxgames.com

★★★ Please rate! ★★★
If you like the game, please leave a rating!

 If you have any issues please drop us an email -support@epxgames.com
Night Whisper Lane includes Scenario 1; A New Scenario will be released every 2-3 months. All Scenarios will be FREE
View the HD Night Whisper Lane Version 1.0.2 Feature Trailer on YouTube at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f35PWoDHeOU

To download the trailer for use on your site, please visit the link below
http://www.sendspace.com/file/7p3civ

For more information on Night Whisper Lane visit www.epxgames.com
Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/EPXGames
Like us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/EpxGames
About Us
EPX Games is an independent studio based in Toronto, Ontario. Our love for games and the development of them has led to our first major release: Night Whisper Lane for the iOS platform. We believe that innovation; dedication, originality and enjoyment are at the heart of amazing games.

We will continue developing more titles that follow the same principles. We specialize in the development of games that are easy to play, easy to learn, and most importantly fun! We hope to captivate gamers of all ages from various backgrounds to enjoy the games we have to offer!

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Night Whisper Lane - Horror Game Review & Mini Contest

I was asked a few weeks ago by Emanouel Pontikakis to review his game, Night Whisper Lane, for the app store. As it was with my Book Spine review I'm not much of a game reviewer but I agreed as it is a horror game and I'm always happy help. But I'm just inferring here that I'm not a game reviewer so please be gentle. How good this review will be is a matter of how well I can evaluate an app game for my IPhone.

Night Whisper Lane is a horror survival game in which your trapped inside a house that is littered with assorted objects that you need to find in order to escape. The game, developed by EPX Games, is a rather difficult play as random clicking is not always tolerated. Be mindful of the areas you going looking into for items as bombs, snakes, and other surprises await the button happy type player. This makes the game play a bit more careful and causes you to think more as where things will be hidden before you go tapping every surface of your screen. However your also impervious for the most part as dying just brings you back to the previous place you were, so there's not too much harm. 

The graphics for the app are pretty good, of course not the most realistic of details but fairly developed, especially considering the graphics of the past horror survival games I've played. The added touch of blood and nightmarish scenarios where you can get your head guillotined by a window are the horrors to the game story, as people turn up dead along the way. My only negatives with the game is I'd would of liked more of a response after clicking on an area, sometimes it'll show text and other times nothing. Night Whisper Lane is worth a purchase, it's creepy, fun, and will keep you occupied for a while, I have yet to beat the first scenario and there is more being released soon. Three half stars out of five. 

I do have a confession to make, I'm pretty bad at horror survival games. I'm confident that I'll survive the zombie Apocalypse, at least for a while that is, and I could give you a walk through of how to survive a slasher film but when it comes to finding items in a creepy location I'm just bad. I usually die, lets mention that, in the first moment I step in the house. I'm susceptible to booby traps as I'm a button masher. 

As it is though, I have a surprise for you. Little did you know when you clicked on this that not only is this a review but a chance to get the game for free. Yes, free. I have 20 promo codes to offer IPhone users who are interested in Night Whisper Lane. But atlas I cannot just give them out to you as that'd be too easy. But don't worry it's not too difficult to get a code. All I'm looking for is a comment in which you give me the name of a horror game, and the system in which you can play it on. This includes everything from old school NES to app games, etc. The only requirement is it must be horror and no repeats. So please read the comments above hand to make sure yours isn't already posted. The first 20 different games gets a promo code. Pretty simple right. Also please leave your email or twitter account so I can send you the code. If you not comfortable with leaving it in the comment section you can also email me at bleedingdead22@yahoo.com. 

Saturday, December 1, 2012

TDHorror Retro Review

It's been awhile since I've done a 90's horror review and I made an odd choice with the alien abduction film Fire in the Sky. Not normally my area of horror as my Sci-fi geekiness is limited to Star Wars, but I'm glad I watched it as it really does rank up there as a good scary film.


"Despite the less than presentable summary FIRE IN THE SKY is unlike any alien abduction film I've ever seen. With art and set design being its best assets. The inside of the space craft is creatively constructed as it takes on more of a biological and ecological interior rather than a highly advanced technical build or a foreign operating room. With the aliens being an equally unique and fascinating creation, having human qualities to them that don't mimic the the hoaky creations of Hollywood past"

As it is you may read the rest here. Not my best review ever but it has its sentences I suppose.