Claycat's DOOM...

Do you like Doom? Do you like Lee Hardcastle's gleefully gory style of claymation? Then sink your chompers into this like cracker!

The ABCs of Death (2013) Review...

Anthology horror films are experiencing a regained sense of rude health of late, particularly with high profile flicks like V/H/S and it's sequel, but The ABCs of Death manages to strike new ground within the anthology horror sub-genre – put simply: 26 Directors, 26 Ways to Die. 

However, the trouble with anthology films is that not all parts are equal, with some failing to measure up at all – so what will it be for this inventive onslaught of horror? Hits, misses, and the iffy in-betweens all coming up for all 26 shorts.

Click “READ MORE” below to learn your ABCs...

Evil Dead II, in clay, the Lee Hardcastle way!

Evil Dead II ... in clay ... with cats ... from Lee Hardcastle. Nuff said, now ruddy well watch this!

Well worth a read (claymation article)...

I came across this article on www.fastcocreate.com - it's a piece about claymation animator Lee Hardcastle (one of my "Stuff I Dig" links down there on the right of this blog), and it's well worth reading.

Hardcastle is the demented genius behind the likes of Pingu's The Thing, Claycat's The Raid, and Chainsaw Babe 3D. If you're not familiar with his fantastically graphic claymations (he's currently animating a version of Evil Dead II, which I'm eagerly awaiting), then head over to his website or YouTube and get watching!

He's also made a bunch of excellent 60 second shorts based on real movies - below are my favourite two of these:

YouTube finds - G.I. Joe meets The Thing...

From time-to-time, from now on, when I come across a YouTube video that really impresses me - I'll share it here. First up, a music video for the French duo Zombie Zombie (and their track "Driving This Road Until Death Sets You Free"): while I've only just discovered it (via Lee Hardcastle's blog), this video was made in 2008 for a G.I. Joe filmmaking competition.



Superbly directed by Simon Gesrel and Xavier Ehretsmann, the production design is tip-top, and the animation is amazing - for fans of the eponymous action figures, or John Carpenter's unbeatable sci-fi/horror film from 1982, this is a must-watch!

"Pingu's The Thing" - Lee Hardcastle claymation...

UPDATE: Click here to view the re-upload on YouTube.

What with my review, and twenty-point gripe-list, for the 2011 version of The Thing, it was a nice little co-incidence that Lee Hardcastle's latest YouTube video was his take on the 1982 version of The Thing.

If you're not familiar with Lee Hardcastle's clay animations, then you're in for a treat. I first discovered his work through Edgar Wright's blog when he was in-competition with "The Evil Dead in 60 Seconds" - it was an excellent, gore-filled clay animation, and from that point on I was hooked.

The above video is his latest - a typically humorous combination of Pingu (a claymation childhood favourite) and John Carpenter's 1982 sci-fi chiller The Thing.

Check out Lee Hardcastle's website HERE and view many more of his fantastically gory claymations on his YouTube Channel.