Alucard's Bat-tastic Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku..... - Day #26 - MACABRE MOVIE MONDAY (Scream Four)

Welcome back, Boils & Ghouls...

... to 'Day Twenty-Six' of "Alucard's Bat-tastic Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku" which brings us to the fourth & final instalment of "Macabre Movie Monday" for 2015 - a series of posts in which I have been recommending a succession of horror movies that'll send shivers down your spine & outlining various channels through which those films can all be streamed to your TV via the magic of Roku player !!

So... if you're planning to while away the hours, during these dark autumnal evenings, by watching a string of Hallowe'en / Horror-themed movies to get into the "spirit" of things, you could do worse than to look back through the posts made via this blog EVERY MONDAY since the start of October for more creepy cinema classics with which to "get your fright on" in readiness for Hallowe'en !!

Today, as with last week, rather than share just one movie with you - as I did in the earlier posts from this series - I thought I'd continue with a Roku channel that offers live-streaming horror, as well as a selection of video on demand (VoD), among the content therein... boosting the Hallowe'en / Horror movie choices for all you Roku film fans out there while adding yet another dynamic to the Hallowe'en entertainment on Roku ahead of the frightful festivities coming our way on October 31st !!

It probably comes as no surprise to you, that this horror movie-based Roku channel can be found in the "Movies & TV" genre (i.e. category) of the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store. If you haven't heard of Cryptic Television before, it describes itself as the premiere FREE online horror channel, offering not only the best horror movies available online - ALL FREE - but also the most interesting and intense original programming. You can watch all the movies in their FULL glory, as the creators originally intended, each one 100% complete & without being edited down or chopped to death by the FCC and other censorship bodies. It really is the best place to find feature-length horror movies, plus B-rated and independent horror films in a live-streaming format, not just online, but now on your Roku player too. Throw in the ADDED BONUS of original programming, PLUS an extensive selection of horror movies in the VoD library, and you have one of the best horror rides on any streaming media player. 

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It may further interest you to know that, according to the channel description for 'Cryptic Television' taken from the Official Roku Website, the channel's content providers are also responsible for the development of the 'Cryptic Television' horror channel on Roku so, obviously, their talents don't just end with providing feature-length movies, plus B-rated and independent films to fulfil your horror needs. Meanwhile, if you'd like to discover more about the 'Cryptic Television' live-streaming / VoD horror movie channel on Roku, you can visit their Official Website VIA THIS LINK. You can also connect with 'Cryptic Television' via their Twitter Feed: @CrypticTV1 or else, get social with them through: Cryptic Television (Facebook)

Those of you who wish to add this channel to the Hallowe'en-themed entertainment on your Roku player(s) but are, perhaps, unable to access the Channel Store on your device at this precise moment... can also take care of things by simply LOGGING-IN to your Online Roku Account, scrolling down to the 'Manage Account' section, and using the "Add a Channel" option. That way, when you do have access to your Roku player, the 'Cryptic Television' horror channel will be there ready for you to watch whenever you so choose !! All you must do to achieve this, is type the following access code under "Add a Channel" and click the 'Add Channel' button:-

ACCESS CODE:- cryptictv

Anyway, that's pretty much all there is to it, except to point out that the 'Cryptic Television' horror channel has been given an average score of "3.5 out of 5" from 1, 217 ratings (so far) in the channel store description from the Official Roku Website. That statistic alone should be reason enough to give this a try, never mind that ALL THE FILMS ARE FREE TO WATCH  and un-censored too !!

Having said that, if this particular Roku channel was not to your liking, FEAR NOT because there will be more Hallowe'en / Horror themed content in tomorrow's post, as we continue with the month-long blogathon that is: "Alucard's Bat-tastic Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku" offering more devilish delights each and every day throughout the month of October. So... be sure to visit us again in 24-hours for 'Day Twenty-Seven', when I reveal the next batch of Hallowe'en / Horror-related music to feature in my last selection of "Teriffying Tuesday Tunes" in the "Countdown To Hallowe'en" 2015... PLUS, before I sign-off, don't forget to visit the other contributors to the 2015 Countdown To Hallowe'en so you can see what Hallowe'en treats they have in store for you between now and 31st October, too !!

Fangs (as always) for reading !!

Alucard's Bat-tastic Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku..... - Day #19 - MACABRE MOVIE MONDAY (Scream Three)

Welcome back, Boils & Ghouls...

... to 'Day Nineteen' of "Alucard's Bat-tastic Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku" and the third instalment of "Macabre Movie Monday" for 2015, in which I aim to recommend a succession of horror movies that'll send shivers down your spine & can all be streamed to your TV via the magic of Roku player !!

So... if you're planning to while away the hours, during these dark autumnal evenings, by watching a succession of Hallowe'en / Horror-themed movies to get into the "spirit" of things, you should make a point of visiting this blog EVERY MONDAY between now and October 31st for even more creepy cinema classics to "get your fright on" in readiness for your own Hallowe'en celebrations !!

Today, rather than share just one movie with you, I thought I'd continue with an Roku channel which offers a selection of Cult Films, Sci-Fi Classics and Vintage Horror, among the multiple genres therein, to boost the Hallowe'en / Horror movie choices for all you Roku film fans out there looking for an extra fright or two to keep the adrenaline pumping between now and October 31st. Afterall... an Roku world full of horror movies for the Hallowe'en season is a WORLD WORTH WATCHING !!

In case you were not already aware, this movie-based Roku channel can be found in the "Movies & TV" genre (i.e. category) of the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store. Generally speaking, 'World Worth Watching' provides an assortment of movies ranging from Documentaries, to Cult Classics & Independent Movies. It is described as "a meticulously assembled collection", across multiple genres, of "the ultimate in classic & indie film entertainment". Perhaps best of all, is that the movies available on this channel are ALL COMPLETELY FREE TO WATCH for Roku users choosing to view them via the ad-supported option. However, you are also given the choice to pay & watch individual movies on an entirely ad-free basis, if you want that full, uninterrupted movie-watching experience. The cost of the ad-free service is $0.99 per movie but, for the sake of sitting through a few commercials, I think you're better off going down the ad-supported route and maybe spending your money on some popcorn to eat while you watch any, or all, of the film(s) for FREE !! 

Obviously, having multiple genres to choose from in the main menu of the 'World Worth Watching' movie channel means that not all of the included content is relevant to this post. As I mentioned before, there are other loosely relevant genres included (such as Sci-Fi, Cult and Mystery, or perhaps Crime, Film Noir or even Comedy) in which you might find something "Worth Watching" but, sticking to the general theme of Hallowe'en, some of the (current) selection of 50 films in the "Horror" category of the 'World Worth Watching' movie channel on UK Roku player (incl. IMDB links) are:-

• Nightmare Castle [Feature Film] (1965) [dir. Mario Caiano] (TIME: 1h 19m)
• Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde [Short Film] (1920) [dir. John S. Robertson] (TIME: 26m 00s)
• Horror Express [Feature Film] (1972) [dir. Eugenio Martin] (TIME: 1h 27m)
• Spider Baby [Feature Film] (1968) [dir. Jack Hill] (TIME: 1h 20m)
• Plan 9 from Outer Space [Feature Film] (1959) [dir. Edward D.Wood Jr.] (TIME: 1h 18m)
• Night of the Living Dead [Feature Film] (1968) [dir. George A. Romero] (TIME: 1h 35m)
• Vampire Over London [Feature Film] (1952) [dir. John Gilling] (TIME: 1h 13m)
• The Track of the Moon Beast [Feature Film] (1976) [dir. Richard Ashe] (TIME: 1h 20m)
• Vengeance of the Zombies [Feature Film] (1973) [dir. León Klimovsky] (TIME: 1h 26m)

This classic content will ensure that you have plenty of ways to pass the time between my daily doses of Roku-related Hallowe'en horror in "Alucard's Bat-tastic Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku" while, at the same time, satisfying your appetite for Vintage Horror Movies in the build-up to Hallowe'en !!

To discover more about the 'World Worth Watching' movie channel on Roku, you can visit their Official Website VIA THIS LINK. You can also connect with 'World Worth Watching' via their Twitter Feed: @worldworthwatch or else, get social through: World Worth Watching (Facebook). 

According to the channel description for the 'World Worth Watching' movie channel, taken from the Official Roku Website, the channel was developed for Roku by adRise. If that sounds familiar to you, it could be because they are also responsible for the development of both 'The Director's Chair' and 'Vanguard Cinema' channels on Roku player, as well as MANY OTHER FAMILIAR CHANNELS from the Roku channel store(s) IN ALL REGIONS. Should you need to contact the developer, you can do so via their Twitter Feed: @ad_Rise or else, get social through: adRise (Facebook). Of course, you can always find out more about the developer of the 'World Worth Watching' movie channel on Roku by visiting their Official Website VIA THIS LINK, or by using their CONTACT FORM to ask a specific question that you may not have been able to find an answer to on their website. The folks at adRise would also like to hear from you if you're interested in partnering with them (either as content owners or advertisers), if you have some news to share, or if you'd just like to know more about their company or any of the other channels they have developed for Roku.

Those of you who wish to add this channel to the Hallowe'en-themed entertainment on your Roku player(s) but are, perhaps, unable to access the Channel Store on your device at this precise moment... can also take care of things by simply LOGGING-IN to your Online Roku Account, scrolling down to the 'Manage Account' section, and using the "Add a Private Channel" option. That way, when you do have access to your Roku player, the 'World Worth Watching' channel will be there ready for you to watch !! All you must do to achieve this, is type the following access code into the data entry field under "Add a Private Channel" and click the blue 'Add Channel' button:-

ACCESS CODE:- worldworthwatching

Anyway, that's pretty much all there is to it, except to point out that the 'World Worth Watching' movie channel has been given an average score of "3.5 out of 5" from 380 ratings (so far) in the channel store description from the Official Roku Website. That statistic alone should be reason enough to give this a try, never mind the fact that ALL FILMS ARE FREE TO WATCH too !!

Having said that, if this particular Roku channel was not to your liking, FEAR NOT because there will be more Hallowe'en / Horror themed content in tomorrow's post, as we continue with the month-long blogathon that is: "Alucard's Bat-tastic Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku" offering more devilish delights each and every day throughout the month of October. So... be sure to visit us again in 24-hours for 'Day Twenty', when I reveal the next selection of Hallowe'en / Horror-related music to feature as my "Teriffying Tuesday Tunes", and then to come back (again) at the same time next week for the last "Macabre Movie Monday" of the "Countdown To Hallowe'en" 2015... PLUS, before I sign-off, don't forget to visit the other contributors to the 2015 Countdown To Hallowe'en so you can see what kind of Hallowe'en treats they have in store for you between now and 31st October, too !!

Fangs (as always) for reading !!

Alucard's Bat-tastic Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku..... - Day #12 - MACABRE MOVIE MONDAY (Scream Two)

Welcome back, Boils & Ghouls...

... to 'Day Twelve' of "Alucard's Bat-tastic Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku" and the second instalment of "Macabre Movie Monday" for 2015, in which I aim to recommend a succession of horror movies that'll send shivers down your spine & can all be streamed to your TV via the magic of Roku player !!

So... if you're planning to while away the hours, during these dark autumnal evenings, by watching a succession of Hallowe'en / Horror-themed movies to get into the "spirit" of things, you should make a point of visiting this blog EVERY MONDAY between now and October 31st for even more creepy cinema classics to "get your fright on" in readiness for your own Hallowe'en celebrations !!

If you love your horror then chances are you'll already be aware that 'Season Six' of a certain zombie tv series (namely, "The Walking Dead", if you hadn't guessed) returns this very evening to UK television screens so, for "Scream Two" in this series, what better than a classic zombie film with taglines such as... "Terror you won't want to remember - in a film you won't be able to forget" or "In order to live, they will take you one by one... and no-one will hear you scream"?!! Should you recognise either of those, then you will already know that I'm talking about a 1973 movie from the same husband & wife partnership that wrote the screenplay for "American Graffiti" amongst their more notable offerings. Anyway, to whet your appetite further, here's a quick look at the poster for the film:-

ORIGINAL USA POSTER.....................IMAGE SOURCE: JamieMoffett.com

Directed by Willard Huyck with Gloria Katz (uncredited), and starring Marianna Hill, Michael Greer, Joy Bang, Anitra Ford, Royal Dano and Elisha Cook Jr. plus Bennie Robinson (amongst others), it tells the story of a young woman who goes searching for her missing artist father. Her journey takes her to a strange Californian seaside town which is governed by a mysterious undead cult. One of several films from the "American Nightmare" period of 1968 to 1978, that took it's inspiration from George A. Romero's "Night of the Living Dead", the eerie & evocative "Messiah Of Evil" (1973) is the kind of movie that is likely to be enjoyed by fans of "Carnival Of Souls" (1962), or "Let's Scare Jessica To Death" (1971), as well as (perhaps) "The Wicker Man" (1973). Containing elements that will (no doubt) appeal to devotees of film director David Lynch plus an overall "feel" for the setting of the movie which lovers of H. P. Lovecraft are sure to appreciate. Other 'Lovecraft' trademarks include the "wraparound" sequences, in which the film's main protagonist recounts the events that form the basis of the movie from the confines of an insane asylum! Essentially... this could be described as a bit of an "arthouse" flick, with a darkly comic edge to it, that is (for the most part) a very "surreal" film. There is very little in the way of "gore" so, if that's more your thing, you may want to give it a miss. However, there are some genuinely creepy (dare I say, "disturbing"?!) moments to be had which will (most likely) sear themselves into your memory & remain there for some time to come! Overall, my guess is, it will prove to be a bit of a "marmite" movie... in so much as you will either love it, or hate it, and I doubt there'll be many of you sitting on the fence when it comes to giving your opinion of the film. So, for those of you that have yet to see this dark & moody piece of low-budget (or, should that be "no budget"?!) horror cinema... here's a brief taster courtesy of this short trailer for the movie:-

PLEASE NOTE:- The above trailer was about the best I could find for "Messiah Of Evil" since most of the 'YouTube' videos purporting to be trailers offered little more than the first two minutes of the introduction to the movie (itself) upto where the opening credits begin. Since, if you watch the film, you are going to see that entire sequence for yourself anyway, there seemed little point in including them as part of this post. The remainder either contained too many "spoilers" or else contained entire segments of the movie which I consider to be the absolute highlights - specifically, the scene shot in a grocery store where the "locals" are gathered at the meat counter PLUS the scene shot in the local movie theatre... but, so as not to ruin your enjoyment of the film, I'll say no more than that !!

If you'd like to know more about the film, there's a full list of the cast & credits on the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) listing for "Messiah Of Evil" (1973), FOUND HERE, which also includes a full storyline / plot summary as well as box office stats, technical specs & much more. For die-hard fans, there is even more information on the Wikipedia Page for "Messiah Of Evil", VIA THIS LINK, which may help to fuel your appetite for another screening. Although, as with the other horror films that I've featured recently, if you're already a big fan, you may not take much persuading to watch it again !!

Anyway (once again) the best recommendation I can make, as to which of the available Roku channels you could use to watch this movie, is to suggest "YouTube" as your first port-of-call on account of the vast number of horror movies which, thanks to this channel and it's associated apps, are now readily available to stream via your Roku player(s) whenever you choose.

YOUTUBE.......................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

If you haven't already got it in your channel selection, you can easily add it to your Roku player(s) using the recently introduced Roku 'Search' feature. Just start typing "YouTube" into the text entry box within Roku 'Search' and it will soon appear in the results column on the right. In fact, you will (most likely) only have to enter the letter "y" before it pops up in the list of results! For those who prefer to look it up the old-fashioned way, you'll find "YouTube" listed among the "Internet TV" channels in the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store - itself, found by navigating to 'Streaming Channels' from the home screen and scrolling through the options - then click "OK" to access the list of "Internet TV" channels and scroll up (or down) until you see the channel icon (as per image above). The good news is... that it's completely FREE-TO-ADD as well as being FREE-TO-VIEW so, once you've located it in the list of channels, just click the "OK" button on your Roku remote to select it and then click "OK" again where it says 'Add channel' to install it on your Roku player(s). Having done that, launch the channel via the 'Go to channel' option and navigate the on-screen menu to play "Messiah Of Evil" on your Roku which, for the record, runs to 1h 30mins and can be found via the following link:-

LINK TO MOVIE: "Messiah of Evil (aka Dead People)" on 'YouTube'

PLEASE NOTE:- That the link to "Messiah Of Evil" on 'YouTube' mentions one of many alternative titles that were used to market the movie. The use of "Dead People" came later on, when the film was reissued, and was not in use when the film was first released in 1973. Now that I mention it... there is another "tagline" worth quoting, created specifically for the reissue, which includes that particular title:-

Meet Albert.

Albert likes good music, motor trips by moonlight, and... eating human flesh!

 Albert is one of the... DEAD PEOPLE !!

A quick FYI, for anyone interested... there's a dedicated page on the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) listing all of the 'Release Info' for "Messiah Of Evil" (1973), including the "Also Known As" (AKA) details, VIA THIS LINK. In the meantime, here are a few more posters that movie-goers and home cinema viewers may have encountered over the years, dependent on their precise location:-

ORIGINAL POSTER (Unknown Origin).....................IMAGE SOURCE: FlickFacts.com

DVD COVER (Unknown Origin).....................IMAGE SOURCE: MoviePosterDB.com

FRENCH / CANADIAN POSTER.....................IMAGE SOURCE: The Telltale Mind

 GERMAN DVD POSTER................IMAGE SOURCE: FlickFacts.com

35th ANNIVERSARY POSTER................IMAGE SOURCE: FlickFacts.com

To end this second "Macabre Movie Monday" on 'Day Twelve' of the 'Countdown To Halloween' for 2015, here's a few more FRIGHTENINGLY FUN FILM FACTS for you... for example, did you know that many of the extras in the film were unemployed NASA workers?! Maybe that explains the "spaced-out" & dreamlike nature in evidence for much of the movie! Or, how about the fact that co-writer & director (uncredited) of the film, Gloria Katz, who also happened to be married to director, writer & producer for "Messiah Of Evil", Willard Huyck, played a cameo role as the woman in the box office at the movie theater - marking the start of one of the movie's truly standout moments?! On a lighter note... actor Bennie Robinson, first seen driving the pick-up truck (which, incidentally, was owned by the movie's art director - Jack Fisk) that pulls into the gas station near the start of the movie for $2.00 worth of fuel, was completely unaware that he had mis-pronounced the name "Wagner" during a later scene from the movie, but... film director Willard Huyck happened to find it funny and so he never corrected Robinson regarding the error !!

Anyway, that's all for today... but do visit us again in 24-hours for 'Day Thirteen' and more Hallowe'en / Horror-themed content, in "Alucard's Bat-tastic Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku", when I reveal the next selection of Hallowe'en / Horror-related music to feature as my "Teriffying Tuesday Tunes", and then come back (again) the same time next week for another "Macabre Movie Monday" as we continue our "Countdown To Hallowe'en" 2015...

Fangs (as always) for reading !!