Fangoria #319
Review by Jude
Felton
Fangoria is
the one magazine I subscribe to. I’ve been reading it since the 80s’ (issue 73
to be precise), but it’s only the last couple of years that I have eagerly
awaited its arrival in my mailbox. So, I get a little antsy when I see the
latest issue in the stores before my copy arrives, although I can live with
this knowing that the magazine’s head offices were getting battered by
Hurricane Sandy during the creation of #319. Hey, I’m just eager to get stuck
into the bloody thing!
The first
thing that strikes me about #319, as with every issue, is Editor Chris
Alexander’s First Rites. You thought I’d mention Django Unchained being on the
cover, didn’t you? Well, with regards to that, I expect to see the unexpected
on the cover, such is Chris’s impact on the mag. Anyway, back to First Rites,
and it is so easy to see the passion and love for all things horror that he
puts into the magazine and, like myself, makes no apologies for singing the
praises of the films he loves; even when others might not share this love.
On to the
meat of the mag and we get treated to the usual mixed assortment of new and old
movies being covered. The new Texas Chainsaw 3D is something that I was neither
here nor there on, but after reading the article here I actually want to see
the damned thing. It really is a good article. Indies such as Crawlspace, from
Australia, Sweden’s Wither and the homegrown The Black Dahlia Haunting are all
given space here too, as well as the original Silent Night, Deadly Night and
Steven C. Miller’s reimagining, Silent Night. Good times, good times my friend.
Staying
firmly in the present there is a great interview with Traci Lords, who talks
about her career and her role in the excellent Excision (see this movie!), and
we get the lowdown from Paranormal Activity’s Oren Peli, who gives me a new
appreciation for the PA films, and I am already a fan of them.
The cover
story, Django Unchained, is given plenty of page space with an interview with
writer/director Quentin Tarantino, as well as a chat with the EFX crew. Hell,
QT himself also contributes a piece on violent Westerns!
Other
interviews include Jeffrey DeMunn, Clive Barker and Paul Koslo, but without
doubt my favorite was the piece on Damien Echols; truly a great read.
I could go on
about every movie and movie persona covered in this latest issue, but why
should I? It’s a great issue and continues the trend over the last few years of
including some of the unexpected, whilst also staying on top on what is just
around the corner. Not many things in life are constant, but Fangoria was, and
still is, one that is. I still get excited when the new issue drops, and this
one was no exception.
If I had one
negative thing to say, and it’s not really a negative, it would be that I would
like to see more regular columns, outside of the reviews etc. There have been
some of late, such as Dead Format, but they appear to be absent in this issue.
Still, I can’t really fault the magazine and devoured this one in a couple of
days (whilst I should have been working!).
Fangoria #319 is in stores now.
1 comment:
Merry Christmas Jude, have a great time my old mate.
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