REVIEWS AND FEATURES


BEST MOVIE - 2011 FULL MOON HORROR FESTIVAL
BEST DIRECTOR - 2011 FULL MOON HORROR FESTIVAL
BEST SOUNDTRACK - 2011 GOLDEN COB AWARDS
BEST MOVIE - 2011 LATE NIGHT HORROR FESTIVAL

Fangoria Magazine (#297) - FANGORIA'S 'DVD OF THE MONTH' (OCTOBER 2010) - "Plays like a vulgar episode of 'Scooby-Doo' crossed with 'Night of the Creeps'... the music is fantastic... Douglas clearly put his heart and soul into this project, and it shows... fans should flip their brainpans for it."

Joblo.com (Arrow in the Head) - "Now THIS is what you want every single time you see an indie horror flick... a good comic-book esque horror yarn that uses practical effects and feels like a nasty Halloween party... The score is fantastic and atmospheric... a ton of fun, has great blood and guts, some hot lead characters, wonderful scenery-chewing horror actors and a sense of fun about it. What more can I say?"

Bloody-Disgusting - BLOODY DISGUSTING's KEENAN 'HORROR GUY's 'TOP 10 HORROR FILMS OF 2010' "...just as haunting and creepy as the soundtracks they produce every year... I hope to see more installments in the near future just as good as this one."

National Horror Examiner - "Great casting, humor, some cool gore, wicked FX by Robert Kurtzman, fantastic set design, awesome atmosphere, a unique take on vampire lore, and a phenomenal score make 'The Dead Matter' one of my favorite films of the last 2, or 3, decades!"

Stiff Mag (#6) - "...a brilliantly crafted dark-fantasy horror film that brings some much needed credibility back to the genre. Highly recommended for anyone wanting new, original, quality horror. This film really delivers - 5 out of 5 scars on the indie scale!"

Xomba's Horror Channel - "Douglas has managed to brilliantly craft a horror fest with gore, humor and most importantly, a unique depth that many low-budget films lack entirely... The characters in 'The Dead Matter' are well-rounded, and the movie's fast pace allows it to take the viewer for a spooky ride, throwing in some laughs here and there... (Douglas) does a fine job transforming his creative mind for music into a breeding ground for horrifyingly new ideas to bring to the horror genre's plate."

Wicked Channel - "True indie movie gold! ... a breath of fresh air, showing that horror movies can still be effective but yet have heart and humor... a must-see!"

Benevolent Street - "...a very interesting and well blended smoothie of zombie and vampire goodness... the sound is amazing. The twists, visuals, ocassional humor and sound are enough to keep the viewer interested from start to finish... Having already tackled the musical side of the horror genre... it should be no surprise to see Douglas climbing the ladder in the horror industry as a director. "The Dead Matter" can be considered a terrific start."

Virus Magazine (#45 - Germany) - "...a stylish, atmospheric, cool, 'creepy-flick' with a f---ng awesome soundtrack... Strictly recommended!"

Horror News - "Good old fashioned storytelling here, folks...multiple story arcs and conflict-ridden characters all very well written and all coming to a believable culmination by the time all's said and done.... It defies every single page of the current Hollyweird rulebook of horror moviemaking by being neither a remake, a former TV show, nor edited in today's standard quick cut Super Hi-Meth mode - it's an actual story unfolding right before your very eyes... a modern Hammer film!"

FEARnet - "...fast-paced and full of memorable moments. Midnight Syndicate always set out to provide a spooky good time with their music, with no other pretensions, and their first venture into filmmaking reflects that same spirit. It all makes for a solid debut, and I'm already looking forward to their next outing."

Talk of Horrors - "I had heard good things about this movie, with Fangoria, Arrow in the Head and FEARnet singing its praises. So, does it live up to the hype? For the large part, yes. ...refreshing to see someone who thinks outside of the box. (8/10)"

Best-Horror-Movies.com - SMALL SPOILER ALERT - "...stellar performances by Divoff and Savini... good character development... I enjoyed the humor in the film and caught myself laughing out loud several times. In fact, the more I think about this movie the more I want to watch it again."

Famous Monsters of Filmland - SMALL SPOILER ALERT - "Yes, they DO matter!...recommended Halloween viewing."

Killer Reviews - "There is so much to like about this film... If you are looking for a fun film to watch this Halloween this is one to add to your list... You will be quoting lines from the movie all day and get another good laugh out of it again!""

Movie Crypt - "From twisted dream sequences to impressive displays of supernatural power, you can’t help enjoy a movie that gets so much of the genre right (when so many get it wrong) while still managing to pull a few new rabbits of the old hat. 'The Dead Matter' is a love letter to horror devotees as well as to Midnight Syndicate fans... "

Macabre Mansion - "This film breaks all the rules when it comes to the crap that Hollywood has been producing for years now. It's not all blood, guts and gore (or) a collection of mind numbing fast cut scenes that will make you want to claw your eyes out... a fantastic supporting music score... from beginning to end this film tells a story...actors do a top-notch job... filmmaking at it's finest."

28 Days Later Analysis - "Totally enjoyable. The details have really gone into the production and the result is extraordinary... this reviewer encourages you to get your bloodlust fix in this well-written, well-orchestrated and comedic production. Totally enjoyable... here is one strong vote for more material from Douglas and his company Midnight Syndicate Films."

Horrorview - "...fun villains, unsuspecting heroes, some great visual gags, and a fantastic score. What's not to like? ...one of the most well-rounded special edition DVD's available in independent film."

Shallow Graves - "One of the better indies that I've seen in a long time ...definitely a film that you should say that you have seen. With the tagline of 'Why rule the living when you can control the dead?' Edward Douglas did a few things that I wouldn't have even thought of which were fresh additions to this concept ...with little nuances that would make a serious horror lover smile."

Zombie Info - "A good time and fun as f--k... WELL worth picking this one up."

13th Hour Magazine - "Douglas does a great job keeping the film moving right along through twists and turns... while giving a tip of the hat to classic horror movie themes and styles... an entertaining movie... one can only hope that we'll soon see more from them."

Dark Beauty Magazine (October 2010) - "this fun sure-to-be-classic film will provide campy scares and laughs every Halloween to come."

Drive-In of the Dead - "...The clever plot, the gnarly make-up, the perfect score (that had many nods to Midnight Syndicate's past), and a healthy mix of b-movie charisma make this film a refreshing change from the usual horror schlock that Hollywood churns out. It's always a thrill to see when a group of filmmakers 'get it.' For me, the dead definitely matter!"

Wildside Cinema - "...a total mish-mash of sub-genres that mix and mingle together to make a completely original viewing experience... director Edward Douglas,'music composer extraordinaire', provides really solid moments of suspense with his set-ups, camera work, and music... I don't usually say this but this DVD is worth a purchase... a beautifully produced release with a lot of extras."

House of Horrors - "...an effective, blood filled addition to zombie lore while offering an interesting story twist that keeps you watching till the very end.... 'The Dead Matter' is home grown down and dirty horror made by folks that simply love it, appreciate it and respect it. You can't ask for more than that... (also) Easily one of the best "special feature" packages that I have seen in a while."

Zombos Closet - "I recommend this... a well thought out treat for Halloween"

Hayes Hudson's House of Horror - SPOILER ALERT - "...a great film and one that is definitely going into my collection... visually beautiful... acting is top-notch. I can't recall the last time I saw vampires and zombies in the same film, but director Edward Douglas does a fantastic job of weaving them both together in the story."

B-Movie Man - "...stands out amid the myriad field of zombie horror. The film mixes in a touch of humor with its gore, but doesn't go over the top looking for laughs... a fusion of the zombie and vampire genres (with) unexpected twists..."

Bastards of Horror - "a clever entertaining mix of horror, fantasy, and mythology ... I give it a 3 (out of 4) stars and a must have."

Eric Morse Show - "...with a wonderful character driven story, intelligent use of gore and special effects, and vampires and zombies as they should be, 'The Dead Matter' is just what the horror fan ordered....I give it four stars."

Shockya - "...a must-see for fans of the music group and the horror genre."

Chateau Grrr - "With an impressive cast and entertaining special effects, 'The Dead Matter' is a fun and functional film that merits a couple of viewings. 4 out of 5 stars."

Horror Addicts - SPOILER ALERT - "What truly makes 'The Dead Matter' a film to watch is how they were able to tie all these horror elements together in a unique story... that and, of course, the music by Midnight Syndicate... a film many horror fans will enjoy."

MantaRay Pictures (Terry Wickham) - "very entertaining... It's ambitious for a low-budget film and Writer/Director Edward Douglas pulls it off... plays like something made from another era of horror because of it's unique qualities..."

Nightmare Revue - "The sort of blending of Fantasy and Horror in 'The Dead Matter' just isn't something you see much... a solid entry for Edward Douglas and Midnight Syndicate. It aims to do a little bit of everything and is actually able to succeed."

Geek In The City (review starts at 44:10) - "...really cool and fun! In a market flooded with 'Saw' and 'Hostel,' its a lot of fun to see an old-school, over-the-top Hammer-style horror movie and 'The Dead Matter' fits that"

FrightAsylum - "a lot of fun, very retro 80s... highly recommended, 3 skulls"

BluRay-Disc.de (Germany) - "'The Dead Matter' is a convincing B-movie for all die-hard genre-fans who value deeper substance more than fancy special effects and lots of gore."

Living Dead Media - "Mr. Douglas has done extraordinary work with this film. It will keep the viewer engaged throughout (with) a little of everything that horror film fans most want to see."

BuyZombie - SMALL SPOILER ALERT - "A really fun romp that feels like a throwback to classic horror films of days gone by. I suggest picking this one up as it'll grow on you (like an infection) the further in you get."

Cult Cuts Magazine - "The film is an interesting yarn... but it is the music that is by far the strongest element... the soundtrack is lush and at times borderline epic. Hearing it certainly makes one think about how great it would be to see Douglas and his crew helm a period piece (though that might be the Hammer fan girl in me)."

Radio Casbah - "the musical fiends at Midnight Syndicate have always done it right. And you, my friends are in for a treat. Great god. Take a deep breath and sit back. Alone playing in the background, the music's scary enough. Just add a vivid imagination, and you'll be set for quite a while."

Life Between Frames - "...this sucker is the kind of movie that gives certain Indie Horror a good name, as it has plenty of humor, Gothic ambiance, and engaging plot points to make it worth seeing."

Witch's Hat Blogcast (review starts at 1:07:00) - "...the humor, acting, story, and direction are well done to create a fun, highly entertaining genre romp that goes just deep enough to satisfy horror cravings while still producing smirks and chuckles."

Rogue Cinema - "Delightful fun... The DVD extras are action-packed too, with enough features to keep a horror fan entertained for hours, if not days."

Night of the Living Podcast (review starts at 11:52) - MAJOR SPOILER ALERT: In NOTLP style, this is a very entertaining review but recommended for people who have already seen the movie -"I was really worried because I like Midnight Syndicate but film is a different format for them... I was pleasantly surprised... this is a really solid film."

Falls News Press - "a lot of fun... 'The Dead Matter' has a bit of everything... a bit of dark humor...more than a few scenes that made me jump and a couple of plot twists I did not see coming... Midnight Syndicate fans will not be disappointed by the excellent music."


Interviews and Features

Monsters From the Basement - Audio interview with Donna Williams, Brian Van Camp, and Edward Douglas

Horror Addicts - Interview with Edward Douglas

Cleveland Plain Dealer - Feature Story

IMCDb - The Dead Matter listing on the Internet Car Database (IMCDb)

Rue Morgue - Interview with Edward Douglas

Black Gate - Interview with Edward Douglas

TheoFantastique - Interview with Edward Douglas

Mail Order Zombie - Interview with Edward Douglas

Horrorview - Interview with Edward Douglas

Terror Transmission - Interview with Edward Douglas

Wired - Interview with Edward Douglas

Jimmy Star Show - Interview with Edward Douglas

Barrel O' Fun (Vol. 11 Issue 2) - Interview with Edward Douglas

Sci-Fi Bookshelf - Part 1 - Part 2 - Interview with Gavin Goszka and Edward Douglas

Famous Monsters of Filmland - Interview with Edward Douglas

Akron News Now - Radio interview with Gavin Goszka and Edward Douglas and article

Drive-in of the Dead - Interview with Edward Douglas

TheoFantastique - Interview with Edward Douglas

Zombos Closet of Horror - Interview with Edward Douglas

Revenant Magazine - Interview with Edward Douglas

Rue Morgue Magazine Issue #73 - Feature Story

FEARnet - Interview with Edward Douglas

Indie Flix - Video interview with Edward Douglas

Geek in the City - Interview with Edward Douglas

Scars Magazine Volume 2, Issue 6 - Cover Story

Shallow Graves Magazine Issue 4 - Cover Story

Midwest Films - Interview with Edward Douglas

Creature Feature - Video interview with Edward Douglas

Horror View - Interview with Edward Douglas

Dr. Gore's Funhouse - Interview with Edward Douglas

Witch's Hat Blogcast - Interview with Edward Douglas followed by a review of the film


Production Articles

JoBlo.com presents Arrow in the Head - June 3, 2010

Black Gate - June 3, 2010

Geek in the City - June 1, 2010

Therapy of Terror - May 29, 2010

Flames Rising - May 29, 2010

House of Horrors - May 29, 2010

28 Days Later Analysis - May 28, 2010

Horror Society - May 28, 2010

Fangoria - May 27, 2010

Behind the Thrills - May 27, 2010

Bloody Disgusting - May 27, 2010

FEARnet - May 27, 2010

ShockYa.com - May 27, 2010

Shock Till You Drop - May 27, 2010

Dread Central - May 27, 2010

USA Today - May 27, 2010

Movie Crypt - February 3, 2010

Examiner - February 2, 2010 - Feature

Killer Reviews - February 2, 2010

Rotting Flesh Radio - January 21, 2010

Horror-Movies.ca - January 20, 2010

Geek in the City - January 20, 1020 - Feature

Everything Scary - January 17, 2010

FEARnet - January 14, 2010 - Feature

Dread Central - January 14, 2010

Scars Magazine - January 14, 2010

JoBlo.com presents Arrow in the Head - January 14, 2010 - Feature

Bloody Disgusting - January 13, 2010

Horror Hound Magazine - January 13, 2010

Shock Till You Drop - January 13, 2010

Horror Society - January 13, 2010

Horror News - January 13, 2010

Girls and Corpses Magazine - November 19, 2009 - Feature

Jim O'Rear's Scars Magazine Blog - October 4, 2009 - Feature

Cleveland's Scene Magazine - October 4, 2009

Chagrin Valley Times - Ocyober 4, 2009

The Plain Dealer - October 3, 2009 - Feature

Girls and Corpses Magazine - October 2009 - Feature

Cleveland's Scene Magazine - June 15, 2009

Examiner - June 15, 2009 - Feature

Jorror-Movies.ca - May 19, 2009

Everything Scary - May 17, 2009

JoBlo.com presents Arrow in the Head - May 14, 2009

Horror Society - May 13, 2009

Bastards of Horror - May 13, 2009

FEARnet - May 13, 2009

Moviehole - May 13, 2009

Screem Magazine Issue #17 - October 21, 2008 - Feature

JoBlo.com presents Arrow in the Head - September 18, 2008

Horror Society - September 18, 2008

Movie Crypt - September 17, 2008

ShockYa.com - September 15, 2008

Grave Concerns E-Zine - September 15, 2008

Oh My Gore - September 14, 2008

House of Horrors - September 13, 2008

Bloody Disgusting - September 13, 2008

Dread Central - September 12, 2008

Horror-Movies.ca - June 3, 2008

Dread Central - May 28, 2008

ShockYa.com - May 27, 2008

Bastards of Horror - September 25, 2007

The Cabinet - September 13, 2007

Horror-Movies.ca - September 12, 2007

Paragon Magazine - September 12, 2007

ShockYa.com - September 12, 2007

Horror Society - September 12, 2007

Dread Central - September 12, 2007 - Feature

JoBlo.com presents Arrow in the Head - September 12, 2007 - Feature

FEARnet - September 12, 2007

Everything Scary - September 12, 2007

Creepy Cleveland - August 30, 2007

WKYC NBC Cleveland - August 29, 2007 - Feature

The Cleveland Plain Dealer - August 29, 2007 - Photo Gallery

The Columbus Dispatch - August 27, 2007 - Cast and Crew Interviews

House of Horrors - August 26, 2007 - Exclusive on set Article

Dread Central - August 20, 2007 - Feature

JoBlo.com presents Arrow in the Head - August 20, 2007 - Feature

ESplatter - August 19, 2007

Everything Scary - August 19, 2007

Dread Central - August 19, 2007 - Feature

House of Horrors - August 19, 2007 - Feature

ShockYa.com - August 18, 2007

ShockYa.com - August 15, 2007

Horror Society - August 15, 2007

Oh My Gore - August 15, 2007

The Cabinet - August 13, 2007

FEARnet - August 13, 2007

Everything Scary - August 13, 2007

Oh My Gore - July 7, 2007

Everything Scary - July 3, 2007

FEARnet - July 2, 2007

JoBlo.com presents Arrow in the Head - July 2, 2007 - Feature

The Cabinet - July 2, 2007

Dread Central - July 2, 2007 - Feature

ShockYa.com - July 2, 2007

Oh My Gore - June 29, 2007

Horror Society - June 21, 2007

JoBlo.com presents Arrow in the Head - June 18, 2007

Bloody Disgusting - June 17, 2007

Icons of Fright - June 17, 2007

Dread Central - June 17, 2007 - Feature

House of Horrors - June 16, 2007

NukeTown - March 26, 2007

Dragons Landing Inn - February 20, 2007 - Podcast

Really Scary - February 13, 2007

Movie Crypt - February 13, 2007 - Feature

MoviesOnline.ca - February 12, 2007

The Cabinet - February 11, 2007 - Feature

Horror Society - February 8, 2007

JoBlo.com presents Arrow in the Head - February 7, 2007 - Feature

House of Horrors - February 6, 2007

Dread Central - February 6, 2007 - Feature

ShockYa.com - February 6, 2007