On behalf of Rue Morgue and Netflix Canada, thanks to everyone who entered our recent Halloween contest! We enjoyed reading every last entry, and wish we had 49 prizes to dole out. Alas, there can be only three, and we’re here to announce them.

If you’re just tuning in, the challenge was to curate your very own Halloween triple bill from Rue Morgue’s Halloween Horrors list of streaming Netflix movies. We asked you to pick three movies, and to tell us why you picked ‘em. We chose the most creative/thoughtful/interesting answers as our winners.

Justin’s awesome Mondo poster for Cabin in the Woods was unveiled on the Entertainment Weekly website today. Read more about it here.

For several years Joe Dante’s Trailer’s From Hell site has hosted genre movie trailers with commentaries by filmmakers. In anticipation of our Thursday night CineMacabre screening of Slumber Party Massacre, on 35mm, featuring a Skype interview with director Amy Holden Jones (details here), here’s the trailer for the film with a commentary by Holden Jones herself.

And if you’re a fan of the series, don’t forget to check out our back issue (RM#106) with a feature on the entire series by April!

Avoid a nightmare before Christmas and visit Rue Morgue’s Shoppe of Horror by December 1 to ensure delivery of our entire line of ghoulish goodies in time for the big day! New this year are Black 100 Skull King zip-up hoodies, old-school 3/4-length sleeve T-shirts, the Official 2011 Festival of Fear tee, Oni mask patches and 18×24 double-sided Halloween issue posters – in addition to key chains, pewter belt buckles, Gore-met trucker hats and aprons, panties and matching tank top sets, and a spooky selection of other tees in men’s and women’s sizes.

Plus! For a limited time only, enter the promo code “KRAMPUS” to save 15% on your order! Nothing will make the glowing, bloodshot eyes of the horror fiend in your life light up like Rue Morgue under the tree or squished into their stocking! Visit the Shoppe of Horror today!

From the battered iron desk of frequent Audio Drome contributor, “Metal George” Pacheco…

Rock and Shock
October 14 – 16, 2011
Worcester, Massachusetts
By “Metal George” Pacheco

With yet another Rock and Shock installment behind me, I’m left to ponder my feelings about how intensely I look forward to this weekend each year. Almost immediately after one Rock and Shock adventure ends, I’m counting the days to my next excursion, and with good reason: it’s simply one of the best horror happenings on the American East coast.

This year’s convention was dedicated to the memory of David Hess, who had passed away only a week prior. Needless to say, many fans, vendors and guests were eager to share their memories of the Last House on the Left legend throughout many of the panels and signing sessions that took place throughout the weekend, not the least of which was one including Suspiria star Barbara Magnolfi, who made it a point to specifically address the impact Hess had on the horror business during the ’70s Splatter panel Q&A.

This (Thursday) evening, Rue Morgue and TIFF are co-presenting the first in a series of del Toro screenings. It begins at 7pm at the Lightbox with In Conversation With… Guillermo del Toro, which is exactly what the title implies. If you’ve ever heard him talk, you know the man is a fount of insight and a great storyteller. (Details here) After that he’ll be introducing an Italian film he programmed called L’arcano incantatore.
In addition, we’re showing two of his early features at the Lightbox this coming Sunday: Cronos and The Devil’s Backbone.

Rue Morgue presents the Canadian premiere of Guillermo del Toro’s MIMIC: DIRECTOR’S CUT tomorrow night – Thursday, September 15 @ 9:30pm at CineMacabre’s new home, The Toronto Underground Cinema (186 Spadina Ave – Toronto) For the first time anywhere, see 1997’s MIMIC the way del Toro meant it to be – restored, extended and re-edited. A killer cast – including Mira Sorvino, Josh Brolin, and The Walking Dead’s Norman Reedus – populate this sci-fi horror tale of mutant cockroaches in the sewers of Manhattan that can perfectly mimic humans… after they eat them! Also just announced: Guillermo del Toro himself will join us, along with Roger Clown, who played one of the creatures! Classic trailers! One ghastly prize-packed night only! Sponsored by Alliance Films, Exclaim.ca, Rue Morgue Radio, Eyesore Cinema and My Big Fat Independent Movie Store. Watch the trailer!

The My Bloody Valentine 30th Anniversary reunion panel has been moved to Sunday at 2 p.m. in Room 715B. The following cast and crew have been confirmed: director George Mihalka, Neil Affleck (“Axel Palmer”), Lori Hallier (“Sarah”), Helene Udy (“Sylvia”), Paul Zaza (Composer), and Bob Presner (Line Producer).

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience.

Only three more sleeps ’til horror is unleashed at the Rue Morgue Festival of Fear, this Thursday to Sunday at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (255 Front St. W., South Building)!

Just a fiendly reminder, my procrastinating pals, that this year’s free downloadable album of terror tunes, Hymns From the House of Horror Vol. II, is only available ’til THIS SUNDAY, JULY 31 – after that…it’s gone forever! Just look at the photos past the jump (or as I like to call them, Exhibits A through I). The mind reels at the unearthly racket such, uh…characters might be capable of. And there’s more. Twenty artists lent us 20 cuts, including RM exclusives, rarities and remixes.

Ten thousand people can’t be wrong – download it now.

With the 2011 Festival of Fear now only six weeks away, we’ve got two more amazing off-site events (read: legendary horror nights in the making) to announce!

The man William S. Burroughs once called “The Pope of Trash” – John Waters – is hosting a one-man “vaudeville” act celebrating his career, influences and fascination with true crime, exploitation films, fashion lunacy and the extremes of the contemporary art world, Saturday August 27 at the Toronto Underground Cinema (186 Spadina Ave.) 7 p.m. $35 door, $30 advance, or a $125 VIP ticket that includes post-performance reception. This joyously devious monologue elevates all that is trashy into a call-to-arms for Waters lovers everywhere!

Then, don’t miss Night Terrors, our Official 2011 Festival of Fear party, featuring a Midnight Costume Contest hosted by special fx/makeup guru Tom Savini and others, along with the hypnotic sounds of witch rock pioneers (and Hymns From the House of Horror Vol. II donors) Blood Ceremony. Plus! Terror tunes from one-man party Tomb Dragomir, Oz and LaMort. Saturday, August 27 at Revival Event Theatre (783 College St. West) 10 p.m. $15 door/$10 advance.