Random Ramblings from the Vault...

• So yes, it's been a while. The Vault of Horror has been on a bit of a short sabbatical. But that's over now. Partly, this was due to the mysterious implosion of the VoH's Facebook page, the truth of which we may never learn. Oh, well--life goes on, and I've built a BRAND NEW Vault of Horror Facebook page. So if you were a fan of the old one (or even if you weren't), please head over there and "like" it right now!
  
• Memorial Day weekend... barbecues, John Wayne, apple pie and all that good stuff. But for horror fans, we cannot forget the insane trifecta of birthdays that occur each year as well. For on that blessed day, May 27, three icons of our genre celebrate the anniversaries of their birth (well, the two living ones do, anyway.) In case you never knew, Vincent Price, Christopher Lee and Linnea Quigley all share the same birthday (albeit in different years, naturally). One wonders what the significance of that day might be. One also wonders what would've happened if they had switched some of their roles. I personally would've loved to see Mr. Price take on Linnea's graveyard dance from Return of the Living Dead...

• Can I just say that a lot has happened in my self-imposed exile? I've seen a whole bunch of movies, and done something I haven't done in years--kept my opinions to myself. That's all going to change now, of course. For starters, I happened to see the Ghost Rider sequel, and I must admit, in spite of Nic Cage being the worst actor alive, it was WAY better than I ever expected it to be. Far better than the original, in fact. Now, if only someone would reboot the Man-Thing franchise, I'd be in horror comics fan heaven.
  
• Alright, I guess I should comment on all this supposed "zombie-like" activity happening everywhere. First a naked guy spends 18 minutes chewing another person's face off, and then some maniac rips out his own guts and throws them at the cops. Plus, the media has delighted in scouring the police blotters for similar stories so they can create some kind of silly conspiracy mania. The sad thing is, these things probably happen all the time, we just don't really hear about them. People--regular, boring ordinary human beings--are for more horrifying and potentially evil than any made-up creatures out of scary movies. And that's all this is. But if you needed me to tell you that, then I feel for you, buddy. Go stand in the shallow end of the gene pool--you're taking up valuable space.
  
• The League of Tana Tea Drinkers, a fine association of horror bloggers of which I'm a founding member, now has a kickass presence on Facebook, so I figured I'd pass it along. If you're interested in checking out some of the greatest horror blogs out there, it's a great place to catch it all in one place.
  
• I find myself living right down the street from a movie theater these days (two, actually), and there's not a night that goes by that I'm not tempted to walk down there, especially when there's a decent horror flick showing. I recently missed catching The Raven, and now The Chernobyl Diaries is calling my name...
  
• I am the proud father of a 10-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy. The girl's favorite horror film is Drag Me to Hell, and the boy's favorite horror film is The Shining. And that's what happens when your Dad runs The Vault of Horror.
  
• Prometheus is now mere days away... For my money, the horror event of the year. Granted, I haven't even seen it yet, but you have Ridley Scott returning to the Alien "universe"... and to explain the origin of the Space Jockey, no less. The Captain and I will be there with proverbial bells on. Care to join us?
  
• Speaking of the Captain and I, we've got some big things on the horizon. Firstly, there is the 3rd annual Village Invasion, which looks to be bigger and badder than ever thanks to an exciting partnership with one Neil Smoller, whose Village Apothecary is now officially sponsoring the event. Check Cruella's Crypt for more info on that.
  
• We've also got the first-ever Zombie Cruise shaping up for January! We're working with a major cruise line to make this happen, and once we've got all the details firmed up, we'll be passing the info along. But you can expect movies, zombie swag, and of course what would a Zombie Cruise be without a zombie crawl on deck?
  
• In short, thanks to everyone who bore with me through this little break. Life has gotten a lot busier, and I can't guarantee I'll always be able to post as often as I used to in the old days. But you can rest assured that The Vault of Horror is back. And I'll keep giving you all I've got, Vault dwellers, as long as you keep coming back for more.