Horror Block Subscription Box Review (January)

Mystery subscription boxes have become massive over the past year or so with more and more companies offering monthly boxes full of themed goodies. When I first heard that the popular 'Nerd Block' service offered a Horror themed box, I had to get my hands on one!

Each month you receive 5-6 items that usually have a continued theme. January's block has a Carrie theme, so I was looking forward to seeing what was inside! Since I live in the UK, I was expecting the block to arrive early February, (seeing as they ship from Canada on the 25th of each month). So I was pleasantly surprised to receive mine on the 26th! Big thanks to the team at Nerd block for their efficiency. Obviously spoilers to follow, so if you have ordered Januarys block, look away now!

Right, onto the block itself..

Inside I was shocked to see this staring up at me!

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Creepy stuff! In every block you get a t-shirt, (You can choose gender, size and fit when you sign up).  This month we have a 'They Live!' Obey shirt, inspired by John Carpenter's 1988 film. It was a really cool design and also was a great fit.

Our first Carrie themed item is a Gravestone phone holder complete with hand popping out the ground! Based on the iconic scene from the end of the original film. The unit has space to plug your phones charge cable in which is a neat design feature.

The other Carrie themed item was a film cell bookmark, which was also very cool! I was also impressed with the quality of this metal meat cleaver keyring, which can also be used as necklace/bracelet charm.

In every block you get a copy of 'Ruemorgue', a magazine which covers all things horror. This months issue takes a special look at the graphic history of horror comics.

Finally, you also get a complimentary digital copy of 'Scream' The worlds scariest horror magazine!

To sum up, Januarys box contains:

-    Baby Eats You Alive! Vinyl doll head

-    Obey T-shirt

-    Cleaver Keyring

-    Gravestone Phone Holder

-    Carrie Filmcell Bookmark

-    Ruemorgue Blood In Four Colours

-    Digital copy of Scream magazine

Overall I was very impressed with my first Horror Block. The items are all fun and mostly good quality. I got my first months subscription discounted, (exc. shipping), so it costed me around £15, which I consider good value. Normally a 1 months subscription would cost you roughly £22, which is a little pricey on a regular basis. That said 3-6 month subscriptions work out better value. I would definitely recommend trying a block if there is a monthly theme that interests you. I can't see myself doing a recurring monthly subscription, though I will definitely treat myself to a block once every couple of months!

To find out more about Horror Block please see the link below.

https://www.nerdblock.com/horror

As always, thanks for reading!

COVER YOUR EARS! My favourite horror soundtracks

Horror movies and TV shows are usually filled with creepy imagery, gory deaths and other visually shocking scenes to be burned into our minds. Sometimes though, shutting your eyes and simply listening to the horrors can be enough to unsettle your audience. I firmly believe that having an appropriate score and sound design are an essential part of the experience. Below are some of my favourite horror film scores.  

The Babadook

Ba-Ba-ba Dook-Dook-DOOK! Last October, directer Jennifer Kent  gave us one of the strongest horror films in years. The babadook is an incredibly tense and unsettling film, helped by it's beautifully creepy soundtrack. What makes "Mister Babadook" so damn scary is the fact we never get much of a glimpse of him. We do however hear the monster knocking, creaking and screaming as he terrorises Amelia and her young son. This allows the audiences imagination to run wild and conjure up their own ideas of what exactly the creature is. The stand out, scariest scene for me is when Amelia finds the book on her doorstep. What she finds inside is made twice as horrifying thanks to the creepy, twisted melody playing along in the foreground, truly chilling stuff! 

Saw Franchise

Saw, not exactly the first film you would think of when it comes to memorable soundtracks. Especially considering most of what you hear is people screaming in pain as there brutally tortured! I'm not talking about the slightly cheesy "death metal" tracks over the credits, rather the awesome score written by Charlie Clouser. The most iconic piece "Hello zepp" from the first film is really intense, almost mechanical sounding and contributes the on screen action perfectly. The music builds as the timer on the trap ticks down, making you feel the panic of the victim as they quickly run out of time. Another of my favourites is "The Rack" a fast paced piece from Saw 3, only ever interrupted by the occasional sound of crushing bones! Lets not get started on the many disgusting sounds of Saw!

Halloween

Perhaps one of the most iconic and instantly recognisable horror film themes. Like many of John Carpenters scores, the Halloween theme is simple yet very effective at getting under your skin. The theme is used repeatedly throughout the film, yet every time you hear it you feel unnerved as Myers watches and stalks his next victim. I'll be honest, I never find slasher films particularly scary, though Halloween is defiantly an exception. As if Michael Myers emotionless expression isn't enough, the disturbing, breathing sounds he makes as he kills his victims are incredibly creepy and unsettling. The simple fact you never hear him speak is enough to disturb, a trick many slasher films since have used.

The Shining

Stanley Kubricks adaption of The Shining is hands down the creepiest film I have ever seen. You get a good idea of the horrors to come just from the opening scene, thanks to Wendy Carlos's sinister opening score. The whole mood of the film is incredibly dark and twisted, with a soundtrack to match. Some of the most disturbing scenes, such as the twins in the corridor, use a series of distorted, high-pitched violins to build the tension before the shocking reveal. Another particularly memorable moment is the "shining" scene between Danny and Dick Hallorann. The ear splitting high note played whilst Hallorann realises the danger Danny is in is truly unsettling.

The Walking Dead

I was quite late to discover just how awesome the Walking dead is. I have literally only just started watching season 5 at the time of writing this! The hit TV show boasts a fantastic mix of superb character development, strong cast, intense action scenes and plenty of gore filled horror. Amongst all this is a brilliant soundtrack consisting of a memorable score as well as a selection of both old and new songs that always fit perfectly with each episodes narrative. Bear McCreary's epic opening theme never fails to excite me for each episode and I often reach for the remote to turn up the volume! Combine this with songs from likes of Ben Howard and Motorhead and you have one hell of a soundtrack!

As always thanks for reading! Please feel free to let me know your favourite horror film/TV soundtracks in the comments below!      

Welcome to Fear For Thought!

Hello! Welcome to FEAR FOR THOUGHT! A new blog dedicated to all things horror! Here you will find horror film/video game reviews, features and articles, as well as a look at the ever growing scare attraction/events industry.

About me
To be honest, I'm not entirely sure where my love of horror came from. Growing up, I always had a fascination with the supernatural, unexplainable phenomena, ufos, that sort of thing! I loved reading ghost stories and watching those cheesy "Most Haunted" documentaries. I think it was my first viewing of Alien in my early teens that really kicked off my love for horror films. To this day it still remains one of my all time favourites!

As a bit of a thrill seeker (and a self confessed roller coaster enthusiast!) I first came upon the scare attractions industry through my other love of theme parks. The "Haunted house" industry first started in America but has slowly become more and more prominent here in the UK Many theme parks, farms and private events have started popping up over the country and not just for Halloween!  I'm a bit of a newbie in this industry, only visiting a grand total of 3 scare mazes or "Haunted Houses" but I hope to visit many more and share my reviews here.

Thanks for checking out my blog and stay tuned for more updates very soon!