Pagan Festival Shout Out!

Ram Navami (Devanāgarī: राम नवमी) also known as Sri Rama Navami (IAST SriRām-navamī) is a Hindu festival, celebrating the birth of Lord Rama to King Dasharatha and Queen Kausalya of Ayodhya. Ram is the 7th incarnation of the Dashavatara of Vishnu. Years later Lord Rama was married to Sita on the Vivaha Panchami. The sacred marriage of Devi Sita with Lord Rama was held on Margashirsha Shukla Panchami as per Valmiki Ramayana (This occasion is known as Seetha kalyanam). The Rama Navami festival falls in the Shukla Paksha on the Navami, the ninth day of the month of Chaitra in the Hindu calendar. Thus it is also known as Chaitra Masa Suklapaksha Navami, and marks the end of the nine-day Chaitra-Navratri celebrations.

In the epic Ramayana, Dasharatha, the Emperor from Ayodhya, had three wives named Kausalya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi in the Treta Yuga, which follows the Satya Yuga and is succeeded by Dwapara Yuga. Their greatest worry was that they had no children, and so they had no heir to the throne in the Ikshvaku Kula or royal lineage of great, pious, wonderful Emperors. Rishi Vasistha suggests him to perform Puthra Kamesti Yagna, through which he can have a desired child. He also tells him to invite Maharshi Rishyasringa to perform this yagna for him. Emperor Dasharatha consents and heads to Maharshi Rishyasringa's ashram, to invite him. Maharshi agrees and accompanies Emperor Dasharatha to Ayodhya (Capital of Avadha) and performs the yagna. As the result of this yagna, Yagneshwara appears and provides Dasharatha a bowl of divine pudding (Kheer/Payasam) and requests him to give it to his wives. Dasharatha gives one half of the payasam to his elder wife Kausalya, and another half to his younger wife Kaikeyi. They both give half of their portions to Sumitra. After few days all three Queens conceive. On the ninth day (Navami) of Chaithra Masa (first month in Vedic calendar), at noon Kausalya gives birth to Rama, Kaikeyi gives birth to Bharata, and Sumitra to twin boys,Lakshmana and Shatrughna.

Some highlights of this day include

• Kalyanam, a ceremonial wedding performed by temple priests
• Panakam, a sweet drink prepared on this day with jaggery and pepper.
• Procession of murtis in the evening, accompanied by playing with water and colours.

How can we all incorporate elements of Ram Navami into our day to honor this festival’s sentiment? Well light a candle, white because most weddings utilize the color. Give to a children’s charity and restrict your diet. This festival is big on fasting and strict diet allowance. Implement a raw , organic veggie diet- no meat or dairy. And of course it is known that meditation promotes mental and physical healing. Oh yeah and wear bright colors as a symbol of the beauty of nature and flowers.

My Review Of “Infected” 2013

“Infected” is the standard virus related zombie flick of modern horror. The film is directed by Glenn Ciano who also wrote the story and screenplay for the movie. It deals with a father and son on a weekend retreat with loved ones at the precipice of a viral outbreak that results in aggressive flesh eaters. It stars Michael Madsen, William Forsythe, Tom DeNucci, Christy Romano and Kristi Lynn.

“Infected” is a standard outbreak-zombie story that manages to tell a pretty good, entertaining nightmare scenario despite the fact that it offers nothing new to the genre. The acting is acceptable, although some of the cast have the cred to warrant a much better performance than they gave to this film. The biggest and most exciting aspect of the film for me was the title sequence with hottie-Tom DeNucci given us total porn fantasy in the tool shop. Man I could have watched two hours of him doing that! All that was missing was the cold water splash down after working up such a sweat. That sequence followed by the climax portion of the film where we return back to that swooning moment of the story really pleased me – a lot! (yeah I know-total perv here!) Anyway this doesn’t negate the fact that the acting and story was pretty well written and directed by Ciano.

The film did have very basic stripped down special effects which at times fail the film but for the most part they work just fine-quite frankly I am just thankful that the movie didn’t rely totally on CGI! The character driven moments that are intended to build suspense and emotional investment for the viewer seems to fall flat at moments, coming across more as over-exaggerated. However for the most part the complete result of the films ability to hold my attention was executed. I never really found my thoughts wondering  and I never became bored with the story. It is a really decent zombie outbreak film that also does nothing to detract from the genre that may seem over stuffed with the undead at the moment. I enjoyed the film, the action, the zombies, all in all the film is one of the better zombie flicks. I really liked the more stripped down, organic approach to horror that this film used to tell this story. Plus as I stated earlier that beginning sequence and end was hot! Wish there would have been more of that and of Tom DeNucci sexually exploited in the main portion of the movie but hey – it is horror not porn.

Age Of Satan By James Lovegrove

eBook Worth Reading:

James Lovegrove’s Age Of Satan is now available for eRead at Amazon. Check it out here!

1968. Guy Lucas, son of a murdered British diplomat, is sent to an old-fashioned boarding school, where he is bullied and abused. A fellow student persuades him to perform a black mass and plead with Satan to intervene, with horrific consequences. For the next ten years, the shadow of Satan is cast across his life; he flees, across the sea and into obscurity, but tragedy follows him. eventually, he must confront the Devil, and learn the truth about himself...

The Crucifixion Experiments By Gord Rollo

Book Worth Reading:




The new mystery/thriller novella from author Gord Rollo (The Jigsaw Man, Strange Magic, Valley of the Scarecrow, Crowley's Window) is coming this Tuesday, April 23rd to DarkRegions.com. The novella is described as  fast-paced and entertaining. To initially be available in a signed deluxe hardcover edition limited to twenty-six signed and numbered copies worldwide then as a Dark Regions Double trade paperback with The Blue Heron by Gene O'Neill.

Description.
Jake Mercer’s life is spiraling out of control. As a criminal profiler and one of the senior homicide investigators in the Oakland Police Department, he’s spent the last twenty-five years getting into the heads of killers trying to understand the way they think. He’s the best at what he does but constantly playing in the minds of madmen carries a heavy price, leaving Jake an out of shape, alcoholic loner suspended from active duty.  

The murders have started.

Another serial killer is prowling the streets now, a lunatic who’s making a game of nailing retired Catholic priests to trees and bridges and hydro poles around the city. Torture and murder isn’t enough, they’re experimenting with the bodies to further whatever diabolical plan only they seem to know.

The experiments have begun.

Broken down or not, Lieutenant Mercer might be the only man who can catch this killer before the city starts to panic. Back on duty and trying his best to stay out of the bottle, Jake finds himself teamed up with two rookie detectives in what will be his most difficult case ever, and possibly his last...

Bold Modern Flick “An American Terror” Screening At LAFFF

The very bold and freshly edgy Indie film “An American Terror” will screen at L.A. Fear and Fantasy Film Festival on May 10th at the Banshee Theatre. The film takes the very Americana produced nightmare that seems to be an American phenomenon – Mass School Shootings. It will stimulate, irritate and exhilarate audiences and may be the breakout Indie flick of the season. Directed by  Haylar Garcia and starring Graham Emmons, Louise MacDonald, Joseph Abplanalp, Taylor Hulett, Brian Thompson, Nathan Green, “An American Terror” is a film I am eager to see. Check out the trailer below.

Three teen outcasts decide to trade their nameless and bullied existences for internet fame by exacting a sadistic template for the unthinkable, but in their search for the assault weapons to pull it off, they come upon something far darker than even their own gruesome plans.



To purchase tickets to the Los Angeles screening (which takes place on Friday, May 10, at 8 p.m. at Theatre Banshee, 3435 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank 91505), go here.

First Ever Israeli Zombie Action Flick

“Cannon Fodder” is the first ever zombie action flick to come from Israel. The country has shown a more recent interest in the horror genre with some pretty killer flicks in the past few years.  Directed by Eitan Gafny, the film recently won Best Foreign Film Award the the Bare Bones Film Festival. Check out the trailer below.

Doron Geva, a security operative on the eve of his retirement, receives a simple mission - to bring to Israel a high ranking Hezbollah official. With an elite force, which he had never met, Doron enters Lebanon to complete his last mission. Soon he discovers that reality is not so simple, and that a new and unknown enemy is to be dealt with - and Hezbollah are the last thing on his mind. Doron has to deal with soldiers he does not trust, cooperation with enemy forces, a ticking clock in the form of extensive I.D.F attack and worst of all: a bloodthirsty enemy, cruel and bestial - that does not show mercy or reason. So who is really the cannon fodder here?

Teaser Released For Grindhouse Throwback “Homicycle”

Check out the teaser trailer for Indie throwback “Homicycle”. The film pays homage to 80’s grindhouse road horror and is directed by Brett Kelly. Not much else is clear about the project just yet. Filming is slated to begin Spring 2013 which is now-finally! Not sure if the Northern folks are feeling it yet…Anyway I like the stripped-down, back-to-basics feel, and total retro that I get from the teaser!

A town is under siege by a gang of drug dealers when from seemingly out of nowhere, a mysterious man in black astride a motorcycle, begins targeting the junk peddlers for death!