News

Book Review of Kane Hodder’s autobiography Unmasked: The True Story of the World’s Most Prolific Cinematic Killer

Published

7 years ago

January 12, 2017

In 2012 celebrity Kane Hodder author Mike Aloisi sat down together to pen the horror icon’s amazing life journey in his autobiography; Unmasked: The True Story of the World’s Most Prolific Cinematic Killer. Never would you expect the trials Kane experienced on his way to the top to be so harrowing. Nor would you predict this cinematic psycho to reveal his softer side of a family man. In this book Kane does not hold back the highs or the lows as he recalls the stories that made him into the man we know him as today.

Unmasked: : The True Story of the World’s Most Prolific Cinematic Killer

A majority of Kane’s autobiography is filled with what you expect from the horror veteran. He recalls his humble beginnings as a kid moved around the world as an army brat, how he was inspired and started in the world of stunt work, and his eventual raise to fame in the genre he is now a household name in. However, what we don’t expect from the 6’4” stuntman and actor is his heart wrenching recall of the more personal and painful aspects in his life.

The man we have always known as powerfully stoic with a no-bullshit demeanor willfully removes his mask and lowers his walls to reveal his life, no matter how painful.

A young Kane Hodder

As an avid fan of his work, it was surprising to learn Kane was bullied as a child. Yet as he explains in his book, the bulked up and towering actor we know him as today wasn’t always as physically imposing. As a child Kane was small and vulnerable to a group of older kids when he received his first unprovoked beating. It was an event that would forever changed him.

Later in life when Kane was freshly out of high school he followed his parents to the South Pacific for one of his father’s army assignments. This is when he gained the muscular stature we recognize today, as there was little else to do on the small island.

One of the most interesting and emotional reveals from the author is how he received the burn scars he once so desperately hid from the world. In Unmasked he fully admits to once lying to those who inquired about them, but for the first time ever he fully divulges how he received these burns that cover over half of his body.

Arguably even more painstaking, Kane then recalls his neglected and botched treatment in the local unequipped hospital, followed by his eventual recovery both physically and mentally. In truth, physical recovery was much faster than the healing of his mind. For years, the event that left his body forever scarred made even deeper impressions on his brain. Without risking spoilers, the effects on his mind became much more debilitating than the physical results of the fire.

Even though he would never refer to himself as a celebrity, he did not hit fame before his burn accident. He could have easily let his stunt accident prevent him from moving forward and striving for his dreams, and we would never know the Jason Voorhees we do today. We also would never meet Victor Crowley of Adam Green’s Hatchet trilogy as well as the dozens of other roles Kane conquered in the genre.

Kane Hodder at Frightfest 2010 at The Empire Leicester Square, London, 29 August 2010. Picture by Julie Edwards

Through unparalleled determination Kane continued to pursue his love of stunt work. In a way, we learn in his autobiography that the once hobby turned profession that nearly took the actor’s life in turn actually saved him.

If you’re gearing up for a long car ride, or if you don’t have the time or desire to sit down and read, Kane’s autobiography is also available as an audio book. As an added treat, the man behind the mask himself narrates it! I have both read as well as listened to the audio format of the book, and each experience is rewarding in its own way. To hear Kane recall his life, both the pain and the victories as well as everything in between, is truly rewarding and inspiring.

It took an admirable amount of courage and determination for Kane to survive his burns and continue to pursue his dreams, it took even more so to divulge the truth in this book.

Want even more Kane Hodder? Check out his 12 episode reality series The Killer & I! The series follows the actor and co-writer of his autobiography as they go on a fourth month book tour, and accounts all of the shenanigans that occur along the way! Our very own iHorror writer John Squires talks about (and links to) it here!

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Editorial

Yay or Nay: What’s Good and Bad in Horror This Week

Published

7 hours ago

May 4, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Welcome to Yay or Nay a weekly mini post about what I think is good and bad news in the horror community written in bite-sized chunks.

Yay:

Mike Flanagan talking about directing the next chapter in the Exorcist trilogy. That might mean he saw the last one and realized there were two left and if he does anything well it’s draw out a story.

Yay:

To the announcement of a new IP-based film Mickey Vs Winnie. It’s fun to read comical hot takes from people who haven’t even seen the movie yet.

Nay:

The new Faces of Death reboot gets an R rating. It’s not really fair — Gen-Z should get an unrated version like past generations so they can question their mortality the same as the rest of us did.

Yay:

Russell Crowe is doing another possession movie. He’s quickly becoming another Nic Cage by saying yes to every script, bringing the magic back to B-movies, and more money into VOD.

Nay:

Putting The Crow back in theaters for its 30th anniversary. Re-releasing classic movies at the cinema to celebrate a milestone is perfectly fine, but doing so when the lead actor in that film was killed on set due to neglect is a cash grab of the worst kind.

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Lists

The Top-Searched Free Horror/Action Movies on Tubi This Week

Published

24 hours ago

May 3, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The free streaming service Tubi is a great place to scroll when you’re unsure what to watch. They are not sponsored or affiliated with iHorror. Still, we really appreciate their library because it’s so robust and has many obscure horror movies so rare you can’t find them anywhere in the wild except, if you’re lucky, in a moist cardboard box at a yard sale. Other than Tubi, where else are you going to find Nightwish (1990), Spookies (1986), or The Power (1984)?

We take a look at the most searched horror titles on the platform this week, hopefully, to save you some time in your endeavor to find something free to watch on Tubi.

Interestingly at the top of the list is one of the most polarizing sequels ever made, the female-led Ghostbusters reboot from 2016. Perhaps viewers have seen the latest sequel Frozen Empire and are curious about this franchise anomaly. They will be happy to know it’s not as bad as some think and is genuinely funny in spots.

So take a look at the list below and tell us if you are interested in any of them this weekend.

1. Ghostbusters (2016)

Ghostbusters (2016)

An otherworldly invasion of New York City assembles a pair of proton-packed paranormal enthusiasts, a nuclear engineer and a subway worker for battle.An otherworldly invasion of New York City assembles a pair of proton-packed paranormal enthusiasts, a nuclear engineer and a subway worker for battle.

2. Rampage

When a group of animals becomes vicious after a genetic experiment goes awry, a primatologist must find an antidote to avert a global catastrophe.

3. The Conjuring The Devil Made Me Do It

Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren uncover an occult conspiracy as they help a defendant argue that a demon forced him to commit murder.

4. Terrifier 2

After being resurrected by a sinister entity, Art the Clown returns to Miles County, where his next victims, a teenage girl and her brother, await.

5. Don’t Breathe

A group of teens breaks into a blind man’s home, thinking they’ll get away with the perfect crime but get more than they bargained for once inside.

6. The Conjuring 2

In one of their most terrifying paranormal investigations, Lorraine and Ed Warren help a single mother of four in a house plagued by sinister spirits.

7. Child’s Play (1988)

A dying serial killer uses voodoo to transfer his soul into a Chucky doll which winds up in the hands of a boy who may be the doll’s next victim.

8. Jeepers Creepers 2

When their bus breaks down on a deserted road, a team of high school athletes discovers an opponent they cannot defeat and may not survive.

9. Jeepers Creepers

After making a horrific discovery in the basement of an old church, a pair of siblings find themselves the chosen prey of an indestructible force.

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News

Morticia & Wednesday Addams Join Monster High Skullector Series

Published

1 day ago

May 3, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Believe it or not, Mattel’s Monster High doll brand has an immense following with both young and not-so-young collectors.

In that same vein, the fan base for The Addams Family is also very large. Now, the two are collaborating to create a line of collectible dolls that celebrate both worlds and what they have created is a combination of fashion dolls and goth fantasy. Forget Barbie, these ladies know who they are.

The dolls are based on Morticia and Wednesday Addams from the 2019 Addams Family animated movie.

As with any niche collectibles these aren’t cheap they bring with them a $90 price tag, but it’s an investment as a lot of these toys become more valuable over time.

“There goes the neighborhood. Meet the Addams Family’s ghoulishly glamorous mother-daughter duo with a Monster High twist. Inspired by the animated movie and clad in spiderweb lace and skull prints, the Morticia and Wednesday Addams Skullector doll two-pack makes for a gift that’s so macabre, it’s downright pathological.”

If you want to pre-purchase this set check out The Monster High website.