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8-24-08 HORRORHOUND COMING UP
This weekend, we are off to Indianapolis for another
adventure at HorrorHound Weekend. We've never missed their Indy shows, and
have always had a great time. As always, if you're coming out to the show,
make sure you stop by and say hello.
For all the details about the show, check out their website
HERE.
MYSTERY PHOTO
Our last photo was from the strange and bizarre film Night Warning (aka Butcher,
Baker, Nightmare Maker), starring Jimmy McNichol, Bo Swenson, a very young Bill
Paxton, and a very twisted and demented portrayal by Susan Tyrrell. She's
the one in the photo. Her performance alone is worth the watch.
Contrats go out to Bill Taylor, Will Wilson, and Joe Willis
for coming up with the title. Nice job.
So check out our latest and see what you think.
HORROR HISTORY
While we missed an entry last week, we are back with this
update, by adding in one of the most talented cinematographers in the business.
Just click on over HERE for this week's lesson.
TERROR IN THE AISLES REPORT
We have posted our official report of last week's Terror in
the Aisles marathon. Just click on our Convention Reports, located in our
Features section in the link above.
CHICAGO HORROR EVENTS PAGE
It seems that quite a bit of our last few updates have been
about some of the local events going on in the Chicagoland area. I know
for readers that are not in this area, they probably don't care to hear about it
over and over. So for them, I do apologize if it sounds like we're beating
a dead horse. But since we are in that area, we are doing our best to help
build and support that community.
So what we have come up with is a simple page, called
Chicago Horror, which will be sort of like a
calendar of events in the Chicagoland area. We will try to keep this
updated of different Horror Happenings that will be taking place. If you
know of any event that we don't have listed, please drop us an email
HERE
with all the info, and we'll add it to the calendar. We will still mention
new events in our updates, but will referrer to the Chicago Horror page for the
details. This page will be located in our Features
section.
SOUNDTRACK REVIEWS
We have posted our reviews for two new soundtracks: The
X-Files: I Want To Believe and the new Alexandra Aja film, Mirrors. You
can find them in our Review section, under Features.
8-16-08 MUSIC BOX MASSACRE CORRECTION
AND UPDATE
It seems we don't read that well when we're working on our
updates late in the evenings. We thought that Rusty Nails had already
started to list some of the films for this years Music Box Massacre, but those
were the films from the Winter Massacre. So we apologize for the mistake.
But now we do have a corrected and updated list along with the date.
The 24-hour Music Box Massacre will be held this year on
October 25th, a little later in the year than in the past. The tentative
movie lineup so far is as follows:
Friday the 13th: Part 4, The Exorcist, White Zombie,
Eyes Without A Face, Pieces, The Phantom of the Paradise,
Black Sabbath, Dead Alive, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Old Dark House.
As usual, there will be special guests, but none have been
announced yet. Stay tuned here for more details when they become
available, or you can check out their MySpace page
HERE.
8-13-08 EVEN MORE CHICAGO AREA HORROR
HAPPENINGS!!!
It really seems like the Horror Gods are going to be keeping
us busy for the next couple of months. Just when I thought we were pretty
much planned out, something else comes up. So see below to see the current
list of activities that are coming up over the next couple of months.
TERROR IN THE AISLES
Okay folks, time is almost here for the Terror in the Aisles event this weekend.
Hopefully everyone has already gotten their tickets and are all set to have a
great time. I know we always do, as tired as we may get, it's a lot of
fun. Below is the final list of films and the start times for them.
They'll be some dealers there (including us and the usual awesome T-shirts &
more from Lix...and maybe Jill will bring her hoola hoop) with some great horror
merchandise to tempt your pocketbooks out. Or even if you just want to
geek out and talk horror movies, I'm sure there will be plenty of people to do
that with. If you can't find anybody, just stop over at our booth.
We'll be happy to oblige. For all the details about the show, click
HERE.
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Noon - Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story
-
1:45pm - The Listening Dead (voted best short film
by Rue Morgue Magazine!)
-
2:00pm - The Tingler (The Vincent Price Classic!)
-
3:30pm - Slumber Party Massacre (Check Your
Sleeping Bag!)
-
5:00pm - The Demonology of Desire (Rue Morgue
Magazine's new short film!)
-
5:30pm - The Hills Have Eyes (The original 70's
sickness!)
-
7:30pm - The Deadly Spawn (with director Douglas
McKeown in Person!)
-
9:30pm - Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (with
John McNaughton in Person!)
-
11:30pm - The Machine Girl (The new Japanese Horror
Sensation!)
MUSIC BOX MASSACRE IV
While we haven't heard the confirmed date yet, Rusty Nails,
promoter extraordinaire, has already already started to list some of the movies
for this years massacre. So far we have a couple of original classic
films, the original Friday the 13th, the first and best Nightmare on
Elm Street, as well as Swamp Thing, and the French film Inside.
For those who haven't seen that one, you need to see it. And what better
way then the big screen. There will be plenty more listed soon. And
as soon as we get the confirmed date, we will pass that one.
DUSK TIL DAWN SHOW AT THE
MIDWAY
On Sunday, Aug. 31st, at the
Midway Drive-In,
they will be holding another one of their all-night movie marathon. While
it's not all horror themed, there's a couple of cool titles in there to satisfy
your horror fix. They will be screening American Graffiti, Steven
Spielberg's Jaws, the cult classic Night of the Comet, and one
feature that you can suggest a title to have them show. Just drop them an
email at info@themidwaydrivein.net
and let them know a title that you'd like to see. Who knows, maybe
yours will be the one they pick.
Unfortunately, we'll be on our way back from the Indianapolis
HorrorHound show, so we won't be able to make it. We've been out to the
Midway a couple of times and have always had a lot of fun.
HORRORHOUND GUESTS ADDED
And speaking of the HorrorHound Weekend, they have added
another guest to their lineup. Joining Dee Wallace and Jeffrey Combs in a
The Frighteners reunion will be Jake Busey. Of course, Jake has
also some other genre credits like Starship Troopers and Death Row.
For more info about the show, check out their website
HERE.
A NIGHT OF FAMILY PORTRAITS
On September 12th, at the
Portage Theater,
Horrorbles is sponsoring
a night with director Douglas Buck. First off, at 7:30pm, they will be
screening Buck's Family Portraits: A Trilogy of America. This
features 3 short films of Buck's, Cutting Moments, Home, and
Prologue. If you haven't seen these short films, you need to
check them out. They are ones that you will never forget once you've seen
them, especially Cutting Moments. The cost is only $10. After
that, they will be having a special free screening of Buck's remake of
Sisters.
You can read our review of Family Portraits
HERE, or you can even read the
interview with did with Buck earlier this year at the Fangoria's Weekend of
Horrors HERE.
ELYSEE DOES IT AGAIN!
A little while ago, fans of the Filipino cult horror movie Mad Doctor of
Blood Island were thrilled to see the soundtrack released on CD. Sure,
this might not have been the title that millions of fans were waiting for, but
the selected few of us out there were pretty damn excited to hear that news.
I pre-ordered mine right away, and was blown away how great of a job they did
producing this. The disc was the child of Elysee Productions. And
now they have a second child.
This time they are releasing the soundtrack for Al Adamson's
Dracula vs. Frankenstein! The music of William Lava has been mastered from
original session tapes and will be released on Oct. 15th. Just like the
Mad Doctor CD, there release is limited to 1000 pressings. The first 100
copies to be pre-ordered will be signed by producer & screenwriter Sam Sherman.
The disc will have the complete Lava orchestral score, bonus tracks such as
retakes, false starts, session chatter and a never-before-heard "Jazz Chase"
cue. There will also be audio liner notes from Sam Sherman as he discusses
the details about the music. Add in radio spots for a bunch of Independent
International Pictures archives, and an 8-page booklet containing rare stills.
All this for only $19.99.
So in other words, this is another must for collector of
horror soundtracks, especially for those who like the cult films. I know
we'll be adding one to our collection. For information about the CD, click
HERE
to be taken to their website.
8-10-08 BUG TRIPLE FEATURE
Apparently the horror gods noticed that we had a weekend free
between the
Terror in the Aisle marathon and the Indianapolis
HorrorHound
Weekend, and decided they needed to fill that void. So on August 23rd at
the Portage Theater, they are having a "Don't Bug Me Saturday" special triple
feature. Starting at 5:45pm, they are screening Bert I. Gordon's Beginning
of the End. Then at 7:45pm is Black Scorpion. And last but not
least, they are screening Them! at 9:45pm. And you get to see all three of
the movies for only $10! How can you go wrong with three great sci-fi /
horror films at one low price. For more information, click
HERE to get to the
Portage website.
So once again, if you don't have anything planned, mark your
calendar and head over to the Portage for this great triple feature. We'll
see you there.
PUTRID GORE ART TRIVIA
Don't forget folks, we still have our Trivia Contest going
for signed prints from the last creation from the amazing artist Putrid.
Check out our Trivia Page for all the details.
ROGUE REVIEW
We have our review posted for Greg McLean's new movie Rogue,
which is about a big-ass crocodile looking for some food. Aren't we all?
We really enjoyed this movie, so check out our review for the full details.
MYSTERY PHOTO
Last week's photo was from Hammer Films Dracula Has Risen From the Grave.
A job well done goes out to Hoby Abernathy, Joe Willis, and Thomas Keaton.
Always nice to see some new names here. The next one is might be a tough
one, especially for the younger crowd. But check it out anyway and see
what you can come up with. Good luck.
HORROR HISTORY
Last week, we forgot to add someone to our Horror History
entry. So head on over there to discover who Lionel Atwill is and why you
should know who he is.
FANTASTIC FLESH - MAKEUP
EFFECTS HISTORY
Coming to Starz channel this October will be Fantastic Flesh:
The Art of Makeup EFX. The new documentary by director Kevin VanHook and
written by John Esposito, looks at the history of makeup effects, covering
things like the blood and gore, to the creatures and monsters. And the
best of all is that they are covering the history from the beginning, with the
likes of Lon Chaney Sr. and Jack Pierce, all the way to today's current masters.
Tons of people are interviewed, such as John Carpenter, Joe Dante, Wes Craven,
John Landis, and many more. The show will be hosted by KNB's very own Greg
Nicotero and Howard Berger. They cover Dick Smith and his work on The
Exorcist, the competing werewolf projects between John Landis' American Werewolf
in London and Joe Dante's The Howling, and much more.
Granted, I'm a sucker for documentaries. But when I
read the following quote, I was even more excited. Writer Esposito told
Fango, "The best thing for me about the project is that I hope it’ll inspire
younger fans to want to check out Jack Pierce and some of the other originators
of the art form. Maybe if they haven’t seen some of the older films, by
Chaney and people like that, this will give them the inspiration. I mean,
we’re all fixated on the great effects being done now, but I like that we touch
upon the old monsters.”
We just love it when we hear people out there trying to get
the younger and newer audiences to seek out and discover the films that started
it all, and the people that help make them. We are really looking forward
to this show.
 NIGHT GALLERY FANS
CELEBRATE!
Finally, we got news that the complete season 2 of Rod
Serling's Night Gallery will be released on DVD on November 18th in a special
edition box set. The set will have an SRP of $59.98, and will contain 5
discs, featuring all the episodes from that season, and will plenty of extras.
There were be audio commentaries on most of the episodes by Night Gallery
Historians Jim Benson and Scott Skelton. Plus, there will also be
commentaries on at least 6 of the episodes by none other than Guillermo del
Toro. There will also be some featurettes such as "Revisiting the Gallery:
A Look Back" and "Art Gallery: The Paintings in Rod Serling's Night Gallery.
Throw in some NBC TV promos, and us Night Gallery fans are going to be very
happy come November. Makes me want to break out some of those episodes
from season one....
8-03-08
DOOMSDAY CONTEST
Thanks to everyone to sent in their answers for our Doomsday
contest. I was happy to see a lot of fans out there know a little bit
about these movies and the people who are in them. Sure, some may call it
worthless trivia, but as they say "Knowledge is Power!" The lucky winner
for our Doomsday DVD contest was Jason Roth.
Here's the correct answers:
For the first question, Liam Cunningham, who portrayed Capt.
Ryan in Dog Soldiers, went on to star in the film The Card Player,
directed by Dario Argento. On the second question, Sean Pertwee, who
portrayed Sgt. Wells in Dog Soldiers, had battled a mummy in Russell
Mulcahy's 1998 film Tale of the Mummy (aka Talos the Mummy - uncut
version). Co-starring in that movie was Christopher Lee, who had played
vampires, mummies, and Frankenstein's creature for Hammer Films.
Now keep reading to find out about our latest Trivia contest.
PUTRID GORE ART TRIVIA
We have a new trivia contest this week. This one is going to be a little
tougher than what we normally have, so we need all the die-hard fans out there
to give it a try. Our good friend and amazingly talented artist Putrid has
come up with a new print of the cult classic movie Deadly Spawn, in honor of the
upcoming Terror in the Aisles marathon (see details below) coming up in a couple
of weeks. You can see a small version of it to the right. Well, we
are giving away 3 signed prints of this incredible piece of work, signed by
Putrid. And all you have to do to win one of these prints is to simple
name four movies from another one of Putrid's drawings. So just click
HERE
to be taken to our Trivia page, and follow the directions. This contest
will be going for the next two weeks, so you have plenty of time to do your
research.
HORROR FANS....OUR TIME IS NEAR
It use to be that us horror fans had to wait until October
for all the Halloween and horror related festivities to happen. But this
year we
don't need to wait that long. As a matter of fact, we only need to wait
about another week for it all to start. Now I know that most of these
festivities are mainly for Chicago area fans, but that doesn't mean you can't
come out and join us. So check out what we have planned in our continuing
Kryptic World Domination Tour 2008.
HORRORBLE SCREENING OF
CREATURE WITH SPECIAL GUEST
Next Saturday, August 9th at the
Portage Theater,
Horrorbles is hosting a
special screening of Creature From The Black Lagoon, with the creature
himself, Ricou Browning
appearing. There will be a Q&A session along with Browning signing
autographs in the lobby of the theater at 7pm. The film starts at 8:30pm.
Tickets are $15. If you can't make it out to the theater that night,
Browning will also be doing an in-store signing at the Horrorbles store on Sunday, Aug.
9th, from 12pm to 5pm.
TERROR IN THE AISLES
The following weekend, Aug. 16th, also at the Portage
Theater, will be the
Terror in
the Aisles movie marathon. Starting at 12pm on Saturday and featuring
13+ hours of horror! The tickets are only $13 presale, or $17 at the door.
Either way, you're getting your moneys worth. We will be there, set up in the lobby. So be
sure to stop and say hello.
Here's the list of titles they are scheduled to show (all
subject to change of course):
Spine Tingler - William Castle Documentary
The Tingler - A classic William Castle feature
Hills Have Eyes - The Original Wes Craven film
Slumber Party Massacre - Slasher film extraordinaire
Deadly Spawn - Director Douglas McKeown in person
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer - Director John McNaughton in person
Machine Girl - New Japanese horror that is over the top with blood and guts
Plus some short films, trailers, and much more fun.
HORRORHOUND WEEKEND
Then after a short break, we head to Indianapolis for the
HorrorHound Weekend, Aug. 29th-31st. We always have a great time at these
shows, and are planning to do the same thing time around. Their guest
lineup consists of: Joe Dante, Dick Miller, Michael Biehn, Jason Mewes, Andrew
Divoff, Doug Jones, Dee Wallace, Zach Galligan, Danielle Harris, Derek Mears,
Jeffery Combs, John Amplas, Jennifer Blanc, Belinda Balaski, Tom Savini, and
many more. Check out their website for all the detail
HERE.
CHICAGO HORROR FILM FEST
After HorrorHound we do have a few weeks to rest up. At
least so far. On Sept. 26th-28th, we travel back to
the Portage Theater for the
Chicago Horror Film
Festival. We will be set up in the lobby once again, selling our wares
and spouting our philosophical rantings. The special guests that they have
scheduled to appear are Chicago's own Svengoolie, the lovely scream queen
extraordinaire Tiffany Shepis, magician Ron Fitzgerald, and horror author John
Everson.
They have listed a few of the films that they will be
screening this year. First up is Dark Reel, which co-stars Tiffany
Shepis, along with Lance Henriksen and Tony Todd. They will also be
screening another Shepis movie, but that hasn't been announced yet. They
will also be screening the William Castle documentary Spine Tingler.
Once again Chicago Horror Fans, this is the time to come
out and support the genre. We're hoping that this is going to be great
time and really looking forward to seeing all the Chicago horror fans that will
be there. Will you?
MYSTERY PHOTO
 Got a few more winners with this last photo. It was
from Jess Franco's The Awful Dr. Orlof, starring Howard Vernon, which is
probably one of my favorites of Senior Franco. The scholars that sent in
the correct answers were Hoby Abernathy, Ken Michaels, Mike Shields,
William Thorpe, and Will Wilson.
Check out our next one and see what you can come up with.
It's a little easier, especially for you fans of gothic horror.
HUMAN LANTERNS REVIEW
We've posted our review of this 80's Shaw Brothers film where
they were trying to mix their usual kung fu fighting with a little bit of
horror. Check out our review, located in our
Features Section.
7-27-08 SOME MINOR CHANGES
We have made a few changes in our navigational structure.
Hopefully nothing too complicated for you to find what you are looking for.
Our Reviews section is now in our Features section, along with the rest of our
other features, like our Convention Reports, Interviews, and the rest.
We are also working on a new page to our Features section,
one that is just in the beginning stages for right now and still under
construction. We'll let you know when it's up and running. It will
be our Sub-Genre Guide. What is that, you ask? In our never-ending
attempt to help fans discover films that they might know much about, we are
creating a guide or checklist for different Sub-Genres that hopefully will help
guide newer fans to films that we feel are required viewing. For example a list of Paul Naschy films, or
Hammer films, or even Italian
zombie films, and much more. Stay tuned.
 DOOMSDAY DVD CONTEST
With the release of Neil Marshall's Doomsday hitting DVD on
Tuesday, we thought it would be a great idea to give away a copy of the DVD.
But this one is going to make you have to think. Let's go back to
Marshall's first movie, Dog Soldiers. There two particular actors
in there that we're interested in, with a question about each of them.
Ready? First of all, click
HERE to open
up an email, then just send us your answers. Those entries with all the
correct answers will be put in a skull and one winner will be chosen before the
update the following week. And if you're not sure on all the answers, send
it what you know. If nobody gets all the correct answers, we will go with
the one with the most answers. Good luck.
-
One of the actors from Dog Soldiers would go on to
star in an film made by a famous Italian director. Name the actor, the
director, and the movie.
-
Another actor from Dog Soldiers had already done
battle with another classic monster in another movie, which also co-starred an
actor known for playing many of the classic monsters. Name the actor from
Dog Soldiers, name the movie where he battled another classic monster, and also
name the actor that co-starred with him that was known for playing monsters.
HORROR HOUND UPDATE
The Horror Hound boys have added a few names to their lineup
for their Detroit show in October. Joining Tom Atkins for a Night of
the Creeps reunion will be fellow actor Jason Lively and director Fred
Dekker (who also directed Monster Squad). Maybe one of these days
we'll see an actual DVD release of this movie!
Also added to the lineup, joining Doug Bradley, are Cenobites
Simon Bamford and Barbie Wilde. The date is October 24-26th, so make your
plans. For more information about this show, as well as their Indy show at
the end of August, check out the website
HERE.
MYSTERY PHOTO
 Seemed we had another tough one there. Of course that
didn't stop our regular Hoby Abernathy coming through with the correct answer.
The film was the uber-classic Microwave Massacre. Doesn't get any better
than that, does it? Well...actually it does.
So check out our new photo and see if this one is any easier.
Go ahead and give it a try. You never know, you just might be right.
Just click HERE
to send us an email with your guess.
HORROR HISTORY
Head on over to our Horror
History section for this week's lesson. This time out, we learn about
one of the best Production Designers in British history.
CULT REVIEWS
We've recently come across this review site, simply called
Cult Reviews,
that is run by a fellow contributor to the Horror 101 book, so he must know what
he's talking about, right? Honestly, the site is still pretty new, but has
some pretty good content in there. They know of what they speak, so check
them out.
 7-20-08 COFFIN JOE RETURNS
Brazilian horror star Coffin Joe (aka José Mojica Marins)
returns in Embodiment of Evil. After 40 years since the 2nd film in
his Coffin Joe trilogy, he returns to search to find the perfect woman who
will make him immortal. The first film in the series is At Midnight
I'll Take Your Soul (1963), followed four years later with This Night I
Will Possess Your Corpse (1967). And now, he makes his return.
If you've never experienced any of Coffin Joe's movies, you should seek them
out. When he started making films, since there were no real ratings board
in Brazil at that time, it was up to the local area to decide. Most states
refused to play his first Coffin Joe film, but the ones that did, make a lot of
money. And he continued to make them until the late 80's. But now
he's back...black coat and hat, long fingernails and all.
According to Dread Central, the film premiered last week at
the Paulínia Film Festival in Brazil and seemed to have taken just about every
award from Best Production Design, to Best Soundtrack, to Best Editing, as well
as Critics Award for Best Film. Not bad for a guy who's only a "cult
icon", huh.
Check out the trailer for his new film by clicking
HERE.
NEW REVIEWS
We have posted our review for Neil Marshall's Doomsday
and Carter Smith's The Ruins.
So head on over to our reviews section and see what you think.
HORROR HISTORY
This week in our little History lesson, we take a quick look
at John Chambers. Check it out.
MYSTERY PHOTO
 It seems that we stumped everyone again with our last photo.
So much so, that we had totally forgotten to even update it last week.
Well, the photo was of an unfortunately victim of the 4-D Man, starring
Robert Lansing as the title character. We didn't get any correct answers
this time out.
And now on to our latest pictorial quiz. Take a gander
and see what you can come up with. Think hard, now....
 TRIPLE HORROR AT THE
MIDWAY DRIVE-IN
Feel like getting a triple dose of horror at the Drive-In?
Then on Aug. 1st or 2nd, head out to the Midway Drive-In for their horror triple
feature. First off, they will be playing the first run The Mummy 3:
Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Up next will be the US premiere screening
of Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer, starring Robert Englund. The third
feature has not been announced yet. The ticket prices are only $6.50 for
all three movies! How can you beat that? Plus, you can always load
up on the great food at their concession stand. Trust me on this....I've
been there a couple of times and have never left hungry.
So make your plans to have a night of horror at the Drive-In
and give them your support. For more information about the drive-in,
check out either their official site
HERE, or just
head over to Flashback Weekend's site
HERE.
NOX ARCANA HITS THE HIGH
SEAS
For their 10th CD release, Nox Arcana will dive into the
depths of the haunted seas and ghost ships. The CD, which will be
released later this fall, will be called Phantoms of the High Seas.
According to Joseph Vargo, "The album is a cross between the haunting melodies
of Transylvania and Carnival of
Lost Souls, and the epic sounds of Blood of the Dragon. There are
some really elaborate orchestrations and big chanting choirs, but there are also
some very creepy sounding ghostly tracks to raise some shivers. Fans of
Pirates of the Caribbean will love this release."
Since we are huge fans of Nox Arcana's work, we are
really looking forward to their take on this. Amazing how they can just
keep coming up with great ideas for different themes. For more information
about the band, check out their website
HERE.
WASTELAND UPDATE
The Wasteland crew just keeping adding more and more guests
to their already awesome lineup for their October show. Joining the guest
list is none other than Martin himself, John Amplas. Amplas was not only
the title character in George Romero's early film, but also had a part in Day
of the Dead, as well as playing the Nathan Grantham corpse that comes
crawling out of his grave looking for his Father's Day cake in Creepshow.
Amplas hasn't done that many shows before, so this is a great treat for
Wasteland fans.
7-13-08 FLASHBACK REPORT POSTED
We finally got our report done and posted, with plenty of
pics. So head over to our Conventions section, located in under Features,
to check them out.
Our next show that we'll be hitting will be next month at the
Terror in the Aisles movie marathon at the Portage Theater in Chicago. See
our last update for more details. And then a couple of weeks after that,
we'll be heading to Indianapolis for the
Horror Hound
Weekend. Hope to see you there!
 SULTAN OF SLEAZE COMES TO
WASTELAND
That's right folks, David Friedman will be appearing at the
Cinema Wasteland show this October. This will be Mr. Friedman's first
Wasteland appearance and should not be missed. Friedman is one of the
frontrunners in the field of exploitation cinema, starting back in the 40's &
50's. Of course, let's not forget that it was him and Hershell Gordon
Lewis that created the splatter film with Blood Feast.
So if you haven't already made your plans to attend this
October show, what are you waiting for? They have killer line up already,
with names like Lamberto Bava, John Saxon, Marilyn Chambers, Brett Halsey,
Cinzia Monreale, Coralina Cataldi Tassoni, Kane Hodder, Betsy Palmer, Adrienne
King, Michael Berryman, and many more.
Check out the website
HERE and
then make your plans.
HORROR HISTORY
We've added another feature to our site. As we've said
many times before, one of main goals is help educate horror fans out there about
the genre and the people involved in it. Everyone knows the obvious people
in the genre, like Boris Karloff, Val Lewton, or even Robert Englund. But
there are quite a few people out there that had a lasting impact in the movies
that we love. So with this new feature, each week we will have a new name
and brief bio added to the page. It won't take long to read through it,
but it will give you a glimpse into very important person in the genre.
Also, if there might be someone that you think should be
noted as having an important part, please send us an email by clicking
HERE.
We'll pass the name onto our Kryptic Research Department for a detailed
investigation. And if we decide to use your suggestion, we'll give you
credit.
Just head over to our Features Section to check it out.
BEYOND THE DOOR COMES TO
DVD
 This Exorcist-inspired film scared the hell out of me when I
was kid, first seeing it on regular TV. This did get a nice (but
expensive) Japanese DVD release, but nothing for over here in the States.
Until now. This September,
Code Red DVD will be
releasing Beyond the Door (aka Devil Within Her aka Chi
sei?) onto DVD. The film stars Juliet Lewis as a young
woman who becomes pregnant with the spawn of Satan. Richard Johnson also
co-stars in the film. Horror fans know him from both classic horror
(Robert Wise's The Haunting) as well as some fun Italian films like Fulci's
Zombie and Sergio Martino's Island of the Fishmen.
The DVD will feature a 16x9 1.85:1 widescreen presentation of
the uncut European version, which was much longer than the version released here
on DVD. The disc will also have 2 different audio commentaries. The
first one is from director Ovidio G. Assonitis (also the man who brought us
Tentacles, as well as producing many other classics) and writer Nathaniel
Thompson, the man behind the great review site
Mondo Digital.
The second commentary will be star Juliet Lewis, with Scott Spiegel and film
historian Darren Gross. There's also a video interview with Richard
Johnson, and lastly a featurette entitled Beyond the Door, 35 Years Later that
features director Assonitis, writer Alex Rebar (who also starred as the title
creature in The Incredible Melting Man), and stars Mills and Johnson. We
personally can't wait for this, since it's always been a favorite of ours.
A few years ago, we had a chance to talk to Mrs. Lewis about
her work on this film. Check it out in our
Interview section, located in under Features.
STEEL TRAP REVIEW
We got this screener in the mail earlier this week, and
needless to say wasn't too happy losing that 90 minutes of our life. Check
out our review to find out why. Just head over to our
Review section.
ENTER VARGO'S WEB
The multi-talented Joseph Vargo has unleashed his new
website, simply called www.josephvargo.com.
Mr. Vargo is a member of the incredible soundscape musicians Nox Arcana, but he
is also an accomplish artist. As a matter of fact, Vargo is the one
responsible for creating our Kryptic Logo. So check out his website and be
amazed at the talent that lies within.
KUCHTA ACADEMY
While on the subject of artists, check out another artist
buddy of ours. We met up with Chris at the Chicago Fango show earlier this
year and were just blown away by his work. While most of his work is of
the classic horror nature, he still has some recent ones to keep the younger
fans happy. Not to mention that he has a great style to his work.
We've gotten a couple of prints from him already and they look great in a nice
matted frame. So click on the link below and check out this prints.
And if you get a chance to see him at one of the conventions, you won't regret
stopping by and seeing his work. And make sure you tell him him still
waiting for a Paul Naschy print!
7-6-08 TERROR IN THE AISLES - COMPLETE
SCHEDULE
On August 16th, at the
Portage Theater in Chicago, there will be a 13+ hour marathon called Terror
in the Aisles. We mentioned in our last update, but since then they have
finalized their movie lineup, and even added another guest appearance Here
is a listing of the films that will be featured:
- Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story - New
documentary on the amazing William Castle
- The Tingler - One of Castle's best films, and even stars Vincent Price
- The Hills Have Eyes - Wes Craven's original gritty 70's classic.
- Slumber Party Massacre - How could this not be fun?
- Deadly Spawn - Can't go wrong with monster full of teeth!
- Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer - One of the scariest movies ever
made
- The Machine Girl - New Japanese gore flick
- They will also be showing these short films: Rue Morgue's own Rodrigo Gudino's
The Demonology of Desire, as well as Rue Morgue's Best Short of 2007,
The Listening Dead.
Also, Deadly Spawn director, Douglas McKeown will be appearing. And if that wasn't enough, John McNaughton, the
director of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer will also be there.
Sure sounds like a no-brainer, huh? Plus, there will be dealer tables, live
charity auction, prizes, and co-hosted by Aaron 'Dr. AC' Christensen, and much
more. So make sure you mark you calendars and be there to Share the Scare
and have a lot of fun.
Presale tickets are only $13 (www.indietickets.com),
or $17 at the door. If you didn't count the short films, the pre-sale
price is less than $2 a movie. When is the last time you paid that for a
movie!?!?!?
Also at the Portage Theater next Friday
(the 11th), Horrorbles is having a special screening the original Invasion of
the Body Snatchers, with special guest appearance by Kevin McCarthy.
Ticket prices are $15.
McCarthy will also be appearing at the Horrobles store on
Saturday the 12th, from 12pm to 5pm.
For more information, check out the Horrorbles website
HERE.
CHICAGO HORROR FANS - WANT
TO BE IN A MOVIE?
Local director Robert Cappelletto is currently shooting his
latest movie, Pickman's Muse, which is based on the story Haunter of the
Dark, by H.P. Lovecraft. In his film, there is a scene that takes place in
a movie theater, and they need people in the seats. So if you don't have
any plans next Sunday (July 13th) at 11am, head over to the Portage Theater to
join in the fun. The address for the Portage is 4050 N. Milwaukee Ave
(near the corner of Cicero & Irving Park). Please dress casually and
comfortably (with no large logos or brands). The shoot should take about
2-3 hours, and should be a lot of fun.
For more information, you can email here:
cappelletto_productions@yahoo.com
LADY BLOOD TRAILER
Does anybody remember that twisted little French film about
the pregnant woman who's alien baby craves blood, called Baby Blood?
Well, believe it or not, but they've made a sequel to it. Entitled Lady
Blood, the main star, Emmanuelle Escourro reprises her role from the first
movie. From the looks of the trailer, it looks to be as bloody and twisted
as the first film. Not sure when exactly it's going to be release, but you
can check out the trailer
HERE.
And if you haven't seen Baby Blood, then you might
want to seek that one out. It's a fun one, that's for sure.
FLASHBACK REPORT COMING
SOON
We're still working on our full report from the recent
Flashback Weekend. We did get plenty of photos, and also have a great time
as usual. So hopefully we'll have it ready and posted for our next update.
WILLIAMS INTERVIEW
While at the recent Flashback Weekend, we sat down with the
lovely Caroline Williams to talk to her about her role in Texas Chainsaw
Massacre 2. Head on over to our Interviews to
enjoy,
which is in our Features section.
 NEW LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS
The latest issue of the best magazine on Hammer Studios is
about to release their 20th issue. Although this one has a slight change.
The main subject of this issue will be on Amicus Productions, who was the
leading competitor of Hammer. Amicus was behind such classics as Tales
From The Crypt, Dr. Terror's House of Horrors, Asylum, The House That Dripped
Blood, and many, many more.
As usual, LSoH covers all the details in their stories, so
it's going to be well worth it. The issue is only $10, and can be ordered
through their website
HERE.
They are also taking pre-orders on issue #21, which is planned to be out this
September. The main theme of that issue will be the one that started it
all for Hammer, The Curse of Frankenstein.
20th ANNIVERSARY DVDs
Now this is a sure way to make me feel old. On
September 9th, we will have two different 20th Anniversary DVDs hitting the
shelves. Has it really been that long ago since these movies were
released???
The first one, and the one I'm most excited about, is Stan
Winston's Pumpkinhead. Sure, the creature looks kind of like a
naked Alien, but the movie is still great. The new DVD will feature seven
new featurettes on teh film, along with some behind-the-scene video, still
gallery, and audio commentary by co-screenwriter Gary Gerani, creature FX
creators Tom Woodruff Jr. and Alec Gillis, and moderated by Scott Spiegel.
Still a little puzzled by the lack of a Winston commentary, but I'm sure there's
a good reason.
The other film being given the special edition treatment is
Child's Play. Yes folks, Chucky is 20 years old! This DVD
edition is going to have audio commentary with Alex Vincent, Catherine Hicks, FX
artist Kevin Yagher, producer David Kirschner & screenwriter Don Mancini.
There is also something called "Select Scene Chucky Commentary". It also
looks like there will be several featurettes on the disc, covering many aspects
of the making of the film and more. The featurette titles are 'Evil Comes
in Small Packages', 'Chucky: Building a Nightmare', 'A Monster Convention', and
a making of featurette as well. Add in photo gallery and trailer, and
we've got the makings of a great special edition DVD. I know we're looking
foward to both of these hitting the streets.
MYSTERY PHOTO
I was trying trick everyone with our last photo. Since I figured if you
recognized Caroline Munro, you'd figured it was Maniac. But my
little scheme didn't work and a few of you sent in the right answers. It
was from another movie starring Munro and Maniac's Joe Spinell. But it
actually was from Last Horror Film (aka Fanatic). Kudos go out to Kevin
Hart, William Thorpe, Hoby Abernathy, and Mike Shields. Good job
guys....now take a gander at our latest, but don't try too hard, or you might
end up looking like him....
DO WE REALLY NEED MORE
REFERENCE BOOKS???
Damn straight we do! I even had a hard time typing that line. We all
know my favorite saying about reference books, so I won't go into it. But
so far this book has all the makings of another one that will have to be added
to the collection. Axelle Carolyn has finished her new book called It
Lives Again! Horror Movies in the New Millennium. For those who might not
know Carolyn, she has written for many different publications, including
Fangoria, as well as being married to director Neil Marshall. The book has
dozens of interviews with directors like Stuart Gordon and Eli Roth, as well as
tons of reviews. I know we are looking forward to it, and would pick it up
regardless just by this cover alone!
There's no release date yet, but she is looking to have it
out in the fall. But that is probably for the UK. No word on the
availability here in the states. I'm sure you could order it from
Amazon.uk, but the shipping might cost a few $$. But if you are interested
in pre-ordering it, you can do that
HERE.
6-23-08 AFI RESPONDS!
I really wasn't expecting to get a response from my email to AFI about their 10 TOP 10 list, so was pretty surprised. But I have to say
that after reading it, as nice as they were, you could easily read through the
lines, and understand the reasoning. Below is the response that I got.
Thank you for contacting the American
Film Institute and for watching AFI's 10 TOP 10. We appreciate and respect
your opinion and suggestions.
AFI’s 10 TOP 10 honors America’s 10 greatest films in 10
classics genres. It is not the list of the 10 greatest film genres. The genres
were chosen by a committee of AFI film historians, executives and AFI Board
members after receiving many suggestions from AFI members and film enthusiasts.
Unfortunately, we could not include all of the suggested genres at this time.
Best Regards,
AFI Web Team
When I read who the group choosing
these genres consisted of, I realized where the problem was. When you have
a committee of "AFI film historians" and "executives", right away I figured it
was a bunch of old film critics that wouldn't give the horror genre the time of
day, and a bunch of executives that wouldn't know the time of day, unless they
asked one of their lackys. Sound a little bitter. I wonder why.
I'm not sure if anybody else got a response from them, but if
you did, I'd love to hear them.
 HELP THE MEAT
TRAIN RIDE INTO THEATERS
While we're all in horror genre defensive mode, here's
another task for you to tackle. In case you haven't read this notice, and
already joined the cause, now is your time. It seems that Lionsgate has
gotten some new management, and like usual, that means that titles get dropped,
shoved in the closet to rot, or throw to DVD without ever seeing the inside of a
theater. It seems that is going to be happening to Midnight Meat Train.
But with your help, maybe we can stop this.
Clive Barker has made a few announcements about this and what
we can do to help. You can read one on his website
HERE
to give you an idea what to do. This is the time for horror fans to let
their voices be heard and to let the studios know that we are more than willing
to support these types of films if they can be made and released.
So head over to the website and follow the directions.
Clive Barker, myself, and all other horror fans out there are hoping for your
help and support.
TERROR IN THE AISLES UPDATE
We just wanted to post a little update with some of the added
titles to the lineup. Making a nice companion piece to Spine Tingler!,
the documentary about William Castle will be a screening of Castle's The
Tingler, starring Vincent Price. There will also be a screening of Rue
Morgue's Rodrigo Gudino's new short film, The Demonology of Desire, as
well as Rue Morgue's best short film of 2007, The Listening Dead.
More guests and films to be announced soon.
And in case you don't remember, it will be held on August
16th at the Portage
Theater in Chicago. Tickets are $13 pre-sale, or $17 at the door.
There will be dealer tables (including yours truly), charity auctions, prizes
and more. So make your plans to come out and share the scare with other
Chicago area horror fans. Stay tuned for more info.
MYSTERY PHOTO
I guess we finally got a photo that stumped everyone. And not to say that
it was a real tough one, but I'll give you a little clue that was in that very
same update. Right above the Mystery Photo was our little blurb about the
passing of Mel Ferrer....with a photo of him from the movie The Anti-Christ....which
just so happens to be where the Mystery Photo is from as well. Pretty
devious, aren't we?
Just keep that in mind next time you get stumped on one of
our photos. Who knows...maybe there just might be clue in that update as
well. So check out our latest photo and see if this is any easier.
Good luck.
WICKED LAKE
Our buddy Adam Rockoff, author of the book Going to Pieces,
has got a new movie coming out, called Wicked Lake. From the trailer
alone, it looks pretty over the top. Check out the official website
HERE, where you can see
the trailer, and read all about it.
And speaking of Mr. Rockoff, if you head over to
Horror.com to their Fangoria report, there is a nice interview with him
where he talks about the movie. There is also an interview with the
multi-talented Coralina Cataldi Tassoni.
6-19-08 THE HORROR GENRE IS THE
RED-HEADED STEP-CHILD...ONCE AGAIN
Yesterday, I came across a little news story about AFI's
latest movie list, American's 10 Greatest Films in 10 Classic Genres. For
those who don't know who AFI is, they are a film school of sorts, who in the
past have given us lists such as AFI's 100 Thrills, AFI's 100 Movie Quotes, and
so on. According to their website, "AFI is a national institute providing
leadership in screen education and the recognition and celebration of excellence
in the art of film, television and digital media." Sounds cool, right?
We are always behind people that are trying to educate people in the art of the
cinema.
So imagine my surprise when checked out just what genres were
listed in their "10 Classic Genres". Here they are: Animation, Romantic
Comedies, Westerns, Sports, Mystery, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Gangster, Courtroom Drama,
and lastly Epic. That's right folks, the horror genre is nowhere to be
seen. Now, I know they did a previous show on AFI's 100 Thrills. But
can someone please explain how you can have a list of classic genres and not
include one of the oldest and most profitable genres out there!?!?! I just
don't get it. Once again, the horror genre is pushed aside like some
embarrassing relative that is kept hidden in the attic.
So if you wish to send AFI a little note asking why they left
out the horror genre, click
HERE to be taken to their website's Contact Us section. Remember....be
polite and intelligent. We don't want them thinking that the horror fan
stereotypes are true. At least not all of them.
TERROR IN THE AISLE - SUMMER MASSACRE
Chicagoland fans that have been hitting the 24-hour movie marathons at the Music
Box Theatre will be happy to know that Rusty Nails, promoter extraordinaire, has
announced the date for the Summer Massacre. First of all, mark August 16th
on your calendar. But then also, this time around it will be held at the
Portage Theater
instead, not the Music Box. So make sure you don't show up at the wrong
theater, or you will be disappointed.
So what does Mr. Nails have in stuff for us so far? How
about the a screening the of one of the best low budget monster movie of the
80's? Yes, I'm talking about The Deadly Spawn! And even better, the
director Douglas McKeown will be there for the screening. Haven't seen
this movie? Or (shudder) haven't heard of this movie? Then make sure
you're there at the Portage Theater on August 16th so you can change that.
Also being screened there, making it's Chicago Premiere, is
Spine Tingler: The William Castle Story. Castle is a legend in the horror
genre for making films like Mr. Sardonicus, The House on Haunted Hill, 13
Ghosts, Homicidal, and even producing Rosemary's Baby. Being a huge fan of
Castle and his work, we are very excited to see this.
They will also be screening a new gory flick from Japan
called Machine Girl, which is featured on the latest cover of Rue Morgue
magazine.
The show officially starts at noon on Saturday and goes until
around 2am. There will be short films, dealer tables, and will be
co-hosted by everyone's favorite Ambassador of Horror, Dr. AC himself, Aaron
Christensen. So make sure you come out to have fun and more importantly to
support these types of festivals. This shows the theaters that this type
of programming will attract the crowds and make it worth it for them to continue
such festivals. So we all win. Hope to see you there.
WILDCLAW's MIDSUMMER
NIGHTMARE!
Chicago's WildClaw Theatre is presenting their Midsummer
Nightmare this Sunday at the
Full
Moon Tavern in Chicago. There will be food & drink, along with trivia
games and prizes, fun horror re-enactments, with all proceeds going to help the
WildClaw to keep doing what they started with their presentation of The Great
God Pan. So if you don't have plans this Sunday, head on out to the Full
Moon Tavern and have a good time, support the horror, and who knows...maybe
you'll even win something!
For more information about the WildClaw Theatre, check out
their website
HERE.
HAMMER BOX SET
Hammer Horror fans are going to love this one. In
October, Sony Home Entertainment will be unleashing more Hammer films that have
never gotten a DVD release here in the states, and even some never even having a
video release. Icons of Horror: Hammer Films will include The Two Faces of
Dr. Jekyll, The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb, The Gorgon, and Scream of Fear (aka
Taste of Fear). While some of these titles might not some of the best from
Hammer's catalog, that doesn't mean they're not entertaining. It will be
interesting to see which version of Jekyll it will be, since the American
version is pretty well cut up. We'll just have to wait and see.
But I will say that Scream of Fear is probably one of their best thrillers
Hammer made. Can't wait for this one to hit the shelves.
All are expected to have commentaries, trailers, supplements,
and newly remastered transfers. The retail will be $24.96.
News bite courtesy of DVD Drive-In.
MYSTERY PHOTO
I'm sure some of you might have noticed that we haven't
updated our Mystery Photo in the last few updates. That might be partly
because we're either lazy or keep forgetting it, or that we still haven't gotten
one correct answer. We have had a few good tries, but no winners.
Have I found one that the reigning Mystery Photo Champ Hoby Abernathy can't
get??? We'll give it a few more days, then we'll be updating it. So
keep trying!
6-17-08 A MAJOR LOSS TO THE GENRE
Most of you probably have heard already, but special effects master Stan Winston
passed away last Sunday from a long battle with multiple myeloma. He was
only 62. I know in the past, I've dissed on Winston a little for being a
little high on the ego side. But he was one man who's huge resume of work
could back up that ego. Looking over his resume, it's amazing at not only
the number of films that he's worked on, but just how many landmark films as
well. Aliens. Terminator. Jurassic Park. Pumpkinhead.
Predator. And the list goes on and on and on.
As we always mention during these notices, the loss of this
great talent will not be forgotten because of his fans. His huge body of
work will not only live on with his legacy, but also the technical advances that
he helped to create and advance for future effects artists.
Our prayers and wishes go out to his friends and family.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MASTEO
FULCI!
To show that even though we lose a great talent in the
industry, because of us fans, they will live on. Such is the case of
Italian director Lucio Fulci. Today is Fulci's birthday. I still
remember hearing the news back in 1996 that he had passed away, only a few short
months from making his first and only convention appearance in the US. So
while we might want to break out Aliens or Dead & Buried in tribute of Stan
Winston, make it a double feature and add in Zombie or The Beyond as well.
As horror fans, it's our job to not only keeping these
important names alive, but also to make sure that the newer and younger fans
know who these people are as well.
BUCK'S NEWEST PROJECT
In January at the Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors, we had the
chance to interview young up-and-coming director Douglas Buck. In the
interview (you can read the whole interview HERE), he
talked about his next project about a boarding school on a remote island that is
attacked by a virus. The film is going to be called The Broken Imago,
and Buck and cinematographer Karim Hussain just returned from Argentina recently
shooting the trailer for the new film. As he told us in the interview,
it's "sort of like David Cronenberg doing Lord of the Flies."
I know we are looking forward to whatever this young
talent is attached to. So keep your eyes peeled for this one. And if
you still haven't gotten around to checking out his trilogy of short films
called Family Portraits: A Trilogy of America, then drop what you're
doing and seek it out.
LORDI'S
DARK FLOORS ONLINE
If there's any fans out there of the Finnish rock band Lordi
(like me) and are anxiously awaiting the release of their film Dark
Floors....well, you don't have to wait anymore. You can watch the whole
movie (in four parts) online. I am a huge fan of the band, but after
watching this movie, I'm a little disappointed. I found it like eating one
of those veggie-burgers. Looks good. Smells good. But after a
few bites, you start to wonder just what the hell am I eating. The movie
does have some atmosphere, very little gore, and the band seems to be in there
as monsters, with really not much to do. Almost reminded me of Kiss Meets
The Phantom. At least in there the band actually did something.
Here...they just seemed wasted.
But if you're interested, click
HERE to be taken to the site.
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