At the intersection of big-star international dealmaking, the 70mm epic, and the humble sword ‘n’ shield actioner, this comic book viking saga stacks one absurd, borderline bad taste action scene on top of another. It’s an irresistible mash-up of earlier successes, well directed visually by Jack Cardiff. Richard Widmark at forty must play the Viking action hero, Russ Tamblyn at thirty is still a physical dervish, and Sidney Poitier takes on the strangest casting of his career. Plus, low sexist comedy from a platoon of hearty Brit thesps!
The Long Ships
Blu-ray
Viavision [Imprint] 137
1964 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 126 min. / Street Date June 29, 2022 / Available from Viavision / Aus 34.95
Starring: Richard Widmark, Sidney Poitier, Russ Tamblyn, Rosanna Schiaffino, Oskar Homolka, Edward Judd, Lionel Jeffries, Beba Loncar, Clifford Evans, Gordon Jackson, Colin Blakely, Paul Stassino, Leonard Rossiter, Jeanne Moody, Julie Samuel.
Cinematography: Christopher Challis
Production Designer: Vlastimir Gavrik, Zoran Zorcic
Art Director: Bill Constable...
The Long Ships
Blu-ray
Viavision [Imprint] 137
1964 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 126 min. / Street Date June 29, 2022 / Available from Viavision / Aus 34.95
Starring: Richard Widmark, Sidney Poitier, Russ Tamblyn, Rosanna Schiaffino, Oskar Homolka, Edward Judd, Lionel Jeffries, Beba Loncar, Clifford Evans, Gordon Jackson, Colin Blakely, Paul Stassino, Leonard Rossiter, Jeanne Moody, Julie Samuel.
Cinematography: Christopher Challis
Production Designer: Vlastimir Gavrik, Zoran Zorcic
Art Director: Bill Constable...
- 8/6/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Val Guest’s cinema quest for his own semi-docu style pays off in this fine, intelligent police investigation into a gruesome dismemberment murder. U.K. favorite Jack Warner is the main detective, Guest’s actress wife Yolande Donlan is a ‘person of interest,’ and the illusion of reality is enhanced by real locations in Greenwich, Brighton, Lewes and points between. It’s an excellent legwork murder mystery, with good atmosphere and colorful characterizations — within the dry ‘serious business’ format, of course.
Jigsaw
Blu-ray
Cohen Media Group
1962 / B&w / 2:35 widescreen / 108 97 min. / Street Date April 5, 2022 / Available from Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Jack Warner, Ronald Lewis, Yolande Donlan, Michael Goodliffe, John Le Mesurier, Moira Redmond, Christine Bocca, Brian Oulton, Ray Barrett, Norman Chappell, John Barron, Joan Newell, Geoffrey Bayldon, Julie Samuel.
Cinematography: Arthur Grant
Art Director: Geoffrey Tozer
Film Editor: Bill Lenny
From the novel Sleep Long, My Love by Hillary Waugh
Produced,...
Jigsaw
Blu-ray
Cohen Media Group
1962 / B&w / 2:35 widescreen / 108 97 min. / Street Date April 5, 2022 / Available from Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Jack Warner, Ronald Lewis, Yolande Donlan, Michael Goodliffe, John Le Mesurier, Moira Redmond, Christine Bocca, Brian Oulton, Ray Barrett, Norman Chappell, John Barron, Joan Newell, Geoffrey Bayldon, Julie Samuel.
Cinematography: Arthur Grant
Art Director: Geoffrey Tozer
Film Editor: Bill Lenny
From the novel Sleep Long, My Love by Hillary Waugh
Produced,...
- 4/23/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
As we wrap up the month of March, we have one final round of horror and sci-fi home media releases on tap before we start looking towards April and beyond, and I hope you have your wallets ready, because this week’s slate of titles is a budget killer, no doubt. Arrow Video is celebrating the 40th anniversary of An American Werewolf in London this year with a brand new limited edition Steelbook, and Warner Archives is showing some love to a few older titles this Tuesday as well: Isle of the Dead and The Bermuda Depths.
Vinegar Syndrome is keeping busy with a handful of new releases this week, too, including The Fear, Nightmare Weekend, Graduation Day, and Hitcher in the Dark. Severin Films is also celebrating a pair of films from Álex de la Iglesia with their Special Edition Blus for The Day of the Beast and Perdita Durango,...
Vinegar Syndrome is keeping busy with a handful of new releases this week, too, including The Fear, Nightmare Weekend, Graduation Day, and Hitcher in the Dark. Severin Films is also celebrating a pair of films from Álex de la Iglesia with their Special Edition Blus for The Day of the Beast and Perdita Durango,...
- 3/29/2021
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
This short article is in the spirit of the crowded ad-mat advertising blurbs that, once upon a time, would show up in the newspaper for horror related features. The particular composite above is a fantasy, but since all films back then were for General Audiences, a stack like it is entirely credible. Here, it’s an excuse for a trio of personal Savant anecdotes, vividly remembered from fifty-odd years ago.
Not Bad! Charlie Largent assembled this convincing triple bill ad paste-up,
customized for San Bernardino in 1964.
Don’t listen to Gen X’ers or Millennials, kids: the Real era to be an adolescent moviegoer was in the 1950s and 1960s, when downtown movie palaces had regular Saturday kiddie matinees, just as seen in the nostalgic Joe Dante movie. Theaters in most towns functioned as ad hoc babysitters, with kids dropped off in clumps. In many cases the oldest squab in...
Not Bad! Charlie Largent assembled this convincing triple bill ad paste-up,
customized for San Bernardino in 1964.
Don’t listen to Gen X’ers or Millennials, kids: the Real era to be an adolescent moviegoer was in the 1950s and 1960s, when downtown movie palaces had regular Saturday kiddie matinees, just as seen in the nostalgic Joe Dante movie. Theaters in most towns functioned as ad hoc babysitters, with kids dropped off in clumps. In many cases the oldest squab in...
- 10/28/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
When the mood strikes, there’s nothing better than an Atomic Age Monster Movie (B Division). Glorious black & white, damsels in distress, iron willed heroes and rubberized villains never fail to hit all the pleasure centers. The Monster that Challenged the World (1957) is one such film, and better made than most of the era. As the tagline says, “A New Kind of Terror to Numb the Nerves!” Well, you may just feel a tingle, but it’s a blast nevertheless.
Released by United Artists in the States in June and rolled out to the rest of the world in ’58, Monster was produced for $250,000; a fair chunk of change for Gramercy Pictures, run by producers Arthur Gardner, Jules V. Levy and director Arnold Laven - they also produced the same year’s The Vampire (read my Dust Off here). And the price tag shows too; Monster is as polished looking as...
Released by United Artists in the States in June and rolled out to the rest of the world in ’58, Monster was produced for $250,000; a fair chunk of change for Gramercy Pictures, run by producers Arthur Gardner, Jules V. Levy and director Arnold Laven - they also produced the same year’s The Vampire (read my Dust Off here). And the price tag shows too; Monster is as polished looking as...
- 11/26/2016
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
Halloween may be over, but horror reigns supreme all year long on Shudder. The streaming service's November titles include Phantasm: Remastered, The Exorcist III, Penance, Happy Birthday to Me, Therapy, Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale, and many more must-watch movies.
Press Release: As many a horror fan is wont to say, Halloween is an all-year endeavor. And though Samhain has ended, you could say Shudder is just getting started. Following our premiere of the stellar miniseries Beyond The Walls, we’re all too excited to be the exclusive home of Phantasm: Remastered (joined by Phantasm III and IV). Headed by Jj Abrams and Bad Robot, this brand new restoration of Don Coscarelli’s American independent horror classic is the best you’ve ever seen it. Vividly rediscover the surreal journey of Mike, Jody and Reggie, up against the unknowable forces of The Tall Man, his extradimensional dwarves and the sphere.
Press Release: As many a horror fan is wont to say, Halloween is an all-year endeavor. And though Samhain has ended, you could say Shudder is just getting started. Following our premiere of the stellar miniseries Beyond The Walls, we’re all too excited to be the exclusive home of Phantasm: Remastered (joined by Phantasm III and IV). Headed by Jj Abrams and Bad Robot, this brand new restoration of Don Coscarelli’s American independent horror classic is the best you’ve ever seen it. Vividly rediscover the surreal journey of Mike, Jody and Reggie, up against the unknowable forces of The Tall Man, his extradimensional dwarves and the sphere.
- 11/2/2016
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
July 19th Blu-ray & DVD Releases Include The Return Of The Living Dead Collector’s Edition, Bad Moon
Tuesday, July 19th doesn’t boast a ton of new home entertainment choices for genre fans, but as the saying goes, sometimes it’s quality over quantity, and there are a few releases to be more than excited for. Scream Factory has put together a stellar Collector’s Edition release of The Return of the Living Dead and is also bringing Bad Moon home in HD as well.
Mill Creek has two William Castle double features arriving on Blu-ray this week, and Warner Home Video is giving Watchmen the 4K Ultra HD treatment with their new release of The Ultimate Cut, which I know a lot of fans have been looking forward to for a while now.
Other notable titles coming home on July 19th include Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (with four separate format releases) and a special edition release of Ken Russell’s Crimes of Passion.
Mill Creek has two William Castle double features arriving on Blu-ray this week, and Warner Home Video is giving Watchmen the 4K Ultra HD treatment with their new release of The Ultimate Cut, which I know a lot of fans have been looking forward to for a while now.
Other notable titles coming home on July 19th include Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (with four separate format releases) and a special edition release of Ken Russell’s Crimes of Passion.
- 7/19/2016
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
William Castle’s 13 Ghosts (1960), 13 Frightened Girls, Homicidal, and Mr. Sardonicus are coming to Blu-ray in two double features from Mill Creek Entertainment! Both double bills will be released on July 5th.
From Mill Creek Entertainment: “13 Ghosts (1960) – B&W – 85 minutes – Not Rated
Charles Herbert, Jo Morrow, Martin Milner, Rosemary DeCamp. Donald Woods, Margaret Hamilton
When an eccentric uncle wills a huge, ramshackle house to his impoverished family, they get the shock of a lifetime. Their new residence comes complete with a spooky housekeeper, plus a fortune in buried treasure and 12 horrifying ghosts.”
13 Frightened Girls (1963) – Color – 88 minutes – Not Rated
Murray Hamilton, Joyce Taylor, Hugh Marlowe, Khigh Dhiegh, Charlie Briggs, Norma Varden
The girls of a Swiss boarding school have one thing in common — they are all daughters of diplomats. One in particular finds out that she has a knack for espionage, and uncovers the murder of a Russian diplomat. Now she...
From Mill Creek Entertainment: “13 Ghosts (1960) – B&W – 85 minutes – Not Rated
Charles Herbert, Jo Morrow, Martin Milner, Rosemary DeCamp. Donald Woods, Margaret Hamilton
When an eccentric uncle wills a huge, ramshackle house to his impoverished family, they get the shock of a lifetime. Their new residence comes complete with a spooky housekeeper, plus a fortune in buried treasure and 12 horrifying ghosts.”
13 Frightened Girls (1963) – Color – 88 minutes – Not Rated
Murray Hamilton, Joyce Taylor, Hugh Marlowe, Khigh Dhiegh, Charlie Briggs, Norma Varden
The girls of a Swiss boarding school have one thing in common — they are all daughters of diplomats. One in particular finds out that she has a knack for espionage, and uncovers the murder of a Russian diplomat. Now she...
- 4/13/2016
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
Hammer horror fans are in for a treat, as respective collections of five William Castle films and five Hammer horror movies are coming out on Blu-ray in August, and The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant has been set to come out on Blu-ray.
The William Castle and Hammer horror collections will respectively come out on DVD August 18th from Mill Creek. The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant, meanwhile, is slated for release later this year by Kino Lorber. Stay tuned to Daily Dead for further updates.
From Mill Creek: "Iconic horror director William Castle created a simple, but winning formula for his films: a little comedy, a lot of scares, a preposterous gimmick, and a clear sense that fright films should be fun. This even meant Castle would, like Alfred Hitchcock, appear in his trailers and even the movies themselves. Though his career spanned 35 years and included everything from westerns to crime thrillers, he'll...
The William Castle and Hammer horror collections will respectively come out on DVD August 18th from Mill Creek. The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant, meanwhile, is slated for release later this year by Kino Lorber. Stay tuned to Daily Dead for further updates.
From Mill Creek: "Iconic horror director William Castle created a simple, but winning formula for his films: a little comedy, a lot of scares, a preposterous gimmick, and a clear sense that fright films should be fun. This even meant Castle would, like Alfred Hitchcock, appear in his trailers and even the movies themselves. Though his career spanned 35 years and included everything from westerns to crime thrillers, he'll...
- 7/31/2015
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Stuart Gordon shot his first film, 1985's much beloved gorefest Re-Animator, in Los Angeles but then decamped to Italy to shoot Dolls, his second movie and second terror tale. While there, Gordon was also taken down a peg, or 12, by a local craftsman. "They didn’t shoot sound in Italy, they weren't used to that," says Gordon, whose other directing credits include From Beyond, Castle Freak, and 2005's William H. Macy-starring Edmond. "I remember there was one day when I was shooting something and there was a carpenter hammering in the background, working on another one of our sets—hammering and sawing.
- 11/12/2014
- by Clark Collis
- EW - Inside Movies
For the second week of November, genre fans have plenty of titles to choose from, as the horror and sci-fi related home releases aren’t slowing down at all this week. Not only does the highly anticipated Batman HD box set finally come home on Tuesday, but several cult classics, including Dolls and both Demons films, are also getting their due on Blu-ray too.
For those of you Trubies out there, the final season of True Blood is coming out, as well as a nifty box set of the entire HBO series and even Gamera is getting his own box set to boot. And for those of you out there who fancy yourselves fans of cult cannibal flicks, Intervision is releasing two obscure titles this week that might be of interest- Mondo Cannibal and In the Land of the Cannibals.
Batman: The Complete TV Series Limited Edition Set (Warner Home Video,...
For those of you Trubies out there, the final season of True Blood is coming out, as well as a nifty box set of the entire HBO series and even Gamera is getting his own box set to boot. And for those of you out there who fancy yourselves fans of cult cannibal flicks, Intervision is releasing two obscure titles this week that might be of interest- Mondo Cannibal and In the Land of the Cannibals.
Batman: The Complete TV Series Limited Edition Set (Warner Home Video,...
- 11/11/2014
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Dolls is the latest cult horror title to receive the Collector’s Edition Blu-ray treatment from Scream Factory and they’ve provided us with the final list of bonus features for the November 11th release:
“Do you like handmade puppets, toy soldiers, ballerinas and dolls? Charming elderly toymaker Gabriel Hartwicke and his wife Hilary have the perfect play toys just for you! From celebrated cult filmmaker Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator), executive producer Charles Band, producer Brian Yuzna (Society) and screenwriter Ed Naha (Troll) comes a campy, horror cult classic that combines the pint-sized playmates of childhood with bone-chilling fun. The 1987 horror film Dolls is a bloody good terror trap that delivers its frights, fun and fantastic effects in equal measure. The film stars Stephen Lee (The Pit and the Pendulum), Guy Rolfe (Puppet Master III, Mr. Sardonicus), Hilary Mason (Don’t Look Now), Ian Patrick Williams (Re-Animator), Carolyn Purdy-Gordon (From Beyond...
“Do you like handmade puppets, toy soldiers, ballerinas and dolls? Charming elderly toymaker Gabriel Hartwicke and his wife Hilary have the perfect play toys just for you! From celebrated cult filmmaker Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator), executive producer Charles Band, producer Brian Yuzna (Society) and screenwriter Ed Naha (Troll) comes a campy, horror cult classic that combines the pint-sized playmates of childhood with bone-chilling fun. The 1987 horror film Dolls is a bloody good terror trap that delivers its frights, fun and fantastic effects in equal measure. The film stars Stephen Lee (The Pit and the Pendulum), Guy Rolfe (Puppet Master III, Mr. Sardonicus), Hilary Mason (Don’t Look Now), Ian Patrick Williams (Re-Animator), Carolyn Purdy-Gordon (From Beyond...
- 9/11/2014
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
At the San Diego Comic-Con back in July, Scream Factory announced that Stuart Gordon's Dolls would soon be getting the Collector's Edition Blu-ray treatment, and today full details have revealed all the stuffing that'll be found inside the release. Read on!
From the Press Release
Do you like handmade puppets, toy soldiers, ballerinas, and dolls? Charming elderly toymaker Gabriel Hartwicke and his wife, Hilary, have the perfect play toys just for you!
From celebrated cult filmmaker Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator), executive producer Charles Band, producer Brian Yuzna (Society), and screenwriter Ed Naha (Troll), comes a campy, horror cult classic that combines the pint-sized playmates of childhood with bone-chilling fun. The 1987 horror film Dolls is a bloody good terror trap that delivers its frights, fun, and fantastic effects in equal measure. The film stars Stephen Lee (The Pit and the Pendulum), Guy Rolfe (Puppet Master III, Mr. Sardonicus), Hilary Mason (Don...
From the Press Release
Do you like handmade puppets, toy soldiers, ballerinas, and dolls? Charming elderly toymaker Gabriel Hartwicke and his wife, Hilary, have the perfect play toys just for you!
From celebrated cult filmmaker Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator), executive producer Charles Band, producer Brian Yuzna (Society), and screenwriter Ed Naha (Troll), comes a campy, horror cult classic that combines the pint-sized playmates of childhood with bone-chilling fun. The 1987 horror film Dolls is a bloody good terror trap that delivers its frights, fun, and fantastic effects in equal measure. The film stars Stephen Lee (The Pit and the Pendulum), Guy Rolfe (Puppet Master III, Mr. Sardonicus), Hilary Mason (Don...
- 9/11/2014
- by John Squires
- DreadCentral.com
I can’t wait for this release to finally come to fruition. It has been a long time since I have seen Stuart Gordon’s magical killer dolls film, so when Scream Factory announced it, they had my attention immediately. This is a “Collector’s Edition” so it looks as if it is getting the appropriate treatment. The artwork has been revealed, and the extras exposed. There appears to be a good mixture of both old and new. Including, but not limited to - all-new retrospective featuring interviews with director Stuart Gordon, producer Brian Yuzna, stars Carolyn Purdy-Gordon, Ian Patrick Williams, executive producer Charles Band, and special make-Up effects artists Gabe Bartalos, andJohn Vulich and more! Check out the press release below, and pre-order your copy by either clicking here for Shout!’s website, or here for Amazon.
Scream Factory™ Presents
A Film by Stuart Gordon and Executive Produced by...
Scream Factory™ Presents
A Film by Stuart Gordon and Executive Produced by...
- 9/11/2014
- by Shawn Savage
- The Liberal Dead
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present a 40th anniversary screening of “Young Frankenstein” with special guests Mel Brooks, Cloris Leachman, Teri Garr and executive producer Michael Gruskoff on Tuesday, September 9, at 7:30 p.m. at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. Film historian Leonard Maltin will introduce the comedy classic and host a live onstage discussion with Brooks, Leachman, Garr and Gruskoff.
“Young Frankenstein,” Brooks’s 1974 homage to the Golden Age of monster movies, features a large ensemble cast including Leachman, Garr, Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars and Gene Hackman. It earned Oscar® nominations for Adapted Screenplay (Wilder, Brooks) and Sound (Richard Portman, Gene Cantamessa).
Additional Academy events coming up in September at the Bing Theater in Los Angeles are listed below, with details at www.oscars.org/events:
“Let There Be Fright: William Castle Scare Classics”
The...
“Young Frankenstein,” Brooks’s 1974 homage to the Golden Age of monster movies, features a large ensemble cast including Leachman, Garr, Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars and Gene Hackman. It earned Oscar® nominations for Adapted Screenplay (Wilder, Brooks) and Sound (Richard Portman, Gene Cantamessa).
Additional Academy events coming up in September at the Bing Theater in Los Angeles are listed below, with details at www.oscars.org/events:
“Let There Be Fright: William Castle Scare Classics”
The...
- 8/25/2014
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The St. Louis Globe-Democrat is a monthly newspaper run by Steve DeBellis, a well know St. Louis historian, and it’s the largest one-man newspaper in the world. The concept of The Globe is that there is an old historic headline, then all the articles in that issue are written as though it’s the year that the headline is from. It’s an unusual concept but the paper is now in its 27th successful year! Steve and I collaborated in 2011 on an all-Vincent Price issue of The Globe and he has asked me to write a regular monthly movie-related column. Since there is no on-line version of The Globe, I will be posting all of my articles here at We Are Movie Geeks. Since this month’s St. Louis Globe-Democrat is written as if it’s 1959, I decided to write about two of my favoririte films from that...
- 5/12/2014
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
William Castle pioneered the promotional movie gimmick in the 1950s and 1960s. He began by working on Broadway before heading to Hollywood to produce and direct “respectable” projects, including producing on Rosemary’s Baby and working as assistant director to Orson Welles. A showman at heart, Castle modeled himself after P.T. Barnum by turning his films into spectacles. He didn’t have movie premieres; he had “screamieres.” The stunts often overshadowed the cheap, shlocky movies they were promoting. Below is a primer to five of Castle’s most bonkers stunts.
The Tingler (1959)
Perhaps Castle’s most infamous and ambitious gimmick was for his film The Tingler. Filmed in “Percepto,” (another gimmick - the movie wasn’t shot in any special way) The Tingler was about an alien creature that would take up residency in your spine, and could only be killed by screaming. Towards the end of the film, the...
The Tingler (1959)
Perhaps Castle’s most infamous and ambitious gimmick was for his film The Tingler. Filmed in “Percepto,” (another gimmick - the movie wasn’t shot in any special way) The Tingler was about an alien creature that would take up residency in your spine, and could only be killed by screaming. Towards the end of the film, the...
- 1/12/2013
- by Alyse Wax
- FEARnet
Vincentennial Lives! This year’s St. Louis International Film Festival will be capped with a screening of the 1959 shocker House On Haunted Hill starring St. Louis native Vincent Price. The screening will be this Sunady, November 20th at 8:30 pm at the Tivoli Theater and yes, it it will be in………..Emergo !!! Eccentric millionaire Fredrick Loren (Price) and his fourth wife (Carol Ohmart), Annabelle, have invited five people to their house on Haunted Hill for a “haunted house” party. Whoever will stay in the house for one night will earn $10,000 (a whopping sum in 1959!). As the night progresses, all the greedy participants are trapped inside the house with ghosts, murderers, skeletal apparitions, blood dripping from the ceiling, a severed head, and a vat of acid in the cellar.
House On Haunted Hill is the renowned work of producer and director William Castle, beloved for his signature-style fright-filled films and delivering...
House On Haunted Hill is the renowned work of producer and director William Castle, beloved for his signature-style fright-filled films and delivering...
- 11/18/2011
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
For those interested in classic horror, William Castle Productions presents a brand new release of the script from the iconic horror film The House On Haunted Hill. Check out excerpts from the press release:
Due out on October 31, 2011, William Castle Productions proudly presents House on Haunted Hill: A William Castle Annotated Screamplay. The book features legendary horror filmmaker William Castle’s authentic working script from his 1959 classic thriller with original formatting and Castle’s own hand-written notes. This collector’s item even comes with a new twist on Castle’s famous theater gimmick, Emerg-o. The 248-page book includes a foreword by acclaimed director Joe Dante (Gremlins, The Howling, Matinee), hailing the book as “an important artifact.” It also includes an introduction by William’s daughter, Terry Castle, who shares her personal thoughts on this seminal piece of film history. A critical perspective of the film by writer and illustrator...
Due out on October 31, 2011, William Castle Productions proudly presents House on Haunted Hill: A William Castle Annotated Screamplay. The book features legendary horror filmmaker William Castle’s authentic working script from his 1959 classic thriller with original formatting and Castle’s own hand-written notes. This collector’s item even comes with a new twist on Castle’s famous theater gimmick, Emerg-o. The 248-page book includes a foreword by acclaimed director Joe Dante (Gremlins, The Howling, Matinee), hailing the book as “an important artifact.” It also includes an introduction by William’s daughter, Terry Castle, who shares her personal thoughts on this seminal piece of film history. A critical perspective of the film by writer and illustrator...
- 10/7/2011
- by Marc
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
William Castle, the horror-movie showman whose work included "The Tingler," "Mr. Sardonicus" and"13 Ghosts," is coming back from the grave courtesy of his daughter, who is reviving William Castle Prods. First up is the the publication of "House on Haunted Hill: A William Castle Annotated Screamplay," along with two young adult horror novels, "From the Grave: The Prayer" and "FearMaker: Family Matters." "House on Haunted Hill," which will be released ...
- 10/6/2011
- Indiewire
For many fans, independent horror filmmaking seems like a relatively new concept. So you may be surprised to find out the maverick spirit that fuels our beloved genre has been burning for almost 100 years now, since the 1912 version of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde was produced by the independently-run production house Thanhouser Company.
Since then, we’ve enjoyed countless films that bucked the studio system tradition and gave us bold, refreshing explorations of some of our greatest fears and introduced us to some pioneers in the entertainment industry. In honor of these achievements, we here at Dread Central are taking the entire month of March to celebrate all things indie horror.
To kick things off, over the next five days we’d like to take you on a historical journey through the last 100 years of indie horror by taking a look at 25 milestones that helped define the horror genre and, in many cases,...
Since then, we’ve enjoyed countless films that bucked the studio system tradition and gave us bold, refreshing explorations of some of our greatest fears and introduced us to some pioneers in the entertainment industry. In honor of these achievements, we here at Dread Central are taking the entire month of March to celebrate all things indie horror.
To kick things off, over the next five days we’d like to take you on a historical journey through the last 100 years of indie horror by taking a look at 25 milestones that helped define the horror genre and, in many cases,...
- 3/7/2011
- by thehorrorchick
- DreadCentral.com
"William Castle's Shockers", presented by the very undead folks from Cinefamily at Hollywood, California's iconic Silent Movie Theatre, has been running Saturday nights in October. Of course there will also be a double feature on Halloween night, Sunday, October 31st.
Here's a list of what will be shown during the last two weekends of the month. See you at The Silent Movie Theatre, 611 North Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90048; for more info call (323) 655-2520.
October 23rd / Macabre shown with Mr. Sardonicus
Macabre - 6:00pm
Macabre is a taut little race-the-clock picture about a kidnapped doctor's daughter and the his panicked attempts to save her! This was Castle’s first foray into horror (though he’d made some fine noir thrillers), and there’s the extra pleasure of the ever-jovial Jim Backus (Mr. Howell from “Gilligan’s Island”, and the voice of Mr. Magoo) sliming it up in a...
Here's a list of what will be shown during the last two weekends of the month. See you at The Silent Movie Theatre, 611 North Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90048; for more info call (323) 655-2520.
October 23rd / Macabre shown with Mr. Sardonicus
Macabre - 6:00pm
Macabre is a taut little race-the-clock picture about a kidnapped doctor's daughter and the his panicked attempts to save her! This was Castle’s first foray into horror (though he’d made some fine noir thrillers), and there’s the extra pleasure of the ever-jovial Jim Backus (Mr. Howell from “Gilligan’s Island”, and the voice of Mr. Magoo) sliming it up in a...
- 10/20/2010
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Hot on the heels of Enthiran's runaway box office success in India and around the world, Bollywood's own superstar, Shah Rukh Khan (seen at left working his day job as a coal miner), has decided to up the Sci-fi ante. Not one to be shown up, Khan called a meeting of the crew on Ra. One and pitched the idea of making it the very first interactive gaming movie! Wait. What?
In the past we've seen films with multiple endings, a la Clue. We've also seen films where the audience votes on a fate for the villain, as in William Castle's Mr. Sardonicus. However, I've never heard of a film with an interactive video game ending. In fact, I can't even wrap my brain around how that would work.
The film's title is a reference to the villain of a video game created by Shah Rukh Khan's character,...
In the past we've seen films with multiple endings, a la Clue. We've also seen films where the audience votes on a fate for the villain, as in William Castle's Mr. Sardonicus. However, I've never heard of a film with an interactive video game ending. In fact, I can't even wrap my brain around how that would work.
The film's title is a reference to the villain of a video game created by Shah Rukh Khan's character,...
- 10/8/2010
- Screen Anarchy
If H.G. Lewis is the Godfather of Gore, then William Castle must be horror’s lovable Grandfather ... or at least its sneaky uncle. And just like family, we sometimes take him for granted, relegating him to the bowels of schlock cinema - a term that celebrates the gimmickry of niche movie making but not its inherent ingenuity.
The name William Castle has become synonymous with classic horror, but not dared spoken in the same breath as Hitchcock or even Terence Fisher for that matter. No, Castle is the midnight movie madman who elevated audience exploitation to an art form and invented the twist ending decades before M. Night Shyamalan pitched The Sixth Sense to Disney executives. Now, when one name splashes across the screen, it elicits groans from the audience (been in a theater showing the Devil trailer lately?), but when the name William Castle pops up, a sinister smirk...
The name William Castle has become synonymous with classic horror, but not dared spoken in the same breath as Hitchcock or even Terence Fisher for that matter. No, Castle is the midnight movie madman who elevated audience exploitation to an art form and invented the twist ending decades before M. Night Shyamalan pitched The Sixth Sense to Disney executives. Now, when one name splashes across the screen, it elicits groans from the audience (been in a theater showing the Devil trailer lately?), but when the name William Castle pops up, a sinister smirk...
- 9/10/2010
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Many genre fans today know the name William Castle, but not so many are aware of his full and lasting impact on it. Back in the late Fifties and on through the Sixties, his was a name that was synonymous with horror films. Further, his name was – and remains – one that defines the term “spectacle” in modern film history. Castle was a man who never forgot that “show” is the first word in “show business.” He knew, instinctively, that if you gave the movie-going audience a decent show, the business part would take care of itself. Give the audience their money’s worth and they would love you forever.
And so, in 1955, after an already successful career in film, he noticed lines that wound around the block for a small French film called Diabolique and he leapt into horror filmmaking with both feet. Since he knew he couldn’t compete...
And so, in 1955, after an already successful career in film, he noticed lines that wound around the block for a small French film called Diabolique and he leapt into horror filmmaking with both feet. Since he knew he couldn’t compete...
- 8/31/2010
- by Carnell
- DreadCentral.com
If someone were to ask us to name our top ten directors of all time, the name William Castle would sit firmly somewhere within the top five. The man was not only a true showman but also an absolute genius. If we have one regret in our tenure here at Dread Central, it is that we weren't around during Castle's heyday of insane gimmicks. The man was without question the godfather of viral marketing, and it's taken the rest of the industry decades to catch up. If you live somewhere within the Tri-State Region, we have the info on an event that you do Not want to miss!
From the Press Release
The Return Of William Castle, a 15-film festival of horror and exploitation classics by the director and master showman, complete with their original gimmicks (Emergo!, Percepto!, Illusion-o!, and others – including one created exclusively for Film Forum), will run...
From the Press Release
The Return Of William Castle, a 15-film festival of horror and exploitation classics by the director and master showman, complete with their original gimmicks (Emergo!, Percepto!, Illusion-o!, and others – including one created exclusively for Film Forum), will run...
- 8/26/2010
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
From "Watchmen" to "Cloverfield" to "Dr. Strangelove," the Independent Film Channel counts down the 50 greatest movie trailers of all time. Watch, discuss and let us know if there's a trailer you've always loved.
IFC's 50 Greatest Trailers of All Time50. "Night of the Iguana" (1964)
Richard Burton plays a troubled Episcopal clergyman who escorts a busload of middle-aged Baptist women on a tour of the Mexican coast, while coming to terms with his past. Also stars Deborah Kerr and Ava Gardner.
IFC's 50 Greatest Trailers of All Time50. "Night of the Iguana" (1964)
Richard Burton plays a troubled Episcopal clergyman who escorts a busload of middle-aged Baptist women on a tour of the Mexican coast, while coming to terms with his past. Also stars Deborah Kerr and Ava Gardner.
- 8/14/2010
- Extra
Cinema huckster William Castle
I was at the 10th Motovun Film Festival, in Croatia two summers ago, mainly to see their ‘interactive cinema programme’. Motovun is renowned as a Woodstock of film festivals and often includes an interesting side programme. This year’s Motovun Film Festival began yesterday (26 July), with a side programme of Slovenian film, socially-committed topics tackling issues like human trafficking and rape, quirky “of people, cats and dogs”, and several homages to renowned directors.
When I attended the festival there were three screenings that handed over the director’s role to the audience; we were to decide the outcomes of these movies. The films screened were Czech ‘Kinoautomat’ “Man and His Home” (1966), Danish “Switching” (2003) and Canadian “Late Fragment” (2007).
Kinoautomat, the first interactive cinema and brain child of Czech director Radúz Činčera was invented in 1966. Alongside the movie projection, two moderators sitting at the stage were part of the spectacle.
I was at the 10th Motovun Film Festival, in Croatia two summers ago, mainly to see their ‘interactive cinema programme’. Motovun is renowned as a Woodstock of film festivals and often includes an interesting side programme. This year’s Motovun Film Festival began yesterday (26 July), with a side programme of Slovenian film, socially-committed topics tackling issues like human trafficking and rape, quirky “of people, cats and dogs”, and several homages to renowned directors.
When I attended the festival there were three screenings that handed over the director’s role to the audience; we were to decide the outcomes of these movies. The films screened were Czech ‘Kinoautomat’ “Man and His Home” (1966), Danish “Switching” (2003) and Canadian “Late Fragment” (2007).
Kinoautomat, the first interactive cinema and brain child of Czech director Radúz Činčera was invented in 1966. Alongside the movie projection, two moderators sitting at the stage were part of the spectacle.
- 7/28/2010
- by Mico Tatalovic
- The Moving Arts Journal
By Lee Pfeiffer
Tomorrow, Turner Classic Movies (North America) offers an eclectic line-up of intriguing movies as well as flat-out classics. Beginning in the wee small hours of the morning, TCM presents two films I confess I've never heard of: Shanks, a 1974 movie starring Marcel Marceau (!) as a puppeteer who raises the dead and Mr. Sardonicus, with the wonderful Oskar Homolka as a man who forces a doctor to try to cure him from bearing a perpetual grin on his face. During the day, TCM presents some real gems: Humphrey Bogart's last movie The Harder They Fall and a line-up of back-to-back terrific Westerns: Alavarez Kelly with William Holden and Richard Widmark, Will Penny with Charlton Heston, True Grit with John Wayne and Sam Peckinpah's Ride the High Country. If these don't have you glued to your seat, the evening wraps up with Cagney in White Heat followed...
Tomorrow, Turner Classic Movies (North America) offers an eclectic line-up of intriguing movies as well as flat-out classics. Beginning in the wee small hours of the morning, TCM presents two films I confess I've never heard of: Shanks, a 1974 movie starring Marcel Marceau (!) as a puppeteer who raises the dead and Mr. Sardonicus, with the wonderful Oskar Homolka as a man who forces a doctor to try to cure him from bearing a perpetual grin on his face. During the day, TCM presents some real gems: Humphrey Bogart's last movie The Harder They Fall and a line-up of back-to-back terrific Westerns: Alavarez Kelly with William Holden and Richard Widmark, Will Penny with Charlton Heston, True Grit with John Wayne and Sam Peckinpah's Ride the High Country. If these don't have you glued to your seat, the evening wraps up with Cagney in White Heat followed...
- 3/12/2010
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
In a ploy reminiscent of the great American cult director William Castle, producer of such classics as 13 Frightened Girls and Dr Sardonicus, Ram Gopal Verma has offered ,000 to anyone who is prepared to watch Phoonk 2 in a cinema alone. The fan will be wired to a heart monitor and there will be camera surveillance to ensure he (or she) actually watches the film. "When a person says that he doesn't gets scared, it is like you are challenging the film to scare you,” Rgv says, “So in the wake of this, we had put a contest in Phoonk that if a person can sit alone in the theatre and watch the film without getting scared and completes it, he will be rewarded a certain amount of money as prize. Now after a certain selection process, a particular guy was chosen and within 30 minutes he ran out of the theatre and...
- 2/26/2010
- Bollyspice
The weekend’s here. You’ve just been paid, and it’s burning a hole in your pocket. What’s a pop culture geek to do? In hopes of steering you in the right direction to blow some of that hard-earned cash, it’s time for the Quick Stop Weekend Shopping Guide - your spotlight on the things you didn’t even know you wanted…
(Please support Quick Stop by using the links below to make any impulse purchases - it helps to keep us going…)
When new editions of previously released titles come out, it’s always difficult to determine whether there is a significant difference in image/sound quality or bonus features to make a re-purchase worth it. And sometimes, it’s an easy decision - and that’s the case with Black Adder Remastered: The Ultimate Edition (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$79.98 Srp) and Fawlty Towers: The Complete Collection Remastered (BBC,...
(Please support Quick Stop by using the links below to make any impulse purchases - it helps to keep us going…)
When new editions of previously released titles come out, it’s always difficult to determine whether there is a significant difference in image/sound quality or bonus features to make a re-purchase worth it. And sometimes, it’s an easy decision - and that’s the case with Black Adder Remastered: The Ultimate Edition (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$79.98 Srp) and Fawlty Towers: The Complete Collection Remastered (BBC,...
- 10/22/2009
- by UncaScroogeMcD
The William Castle Film Collection (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, $80.95) includes eight pictures produced and directed by master showman Castle. In Part One of this lengthy DVD review, I dissected four of them—13 Ghosts, Homicidal and the two best, The Tingler and Mr. Sardonicus. Believe you me, it was a ghastly business! As Sardonicus would say, “I have known a ghoul—a disgusting creature that opens graves and feeds on corpses.” Like a DVD reviewer. See here.
In this epic conclusion, I am fitted out with a Strait-jacket (about time!) and also chronicle Zotz!, 13 Frightened Girls and The Old Dark House, the three Castle entries new to DVD (which lack the short, individual “making of” documentaries accompanying the other five). Only two of these eight flicks were shot in color (Girls, House); theatrical trailers are included with all of the movies. And that’s all you need to know as we continue—in amazing Screamarama,...
In this epic conclusion, I am fitted out with a Strait-jacket (about time!) and also chronicle Zotz!, 13 Frightened Girls and The Old Dark House, the three Castle entries new to DVD (which lack the short, individual “making of” documentaries accompanying the other five). Only two of these eight flicks were shot in color (Girls, House); theatrical trailers are included with all of the movies. And that’s all you need to know as we continue—in amazing Screamarama,...
- 10/21/2009
- by no-reply@starlog.com (David McDonnell)
- Starlog
In this incarnation of our Videolog column (which began in 1982 with VHS & Betamax and later laserdisc), Starlog posts information weekly regarding selected genre titles now being released (or re-released) on DVD and Blu-ray. Prices listed are Msrp, though any clickable links lead to Amazon where the savings can be significant.
This week’s DVD releases:
Blood: The Last Vampire (Sony, $24.96 DVD; $34.95 Blu-ray): Based on the cult anime series, Blood: The Last Vampire takes place in a world where demons have infested Earth. Only one warrior stands between the dark and the light: Saya, a half-human/half-vampire samurai who preys on those who feast on human blood. Joining forces with the shadowy society known as the Council, Saya is dispatched to an American military base, where an intense series of swordfights leads her to the deadliest vampire of all. And now after 400 years, Saya’s greatest hunt is about to begin.
This week’s DVD releases:
Blood: The Last Vampire (Sony, $24.96 DVD; $34.95 Blu-ray): Based on the cult anime series, Blood: The Last Vampire takes place in a world where demons have infested Earth. Only one warrior stands between the dark and the light: Saya, a half-human/half-vampire samurai who preys on those who feast on human blood. Joining forces with the shadowy society known as the Council, Saya is dispatched to an American military base, where an intense series of swordfights leads her to the deadliest vampire of all. And now after 400 years, Saya’s greatest hunt is about to begin.
- 10/21/2009
- by no-reply@starlog.com (Allan Dart)
- Starlog
Here’s a list of some of the new movie and TV shows coming to DVD and Blu-ray this week that we’re looking forward to seeing. Also, there’s some classic, and not-so-classic, movies hitting Blu-ray for the first time this week as well.
Of all the new releases, we’re particularly interested in the Blu-ray versions of movies and TV shows such as Blood: The Last Vampire, Easy Rider and the first seasons of Hawaii Five-o and Vega$. Plus, I think some movie with lots of robots, explosions and Megan Fox also came out this week as well.
Check them out.
Movies
Blood: The Last Vampire ~ Michael Byrne, Constantine Gregory, Yasuaki Kurata (DVD and Blu-ray)
Cheri ~ Michelle Pfeiffer, Rupert Friend, Kathy Bates (DVD – 2009)
Easy Rider ~ Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson (Blu-ray)
Monsoon Wedding (The Criterion Collection) ~ Lillete Dubey, Vijay Raaz (Blu-ray)
Planes, Trains and Automobiles (Those Aren’t Pillows Edition) ~ Steve Martin,...
Of all the new releases, we’re particularly interested in the Blu-ray versions of movies and TV shows such as Blood: The Last Vampire, Easy Rider and the first seasons of Hawaii Five-o and Vega$. Plus, I think some movie with lots of robots, explosions and Megan Fox also came out this week as well.
Check them out.
Movies
Blood: The Last Vampire ~ Michael Byrne, Constantine Gregory, Yasuaki Kurata (DVD and Blu-ray)
Cheri ~ Michelle Pfeiffer, Rupert Friend, Kathy Bates (DVD – 2009)
Easy Rider ~ Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson (Blu-ray)
Monsoon Wedding (The Criterion Collection) ~ Lillete Dubey, Vijay Raaz (Blu-ray)
Planes, Trains and Automobiles (Those Aren’t Pillows Edition) ~ Steve Martin,...
- 10/20/2009
- by Joe Gillis
- The Flickcast
At 7:30, Fox has Baseball Playoffs, the Yankees vs. the Angels. At 8, ABC has the season finale of Shark Tank, followed by new episodes of Dancing with the Stars and The Forgotten. CBS has a new NCIS at 8, then new episodes of NCIS: Los Angeles and The Good Wife. NBC has a new, two-hour Biggest Loser at 8, followed by a new Jay Leno Show. The CW has new episodes of 90210 and Melrose Place. PBS has a new Nova at 8, then a new Frontline. TCM has Mr. Sardonicus at 8. At 9, Discovery has a new Dirty Jobs, followed by a new Ghost Lab. BBC America has a new Dragon's Den at 9. IFC has another installment of Monty Python: Almost The Truth (The Lawyer's Cut) at 9. At 10, FX has a new Sons of Anarchy. Food Network has a new Chopped at 10. Espn has a new World Series of Poker at 10. Syfy has a...
- 10/20/2009
- by Bob Sassone
- Aol TV.
The William Castle Film Collection (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, $80.95) assembles the master showman’s eight Columbia Pictures features in one set. Three (Zotz!, 13 Frightened Girls, The Old Dark House) are new to DVD. Only two are in color (Girls, House), but black and white works far better here to evoke film fear anyhow. Castle produced and directed them all (though he shares a producing credit with Hammer Films’ Anthony Hinds on the House remake). Three were scripted by Robb White (who also wrote Castle’s earlier gimmicky genre hits MacAbre and House On Haunted Hill) while Ray Russell and Robert Dillon racked up two scripts each and Starlog contributor Robert Bloch penned one.
The films (fantasies, thrillers, comedies) are grouped sort of by theme, two per disc. So, 13 Frightened Girls (a.k.a. The Candy Web) is teamed with 13 Ghosts for the triskaidekaphobia entry. Homicidal and Strait-jacket represent the murder,...
The films (fantasies, thrillers, comedies) are grouped sort of by theme, two per disc. So, 13 Frightened Girls (a.k.a. The Candy Web) is teamed with 13 Ghosts for the triskaidekaphobia entry. Homicidal and Strait-jacket represent the murder,...
- 10/20/2009
- by no-reply@starlog.com (David McDonnell)
- Starlog
In this incarnation of our Videolog column (which began in 1982 with VHS & Betamax and later laserdisc), Starlog posts information weekly regarding selected genre titles now being released (or re-released) on DVD and Blu-ray. Prices listed are Msrp, though any clickable links lead to Amazon where the savings can be significant.
This week’s DVD releases:
Drag Me To Hell (Universal, $29.98 DVD; $39.98 Blu-ray): Director Sam Raimi (Spider-man) returns to the horror genre. Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) is on her way to having it all: a devoted boy friend (Justin Long), a hard-earned job promotion and a bright future. But when she’s forced to make a tough decision that evicts an elderly woman from her house, Christine becomes the victim of an evil curse. Now she has only three days to dissuade a dark spirit from stealing her soul before she’s dragged to hell for an eternity of unthinkable torment.
This week’s DVD releases:
Drag Me To Hell (Universal, $29.98 DVD; $39.98 Blu-ray): Director Sam Raimi (Spider-man) returns to the horror genre. Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) is on her way to having it all: a devoted boy friend (Justin Long), a hard-earned job promotion and a bright future. But when she’s forced to make a tough decision that evicts an elderly woman from her house, Christine becomes the victim of an evil curse. Now she has only three days to dissuade a dark spirit from stealing her soul before she’s dragged to hell for an eternity of unthinkable torment.
- 10/15/2009
- by no-reply@starlog.com (Allan Dart)
- Starlog
In this incarnation of our Videolog column (which began in 1982 with VHS & Betamax and later laserdisc), Starlog posts information weekly regarding selected genre titles now being released (or re-released) on DVD and Blu-ray. Prices listed are Msrp, though any clickable links lead to Amazon where the savings can be significant.
This week’s DVD releases...
A Charlie Brown Christmas (Warner, $29.99 Blu-ray): The classic Peanuts Christmas cartoon is a holiday perennial favorite, and now it’s available on Blu-ray.
Contact (Warner, $28.99 Blu-ray): Robert Zemeckis directed this adaptation of Carl Sagan’s bestseller about a radio astronomer who may or may not have discovered an extraterrestrial radio transmission. Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey star. Look for our Foster interview on the film (from issue #241) to be posted online soon.
Get Smart: Season Four (Warner, $24.98): Maxwell Smart is back...and loving it! And so are Agent 99, the Chief, Fang...
This week’s DVD releases...
A Charlie Brown Christmas (Warner, $29.99 Blu-ray): The classic Peanuts Christmas cartoon is a holiday perennial favorite, and now it’s available on Blu-ray.
Contact (Warner, $28.99 Blu-ray): Robert Zemeckis directed this adaptation of Carl Sagan’s bestseller about a radio astronomer who may or may not have discovered an extraterrestrial radio transmission. Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey star. Look for our Foster interview on the film (from issue #241) to be posted online soon.
Get Smart: Season Four (Warner, $24.98): Maxwell Smart is back...and loving it! And so are Agent 99, the Chief, Fang...
- 10/7/2009
- by no-reply@starlog.com (Allan Dart)
- Starlog
In this incarnation of our Videolog column (which began in 1982 with VHS and Betamax and later laserdisc), Starlog posts information weekly regarding selected genre titles being released (or re-released) now on DVD and Blu-ray. Prices listed are Msrp, though the clickable links lead to Amazon where the savings can be significant.
DVD Releases for September 29, 2009
The Dark Crystal (Sony, $27.95 Blu-ray): In this 1982 fantasy from directors Jim Henson and Frank Oz, travel back in time to the faraway planet of Thra where the Mystics fight to overthrow the evil Skeksis and take back control of their planet. When Jen, a member of the Gelfling tribe, sets out to find the Dark Crystal’s missing shard, his dangerous journey brings him face to face with monsters at every turn. Determined to restore peace to their planet, Jen will not back down in this tale of good vs. evil that has become a cult favorite.
DVD Releases for September 29, 2009
The Dark Crystal (Sony, $27.95 Blu-ray): In this 1982 fantasy from directors Jim Henson and Frank Oz, travel back in time to the faraway planet of Thra where the Mystics fight to overthrow the evil Skeksis and take back control of their planet. When Jen, a member of the Gelfling tribe, sets out to find the Dark Crystal’s missing shard, his dangerous journey brings him face to face with monsters at every turn. Determined to restore peace to their planet, Jen will not back down in this tale of good vs. evil that has become a cult favorite.
- 9/30/2009
- by no-reply@starlog.com (Allan Dart)
- Starlog
In this incarnation of our Videolog column (which began in 1982 with VHS and Betamax and later laserdisc), Starlog posts information weekly regarding selected genre titles being released (or re-released) on DVD and Blu-ray. Prices listed are Msrp, though the clickable links lead to Amazon where the savings can be significant.
DVD Releases for September 22, 2009
Battle For Terra (Lionsgate, $19.98 DVD; $29.99 Blu-ray): When environmental destruction forces people to leave Earth, the remaining survivors rocket through space on a quest to find a new home. At first, it seems like the beautiful planet Terra is the perfect place to take over. But when a fighter pilot (voice of Luke Wilson) crashes on Terra, he forms an unlikely friendship with a rebellious Terrian girl named Mala (Evan Rachel Wood). Now, putting aside their differences, the young heroes join forces to protect Terra from destruction in this animated Sf adventure that also features the voices of Dennis Quaid,...
DVD Releases for September 22, 2009
Battle For Terra (Lionsgate, $19.98 DVD; $29.99 Blu-ray): When environmental destruction forces people to leave Earth, the remaining survivors rocket through space on a quest to find a new home. At first, it seems like the beautiful planet Terra is the perfect place to take over. But when a fighter pilot (voice of Luke Wilson) crashes on Terra, he forms an unlikely friendship with a rebellious Terrian girl named Mala (Evan Rachel Wood). Now, putting aside their differences, the young heroes join forces to protect Terra from destruction in this animated Sf adventure that also features the voices of Dennis Quaid,...
- 9/23/2009
- by no-reply@starlog.com (Allan Dart)
- Starlog
In this incarnation of our Videolog column (which began in 1982 with VHS and Betamax and later laserdisc), Starlog posts information weekly regarding selected genre titles being released (or re-released) now on DVD and Blu-ray. Prices listed are Msrp, though the clickable links lead to Amazon where the savings can be significant.
DVD Releases for September 15, 2009
American Werewolf In London: Full Moon Edition (Universal, $14.99 DVD; $26.98 Blu-ray): Blending the macabre with a wicked sense of humor, director John Landis delivers a contemporary take on the classic werewolf tale in this story of two American tourists who, while traveling in London, find their lives changed forever when a vicious wolf attacks them during a full Moon. Featuring Rick Baker’s innovative, Academy Award-winning makeup, this digitally remastered Full Moon Edition has both old and new extras, including the new feature-length documentary “Beware the Moon.” See Dave McDonnell’s Starblog re: covering the...
DVD Releases for September 15, 2009
American Werewolf In London: Full Moon Edition (Universal, $14.99 DVD; $26.98 Blu-ray): Blending the macabre with a wicked sense of humor, director John Landis delivers a contemporary take on the classic werewolf tale in this story of two American tourists who, while traveling in London, find their lives changed forever when a vicious wolf attacks them during a full Moon. Featuring Rick Baker’s innovative, Academy Award-winning makeup, this digitally remastered Full Moon Edition has both old and new extras, including the new feature-length documentary “Beware the Moon.” See Dave McDonnell’s Starblog re: covering the...
- 9/16/2009
- by no-reply@starlog.com (Allan Dart)
- Starlog
In this incarnation of our Videolog column (which began in 1982 with VHS and Betamax and later laserdisc), Starlog posts information usually on Tuesdays regarding selected genre titles being released (or re-released) now on DVD and Blu-ray. Prices listed are Msrp, though the clickable links lead to Amazon where the savings can be significant.
DVD Releases for September 8, 2009:
Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Very First Alvin Show & Alvin And The Chipmunks: Go To The Movies: Star Wreck (Paramount, $16.99): Two Alvin DVDs hit video shelves. The Very First Alvin Show is, well, the very first Alvin show from the 1961 animated series that started it all. It has never been released on DVD or VHS before, and it’s accompanied by two additional episodes, “Rockin Through the Decades” and “A Chipmunk Reunion.” The same-priced Star Wreck is, of course, a Star Trek parody with Alvin as Captain Dirk, commander of the S.
DVD Releases for September 8, 2009:
Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Very First Alvin Show & Alvin And The Chipmunks: Go To The Movies: Star Wreck (Paramount, $16.99): Two Alvin DVDs hit video shelves. The Very First Alvin Show is, well, the very first Alvin show from the 1961 animated series that started it all. It has never been released on DVD or VHS before, and it’s accompanied by two additional episodes, “Rockin Through the Decades” and “A Chipmunk Reunion.” The same-priced Star Wreck is, of course, a Star Trek parody with Alvin as Captain Dirk, commander of the S.
- 9/8/2009
- by no-reply@starlog.com (Allan Dart)
- Starlog
In this incarnation of our Videolog column (which began in 1982 with VHS and Betamax and later laserdisc), Starlog posts information usually on Tuesdays regarding selected genre titles being released (or re-released) now on DVD and Blu-ray.
DVD Releases for September 1, 2009
Ben 10: Alien Force: Volume Four (Warner, $14.98): Fifteen-year-old Ben Tennyson faces the wrath of the DNAliens, who have captured his Grandpa Max and are scheming a full-scale infiltration of Earth and the universe. Ben teams with his cousin Gwen Tennyson and his former nemesis Kevin Eleven to fight these new alien hordes and save the universe with the power of the Omnitrix in this DVD collection of five Cartoon Network episodes.
Doctor Who: The Deadly Assassin, Image Of The Fendahl & Delta And The Bannerman: (BBC Warner, $24.98): Three multi-episode Who serials are individually collected on DVD. Tom Baker stars as the Time Lord in the first two titles; Sylvester McCoy,...
DVD Releases for September 1, 2009
Ben 10: Alien Force: Volume Four (Warner, $14.98): Fifteen-year-old Ben Tennyson faces the wrath of the DNAliens, who have captured his Grandpa Max and are scheming a full-scale infiltration of Earth and the universe. Ben teams with his cousin Gwen Tennyson and his former nemesis Kevin Eleven to fight these new alien hordes and save the universe with the power of the Omnitrix in this DVD collection of five Cartoon Network episodes.
Doctor Who: The Deadly Assassin, Image Of The Fendahl & Delta And The Bannerman: (BBC Warner, $24.98): Three multi-episode Who serials are individually collected on DVD. Tom Baker stars as the Time Lord in the first two titles; Sylvester McCoy,...
- 9/1/2009
- by no-reply@starlog.com (Allan Dart)
- Starlog
Sony is releasing the William Castle Film Collection on October 20th. Castle is famous for releasing horror films with gimmicks like buzzers on seats, special glasses that let you see the ghost in 13 Ghosts, and so on... The set includes; The Tingler (1959), 13 Ghosts (1960), Homicidal (1961), Mr. Sardonicus (1961), Strait-Jacket (1964) and for the first time on DVD Zotz! (1962), The Old Dark House (1963), and 13 Frightened Girls (1963).
- 8/18/2009
- by Kevin Touch
- HorrorYearbook
William Castle is a hero around the Dread Central offices. The man was a true showman in every sense of the word and knew how to deliver laughs, chills, and lunacy like no other! Come this October fans will be getting a box set to scream about courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment -- The William Castle Film Collection!
From the Press Release
The master of ballyhoo who became a brand name in movie horror with his outrageous audience participation gimmicks will be remembered on October 20 when the William Castle Film Collection debuts from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The set features eight of the legendary producer/director’s most notable films, including The Tingler (1959), 13 Ghosts (1960), Homicidal (1961), Mr. Sardonicus (1961), and Strait-Jacket (1964). Also included in the collection are Zotz! (1962), The Old Dark House (1963), and 13 Frightened Girls (1963), each making their DVD debuts. The extensive bonus materials include original theatrical openings, alternate sequences, vintage footage,...
From the Press Release
The master of ballyhoo who became a brand name in movie horror with his outrageous audience participation gimmicks will be remembered on October 20 when the William Castle Film Collection debuts from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The set features eight of the legendary producer/director’s most notable films, including The Tingler (1959), 13 Ghosts (1960), Homicidal (1961), Mr. Sardonicus (1961), and Strait-Jacket (1964). Also included in the collection are Zotz! (1962), The Old Dark House (1963), and 13 Frightened Girls (1963), each making their DVD debuts. The extensive bonus materials include original theatrical openings, alternate sequences, vintage footage,...
- 8/17/2009
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced that it will release the William Castle Film Collection October 20. The five-dvd set will include eight films by the veteran genre director/producer (famed for his attention-grabbing in-theater gimmicks), including three that have never been on disc before, plus a host of special features.
The most notable of the bonuses is Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story, Jeffrey Schwarz’s documentary on the filmmaker’s life and work that has won raves and awards over the last couple of years on the festival circuit. Also included are two episodes of the Castle-produced Ghost Story TV series. The three new-to-dvd titles are 1962’s Zotz!, a fantasy/comedy about a coin with magic powers; The Old Dark House, Castle’s 1963 take on the classic haunted-mansion tale; and ’63’s 13 Frightened Girls, in which a group of diplomats’ daughters at a Swiss boarding school become self-styled spies. Also...
The most notable of the bonuses is Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story, Jeffrey Schwarz’s documentary on the filmmaker’s life and work that has won raves and awards over the last couple of years on the festival circuit. Also included are two episodes of the Castle-produced Ghost Story TV series. The three new-to-dvd titles are 1962’s Zotz!, a fantasy/comedy about a coin with magic powers; The Old Dark House, Castle’s 1963 take on the classic haunted-mansion tale; and ’63’s 13 Frightened Girls, in which a group of diplomats’ daughters at a Swiss boarding school become self-styled spies. Also...
- 8/17/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (Michael Gingold)
- Fangoria
Following up on our report last week regarding this package, we now have artwork for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment's The William Castle Film Collection . The set arrives on October 20. 13 Frightened Girls , 13 Ghosts , Homicidal , Straight-Jacket , Mr. Sardonicus , The Old Dark House , The Tingler and Zotz will all be included. Special features include... . The Magic of Illusion-o . Battle-Axe: The Making of Strait-Jacket . Joan Crawford Wardrobe Tests . Axe Tests . Scream For Your Lives: William Castle and The Tingler . Taking the Punishment Poll . Psychette: William Castle and Homicidal . TV spots . Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story . Commentary with Producer/Director Jeffrey Schwarz and Terry Castle . Ghost Story: Pilot (The New House) . Ghost...
- 8/17/2009
- shocktillyoudrop.com
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is preparing the DVD and Blu-Ray release of Blood: The Last Vampire . Expect it to street on October 20th. Special features include The Making of Blood: The Last Vampire and Battling Demons: Behind the Stunts featurettes. The Blu-Ray edition will exclusively host a storyboard gallery. Also on October 20th, Sony will release the 5-disc William Castle Film Collection. 13 Frightened Girls , 13 Ghosts , Homicidal , Straight-Jacket , Mr. Sardonicus , The Old Dark House , The Tingler and Zotz will all be included. Why this isn't issued on Blu-Ray is beyond us. Special features? There are a ton: . The Magic of Illusion-o . Battle-Axe: The Making of Strait-Jacket . Joan Crawford Wardrobe Tests . Axe Tests . Scream For Your Lives:...
- 8/10/2009
- shocktillyoudrop.com
AFI Fest
The man who brought the world such immortal movie house gimmicks as Emergo, Percepto, Illusion-O and Ghost Viewer glasses is finally given his due in Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story.
A fittingly lively portrait of the B-movie artist who put the show back into showmanship, Jeffrey Schwartz's documentary portrays the late director-producer as a man with the heart of a carny who dreamt of one day shedding his reputation as a low-rent Hitchcock and winning the artistic respect of his peers.
While the 80-minute film's a natural for festivals, Castle's affectionate fan base could also warrant a theatrical release, especially if somebody could figure out a cost-effective way of rigging theater seats to vibrate at pivotal moments.
Director Schwartz, whose company, Automat Pictures, specializes in producing making-of docs for TV and DVDs, takes a standard issue approach here, gathering together Castle family, friends, colleagues and historians--daughter Terry, John Waters, John Landis, Joe Dante, and the late Marcel Marceau among them--to provide the obligatory testimonials and anecdotes.
But when you've got a guy as colorful as Castle, you don't need a lot of fancy frills to attract attention, especially when you've got a generous clip assortment from such immortal movies as Macabre, which offered patrons insurance by Lloyds of London in the event of "death by fright," 13 Ghosts, Mr. Sardonicus and intended Psycho rival, Homicidal.
Although most were accompanied by publicity stunts designed to lure audiences of the late '50s and '60s away from their TVs and back into theaters, Castle craved something beyond profitability, and would eventually land his biggest gimmick in the form of Joan Crawford, who starred in his 1964 thriller, Strait-Jacket, penned by Psycho author Robert Bloch.
While Crawford essentially ran the whole show, insisting the set be kept at freezing temperatures to "tighten the skin," the experience made Castle more determined than ever to beat Hitch at his own game.
Bittersweet success would come with "Rosemary's Baby," a vehicle he had wanted to direct himself, but he'd have to settle for a producer's credit after Paramount brought in a hot young Polish filmmaker by the name of Roman Polanski.
Castle was never able to build on that newfound artistic credibility but his death, in 1977, marked the end of a truly spirited era.
SPINE TINGLER! THE William Castle STORY
Automat Pictures...
The man who brought the world such immortal movie house gimmicks as Emergo, Percepto, Illusion-O and Ghost Viewer glasses is finally given his due in Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story.
A fittingly lively portrait of the B-movie artist who put the show back into showmanship, Jeffrey Schwartz's documentary portrays the late director-producer as a man with the heart of a carny who dreamt of one day shedding his reputation as a low-rent Hitchcock and winning the artistic respect of his peers.
While the 80-minute film's a natural for festivals, Castle's affectionate fan base could also warrant a theatrical release, especially if somebody could figure out a cost-effective way of rigging theater seats to vibrate at pivotal moments.
Director Schwartz, whose company, Automat Pictures, specializes in producing making-of docs for TV and DVDs, takes a standard issue approach here, gathering together Castle family, friends, colleagues and historians--daughter Terry, John Waters, John Landis, Joe Dante, and the late Marcel Marceau among them--to provide the obligatory testimonials and anecdotes.
But when you've got a guy as colorful as Castle, you don't need a lot of fancy frills to attract attention, especially when you've got a generous clip assortment from such immortal movies as Macabre, which offered patrons insurance by Lloyds of London in the event of "death by fright," 13 Ghosts, Mr. Sardonicus and intended Psycho rival, Homicidal.
Although most were accompanied by publicity stunts designed to lure audiences of the late '50s and '60s away from their TVs and back into theaters, Castle craved something beyond profitability, and would eventually land his biggest gimmick in the form of Joan Crawford, who starred in his 1964 thriller, Strait-Jacket, penned by Psycho author Robert Bloch.
While Crawford essentially ran the whole show, insisting the set be kept at freezing temperatures to "tighten the skin," the experience made Castle more determined than ever to beat Hitch at his own game.
Bittersweet success would come with "Rosemary's Baby," a vehicle he had wanted to direct himself, but he'd have to settle for a producer's credit after Paramount brought in a hot young Polish filmmaker by the name of Roman Polanski.
Castle was never able to build on that newfound artistic credibility but his death, in 1977, marked the end of a truly spirited era.
SPINE TINGLER! THE William Castle STORY
Automat Pictures...
- 11/1/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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