The October Big Giveaways continue at Icons of Fright. The fine folks at Warner Bros. have supplied us with copies of the 15th Anniversary Edition of Oliver Stone's 1990's classic NATURAL BORN KILLERS.

Wow, 15 years ago? At the time I had to buy a ticket to another movie just so I could sneak in and see the highly controversial film, which of course, blew my little 15 year old mind away. And who could forget the Trent Reznor produced soundtrack featuring 90's acts like L7 and the Cowboy Junkies. It's really a time-capsule of a moment in film making and music.

If you'd like to enter the contest just shoot us an email over to: nbk@iconsoffright.com. Be sure to give us your mailing address so we can send it to you. Contest ends Oct. 31st! (Halloween).

For more Natural Born Killers action click on over to: www.naturalbornkillersdvd.com. 

 Here's an exclusive clip, courtesy of Warner Bros:

Posted by mikec at 04:03 PM | Permalink

If it's Halloween, it's not just time for SAW (or SAW VI!) but time to roll out the annual IOF Big Giveaways! (NOT brought to you by Silver Shamrock).

This year the folks at CollectSaw.com and OfficialSawStore.com (Selling the best in SAW collectibles! And yes, they ship worldwide!) have provided ICONS OF FRIGHT with 3 SAW VI Prize Packages:

• Costas Mandylor ("Hoffman") Autographed 8 x10 inch color photo. The photo shows Costas Mandylor as "Hoffman".
• Special and Valuable item that was Used in SAW 6 (VI)

 

Posted by mikec at 12:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

I've been a casual reader of Entertainment Weekly for long over a decade now, and in that time, I've come to have a cold disdain for Owen Gleiberman.  Having read his reviews of horror movies over the years, I easily ascertained that here was a guy who not only does not like horror films, but begrudges genre fans as well, as if they're lesser than "real" movie fans.  And now it's finally time to say something about it.

Let's take a look at Owen's recent slap at genre fans in his article regarding the SAW series.  Here's a cuddly section:

 "For decades now, gruesome new horror movies have arrived at the multiplex with big fat roman numerals stuck at the end of their titles. Only the most fanatical droolers of the “horror community” are even still counting. I mean, really, who would seriously bother to keep track of how many interchangeably cruddy Friday the 13th sequels there are? Or how many times Freddy Krueger ever came back from the dead to brutalize a new crop of Elm Street kids? Or how often the Halloween franchise has been scavenged, rebooted, Zombie-fied, and generally flogged to death? Quick, can you name all the Texas Chainsaw movies? How about Hellraiser? Who the hell cares?"

 Well, Mr. Gleiberman, I care.  I love the genre, despite the many sequels that become further drivel with each fat Roman numeral.  I can name all the Hellraisers, all the Texas Chainsaw Massacres, and by the way, all the works of Nathaniel Hawthorne, William Melville, and the complete works of William Shakespeare.  What annoys me about your blanket dis at all fans of horror is that it makes us all the "fanatical droolers" of the "horror community," that you double quoted as if it's grimy place for all of us to be.  You're stereotyping, Owen, giving a set of traits to a legion of fans who are just as diverse as those who love romantic comedies, or westerns, or anime.  I care enough to give rebuttal to your article, and to say that people in your position should not use it to shun entire ethnographies of fans.

You take part of your article to link the reader to your dismal review of SAW VI.  But what were you trying to accomplish by drawing the very readers who love these movies to your review?  Was it to make them feel small?  And what of your positive review of PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, which you gave an A-?  In that review you state:

"With its this-is-really-happening vibe, Paranormal Activity scrapes away 30 years of encrusted nightmare clichés. The fear is real, all right, because the fear is really in you."

So you praise a poorly acted film in which absolutely nothing happens for about 84 minutes.  Were you then disappointed last weekend, when talk of applying one of those big, fat Roman numerals to it arrived?

Owen, it should be obvious to even the most casual observer that you have an attitude toward horror.  This prejudices your reviews of the genre's films.  Perhaps you should step into a horror fan's shoes, and see a few flicks from his point of view.  It may give you the well-rounded perspective you lack.

Feel free to write back here, Mr. Gleiberman, as I'd really like to debate this with you intelligently.

 --Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 04:43 AM | Permalink

Along for the ride were my cantankerous buddy John (he used to go by Brando) who I’ve known since high school, and a more recent friend Jonathan, who’s as much a staple on the circuit as some of the guests.  Each of us had our own agendas:  John was Hell-bent on meeting America Olivo;  Jonathan was out to catch up with some old celebrity friends, and had arranged an interview with Adrienne of the first two FRIDAY THE 13^TH films two weeks earlier.  Me, I was happy to know Mike Baronas.  Mike is the most fervent Fulci fan I know, and has parlayed that into managing many of the Italians who he’s loved on film.  He invited me to come to Worcester on the offer that I could have all the time I wanted to interview Catriona MacColl.

Posted by fasso at 10:40 PM | Permalink

Many NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD fans may not know the name Charles Craig, but they will certainly know his voice.  Charles was the radio newscaster, who later appeared on the TV to announce that the dead were, indeed, coming back to life and eating the living.  For Charles, a real-life radio man from Cincinatti who previously worked for NIGHT's producer, Karl Hardman, his now iconic announcements have made him a part of cinematic legend.

Charles Craig:  I went to Hardman on staff as a writer and an actor.  I came to them out of WCKY Cincinatti, my previous radio job, where I had been doing radio and news primarily for many years.  My job at Hardman was to create radio commercials for the advertising agencies.  So that’s how I happened to be on premises.

CC:  I was in my office one day, and Karl Hardman came in.  I knew there was a film underway, at least I was more or less aware of it.  And he came in and filled me in on the concept of the movie, and what was causing all the strange circumstances, premised by the movie.  And asked if I, as a newsman, could create what might be simulated news reports of the events going on.  That was right down my alley, so I changed the paper in my typewriter and went to work.

PF:  So you wrote those parts then.

CC:  Yes.

PF:  You play a radio broadcaster in the film, and later you show up on television newscasts.  How do you think the use of the news enhances the film?

CC:  My hope was that it would add a note of verisimilitude, a believability to the whole concept.  That was how I intended to present the news reports as they were coming into the news desk, to give it a sense of immediacy, a sense of, “Hey, this could really be happening.”

I was on location out in Evans City, out in the farmhouse.  I went up initially out of curiosity.  Of course, the Hardman folks were up there too, so as long as I was there, I was not about to get out of there without getting into makeup.  So I did.

The ghouls had very little to offer by way of voices.  So I think probably the most important contribution I made was as the newscaster.

PF:  Were you surprised by the success of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD?

CC:  Well, yes, I was.  I had no idea of the audience response to this.  As a matter of fact, it was quite some time after it premiered in 1968 that I became aware of crowds were showing up for it.  And I thought, “Well, this took me by surprise.”  Very, very pleasantly.

CC:  That was a nostalgic trip for me, because I did my part of it in the former Hardman studios building, which has been totally remodeled since we were there.  But I can visualize the way it was when we were there, on Smithfield Street.  It was pleasant to be able to hearken back to those creative days.  I think where they filmed me, at one time, we were in what I could characterize as a rehearsal hall.  We were doing quite a lot of work in industrial films, live industrial shows.  And so we would rehearse music and our dance steps and our choreography and our moves in this rehearsal hall, which is now a series of partitioned offices.

PF:  You’ve recently hit the convention circuit with others from NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, and you’ll be at the 2^nd Annual Living Dead Festival this weekend.  What appeals to you about conventions?

CC:  Well, I think it’s marvelous!  I was not yet on the start of the convention circuit.  It became apparent to me by happenstance.  A friend of mine from New Jersey, Jim Cironella, let me know about it.  And I said, “Yes, I’d love to be part of that,” so I did, starting in the early part of last year.  It’s amazing to see the turnout of people who really, seriously enjoy the film, and to become aware of many of the things that viewers are reading into the story;  which, as I understand it, was never meant to convey any particular message.  I know George Romero has often said, “We didn’t set out to say that at all.”  But some people are reading into it some sociological implications.  And fine, that’s good.  It wasn’t meant to be that way.  It wasn’t put there for that purpose, but it turns out that’s probably one of the things that contributes to the life of the movie.

CC:  As I say tongue-in-cheek, the movie is just like our ghouls;  it refuses to die.  It will go on, I think because it has definitely become a classic, and the timing of its release and its storyline was happenstance.  And happily so, because at that time, in 1968, the public was very much aware of space adventures.  The Russian Sputnik had been launched just a short time prior to that, and people were really interested in outer space, and what are these things bringing back to Earth.  So you had the premise of what’s causing our ghouls to come back to life.

PF:  And your voice will continue to be part of the legacy as the film goes on for many more generations to watch.

CC:  Well, thank you .  I am very, very fortunate to have been on the scene when the film was getting off the ground, and I just count my lucky stars that I was there to be able to work with this fine group of people.  Really not only good folks, but talented folks and they will always be cherished in my memory.

Posted by fasso at 05:34 AM | Permalink

Here at Icons of Fright, one of our most loyal friends over the years has been Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni.  A frequent collaborator of Dario Argento's, Ms. Tassoni is branching out into other artistic endeavors, the newest of which is painting.  Her artwork will be exhibited starting this week in New York.  Read the press release below, and view a piece of her art on the invitation card:

Conducted by Phil Fasso and Mike Cucinotta on October 26, 2009

So we're sitting here in The Frightquarters waiting for Tony Todd to report in. We interviewing him via telephone so no need to repeat his name five times. We tried it, it didn't work. (Ok, ok... we only got to 4 and turned the lights on.)

A funny thing pops up on our telescreen: An old doc on 'Bride of Frankestein', hosted by Joe Dante, starring Clive Barker and featuring Bill Condon, all of whom have worked with Todd. Barker and Condon having been involved in 'Candyman' and 'Candyman: Farewell To The Flesh', and Dante having recently directed him in 'Splatter', a new 3 episode web series, produced by Roger Corman and debuting exclusively for free on Netflix on October 29th.

Tony Todd chatting with us about this upcoming free web series, as well a few new and upcoming projects, and the legendary Candyman.

Mike:  Can you tell us about SPLATTER and your role in it?

Tony Todd:  This project was brought to my manager’s attention by Julie Corman, the wife of Roger.  You have an iconic figure not only in horror, but in the film business, and then when they told me Joe Dante was going to helm it, that sealed the deal for me.  Joe and I had met a couple of years ago when we were both working on MASTERS OF HORROR.  So it sounded like an interesting project, you’ve got basically all the survivors gathered together in a haunted mansion in Hollywood, and one by one, they get picked off, so it’s all about who lives out.  And I don’t play  Colonel Mustard.  It’s being streamed for free by Netflix, starting on October 29^th so you watch 10 minutes and deliberate you, and its macabre, and you decide who lives and who dies.

Phil:  Your character Spencer Pope is an agent, correct?  An agent or a manager type?

TT:  He’s a manager.  There’s a difference between an agent and a manager;  for all my life, I’ve been trying to figure it out.  But I think the two have different responsibilities.

PF:  So did you base Pope on real managers and agents you’ve had experience with?

TT:  Oh yeah.  Actors have to draw from their personality files, that they store up from living and watching people. So definitely, I know some agents, and I know a lot of managers, so there’s a little bit of this, a little bit of that.  Hopefully it’s communicated.

MC:  So what was working with Joe Dante like?  You said you spoke to him a little bit during the MASTERS OF HORROR, but this is the first time you’ve worked director/actor, right?

TT:  Yes, absolutely.  I liked him because he’s very calm, not jittery.  I like new directors if they’ve written their own projects.  Joe Dante is a different animal.  This is a man who develops a groove, and we’re able to develop a shorthand on a set.  You know what the other person’s capable of, what he’s comfortable with, and then you look each other in the eye and make collaborative choices.  And we all volunteered, and we’re all working well below scale here, and they came from vast projects, from PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN.

TT:  Oh, very fast.  I worked 14 hour days for 9 days.  We’re working up to the gills to make a total of 37 minutes of content.  The hardest job on the set had to be the script supervisor, who had to keep track of what everybody was doing.  We shot all the endings, multiple endings, and then come back and shoot it again.

MC:  So all of those are already shot, it’s just going to be what the audience decides.

TT:  Yes.

PF:  So what’s your opinion of the interactive aspect of SPLATTER, the fact that the fans get to choose?

TT:  With the popularity of the internet being at its highest ever, I think Netflix was wise to do this, they’re getting their advertising revenue, and they present something seemingly for free.  It brings attention to that company.  If it’s successful, they’ll be encouraged to offer more and get into the producing game.  And that’s always great.  It can’t hurt to have another producer out there, willing to take chances.  So hopefully it goes viral and I’ll benefit.  And if not, the best things at least attempt to succeed, and if they fail, it’s okay, it’s your heart on the line

PF:  Let’s talk about what you have coming up now?

I’ve had a great career, and I’m thankful for it.  Tonight, I have a first cast reading for this wonderful projected called DREAMING IN AMERICA, which is about immigrants arriving at JFK, who coexist and its effect.  That’s going to be a wonderful piece shooting five days from now.  And I got a shoot coming January for a movie called PRODIGY, which is a crime procedural.  And I squeeze in a few days on a project called ONE BY ONE, by a first time woman director/writer, at the end of the year.  And of course, I’m always gearing up for my directorial debut, ERIE, PA sometime next year

MC: What’s ERIE, PA going to be about?

TT:  It’s about 72 hours in the lives of two buddy bookies.  They did what they did, and now they’re in over their heads, and now there’s a timeline where they need to turn against each other or come up with the cash.  It’s like MIDNIGHT COWBOY.

MC:  So you’re writing, directing, producing the whole thing?

TT:  I’m writing and directing that, yeah.

MC:  What inspired you on this film?

TT:  I was a film geek fan when I was a teenager, in college, I got my Master’s degree.  I just love film, and I just want to tell intelligent, well-made stories, no matter what the genre is. That’s why Hollywood doesn’t understand why PARANORMAL ACTIVITY kicked its ass this weekend.  It has a different take on things, which is great.

TT:  I visited the Erie Horror Film Festival a few years ago, and I was raised in New England.  And it really struck me as this great dinosaur of a city.  You could see it’s magnificent, but it was stuck in the ‘70s.  And it just gave me the inspiration, because there’s this huge gambling problem going on there.  You’re in an area with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, and Erie is equal distance.  So the course of the movie is during a playoff game between those two teams.  And how that is played and not played.

MC:  Where will we see you after SPLATTER?  Will we see you return to the horror genre?

TT:  ONE BY ONE is kind of a FINAL DESTINATION-esque script.  And then they handed me a project called THE HAUNTED.  From the title, I assume that’s horror, right?

TT:  I just like good movies, and it’s not like I wake up on a Tuesday and say, “Give me a horror script.”  I definitely think because of my body of work, people inquire.  If the project’s good, and my schedule fits, I’ll do it.  But I like film, period.  I like film and theatre.  So if I can do one good play a year, and one great story, a good horror script, I’m happy.  Just don’t interfere with my Lakers when they’re on the march.

TT:  Which was my first film.

MC:  What is it that draws you to a role?  We talked about how you want to do one good play a year.  What is it that grabs you in a role?

TT:  Everything starts with the story.  You can’t do anything without a great story, or at least a story that has a beginning, middle and end.  Then you look at the character, then you ask, “How does the character relate to my own life?”  I’ve been fortunate because I grew up in Connecticut, spent 10 years in New York, I’ve been out here for, on and off, 15 years.  I’ve gotten to travel all over the world to apply my craft. When I got out of college, I used to go to the old Times Square.  Just walking through that block, you’d be confronted by so many different characters, and I would steal a little bit from here, a little bit from there.  Riding the subway I think is still a valid exercise.  Any actor who doesn’t ride the subway isn’t worth their salt.  All those people hiding behind the New York Post and the Daily News, there’s life there.  So you look at life and pay attention, and it’s all there.  People ask, How do you act?  How do you do it?  Well, how do you brush your teeth in the morning?  What are the little things you do to get going?  So it still excites me.  I think life is one big circus.  And you just don’t want to be the shit from the elephant.  You want to be the other end of the elephant.

MC:  Is there anything you always do when you’re taking a role on?

TT:  Yeah, I have a dream book for every character, where I do sketches.  I’m pretty much of an empath.  For instance, with the Candyman, I was having these dreams and visions and artwork, that led to his backstory of being an artist.

PF:  What do you think makes the Candyman an iconic character as far as horror characters go?

TT:  I’m still trying to figure that one out.  I just came from Chicago this weekend, it was Flashback Weekend.  And it was great, the love there.  The guy, somehow—it was 18 years ago, and the guy is somewhat of an urban, iconic hero.  And I remember when I met with Bernard Rose, in Chicago, and he was going on and on about how, “This part is going to change your life.”  You know, I was a little cocky there, “I’m gonna do a great job, but I doubt it’s gonna change my life.”  And in a way he was right.  If I knew the answer to that, I’d be a billionaire.  I would bottle it, and I would offer it for sale.  But he’s extremely popular in the urban areas and also in the deep South.

TT:  He’s especially popular among horror fans in those concentrated areas.

MC:  He’s like a classic moral monster.  He’s got a reason to be a monster.

TT:  Yeah, it’s the revenge factor.  It’s classic.  What we were going for in that first one was that tortured, interrupted romance between Virginia Madsen and myself.

TT:  Yeah, and there’s also the score by Philip Glass, the cinematography and Clive Barker’s imagination.  The best projects are built on collaboration.  And I hope we capture some of that with SPLATTER.  I think we’re gonna shock you with some of the deaths, because we didn’t do the arbitrary stab you with the butcher knife.

MC:  Is your character up on the line to be knocked off too?

TT:  Yeah, depending on how sick and twisted they are, they can vote me to die first.

TT:  Either way, we shot it all, so it’s all there for you to decide.

MC:  Will this be coming out on DVD, with all the endings?

TT:  I’m sure that’s the ultimate plan, to release it with all the versions.  Right now, we just want to get this whole buzz going, and hope that the viral campaign by Netflix gets people to see it. 

TT:  You never know.  They won’t be seeing him at the pay rate they got him at the first time!  But we did this one for love.

PHOTOS BY LISA ROSE (http://www.lisarosephoto.com)

Posted by fasso at 01:44 AM | Permalink

Well, my prediction was wrong.  Apparently, SAW fans have either grown tired with the franchise after five sequels, or they got caught up in the hype surrounding PARANORMAL ACTIVITY.  SAW VI suffered one of the worst openings in the series, with about $14 million, as PARANORMAL brought in $22 million, according to the IMDB.  The two movies were separated by only about 1/2 million dollars on Friday, but as the weekened went on, the gap grew.  I'm not sure what to make of this, to be honest.  My guess would be it's a combination of diminishing returns on a franchise and a large number of fans, including non-genre fans, running out to see the hot new thing they keep hearing about. 

Any way you look at it, it was a huge weekend for horror at the box office.  Our genre occupied the top two slots with a comibined $36 million dollars, and spots 7, 8 and 10 were also horror fare.  Granted, this isn't exactly surprising considering it was a week before Halloween, but it's encouraging for genre fans.

--Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 06:06 PM | Permalink

Given PARANORMAL ACTIVITY's rampant success at the box office this weekend, it should come as no surprise that Paramount is already discussing a sequel.  According to Filmshaft, studio president Brad Grey stated, "We have the rights on a worldwide basis to do PARANORMAL 2 and we're looking to see if that makes some sense." 

Given the film's $22 million weekend and the fact that it outgrossed SAW VI on that film's opening weekend by $8 million, a sequel would seem like a given.  But Filmshaft wisely points out the BLAIR WITCH 2 debacle, and questiions whether a sequel will cheapen the original, with the franchise feel.

Read Filmshaft's full article here.

--Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 05:39 PM | Permalink

Will Jigsaw run over the competition yet again?  Variety has an interesting article about the battle between SAW VI and PARANORMAL ACTIVITY for the top spot at the box office this week.  There's some intriguing information about how the movies break down across gender demographics, and mention of the other horror flick that's meant to fall behind this week, CIRQUE DU FREAK. 

With Lars von Trier's ANTICHRIST in limited release, and the L.A. and New York premieres of the horror spoof STAN HELSING, the market is going to be glutted this week.  I'll make a prediction here, and say that SAW VI will win out, as several of my friends saw it today and generally liked it.

Read the rest of the article here.

Posted by fasso at 03:53 AM | Permalink

EW.com posted an interesting interview with director Daniel Myrick, the auteur behind THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT.    Myrick discusses the comparisons being made between his first film and the recent phenomenon PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, calling them "flattering," and going on to say, "It’s encouraging to see another film come out that’s in the spirit of the Blair Witch aesthetic. And the marketing approach that’s doing so well reaffirms in my mind that you don’t need to spend a ton of money to have a successful film."

Answering questions, Myrick doles out some advice for the new film's makers, and talks about how everyone knows PARANORMAL is a piece of fiction, whereas plenty of folks thought that BLAIR WITCH was real.

Myrick comes off as a positive guy who appreciates how the newer film is generating buzz for his decade-old blockbuster indie hit.  Read the rest of the interview here.

Posted by fasso at 03:36 AM | Permalink

Halloween is a week from now, and there’s one very special way to celebrate it in Evans City, Pennsylvania this year, at Gary Streiner’s 2^nd Annual Living Dead Festival.  Recently, I interviewed Gary about his role in the production of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD.  Through Gary, I was able to interview another of the key people involved in the film:  his brother, the producer and the actor who played Johnny, Russell Streiner.

Russ was an important part of the Latent Image, a commercial filmmaking company which he founded with George Romero.  He’s since gone on to work on many films with another NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD collaborator, John Russo.  Russ was gracious enough to take some time today and discuss the legacy of the zombie classic with me, for his fans at Icons of Fright.

Phil Fasso:  How did you first get involved with George Romero?
 
Russ Streiner:  I started off wanting to be an actor, which I pursued through high school.  And after high school, I went to the Pittsburgh Playhouse School of the Theatre, and graduated from their two-year acting program.  While I was there, I was working in stage shows at night, and at one of those, I was cast with another fellow.  His name was Rudy Ricci, and we shared a dressing room.  Rudy had been attending classes at Carnegie Mellon University  (back then it was called Carnegie Tech).  He was taking art classes there, and he met George Romero in an art class.  George was transplanted, from the Bronx to Pittsburgh, to go to Carnegie Tech’s School of Painting and Design. Rudy brought George over to one of our shows one night, and that’s how I first got to meet him.  Then, within maybe six or eight months, George called me and asked me if I would be willing to be an actor in a movie that he was putting together, called EXPOSTULATIONS.  And I told him I would.  I showed up for my very first day of production, and really became intrigued with the whole film production part of the business, which I knew nothing about.  I stuck with EXPOSTULATIONS as an actor, and then also helped out on the crew.  That’s how George and I first met.  And we went on to set up a business and worked together for about 10 years.
 
PF:  How did your experience in commercials and industrial films help you to put together a feature film?
 
RS:  Any time you get a chance to practice your craft, whether it’s in short form like TV commercials or longer form like industrials, all of that goes to help you refine your craft.  And that’s certainly how our whole group got helped out, all of which led up to 1967, when we did the actual filming of NOTLD. 
 
PF:  What was the genesis of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD?
 
RS:  Basically it started off when we first got together.  We always knew that we eventually wanted to do a feature film.  So during the early ‘60s, by doing TV commercials and industrial films and educational films, we were able to accumulate equipment—by the time NOTLD came around in 1967, we were actually a self-contained production unit; we had everything we needed: camera equipment, sound equipment, studio facilities, mixing equipment, editing equipment, lighting equipment.  Then all we needed was a script.  And in late ’66/early ’67, John Russo, who was working with us, and George Romero started to put together the beginnings of a script.  We all chipped in ideas.  John Russo took all of the good ideas and wove them into what became the shooting script.  And that’s how it got started. 
 

PF:  What things did you bring to your role of Johnny?
 
RS:  Well, first of all, my body.  Secondly, I got the part of Johnny almost by default.  We had put together all of our pre-production efforts.  We had most of our casting done, but we didn’t have Johnny.  And the cemetery scene, coincidentally, was the very first scene we filmed, and we didn’t get finished with all of the filming that first day, so we had to relegate it to a second day of filming.  As it turned out, it was also the very last day of filming we had, so it was kind of an unusual circumstance.  But when it came to the first day of shooting, we still didn’t have a Johnny.  And the group said, “Well why don’t you just do Johnny?”  And so that’s how I got it.  So I’d like to say that it was some tough auditioning competition, but it was nothing like that.  I just happened to be around, had dark, horn rimmed glasses, and got the part.  I also had my background as an actor.  The fact that I was also a producer of the picture didn’t hurt my chances of getting to play “Johnny,” it was another actor that I didn’t have to pay because I was also an investor in the project.
 
When I got the part, I decided that I wanted to give him a couple of unique characteristics.  One of the things was how he taunted and tormented Barbra.  I wanted to make sure that he was always on the edge with Barbra, complaining about the time of day and how early they had to get up, one thing after another.  And one of the wardrobe elements, of course, were the driving gloves.  I wanted to make a big deal out of the driving gloves, which was my idea, because I knew when Johnny came back at the end of the film, I wanted to give him some sort of wardrobe signature that the audience would instantly know that it was him.  It would be nighttime, his glasses were gone, he would be surrounded by these other dead things.  So I wanted to give him a really instantaneously signature, and that turned out to be the driving gloves.  And it was a device that really worked.
 
PF:  Johnny seems like a very annoyed character.  What’s your view of him?
 
RS:  Well, I think underneath it typifies the kind of sibling relationship that a lot of brothers and sisters have.  Brothers especially get into taunting and tormenting their younger sisters.  And I think that comes through to the fans, and a lot of people comment on it, “Oh, that’s how my brother used to treat me,” and so forth.  So I wanted to keep it realistic on that level.  That plus the fact that we as actors knew what was coming, we knew that this was going to be the very first onset of the living dead things, and I just wanted to set the stage for the gloomy things to come.
 
PF:  A great part of the subtext of NOTLD is about family.  Johnny and Barbra don’t get along, and the Coopers argue as their daughter is dying.  Family was also behind the camera for you.  How was it working with your brother Gary and your mother?
 
RS:  Well, obviously, it was a very good experience for all of us.  My brother Gary worked with George Romero and myself since he was in high school.  When we filmed NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, Gary was 21.  So he had been working with us for a few years and was pretty good at any number of tasks.  On NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD in particular, he did an awful lot of the location audio work, and then ultimately the sound mixing work.
 
And as far as my mother, you have to understand, the way we were “constructed” at that time.  The company that George and I started was called the Latent Image.  And everybody’s family—George’s family, my family-- became an extension of the Latent Image.  So when it came to filming NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, we recruited my mother, my aunt Norma and several other family members to be zombies and so forth.  And my mother provided one of the key props for the cemetery sequence, her car.  So all around, it was pretty much of a family effort.  Gary was also one of the 10 original investors in IMAGE TEN, INC. the company that owns “Night.”  My mother was also one of the investors who put up money to help get the picture finished.
 

PF:  And of course there was the fortuitous car crash that George worked into the film
 
RS:  Well it wasn’t so much fortuitous for my mother.  As I said earlier, the cemetery sequence was the first scene that we filmed, and it was also the last scene.  Now, we filmed NOTLD in 30 days, but we had a break in the middle so we could go back and do regular commercial work that was keeping groceries on the table.  But from the time we filmed the opening scene until we got around to the time we finished the closing scene, my mother was driving her car back and forth to work, and someone crashed into her car.  And I said, “Don’t get it fixed, because we need a way to stop the car when Judith O’Dea releases the handbrake in the cemetery to get away from Bill Hinzman (the film’s cemetery ghoul), and we’ll do something with it, we’ll crash it against a tree or something like that,” and that’s what we ended up doing.  We filmed it in a way to make it look as though the car actually crashed into the tree.  So we were very resourceful.  We had to take all the negatives and turn them to positives somehow.
 
PF:  What was George Romero like as a director?
 
RS:  Working with George was always a good experience.  But understand, we had a business that we started in 1961, when we incorporated it.  So George and I had been living together, literally like brothers, sharing apartments, sharing literally everything.  We were as close or closer than brothers for quite a few years heading up to NOTLD.  And it was always great working with him.  And I hope he feels the same way about working with me.
 
 

 PF:  Casting a black man in the lead was a bold move, whether intentional or not.  What statement do you think it made, having Duane Jones in the lead?
 
RS:  Well, it became more of a statement than we had originally intended.  Quite simply, Duane Jones was the best person to audition for the part of Ben.  Up until we met Duane, our friend that I mentioned earlier, Rudy Ricci, was supposed to play the character of Ben.  The character was originally supposed to be a rough truck driver.  A mutual friend of George’s and mine was a woman by the name of Betty Ellen Haughey.  She grew up in Pittsburgh, but at that time she was living in New York, and she knew of Duane Jones. He’d started off in a suburb just outside of Pittsburgh, yet he was off in New York making a living as a teacher and an actor.  And she said to us, when NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD was really developing in pre-production and building steam, “You should really meet this friend of mine from New York, his name is Duane Jones.”  Duane happened to be in Pittsburgh visiting his family for one of the holidays, and we auditioned him.  And immediately, everyone including Rudy Ricci said, “Hey, this is the guy that should be Ben.” 
 
So that’s how we cast him, and we knew that there would be probably a bit of controversy, just from the fact that an African American man and a white woman are holed up in a farmhouse, being attacked by these living dead things outside, and they don’t really know what it’s all about.  So we thought there might be some element of controversy, but that it was worth going through that controversy to have Duane Jones as the lead.
 
PF:  When did you realize that Night had become a classic?  And how did that feel?
 
RS:  Well, we knew almost right away that it was going to be a popular film.  Classic is something that developed over the years.  We set out to make the best, scariest movie we could, with the relatively small amount of money that we had.  The fans made it a classic.  And of course, any time that happens to any type of work, it is incredibly flattering.
 
PF:  One of the notorious issues with NIGHT is the copyright issue.  You’re still fighting to get the copyright restored.  Do you think this will ever be resolved?
 
RS:  I hope it will be.  But it is an issue.  The copyright was wrongfully taken from us in the first place by the Copyright Office.  And so it’s a battle that won’t end, and is going on to this day.  We never, ever, ever intended for that picture to be offered up into the public domain.  And this dispute has been going on with the Copyright Office ever since.  Curiously, since NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, they’ve changed the copyright laws so the same kind of thing could not happen to a picture today.  So that’s the underpinning as to why we believe that our position is ultimately right.  And we just have to keep pursuing it, because it is rightfully our property, and there’s no other argument to be made.  It’s our property.

 

PF:  You’ve continued to work for several years both behind and in front of the camera with John Russo.  What draws you to working with him?
RS:  John Russo and I have a long work history together.  Although there were several years when we did not work together because we were doing different kinds of projects and had different goals.  Over the last several years however we have worked closely on any number of projects including one project we are most proud of and that is the John Russo Movie Making Program at DuBois Business College in DuBois, PA.  We are co-directors of that program and if I do say so myself, this is one of the most unique and best filmmaking programs anywhere.  This is a true hands-on filmmaking and master mentoring film program.  John and I and our senior instructor, Ephraim Stockwell, work side-by-side with our students.  We share our years of filmmaking experience with them to hopefully make them into mature filmmakers more quickly.  “Song of the Dead,” a 20 minute film, which will have its premier screening next Saturday night at the Evans City Living Dead Festival, is a film example of how John and I lead our filmmaking students through the various steps of actually making a movie.

Another project John Russo and I are working on is ESCAPE OF THE LIVING DEAD.  This promises to be a film that stays true to the roots of what makes a good zombie film- GOOD!  We will be able to say more about this project in the next month.

PF:  You make many appearances at conventions.  What appeals to you about the convention circuit?
 
RS:  The key thing would have to be coming face-to-face with fans, and understanding that this is a property that is now 41 years old, and it is quite phenomenal.  It doesn’t happen to a whole lot of movies that 41 years after the fact, the fans are showing up, they still want to meet you, still want to shake your hand, get an autograph.  And that is most flattering.  I can’t say that I understand it, but I certainly do appreciate it.
 
 

PF:  Your appearing at your brother Gary’s Living Dead Festival next week.  What are you looking forward to with that?
 
RS:  Well, it’s the same kind of thing, except the Evans City Living Dead Festival has a separate, special ingredient in that Evans City is the hometown of NIGHT OF THE LVIVING DEAD.  Practically all of the film was filmed in and around Evans City.  (The only exceptions were all of the basements scenes in the film; they were filmed in the basement of our office building in downtown Pittsburgh.  And then we’d set off one weekend to go to Washington, D.C. to shoot the sequence with the reporters and scientists and so forth). Aside from that, everything else was filmed in Evans City.  So Evans City is truly the hometown of NOTLD.
 
PF:  NOTLD has become a cultural phenomenon that has lasted more than 40 years.  As you prepare to meet fans at the LDF, what are your reflections on the film now?
 
RS:  Well, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD has taken on a life of its own, so to speak.  How that happened is, new audiences are constantly being introduced to it.  And that has perpetuated this film, and apparently, enough people think it’s a good picture, they find different things they like about it.  But this common creative effort that we all put together as a team, people are still sensing that there’s something good and valuable in the story itself.  And so, coming up to the 2^nd Annual Living Dead Festival in Evans City is another opportunity to meet fans.  But these fans are even a little more special, because they make the trek in from wherever they are into Evans City to celebrate the film where it was made.  And that’s a really good feeling for any creative endeavor.

PF:  Thank you for your time, Russ.
 
 
 
 

 

Posted by fasso at 12:44 AM | Permalink

EW.com is reporting that the TWILIGHT SAGA:  NEW MOON soundtrack had an auspicious debut at #2, after only three days of sales.  In that time, it garnered almost as many sales as TWILIGHT's soundtrack did in its first full week last year. Icons of Fright readers should be familiar with the week's #1 seller... Michael Buble`, the guy who kept Kiss from having their first #1 in a 35 year career, on last week's charts. 

I have a feeling that not too many genre fans are going to be happy with the Top 40 crooner.

Read the full article here.

-- Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 09:03 PM | Permalink

Over at EW.com, Michael Ausiello reports that the CW has picked up the last nine episodes of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, guaranteeing it a full season.  You may remember that the show's first episode was the highest premiere in the history of the young network.

I watch the last three minutes of every episode of VAMPIRE DIARIES, because I set my DVR a little early to catch the opening of my favorite current show, SUPERNATURAL.  I can only base my opinions on these last minutes of the show, but from what I gather, I can say this:  DIARIES should thank the success of TWILIGHT, with its bland, affected heroine and vampire anti-hero with tussled hair.

 Read Ausiellos' article to find out what else got picked up here.

--Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 08:44 PM | Permalink

EW.com has posted about a minute of teaser footage from TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON, that's pretty revealing:  both for the fact that it shows what the werewolves will look like in wolf form, and that the three muscle-bound man-wolves are shirtless.

Oddly enough, these werewolves aren't werewolves in the traditional sense at all.  They go straight from humans to regular wolves, with absolutely no sense of wolf/man hybrid.  Their only distinguishing characteristic is that these wolves are roughly the size of an 8-cylinder SUV.  AS my sister just informed me, this is because they're not technically werewolves, but shape shifters.  I'm not sure if that makes any sense, but yeah.

Check out the video here.

Posted by fasso at 11:39 PM | Permalink

Apparently I'm not the only one annoyed by how the inoperable cell phone has become useless in horror films.  Over at Cinematical, Scott Weinberg has suggested banning them altogether. 

Honestly, horror is loaded with cliches as it is.  In the 1980s, I remember almost every horror movie I saw had the old "car won't start as killer approaches," and there's always the "cat leaps out to cause a cheap scare."  I never dug those, and I don't dig the now-perfunctory "I have no reception" cliche that appears in nearly every horror movie I see.  Would it be that much of a stretch to assume that there are still characters in film who don't own a cell phone?

Read Weinberg's brief article here, and enjoy the clip he included, which may be the greatest Youtube video ever.

--Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 11:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This is an interesting one.  According to news from Hollywood Reporter, director Mike Mitchell's next project is sure to confuse a lot of fans.  The man who helmed SHREK FOREVER AFTER is to start work this summer on THE MONSTER SQUAD.  Another dreadful "re-imagining" of one of horror's cult classics, you say?

Hold on a second.  Not exactly.

 This new MONSTER SQUAD is not based on the older film at all.  Hollywood Reporter says it's actually based off a script from 2000, titled NIGHTCRAWLERS.  So the powers that be ditched the name of an X-Men character and decided to abscond with the name of a much loved flick from 1987.

I don't know which is more likely to anger horror fans:  making yet another tired sequel of a fan favorite, or liberally applying its title to an unrelated flick.  Either way, I'm sure this is likely to draw ire.

Read the full article here.

 --Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 04:08 AM | Permalink

According to Variety, actor Chris Messina of JULIE AND JULIA has signed on to star in DEVIL, a script based on an M. Night Shyamalan story.  DEVIL has some heavy duty genre cred, as it's to be co-directed by QUARANTINE's Drew Dowdle and his brother, John Eric, from a script by Brian Nelson, who penned 30 DAYS OF NIGHT.  It will be the first in a three-film deal under the banner Night Chronicles.

If you wonder how Messina will stand up to Satan himself, remember that he battled a bitchy wife who was obsessed with a cookbook in JULIE AND JULIA.  And Hell hath no fury like a Julie scorned.

Read the full article here.

--Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 11:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Variety has an interesting, short article that makes a comparison I've been making for weeks: that PARANORMAL ACTIVITY is similar in quite a few ways to THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT.  Both were made on a small budget, used the internet to gather fans, and have been wildly successful once going to a wide release.  I wonder if this will happen again in 2019 and ever 10 years after, as this appears to be an "every decade" sort of things.

As for quality, I liked BLAIR WITCH when I first saw it at a premiere at the Angelica in NYC, but a few years later, when I saw it again on disc, I thought it was merely okay.  I haven't seen PARANORMAL ACTIVITY yet, so I can't comment.

 Read Variety's full article here.

 --Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 10:49 PM | Permalink

We at Icons don't want you to think that we forgot about reviews, so here are 3 new ones for you!  Mike Cucinotta and I take a look at new Halloween favorite TRICK 'R TREAT, I give my views on the underappreciated George Romero film THE CRAZIES, and Australia's own Mad Man Dan Price sat through the Land Down Under's "you have to see it to believe it" HOWLING III.

Look for more reviews in the upcoming, as October is our favorite month for ghouls, crazies and marsupials!

-Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 08:44 PM | Permalink

EW.com is reporting that WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE has pulled in an estimated $11.9 million, roughly four times the $4.3 million that this week's remake of 1987's THE STEPFATHER has pulled in.  Given the fact that WILD THINGS, based on Maurice Sendak's beloved children's book (Mom read it to me when I was young) has received a huge studio push and that STEPFATHER wasn't even screened for critics (usually a sign that a studio doesn't want movie goers brushed away by bad reviews), this shouldn't be a great surprise.  Perhaps more of note, though, is that PARANORMAL ACTIVITY made roughly $6.7 million on Saturday.  I think it may be time to call it this decade's BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, given its huge take on its miniscule budget of $11 thousand, and the overlapping subject matter.

Read EW's full report here.

--Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 07:07 PM | Permalink

According to EW, Peter Jackson's upcoming film THE LOVELY BONES is set to play for the UK's Royal Film performance, a charity that's attended by member of the British Royal family.  Jackson and cast members will also attend.  Read the brief article here.

This means that the Queen of England may very well be watching a film directed by the guy who made BAD TASTE and MEET THE FEEBLES, and the zombie opus DEAD ALIVE.  It's a strange world.

Posted by fasso at 04:44 AM | Permalink

After doing a little digging, I found out some more good stuff about the Roger Corman/Joe Dante web series SPLATTER.  A look at the official site shows that the series will be interactive;  between episodes, viewers will vote for who lives and dies.  This is reminiscent of William Castle's Punishment Poll in MR. SARDONICUS.  As mentioned in our previous story, Corey Feldman will star, but I also discovered he'll be joined by The Candyman himself, Tony Todd.  The project also has a prestigious genre writer in Richard Christian Matheson, son of famed TWILIGHT ZONE writer Richard Matheson.

I'm a huge fan of both Dante and Corman's outputs, and it's great to see the two working together after many years (Corman appeared in Dante's LOONEY TOONS BACK IN ACTION, but let's pretend I didn't mention that movie). With some big names from the genre involved, this is sure to be a worthwhile project.  Check out the official website for video interviews and other extras.

--Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 10:47 PM | Permalink

Legendary low budget auteur Roger Corman has reunited with his protege Joe Dante for a three-episode Netflix exclusive, SPLATTER.  According to Collider.com, Corman's wife Julie will co-produce and Dante will direct Corey Feldman as title character Johnny Splatter.  Here's an excerpt from the press release:

“SPLATTER is the haunting tale of rock-and-roll legend Johnny Splatter, a musical genius who accumulated as many hit records as he did enemies on his climb up the fame ladder. His sudden death, ruled a suicide, brings a small circle of professional parasites and hangers-on to his Hollywood Hills mansion for the reading of his last will and testament. But as his “frenemies” come to pick the bones clean, Johnny has returned for a deadly encore long after what they thought was his final curtain.”

Joe Dante is one of my favorite genre directors, and he learned the ropes under Corman before going on to direct horror hits such as THE HOWLING and GREMLINS.  Corman made a career out of cheaply made flicks whose budgets often belied their quality.  SPLATTER seems like the perfect project for these two to helm.  As a precursor to Dante's new film THE HOLE, this project will be worth checking out.  IThe first episode debuts on October 29, and the series wraps two weeks later, on Friday the 13th.

 Read Collider's full article here.

 --Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 08:45 PM | Permalink

  The creepy little dude to the left could be riding off the screen straight into your lap next year.  Sitting down with IGN, SAW VI co-writers Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan and producer Mark Berg revealed that the next entry will make the jump to 3-D.  "SAW, just by the way it's shot, lends itself to being a 3-D movie," Berg stated.  He added that he viewed a short clip of SAW that someone had converted from 2-D and loved it, though he says that SAW VII will be shot in true 3-D, not changed over in post-production.

Dunstan goes on to say, "We've had a very flat surface to try to get a reaction out of you. Now, we get to push out a bit and envelop the viewer, still maintaining the patterns that have worked and been successful, but also to raise it up a notch." Melton adds, "in a way, when we go to 3-D on the Saw films, it's like an anti-3-D movie. We're now in a box, and it's going to make the house of horrors come to life even more."

Following the success of MY BLOODY VALENTINE and THE FINAL DESTINATION in 3-D, everyone seems to be going with the hot hand, straight into the third dimension.  Whether the trend will have burned out by then, only time will tell.  But given the success of the first five entries in the franchise, this could be an even bigger moneymaker.  Not surprisingly, the article also discusses plans for SAW VIII.

Read the full article here.

 --Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 05:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

So this surfaced on YouTube today...apparently zombies in new flick, Collapse, currently being lensed in Des Moines, Iowa had a few moments to reflect on their on undead state and do a little boogie:

Haven't heard of this flick yet, but according to the IMDB it's being directed by one Insane Mike Saunders and will star  Linnea Quigley (Return of the Living Dead, Sorority Babes At The Slimeball Bowl-o-Rama), Chris Mulkey ("Cloverfield), and Karen Landry. No official site listed but the production does have a Facebook Group. Also: COLLAPSE on IMDB

Posted by mikec at 04:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

There's an interesting article in Variety on Hammer Films.  According to the article, Hammer has signed on with PFD publishing, who will solicit new writers to bring fresh takes to old scares.  The studio is most famous for its updates of Universal Classics horror films, which introduced a mixture of sex, violence and color film to their predecessors, and teamed Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.  Hammer made a recent revival on the internet, and hopes to expand its name to the literary world now.

 Older fans are likely to rejoice at this news, but I fear younger genre fans are more likely to know Lionsgate and Darren Bousman than Hammer and Peter Cushing.  I don't know how popular the studio is in its home country of England, but the statements made by PFD's CEO Caroline Michel that, "Hammer is an iconic household name with a loyal fanbase and the raft of forthcoming initiatives will create a whole new generation of devotees," seems like more than a bit of a stretch.  I wish Hammer the best, as I always liked their films (even the bad ones) and look forward to seeing what these literary endeavors will produce.

 Read the full article here.

 --Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 07:20 PM | Permalink

Fearnet is posting that the new Slayer album, WORLD PAINTED BLOOD, will include a short film.  Sharing the name of one of the new songs, PLAYING WITH DOLLS is, according to its director Mark Brooks, "not live action and it's not animated.  It's a weird hybrid of the two, and I haven't seen a lot of things done this way."  Describing the film, he goes on to say, "It's a little weirder than your regular blood n' guts type thing," Brooks explained, "which I think is a reflection of Slayer's music."  The band says it's "no mere music video."

I love Slayer with a dark passion, and they're as brutal as music can get.  But I have to admit, after I watched the accompanying clip, this sure seems like a music video.  I'll have to wait until WORLD PAINTED BLOOD's release on November 3 to find out.

 Read the rest of the article here, and show no mercy in visiting Slayer's website.

--Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 06:57 PM | Permalink

According to Hitflix, Michael Buble has bested Kiss for #1 album on Billboard's Top 200 charts.  Released on Friday, his three days of sales beat out The Demon and The Star Man's full week of their album SONIC BOOM, their first new album in 11 years.  Had BOOM outdone Buble's CRAZY LOVE, it would have been the shock rockers' first #1 album in their 35 year career.

 Why am I reporting this on a horror site?  Kiss sports painted faced monsters, one of whom breathes fire and spits blood.  I'd say they qualify.  And of course, they were in the still-unreleased on DVD horror flick KISS MEETS THE PHANTOM OF THE PARK.  Just look at this dude, and you'll see why this news belongs on Icons:

Read the Hitflix article here.

--Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 06:36 PM | Permalink

  I still find it strange that they're remaking a Troma film that was directed by Lloyd Kaufman's brother, but for my fellow skeptics, there's more proof as of today:  The Mother's Day remake has its own website.  The original, about a demented mother and her brood who terrorize some people in the woods, is an underground favorite of Troma fans.  Darren Bousman of SAW and REPO: THE GENETIC OPERA fame is helming the remake, which is set to star Shawn Ashmore, who essays the role of Jimmy Olsen on SMALLVILLE, and Briana Evigan, recently in SORORITY ROW and daughter of Greg "B.J. and the Bear" Evigan.

Given the failure of SORORITY ROW and the popularity of Bousman, I'm interested to see how this one fares.  Check out the website here.

--Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 12:19 AM | Permalink

Hey TWILIGHT SAGA fans:  What do Edward Cullen, blaxploitation, German expressionism and SESAME STREET have in common?

This list.

Entertainment Weekly has compiled a "13 Great Pop Culture Vampires" list that includes some inspired choices.  The entries aren't numbered, so don't be shocked that Edward shows up early.  Though I was surprised that Gary Oldman's incarnation of Dracula shows up, as I didn't think he would reasonate on the pop cult zeitgeist so much anymore.  It's awesome, though, that there's now a list in this world that includes both Blacula and The Count.

 If you're in the mood for fangs and fun, give it a look!

 --Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 05:18 PM | Permalink

Another big day for digital releases of horror films. 

Perhaps the most anticipated DVD of the bunch is the long-awaited THE STEPFATHER, the Terry O'Quinn cult classic that has only been available by way of bootleg until now.  Fans can finally purchase a legitimate copy, that boasts several extras.  Another oldie garnering its first official release is HARDWARE.  If you're looking for new scares, DRAG ME TO HELL also comes out today.  For the kids, there's the animated KONG: RETURN TO THE JUNGLE.  The latter three are also available as Blu-Ray discs.

On the Blu-Ray front, THE CRAFT will see its first releases on the hi-def format.

As the calendar brings us closer to Halloween, the horror releases keep coming.  Pick up these and many more in the weeks ahead.

 --Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 04:15 PM | Permalink

The IMDB is reporting that internet sensation PARANORMAL ACTIVITY had a compartively tremendous weekend with a $7.07 million gross at the box office.  For an independent film that cost approximately $11 thousand, that qualifies this as a BLAIR WITCH PROJECT-type phenomenon.  Both low budget movies were helped by the internet;  in fact, PARANORMAL will get a wide release starting next weekend because one million people responded to Paramount's ballot.

ZOMBIELAND, last week's  number one at the box office, came in strong at #2 this weekend with $15 million, to bring its two-week total to $47.8M.  Clearly, horror is hot at the movies this Halloween month.

Posted by fasso at 12:59 AM | Permalink

If any of you read the earlier posted NIGHT OF THE DEMONS post I wrote about a picture, I've been informed that the Myspace page I got the picture from is actually a fansite.  As this is not an official site endorsed by the filmmakers, I'm immediately posting this retraction, and hope the article, which I have removed, caused no damage to the filmmakers or their project.

I originally chased down the Myspace page on an article posted here at Bloody-Disgusting, which actually makes no mention that the site is not official.  As it looks official and doesn't state anywhere that it's a fansite, I apologize for any inconvenience.  Here at Icons of Fright, we of course believe in journalistic integrity.  I will be more diligent in my reporting in the future.

Yours truly,

Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 12:31 AM | Permalink

Lists can be fun if I don't take them seriously.  I always like to see how other people compile "top" or "best of's," and it's cool to disagree with placements, omissions and inclusions.  As a zombie lover, I wanted to have a great time with Entertainment Weekly's "25 Best Zombie Movies of All Time."  Alas, as enjoyable as this one was for me to gloss over, I was majorly let down by two issues with the list.  Allow me to explain, as I prove that I took this list too seriously.

Any list is only as good as the person who assembles it.  And whoever assembled this one followed a regrettable trend common in EW's lists:  including recent material that may be hot now, but likely has no place on this list in the long run.  PLANET TERROR was a fun ride and I know how popular the underground [REC] is, but I find it hard to believe either would make this list in 20 years.  The real problem is, they're taking the place of justifiable entries that have longevity.

This isn't nearly as bad as the George Romero problem.  Yes, all five films in his zombie saga are represented, even DIARY OF THE DEAD, which many people despised.  But none of them make the top three.  As Romero is commonly acknowledged as the preeminent director of zombie lore, this is a sin.

Okay, for full disclosure, I take my zombies far more seriously than I take most lists.  As I once read in a book published by EW, the best thing about them is the fun in arguing them.  Give this one a look, and let me know if we should send these people after the folks behind this list:

 --Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 05:16 PM | Permalink

As the result of an odd marketing strategy, Paramount is going to release PARANORMAL ACTIVITY nationwide on October 16, Hitflix reports.  The studio promised that if one million fans cast their ballots on the internet and demanded a wide release, they would comply, and now they  have.  Many horror fans took this vote more seriously than the last presidential election, and they will get their film.

The movie has already gained $1.2M in its limited run, including $77K in midnight screenings alone.  Now we'll get the chance to see how it does with some studio push behind it.

 Read the full article at Hitflix here.

--Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 03:53 PM | Permalink

Mad props of the week go out to Entertainment Weekly for today's A-Z list of zombies.  Icons readers by now know my love of the living dead, and the last seven or eight years have been golden for me, since zombies have been more in the mainstream, instead of marginalized to the "Didn't that Romero guy direct a few of those?"

EW's "A-Z:  An Alphabetical Guide to the Living Dead" does a pretty good job of listing zombie-related materials, though I question letters I and O, among others.  And what the Hell is Edward Cullen doing on this list?  He's a vampire, and has no place here, other than the magazine's desire to mention a hot trend where it has no place being.  The list does, however,  make up for these by mentioning Lucio Fulci, the movie SHOCK WAVES, and the rather underground porno/zombie combo EROTIC NIGHTS OF THE LIVING DEAD (embarrassed to own it, yes I am).

Look, I'm not very good at making lists if groceries aren't involved.  But EW, hot on the heels of ZOMBIELAND's big opening weekend, does a pretty nice job here.  Not exactly some of the choices I would have gone with, but pretty solid nonetheless.  And they reveal what the "A" in George A. Romero stands for.

 Read the full article here.  Or she'll come and get you!

--Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 03:24 AM | Permalink

I didn't think I'd ever see it.  I thought it couldn't be done.  I considered it impossible.  But my friends at the Texas Frightmare have pulled off the biggest guest in all of conventions.

John Carpenter.

I don't know how TFW got him, but John Carpenter will be at their 2010 show.  Read that again.  John Carpenter.  Director of some of the greatest horror films of all time.  HALLOWEEN.  THE THING.  ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK.  BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA.  His earlier efforts read like a litany of horror's most accomplished films.  For the covention-goer, it doesn't get any bigger than this.

Here's TWF's press release.  If you have any love of horror, this is a tremendous to you:

 Join us April 30-May 2, 2010 in Dallas as Texas Frightmare Weekend salutes legendary filmmaker and composer John Carpenter! This movie maverick staggered audiences in 1978 by unleashing suburban boogeyman Michael Myers into our collective nightmares with Halloween. Carpenter's continued to chip away at frayed nerves with The Thing, Christine, The Fog and so many more, including fan-favorite Snake Plissken's misadventures in Escape From New York. We are tremendously honored John Carpenter has graciously accepted our invitation and we eagerly await his latest fright flick, The Ward!

Check out the TFW's site here for more guests! 

--Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 11:57 PM | Permalink

Carla Laemmle is turning 100 on October 20th of this year, and she's celebrating in style!  Fans will likely remember her for her onscreen appearance at the beginning of Universal's classic horror movie, DRACULA.  Some heavy hitters in horror and Gov. Schwarzenneger himself will be attending this milestone event.  Take a look at the official press release below:

“Carla Laemmle’s Centennial Birthday Gala”
 
CARLA LAEMMLE CELEBRATES HER 100TH BIRTHDAY WITH LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
AWARDS TO BE PRESENTED AT THE AMERICAN CINEMATHEQUE AT THE EGYPTIAN 
 
6712 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
 
Officially Sponsored by Famous Monsters of Filmland and Universal Studios 
Hosted by Tom Tangen, Inge Jaklin, Robert Bradford, Rosemary Weinglass,
and Robert Aragon
 
**** Photo Opportunity ****

Los Angeles, CA October 6, 2009 – American actress, Carla Laemmle, niece of Universal Pictures founder Carl Laemmle, will be celebrating her 100th birthday with her family and friends at the American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles, California on Tuesday, October 20, 2009. She will be presented with Lifetime Achievement Awards by Tom Tangen, Inge Jaklin and Dr. Udo Bayer. 
 
Special invited guests include Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Marvin Paige, Ray Bradbury, Leonard Maltin, Rick Baker, George Clayton Johnson, Sara Karloff, Bela Lugosi Jr., Leonard Neubauer, Scott MacQueen, Gloria Stuart, Earl Hamner, Lupita Tovar, Bob Burns, Ron Chaney, David Skall, and others.
 
Carla Laemmle’s birthday is a celebration of over eight decades in cinema. The actress has lived a most extraordinary life, growing up on her uncle’s Universal lot and witnessing the early years of Hollywood’s growth.  At just 16 she was the prima ballerina who danced in the Lon Chaney classic The Phantom of the Opera (1925).  She also spoke the first lines in Universal’s first “talkie movie” Dracula (1931) starring Bela Lugosi, the classic horror film that established the beginning of Universal Pictures’ success and legacy in popular horror films.  Carla Laemmle is now the last surviving cast member of both films.

Laemmle continued to star in small roles until the late 1930s and recently became the subject of two biographies titled after her immortal opening lines.  The first is a written biography by Rick Atkins called Among the Rugged Peaks: An Intimate Biography of Carla Laemmle. The second is a film biography, Among The Rugged Peaks, by actor, producer, and director, and interviewer, Tom Tangen, a red carpet favorite who has cataloged over 2,000 celebrity interviews.  The film, edited by Emmy-winning Mary DeChambres, will debut in 2010 from Elusive Entertainment [AmongTheRuggedPeaks.com]. 

In May 2009, Carla Laemmle also co-authored a book with Daniel Kinske, Growing Up With Monsters: My Times at Universal Studios in Rhymes, detailing her experiences growing up on a motion picture studio lot.  The instant hit offered an introduction by sci-fi legend Ray Bradbury and illustrations by Jack Davis and Hermann Mejia. Sponsored by Famous Monsters of Filmland and Universal Studios, the VIP private, invitation- only event will begin at 4:30pm with a dinner followed by special events. After-dinner celebrations include Carla Laemmle’s Lifetime Achievement Award Ceremony, a ballet performance organized by Famous Monsters of Filmland’s Robert Aragon, musical performances, a speech from the birthday girl, and concluding with a coffee and birthday cake social hour featuring live piano.

Posted by fasso at 09:26 PM | Permalink

It looks as if the TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE franchise is going in a new direction.  According to Variety, Twisted Pictures is aligning itself to restart the franchise yet again, and this time in 3D.  Apparently, the per-picture deal that Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes had with the rights owners of TCM fell apart in talks for a third film.  So they sold the rights to the people at Twisted for a multi-picture deal.

I know the SAW pictures are still very popular, and it's the only real horror franchise up and running.  But this deal comes with plenty of problems.  First, there's the fear that they might turn the Leatherface family into a "traps and puzzles" sort of thing, because that's what they're good at.  Then there's the 3D aspect;  I gather they'll be swinging phallic chainsaws in audience's faces for 90 minutes.  Most disturbing of all, though, is that this means it's likely that the TCM franchise will cast aside the Platinum Dunes movies, and start yet again.  We'll have to wait and see how Twisted handles the movies to see if any of these problems crop up.

 You can read the full article here.

--Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 05:13 PM | Permalink

Apparently TRICK 'R TREAT isn't the only hot horror flick looking to go franchise this week.  In a recent interview with MTV.com, ZOMBIELAND writer Paul Wernick related his hopes that his recent #1 box office hit might get a sequel.  According to Wernick, after seeing the final cut of the film Woody Harrelson told him, "I've never wanted to do a sequel in the previous movies I've done until this one." Much like George Romero's DIARY OF THE DEAD, ZOMBIELAND started off as an idea for a TV pilot back in 2005, so its episodic origins would lend it to sequels.

The sequel might not come for a while, though.  Wernick and his writing partner Rhett Reese just handed in a draft for the SPIDERMAN spin off VENOM, and are also hard at work on a project tentatively titled EARTH VS. MOON.  But with the near $25 million draw of ZOMBIELAND'S opening weekend, it would be hard not to make a sequel at this point.

So while it looks as if we may never see WHITE MEN STILL CAN'T JUMP, look forward to ZOMBIELAND 2 at some point.

Read the full article here.

Posted by fasso at 04:56 PM | Permalink

According to MTV's Movie Blog, writer/director Michael Dougherty has more in store where TRICK 'R TREAT came from.  The X2 writer would like to put out sequels to the film every other October, if not every.  Dougherty thinks the anthology format leaves the film open to sequels.  He's even got much of the next film planned:

“I know how the next one ends, I know who the main villain would be – let’s just say that there’s a whole contingent of people out there who hate Halloween, who try to convince people that Halloween is a genuinely evil holiday that should be avoided. And I’d like to see Sam go up against one of those types.  No, no [it’s not a recurring character from the original film]. I just know the type of character – when I sat down to write TRICK 'R TREAT I knew that the final battle would be between Sam and a kind of Scrooge – Brian Cox’s character is very much Scrooge for Halloween. I know who that antagonist would be in the next film.”

TRICK R TREAT was an enjoyable film that acknowledged its influences.  The biggest influence on Dougherty's plan for sequels would obviously be the HALLOWEEN franchise.  Carpenter's original is a classic, but the many sequels that followed were uneven, and often inferior horror films.  Let's hope that Dougherty's series does not go the same way.

Click here for the full article.

Posted by fasso at 05:11 PM | Permalink

Shockya.com unveiled a new foreign poster for TWILIGHT SAGA:  NEW MOON, which you will find below.  As is plainly evident, this poster does not even try to sell the horror aspect of the film, which is tangential at best.  Instead, it sells the beefcake side of things, and therefore means to appeal to the 12 year old girl who comprises NEW MOON's audience.  This is consistent with other posters that focus on the werewolf pack that fight the vampires in the film.

Posted by fasso at 04:58 PM | Permalink

Ever wanted to produce a top flight box office juggernaut?  Have a thing for hideously deformed monster heroes of superhuman size and strength?  Are you a nerdy old Jew with a flamboyant taste in bowties?

 If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then you're likely a part of the Troma Army.  And you're in luck, because Troma Studio's co-founder and creator of the Toxic Avenger himself, Lloyd Kaufman will be making a personal appearance in NYC.  On November 17th at the Drama Book Shop, Lloyd will be discussing his new book, PRODUCE YOUR OWN DAMN MOVIE, the third in his "Own Damn Movie" series. 

My buddy X and I went last April Fool's Day to his personal appearance at the Strand, where Lloyd was selling his DIRECT YOUR OWN DAMN MOVIE, and I can say this:  Lloyd may seem offbeat, but he is a wealth of information when it comes to moviemaking, as he's thrived for the last 35 years at it.  If you're interested in filmmaking, or just want to meet Uncle Lloyd, this is worth checking out.

Click here for information on the Drama Book Shop.  And if you happen to be in Venice, Italy this weekend, you will find Lloyd there, probably selling books and showing POULTRYGEIST.  I won't be at that one.

Posted by fasso at 05:00 AM | Permalink

I'm not a 12 year old girl, so I'm not the target audience.  But for all you 12 year old girls, or those with the heart of a 12 year old girl...

 Death Cab for Cutie's new video "Meet Me on the Equinox," which features scenes from TWILIGHT SAGA:  NEW MOON, is out for the public, and E! Online's got it.  The video falls into the "band is in a location from the movie playing live, with footage from the film intercut between band scenes."  I prefer it when videos for movie songs actually have the actors and the band interacting, but the style of the Death Cab video has been far more prominent for many years.  Hey, I should just be impressed that somebody actually made a video, as so-called "video channels" are about 85% trashy reality TV.

 If you want to check out the video, click here or watch below.  My sister is sure to watch it 67 times over, and she'll be 31 next month.

 --Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 04:37 AM | Permalink

But will the fans benefit from it?  Many, myself included, have questioned Platinum Dunes for plundering iconic characters and plumping them down in  remakes that are slick, vapid and uninspired, nowhere comparable to the seminal originals.  We'll have to wait and see how Mr. Autobot's company deals with this newly acquired wealth.

Posted by fasso at 07:36 PM | Permalink

Adrien Brody:  sci-fi action star?  It seems to be, according to Variety.  20th Century Fox has added Brody, famous for his Oscar-winning role in maligned director Roman Polanski's THE PIANIST, to the cast of Robert Rodriguez' PREDATORS.  Variety claims that "Brody is playing a character close to (the Schwarzenegger lead) in the 1987 original. He's a mercenary who tries to keep his team alive when its members are hunted by the aliens." 

Okay, I'll say it.  This seems like the biggest case of miscasting since Kate Bosworth inhabited the role of Lois Lane and trampled it.  Brody has played edgy roles in SUMMER OF SAM and THE JACKET, but he doesn't seem lively enough to pull off a role that requires this much charisma.  And let's face it:  physically, he's way too small (he roughly weighs as much as Arnold's left calf).  Hopefully I'm wrong about this one, and Fox is betting that I am, because Variety states they've signed Brody to a multi-picture deal in hopes of turning this into a franchise. 

We'll have to see how this turns out.  For the time being, let's hope this casting isn't as bizarre as when Brody made out with Halle Berry at the Oscars.

Posted by fasso at 07:00 PM | Permalink

Max Brooks recently sat down with CNN to discuss his new graphic novel, THE ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE:  RECORDED ATTACKS.  With artwork provided by Ibraim Roberson, Brooks' new endeavor will chronicle humankind's fights with zombies all the way back to the dawn of man.  The author-- a self-described "history nerd" -- even brings the war between the dead and the living to feudal Japan, for some zombies vs. ninjas action. 

 As for working with Ibraim, Brooks says, "He's head and shoulders above most people illustrating today.  The book itself is unique and I wanted a unique look. His artwork is unlike anything else I've ever seen, zombies or otherwise ... . He's so meticulous."

 Brook's previous ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE is a step-by-step procedural on how to survive the zombie apocalypse.  I've read it, and thought it was brilliant and witty in taking a different stance on undead entertainment.  Brooks' fans should look forward to his upcoming graphic novel.

--Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 06:02 PM | Permalink

Writer/director Michael Dougherty recently sat down with mtv.com to discuss today's long-awaited appearance of his movie TRICK R TREAT, which has been floating around since 2007 awaiting an official DVD release.  In the article, Dougherty discusses how he's actually happy that the film didn't get a wide release in theatres, as he's assured it would have done poorly and disappeared by the time the weekend was done.  What's really interesting about the article is Dougherty's mention of the effect that Twitter and Facebook have had on the anticipation for the film.  According to the article, the film sports a perfect 100% on www.rottentomatoes.com, and the director mentions that the DVD is outselling TRANSFORMERS 2 on Amazon.

TRICK R TREAT has been plagued by a studio that didn't know how to handle its release, and it's good to see that horror fans nationwide will finally be able to get the DVD they deserve.  Now we'll see if it lives up to all the surrounding buzz.

 Read the full MTV article here.

Posted by fasso at 01:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

According to Steve "Uncle Creepy" Barton at Dread Central, Paranormal Activity is expanding to new locations.  The much hyped indie film will hit Toronto, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Cleveland, El Paso, Boston, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Hampton Roads metro area, Kansas City, Portland, Salt Lake City this weekend.

According to Barton, Paramount has promised to release the film nationwide once it receives one million requests from fans.  This is an odd marketing strategy for a major movie studio, but it sound effective.  Let's see if fans flock to this film in droves and get Paramount to distribute it coast to coast.

--Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 07:16 PM | Permalink

Icons resident staffer Mike Cucinotta recently noted that there's certainly no shortage of classic and revered horror films showing this October.  Well, genre fans who travel the convention circuit will not be left wanting this Halloween weekend, as three conventions hit different parts of the map, each bringing its distinct flavor.

Chiller Theatre:  This twice-yearly mega-event brings a number of faces to Parsippany, NJ.  The convention boasts mainstream stars such as Ann-Margret, Mickey Rooney and Monkey Davy Jones;  convention stalwarts the likes of Kane Hodder, Brinke Stevens and NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD's Bill Hinzman;  and a few genre rarities such as Lance Guest and Catherine Mary Stewart of NIGHT OF THE CREEPS.  Because of the recent downturn in the economy, Chiller has downsized this Halloween's show.  But I can personally attest:  I've been to every Chiller for 5 1/2 years, and I've never been disappointed.  Look forward to a show with a little bit of something for everybody.

The Living Dead Festival:  If you're more in the mood for the undead, and you plan on being in the Pittsburgh, PA area for All Hallow's Eve, then Gary Streiner has put together a show for you.  The LDF celebrates the 42nd anniversary of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, with the first-ever convention appearance of Judith Ridley, as well as a Streiner family reunion, as brother Russ and their mother join on the ghoulish fun.  The festivities conclude Saturday night with an outdoor showing of the film that inspired it all.  The LDF is a dream for fans of NIGHT that only Gary can provide.  I'm so impressed that I'll be attending both Chiller and Gary's show.

Fangoria's Trinity of Terror:  If I could stretch my endurance and bank account, I'd be sure to attend the Trinity of Terror, hosted by fellow website/horror magazing Fangoria.  Las Vegas will be swinging with horror films and celebrities.  The festival will include live music from Slipknot and a showing of George A. Romero's new zombie chapter, SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD.  There are far too many guests to list, but the headliners will be Malcolm McDowell, Romero, Roger Corman and... John Waters.  Remember, what happens at a horror convention in Vegas...

 Add in the upcoming Rock and Shock in Worcester, MA in two weeks, and genre fans across the map will have plenty of opportunities to meet their favorite horror celebrities.  So for lovers of film, conventions and heavy metal, there's a little bit of something for everyone this October.

 For information on each convention, click on the individual links.

Posted by fasso at 06:21 PM | Permalink

So a zombie and a blob walk into a bar...  Ok, I'm kidding.  As Rob Zombie prepares to remake the Steve McQueen classic THE BLOB, the people at Bloody-Disgusting recently caught up with him on the red carpet at the Chiller Eyegore Awards, where he had this to say:

 “I’m about halfway [done]."  Zombie also indicated that he's not sure what the Blob should look like:  “I’m still working on it, so I cant really say… I was thinking, you know, it wasn’t going to be a big red globby thing. I don’t know what it IS going to be, it’s more like I know what I DON’T want it to be.”  Apparently, it would be too easy to make the Blob look like... well, a blob.  For the 98% of the people who couldn't tell what was going on in H2 because the cinematography was so dark, Zombie also said he'd like to work with DP Brandon Trost again

 After the disappointing critical drubbing and fan reaction at the box office to H2, many fans are curious to see where Zombie's career as a horror director will take him next.  It'll be interesting to see how he re-envisions THE BLOB.

 To read Icons of Fright's first, second and third interviews with Rob Zombie, click on the links.

Posted by fasso at 04:31 PM | Permalink

The Chinese proverbs warns you, "May your life be interesting," and today sure is an interesting day for DVD and Blu-Ray releases, to say the least.

This week sees the DVD releases of the much lauded THE CHILDREN, as well as a pair of remakes, one long shelved, one a SyFy version of a Stephen King adaptation that's being remade elsewhere, neither much called for.  Yes, Oct. 6 sees the release of IT'S ALIVE and CHILDREN OF THE CORN.

 For those with Blu-Ray players, Takashi Miike's deceptively vicious AUDITION sees its re-release in the high-def form.  Miike's Japanese, and I can personally affirm that the Chinese proverb doesn't apply to this one.  At least not until it's killer ending, which should shock and disgust like few others.

Posted by fasso at 04:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The undead sure have a lot of life left in them.  According to the IMDB, the Woody Harrelson undead road trip ZOMBIELAND took the top spot at the box office this weekend, with an estimated $27.4 million.  It bested the previous front runner, CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS, by about $9 million.  Since 28 DAYS LATER came out in 2002, there has been an increasing interest in zombies for more than half a decade now, including yet another remake of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (please, don't even start me on this;  it's the film equivalent of trying to clone Jesus).  Given the recent box office failures of H2, SORORITY ROW and JENNIFER'S BODY, Harrelson and co. have every reason to pat themselves on their backs with their hedge clippers.

 --Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 04:31 AM | Permalink

Gary Streiner is putting the final touches on his ode to NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD with this Halloween Weekend's Living Dead Festival, and people are starting to notice.  The fest recently garnered notice in the Pittsburgh Triblive, and Your North Hills.  The first article speaks of the timeliness of the festival and the timeless of the movie itself, while the second comes from the writer's very personal relationship to the film.  Gary's personal investment in not only the festival but in keeping the movie's history intact have made him beloved in the hearts of ghoul-lovers everywhere.  If you're a fan of Romero-style undead or zombies in general, Gary has a place for you in his heart and in Evans City, PA this Halloween weekend.

 The Living Dead Festival takes place on October 30-31, with many first-time guests such as Judith Ridley, as well as an outside showing of NIGHT on Halloween night, which Gary says should be held under a full moon.  Visit the Living Dead Festival's site, and be sure to make friends with him on Facebook.

                                                                                                                      --Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 03:13 AM | Permalink

It’s just two weeks until the next Rock and Shock, Massachusetts’ annual marriage of two perfect partners, horror and heavy metal.  On October 16-18, the convention/ marathon concert offers up a solid lineup of horror favorites signing autographs, and a veritable Woodstock of evil music that is sure to please any dark and brooding fan of the macabre.

The autograph signings for the weekend brings a wicked group of convention stalwarts:  Headlined by Malcolm “Hey, Don’t Blame Me for H2” McDowell and American Werewolf in London director John Landis, the con also boasts appearances by two Jasons, Derek Mears and Kane Hodder;  Rob Zombie favorites Walter Phelan, Sid Haig and Bill Moseley;  original Halloween scream queen P.J. Soles;  and the star of the legendary Dentist franchise, Corbin Bernsen, just to name a few.  The highlight for me is the Fulci trio of Al Cliver, Ottaviano Dell’acqua and the lovely Catriona MacColl.  Now that Chiller has decided to downsize this October show and discontinue the Italian Invasion’s assault that it started back in April, this is the best collaboration of Italian stars to hit the northeast this October.   Make sure to thank Mike Baronas personally for this, as his love of all things Fulci has compelled him to bring some of the maestro’s most famous stars to the convention.

The concert end of things offers a mix of established favorites and new groups.  Revco, Type O Negative and the Misfits prove that longevity is on their side as they rock the Palladium alongside the Insane Clown Posse and some newer metal groups such as God Dethroned and Abigail Williams (who may be my favorite named band of all time, as I revere Arthur Miller’s The Crucible).

Rock and Shock looks to provide exactly what its title rather bluntly suggests.  With the line up of musicians and horror favorites, it should destroy all sense of the sacred in Mass, and leave carnage and destruction in its wake.

If you are interested in attending, please follow the link to the Rock and Shock.  And you can always visit Mike Baronas' site, Paura, to find what interesting things he's got going for the Italians.

--Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 10:34 PM | Permalink

A fellow writer on another site pointed out something today: We like to complain that there isn't any good horror movie programming going on in NYC, but there's almost always something going on if you look hard enough. Of course, you're not likely to see catch NYC's finest horror programming on many of the other sites, seeing as all those shockers are far too centrally located in disgusting California. (I see what you did there...) Who has the time to search through the hundreds of theater listings in Manhattan to find a good batch of flicks playing. We do! We do!

There's the SCARY MOVIES 3 Film series at the Walter Reade Theater by Lincoln Center (classy!), the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) has a Creepy Cat series coming up and a number of other genre flicks programmed for October, and The Sunshine Landmark Cinema in Manhattan ALWAYS has a midnight cult-flick screening every Friday-Saturday-Sunday, and this month is full of some treats.

So here's a listing of old-school and modern classic horror screenings going on that will give you plenty to look at this October in the NYC area. Know anymore? Let us know!

'SCARY MOVIES 3' Film Series at THE WALTER READE THEATER

The Walter Reade Theater is located at 165 W. 65th St. (upper level) on the Upper West Side.

Single Screening Tickets:
$7 members/students/child - $8 senior - $11 public
Online service charge: $1.25 per ticket ordered.

Series Pass ($45 public/$30 member): admits one person to five titles in the series; only available for purchase at the box office ~ subject to availability. Certain restrictions apply.

MORE TICKET INFO - http://www.filmlinc.com/buytickets.htm

Posted by mikec at 09:22 PM | Permalink