True lightning-in-a-bottle phenomena are immensely difficult to recapture. 60 years after "The Twilight Zone" completed its initial run in 1964, subsequent attempts to resuscitate the property -- either with an anthology film or reboot series -- have failed to match its cultural impact, even with vaunted directors Steven Spielberg, George Miller, Wes Craven, William Friedkin, Jonathan Frakes, Ana Lily Amirpour, Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead, and Osgood Perkins lending their talents behind the camera. It's a testament to everything the late Rod Serling accomplished with his surreal amalgamation of genre storytelling and social commentary that we tend to overlook his many other significant contributions as an artist (which include co-penning the 1968 "Planet of the Apes" movie).
When the original "Twilight Zone" ended, however, its legacy seemed far from assured. Serling had burnt himself out after writing so many episodes for the series, with the consensus being that the show's final two seasons were...
When the original "Twilight Zone" ended, however, its legacy seemed far from assured. Serling had burnt himself out after writing so many episodes for the series, with the consensus being that the show's final two seasons were...
- 4/21/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
These last few years the Criterion Channel have made October viewing much easier to prioritize, and in the spirit of their ’70s and ’80s horror series we’ve graduated to––you guessed it––”’90s Horror.” A couple of obvious classics stand with cult favorites and more unknown entities (When a Stranger Calls Back and Def By Temptation are new to me). Three more series continue the trend: “Technothrillers” does what it says on the tin, courtesy the likes of eXistenZ and Demonlover; “Art-House Horror” is precisely the kind of place to host Cure, Suspiria, Onibaba; and “Pre-Code Horror” is a black-and-white dream. Phantom of the Paradise, Unfriended, and John Brahm’s The Lodger are added elsewhere.
James Gray is the latest with an “Adventures in Moviegoing” series populated by deep cuts and straight classics. Stonewalling and restorations of Trouble Every Day and The Devil, Probably make streaming debuts, while Flesh for Frankenstein,...
James Gray is the latest with an “Adventures in Moviegoing” series populated by deep cuts and straight classics. Stonewalling and restorations of Trouble Every Day and The Devil, Probably make streaming debuts, while Flesh for Frankenstein,...
- 9/28/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Stars: Topher Hansson, Kamarra Cole, Lisa Wilcox, C.J. Graham, Michael Shields, Trent Haaga, Felissa Rose, Warrington Gillette | Written by Vincent Cusimano, Lola Devlin | Directed by Tom Devlin
Teddy Told Me To, the directorial debut of effects artist Tom Devlin is based on a character he created for an episode of SyFy’s makeup show Face Off back in 2011. Teddy was designed to be the villain for a slasher film, and now eleven years later, he’s just that.
The film opens with a YouTuber sneaking into an old haunted attraction, “abandoned since all the way back in the 90s!”, only to meet a bloody end. That video is being watched by Danny and Zoe who are meeting a realtor about that very property.
Of course, they buy it and renovate it with visions of making a killing in the spooky season. When their groundskeeper Ron tells them somebody made a...
Teddy Told Me To, the directorial debut of effects artist Tom Devlin is based on a character he created for an episode of SyFy’s makeup show Face Off back in 2011. Teddy was designed to be the villain for a slasher film, and now eleven years later, he’s just that.
The film opens with a YouTuber sneaking into an old haunted attraction, “abandoned since all the way back in the 90s!”, only to meet a bloody end. That video is being watched by Danny and Zoe who are meeting a realtor about that very property.
Of course, they buy it and renovate it with visions of making a killing in the spooky season. When their groundskeeper Ron tells them somebody made a...
- 2/16/2023
- by Jim Morazzini
- Nerdly
Evoking the idiotic but undeniably iconic image of a shrieking woman and her bouncing boobs running for their lives, the term “scream queen” has shaped horror actresses’ careers ever since Fay Wray climbed the Empire State Building with King Kong in 1933. And yet, the half-funny play on words, nebulously defined and as outdated as the surface-level conceit it describes, doesn’t mean much of anything to the modern moviegoer anymore.
Unlike the “final girl” — a phrase coined and carefully considered in Carol J. Clover’s 1992 “Men, Women, and Chainsaws,” describing the scrappy last victim in your basic slasher — scream queens still don’t have a shared definition among contemporary critics. The term has been retrofitted to acknowledge undeniable legends of the genre like Elsa Lanchester, the “Bride of Frankenstein” herself, and applied to newer genre mainstay actresses from Toni Collette to Jenna Ortega.
But outside of a string of 2015 think-pieces...
Unlike the “final girl” — a phrase coined and carefully considered in Carol J. Clover’s 1992 “Men, Women, and Chainsaws,” describing the scrappy last victim in your basic slasher — scream queens still don’t have a shared definition among contemporary critics. The term has been retrofitted to acknowledge undeniable legends of the genre like Elsa Lanchester, the “Bride of Frankenstein” herself, and applied to newer genre mainstay actresses from Toni Collette to Jenna Ortega.
But outside of a string of 2015 think-pieces...
- 10/9/2022
- by Alison Foreman and Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Two of the greatest and most successful horror films made in the wave that followed the successes of Dracula, Frankenstein, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in 1931 were virtually lost for much of the ninety years since their release. It is true that the black and white versions of Doctor X (1932) and Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933) remained in circulation in various forms for much of that time, but the original Process 2 Technicolor versions were thought to be gone forever or at least damaged beyond repair.
The films have much more than this in common. Both share much of the same talent both in front of and behind the camera as well as similarities in tone and character. They are the first horror films made in color and examples of early horror-comedies. They are also prime examples of “pre-code” horror with the most subversive moments generally used for comedic effect...
The films have much more than this in common. Both share much of the same talent both in front of and behind the camera as well as similarities in tone and character. They are the first horror films made in color and examples of early horror-comedies. They are also prime examples of “pre-code” horror with the most subversive moments generally used for comedic effect...
- 9/21/2022
- by Brian Keiper
- bloody-disgusting.com
Jaume Collet-Serra‘s 2005 House of Wax remake is a mashup of influences and intentions. It’s supposedly based on Andre DeToth‘s 1953 thriller of the same name, itself a remake of 1933’s Mystery of the Wax Museum — but you couldn’t tell based on watches alone. Collet-Serra admits in Fangoria Magazine that his House of Wax […]
The post ‘House of Wax’ 2005 Turned a 1950s Horror Movie into a Slasher Spectacle [Revenge of the Remakes] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
The post ‘House of Wax’ 2005 Turned a 1950s Horror Movie into a Slasher Spectacle [Revenge of the Remakes] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
- 1/31/2022
- by Matt Donato
- bloody-disgusting.com
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we usually talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they produced in between. Today we give you a themed episode!
As 2022 approaches, we dive deep into New Years-set movies through the years. We start with Michael Curtiz’s influential Mystery of the Wax Museum, move over to the modern cult classic 200 Cigarettes, and finish with the 2006 remake/flop Poseidon.
This is an eclectic mix! Curtiz is one of our great filmmakers and it’s fascinating his Wax Museum, which came before his stone-cold classics Captain Blood, Casablanca, and The Adventures of Robin Hood. And 200 Cigarettes features perhaps the most specific, wonderful 1999-represented cast ever. Finally, Poseidon is certainly a film that was made and then released into theaters.
We discuss the holiday itself and why exactly it is something we celebrate,...
As 2022 approaches, we dive deep into New Years-set movies through the years. We start with Michael Curtiz’s influential Mystery of the Wax Museum, move over to the modern cult classic 200 Cigarettes, and finish with the 2006 remake/flop Poseidon.
This is an eclectic mix! Curtiz is one of our great filmmakers and it’s fascinating his Wax Museum, which came before his stone-cold classics Captain Blood, Casablanca, and The Adventures of Robin Hood. And 200 Cigarettes features perhaps the most specific, wonderful 1999-represented cast ever. Finally, Poseidon is certainly a film that was made and then released into theaters.
We discuss the holiday itself and why exactly it is something we celebrate,...
- 12/30/2021
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
Lock the doors. Turn on the lights. Check under the bed. Crank up the volume. It’s time for another Halloween Parade!
Please help support the Hollywood Food Coalition.
Click here, and be sure to indicate The Movies That Made Me in the note section so Josh can finally achieve his dream of showing Mandy to his wife!
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Scream Blacula Scream (1973)
Mandy (2018)
Carnival of Souls (1962) – Mary Lambert’s trailer commentary
Night Tide (1961) – Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review
A Bucket Of Blood (1959) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s DVD review, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Dementia 13 (1963) – Mick Garris’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Region B Blu-ray review, Glenn Erickson’s director’s cut Blu-ray review
The Godfather (1972) – Ernest Dickerson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
The Godfather Part II (1974) – Katt Shea’s trailer commentary
The Conversation (1974) – Josh Olson...
Please help support the Hollywood Food Coalition.
Click here, and be sure to indicate The Movies That Made Me in the note section so Josh can finally achieve his dream of showing Mandy to his wife!
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Scream Blacula Scream (1973)
Mandy (2018)
Carnival of Souls (1962) – Mary Lambert’s trailer commentary
Night Tide (1961) – Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review
A Bucket Of Blood (1959) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s DVD review, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Dementia 13 (1963) – Mick Garris’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Region B Blu-ray review, Glenn Erickson’s director’s cut Blu-ray review
The Godfather (1972) – Ernest Dickerson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
The Godfather Part II (1974) – Katt Shea’s trailer commentary
The Conversation (1974) – Josh Olson...
- 10/29/2021
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
The 2000s were lousy with remakes, some of them good, many of them lousy. Major horror franchises from the 1980s got a makeover; subversive ‘70s horror films received a glossy new coat of paint. One of the best of these remakes – and one which has finally begun getting its due over the last decade, building a cult audience and culminating in a new special edition Blu-ray – is House of Wax from 2005. It reimagines the 1953 Vincent Price classic (itself a remake of 1933’s Mystery of the Wax Museum) for a modern audience: gorier, sexier, and considerably more twisted. I’m certainly not the first to say it, but it’s more a remake of 1979’s underrated Tourist Trap than it is of House of Wax. As a remake of Tourist Trap, it’s pretty fantastic.
TV stars Elisha Cuthbert and Chad Michael Murray (One Tree Hill) play brother and sister on...
TV stars Elisha Cuthbert and Chad Michael Murray (One Tree Hill) play brother and sister on...
- 8/9/2021
- by Patrick Bromley
- DailyDead
When film buffs talk about early sound horror films, they tend to associate the period with Universal and its justly famous monster movies. Yet at around the same time, Michael Curtiz directed three important horror pictures at Warner Brothers, the first two of which are far more transgressive, disturbing, and graphic than anything to come out of Universal City. Doctor X (1932), Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933), and The Walking Dead (1936) aren’t as iconic as later Curtiz classics like The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Casablanca (1942), and White Christmas (1954), but they’re every bit as atmospheric and […]
The post Doctor X, Wings and September 30, 1955: Jim Hemphill’s Home Video Recommendations first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Doctor X, Wings and September 30, 1955: Jim Hemphill’s Home Video Recommendations first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 4/16/2021
- by Jim Hemphill
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
When film buffs talk about early sound horror films, they tend to associate the period with Universal and its justly famous monster movies. Yet at around the same time, Michael Curtiz directed three important horror pictures at Warner Brothers, the first two of which are far more transgressive, disturbing, and graphic than anything to come out of Universal City. Doctor X (1932), Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933), and The Walking Dead (1936) aren’t as iconic as later Curtiz classics like The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Casablanca (1942), and White Christmas (1954), but they’re every bit as atmospheric and […]
The post Doctor X, Wings and September 30, 1955: Jim Hemphill’s Home Video Recommendations first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Doctor X, Wings and September 30, 1955: Jim Hemphill’s Home Video Recommendations first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 4/16/2021
- by Jim Hemphill
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
It’s the disc everyone wants right now — vintage Hollywood horror fully restored to its amazing original Technicolor luster. A scientific investigation into some grisly Full Moon Murders culminates in a bizarre experiment in the fantastic lab of five potential mad doctors. Fay Wray and Lionel Atwill became horror stars, Lee Tracy provides the sidebar laughs, and then the unknown killer divulges his horrifying, Cronenberg-like secret: Synthetic Flesh! The Warner Archive scores with a follow up to last year’s The Mystery of the Wax Museum.
Doctor X
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1932 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 76 min. / Street Date April 13, 2021 / 21.99
Starring: Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, Lee Tracy, Preston Foster, Arthur Edmund Carewe, Leila Bennett, Rovbert Warwixk, Thomas E. Jackson, Mae Busch, Tom Dugan, Louise Beavers.
Cinematography: Ray Rennahan, Richard Towers
Film Editor: George Amy
Art Director: Anton Grot
Special Effects: Fred Jackman Jr.
Makeup (effects): Max Factor
Written by Robert Tasker,...
Doctor X
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1932 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 76 min. / Street Date April 13, 2021 / 21.99
Starring: Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, Lee Tracy, Preston Foster, Arthur Edmund Carewe, Leila Bennett, Rovbert Warwixk, Thomas E. Jackson, Mae Busch, Tom Dugan, Louise Beavers.
Cinematography: Ray Rennahan, Richard Towers
Film Editor: George Amy
Art Director: Anton Grot
Special Effects: Fred Jackman Jr.
Makeup (effects): Max Factor
Written by Robert Tasker,...
- 4/6/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
The Masque of the Red Death, Roger Corman’s masterful 1964 adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, has been fully restored and can now be seen in all its diabolical splendor. The seventh of eight “Poe Cycle” films Corman made in the 1960s, Masque is arguably the best. Before its release, Poe had already delivered Corman from the low budget black and white films he shot in 10 days in the 1950s to the relative luxury of three-week shoots and psychedelic underworlds.
The new DVD/Blu-Ray is the first fully uncut, extended version of the film to be available. Besides restoring cinematographer Nicolas Roeg’s sumptuous camerawork, we get extra scenes which were cut by censors. The package also includes a 20-page booklet with a new essay from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ film preservationist Tessa Idlewine.
The original “The Masque of the Red Death” short story...
The new DVD/Blu-Ray is the first fully uncut, extended version of the film to be available. Besides restoring cinematographer Nicolas Roeg’s sumptuous camerawork, we get extra scenes which were cut by censors. The package also includes a 20-page booklet with a new essay from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ film preservationist Tessa Idlewine.
The original “The Masque of the Red Death” short story...
- 1/29/2021
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Closing out a year in which we’ve needed The Criterion Channel more than ever, they’ve now announced their impressive December lineup. Topping the highlights is a trio of Terrence Malick films––Badlands, Days of Heaven, and The New World––along with interviews featuring actors Richard Gere, Sissy Spacek, and Martin Sheen; production designer Jack Fisk; costume designer Jacqueline West; cinematographers Haskell Wexler and John Bailey; and more.
Also in the lineup is an Afrofuturism series, featuring an introduction by programmer Ashley Clark, with work by Lizzie Borden, Shirley Clarke, Souleymane Cissé, John Akomfrah, Terence Nance, and more. There’s also Mariano Llinás’s 14-hour epic La flor, Bill Morrison’s Dawson City: Frozen Time, Ken Loach’s Sorry We Missed You, Jennie Livingston’s Paris Is Burning, plus retrospectives dedicated to Mae West, Cary Grant, Barbra Streisand, and more.
Check out the lineup below and return every Friday for our weekly streaming picks.
Also in the lineup is an Afrofuturism series, featuring an introduction by programmer Ashley Clark, with work by Lizzie Borden, Shirley Clarke, Souleymane Cissé, John Akomfrah, Terence Nance, and more. There’s also Mariano Llinás’s 14-hour epic La flor, Bill Morrison’s Dawson City: Frozen Time, Ken Loach’s Sorry We Missed You, Jennie Livingston’s Paris Is Burning, plus retrospectives dedicated to Mae West, Cary Grant, Barbra Streisand, and more.
Check out the lineup below and return every Friday for our weekly streaming picks.
- 11/24/2020
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
The Paleface
Blu ray
Kino Lorber
1948 / 91 min.
Starring Bob Hope, Jane Russell
Cinematography by Ray Rennahan
Directed by Norman Z. McLeod
In 1934 Al Christie directed Going Spanish, a 19 minute farce billed as “An Educational Musical Comedy.” The movie is notable only for the film debut of Bob Hope whose wisecracks about the movie’s incompetence provoked Christie to cancel the comedian’s contract. Another filmmaker made his mark with the irascible producer too—Norman Z. McLeod got his feet wet working as title cartoonist for a series of silent films known as Christie’s Comedies. Pretty soon McLeod would be dealing with funny men in the flesh; W.C. Fields, the Marx Brothers, Danny Kaye and Hope himself. He would direct—and with those particular artists, “manage” might be a more appropriate term—some of the greatest comedies to emerge from the studio system.
McLeod’s technique, a hands-off approach that was the opposite of showy,...
Blu ray
Kino Lorber
1948 / 91 min.
Starring Bob Hope, Jane Russell
Cinematography by Ray Rennahan
Directed by Norman Z. McLeod
In 1934 Al Christie directed Going Spanish, a 19 minute farce billed as “An Educational Musical Comedy.” The movie is notable only for the film debut of Bob Hope whose wisecracks about the movie’s incompetence provoked Christie to cancel the comedian’s contract. Another filmmaker made his mark with the irascible producer too—Norman Z. McLeod got his feet wet working as title cartoonist for a series of silent films known as Christie’s Comedies. Pretty soon McLeod would be dealing with funny men in the flesh; W.C. Fields, the Marx Brothers, Danny Kaye and Hope himself. He would direct—and with those particular artists, “manage” might be a more appropriate term—some of the greatest comedies to emerge from the studio system.
McLeod’s technique, a hands-off approach that was the opposite of showy,...
- 9/5/2020
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
Get Ready for Halloween with Some Vintage Horror on Turner Classic Movies this September and October
I don’t know about you, but this writer is more than ready to start looking forward to the Halloween season. And one of the staples of my own ongoing cinematic celebration every year is checking out all the wonderful classic horror movies that Turner Classic Movies airs on their channel. And considering the mess that 2020 has been over the last several months, I thought this year it might be helpful to also include all the genre films that will be playing on TCM throughout the month of September, as it’s never too early to get ready for Halloween.
Check out all the great classic horror movies playing on the small screen over the next two months on TCM, and be sure to set those DVRs so you don’t miss any of the classic films that are sure to get you into the Halloween spirit this year.
Thursday,...
Check out all the great classic horror movies playing on the small screen over the next two months on TCM, and be sure to set those DVRs so you don’t miss any of the classic films that are sure to get you into the Halloween spirit this year.
Thursday,...
- 8/31/2020
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
It’s not quite the “Gravity Falls” reboot/reunion that fans are hoping for, but it’s close: Creator Alex Hirsch will guest star on a Season 2 episode of Disney Channel’s “Amphibia” that pays homage to the animated cult fave.
In the “Amphibia” episode titled “Wax Museum,” the show’s family travels to a mysterious roadside oddities museum that looks and feels quite a bit like the Mystery Shack on “Gravity Falls.” Hirsch, who voiced Grunkle Stan on that show, will guest star as “The Curator,” a Stan-like character who owns the “Curiosity Hut” and features a frog custodian named “Frog Soos”.
“Amphibia” creator and executive producer Matt Braly worked as a storyboard artist and director on “Gravity Falls,” for which he won an Annie Award.
“I have always wanted to create a ‘Gravity Falls’ tribute in ‘Amphibia,'” Braly said. “I just didn’t know when or how.
In the “Amphibia” episode titled “Wax Museum,” the show’s family travels to a mysterious roadside oddities museum that looks and feels quite a bit like the Mystery Shack on “Gravity Falls.” Hirsch, who voiced Grunkle Stan on that show, will guest star as “The Curator,” a Stan-like character who owns the “Curiosity Hut” and features a frog custodian named “Frog Soos”.
“Amphibia” creator and executive producer Matt Braly worked as a storyboard artist and director on “Gravity Falls,” for which he won an Annie Award.
“I have always wanted to create a ‘Gravity Falls’ tribute in ‘Amphibia,'” Braly said. “I just didn’t know when or how.
- 7/6/2020
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
For this week’s home media offerings, we have only a few titles on tap for genre fans, as there are only five different titles making their way home on Tuesday. Arrow Video is showing some love to the underappreciated Dream Demon with their new Blu, and Scream Factory is resurrecting The Spider (1958) as well. If you’re into classic horror in three dimensions, you’ll definitely want to pick up the 3D Blu for House of Wax (1953) and two indie horror flicks are arriving on DVD this week as well: Wood Witch and The Haunted.
Dream Demon
A young bride-to-be s anxieties over her upcoming wedding take on a horrifying, demonic form in this underseen 1988 rubber reality shocker from director/co-writer Harley Cokeliss (Black Moon Rising), starring Timothy Spall and Jemma Redgrave.
As her marriage to decorated war hero Oliver draws near, well-heeled Diana moves into her sprawling new...
Dream Demon
A young bride-to-be s anxieties over her upcoming wedding take on a horrifying, demonic form in this underseen 1988 rubber reality shocker from director/co-writer Harley Cokeliss (Black Moon Rising), starring Timothy Spall and Jemma Redgrave.
As her marriage to decorated war hero Oliver draws near, well-heeled Diana moves into her sprawling new...
- 6/23/2020
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Fay Wray and Lionel Atwill in The Mystery Of The Wax Museum Available on Blu-ray From Warner Archive
Fay Wray and Lionel Atwill in The Mystery Of The Wax Museum is available on Blu-ray From Warner Archive. Ordering info can be found Here. This is a new, restored version of the film that was shot in the early Two-Color Technicolor process.Here is a video of the Before and After restoration courtesy of the UCLA Film and Television Archive.
Bodies are mysteriously disappearing all over town, and a new wax museum has just opened. Is there a connection? But of course! In this horror classic, Fay Wray (King Kong) stars as the intended next victim of a mad wax sculptor obsessed with her resemblance to one of his prior creations. Glenda Farrell plays a quintessential wisecracking newspaper reporter, and noted actor Lionel Atwill is the deranged artist who loses his studio to a fire set by his partner. Filmed in the early Two-Color Technicolor® process, The Mystery of the Wax Museum...
Bodies are mysteriously disappearing all over town, and a new wax museum has just opened. Is there a connection? But of course! In this horror classic, Fay Wray (King Kong) stars as the intended next victim of a mad wax sculptor obsessed with her resemblance to one of his prior creations. Glenda Farrell plays a quintessential wisecracking newspaper reporter, and noted actor Lionel Atwill is the deranged artist who loses his studio to a fire set by his partner. Filmed in the early Two-Color Technicolor® process, The Mystery of the Wax Museum...
- 5/20/2020
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
by Jason Adams
Once upon a time in a galaxy far far away we once went to The Movies. Otherwise known as The Picture Show, it turned out in 2020 there was indeed, as the prophet Peter Bogdanovich foretold, a Last one for us all. The subject of what was everyone's Last Big Picture before the Covid quarantine shut movie-going down has been a popular one -- personally I've kept that information close to the vest because mine (sigh) was the godawful horror twist on Fantasy Island, and let us never speak of that again.
Let's instead focus on one of my best big-screen cinematic experiences of the so-far short-lived year in such things, which was MoMA's January screening of the drop-dead-stunning restoration of the Pre-Code two-color Technicolor fright-flick Mystery of the Wax Museum. Michael Curtiz's 1933 film, was lost for decades until a pair of prints miraculously appeared and got cobbled together beautifully.
Once upon a time in a galaxy far far away we once went to The Movies. Otherwise known as The Picture Show, it turned out in 2020 there was indeed, as the prophet Peter Bogdanovich foretold, a Last one for us all. The subject of what was everyone's Last Big Picture before the Covid quarantine shut movie-going down has been a popular one -- personally I've kept that information close to the vest because mine (sigh) was the godawful horror twist on Fantasy Island, and let us never speak of that again.
Let's instead focus on one of my best big-screen cinematic experiences of the so-far short-lived year in such things, which was MoMA's January screening of the drop-dead-stunning restoration of the Pre-Code two-color Technicolor fright-flick Mystery of the Wax Museum. Michael Curtiz's 1933 film, was lost for decades until a pair of prints miraculously appeared and got cobbled together beautifully.
- 5/19/2020
- by JA
- FilmExperience
For this week’s Blu-ray and DVD releases, we have an eclectic group of titles making their way home on Tuesday. If you missed Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island in theaters, you can finally catch up with it on either Blu or DVD, and for those of you Idle Hands fans out there, you’re definitely going to want to grab a copy of Scream Factory’s Collector’s Edition release this week, too.
Mondo Macabro is celebrating Satanico Pandemonium with a brand new 4K transfer of the film, and the Warner Archives Collection strikes gold yet again with their Blu for The Mystery of the Wax Museum.
Other home media releases for May 12th include You Die, A Nun’s Curse, Evil Little Things, The Voices (2020), and Weird Fiction.
Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island
In Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island, the enigmatic Mr. Roarke (Michael Peña) makes the secret dreams of his lucky guests come true...
Mondo Macabro is celebrating Satanico Pandemonium with a brand new 4K transfer of the film, and the Warner Archives Collection strikes gold yet again with their Blu for The Mystery of the Wax Museum.
Other home media releases for May 12th include You Die, A Nun’s Curse, Evil Little Things, The Voices (2020), and Weird Fiction.
Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island
In Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island, the enigmatic Mr. Roarke (Michael Peña) makes the secret dreams of his lucky guests come true...
- 5/12/2020
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Talk about a worthy title for restoration — somebody up there likes us. Digital tools and film preservation expertise have advanced far enough to revive this marvelous pre-Code comedy-shocker in a form that showcases its wild designs and stylized 2-color Technicolor sheen. Director Michael Curtiz’s adept direction highlights Glenda Farrell’s racy dialogue delivery as well as the spooky, expressionist horrors in Lionel Atwill’s haunted ‘waxitorium.’ To top it off we have fabulous Fay Wray, the talkies’ original scream queen, shrieking her way into the horror hall of fame in the tradition of The Phantom of the Opera. Plus — for once the Warner Archive adds some fine new added value extras.
Mystery of the Wax Museum
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1933 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 77 min. / Street Date May 12, 2020 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, Glenda Farrell, Frank McHugh, Allen Vincent, Gavin Gordon, Arthur Edmund Carewe.
Cinematography: Ray Rennahan...
Mystery of the Wax Museum
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1933 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 77 min. / Street Date May 12, 2020 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, Glenda Farrell, Frank McHugh, Allen Vincent, Gavin Gordon, Arthur Edmund Carewe.
Cinematography: Ray Rennahan...
- 5/9/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Roger Corman’s ‘sick sick sick!’ horror comedy is still a delight, and Olive’s Signature edition accompanies it with some excellent Elijah Drenner extras, including a video interview with the beloved star Dick Miller. Walter Paisley is the patron saint of underachieving artists everywhere, and this special edition has director Corman and writer Charles B. Griffith on tap to sing his praises. It is by will alone that I set my mind in motion: “Be a nose!”
A Bucket of Blood
Signature Collection Blu-ray
Olive Films
1959 / B&w / 1:85 widescreen / 66 min. / Street Date September 24, 2019 / available through the Olive Filmswebsite / 39.95 Starring: Dick Miller, Barboura Morris, Antony Carbone, Julian Burton, Ed Nelson, John Brinkley, John Herman Shaner, Judy Bamber, Myrtle Damerel, Bert Convy, Jhean Burton, Bruno Ve Soto.
Cinematography: Jacques R. Marquette
Film Editor: Anthony Carras
Art Direction: Daniel Haller
Original Music: Fred Katz
Written by Charles B. Griffith
Produced and...
A Bucket of Blood
Signature Collection Blu-ray
Olive Films
1959 / B&w / 1:85 widescreen / 66 min. / Street Date September 24, 2019 / available through the Olive Filmswebsite / 39.95 Starring: Dick Miller, Barboura Morris, Antony Carbone, Julian Burton, Ed Nelson, John Brinkley, John Herman Shaner, Judy Bamber, Myrtle Damerel, Bert Convy, Jhean Burton, Bruno Ve Soto.
Cinematography: Jacques R. Marquette
Film Editor: Anthony Carras
Art Direction: Daniel Haller
Original Music: Fred Katz
Written by Charles B. Griffith
Produced and...
- 9/17/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Roger Corman’s crew of associates must have had some pretty wild times in the 1950’s, scraping around Hollywood and Venice Beach trying to bust into the film business. Perhaps these semi-bohemians stimulated writer Charles Griffith’s cynical humor gland, for the first modern black comedy feature in a horror vein became an amazing low budget ‘sick’ accomplishment for the uniquely creative Corman.
A Bucket of Blood
DVD
Olive Films
1959 / B&W / 1:66 widescreen / 66 min. / Street Date May 29, 2018 / available through Olive Films / 14.94
Starring: Dick Miller, Barboura Morris, Antony Carbone, Julian Burton, Ed Nelson, John Brinkley, John Herman Shaner, Judy Bamber, Myrtle Damerel, Bert Convy, Jhean Burton, Bruno Ve Soto.
Cinematography: Jacques R. Marquette
Film Editor: Anthony Carras
Art Direction: Daniel Haller
Original Music: Fred Katz
Written by Charles B. Griffith
Produced and Directed by Roger Corman
When queried about his prolific output of science fiction pictures for drive-ins (1954-1960), producer-director...
A Bucket of Blood
DVD
Olive Films
1959 / B&W / 1:66 widescreen / 66 min. / Street Date May 29, 2018 / available through Olive Films / 14.94
Starring: Dick Miller, Barboura Morris, Antony Carbone, Julian Burton, Ed Nelson, John Brinkley, John Herman Shaner, Judy Bamber, Myrtle Damerel, Bert Convy, Jhean Burton, Bruno Ve Soto.
Cinematography: Jacques R. Marquette
Film Editor: Anthony Carras
Art Direction: Daniel Haller
Original Music: Fred Katz
Written by Charles B. Griffith
Produced and Directed by Roger Corman
When queried about his prolific output of science fiction pictures for drive-ins (1954-1960), producer-director...
- 6/2/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
By Hank Reineke
The Vampire Bat (1933) was a staple of TV late-night movie programming well into the 1980s. Too often the running time of this maltreated film was irreverently trimmed or stretched to accommodate commercial breaks or better fit into a predetermined time slot. With black-and-white films almost completely banished from the schedules of local television affiliates by 1987, TV Guide disrespectfully dismissed The Vampire Bat as a “Dated, slow-motion chiller.” That’s an unfair appraisal. But with the MTV generation in the ascendant and Fangoria gleefully splashing the lurid and blood-red exploits of such slice-and-dice horror icons as Michael Meyers, Jason Voorhees, and Freddy Krueger on its covers, it’s somewhat understandable why the other-worldly atmospherics of The Vampire Bat were perceived as little more than a celluloid curio – an antiquated footnote in the annals of classic horror.
The Vampire Bat is hardly original. The film was, no doubt, conceived...
The Vampire Bat (1933) was a staple of TV late-night movie programming well into the 1980s. Too often the running time of this maltreated film was irreverently trimmed or stretched to accommodate commercial breaks or better fit into a predetermined time slot. With black-and-white films almost completely banished from the schedules of local television affiliates by 1987, TV Guide disrespectfully dismissed The Vampire Bat as a “Dated, slow-motion chiller.” That’s an unfair appraisal. But with the MTV generation in the ascendant and Fangoria gleefully splashing the lurid and blood-red exploits of such slice-and-dice horror icons as Michael Meyers, Jason Voorhees, and Freddy Krueger on its covers, it’s somewhat understandable why the other-worldly atmospherics of The Vampire Bat were perceived as little more than a celluloid curio – an antiquated footnote in the annals of classic horror.
The Vampire Bat is hardly original. The film was, no doubt, conceived...
- 5/9/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Comedy actress Alice Howell on the cover of film historian Anthony Slide's latest book: Pioneering funky-haired performer 'could have been Chaplin' – or at the very least another Louise Fazenda. Rediscovering comedy actress Alice Howell: Female performer in movie field dominated by men Early comedy actress Alice Howell is an obscure entity even for silent film aficionados. With luck, only a handful of them will be able to name one of her more than 100 movies, mostly shorts – among them Sin on the Sabbath, A Busted Honeymoon, How Stars Are Made – released between 1914 and 1920. Yet Alice Howell holds (what should be) an important – or at the very least an interesting – place in film history. After all, she was one of the American cinema's relatively few pioneering “funny actresses,” along with the likes of the better-known Flora Finch, Louise Fazenda, and, a top star in her day, Mabel Normand.[1] Also of note,...
- 4/20/2017
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
A few years ago, in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the death of influential film critic Pauline Kael, I wrote the following:
“I think (Kael) did a lot to expose the truth… that directors, writers and actors who often work awfully close to the surface may still have subterranean levels of achievement or purpose or commentary that they themselves may be least qualified to articulate. It’s what’s behind her disdain for Antonioni’s pontificating at the Cannes film festival; it’s what behind the high percentage of uselessness of proliferating DVD commentaries in which we get to hear every dull anecdote, redundant explication of plot development and any other inanity that strikes the director of the latest Jennifer Aniston rom-com to blurt out breathlessly; and it is what’s behind a director like Eli Roth, who tailors the subtext of something like Hostel Part II almost as...
“I think (Kael) did a lot to expose the truth… that directors, writers and actors who often work awfully close to the surface may still have subterranean levels of achievement or purpose or commentary that they themselves may be least qualified to articulate. It’s what’s behind her disdain for Antonioni’s pontificating at the Cannes film festival; it’s what behind the high percentage of uselessness of proliferating DVD commentaries in which we get to hear every dull anecdote, redundant explication of plot development and any other inanity that strikes the director of the latest Jennifer Aniston rom-com to blurt out breathlessly; and it is what’s behind a director like Eli Roth, who tailors the subtext of something like Hostel Part II almost as...
- 4/2/2017
- by Dennis Cozzalio
- Trailers from Hell
By Hank Reineke
Though Vincent Price would eventually garner a well-deserved reputation as Hollywood’s preeminent bogeyman, it was only really with André De Toth’s House of Wax (1953) that the actor would become associated with all things sinister. In some sense the playful, nervously elegant Price was an odd successor to the horror film-maestro throne: he was a somewhat aristocratic psychotic who shared neither Boris Karloff’s cold and malevolent scowl nor Bela Lugosi’s distinctly unhinged madness or old-world exoticism.
His early film career started in a less pigeonholed manner: as a budding movie actor with a seven year contract for Universal Studios in the 1940s, the tall, elegant Price would appear in a number of semi-distinguished if modestly-budgeted romantic comedies and dramas. His contract with Universal was apparently non-exclusive, and his most memorable roles for the studio were his earliest. In a harbinger of things to come,...
Though Vincent Price would eventually garner a well-deserved reputation as Hollywood’s preeminent bogeyman, it was only really with André De Toth’s House of Wax (1953) that the actor would become associated with all things sinister. In some sense the playful, nervously elegant Price was an odd successor to the horror film-maestro throne: he was a somewhat aristocratic psychotic who shared neither Boris Karloff’s cold and malevolent scowl nor Bela Lugosi’s distinctly unhinged madness or old-world exoticism.
His early film career started in a less pigeonholed manner: as a budding movie actor with a seven year contract for Universal Studios in the 1940s, the tall, elegant Price would appear in a number of semi-distinguished if modestly-budgeted romantic comedies and dramas. His contract with Universal was apparently non-exclusive, and his most memorable roles for the studio were his earliest. In a harbinger of things to come,...
- 1/30/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
The Mad Magician
3-D Blu-ray
Twilight Time
1954 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 72 min. / Street Date January 10, 2017 / Available from the Twilight Time Movies Store 29.95
Starring: Vincent Price, Mary Murphy, Eva Gabor, John Emery, Donald Randolph, Lenita Lane, Patrick O’Neal, Jay Novello, Corey Allen, Conrad Brooks, Tom Powers, Lyle Talbot.
Cinematography: Bert Glennon
Editor: Grant Whytock
Original Music: Arthur Lange, Emil Newman
Written by: Crane Wilbur
Produced by: Bryan Foy
Directed by John Brahm
Twilight Time, bless ’em, hands us another treat to go with their 3-D discs of Man in the Dark, Miss Sadie Thompson and Harlock Space Pirate 3-D — and this time it’s a fun bit of 1950s horror — with a hot pair of short subject extras.
There have been plenty of theories as to why horror films became scarce after WW2; it’s as if the U.S. film industry took a ten-year break from the supernatural, and partly...
3-D Blu-ray
Twilight Time
1954 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 72 min. / Street Date January 10, 2017 / Available from the Twilight Time Movies Store 29.95
Starring: Vincent Price, Mary Murphy, Eva Gabor, John Emery, Donald Randolph, Lenita Lane, Patrick O’Neal, Jay Novello, Corey Allen, Conrad Brooks, Tom Powers, Lyle Talbot.
Cinematography: Bert Glennon
Editor: Grant Whytock
Original Music: Arthur Lange, Emil Newman
Written by: Crane Wilbur
Produced by: Bryan Foy
Directed by John Brahm
Twilight Time, bless ’em, hands us another treat to go with their 3-D discs of Man in the Dark, Miss Sadie Thompson and Harlock Space Pirate 3-D — and this time it’s a fun bit of 1950s horror — with a hot pair of short subject extras.
There have been plenty of theories as to why horror films became scarce after WW2; it’s as if the U.S. film industry took a ten-year break from the supernatural, and partly...
- 1/13/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Mad doctors! Mortiferous maidens! Horrifying hallucinations! A key early Euro-horror and one of the very first in color, this French-Italian production is a medical horrorshow crossed with a folk tale -- its centerpiece is a vintage carillon attraction in an old mill; creepy Scilla Gabel is the minatory seducer who bridges the gap between life and death. Mill of the Stone Women Region A+B Blu-ray Subkultur / Media Target Distribution GmbH 1960 / Color / 1:66 widescreen / 90, 95, 96 min. / Die Mühle der versteinerten Frauen / Street Date June 30, 2016 / Amazon.de Eur 24,99 Starring Pierre Brice, Scilla Gabel, Wolfgang Preiss, Robert Boehme, Dany Carrel Cinematography Pier Ludovico Pavoni Production Designer Arrigo Equini Film Editor Antonietta Zita Original Music Carlo Innocenzi Written by Remigio Del Grosso, Giorgio Ferroni, Ugo Liberatore, Giorgio Stegani from Flemish Stories by Peter Van Weigen (possibly apocryphal) Produced by Giampaolo Bigazzi Directed by Giorgio Ferroni
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
2016 is shaping up as a...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
2016 is shaping up as a...
- 7/23/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Woo hoo! The pre-Code marvels return for one last go-round -- tales of sin and moral turpitude but also serious pictures about social issues that the Production Code effectively swept from Hollywood screens -- financial crimes and ethnic bigotry. Forbidden Hollywood Volume 10 Guilty Hands, The Mouthpiece, Secrets of the French Police, The Match King, Ever in My Heart DVD-r The Warner Archive Collection 1932-1934 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 63, 62, 78, 85, 70 min. / Street Date October 27, 2015 / available through the WBshop / 40.99 Starring Lionel Barrymore, Kay Francis, Madge Evans; Warren William, Sidney Fox, Aline McMahon; Frank Morgan, Gwili Andre, Gregory Ratoff Rochelle Hudson; Warren William, Lili Damita, Glenda Farrell, Claire Dodd; Barbara Stanwyck, Otto Kruger, Ralph Bellamy, Ruth Donnelly. Cinematography Merritt B. Gerstad, Barney McGill; Alfred Gilks; Robert Kurrie; Written by Bayard Veiller; Joseph Jackson, Earl Baldwin, Frank J. Collins; Samuel Ornitz, Robert Tasker; Houston Branch, Sidney Sutherland, Einar Thorvaldson; Bertram Millhauser, Beulah Marie Dix.
- 6/26/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Top Ten Scream Queens: Barbara Steele, who both emitted screams and made others do same, is in a category of her own. Top Ten Scream Queens Halloween is over until next year, but the equally bewitching Day of the Dead is just around the corner. So, dead or alive, here's my revised and expanded list of cinema's Top Ten Scream Queens. This highly personal compilation is based on how memorable – as opposed to how loud or how frequent – were the screams. That's the key reason you won't find listed below actresses featured in gory slasher films. After all, the screams – and just about everything else in such movies – are as meaningless as their plots. You also won't find any screaming guys (i.e., Scream Kings) on the list below even though I've got absolutely nothing against guys who scream in horror, whether in movies or in life. There are...
- 11/2/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
The latest release of Lon Chaney's most famous silent classic is a Blu-ray, which allows us to marvel at at the actor's artistry in a beautifully tinted HD image. Erik the Phantom is one of the two or three greatest fantasy makeup performances of all time. The release has three separate encodings, of different versions running at different film speeds. A 1929 recut has the best image, while the original 1925 version is uncut. The Phantom of the Opera Blu-ray Kino Classics / Blackhawk 1925/29 / B&W with tints and Technicolor sequences / 1:37 flat Silent Aperture / 78, 92 and 114 min. / Street Date October 13, 2015 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95 Starring Lon Chaney, Mary Philbin, Norman Kerry, Arthur Edmund Carewe, Gibson Gowland, John St. Polis, Snitz Edwards. Cinematography Milton Bridenbecker, Virgil Miller, Charles Van Enger Consulting Artist Ben Carré Film Editors Maurice Pivar, Gilmore Walker Original Music Makeup Lon Chaney Written by Elliott J. Clawson from the novel...
- 9/29/2015
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Because we were obviously in desperate need of a new "Blob" movie, cinematic auteur Simon West ("Con Air," "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider") has signed on to helm yet another remake of the 1958 drive-in classic, which was previously remade in 1988 by director Chuck Russell. Kevin Dillon starring vehicles were all the rage back then, obvs. Did we ask for this? I don't know, I think I'm good honestly. But since it's happening and there's pretty much nothing we can do about it, take a trip back with me as I revisit a few more horror films Hollywood just couldn't keep their hands off of - and judge which of the versions is the best. "King Kong" The 1933 classic was first remade in 1976 with Jessica Lange and Jeff Bridges, who starred opposite the robotic ape from the Universal Studios tram ride. Nearly 30 years later Peter Jackson decided to remake it as an epic three-hour film,...
- 1/23/2015
- by Chris Eggertsen
- Hitfix
Each year, the Library of Congress selects 25 films to be named to the National Film Registry, a proclamation of commitment to preserving the chosen pictures for all time. They can be big studio pictures or experimental short films, goofball comedies or poetic meditations on life. The National Film Registery "showcases the extraordinary diversity of America’s film heritage and the disparate strands making it so vibrant" and by preserving the films, the Library of Congress hopes to "a crucial element of American creativity, culture and history.” This year’s selections span the period 1913 to 2004 and include a number of films you’re familiar with. Unless you’ve never heard of "Saving Private Ryan," "The Big Lebowski," “Rosemary’s Baby” or "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." Highlights from the list include the aforementioned film, Arthur Penn’s Western "Little Big Man," John Lasseter’s 1986 animated film, “Luxo Jr.," 1953’s “House of Wax,...
- 12/17/2014
- by Matt Patches
- Hitfix
Spanning the years 1913-2004, the 25 films to be added to the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry for 2014 include Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan, Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby, Arthur Penn’s Little Big Man, John Hughes’ Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and the Coen brothers’ The Big Lebowski. The annual selection helps to ensure that the movies will be preserved for all time. This year’s list brings the number of films in the registry to 650.
Also on the list are John Lasseter’s 1986 animated film, Luxo Jr; the original Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory with Gene Wilder; and Howard Hawks’ classic 1959 Western Rio Bravo. Documentaries and silent films also make up part of the selection which represents titles that are “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant; they must also each be at least 10 years old. Check out the rundown of all 25 movies below:
2014 National Film Registry...
Also on the list are John Lasseter’s 1986 animated film, Luxo Jr; the original Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory with Gene Wilder; and Howard Hawks’ classic 1959 Western Rio Bravo. Documentaries and silent films also make up part of the selection which represents titles that are “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant; they must also each be at least 10 years old. Check out the rundown of all 25 movies below:
2014 National Film Registry...
- 12/17/2014
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline
We’re just a few weeks into 2014, and it’s already time for film goers to encounter the dreaded “r word”. Or could it be a trio of words? Alright, let’s fully address the controversial threesome: remakes, reboots, and re-imaginings. The oldest is the first one, the now-spurned remake. They were commonplace particularly in the early sound era as many silent films were revisited in order to utilize the new sound technology. Then a few years later these early “talkies” were done once more in full, blazing Technicolor (and 3D and stereophonic sound, Cinerama, etc.). The Mystery Of The Wax Museum was remade in color and 3D as House Of Wax. But soon remakes were getting a “bad rap”, perhaps spurred in the mid-1970′s when the dismal Dino DeLaurentis produced King Kong flopped with critics and the public. Maybe cable TV and the burgeoning home video market had a hand in this.
- 2/12/2014
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
To preface this article, I’d like to openly acknowledge the fact that there isn’t a single “great” film on this list. Furthermore, given the concept of this piece, it’s safe to say that you’re not going to read about any significantly original films either.
The whole remake thing kind of blew those hopes out of the water. That said, we’re going to eye 10 remakes/reboots/reimaginings that were forced through the meat grinder upon arrival, despite the fact that they didn’t entirely deserve such brutish treatment.
Believe it or not, there are a few remakes out there worth watching. The horror world would have you believe that not a single film on this list qualifies, but I’m here – battling valiantly – to prove the voices of many wrong. Dig in for a closer look at some remakes that, while not monumental, still offer some redeeming qualities.
The whole remake thing kind of blew those hopes out of the water. That said, we’re going to eye 10 remakes/reboots/reimaginings that were forced through the meat grinder upon arrival, despite the fact that they didn’t entirely deserve such brutish treatment.
Believe it or not, there are a few remakes out there worth watching. The horror world would have you believe that not a single film on this list qualifies, but I’m here – battling valiantly – to prove the voices of many wrong. Dig in for a closer look at some remakes that, while not monumental, still offer some redeeming qualities.
- 2/6/2014
- by Matt Molgaard
- DreadCentral.com
I must have been about 12 years old when I first saw Tarzan and His Mate. I loved the Tarzan movies. Tarzan was the undisputed King of the Jungle and was the greatest, Cheetah was man’s best friend, Boy was annoying, and Jane was the Queen of the Jungle and a young male’s introduction to the allure of the female. The uncensored version, with a naked Jane silhouetted while changing clothes in a backlit tent and the spectacular underwater ballet scene would have been a revelation to me; Tarzan and Jane are frolicking in their favorite swimming hole, Tarzan in his usual loincloth and Jane naked – not naked from the waste up, or presumed naked as they hid her behind some lake flora or rocks – Jane was naked.
Madam Satan
Most film fans knowledge of Pre-Code Hollywood movies doesn’t go much further than King Kong, Frankenstein, and a few other titles.
Madam Satan
Most film fans knowledge of Pre-Code Hollywood movies doesn’t go much further than King Kong, Frankenstein, and a few other titles.
- 1/31/2014
- by Gregory Small
- CinemaNerdz
Far too often we throw around the phrase "horror icon" or "horror legend"; however, there is no disputing the fact that Vincent Price absolutely deserves to be described with both of those handles. And today, to celebrate Scream Factory's launch of The Vincent Price Collection (review), we count down our Top 10 Vincent Price Films.
Well known to mainstream, non-horror fans as the voice in the legendary Michael Jackson song "Thriller," Vincent Price was indeed the face of horror for quite some time. He was incredibly chilling with a voice that simply oozed horror. And it's for those enviable traits, and the fact that he spent so much of his life dedicated to the horror genre, that we honor Vincent Price with his own personal Top 10 list!
He has just under 200 acting credits to his name, then over 175 more instances where he appeared as himself. Price's credits read like a...
Well known to mainstream, non-horror fans as the voice in the legendary Michael Jackson song "Thriller," Vincent Price was indeed the face of horror for quite some time. He was incredibly chilling with a voice that simply oozed horror. And it's for those enviable traits, and the fact that he spent so much of his life dedicated to the horror genre, that we honor Vincent Price with his own personal Top 10 list!
He has just under 200 acting credits to his name, then over 175 more instances where he appeared as himself. Price's credits read like a...
- 10/24/2013
- by Scott Hallam
- DreadCentral.com
Welcome back to The Stack! This week we're dividing the show into two separate episodes so I can finally catch up from Fantastic Fest. Look for October 8 releases to be covered on Wednesday October 9. In the mean time enjoy this reminder of what hit home entertainment October 1. Highlights for me were the final emergence of House of Wax (1955) on 3D Blu-ray. It has all the awesome extras the outstanding DVD did including the 1933 version of Mystery of the Wax Museum starring Lionel Atwill. Thanks Warner Bros. The Croods surprised me by being one of the best animated films of the year. Funny, heartwarming and absolutely gorgeous to look at. Thanks Dreamworks. Lastly the 1925 anti-war effort The Big Parade is beautifully...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 10/8/2013
- Screen Anarchy
House of Wax from 1953 has the distinction of being one of the first color 3D films released by a major studio. In the new 60th Anniversary Blu-Ray from Warner Brothers, you can watch the film in its original format; if, that is, you happen to be in possession of a 3D television and Blu-Ray player. Even without the benefit of 3D, House of Wax is a enjoyable and lurid slice of 1950s cinema, featuring Vincent Price and numerous severed heads.
Price is Professor Henry Jarrod, a brilliant wax sculptor who’s a bit too attached to some of his creations. He’s a decent person, though, right up until his wax museum partner Matthew Burke (Roy Roberts) burns down the exhibit for the insurance money, trapping Jarrod and his creations. Alive but horribly scarred, Jarrod transforms into a murderous madman. He takes his revenge on Burke and then sets about...
Price is Professor Henry Jarrod, a brilliant wax sculptor who’s a bit too attached to some of his creations. He’s a decent person, though, right up until his wax museum partner Matthew Burke (Roy Roberts) burns down the exhibit for the insurance money, trapping Jarrod and his creations. Alive but horribly scarred, Jarrod transforms into a murderous madman. He takes his revenge on Burke and then sets about...
- 10/1/2013
- by Lauren Humphries-Brooks
- We Got This Covered
Glenda Farrell: Actress has her ‘Summer Under the Stars’ day Scene-stealer Glenda Farrell is Turner Classic Movies’ "Summer Under the Stars" star today, August 29, 2013. A reliable — and very busy — Warner Bros. contract player in the ’30s, the sharp, energetic, fast-talking blonde actress was featured in more than fifty films at the studio from 1931 to 1939. Note: This particular Glenda Farrell has nothing in common with the One Tree Hill character played by Amber Wallace in the television series. The Glenda Farrell / One Tree Hill name connection seems to have been a mere coincidence. (Photo: Glenda Farrell as Torchy Blane in Smart Blonde.) Back to Warners’ Glenda Farrell: TCM is currently showing Torchy Runs for Mayor (1939), one of the seven B movies starring Farrell as intrepid reporter Torchy Blane. Major suspense: Will Torchy win the election? She should. No city would ever go bankrupt with Torchy at the helm. Glenda Farrell...
- 8/30/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
We previously reported that Warner Bros. was working on a House of Wax 3D Blu-ray release for the movie’s 60th anniversary. We now have a look at the official cover art and details on bonus features.
“Professor Henry Jarrod (Price) is the owner and figure sculptor in a wax museum whose specialty is historic figures. When he and his business partner, Matthew Burke (Roy Roberts) quarrel over the choice of exhibits displayed, Burke suggests it would be more profitable to burn down the museum in order to obtain the insurance money. As they fight, the museum burns and Jarrod is left for dead. It’s not until much later at a new museum that the fate of Jarrod and the mystery of how the lifelike waxed figures are created becomes gruesomely evident.”
Bonus Features:
Expert Commentary All New Featurette: “House of Wax: Unlike Anything You’ve Seen Before...
“Professor Henry Jarrod (Price) is the owner and figure sculptor in a wax museum whose specialty is historic figures. When he and his business partner, Matthew Burke (Roy Roberts) quarrel over the choice of exhibits displayed, Burke suggests it would be more profitable to burn down the museum in order to obtain the insurance money. As they fight, the museum burns and Jarrod is left for dead. It’s not until much later at a new museum that the fate of Jarrod and the mystery of how the lifelike waxed figures are created becomes gruesomely evident.”
Bonus Features:
Expert Commentary All New Featurette: “House of Wax: Unlike Anything You’ve Seen Before...
- 7/12/2013
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
The original 1953 Vincent Price-starring horror classic House of Wax is getting ready to make its premiere on Blu-ray in 3D(!), and we have all of the details you need to know to get yourself dripping with anticipation!
The film, directed by André de Toth, stars Vincent Price in one of his most popular and unforgettable roles along with Frank Lovejoy, Phyllis Kirk, Carolyn Jones, and Paul Picerni. In the movie a museum fire turns a handsome man (Price) into a human monster who steals bodies from morgue to create lifelike images in wax. Look for it on October 1st, 2013!
Special Features
House of Wax: Unlike Anything You've Ever Seen Before featurette (New) Audio commentary Newsreel Theatrical Trailer Mystery of the Wax Museum 1933 feature film
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
Got news? Click here to submit it!
Get waxed in the comments section below!
The film, directed by André de Toth, stars Vincent Price in one of his most popular and unforgettable roles along with Frank Lovejoy, Phyllis Kirk, Carolyn Jones, and Paul Picerni. In the movie a museum fire turns a handsome man (Price) into a human monster who steals bodies from morgue to create lifelike images in wax. Look for it on October 1st, 2013!
Special Features
House of Wax: Unlike Anything You've Ever Seen Before featurette (New) Audio commentary Newsreel Theatrical Trailer Mystery of the Wax Museum 1933 feature film
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
Got news? Click here to submit it!
Get waxed in the comments section below!
- 7/1/2013
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Last year, it was revealed that Warner Bros. was interested in releasing 1953′s House of Wax as a 3D Blu-ray for the movie’s 60th anniversary. It has now been given an official release date and we have the list of bonus features that will be included. According to Blu-ray.com, the movie will be released on October 1st and includes a 3D and 2D presentation minted from a 4K scan and restoration.
“Professor Henry Jarrod (Price) is the owner and figure sculptor in a wax museum whose specialty is historic figures. When he and his business partner, Matthew Burke (Roy Roberts) quarrel over the choice of exhibits displayed, Burke suggests it would be more profitable to burn down the museum in order to obtain the insurance money. As they fight, the museum burns and Jarrod is left for dead. It’s not until much later at a new museum...
“Professor Henry Jarrod (Price) is the owner and figure sculptor in a wax museum whose specialty is historic figures. When he and his business partner, Matthew Burke (Roy Roberts) quarrel over the choice of exhibits displayed, Burke suggests it would be more profitable to burn down the museum in order to obtain the insurance money. As they fight, the museum burns and Jarrod is left for dead. It’s not until much later at a new museum...
- 6/4/2013
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Tim Burton is never one to shy away from the bizarre and unexpected. While he has been able to push many boundaries, sometimes getting the studio on board is his biggest problem.
"My favorite one was when I tried to convince the studio to make my idea of a musical version of 'House Of Wax' with Michael Jackson," Burton tells Yahoo! UK. "It was many years ago but that's the one that springs to mind. They did not go for that one at all."
"House of Wax" was originally released in 1953 as a horror movie (it was a remake of 1933's "Mystery of the Wax Museum"). The film centers around a Madame Tussauds-esque wax museum and the spooky turn it takes after being set on fire. It was remade in 2005, starring Elisha Cuthbert, Chad Michael Murray and Paris Hilton.
Though Jackson had limited experience as an actor, Burton...
"My favorite one was when I tried to convince the studio to make my idea of a musical version of 'House Of Wax' with Michael Jackson," Burton tells Yahoo! UK. "It was many years ago but that's the one that springs to mind. They did not go for that one at all."
"House of Wax" was originally released in 1953 as a horror movie (it was a remake of 1933's "Mystery of the Wax Museum"). The film centers around a Madame Tussauds-esque wax museum and the spooky turn it takes after being set on fire. It was remade in 2005, starring Elisha Cuthbert, Chad Michael Murray and Paris Hilton.
Though Jackson had limited experience as an actor, Burton...
- 10/23/2012
- by Madeline Boardman
- Huffington Post
For the horror buff, Fall is the best time of the year. The air is crisp, the leaves are falling and a feeling of death hangs on the air. Here at Sound on Sight we have some of the biggest horror fans you can find. We are continually showcasing the best of genre cinema, so we’ve decided to put our horror knowledge and passion to the test in a horror watching contest. Each week in October, Ricky D, James Merolla and Justine Smith will post a list of the horror films they have watched. By the end of the month, the person who has seen the most films wins. Prize Tbd.
Justine Smith (11 viewings) Total of 31 viewings
Purchase
Spider Baby or The Maddest Story Ever Told
Directed by Jack Jill
This movie is very fun, not so much scary as gleefully depraved. The film revels in it’s childhood attitude,...
Justine Smith (11 viewings) Total of 31 viewings
Purchase
Spider Baby or The Maddest Story Ever Told
Directed by Jack Jill
This movie is very fun, not so much scary as gleefully depraved. The film revels in it’s childhood attitude,...
- 10/18/2011
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
I couldn't resist this. I'm not a huge Wayne or even a huge Western fan. But this is packed, packed with extras and looks absolutely fabulous on Bluray. It's also the last film directed by Michael Curtiz. You may have heard of him. He directed Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933), Captain Blood (1935), The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936), Angels With Dirty Faces (1938) The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), Casablanca (1942), Mildred Pierce (1945), White Christmas (1954), We're No Angels (1955) among others. Duke plays Texas Ranger Jake Cutter in search of Paul Regret (Stuart Whitman) a New Orleans man who killed a judges son in a duel. The plot is part Les Miserable 'til it veers off into...
- 7/20/2011
- Screen Anarchy
Films about mad artists have always been a personal favorite of mine. A basic list would include Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933) , House of Horrors (1946) starring the late great Rondo Hatton, House of Wax (1953), Bucket of Blood (1959), and the recent hilarious horror comedy Murder Party (2007). Have fun making up your own list. To it, make sure to add Blood Bath (1966). This weird little number was produced, written and directed by none other than the late ?great? Jack Hill. Hill made schlock but I'll wager you have fond memories of a few of his titles, especially if you are over 40. The Wasp Woman (1960), The Terror (1963), Spider Baby (1968), The Snake People (1971), The Fear Chamber (1971)...
- 7/11/2011
- Screen Anarchy
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