July, 2009
Below are links to articles posted in July, 2009
The Top Ten Most Quotable Horror-Movie Quotes
Maitland McDonagh handpicks quotes from Shaun of the Dead, Psycho , Freaks and other fright flicks for everyday use as zingers and comebacks. » original news
Unjustly Forgotten Horror Movie of the Week: Bernard Rose’s ‘Paperhouse’
Before he enjoyed mainstream commercial success directing Clive Barker’s “Candyman,” Bernard Rose helmed this amazing 1988 dream-horror film that wowed critics who called it a thinking person’s “Nightmare on Elm Street.”
Charlotte Burke plays an overly imaginative 11-year-old British girl who, during an illness, falls deep into a fantasy world where she hooks up with a crippled boy (Elliott Spiers) that she’s never met before. She also has disturbing and frightening visions of her father (Ben Cross) and a dark, foreboding country house. The dreams become more and more frightening as the film goes on, in a film that is in many ways better than the more commercial “Candyman.”
While it mainly stars children, “Paperhouse” is intended strictly for adults and even features some terrifying make-up effects. Perhaps the fact that “Paperhouse” is a difficult film to pigeonhole — is it a horror film, a fantasy film, an art film? — that has made it a title that its makers have decided to no longer market in the United States. Or perhaps it’s hung up in a rights dispute.
‘Halloween II’ Will Show How Michael Myers Lives Off the Radar
What does Michael Myers do on his ‘off time’? In an interview at Comic Con, Rob Zombie reveals that the upcoming sequel to his remake will reveal how Michael Myers spends his time when he isn’t killing people, living on the fringes of society. It’s also a film with precious little humor.
Actually, the interview makes the film sound pretty interesting. He does put down the original “Halloween II”. He also reveals he has a finished album ready to release, a tour in October and will make “Tyranosaurus Rex” as his next film.
“Halloween II”, starring Scout Taylor Compton, Malcolm McDowell and Danielle Harris hits screens on August 28.. .
‘Happy Birthday to Me’ Gets Proper DVD Release
Anchor Bay Entertainment is re-releasing “Happy Birthday to Me” to DVD. So what? you say. That film has already been released by Sony. Anyway, it’s not that good. Well, hold on to your horses.
Toronto International Film Fest to Feature George Romero’s ‘Survival of the Dead’
Legendary filmmaker George A. Romero ended the chorus of fan speculation today by announcing the title of his latest film, George A. Romero’s “Survival of the Dead”, which he had jokingly been calling ’’… of the Dead” since production began late last year.
The film will premiere at the prestigious 2009 Toronto International Film Festival as part of the celebrated “Midnight Madness” series, Sept.
‘Black Devil Doll’ Tie In Novel?
This may be the craziest news we’ve heard all day. On the heels of an upcoming DVD release of the excellent “Black Devil Doll” comes news that the film is being adapted into a paperback novelization!
Say the producers:
Coming this August, a Black Devil Doll movie tie-in paper back Novel! Written by Stephen Romano, based on the screenplay by Mitch Mayes and Shawn Lewis, with an introduction by Louis Fowler!
We just finished reading the final draft of the book over the weekend and it’s a fucking masterpiece, the perfect companion to the movie, a real one-two punch of entertainment. Romano has managed to take our toilet humor script to another level of lowness. Its shocking, hilarious, and guaranteed to jolt you with ten thousand volts of pure sleaze and touch you deeply in places we promise you NEVER wanted to be touched!
Meanwhile, the DVD is due to hit stores October 27:
The DVD is jam-packed with special features and extras; five audio commentaries, behind the scenes shit, footage from our theatrical screenings, trailers, three Black Devil Doll animation shorts, and more! Plus each DVD comes with a FREE bonus mini fold out poster!. .
Comic Con News Roundup: Peter Jackson May Helm New Horrror Project
His major horror film was “Dead Alive.” He eventually went on to super directorial stardom by helming the Oscar-winning “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. But Peter Jackson told an audience at Comic Con he may do a new horror project.
“It’s stressful and hard … there’s a degree of freedom and risktaking you get to do when not dealing with these blockbuster-type budgets,” he said. “Maybe I’ll find myself a low-budget horror movie.”
That’s about all he hinted it while discussing the Guillermo del Toro-directed “The Hobbit” (which he’s producing). That and other news tidbits emerged from Comic Con which is currently taking place in San Diego.
Prototype – Killing more than just zombies
This is a game were you play as a guy named Alex Mercer, a person who came back to life with awesome powers. This is like a zombie game, but different. Instead of killing just zombies with guns, you can kill zombies, civilians, monsters, AND the military. And you can kill them with powers AND guns. You will see more when you play this game. » original news
‘Resident Evil: Afterlife’ Starts Shooting in September
Production Weekly reports that Sony’s fourth “Resident Evil” pic, titled “Resident Evil: Afterlife,” will begin shooting Sept. 28 at Cinescape Film Studios in Toronto.
The film’s official release date is September 17, 2010. Given how excellent “Resident Evil: Extinction” was — and how interesting the ending was — we can expect a pretty good sequel. No word on who will be helming it, however. Milla Jovovich is returning..
The Trailer for ‘Triangle’
While “Severance” was a pretty bad British horror comedy, director Christopher Thomas may have redeemed himself with this great looking horror thriller starring Melissa George, who’s no stranger to horror movies.
No U.S. release date is set for this, although it may be playing in the U.K. October 15.. . .
‘Deadgirl’ Cast and Creators to Attend Screenings
It’s one of the best movies of the year and it’s hitting screens next weekend. Dark Sky Films announced today that the film’s cast members and filmmakers will be making special appearances at the film’s midnight showings on July 24th and 25th. The film will be released theatrically as a simultaneous, one-weekend, midnight only, roadshow-style theatrical event, currently in 9 major markets.
You owe it to yourself to see this movie, whether or not cast or crew members are attending the screening near you.
The DEADGIRL screenings will take place in the following cities and theatres (appearances noted with *):
Music Box Theater- CHICAGO
3733 N Southport Ave
Chicago, IL 60613
(773) 871-6604
Screening July 24th and 25th at midnight
*Cast member Jenny Spain in attendance for QandA
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema- AUSTIN
320 E 6th Street
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 476-1320
Screening July 24th and 25th at midnight
*Director Marcel Sarmiento in attendance on 7/24 for QandA
Grand Illusion- SEATTLE
1403 NE 50th St
Seattle, WA 98105
(206) 523-3935
Screening July 24th and 25th at midnight
Inwood Theater- DALLAS
5458 W Lovers Ln
Dallas, TX 75209
(214) 764-9106
Screening July 24th and 25th @ midnight
*Director Marcel Sarmiento in attendance on 7/25 for QandA
River Oaks Theater- HOUSTON
2009 W Gray St
Houston, TX 77019
(713) 524-2175
Screening July 24th and 25th at midnight
Nuart Theater- LA
11272 Santa Monica Boulevard
West Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 281-8223
Screening July 24th at midnight
*Cast members Noah Segan and Shiloh Fernandez and Writer Trent Haaga will be in attendance for
QandA
Sunshine Cinema- NY
143 East Houston Street
New York, NY 10002
(212) 330-8182
Screening July 24th and 25th at midnight
*Director Gadi Harel in attendance for QandA
Fantasia Film Festival- MONTREAL
Screening July 24th at midnight. . .
Stuart Gordon’s Next!
According to TrackingB.com, “Re-Animator” director Stuart Gordon’s next film won’t be the oft-rumored “Thing on the Doorstep.” Instead it’s a project called “The House on the Borderland,” an adaptation of William Hope Hodgson’s novel published in 1908, from a screenplay by David Benullo. The novel was apparently an inspiration to H.P. Lovecraft.
The basic storyline: In 1877, two gentlemen, Messrs Tonnison and Berreggnog, head into Ireland to spend a week fishing in the village of Kraighten. While there, they discover in the ruins of a very curious house a diary of the man who had once owned it. Its torn pages seem to hint at an evil beyond anything that existed on this side of the curtains of impossibility..
Filming of ‘Wicker Tree’ Begins
It was once called “Cowboys for Christ.” Now Robin Hardy’s follow up to his 1973 Christopher Lee starrer “The Wicker Man” has a name that ties it more to that classic film: “The Wicker Tree.”
Somehow a Wicker Tree just doesn’t seem quite as menacing as a burning wicker man. The Edinburgh Times reports that filming has officially started.
FILMING for a sequel to cult horror movie The Wicker Man has begun around Edinburgh.
The cast and crew of The Wicker Tree will shooting at locations including Haddington, the Pentland Hills and Penicuik House.
The film features rising American star Brittania Nicol, and comes 36 years after Edward Woodward and Britt Ekland starred in the original film.. . . .
Upcoming Horror Movie DVD Release News
Some interesting vintage ’80s horror films finally have DVD release dates this year, among them the 1987 classic “The Stepfather”!
This is certainly the biggest news of all. “The Stepfather” is hitting stores October 13th from Shout! Factory, 3 days before the PG-13 remake hits theater screens.
Meanwhile, on August 11, Code Red is unleashing the classic 1970 giallo “Weekend Murders” to DVD. As Code Red puts it: “The film is an Italian giallo also starring some lovely Euro actresses, a British comedian, and a tough guy Italian star playing against type as a bumbling constable. We have a brand new HiDef master in its original scope aspect ratio (2.35:1).”
Plus, on August 18, Code Red is releasing “The Strangeness,” a 1985 horror film from director David Michael Hillman. In it, A group of explorers surveying an abandoned goldmine are trapped in a cave in, and find themselves at the mercy of a slimy, mysterious creature.
On August 25, Midnight Choir releases “Vacation Massacre”, a 1980 fear film starring the great Joe Dalessandro.
New DVD Release Art for Halloween Releases
Here are some rare, offbeat horror titles due out in stores October 27. One of them, “Graveyard Disturbance” from Lamberto Bava, has never been available before. Thanks go out to Mya Communications for making this one available.
Born of Fire
Sometimes described as “the world’s first Islamic horror film”. Born of Fire is a visually stunning trip through a world of mysticism and magic, in the style of Jodorowsky’s El Topo and Magic Mountain. In London, a musician finds himself assailed by visions of fire and destruction and is unable to finish an important concert.
Dario Argento Planning to Remake ‘Deep Red’ — in 3D!
According to Italian blog cineblog.it, Dario Argento’s next project is a remake of his greatest film ever — “Deep Red”! And it’s going to be in 3D!
Our Italian may be a little rusty — it is very rusty — but based on what we are reading from this, Asia Argento may take the role previously played by her mother Daria Nicolodi in the 1975 original. This sounds like a pretty bad idea for a film. Why not just make another giallo film with a Goblin soundtrack?. . .
Warner Bros. Readies Another ‘Twilight Zone’ Feature
You can file this under “remakes,” as “Twilight Zone” wasn’t just a TV series, but also a less-than-satisfactory theatrical film from Steven Spielberg back in the ’80s. It also wasn’t technically horror. Rod Serling’s “Night Gallery” veered much more into that territory.
However, any attempt at redoing Serling’s work is worthy of our attention. Variety reports taht Rand Ravich, who wrote and directed “The Astronaut’s Wife,” is writing the script for this one, which has yet to have a director. The film is being produced by Leonardo DiCaprio’s production company, so maybe Leo will play a role.
Although it sounds like an intriguing project, why not go ahead and do something original? Make a film inspired by the Twilight Zone, but call it something else?
The reason is pretty simple: branding.
Like Dead Snow? Try Shock Waves! And More Movie Recommendations
Expert Stacie Ponder recommends classic fright flicks that go well with recent movies you enjoyed. Did you know The Abominable Dr. Phibes goes well with Saw? Now you do! » original news
Screamfest LA’s Call for Entries Deadline Is Approaching!
The Annual Screamfest Horror Film Festival and Screenplay Competition takes place Oct. 16th – 25th 2009 at Grauman’s Mann Chinese 6 at Hollywood and Highland in Hollywood. The Call For Entries deadline is approaching for new horror feature films, shorts and feature length screenplays. FINAL Film and Screenplay submission deadline is August 15th.
Feature Film judges include producers Craig Perry (Final Destination) and Sean Cunningham (Friday The 13th, The Last House On The Left).
Unjustly Forgotten Horrror Movie of the Week: 1975’s ‘Legend of the Werewolf’
Maybe with the “Wolfman” hitting screens from Universal, interest in werewolves will increase to the point that this very moldie oldie will be dusted off and given some kind of release.
This now forgotten British werewolf film from the 1970s, borrows liberally from the Hammer production “The Curse of the Werewolf,” profiling the life of a “wolf boy” and later werewolf from childhood to adulthood.
One of the last horror films directed by the legendary cinematographer Freddie Francis, this came out the same year as “The Ghoul,” another one of Francis’ films starring Peter Cushing.
Cusing would not be acting much longer, and was in only a few horror films like this before leaving the acting scene and passing away in 1994.
Cushing plays a doctor in historic Paris who becomes fascinated by a series of brutal killings that, naturally, police believe were performed by a wolf. In fact, a disgruntled and impoverished young man who happens to have a job in a zoo where he takes care of a few domesticated wolves is also a werewolf. His crush on a local prostitute only seems to exacerbate his lycanthropy problem. He generally kills people who frequent the brothel where his love interest works.
Like “Curse” this is about an proletarian wolf man frustrated by the arrogance of the bougeouis in his town. Ultimately his poverty prevents him from getting laid and finding love, the only antidote that can save a wolfman.
But the movie doesn’t work nearly as well as “Curse” did.
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