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Gremlins released June 8, 1984

Jun 082010

Gremlins is an American comedy horror film directed by Joe Dante and released in 1984 by Warner Bros. It is about a young man who receives a strange creature (called a mogwai) named Gizmo as a pet, which then spawns other creatures who transform into small, destructive, evil monsters. This story was continued with a sequel, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, released in 1990. Unlike the lighter sequel, the original Gremlins opts for more black comedy, which is balanced against a Christmas-time setting. Both films were the center of large merchandising campaigns.

Steven Spielberg was the film’s executive producer, with the screenplay written by Chris Columbus. The film stars Zach Galligan and Phoebe Cates, with Howie Mandel providing the voice of Gizmo. The actors had to work alongside numerous puppets, as puppetry was the main form of special effects used to portray Gizmo and the gremlins.

Gremlins was a commercial success and received positive reviews from critics. However, the film has also been heavily criticized for some of its more violent sequences. Critics alleged these scenes made the film inappropriate for younger audiences who could be admitted into theatres under its PG rating. In response to this and to similar complaints about other films, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) reformed its rating system within two months of its release.

In this film, the Amblin Entertainment logo makes its first on-screen appearance, displayed as “An Amblin Entertainment Presentation” as part of the end credits in place of the original logo.

Trivia:

The idea for these creatures was born in a loft in Manhattan’s garment district that was home to NYU Film School graduate screenwriter Chris Columbus. “By day, it was pleasant enough, but at night, what sounded like a platoon of mice would come out and to hear them skittering around in the blackness was really creepy.” Columbus recalls.

Unbeknownst to Joe Dante and Michael Finnell, Steven Spielberg was a big fan of The Howling (1981). After he came across Chris Columbus’ writing sample, he fell in love with it and bought it. Then he decided that Dante was the guy to make it into a movie, took the project to Warner Bros. and also produced it with his own company, Amblin Entertainment.

Originally planned and scheduled for a Christmas release, the film was rushed into production shortly after Warner Bros. found out that it had no major competition against Paramount’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) or Columbia’s Ghost Busters (1984) for the summer movie season.

Generally credited (along with Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)) to influence the MPAA to create the PG-13 rating, as many felt the scenes of violence in both movies were too much for a PG rating, but not enough for an R rating.

Chris Columbus’ script went through a few drafts before a shooting script was finalized. His original version had the creatures killing the dog and cutting off the mom’s head and tossing it down the stairs. These elements were never shot due to the fact that both, Joe Dante and Warner Bros. wanted the movie to be more family oriented.

In the original draft of the script, instead of Stripe being a Mogwai who becomes a Gremlin, there was no Stripe the Mogwai and Gizmo was supposed to turn into Stripe the Gremlin. Steven Spielberg overruled this plot element because he felt Gizmo was cute and audiences would want him to be present at all stages of the film. This became stressful for Chris Walas who had designed the Gizmo puppet only for the actions that happened in the first half of the movie.

In a deleted scene, Billy and Kate discover Gerald in the bank vault. This scene was added to the NBC TV showing.

Billy says he bought a comic at Dr. Fantasy’s. Dr. Fantasy is a nickname for executive producer Frank Marshall.

Like the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz (1939), Mrs. Deagle has little tolerance for young people and dogs.

While Rand Peltzer is talking with his wife at the inventor’s convention, the machine from The Time Machine (1960) can be seen in the background winding up to full power. The scene cuts to the house, and when we cut back again, the machine has gone, leaving only a wisp of colored smoke.

Mrs. Deagle, the richest lady in town, has named her cats after different kinds of currency (including Kopeck, Drachma and Dollar Bill).

The “Rockin’ Ricky Rialto” billboard shows a man dressed like Indiana Jones, holding a microphone like a whip, and the “Rockin’ Ricky Rialto” logo in the Indiana Jones typeface.

This was the first movie in years to use Warner Bros’ “shield” logo

In Cantonese Chinese, mogwai means devil, demon or gremlin. The Mandarin pronunciation is mogui.

The film that the students are watching in Mr. Hanson’s class is Hemo the Magnificent (1957) (TV), actually an episode of a TV series called “Science” that aired in the late 1950s and was sponsored by the Bell Telephone System (broken up as of January 1984).

The movie that Lynn Peltzer is watching in the kitchen is It’s a Wonderful Life (1946).

Both Judd Nelson and Emilio Estevez were considered for the role of Billy.

There are several references to The Howling (1981), also directed by Joe Dante. The smiley face image on the refrigerator door, some lobby cards from that movie are displayed on the interior of the local theater and most notably the inclusion of the exact same character/actor, the television reporter Lew Landers as portrayed by Jim McKrell.

While watching Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) on the local cinema, one of the gremlins wears some Mickey Mouse’s ears.

Hoyt Axton was always the foremost choice for Rand Peltzer. Pat Harrington Jr. was also considered. Pat Hingle was said to have delivered the best screen test, but was passed on because it was feared Rand’s character would take over the picture as a result of Hingle’s excellent performance.

When the gremlins disrupt Mr. Futterman’s roof television antenna, he changes the channel, and it briefly lands on a scene from Jean Cocteau’s Orphée (1950).

Although it is not clearly visible, “Four Magic Moves to Winning Golf”, by Joe Dante (senior) is on Billy’s nightstand. Joe Dante said his father criticized him for not making the title more visible.

In Mrs. Deagle’s house, Edward Arnold is shown in a few photographs as Donald Deagle. The permission for their use was granted by his estate.

The movie on Billy’s TV when he feeds the mogwais after midnight is Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

The set for Kingston Falls is the same one used for Back to the Future (1985). Both movies were filmed in the Universal Studios backlot.

In addition to restoring the classic Warner Brothers logo to the opening of the movie, it was hoped to release the film along with the classic Looney Tunes short, Falling Hare (1943), where Bugs Bunny is harassed by a plane gremlin during WW II. This fell through, but, highlights from the short do appear as part of the Behind the Scenes featurette, that has also been included on the Special Edition DVD.

The picture of Rockin’ Ricky Rialto is a picture of Don Steele.

Little to no actual dialogue for the Gremlins and Mogwai exists in the script in itself. In addition to several instances of on stage rewrites changing or adding to much of the script, the voiceovers were all mostly ad libs, repeating snippets of just performed dialogue or in reaction to other sound effects or environment. To this end, Howie Mandel recorded Gizmo’s lines phonetically for foreign dubs of the movie, where localized dialogue and in jokes helped make the picture successful with audiences world wide.

In the classroom the students are watching Hemo the Magnificent (1957) (TV). The character of Hemo the Magnificent was played by Marvin Miller, who also does the voice of Robby the Robot at the inventor’s convention (and in Forbidden Planet (1956)).

It was Frank Welker who suggested Howie Mandel perform in this film.

At Dorry’s Tavern, one of the gremlins is playing Star Wars (1983) (VG).

Though he followed the basic outline of the script, Hoyt Axton is said to have improvised nearly all his lines.

At least one of Phoebe Cates’s screams in the scene at Dorry’s Tavern is genuine. An enormous cockroach crawled out in front of her during one take.

During one night shoot, problems with the Gremlin puppets were so severe that the entire cast fell asleep on the set during the delay.

The footage of Santa on the roof that Mr. Futterman is watching in his home is of Red Skelton in a Christmas skit from one of his shows.

After watching his earlier short films, Steven Spielberg considered Tim Burton to direct the film. But decided against it because at the time Burton had never directed a full feature length film.

Jon Pertwee and Mako were both seriously considered for the role of Mr. Wing.

In one scene, Billy is trying to play Gizmo’s song on an electric keyboard. In the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), the humans try to communicate with the aliens by making music with their computers.

The theater that blows up was subsequently involved in another accident when Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) in Back to the Future (1985), smashes into the front entrance at the end of the film. The theater then burned down with the rest of the buildings in the fire that happened right after the filming of Back to the Future Part II (1989).

In the scene where Billy shows the newly-spawned batch of mogwais to his father, one of them is playing with a vintage tabletop Donkey Kong game (a toy released to cash in on the then-rampant popularity of the Donkey Kong arcade game).

Among others, the voices of the Gremlins were done by Michael Winslow.

Kenneth Tobey and Belinda Balaski also appeared in Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990), playing both a different character.

According to Joe Dante and Michael Finnell, the original rough cut of the film ran 2 hours and 40 minutes.

In this film, the Amblin Entertainment logo makes its first on-screen appearance.

The scene in the department store where Stripe attacks Billy with a chainsaw was not in the script. It was added by Joe Dante and Zach Galligan as a homage to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974).

Edward Andrews, Judge Reinhold and William Schallert received roles that were reduced after the film was edited.

Within the story, Gizmo was capable of singing or humming. Jerry Goldsmith wrote Gizmo’s song as well, but Howie Mandel never sang it. A girl member of Goldsmith’s congregation was hired to sing Gizmo’s song, although she had never worked in films before.

The movie that Gizmo is watching in Billy’s bedroom is To Please a Lady (1950).

After Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983), this movie marked the second collaboration between Joe Dante and Michael Finnell with Steven Spielberg.

The last film project of Scott Brady and Edward Andrews.

Poltergeist released June 4, 1982

Horror, Thriller No Responses »

Jun 042010

Poltergeist is an American horror film, directed by Tobe Hooper, produced by Steven Spielberg, and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on June 4, 1982. It is the first and most successful of the Poltergeist film trilogy, and was nominated for three Academy Awards.

The franchise is often said to be cursed, because several people associated with it, including stars Dominique Dunne and Heather O’Rourke, died prematurely. “The Poltergeist Curse” has been the focus of an E! True Hollywood Story.

The film was ranked as #80 on Bravo’s 100 Scariest Movie Moments and the Chicago Film Critics Association named it the 20th scariest film ever made.The film also appeared on American Film Institute’s 100 Years… 100 Thrills, a list of America’s most heart-pounding movies.

Trivia:

The hands which pull the flesh off the investigator’s face in the bathroom mirror are Steven Spielberg’s.

The weird way the family members descend the stairs at the beginning of the film was created by having the actors walk backward up the stairs and playing the film in reverse. The same effect was used later in the movie during the scene showing video playback of the ghosts.

Steven Spielberg worked on Poltergeist (1982) and E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) literally back to back. Principal photography on Poltergeist ended in August of 1981, then Spielberg took a few weeks off and began work on E.T. Spielberg also supervised the visual effects for both films simultaneously (which were produced at Industrial Light & Magic under the supervision of Richard Edlund and Dennis Muren). Once post production work on Poltergeist began in early 1982, Spielberg was in total control. He was responsible for the editing of the film (Spielberg’s usual editor Michael Khan edited this film while Carol Littleton edited E.T), the final sound mixes and loops, the supervision of the visual effects, and the selection of Jerry Goldsmith as the composer of the score. Poltergeist and E.T opened to theaters nationwide only a week between each other during the summer of 1982, Poltergeist on June 4th and E.T. one week later on June 11th. Spielberg later said “If E.T. was a whisper, Poltergeist was a scream”.

The sign at the Holiday Inn reads, Welcome Dr. Fantasy and Friends. Dr. Fantasy is a nickname for producer Frank Marshall.

Heather O’Rourke, who played the little girl Carol-Anne, and Dominique Dunne, who played the teenage daughter, are buried in the same cemetery: Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles. Dunne was strangled into brain-death by her boyfriend in 1982, the year of the film’s release. Six years later, O’Rourke died of intestinal stenosis.

The film was originally given a R rating, but the filmmakers protested successfully and got a PG rating (the PG-13 rating did not exist at the time).

When writers Michael Grais and Mark Victor first met with Steven Spielberg, they were being hired to write the film that eventually became Always (1989). When Spielberg happened to mention he also had an idea for a ghost story, Grais and Victor said they’d rather write the ghost story than Always and that’s how they got this job.

The crawling steak was done by using a real steak which was laid over a slot cut between the tiles in the counter top. Two wires were fastened to the bottom of the steak and a special effects operator, hidden under the counter, simply moved the wires to make the steak crawl like a caterpillar. A similar operation was done when Diane presents to Steven the chairs that move across the room by themselves. A wire was fastened to one of the chair’s legs under the set. An operator first wobbled the chair with the wire, then dragged the chair across to its destination.

Shirley MacLaine was offered a starring role in the film, but backed out in order to make Terms of Endearment (1983).

The shot of the chairs that position themselves in the amazing balancing act on the table was all done in one take. As the camera panned along with JoBeth Williams, who was getting some cleaning materials, several crew members quickly set an already organized pyramid of chairs on the table, then took the single chairs away before the camera scrolled back. See Goofs entry.

The Rams (then Los Angeles Rams) vs. Saints football game seen near the beginning of the film, is taken from a Monday Night Football game in 1980.

The scene in which Diane opens the bedroom door and is met with a fearsome scream was the first to be filmed.

The scene in which Marty hallucinates in the bathroom was the last to be filmed.

Both of the terrors that plague Robbie came from Steven Spielberg’s own fears as a child, a fear of clowns and a tree outside his window.

Steven Spielberg and Tobe Hooper wanted virtually unknown actors to play the Freelings because they wanted to add a realism to the family that would off-balance the ghost story. They felt that if the audience watched well-known stars, then it would take away from the realistic feel of the characters.

The swirling, flickering lights coming from the closet during the rescue scene were achieved using a very simple effect by having an aquarium full of water in front of a spotlight. Then a fan blew on the surface of the water to make it swirl.

The house used to film this movie is located in Simi Valley, California where it still stands today. The family who owned it when this movie was filmed still live there today.

In addition to the two times that the Beast appeared in the movie (the face that appeared in the closet and the creature that guarded the kid’s door), the script had it appearing during the scene where the family and investigators are looking at the tape of the manifestation. The giant ghost that they saw visually slowly resolved itself into the image of a face of a cruel old man: the man we know in the later films as ‘Reverend Henry Kane.’

A common translation of the German word “Poltergeist” is “rumbling spirit”.

During all the horrors that proceeded while filming Poltergeist (1982), only one scene really scared Heather O’Rourke: that in which she had to hold onto the headboard, while a wind machine blew toys into the closet behind her. She fell apart; Steven Spielberg stopped everything, took her in his arms, and said that she would not have to do that scene again.

The movie’s line “They’re here!” was voted as the #69 movie quote by the American Film Institute (out of 100).

Drew Barrymore was considered for the role of Carol Anne, but Steven Spielberg wanted someone more angelic. It was Barrymore’s audition for this role, however, that landed her a part in E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982).

In reality, Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams are only 14 and 11 years older than Dominique Dunne, who plays their teen-aged daughter.

Stephen King was briefly approached to write the screenplay. It would have been the first written by King directly for the screen, but the parties could not agree on the terms.

Footage from this movie was used in a 2008 DirecTV commercial.

When Steve Freeling first meets with the university paranormal specialists, he states that his wife, Diane Freeling, was “32″ at the time, and their eldest daughter, Dana, was “16″. Thus, Diane was only sixteen years-old when she gave birth to Dana.

Though on-screen credit goes to Tobe Hooper, a wealth of evidence suggests that most of the directorial decisions were made by Steven Spielberg. In fact, Spielberg had wanted to direct the film himself, but a clause in his contract stated that while still working on E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Spielberg could not direct another film. Members of the cast and crew, including Executive Producer Frank Marshall and actress Zelda Rubinstein, have stated that Spielberg cast the film, directed the actors, and designed every single storyboard for the movie himself. Based on this evidence, the DGA opened a probe into the matter, but found no reason that co-director credit should go to Spielberg.

[WILHELM SCREAM] When the TV plays Go for Broke! (1951), one of the soldiers screams.

On top of the master bedroom television set sits an Atari Video Computer System console with its two joysticks; later known as the Atari 2600.

Frankenhooker released June 1, 1990

Comedy, Horror, Sci-fi, Science Fiction No Responses »

Jun 012010

Frankenhooker is an American black comedy horror film that was released in 1990. Very loosely inspired by Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, the film was directed by Frank Henenlotter and stars James Lorinz as medical school drop-out Jeffrey Franken and former Penthouse Pet Patty Mullen as the title character (who wears a fatsuit in the beginning of the film).

Trivia:

Beverly Bonner plays “Casey”, a character that appears in Basket Case (1982), Brain Damage (1988), and Basket Case 2 (1990), all also directed by Frank Henenlotter.

The brain with the eye in the beginning of the film is based on the advertisements for The Brain That Wouldn’t Die (1962)

The hooker talk show is a parody of _”The Morton Downey Jr. Show” (1987) [TV-Series 1987-1989]_

The interior of the Franken family garage is intentionally four times as large as the exterior, as specified in the screenplay.

Director Cameo: [Frank Henenlotter] on the train that Frankenhooker takes to Manhattan, standing by the door holding a newspaper.

A family in the movie is called Shelley…after Mary Shelley, the original author of Frankenstein.

Writer/director Frank Henenlotter improvised the basic story at a pitch meeting. After getting the okay to make the picture, he then wrote the script for the movie.

Louise Lasser had just recovered from being sick and hence could hardly speak when she shot her scene talking to James Lorinz. Lasser redid all her dialogue in a post-production recording session.

The Brood released June 1, 1979 (CA)

Horror, Sci-fi, Science Fiction No Responses »

Jun 012010

The Brood is a 1979 Canadian horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg, starring Oliver Reed, Samantha Eggar and Art Hindle. It was filmed in Toronto and Mississauga, Ontario. In 2004, one of its sequences was voted #78 among the “100 Scariest Movie Moments” by the Bravo Channel. The Brood was named 88th on the “Chicago Film Critics Association’s 100 Scariest Movies of All-Time”. The film was Cronenberg’s first major success.

A novelization was written by Richard Starks.

Trivia:

David Cronenberg wrote the film following the tumultuous divorce and child-custody battle he waged against Margaret Hindson. Cronenberg also said that Samantha Eggar’s character, Nola Carveth, possessed some of the characteristics of his ex-wife.
Link this trivia

The Horror of Party Beach released June 1, 1964

Horror, Sci-fi, Science Fiction No Responses »

Jun 012010

The first horror monster musical!

The Horror of Party Beach (working title Invasion of the Zombies) is a 1964 horror film in the beach party genre, directed by B-movie maven Del Tenney, which Tenney himself describes as “a take-off on beach parties and musicals”. A small U.S. East Coast beach town experiences a wave of attacks from water plants and dead human tissue mutated from radioactive waste. They coalesce into humanoid form by attaching themselves to skeletons in a shipwreck and immediately proceed to hunt down and kill mostly young women, as is common in the horror films of this era. Despite the murders committed by the monsters, young women in large numbers keep returning to the area and having, for instance, slumber parties, much to the monster’s convenience. Trying to stop the monsters are scientist Dr. Gavin, his young-adult daughter Elaine, and her boyfriend (and his employee) Hank Green, with some unexpected assistance from housekeeper Eulabelle and metallic sodium.

Movie-mocking television series Mystery Science Theater 3000 featured Horror in one of its season-8 episodes in 1997.

Trivia:

A promotional sign was posted at every theater showing this film which stated: “FOR YOUR PROTECTION! We will not permit you to see these shockers unless you agree to release the theatre of all responsibility for death by fright!” Moviegoers actually had to sign a “Fright Release” before they entered the theater.

Assistant director Wayne Tippit plays one of the two drunks killed by the monster.

Horror author Stephen King cites this as one of his favorite films.

Del Tenney shot this film back-to-back with his film The Curse of the Living Corpse (1964). It was released on double feature with The Horror of Party Beach.

Director Del Tenney was apprehensive about the films combination of the teen beach movie genre and the monster horror genre, not knowing how it would go over with an audience. Tenney said he was admittedly surprised by the films success.

The ‘underwater’ transformation scene of the monsters was actually shot on a stage with images of fish in an aquarium superimposed over the dissolving stage shots.

Most of the secondary characters in the film were locals of Stamford, Connecticut that were cast on location.

Director Del Tenney said he kept the monster suits from this film for years afterward and wore them at parties for laughs.

Chocolate syrup was used for blood during the monster attack scenes.

According to director Del Tenney, there were only two complete monster heads created for the film, which is why in most shots of multiple monsters you don’t see their heads clearly. For the climatic scene at Fingle’s Quarry the shot of the horde of monsters running through the woods was created by superimposing different takes of the complete monsters together.

Shot in three weeks.

Cinematographer/co-writer Richard Hilliard cameos as the father watching the news report of the monster attacks on TV. Del Tenney’s young son and daughter play the children in the same scene.

Alice Lyon’s voice is dubbed throughout the entire film.

Director Del Tenney played the monster that attempts to get the two girls that leave the drug store.

Because of the film’s low-budget, the ‘car crash’ between the two drunks was faked by sound effects and placing the cars at an angle to make them appear to be touching.

For a meeting in which Del Tenney was going to show the film to executives from Twentieth Century Fox to see if they would pick it up, Tenney brought in some folks to wear the monster suits for promotion. One of the monsters just happened to be in the restroom when an executive from Twentieth Century came in. The gentleman freaked out at the sight of the monster Tenney recalled. Everyone had a good laugh about it and Twentieth Century Fox released the film.

One of the films included in “The Fifty Worst Films of All Time (and how they got that way)” by Harry Medved and Randy Lowell.

Critters released April 11, 1986

Action, Comedy, Horror, Sci-fi, Science Fiction No Responses »

Apr 112010

Critters is a 1986 action sci-fi comedy horror film starring Dee Wallace-Stone, M. Emmet Walsh, Billy Green Bush and Scott Grimes. It was directed by Stephen Herek and written by Don Keith Opper and Stephen Herek. It is part of the Critters series.

Trivia:

Terrence Mann actually perform the song “Power of the Night” as Johnny Steele, especially for this movie.

Body count: 2.

There are a total of five (5) poison spikes shot from the Critters.

There are only 2 deaths on-screen, all other characters are simply just ‘harmed’.

The Howling released April 10, 1981

GoreMaster 100 Horror Films, Horror, werewolf No Responses »

Apr 102010

Get This Poster Here!

The Howling is a 1981 werewolf-themed horror film directed by Joe Dante. Based on the novel of the same name by Gary Brandner, the screenplay is written by John Sayles and Terence H. Winkless. The original music score is composed by Pino Donaggio.

Trivia:

The following characters are named after werewolf movie directors: George Waggner, Roy William Neill, Terence Fisher, Freddie Francis, Erle C. Kenton, Sam Newfield, Charles Barton, Jerry Warren, Lew Landers, and Jacinto Molina (an alternate name used by Paul Naschy).

In the scene where Terri calls Christopher from Dr. Waggner’s office, we see a picture of Lon Chaney Jr. on the wall. Chaney played the Wolf Man in five movies (The Wolf Man (1941), Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943), House of Frankenstein (1944), House of Dracula (1945) and Bud Abbott Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948). He is the only actor that played a Universal monster in the original film and all of its sequels.

To add to the hidden puns throughout this film, there is a book placed near a phone during one scene: Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl”.

This film and Howling IV: The Original Nightmare (1988) (V) are both based on the same novel by Gary Brandner. Interestingly, “Howling IV: The Original Nightmare” actually represents the more faithful adaptation of the book than this film does.

In line with other “wolf” puns in the film, the book Bill is reading in bed is “You Can’t Go Home Again” by Thomas Wolfe,

Originally Rick Baker was doing the special effects for the film, but he left the production to do An American Werewolf in London (1981). Baker left the effects job for this film in the hands of assistant Rob Bottin. Both this film and “An American Werewolf in London” were released the same year and both received praise for their makeup work.

Jack Conrad was originally set to direct and write the film, but troubles with the studio forced him to leave the project. In addition Terence H. Winkless was writing the script at one point, but when his version proved unsatisfactory, he left the production. It eventually fell into the lap of director Joe Dante who brought on writer John Sayles, with whom he had previously worked for Piranha (1978), to write the screenplay.

Shot in 28 days plus days of re-shoots.

A picture of a wolf attacking a flock of sheep can be seen above Karen and Bill’s bed.

At one point, Sam Newfield is seen eating from a can of Wolf brand chili.

Art director Robert A. Burns had previously worked on the sets for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974). In fact many of the grisly set dressings for this film were hold-overs from “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre”; most notably the corpse in the armchair seen in Walter Paisley’s bookstore.

Due to their work in this film, Joe Dante and Michael Finnell received the opportunity to make the movie Gremlins (1984).

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The Return of Dracula released April 2, 1958

Dracula, Horror, Thriller, vampire No Responses »

Apr 022010

The Return of Dracula is a 1958 horror film directed by Paul Landres. Starring Francis Lederer (as Count Dracula), Norma Eberhardt, Ray Stricklyn, Jimmy Baird and Greta Granstedt.

Plot: After a vampire leaves his native Balkans, he murders a Czech artist, assumes his identity, and moves in with the dead man’s American cousins.

Trivia:

This film was first released as the top half of a double bill with The Flame Barrier (1958).

Ray Stricklyn noted in his autobiography “Angels & Demons” that co-star Norma Eberhardt had one blue eye and one brown eye. If you look carefully at a few of her closeups, even in this black and white film, you can notice the difference.

The original theatrical release prints contained a brief shot, lasting several seconds, that was in color. When the stake is driven into Jennie’s heart, there is a close-up of bright red blood spurting from the wound. The approximately three foot section of color film was manually spliced into the black and white prints.

April Fool’s Day released March 27, 1986

Horror, Mystery, Thriller No Responses »

Mar 282010

April Fool’s Day is an American “slasher”/comedy horror film released in 1986 by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Fred Walton, from the screenplay by Danilo Bach. The original music score was composed by Charles Bernstein.

It was filmed in British Columbia, Canada and has a largely Canadian cast.

Trivia:

The film was inspired by the Agatha Christie novel And Then There Were None.
Due to the film being light on violence it received frequent airings on late night television, where it gained a large cult following.
The film’s French title was Weekend of Terror, while in Germany release was titled The Horror Party

Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein released March 17, 1974

Frankenstein, Horror, Sci-fi, Science Fiction, drama No Responses »

Mar 172010

Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein is a 1973 horror film directed by Paul Morrissey and produced by Andy Warhol, Andrew Braunsberg, Louis Peraino, and Carlo Ponti. Starring Udo Kier, Joe Dallesandro, Monique van Vooren and Arno Juerging, and filmed in the famous Cinecittà by a crew of Italian master filmmakers, Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein is suffused with the crumbling glamour of old Italian films, paying homage to (while simultaneously parodying) the earnest and stark visual and psychological beauty of the horror films on which it is based. Morrissey’s sense of ironic detachment gives the film a gruesomely comic modernity and beauty all its own.

In the United States, the film was marketed as Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein, and was presented in the Space-Vision 3-D process in premiere engagements. It was rated X by the MPAA, due to its explicit sexuality and violence. A 3-D version also played in Australia in 1986, along with Blood for Dracula, an obvious pairing. In the seventies a 3-D version played in Stockholm, Sweden. In subsequent US DVD releases, the film was retitled Flesh for Frankenstein, while the original title was used in other regions.

The film was later cut to 93 minutes for an R-rating, thereby increasing its ability to be screened in more theaters. The U.S. DVD releases have utilized the full uncut version, which is now unrated. The film had its television premiere in the United Kingdom on November 17, 2009 and was broadcast in 3D as part of Channel 4′s 3D Week.

Trivia:

Originally filmed in 3D, although most presentations found today are in 2D.
While some Italian prints give second unit director Antonio Margheriti credit as co-director, Udo Kier has stated that Margheriti had nothing to do with directing the movie.
Both this film and Dracula cerca sangue di vergine… e morì di sete!!! (1974) shared many of the same sets and the same principal cast (Joe Dallesandro, Udo Kier, and Arno Juerging).

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