News

The song “Auld Lang Syne” is performed every year on New Year’s Eve while we ring in the new year, but you’re probably not aware what the phrase actually means.

The literal translation of the phrase and it’s actual meaning are different!

Keep reading to find out more…

The literal translation of the phrase is “old long since,” but the meaning is “days gone by.”

The song started off as a poem written down by Robert Burns in 1788, though it is believed that it was written before that date by someone else.

The song is interpreted to raise the question if it’s right to forget old times and never think of them again. It’s the perfect song for New Year’s Eve as we move into a new year and try to decide if we will look back at moments from the past year or forget them and move forward.

The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry, and two films explore that abiding Robert Burns proverb this week: Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan’s IMAX-sized three-hour biopic of the “father of the atomic bomb,” and Barbie, a Mattel-sanctioned deconstruction of the patriarchy from the fertile mind of Greta Gerwig. Only one of these summer blockbusters, however, boasts a number of sex scenes, and it isn’t the one starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.

Oppenheimer explores the life and times of renowned theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer...

Editor's note: The below contains spoilers for the Succession series finale.Among the many questions raised in the brilliant Succession finale, one has a much more significant thematic meaning hidden in its answer: what song is Karl (David Rasche) singing in that surprisingly touching home video playing in Connor’s (Alan Ruck) inherited New York penthouse? The answer: an old Scottish folk melody with lyrics from 18th-century poet Robert Burns titled "Green Grow the Rashes."...

It’s a Larry Blamire film, and it’s composed of entirely New and Unique elements: a lonely mansion, strange servants, the reading of the will, weird heirs, death threats, snoopy reporters, a midnight seance, mysterious locked rooms, the clutching hands of a phantom menace, and the ultimate terror, Kogar the mighty ape. All new, right? This ‘nothing you’ve ever seen before’ is performed by Blamire’s nimble acting clan, all competing to immortalize some of the silliest dialogue ever written. Two versions of the screwball-nostalgic farce are present on this special edition disc, along with the usual disturbingly offbeat selection of Blamire extras.

Dark and Stormy Night

Blu-ray

Hydraulic Entertainment

2009 / B&w / 1:85 widescreen / 93 min. / Street Date June 1, 2020 / available here online but see more information below.

Starring: Daniel Roebuck, Jennifer Blaire, Fay Masterson, Dan Conroy, Brian Howe, Christine Romeo, Andrew Parks, Jim Beaver, Kevin Quinn, James Karen, Alison Martin,...

Collecting movie memorabilia has grown into a huge business, with fans eager to pay top dollar for some of the rarest movie props out there. One of the best places to find some of these rare props is a place known as Prop Store L.A., which is run by Brandon Alinger, who invited Star Wars icon Mark Hamill to visit his shop in a new episode of Pop Culture Quest, debuting on Comic-Con HQ Tuesday, January 17. A video has debuted that shows Brandon Alinger reuniting Mark Hamill with a very special prop from Return of the Jedi.

The clip, which comes courtesy of Geek Tyrant, shows Brandon Alinger pulling out a special prop from his personal collection, the real lightsaber Mark Hamill used in Return of the Jedi. Brandon Alinger also has quite a story behind the prop, revealing that this same lightsaber was used by Alec Guinness in...

It’s not fun to get interrupted during an interview… except, that is, when you’re speaking with “Stan Against Evil” creator Dana Gould, and it’s Fred Armisen and Bill Hader who are butting in.

We were in a large conference room at the Beverly Hilton, which IFC had taken over for interviews at the Television Critics Association press tour, and Armisen and Hader had stopped by to say hello to Gould in between interviews for their own series “Documentary Now!”

Read More: ‘Documentary Now!’: Fred Armisen and Bill Hader Start Making Nonsense With Talking Heads Concert Parody

In the space of less than two minutes, Armisen told Gould, “I still quote some of your stand-up,” and Hader and Gould riffed with each other on an impression of a San Francisco comedy club owner. Meanwhile, I just sat there, enjoying the opportunity to witness further proof that the...

Milton Caniff’s Steve Canyon (1947-1988) was one of the most celebrated adventure comic strips of the 1950s. The blond, square-jawed hero was on the cutting edge of action as he took to the skies and had adventures around the world. Caniff populated the strip with memorable supporting characters and adversaries so it was a rich reading experience.

The strip was so popular that when Captain Action was introduced in 1966, Canyon was one of the first heroes he could turn into. Somewhat earlier, Canyon also served as inspiration for an NBC prime time series that, sadly, bore little resemblance to the strip (a common problem back then).

In 2008, John R. Ellis brought us this forgotten gem with The Complete Steve Canyon on TV Volume 1 and followed up a year later with Volume 2. The silence until late last year when the anticipated Volume 3 finally arrived, completing the run. Thankfully it came...

Bob Burns, founding member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, was killed in a car crash on Friday, April 3, at 64 years old. Rip Bob Burns Burns, a drummer, is featured on Lynyrd Skynyrd’s first two albums, Pronounced ‘Leh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd (1973) and Second Helping (1974). Burns’ work can be heard in hits such as “Sweet Home Alabama” […]

The post Bob Burns, Original Lynyrd Skynyrd Drummer, Dies At 64 appeared first on uInterview.

Former Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer Bob Burns, a founding band member, was killed in a car crash in Georgia late on Friday. He was 64. A police spokesperson told E! News on Saturday that the accident occurred just before midnight. According to preliminary findings, he was driving alone in a vehicle in Cartersville, a small, rural town, and left the road while approaching a right curve, after which he struck a mailbox and a tree. Burns was not wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash, the spokesperson said, adding that he was also alone in the car. Burns played drums on the group's first demos and on their most famous song, "Sweet Home Alabama," as well as on other hits such as "Free Bird" and...

Bob Burns, the former drummer for the Southern hard rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd has died in a car crash in Georgia. He was 64. Burns’ vehicle went off the curve and struck a tree and then a mailbox near Cartersville, Georgia just before midnight. Burns — whose full name was Robert Burns Jr. — was killed in the wreck and was not wearing a seatbelt. The single-car accident remains under investigation. Also Read: Muppets and Music Take Lower Manhattan for Tribeca 2011 Burns was one of five musicians who founded Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1966, known for its hits such as “Sweet Home Alabama,” ”Gimme Three.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Directed by Tobe Hooper

Written by Kim Henkel and Tobe Hooper

1974, USA

When someone hears the title The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, they might just pass it off as just another inane slasher flick, but in fact Texas is much more; it’s a relentlessly agonizing, bleak masterpiece of horror cinema. Texas isn’t merely interested in scaring its audience; it’s an intelligent and visceral experience which examines the darker impulses found in people, a movie where unspeakably horrific acts take place mostly outside of the frame.

Shot on a tiny budget of $83,000, director Tobe Hooper’s stylish debut achieves maximum effect through a combination of Daniel Pearl’s appropriately gritty cinematography, shrieking sound design, and an unnerving concrète score that will ring in your ears long after the end credits role. The shaky, eerie and at times documentary-style camerawork, practical effects, and the age-old trick...

Oh, San Francisco, you had one job. Hold on before you get worked up, though, folks. It's not like George Lucas just threw a dart to pick the spot to open his new museum. It sounds like he made a huge effort at opening a museum in San Francisco, but those efforts ended in frustration, and as a result, there will be a museum designed to hold Lucas's huge private collection of "illustrations, comic art, graphic art, animation, and other popular art forms," as The New York Times put it, and it will be in Chicago. I guess I'll never grow tired of seeing just how many things can make people angry at George Lucas. I thought maybe it would ease up a bit when he sold Lucasfilm to Disney and stepped away from having an active leading role in the ongoing "Star Wars" universe. Fanboys have long memories until the moment they don't,...

Well, the big day is finally here! After leading the Avengers in stopping an alien invasion Summer before last, our favorite shield-slinger returns to the multiplexes in an all new solo adventure (well, he’s got some help from the Black Widow and the high-flyin’ Falcon)! Before you head out, you may want to brush up on all things Steve Rogers (don’t worry, this won’t be on the final!)! Have fun and buy bonds!

Read my original review of Captain America Here.

Here’s my original article that ran on Wamg before Captain America: The First Avenger was released in 2011.

The very first appearance of the sentinel of liberty.

Okay fellow movie geeks! Ready for a bit of pop culture history? Before you head out to the multiplex this weekend to see Paramount’s Captain America: The First Avenger, let’s get better acquainted with the story of this star-spangled superhero.

Want horror-movie makeup tips from an Oscar-winning legend? Here, Rick Baker (An American Werewolf in London, Videodrome, Men in Black) offers Diy tips while demonstrating how to make “Miss Shock,” a gruesome character created by Bob Burns in 1959 for a live event with The Tingler director William Castle. In this fast-paced 15-minute clip, Baker starts off by making a mold of his daughter’s face and then moves on to the artistic detail work he’s revered for. (Hat tip: Mutiny Co.)...

Want horror-movie makeup tips from an Oscar-winning legend? Here, Rick Baker (An American Werewolf in London, Videodrome, Men in Black) offers Diy tips while demonstrating how to make “Miss Shock,” a gruesome character created by Bob Burns in 1959 for a live event with The Tingler director William Castle. In this fast-paced 15-minute clip, Baker starts off by making a mold of his daughter’s face and then moves on to the artistic detail work he’s revered for. (Hat tip: Mutiny Co.)...

If you’re a film collectible aficionado, then you can appreciate when a company dedicates themselves to ensuring accuracy while developing their products. At American International Toy Fair in New York City this week, Mike Drake, the Director of Special Projects at Mezco Toyz, shared with us one of their most bizarre hunts to make their upcoming roto plush Mother from Psycho completely accurate to Alfred Hitchcock’s classic horror thriller.

Drake says problems started from the top. “We tried to find a reference at Universal for what mother’s dress looked like. We see mother’s hands for two frames in the film and we see her shoes in the scene where she’s being carried down the steps.”

Universal searched, and in the meantime Drake says they found Mother’s head at the Museum of Cinema in France. One problem: they had the head but not the dress.

Of all the things I don’t collect, trading cards has to be the one thing I wish I did. There are various reasons why I don’t but I’ll get into that later…

Art is a subjective passion. What is art to one person can be nothing other than tin cans glued together on a backboard to another. Whatever your taste in art, there is simply no denying if a particular artist has a unique and special gift. Robert Aragon has such a gift. An artist who spans several genres, from horror to portraiture and various genres in between, Robert is an artist of many talents. For the past two decades he has been a top force in the horror art genre. Whether creating comic book and CD covers or portraits for the likes of Sara Karloff or Bela Lugosi Jr. Robert infuses a sense of pathos in every piece he creates.

Every year, we here at Sound On Sight celebrate the month of October with 31 Days of Horror; and every year, I update the list of my favourite horror films ever made. Last year, I released a list that included 150 picks. This year, I’ll be upgrading the list, making minor alterations, changing the rankings, adding new entries, and possibly removing a few titles. I’ve also decided to publish each post backwards this time around for one simple reason: that is, the new additions appear lower on my list, whereas my top 50 haven’t changed much, except for maybe in ranking. Enjoy!

Special Mention:

Un chien andalou

Directed by Luis Buñuel

Written by Salvador Dalí and Luis Buñuel

France, 1929

The dream – or nightmare – has been a staple of horror cinema for decades. In 1929, Luis Bunuel joined forces with Salvador Dali to create Un chien andalou, an experimental and unforgettable 17-minute surrealist masterpiece.

Talk to Metallica? Every once in a while I run into the great big geek in my head who gets honestly star struck at the thought of meeting someone. The chance to sit with Kirk Hammett  in support of , Metallica: Through The Never was worth missing one of my coveted screenings at Fantastic Fest this year. I already knew that Kirk Hammett and I had something in common. We're both big horror memorabilia collectors, and part of the monster generation.  Twitch: One of the reasons I was so excited to talk to you is that we're both monster kids.Kirk Hammett: Yeah! Forrest J. Ackerman! Yup. Went to Forrest's house before the collection was split up, went to Bob Burns house the same day. I will...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

If you’re looking to acquiring rare horror items, you may be interested in checking out Daniel Roebuck’s upcoming auction of classic monster and horror film collectibles. This live auction, that includes a Bride of Frankenstein theatrical banner, will be taking place in October and we have all the details:

“In what will surely be the greatest monster matchup since Abbott & Costello met Frankenstein in 1948, Blacksparrow Auctions is teaming up with Dr. Shocker (noted character actor Daniel Roebuck’s alter ego) to offer movie fans a once in a lifetime collectible event, Dr. Shocker’S Auction Of Horror!

This will be a rare opportunity to relive the pop culture explosion of classic monster and horror memorabilia of the late 20th century through the collection of one of its most avid fans, Daniel Roebuck. For nearly half a century, Roebuck has fostered a passion for classic monster and horror film collectibles.

The Amazing Race Review, Season 22, Episode 10

“Working Our Barrels Off”

Airs Sundays at 8pm (Et) on CBS

This week’s Amazing Race splits the five remaining teams into two separate groups and forces one to scramble to avoid elimination. The interesting part is how they end up divided by several hours during the jaunt through Scotland. The leg begins with the warning that a U-Turn will be ahead, but that plays only a minor role in the ultimate outcome. Instead, it’s the lack of diligence from Joey and Meghan and the roller derby moms that pushes them to the back of the pack. After grabbing what’s apparently the best flight, they celebrate and prepare to grab the top two spots. This type of error happens nearly every season, and it’s easy to understand why they feel complacent enough not to look for better options. The saving grace...

One year ago: Crowley (Mark Sheppard) shows up. Bobby (Jim Beaver) puts on a Brit accent, but he doesn't have Crowley's brand of drink, which is Craig. Cheap drink will burn a hole in Crowley's soul. Bobby demands his soul back and he's told to look at Para 18(b) on his "naughty bits." Best effort to give back his soul but he can't, he's got ten years. Bobby traps him and Crowley whistles for the hounds, forcing Bobby to release him. It's not over for Bobby or Crowley. Kenosha, Wisconsin. Present Day. Dean (Jensen Ackles) finds a claw. Sam (Jared Padalecki) can't get any Emf readings so Dean calls Bobby. Six DBs chests were cracked open and they need an ID on the claw. Dean suggest Bobby should get Bo Derek out of his bathtub. Flash through Bobby's day and his research at the library where he breaks in...

Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

By Raymond Benson

What is the Law?

Not to run on all fours.

That is the Law!

Are we not men?

What is the Law?

Not to eat meat!

That is the Law!

Are we not men?

What is the Law?

Not to spill blood!

That is the Law!

Are we not men?

Well, we are not Devo, although that famed New Wave band was inspired by this wonderfully twisted 1933 science fiction-horror film in their song, “Are We Not Men?—We Are Devo!” Similarly, Danny Elfman and Oingo Boingo used parts of the “Law” in their song, “No Spill Blood.” The above mantra is used in the picture by a group of, well, unusual beings.

Made by Paramount to compete with Universal’s string of successful horror movies, and directed by Erle C. Kenton, Island of Lost Souls is nothing short of a masterpiece.

The very first appearance of the sentinel of liberty.

Okay fellow movie geeks! Ready for a bit of pop culture history? Before you head out to the multiplex this weekend to see Paramount’s Captain America: The First Avenger, let’s get better acquainted with the story of this star-spangled superhero. Pencils ready! This may be on the finals!

Let.s go back a few years to Cap.s original glory days. He literally exploded on the comic scene in 1941 with Captain America Comics #1 from Timely Comics. That company had been trying to carve out a slice of the big super hero comics market pie since National Periodicals had caused a sensation with Superman in 1938 and Batman the following year. In 1939 they had a big seller with Marvel Mystery Comics #1 and introduced their two breakaway stars: The Human Torch and The Sub-Mariner. Who would come up with the next great super hero?...

Oh, how we love when a new Criterion Collection Blu-ray release comes our way. Simply put, these discs are the gold standard in home video releases, and two true classics are set to make their debut this October.

First on October 18th we'll see Kaneto Shindo's Kuroneko.

Synopsis

In this poetic and atmospheric horror fable, set in a village in war-torn medieval Japan, a malevolent spirit has been ripping out the throats of itinerant samurai. When a military hero is sent to dispatch the unseen force, he finds that he must struggle with his own personal demons as well. From Kaneto Shindo, director of the terror classic Onibaba, Kuroneko (Black Cat) is a spectacularly eerie twilight tale with a shocking feminist angle, evoked through ghostly special effects and exquisite cinematography.

Special Features

New high-definition digital restoration (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition) Video interview with director Kaneto Shindo...

I love the Criterion Collection, although they don’t release a lot of genre stuff, but when they do, the release instantly becomes the must buy of that month, and that’s no different for this October. On the 25th, Criterion will be releasing the 1933 Island of Lost Souls, a classic adaptation of the famous The Island of Dr. Moreau, from sci-fi author H.G. Wells, on both Blu-ray and DVD.

Better yet, we get a slew of extras:

udio commentary by film historian Gregory Mank, author of Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff and Hollywood’s Maddest Doctors

New video conversation among filmmaker John Landis (An American Werewolf in London), Oscar-winning makeup artist Rick Baker (An American Werewolf in London, Videodrome), and genre expert Bob Burns

New interviews with horror film historian David J. Skal (The Monster Show: A Cultural History of Horror); filmmaker Richard Stanley (Hardware, original director of the...

Fans of classic horror can rejoice. DVD’s most glaring omission from the Golden Age of Horror, 1932′s Island Of The Lost Souls, is finally making its debut on DVD this October and it’s a Criterion Blu-ray no less!

I wrote about Island Of Lost Souls last April in my ‘Not Available on DVD’ column and wrote at that time: “Produced by Paramount, it’s never looked good (on home video)and I suspect its absence on DVD may be due to an unavailability of acceptable elements. The long-ago releases on VHS and laserdisc (double-billed with 1933′s Murders At The Zoo, another pre-code shocker from Paramount) were the same foggy and soft prints that Turner Classic Movies occasionally runs. Island Of Lost Souls is one of the best horror films of its era and deserves proper restoration” (read that entire column Here). It should be interesting to see what...

Criterion unleashes a pre-code horror classic!

So this announcement just happened:

Pre-Code horror gem, Island Of Lost Souls, comes to DVD and Blu-ray for the first time ever 10/26! http://ow.ly/5FGnnJuly 15, 2011 12:30 pm via HootSuiteReplyRetweetFavorite@CriterionCriterion Collection

Which is superb news.

The Island of Lost Souls is a legendary pre-code horror film, which means that there’s some racy and lurid stuff in the movie. (Pre-code films were not at all afraid of pushing moral boundaries.) It’s never been released on DVD or Blu Ray before and it features an early performance from the great Charles Laughton, who we’re big fans of around here.

You don’t need me telling you this, though. You need Joe:

One of the greatest yet most neglected thirties’ horror films is Paramount’s The Island Of Lost Souls, based on H.G. Wells’ The Island of Dr. Moreau. Except for a vhs...

The 2007 William Castle doc — featuring many of your favorite gurus — gets a very special edition DVD.

This news is a few weeks old, but it’s worth revisiting in advance of next week’s release.

It’s no secret that we’re William Castle fans around here. A look through our back catalog reveals quite a few of our gurus talking over the trailers to his films. So, if you haven’t figured out just why you should love William Castle, now’s your chance.

The audience favorite documentary, director Jeffrey Schwartz’ Spine Tingler: The William Castle Story, arrives on a loaded special edition DVD June 21.

Quoth the PR for a list of DVD features:

–> New Audio Commentary with producer/director Jeffrey Schwarz, editor Philip Harrison, composer Michael “The Millionaire” Cudahy, graphic designer Grant Nellessen with a special guest appearance from the Great beyond…William Castle!

–> Larger Than Life: The Making Of Spine Tingler!

In a recently released press release (that was fun to say), Automat Pictures has announced Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story for DVD on June 21st. Even better, the disc will be absolutely packed with over 5-hours of extras. Take a look at them below:

“William Castle was a larger than life figure, so it’s only fitting that he gets a larger than life DVD,” says Jeffrey Schwarz, President and CEO of Automat Pictures. “I wanted to make sure Castle and the soon-to-be converted fans get plenty of Bang for their buck with this Special Edition release. And remember, everyone who buys this DVD might be insured by Lloyd’s of London for the possibility of death by fright!”

Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story (review here) is Buzzing with New and electrifying Bonus features available only on this DVD, which include:

New Audio Commentary with producer/director Jeffrey Schwarz,...

Automat Pictures has announced a DVD Special Edition release of Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story, the multi-award winning “docu-tainment” directed by Jeffrey Schwarz, will be released on June 21. To celebrate this momentous release in epic William Castle fashion, the DVD will include over Five hours of bonus features that have never, ever been seen anywhere before!

From the Press Release:

“William Castle was a larger than life figure, so it’s only fitting that he gets a larger than life DVD,” says Jeffrey Schwarz, President and CEO of Automat Pictures. “I wanted to make sure Castle and the soon-to-be converted fans get plenty of Bang for their buck with this Special Edition release. And remember, everyone who buys this DVD might be insured by Lloyd’s of London for the possibility of death by fright!”

Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story (review here) is Buzzing with New and electrifying...

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Directed by Tobe Hooper

Written by Kim Henkel and Tobe Hooper

1974, USA

When someone hears the title The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, they might just pass it off as just another inane slasher flick, but in fact Texas is much more; it’s a relentlessly agonizing, bleak masterpiece of horror cinema. Texas isn’t merely interested in scaring its audience; it’s an intelligent and visceral experience which examines the darker impulses found in people, a movie where unspeakably horrific acts take place mostly outside of the frame.

Shot on a tiny budget of $83,000, director Tobe Hooper’s stylish debut achieves maximum effect through a combination of Daniel Pearl’s appropriately gritty cinematography, shrieking sound design, and an unnerving concrète score that will ring in your ears long after the end credits role. The shaky, eerie and at times documentary-style camerawork, practical effects, and the age-old trick...

Thanks to reader Bob Burns for alerting me that the American Cinema Editors will be announcing tomorrow.  The Eddies are right up there with the DGA in terms of helping to determine Best Picture.

Confessions of a Scream Queen by Matt Beckoff

“In Confessions of a Scream Queen, writer Matt Beckoff interviews fifteen legendary ‘Ladies of Horror.’ Spanning over nine decades of cinema, Confessions is filled with entertaining and informative recollections and personal insights about Hollywood’s best-loved horror films. Included are some rare and never before seen pictures. “

Table Of Contents

Acknowledgements

Foreword

Author’s Note

Carla Laemmle

Lupita Tovar

JanetAnn Gallow

Elena Verdugo

Colleen Gray

Kathleen Hughes

Judith O’Dea

Karen Black

Ingrid Pitt

Jessica Harper

Marilyn Burns

Betsy Palmer

Dee Wallace

P.J. Soles

Adrienne Barbeau

Conclusion

About The Author

Scream Queen, any Monster Kid when they hear those two words can immediately be transported back in time to a favorite movie and favorite actress, well at least I can. My childhood was full of monsters and Scream Queens, the memories fresh and exciting.

Matt Beckoff’s new book Confessions of a...

We here at Famous Monsters love the Rondos, and who wouldn’t?

Begun in 2002 by David Colton and Kerry Gammill over at the scare-tastic Classic Horror Film Board, the Rondo Awards are dedicated to honoring achievements in classic horror, recognizing everything from “Best Movie,” to ”Best DVD Commentary” to “Best Horror Host.” Lucky winners receive a beautifully sculpted bust in the likeness of famed horror star Rando Hatton (The Pearl of Death, House of Horrors), for whom the award is named. And now, every year, the cool ghouls of the internet come together to celebrate the best and brightest in the world of classic horror, science fiction and cult films.

The best part is that anyone can vote. Your voice matters! As a fan of all that is classic horror (and surely that is you, fair reader, for who else would frequent the abode of the Ackermonster?), it is your...

When we contacted Harry Walton and requested an interview, his reply was simple and immediate: “Sure! I grew up on Famous Monsters. When do you want to talk?” Nothing keeps us more enthused about our mission than speaking with the fanboys and –girls who grew up to become the modern mages of today’s visual effects.

Harry's buddy Rick Baker in his Frankenstein mask, West Covina, CA, 1968

Harry’s enthusiasm goes way back and deep; during our interview we spent a long time lost amongst his many scrapbooks of personal photos. A few of these may be seen on Harry’s own website. (All photos in this interview are from the Harry Walton Collection, (c) VFXmasters.)

Top Row: Davey & Goliath, Harry running an optical printer, "Honey, I Shrunk The Kids". Middle Row: the Pillsbury Doughboy, "The Golden Child," "The Nightmare Before Christmas." Bottom Row: "Land of the Lost", "RoboCop2", "James...

The fourth part of Bob Burns Hollywood Halloween is now live on the official website. Head over to this spot and click on the video tab. From there you'll be able to watch part's one through four, with the fifth and final portion of the doc debuting on October 28th. Covered in segment four are "Horror From Space" and "Caves of The Black Lagoon". Check it out here ! Produced by Bob Burns and friends in association with Knb Efx group and Etitude Animeditorial, Bob Burns' Hollywood Halloween features never-before-seen footage, photos from Burns' past shows and features interviews with John Landis, Rick Baker, Greg Nicotero, Guillermo Del Toro, Frank Darabont and many, many more.

The William Castle Film Collection (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, $80.95) includes eight pictures produced and directed by master showman Castle. In Part One of this lengthy DVD review, I dissected four of them—13 Ghosts, Homicidal and the two best, The Tingler and Mr. Sardonicus. Believe you me, it was a ghastly business! As Sardonicus would say, “I have known a ghoul—a disgusting creature that opens graves and feeds on corpses.” Like a DVD reviewer. See here.

In this epic conclusion, I am fitted out with a Strait-jacket (about time!) and also chronicle Zotz!, 13 Frightened Girls and The Old Dark House, the three Castle entries new to DVD (which lack the short, individual “making of” documentaries accompanying the other five). Only two of these eight flicks were shot in color (Girls, House); theatrical trailers are included with all of the movies. And that’s all you need to know as we continue—in amazing Screamarama,...

The William Castle Film Collection (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, $80.95) assembles the master showman’s eight Columbia Pictures features in one set. Three (Zotz!, 13 Frightened Girls, The Old Dark House) are new to DVD. Only two are in color (Girls, House), but black and white works far better here to evoke film fear anyhow. Castle produced and directed them all (though he shares a producing credit with Hammer Films’ Anthony Hinds on the House remake). Three were scripted by Robb White (who also wrote Castle’s earlier gimmicky genre hits MacAbre and House On Haunted Hill) while Ray Russell and Robert Dillon racked up two scripts each and Starlog contributor Robert Bloch penned one.

The films (fantasies, thrillers, comedies) are grouped sort of by theme, two per disc. So, 13 Frightened Girls (a.k.a. The Candy Web) is teamed with 13 Ghosts for the triskaidekaphobia entry. Homicidal and Strait-jacket represent the murder,...

As we first introduced to you here , the feature-length documentary chronicling Bob Burns' Halloween tradition of throwing elaborate productions outside of his home is slowly being rolled out for free and on the web. Since we told you about part two, we felt we tell you that the official site has been updated with part three which runs nearly a half hour in length. Covered in this entry are "In the Attic," "Martian Invasion," and "A Matter of Time." Visit this spot and click under "video." Enjoy!

A few weeks back, collector Bob Burns posted Part One of his Hollywood Halloween documentary on his website. (Read Ryan Rotten's post on that here .) Now, the second segment is officially live! (And you can stream it for free.) Head over to this spot and click on the video tab. From there you'll be able to watch Part's One and Two of the documentary with more segments to follow in the upcoming weeks leading up to Halloween. Produced by Bob Burns and friends in association with Knb Efx group and Etitude Animeditorial, Bob Burns' Hollywood Halloween features never-before-seen footage, photos from Burns' past shows and features interviews with John Landis, Rick Baker, Greg Nicotero, Guillermo Del Toro, Frank Darabont and many, many more. If you're a devoted horror fan,...

In this incarnation of our Videolog column (which began in 1982 with VHS & Betamax and later laserdisc), Starlog posts information weekly regarding selected genre titles now being released (or re-released) on DVD and Blu-ray. Prices listed are Msrp, though any clickable links lead to Amazon where the savings can be significant.

This week’s DVD releases...

A Charlie Brown Christmas (Warner, $29.99 Blu-ray): The classic Peanuts Christmas cartoon is a holiday perennial favorite, and now it’s available on Blu-ray.

Contact (Warner, $28.99 Blu-ray): Robert Zemeckis directed this adaptation of Carl Sagan’s bestseller about a radio astronomer who may or may not have discovered an extraterrestrial radio transmission. Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey star. Look for our Foster interview on the film (from issue #241) to be posted online soon.

Get Smart: Season Four (Warner, $24.98): Maxwell Smart is back...and loving it! And so are Agent 99, the Chief, Fang...

Bob Burns is one of my very favorite people. I remember when I first read about him in Starlog magazine.  Issue #18.  The entire cover was dedicated to a story about his Halloween shows in Burbank, and although I'd never heard of him or the shows, the photos immediately captivated me.  And as soon as I finished reading and re-reading that cover story, I added a goal to my personal bucket list:  see a Bob Burns Halloween show live at least once. A few years ago, that dream finally came true, and now, thanks to the efforts of some of the...

In October of 2002, I had the great opportunity to work alongside an army of movie monster fanatics and some of Hollywood's FX vets to bring 1951's The Thing from Another World to life...on the front lawn of a quaint home in Burbank, California. That home belonged to Bob Burns, who has been a dear friend and is known for not just his varied career but owning an enormous collection of film props like Rick Baker's lycanthrope from An American Werewolf in London , the Queen Alien head from Aliens as well as the time machine from George Pal's classic film (this is just barely the icing on the cake). For some time, Burns would put on elaborate Halloween shows in his neighborhood, drawing a line around the block. After an all too long hiatus, Burns would call upon his friends in...