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This one goes out to all those who were children in the early aughts convinced that Spy Kids was the pinnacle of cinema. Your loyalty has been rewarded! Robert Rodriguez's beloved action comedy has been added to the National Film Registry. On Monday, the Library of Congress announced the...

We are just past the 40th anniversary of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. It's been now 42 years since the film came out and captivated audiences everywhere. It brought back an iconic Star Trek villain in Khan Noonien Singh and showcased one of the most impressive hero/villain dynamics in franchise history with Khan and James T. Kirk.

The performances of Ricardo Montalban and William Shatner captivated a generation and so much of the modern Star Trek trend follows the model that Wrath of Khan created. Even after 42 years the fans still flock to the film. In many ways, it's the touchtone of Star Trek's creativity.

This is why it was picked, alongside 24 other films, to be added to the National Film Registry for Preservation. The selections for the class of 2024 range from 1895's "Annabelle Serpentine Dance all the way to 2010's The Social Network. And no, the '1895' wasn't a typo.

The 1953 sci-fi classic Invaders From Mars has belatedly been added to the National Film Registry – a sign of how highly-regarded it’s become.

Directed by William Cameron Menzies, Invaders From Mars is one of the most captivating and beautiful-looking sci-fi films of its era. One of a handful of films that has shrugged off its B-movie origins, Menzies’ genre piece is to be preserved at the Library of Congress National Film Registry – placing it in such esteemed company as 2001: A Space Odyssey, Alien and Forbidden Planet.

First released in 1953, Invaders From Mars tells the story of a little boy named David (Jimmy Hunt), who sees a flying saucer descend into the sands at the end of his garden one stormy night. In the days after, he notices that his family and neighbours, one by one, become strangely cold and emotionless…

The film’s paranoid tone places it in the...

Re-animataor 40th Anniversary 4K Uhd: "In celebration of its 40th Anniversary, Re-Animator returns, and for the first time ever, in a stunning 4K Uhd restoration, approved by producer Brian Yuzna. The restoration brings new life to this horror classic, based on H.P. Lovecraft's twisted tale. The new 40th Anniversary 4K Uhd Re-Animator poster and trailer dropped today! Pre-orders were also launched today on the Ignite Films website, where it will be exclusively available for the entire 40th Anniversary Year, until 2026, announced Jan Willem Bosman Jansen of Ignite Films and Jim Quan of Eagle Rock Pictures, this morning.

“I'm excited about the 40th Anniversary 4K Uhd Blu-ray release of Re-Animator -- it looks great! Especially if you have a big screen! An excellent restoration, it is like seeing it for the first time again. Stuart Gordon would have been super proud, and so happy that Re-Animator is still connecting with...

25 films join the National Film Registry in 2024 (Photo courtesy of Library of Congress)

The 25 new additions to the Library of Congress National Film Registry include Texas Chainsaw Massacre (the original), Dirty Dancing, Beverly Hills Cop, The Social Network, and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. The 2024 honorees represent nearly every genre and were selected for their “cultural, historic, or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation’s film heritage.”

“Films reflect our nation’s history and culture and must be preserved in our national library for generations to come. We’re honored by the responsibility to add 25 diverse new films to the National Film Registry each year as we work to preserve our cultural heritage,” stated Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. “This is a collective effort in the film community to preserve our cinematic heritage, and we are grateful to our partners, including the National Film Preservation Board.”

The 2024 selection...

The Library of Congress is back to share one of the most-anticipated lists of the year: its selection of movies that will be placed in the National Film Registry for preservation.

This year’s collection of movies that the United States National Film Preservation Board has deemed as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” span from 1895 to 2010, with the public nominating more than 6,700 titles for consideration. Among the highlights are Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Dirty Dancing (1987), Spy Kids (2001), No Country for Old Men (2007), and the newest film added to the registry, David Fincher’s social media drama The Social Network (2010).

“Films reflect our nation’s history and culture and must be preserved in our national library for generations to come. We’re honored by the responsibility to add 25 diverse new films to the National Film Registry each year as we work to preserve our cultural heritage,” Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said in a statement.

The Library of Congress has added another selection of 25 movies to The National Film Registry. This year’s lineup includes gangster classics, horror essentials, landmark documentaries, and even Spy Kids.

Check out the full list of this year’s inductees into the National Film Registry:

Annabelle Serpentine Dance (1895)

KoKo’s Earth Control (1928)

Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)

Pride of the Yankees (1942)

Invaders from Mars (1953)

The Miracle Worker (1962)

The Chelsea Girls (1966)

Ganja and Hess (1973)

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Uptown Saturday Night (1974)

Zora Lathan Student Films (1975-76)

Up in Smoke (1978)

Will (1981)

Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan (1982)

Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

Dirty Dancing (1987)

Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt (1989)

Powwow Highway (1989)

My Own Private Idaho (1991)

American Me (1992)

Mi Familia (1995)

Compensation (1999)

Spy Kids (2001)

No Country for Old Men (2007)

The Social Network (2010)

Notably, Wrath of Khan is the first Star Trek movie to be added, while The Social Network ranks as one of the most recent entries on the National Film Registry.

Nobody puts Baby in a corner, but the National Film Registry did just put “Dirty Dancing” on its 2024 list. The 1987 Patrick Swayze/Jennifer Grey classic was among the 25 films Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced this morning as being added to the Registry, which honors classic films worthy of preservation.

Trekkies’ hearts are rejoicing this morning, as well, because “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” is a new add to the list — making it the first “Trek” movie ever to join the Registry. And the theme of ’80s blockbusters continued with “Beverly Hills Cop” also making the cut. In a bit of shock that it wasn’t already on there before, Tobe Hooper’s “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre,” one of the most acclaimed horror movies of all time, finally received recognition also.

Before this morning and its 25 additions, there were 900 films on the National Film Registry, which was...

David Fincher’s “The Social Network,” sci-fi classic “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,” groundbreaking horror film “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” and Eddie Murphy’s “Beverly Hills Cop” are among the 25 films selected by the Library of Congress National Film Registry for 2024. These films will be added due to their cultural, historic or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation’s film heritage, and range from silent films to family features.

“The National Film Registry now includes 900 titles, and what’s remarkable to me is that every year when the board talks about films and their significance, we find new titles to consider,” TCM host and film historian Jacqueline Stewart said in a statement. “The wealth of American film history is sometimes rather overwhelming, and people often wonder: how do you recommend this film or that film? It’s through a lot of research, conversation and discussion, and it...

A new batch of classic films have made their way into the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry this week, including Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Bill Gunn’s Ganja & Hess!

The National Film Registry recognizes films that are of “cultural, historic or aesthetic importance which preserves the nation’s film heritage.”

Deadline reports that the new selections bring the number of feature titles in the registry to 900. The public submitted nominations of more than 6,700 titles for consideration this year for context.

The National Film Registry says of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, “Graphic, lurid and completely unapologetic in its brutality, ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ has since its debut in drive-ins and grindhouse theaters, become a cultural, generational and filmmaking touchstone. Filmed for a pittance and supposedly as difficult of a production as a film can be (beset with record heat and filthy locations), ‘Texas...

Since 1989, the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress has been accomplishing the important task of preserving films that “represent important cultural, artistic and historic achievements in filmmaking.” From films way back in 1897 all the way up to 2013, they’ve now reached 900 films that celebrate our heritage and encapsulate our film history.

Today they’ve unveiled their 2024 list, which includes David Fincher’s The Social Network, Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Coens’ No Country For Old Men, Andy Warhol and Paul Morrissey’s Chelsea Girls, Bill Gunn’s Ganja & Hess, Gus Van Sant’s My Own Private Idaho, and more.

“The National Film Registry is an essential American enterprise that officially recognizes the rich depth and variety, the eloquence and the real greatness of American cinema and the filmmakers who have created it, film by film,” said Scorsese.

Check out the list of this year’s additions below,...

Marijuana is legal in 38 states, and now Cheech & Chong are in the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry. The country is going to pot!

Up in Smoke (1978), the first feature from Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong, is one of the 25 “culturally, historically or aesthetically” motion pictures selected for preservation this year, it was announced Tuesday.

Among those also making the cut are Angels With Dirty Faces (1938), The Pride of the Yankees (1942), Invaders From Mars (1953), The Miracle Worker (1962), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Dirty Dancing (1987), Common Threads: Stories From the Quilt (1989), My Own Private Idaho (1991), No Country for Old Men (2007) and The Social Network (2010).

Five picks include prominent Hispanic artists or themes: American Me (1992), Mi Familia (1995) — both featuring the work of Edward James Olmos — Up in Smoke, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) and Spy Kids (2001).

It’s a great day for Marin, who also starred in Spy Kids,...

David Fincher’s 2010 Facebook drama “The Social Network,” 1974’s indie horror classic “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey’s Catskills-set love affair “Dirty Dancing” have been selected for preservation by the National Film Registry.

The Librarian of Congress annually recognizes 25 motion pictures that are at least 10 years old and register as “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant. This year, more than 6,700 titles were submitted by the public for consideration.

Other titles added to the National Film Registry in 2024 include 1982’s sci-fi sequel “Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan,” Gus Van Sant’s 1991 drama “My Own Private Idaho” with River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves, 2001’s family adventure “Spy Kids” and the Coen brothers’ 2007 Western “No Country for Old Men,” as well as Eddie Murphy’s first feature film on the registry, 1984 action comedy “Beverly Hills Cop.”

This year’s selection brings the number of films in the registry...

These are frightening times. Of this, there is no doubt. We may even believe there’s never been more to fear. And for some populations, that’s true. But humanity has always lived in frightening times.

Since we first cast shadows onto cavern walls, we’ve made things to fear. Over time, those shadows evolved into performers donning masks, authors putting ink to paper, and filmmakers harnessing technology to project our nightmares onto the screen as we returned to our cave-dwelling roots to sit in the dark with others. We are a horror people. And as the world has gotten scarier, horror has been there to reflect back our fears.

The rise of Hollywood and independent filmmaking in the 20th century created a lasting dialogue between what we see in the fear-seeking news, and what films are made in response. Early American horror movies of the mid-1920s and 30s,...

The life of a child actor can be a Faustian bargain. On the one hand, these kids get to play make-believe for hours at a time, and if their parents don't mess things up, make enough money in the process to secure their futures. On the other, without the maturity to handle the spotlight and all its temptations appropriately, things can go very wrong, especially if their childhood cuteness doesn't translate into adult charisma as they age out of the parts that made them successful.

Sometimes fans just won't let child stars grow up. Sometimes, it's just baggage that needs to be overcome, like when Brie Larson's child actor experience made her hesitant to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They might realize that they never should have played the roles they did, especially if they're R-rated. Not every child actor wants to keep acting either. For those who decide...

When Tobe Hooper passed away in 2017, the majority of the press coverage focused on him as the man behind The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Poltergeist. Little was said about his other work, which includes a documentary on Peter, Paul and Mary, an experimental film about the ’60s counterculture called Eggshells, several made-for-tv movies, numerous TV episodes, and his influential music video for Billy Idol’s “Dancing with Myself.”

Now comes American Twilight: The Cinema of Tobe Hooper, newly published in paperback by the University of Texas Press, to remedy that oversight. Nearly every work in Hooper’s oeuvre is covered at some length by one of the essays in this volume.

Because this is an academic publication, there’s a certain amount of technical jargon to contend with. Luckily for readers, editors Kristopher Woofter and Will Dodson have endeavored to keep things eminently readable. And whenever the jargon does show up,...

At the beginning of Robert Wise's 1951 sci-fi classic "The Day the Earth Stood Still," a flaying saucer lands in Washington, D.C. and a stern, masked alien named Klaatu (Michael Rennie) emerges. He announces to the gathered military and curious humans that he comes in peace, and even has a gift for the people of Earth. He extracts a small, palm-sized tube and flicks it open, revealing multiple small antennae. The flicking device, however, spooks one of the nearby military men, and he fires off a shot, injuring Klaatu's hand. He falls in pain. 

Almost instantly, as if sensing Klaatu's panic, an enormous eight-foot humanoid robot emerges from the flying saucer. It is silvery and featureless, sporting a mysterious visor across its face. This is Gort. Gort steps out onto the ground, and its visor lifts, revealing a glowing power source. A laser beam emerges from Gort's head, striking all the Army's weapons.

A new episode of the Revisited video series has just made its way online, and with this one we’re celebrating the birthday of the late, great director Tobe Hooper by looking at one of his more underrated horror films: the 2004 release Toolbox Murders (watch it Here)! You can hear all about it in the embed above.

Toolbox Murders is technically a remake of the 1978 film The Toolbox Murders, but it’s very different from the source material. Written by Jace Anderson and Adam Gierasch, this one has the following synopsis: Young couple Steve and Nell move into a once fashionable, but now decaying, apartment block in Los Angeles, and soon realise that a number of young female residents have met unusually violent deaths. Before long, Nell makes some disturbing discoveries about the building’s manager and her fellow tenants.

The film stars Angela Bettis, Brent Roam, Marco Rodríguez, Rance Howard,...

Hey all, to go in tandem with JoBlo.com’s 25th Anniversary we are very proud to present to you 80’s Horror Memories, a new weekly doc-series (xxx episodes in all) which just premiered today on our YouTube Channel JoBlo Horror Originals. Feast your retinas on Episode 1 via the embed above and you can expect a new installment to go live every Monday on the channel.

Our first Episode chronicles:

“With the death of disco in 1979 and a demand for change, the 1980s evolved into a neon-soaked totally rad decade held firm together with cans of “Aqua Net” burning a hole in the ozone. Time for free love and hope for peace was over. It was time for a revolution. But with filmmakers, their creative freedoms would lead to explore more areas which haven’t been touched on before. It was the year horror would forever be changed. We’re talking Dressed to Kill,...

This article contains Moon Knight spoilers.

One of the best moments in Marvel’s recently ended Moon Knight series is when Layla El-Faouly (May Calamawy) agrees to become the temporary human avatar for the Egyptian goddess Taweret. This happens during a critical juncture in the season finale, when Marc Spector/Steven Grant/Moon Knight (Oscar Isaac) and the god Khonshu need all the help they can get to defeat the goddess Ammit, who has been released by Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke) to bring death to much of humanity.

Layla emerges in an awesome costume, with fearsome powers, and has since been dubbed by Marvel as the Scarlet Scarab. She and Taweret do indeed join the battle, and while Harrow and Ammit are finally defeated, Layla’s future as the avatar of Taweret and as a superhero remains unclear.

The character of Layla, who is Marc Spector’s wife and fellow adventurer,...

The music of Christopher Young has terrified horror fans for years. From his early works on Hellraiser and Invaders From Mars to his ’90s offerings on Tales From the Hood and Urban Legend to more recent titles that include Drag Me to Hell and Sinister, Young’s work has touched horror fans across generations. He is […] The post Exclusive: Venture Into Pet Sematary’s Darkness With Christopher Young’s “The Wendigo” appeared first on Dread Central.

Amazon Prime has confirmed that several of its original series will be debuting new episodes on the streaming service in July, including the first seasons of both the Indian reality competition series “Comicstaan” and the Tour de France travelogue “Eat.Race.Win” and season 4 of the charming children’s series “Tumble Leaf.”

And there will also be new to Amazon Prime seasons of some of your favorites from other networks, including the final episodes of the Emmy-winning FX drama “The Americans,” all 12 seasons of the groundbreaking police drama “NYPD Blue” and all seven seasons of the Kyra Sedgwick crime series “The Closer.”

Likewise, there will be plenty of movies making their first appearances on Amazon Prime including the four films in the “Jaws” franchise and the Oscar-winning “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”

See Netflix schedule: Here’s what is coming and leaving in July

Available July 1

21 Jump Street (Seasons 1-2)

Burn...

Hulu is ringing in the summer with plenty of new titles to keep you occupied during your air conditioned TV binges next month.

The Stephen King multiverse series “Castle Rock” finally makes its debut on July 25, and the final season of Hulu’s original series “Casual” will land on July 31.

Meanwhile, the second season of Hulu’s “Harlots” premieres on July 11, and Season 4 of “You’re the Worst” is available on July 6. The third season of Lifetime’s “UnReal” is available on July 2.

Also Read: Hulu Orders Drama Pilot 'Reprisal' From 'Handmaid's Tale' Producer Warren Littlefield

See below for the complete list of titles coming to and leaving next month.

Available July 1

Alone: Complete Season 3 (History)

American Pickers: Complete Season 17 (History)

American Ripper: Complete Season 1 (History)

Ancient Top 10: Complete Season 1 (History)

The Curse of Oak Island: Complete Season 4 (History)

Doomsday Preppers: Complete Season 2 (Nat Geo)

Forged in Fire: Complete...

Don Coscarelli’s B-movie smash has some of the childs-eye fever dream atmosphere of 1953’s Invaders From Mars. The movie pins its notoriety on its central villain, “The Tall Man”, played by the imposing Angus Scrimm, an otherworldly undertaker who manufactures zombies out of the recently deceased. Made for 300,000, the movie took in 12 million at the box office but oddly, the inevitable sequel didn’t appear for another nine years.

Strap yourself in for another trek in the cinema “way-back” machine at your local multiplex. And for once it’s not a “biopic” or a story “inspired by true events” like Marshall or Breathe. Yes, it’s pure fiction but it is set firmly in the real world. The movies have often viewed the 1950’s through the “rose-tinted” lens of nostalgia, as if yearning for that simpler, more innocent time. TVeven joined in with its long running hit “Happy Days” (that 70’s show now has its own nostalgic glow, as seen in the recent Kingsmen: The Golden Circle). Sure, they were indeed happy days…if you were part of the right social class, religion or race. . That’s the view of this new film, no surprise since it sprang from the minds of Joel and Ethan, the Coen brothers. But they’re not behind the camera on this project (supposedly...

“May you live to be a thousand years old, sir.” Still the most widely unheralded great movie on the books, John Patrick Shanley’s lightweight/profound fable is an unmitigated delight. See Tom Hanks at the end of the first phase of his career plus Meg Ryan in an unacknowledged career highlight. How can a movie be so purposely insubstantial, and yet be ‘heavier’ than a dozen pictures with ‘big things to say?’

Joe Versus the Volcano

Blu-ray

Warner Archive Collection

1990 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 97 min. / Street Date June 20, 2017 / available through the WBshop / 21.99

Starring Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Lloyd Bridges, Robert Stack, Abe Vigoda,

Dan Hedaya, Barry McGovern, Amanda Plummer, Ossie Davis

Cinematography Stephen Goldblatt

Production Designer Bo Welch

Film Editors Richard Halsey, Kenneth Wannberg

Original Music Georges Delerue

Produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, Steven Spielberg and Teri Schwartz

Written and Directed by John Patrick Shanley

I think I found...

3-D in CinemaScope? That seems like a strange combination, but this obscure treasure hunt adventure with Joanne Dru and Mark Stevens is indeed billed as being filmed in the ‘Miracle of Stereo-Vision,’ five years after the demise of Hollywood’s first fling with ‘depthies.’ Kino and the 3-D Film Archives extras include two vintage 3-D shorts, one of them never screened in 3-D.

September Storm

3-D Blu-ray

Kino Classics

1960 / Color / 2:39 widescreen / 92 min. / Street Date March 28, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 34.95

Starring: Joanne Dru, Mark Stevens, Robert Strauss Asher Dann, Jean-Pierre Kérien, Véra Valmont..

Cinematography: Lamar Boren, Jorge Stahl Jr.

Film Editor: Alberto Valenzuela

Art Direction: Boris Leven

Underwater director: Paul Stader

Original Music: Edward L. Alperson Jr., Raoul Kraushaar

Written by W.R. Burnett from a story by Steve Fisher

Produced by Edward L. Alperson

Directed by Byron Haskin

The 3-D Film Archive has been an amazing resource for the fascinating depth format,...

The Wrap revisits the string of flops based on the fourth planet from the sun, from “Mars Attacks!” to “John Carter“ Invaders From Mars (1986) The ’50s sci-fi remake opened to a disastrous $2 million and earned less than $5 million on a budget of $7 million. Mars Attacks (1996) Tim Burton‘s blockbuster streak was broken with the Earth-invasion flick, which earned less than $10 million in its opening weekend and ending just north of $100 million after costing $70 million. My Favorite Martian (1999) Starring Jeff Daniels, Christopher Lloyd, Daryl Hannah and Elizabeth Hurley, this big-screen adaptation of the 1960s TV series earned just under $37 million on a $65 million budget.

Is the third time the charm for Jack Finney's stubborn human duplicator pods? Abel Ferrara keeps the faith and makes a straight, effective revisit of the paranoid classic. Does it all seem too familiar now, or are we just more Pod-like and less excitable? Body Snatchers Blu-ray Warner Archive Collection 1993 / Color / 2:40 widescreen / 87 min. / Street Date October 18, 2016 / available through the WBshop / 21.99 Starring Gabrielle Anwar, Forest Whitaker, Meg Tilly, Terry Kinney, Billy Wirth, Reilly Murphy, Christine Elise, R. Lee Ermey, Kathleen Doyle, G. Elvis Phillips. Cinematography Bojan Bazelli Film Editor Anthony Redman Original Music Joe Delia Screenplay Dennis Paoli, Nicholas St. John, Stuart Gordon story by Raymond Cistheri, Larry Cohen, from the novel by Jack Finney Produced by Robert H. Solo Directed by Abel Ferrara

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Still the most potent and meaningful movie expression of modern paranoia is Invasion of the Body Snatchers, the first film made...

Randolph Scott fights to let the railroad go through in this old-fashioned rip-snorting action adventure movie, the kind where shooting bad guys means never having to say you're sorry. Jane Wyatt gets top billing but the big burner on this prairie is newcomer Nancy Olson, who puts more sex appeal into her homegrown heroine than all of her later roles combined. Canadian Pacific Blu-ray Kl Studio Classics 1949 / Color /1:37 flat Academy / 95 min. / Street Date August 9, 2016 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95 Starring Randolph Scott, Jane Wyatt, J. Carrol Nash, Victor Jory, Nancy Olson, Robert Barrat, Walter Sande, Don Haggerty, Grandon Rhodes, John Hamilton, George Chandler, Holmes Herbert, Norman Jewison, Chief Yowlachie. Cinematography Fred Jackman, Jr., Film Editor Philip Martin Art Direction Ernst Fegeé Original Music Dimitri Tiomkin Written by Jack DeWitt, Kenneth Gamet story by Jack DeWitt Produced by Nat Holt Directed by Edwin L. Marin Reviewed by Glenn Erickson All Randolph Scott movies aren't created equal,...

Olive's new branded line reissues the Nicholas Ray classic with a full set of authoritative extras -- plus a never-before-seen widescreen transfer, in all of its Trucolor glory. Joan Crawford and Sterling Hayden never looked better -- we can all compare theories about la Crawford's color-coded costumes. Just how masculine is Vienna supposed to be? Johnny Guitar (Olive Signature widescreen edition) Blu-ray Olive Films 1954 / Color / 1:66 widescreen / 110 min. / Street Date September 20, 2016 / available through the Olive Films website / 39.95 but heavily discounted Starring Joan Crawford, Sterling Hayden, Mercedes McCambridge, Scott Brady, Ward Bond, Ben Cooper, Ernest Borgnine, John Carradine, Royal Dano, Frank Ferguson, Paul Fix, Rhys Williams. Cinematography Harry Stradling Film Editor Richard Van Enger Original Music Victor Young Written by Philip Yordan from the novel by Roy Chanslor Produced by Herbert J. Yates Directed by Nicholas Ray

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Wow, it's already been four years since Olive released a...

“Game over, man, game over!” It’s rare for a sequel to live up to the original film, but James Cameron managed to fulfill expectations with Aliens (July 18, 1986). This summer marks the 30th Anniversary of the action-packed sci-fi classic, so “stop your grinnin’ and drop your linen.”

Tune-in Saturday, July 23, to an exclusive Aliens YouTube live stream Q&A with the filmmakers and cast from San Diego Comic-Con! Submit your questions in the comments below for a chance to get them answered. #Aliens30th

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Aliens (1986), San Diego Comic-Con will host an Aliens reunion on Saturday, July 23. Attendees include director James Cameron, producer Gale Anne Hurd, Sigourney Weaver, Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen, Paul Reiser, Michael Biehn, and Carrie Henn.

Subscribe to Fox Movies and follow on https://www.facebook.com/AlienAnthology so you don’t miss this exclusive live event.

The terror continues in James Cameron...

I guess Howard Hughes wanted to go easy on Minnesota Nazis. William Cameron Menzies directs a Cold War thriller about an insidious germ warfare conspiracy -- it's an early paranoid suspense tale with apocalyptic consequences. But the story behind the movie's making -- and then remaking -- is even more fantastic. The Whip Hand DVD-r The Warner Archive Collection 1951 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 82 min. / Street Date February 16, 2016 / available through the WBshop / 18.59 Starring Elliott Reid, Raymond Burr, Carla Balenda, Edgar Barrier, Otto Waldis, Michael Steele, Lurene Tuttle, Peter Brocco, Lewis Martin, Frank Darien, Olive Carey, George Chandler, Gregory Gaye. Cinematography Nicholas Musuraca Film Editor Robert Golden Original Music Music by Paul Sawtell Written by George Bricker, Frank L. Moss, Ray Hamilton Produced by Louis J. Rachmil Directed by William Cameron Menzies

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Film writers Bill Warren and Tom Weaver have reported extensively on the unusual production story...

Larry Cohen is one of the great voices in genre cinema. As both a screenwriter, and later a director, Cohen is responsible for some of the best horror and B-movies of the ’70s and ‘80s, including Black Caesar, God Told Me To, Q: The Winged Serpent, and the It’s Alive and Maniac Cop franchises. He’s a wicked satirist and a political filmmaker, but he’s an entertainer first, and his work is always deceptively smart despite seeming silly or dopey on the surface. His 1985 horror comedy, The Stuff, fits that description perfectly.

A new dessert craze is sweeping America: it’s like ice cream, but not… it’s like yogurt, but not… it’s The Stuff. While shoppers clear it off store shelves by the cartful, the suffering ice cream industry hires corporate spy Mo Rutherford (Michael Moriarty, a regular collaborator with Cohen) to discover the source of...

This noir hits with the force of a blast furnace -- Cy Endfield's wrenching tale of social neglect and injustice will tie your stomach in knots. Sound like fun? An unemployed man turns to crime and reaps a whirlwind of disproportionate retribution. It's surely the most powerful of all filmic accusations thrown at the American status quo. Try and Get Me! Blu-ray Olive Films 1950 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 92 min. / Street Date April 19, 2016 / The Sound of Fury / available through the Olive Films website / 29.95 Starring Frank Lovejoy, Kathleen Ryan, Richard Carlson, Lloyd Bridges, Katherine Locke, Adele Jergens, Art Smith, Renzo Cesana, Irene Vernon, Cliff Clark, Donald Smelick, Joe E. Ross. Cinematography Guy Roe Production Design Perry Ferguson Film Editor George Amy Original Music Hugo Friedhofer Written by Jo Pagano from his novel The Condemned Produced by Robert Stillman Directed by Cyril Endfield

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Socially conscious 'issue' movies are not all made equal.

Forget Caltiki and forget The Blob: 'The Stuff' doesn't eat you, you eat it! Larry Cohen takes a page from Professor Quatermass for this satirical slap at blind consumerism and unregulated commerce, in a thriller packed with ooky glob-monsters and people hollowed out like Halloween pumpkins. It's the smart side of '80s sci-fi: Cohen knows how to make the genre sustain his anti-establishment themes. The Stuff Blu-ray Arrow Video (Us) 1985 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 87 min. / Street Date April 19, 2016 / Available from Amazon / 39.95 Starring Michael Moriarty, Andrea Marcovicci, Garrett Morris, Paul Sorvino, Scott Bloom, Danny Aiello, Patrick O'Neal, Alexander Scourby, Harry Bellaver, Rutanya Alda, Brooke Adams, Laurene Landon, Tammy Grimes, Abe Vigoda, Clara Peller, Patrick Dempsey, Mira Sorvino, Eric Bogosian. Cinematography Paul Glickman Makeup Effects Ed French, Michael Maddi, Steve Neill, Kim Robinson, Rick Stratton, Craig Lyman Editor Armond Lebowitz Original Music Anthony Guefen Produced by Paul Kurta Written and...

It's the classic paranoid conspiracy that won't go away... and that seems less impossible with every passing year. Laurence Harvey is a remote-controlled assassin, and Frank Sinatra seems to be under a little hypnotic influence himself... or are we just imagining it? John Frankenheimer and George Axelrod concoct a masterpiece from the novel by Richard Condon, a movie about conspiracies, that may be hiding more secrets in plain sight. The Manchurian Candidate Blu-ray The Criterion Collection 803 1962 / B&W / 1:75 widescreen / 126 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date March 15, 2016 / 39.95 Starring Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh, Angela Lansbury, Henry Silva, James Gregory, Leslie Parrish, John McGiver, Khigh Dhiegh Cinematography Lionel Lindon Production Designer Richard Sylbert Film Editor Ferris Webster Original Music David Amram Written by George Axelrod from the novel by Richard Condon Produced by George Axelrod, John Frankenheimer, Howard W. Koch Directed by John Frankenheimer

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson...

William Cameron Menzies: The Shape of Films to Come by James Curtis (Pantheon) This is a book that demanded to be written. William Cameron Menzies has always been one of my heroes. He is the man who brought a unique gift for visualization to such films as Douglas Fairbanks’ The Thief of Bagdad, Gone With The Wind, and Alfred Hitchcock’s Foreign Correspondent, as well as minor films from the silent and sound era that deserve to be seen just for his sets and compositions. He is also celebrated for two of the (few) films he directed, Things to Come and Invaders from Mars. How fortunate for us that James Curtis took on the job of chronicling...

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Two 1980's science fiction efforts from the 'eighties: Millennium is an expensive book adaptation with Kris Kristofferson and Cheryl Ladd navigating a time travel story about body snatchers from the future. R.O.T.O.R is direct to video and strictly from hunger. Oh, the agony… However, both films surely have lessons to teach the budding filmmaker who thinks moviemaking is easy. Millennium and R.O.T.O.R. Blu-ray Color Scream Factory Street Date February 23, 2016 / 26.99

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Scream Factory plumbs the depths of the MGM library, which includes not only the holdings of United Artists, Orion and the old American-International Pictures, but also an alphabet soup of smaller outfits that were bought up in the 1990s. The independent productions seen on this Scream Factory Blu-ray double bill give us two kinds of science fiction properties. One is an expensive Canadian production with a big star, and the other is a...

Now, after 62 years, viewable again in beautiful 3-D! Scientists are being murdered in a secret underground laboratory overseen by a super-computer and two robots, Gog and Magog. The restoration is a stunning achievement, covered thoroughly on the disc extras. The year is young, but this is an early favorite. Gog 3-D 3-D Blu-ray Kl Studio Classics 1954 / Color / 1:66 widescreen / 85 min. / Street Date March 1, 2016 / available through Kino Lorber / 34.95 Starring Richard Egan, Constance Dowling, Herbert Marshall, John Wengraf, Philip Van Zandt, Michael Fox, William Schallert. Cinematography Lothrop B. Worth Film Editor Herbert L. Strock Original Music Harry Sukman Written by Tom Taggart, Richard G. Taylor, Ivan Tors Produced by Ivan Tors Directed by Herbert L. Strock

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Once viewable only at isolated special film festivals, vintage films on 3-D are enjoying a comeback thanks to a busy independent company. The 3-D Film Archive has done work for various studios and disc distributors,...

William Cameron Menzies. William Cameron Menzies movies on TCM: Murderous Joan Fontaine, deadly Nazi Communists Best known as an art director/production designer, William Cameron Menzies was a jack-of-all-trades. It seems like the only things Menzies didn't do was act and tap dance in front of the camera. He designed and/or wrote, directed, produced, etc., dozens of films – titles ranged from The Thief of Bagdad to Invaders from Mars – from the late 1910s all the way to the mid-1950s. Among Menzies' most notable efforts as an art director/production designer are: Ernst Lubitsch's first Hollywood movie, the Mary Pickford star vehicle Rosita (1923). Herbert Brenon's British-set father-son drama Sorrell and Son (1927). David O. Selznick's mammoth production of Gone with the Wind, which earned Menzies an Honorary Oscar. The Sam Wood movies Our Town (1940), Kings Row (1942), and For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943). H.C. Potter's Mr. Lucky...

Stop! Don't touch that dial... if you like your atom-age propaganda straight up, MGM has the movie for you, an expensive 1946 docu-drama that became 'the official story' for the making of the bomb. The huge cast includes Brian Donlevy, Robert Walker, Tom Drake, Audrey Totter, Hume Cronyn, Hurd Hatfield, and Joseph Calleia. How trustworthy is the movie? It begins by showing footage of a time capsule being buried -- that supposedly contains the film we are watching. Think about that. Mom, Apple Pie, the Flag and God are enlisted to argume that we should stop worrying and love the fact that bombs are just peachy-keen dandy. The Beginning or the End DVD-r The Warner Archive Collection 1947 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 112 min. / Street Date September 22, 2015 / available through the WBshop / 21.99 Starring Brian Donlevy, Robert Walker, Tom Drake, Beverly Tyler, Audrey Totter, Hume Cronyn, Hurd Hatfield, Joseph Calleia, Godfrey Tearle, Victor Francen,...

Make room for Mota, the man from Mars! Mota enlists a scientist and two thugs to lay the groundwork for a full-scale invasion from space. Only the heroes of Fowler Aerial Patrol can save us! Republic's serial adventure ought to carry an "80% Recycled" label -- even the flying disc craft is second-hand, bearing a Japanese Rising Sun flag from a previous wartime serial. Flying Disc Man from Mars Blu-ray Olive Films 1950 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 169 min. / Street Date October 27, 2015 / available through the Olive Films website / 29.98 Starring Walter Reed, Lois Collier, Gregory Gaye (or Gay), James Craven, Harry Lauter, Richard Irving, Sandy Sanders, Michael Carr. Cinematography Walter Strenge Film Editors Cliff Bell, Sam Starr Original Music Stanley Wilson Special Effects Howard and Theodore Lydecker Written by Ronald Davidson Produced by Franklin Adreon Directed by Fred C. Brannon

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Looking at the gloriously redundant Flying Disc Man from Mars,...

This is a Great film noir. A straying husband's 'innocent' dalliance wrecks lives and puts his marriage in jeopardy. Been there, done that?   Dick Powell and Lizabeth Scott are menaced by Raymond Burr, while wife Jane Wyatt is kept in the dark. Andre de Toth's direction puts everyone through the wringer, with a very adult look at the realities of the American marriage contract, circa 1948. Pitfall Blu-ray Kino Lorber Studio Classics 1948 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 86 min. / Street Date November 17, 2015 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95 Starring Dick Powell, Lizabeth Scott, Jane Wyatt, Raymond Burr, John Litel, Byron Barr, Jimmy Hunt. Cinematography Harry Wild Art Direction Arthur Lonergan Film Editor Walter Thompson Written by Karl Kamb from the novel by Jay Dratler Produced by Samuel Bischoff Directed by André De Toth

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Is 'domestic noir' even a category? I think so. Some of the creepiest late- '40s noir pictures take intrigue,...

He's back and he's funnier than ever. The mischievous, cagey entertainer William Claude Dukenfield starred in some of the best comedies ever. This five-disc DVD set contains eighteen of his best, all the way from Million Dollar Legs in 1932 to Never Give a Sucker an Even Break in 1941. And we get to see all sides of W.C's talent -- he was a top-rank juggler, of just about anything. W.C. Fields Comedy Essentials Collection DVD Universal Studios Home Entertainment 1932-1941 / B&W / 1:37 Academy 1316 minutes (21 hours, 46 min) Street Date October 13, 2015 / 99.98 Starring Larson E. Whipsnade, T. Frothinghill Bellows, Egbert Sousé, Eustace P. McGargle, Harold Bissonette, Professor Quail, Augustus Winterbottom, Mr. Stubbins, Sam Bisbee, Ambrose Wolfinger, Cuthbert J. Twillie, Humpty-Dumpty. Written by Charles Bogle, Mahatma Kane Jeeves, Otis Criblecoblis

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

In the late 1960s there were these things called Head Shops, see, where various hippie consumer goods were sold.

Welcome to the weird, irresistible world of Republic Serials, an art form with rules of content and conduct that have no resemblance to other movies, or any reality we know. "The Phantom Ruler" has plans for world conquest, so get ready for a punch-out every five minutes and a terrific Lydecker miniature special effect in almost every episode. Richard Webb and Aline Towne star, but we love the bad guys, because they try so hard and fail so consistently. The Invisible Monster Blu-ray Olive Films 1950 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 167 min. / Street Date September 22, 2015 / available through the Olive Films website / 29.95 Starring Richard Webb, Aline Towne, Lane Bradford, Stanley Price, John Crawford, George Meeker. Cinematography Ellis W. Carter Film Editor Cliff Hanger, Justin Thyme (as Cliff Bell & Sam Star) Original Music Stanley Wilson Written by Ronald Davidson Produced by Franklin Adreon Directed by Fred C. Bannon  

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Olive Films...

In the 1980s, bored film critics sometimes claimed to see homoerotic themes in any 'buddy picture'  about guys being friends with guys. Only one bold comedy dared to confront this notion directly -- in this show, Dennis Quaid spends a full two hours inside Martin Short, yet the finished picture is still perfectly suitable for all audiences and age groups! Savant Blu-ray Review Warner Home Video 1987 / Color /1.78:1 / 116 min. / Street Date August 4, 2015/ available through Warner Bros. / 13.09 Starring Dennis Quaid, Martin Short, Meg Ryan, Kevin McCarthy, Fiona Lewis, Vernon Wells, Robert Picardo Cinematography Andrew Laszlo Visual Effects Supervisor Dennis Muren Art Direction James H. Spencer Film Editor Kent Beyda Original Music Jerry Goldsmith Written by Jeffrey Boam, Chip Proser, story by Chip Proser Produced by Michael Finnell, Peter Guber, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, Jon Peters, Chip Proser, Steven Spielberg Directed by Joe Dante

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Warner Home Video shows...

Our look at underappreciated films of the 80s continues, as we head back to 1988...

Either in terms of ticket sales or critical acclaim, 1988 was dominated by the likes of Rain Man, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Coming To America. It was the year Bruce Willis made the jump from TV to action star with Die Hard, and became a star in the process.

It was the year Leslie Nielsen made his own jump from the small to silver screen with Police Squad spin-off The Naked Gun, which sparked a hugely popular franchise of its own. Elsewhere, the eccentric Tim Burton scored one of the biggest hits of the year with Beetlejuice, the success of which would result in the birth of Batman a year later. And then there was Tom Cruise, who managed to make a drama about a student-turned-barman into a $170m hit, back when $170m was still an...

Throughout the month of October, the folks at Scream Factory gave horror hounds plenty of treats with a slew of new Blu-ray title unveilings and now they are kicking off December with another gift for fans: two new title announcements and updated release dates for a bunch of Blu-rays, including the long-awaited Collector’s Edition of Dog Soldiers and the Blacula / Scream, Blacula, Scream double feature.

Scream Factory plans to release the delayed Collector’s Edition Blu-ray of Dog Soldiers on March 10th, while Blacula / Scream, Blacula, Scream is scheduled to come out on Blu-ray on March 3rd.

In addition to their Italian exploitation double feature of Exterminators of the Year 3000 and Cruel Jaws (slated for a March 3rd Blu-ray release), Scream Factory is bringing the Tom Sizemore-starring Dark Haul to Blu-ray on March 10th. We have Scream Factory’s official announcement with full details and a look...

Netflix giveth and Netflix taketh away.

While everyone's favorite subscription streaming service is adding a ton of awesome movies and TV shows in December, it's also yanking a huge list of popular titles from its library. Below is said list. I'm especially sad to see "Dirty Dancing" and "The Talented Mr. Ripley" go. Those movies are the sh...

Watch them while you can!

Movies Being Dropped by Netflix on December 1st

"1941" (1979)

"The Apostle" (1997)

"Audrey Rose" (1977)

"The Believers" (1987)

"Better than Chocolate" (1999)

"Blood & Chocolate" (2007)

"The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" (2008)

"Chaplin" (1992)

"The Choirboys" (1977)

"The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County" (1970)

"Coffee and Cigarettes" (2003)

"The Cold Light of Day" (1996)

"The Constant Gardener" (2005)

"Count Yorga, Vampire" (1970)

"Cry-Baby" (1990)

"Dirty Dancing" (1987)

"Double Indemnity" (1944)

"En la Cama" (2005)

"Event Horizon" (1997)

"Eye for an Eye" (1996)

"Fairy Tale: A True Story" (1997)

"First Knight" (1995)

"Five Easy Pieces" (1970)

"Foreign Student" (1994)

"Free Men" (2011)

"Funny Lady" (1975)

"The Ghost and Mrs Muir" (1947)

"The Girl from Petrovka...