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The horrors of Alien and Lifeforce have their roots in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. A look at the roots of space vampires and their meaning:

What do you think of when you think of Dracula? Isolated Romanian castles? Villagers making holy signs to ward off evil? Crucifixes brandished like shields? Bram Stoker’s Dracula in the popular consciousness is the archetypal supernatural horror novel. A monster that cannot be killed by mortal means, but is to be warded off with garlic and crucifixes, bound by magical rules such as its inability to pass a threshold uninvited.

Although there are no vampires in the Bible, it is a monster intrinsically bound to Christian theology, from movies like Wes Craven’s gloriously trashy Dracula 2000 that revealed Dracula to be the cursed immortal, Judas, to Mike Flanagan’s miniseries Midnight Mass.

Yet when we go back to the source, the novel, Dracula,...

Insomnia can be difficult to endure in itself, but what happens when you can't sleep in the far reaches of deep space and your only companion is a computer and your unraveling psyche? That intriguing (and horrifying) question is explored in stunning visual style within the pages of Station Grand, a new sci-fi graphic novella written by Craig Hurd-McKenney, illustrated by Noah Bailey, and lettered by Saida Temofonte.

With Station Grand now available via Oni Press and Simon & Schuster, Daily Dead had the great pleasure of catching up with Craig and Noah in a new Q&a feature to discuss their intriguing collaboration!

Thank you for taking the time to answer questions for us, Craig and Noah, and congratulations on Station Grand! How and when did you initially come up with the idea for this story?

Noah Bailey: Thank you so much for having us! I’m really excited to talk about the book!

Mondays, am I right? First you wake up on an alien planet in an outpost that’s leaking oxygen, surrounded by the bloody remains of your co-workers who you probably killed. Then I swear it’s all downhill from there. Don’t even ask me to bury their bodies until I’ve had my coffee! You wouldn’t like me when I’m cranky. I mean, you really wouldn’t like me.

“Ash” is a sci-fi/horror movie in the vein of “Alien” and “Planet of the Vampires” and “Galaxy of Terror” and “Pandorum” and “Event Horizon” and “The Thing” and “Leviathan” and “Screamers” and “The Cloverfield Paradox” and “Alien Cargo” and “Dracula 3000” and “Leprechaun 4: In Space.” It’s also clear that some of the people in the production liked playing “Dead Space,” “Doom,” “System Shock,” and/or “Portal,” to name a few. It’s hard to come...

The phrase "style over substance" is usually meant to be pejorative, but it doesn't have to be. It can be used to describe masterpieces like Suspiria, Beyond the Black Rainbow, Branded to Kill, Thx-1138, Playtime, In the Mood for Love, and countless other films, not to mention experimental cinema. There is nothing wrong with that. Ash, the new film by Steven Ellison (aka musician Flying Lotus), epitomizes style over substance, and it's stylish as hell. The only problem is that it tries too hard to have substance, and instead delivers a narrative full of plot holes, recycled ideas, and little emotional investment. Fortunately, the style of Ash and the lead performance by Eiza González are so impressive that it tips the scales heavily in the film's favor.

Space Is the Place for Flying Lotus

Flying Lotus is a visionary of sorts, and it's impressive how he managed to incorporate his...

It stands to reason that genre film lovers would make some of the best genre films. Of course, that's not a hard and fast rule — some fans-turned-filmmakers can become so blinded by their love of the movies that inspire them that they end up making a thinly veiled, watered-down version of what's come before. Yet when you're dealing with a filmmaker who has a keen creative sensibility and knows how to throw all their influences into a blender in order to come out with something that feels fresh yet familiar, then you're hitting that special sweet spot of genre cinema bliss.

Hitting that sweet spot is exactly what director Scott Derrickson has done with "The Gorge," a movie which is a veritable potpourri of genres, tones, and influences, all coming together in a way that's immensely satisfying. Derrickson has made a career out of proving his genre bonafides several times over,...

The release of Alien in 1979 brought the terror of deep space to a whole new audience. Director Ridley Scott's exercise in psychological terror that saw a ship's crew answer a distress call that led to their downfall has spawned countless sequels and a cinematic universe. The Alien franchise continues to draw in audiences who are fans of Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and the Xenomorphs created by H.R. Giger. The impact of Alien has been so huge that large elements of the film were utilized in Event Horizon, but both owe their existence to another film, one released in 1965 entitled Planet of the Vampires.

While Ridley Scott has staunchly denied its influence, the similarities between Alien and Planet of the Vampires, directed by Italian horror maestro Mario Bava, are impossible to ignore. Even if an audience member was unaware of the comments about Bava's influence on Scott, there's a common...

With comic book adaptations dominating the film industry today, let’s take a trip back to a time when they were neither reputable nor among the most expensive films ever made. For fans of cult movies, Mario Bava hardly needs any introduction. Since his debut directing the gorgeously gothic “Black Sunday,” he innovated several genres, including the Giallo, with “The Girl Who Knew Too Much,” paving the way for the slasher film, the horror anthology with his masterful tryptic “Black Sabbath” (In the process giving the godfathers of heavy metal their moniker), and even science fiction – the fingerprints of his “Planet of the Vampires” are all over Ridley Scott’s “Alien” and “Prometheus.” “Danger: Diabolik” was produced during the height of the James Bond and “Batman 66” craze to cash in on the cult Eurospy genre. But whereas contemporary comic book adaptations center around superheroes, Bava’s world is an altogether different one.

Stars: Barry Sullivan, Norma Bengell, Ivan Rassimov, Ángel Aranda, Evi Marandi, Franco Andrei, Federico Boido, Mario Morales | Written by Ib Melchior, Alberto Bevilacqua, Callisto Cosulich, Mario Bava, Antonio Roman, Rafael J. Salvia | Directed by Mario Bava

Mario Bava, often celebrated as a master of Gothic horror and Italian genre cinema, brought to life a diverse array of films that showcased his visual ingenuity and flair for mood and atmosphere. Planet of the Vampires, a standout entry in the realm of science fiction horror, epitomizes Bava’s commitment to stylistic audacity and thematic exploration. This review examines how this film fits into and enriches Bava’s oeuvre, highlighting the characteristics that align with his broader body of work.

Bava’s films are renowned for their distinctive visual style, characterized by deep chiaroscuro lighting, saturated colour palettes, and intricate set designs. Planet of the Vampires is no exception, showcasing these traits within the context of a futuristic,...

I’m honestly a little shocked that we’re already at the end of October, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to stop watching horror movies! If you’re looking for some recommendations, particularly of the vampire variety, horror maestro James Wan has shared a list of some of his favourite vampire movies to celebrate the release of ‘Salem’s Lot on Max.

Check out the list of 15 of James Wan’s favourite vampire movies below!

Bram Stoker’s Dracula The Night Stalker (1972) Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter Vampire Circus Vampire Lovers Horror of Dracula Salem’s Lot (1979) Dracula (1931) Nosferatu (1922) Interview with the Vampire Near Dark Fright Night Blade Subspecies II Planet of the Vampires

As a big fan of Hammer Horror, it’s great to see a few of their iconic vampire movies on this list. Horror of Dracula is a particular favourite. You just can’t beat Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.

James Wan has more than earned his inclusion in the pantheon of horror maestros. Over a 20-year career that started in 2004 with "Saw," Wan has mostly stayed true to the genre, making films about monsters human, ghostly and adorably parasitic (who doesn't love that ghastly cutie Gabriel from "Malignant"?). His films are fun, funny, and almost always terrifying in surprising ways (i.e. when he's not making superhero or action movies). Wan works an audience like a showman who's carefully studied the tricks of his predecessors, so when he makes a list of his favorite movies, you'd do well to add those titles to your viewing queue -- especially if you're an aspiring director yourself.

As a horror aficionado, Wan is also worth listening to when he breaks down his favorites by subgenre. Even if he's never knocked out a zombie flick or a werewolf movie, learning his preferences can...

Now streaming on Max, the latest adaptation of Stephen King’s horror classic Salem’s Lot is a feature film produced by horror master James Wan, and Wan has taken to social media this week to reveal his own personal list of the best vampire horror movies ever made.

James Wan’s Vampire Watchlist includes classic like Nosferatu (1922) and Dracula (1931) alongside 1980s favorites including Fright Night and Near Dark, as well as vampire movies directed by the likes of Mario Bava, Neil Jordan, and Francis Ford Coppola.

Here’s the full list of James Wan’s personal favorite blood-sucker movies…

Bram Stoker’s Dracula The Night Stalker (1972) Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter Vampire Circus Vampire Lovers Horror of Dracula Salem’s Lot (1979) Dracula (1931) Nosferatu (1922) Interview with the Vampire Near Dark Fright Night Blade Subspecies 2 Planet of the Vampires

While James Wan has dipped his toes into various horror sub-genres over the years,...

The following contains spoilers for Seven Cemeteries, hitting theaters on October 11th for limited release.

Directed by actor and filmmaker John Gulager, Seven Cemeteries is an upcoming movie that blends black comedy, irreverent horror, revenge drama and the classic Western. It casts parolees and zombies as the unlikely heroes of the Oklahoma farmlands. Santana Bravo (Danny Trejo), the leader of a gang, has just gotten parole, having spent the last few decades serving time for a crime he didn't commit. He's just gotten a taste of freedom when a recently widowed young woman, Dolores (Emma Ramos), comes to him for help to save her ranch from Santana's nemesis: the ruthless and violent drug lord, Abuelo (Sal Lopez). Alone, Santana is no match for Abuelo but with the help of a Witch (Maria Canals-Barrera) and her awkward zombie lover, Miguel (Efren Ramirez), Santana is able to bring back his beloved posse from the dead.

Simpsons fans are currently mourning the imminent loss of the popular mobile game The Simpsons: Tapped Out, following the news that EA will wipe everyone’s pocket-sized Springfields from existence early next year. In retrospect, Tapped Out may have been the most consistently popular of all Simpsons games, engaging fans for over a decade, and raking in over $100 million thanks to its controversial “freemium” format, but it was hardly the first video game to feature America’s favorite cartoon family.

Back in 1991, just two years after the series premiered, the Simpsons made the leap to the world of gaming, in the form of a beat-‘em-up arcade game simply called The Simpsons. It was way more fun than Lee Carvallo's Putting Challenge.

Predating the North American release of the Nintendo game Bart vs the Space Mutants by “a month” (although some sources claim that Space Mutants actually came out slightly...

Every so often, a film arrives with high ambitions only to be subjected to poor reception, scathing reviews, and, in some cases, deemed to be one of the worst ever made. This is precisely what happened following the initial release of Battlefield Earth in 2000. A sci-fi passion project for its star, John Travolta, who had been striving to get the adaptation of L. Ron Hubbard's novel off the ground for several years, is regarded by many as one of the biggest failures ever made.

Often cited along with The Room, Manos: The Hands of Fate, Birdemic, and Troll 2, as the very bottom of the barrel and having a pitiful score of just 3% on Rotten Tomatoes, Battlefield Earth has been a punching bag for many years. However, it's still shown on streaming services such as Tubi and Prime Video, and it's still a popular topic of discussion. Truth be told,...

The following reveals spoilers for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, now playing in theaters.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has proven a hit for director Tim Burton, who rocketed to fame on the surprise success of the 1988 original to become one of Hollywood's most distinctive auteurs. The film has earned praise in part for evoking Burton's early hits, when people were less familiar with his vision and his imaginative cinematic worlds felt newer. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice taps into the nostalgia without losing the energy, and delivers the most Burton-like Burton movie in a long time.

He takes advantage of the opportunity to pack it full of Easter eggs, most of which reflect the movie's kooky world. It also includes an overt reference to Italian horror movie director Mario Bava, who helmed a series of cult classics in the 1960s and 1970s. Burton is an enthusiastic fan of the director, whose influence can be felt in many of his movies.

Stars: Joe Mayes, Mark Hyde, Claudia Troy, Georgia Anastasia, Ulysses E. Campbell, Julie Kashmanian | Written and Directed by Philip J. Cook

“You just push the handle, drop into T Space, and take off to destinations unknown.” With these words Max Stone introduces us to the world of Ghost Planet. A world where he, his half-brother George, and their sister Julia hunt for technology left behind by the Tesserans.

They were an alien race who mysteriously disappeared, leaving behind ships far beyond anything humans could develop. And, it looks like the trio have found a base full of them. And then a neutron star flares up, forcing them to abandon their discovery.

That was a year ago. Now George has developed some strange tumours, his insurance covers removing them, apart from the 90% deductible that is. And the loan Max took out, with one of his organs as collateral, has come due,...

The so-called Xenomorph is one of the greatest monsters in movie history. The brainchild of Swiss artist H.R. Giger, the Star Beast combines biological and mechanical elements, blending genders in a way that underscores the themes of pregnancy and violation in Alien.

But before Giger and director Ridley Scott brought the Xenomorph to life in 1979, the alien had a very different trial run. Before crafting the initial treatment and script that would become the basis of Alien, writer Dan O’Bannon worked on another sci-fi project, alongside a fellow student at the University of Southern California film school. That student was John Carpenter, and while he and O’Bannon would go on to make some of the most influential horror films of all time, their first movie Dark Star has a very different monster.

In fact, rather than a sleek black beast with a retractable mouth, Dark Star‘s group of stoned space travelers battled…...

The King of the Seven Seas and his seahorse Storm lead the charge in an international poster for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

The poster in question sees Aquaman and Storm -- who was first seen in The Lost Kingdom's teaser -- in the center, with Aquaman carrying the Trident of Atlan. Behind them are Atlantean soldiers riding their own sea creatures, such as sharks and other seahorses. Also seen on the poster is Japanese text, which covers the top and bottom, the latter of which covers the Aquaman logo and is next to a number "2."

Aquaman 2: James Wan Confirms Big Change to One of the Villains

Regarding the goofier elements of The Lost Kingdom, returning director James Wan noted that he has "never been shy of leaning weird." Wan went on to add, "Very early on, when I was given a few properties to look at, I picked...

Returning director James Wan touched upon the horror look for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

Wan talked about the scarier parts of the DC Extended Universe movie in an interview with Empire, stating, "There was an element of horror in the first [Aquaman] film. But this second movie definitely has more of that. [Things like Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion monsters, Planet of the Vampires and old school Euro-horror] became the design foundation. The Lost Kingdom has a very retro, '60s horror look."

Related: Jason Momoa Transforms Into the Main Man in Lobo Fan Art

The filmmaker added The Lost Kingdom has "this huge action set-piece where Arthur [Curry] and Orm fight [Black Manta's] henchmen, using the 'Octobot' – this mechanical squid thing," which he proclaimed was fun to shoot. Wan later shifted the focus to the Marine Monarch's archenemy, hinting that Black Manta would "[stumble] onto something" in his quest to destroy Aquaman. However, he didn't...

The Alien franchise is one of the most iconic film franchises of all time. Beginning in 1979 with Alien by director Ridley Scott, the film launched the career of Sigourney Weaver in her first leading role as Ellen Ripley. It propelled the momentum of the ominous threat of the Xenomorph from the horror genre into the 1986 action-packed sequel Aliens by director James Cameron. Close encounters with the alien were the crux of the series for so long, with various sequels, spin-offs and crossover with the Predator franchise.

Update October 18, 2023: This article has been updated with even more details regarding the future of the Alien franchise.

Now, two different Alien projects are in the works. The first is from director and screenwriter Noah Hawley in the form of a TV series based on the Alien films. The other is a fifth film from Don't Breath director Fede Alverez. While it is...

In an era when many superhero films have adapted an unflattering, desaturated visual style in the name of realism, "Aquaman" is a balm for the eyes. The James Wan-directed DC Comics flick is full of eye-popping colors and imagery reminiscent of the splash pages you find in actual comic books. There are also nods aplenty to classic sci-fi and adventure stories, from the globe-trotting tomb-raiding of the Indiana Jones films to the fantastical prehistoric setting of Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Lost World." So it should come as no surprise that Wan has taken a similar approach to crafting a unique look for his sequel, "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom."

Speaking at a reveal event for the "Lost Kingdom" trailer attended by /Film's own Jenna Busch-Henderson, Wan talked about the importance of world-building to the "Aquaman" films. "We enjoy all the different worlds that really no superhero movies go into,...

After 2018’s “Aquaman” grossed nearly $1.2 billion dollars, becoming the highest-earning entry in the DC Extended Universe, there was little surprise at the announcement of a sequel. It was a given, an expectation. What makes the prospect of “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” is the fact that it may very well see James Wan draw on his roots as a horror director.

Read More: Fall Film Preview: 60+ Most Anticipated Movies To Watch

In an interview with Total Film, Wan, the master behind the “Saw” and “Conjuring” franchises, revealed that he was looking to “Planet of the Vampires,” a 1965 space horror directed by Mario Bava for inspiration.

Continue reading ‘Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom’ Trailer: James Wan Adds A Pinch Of Horror To His December-Bound Superhero Film at The Playlist.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom director James Wan discussed how he had to change the King of the Seven Seas' return to the silver screen in order for it to fit in with the new DC Universe following The Flash's soft reboot of the franchise.

Wan was asked how many adjustments he had to make to The Lost Kingdom for it to have a place in the reboot during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, to which Wan replied he made changes "all along the way." He added, "The Dcu has been through lots of different versions, and one of the things that was challenging about this film was keeping track of what’s going on. Fortunately, the Aquaman universe is pretty far removed from the rest of the world. We're going to many different underwater kingdoms that are not necessarily related to what’s happening with the other movies and characters,...

There’s no getting around it — Mario Bava’s one space opera is now confirmed as a classic. Barry Sullivan and Norma Bengell must oppose invisible aliens that possess the corpses of their fellow space men. Bava’s ‘gothic’ Haunted Planet recipe just adds more weird colored lights and swirling fog to his supernatural Gothic formula. The designs are excellent and the results unique, from the odd spacecraft to the kinky costumes. The show is also genuinely influential, as should be well known to every fan of more modern sci-fi / horror films. The new HD remaster is an improvement, too!

Planet of the Vampires

Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1965 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 88 min. / Terrore nello spazio, Planet of Blood, The Demon Planet / Street Date July 26, 2022 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95

Starring: Barry Sullivan, Norma Bengell, Ángel Aranda, Evi Marandi, Stelio Candelli, Franco Andrei, Fernando Villena, Mario Morales, Ivan Rassimov.

Cinematography: Antonio Rinaldi,...

For all the success he's enjoyed helming big-budget action and superhero movies, the Malaysia-born, Australia-raised filmmaker James Wan remains a horror aficionado at heart. "You can take the boy out of horror, but you can never take the horror out the boy," as he once put it, explaining why his "Aquaman" sequel, "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom," is "very heavily inspired" by Italian director Mario Bava's 1965 sci-fi horror film "Planet of the Vampires." Yet, for as much as he obviously loves the genre and its many flavors, it's a little harder to pin down how, exactly, one would define "horror" in Wan's work.

As Wan...

The post The Simple Idea at the Heart of James Wan's Horror appeared first on /Film.

Our first look at Jason Momoa in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has been revealed. Currently in production for a 2022 release, the upcoming sequel brings back Momoa to reprise his role as the titular superhero. James Wan is also back in the director's chair after helming the first Aquaman in 2018, and deep into the new movie's production, the director has shared two photos unveiling Momoa as he'll appear as Arthur Curry in two different suits. You can check them out below.

"Here's [Jason Momoa] in the classic Aquaman suit And a sneak peek at his other outfit - the stealth suit," Wan says in the caption. "Atlantean tech based on cephalopod's camouflaging ability. [Screenwriter] David Leslie Johnson and I were inspired by the 80's 'blue suit'."

"Second round. New suit. More action," adds Momoa, who reshared the photos on Instagram. Some of his celebrity friends are also taking notice, with Dwayne Johnson replying,...

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will see the King of Atlantis return for another adventure next year. It’s a no-brainer after the first Aquaman movie scored the Dceu its first billion-dollar box office take, making the Jason Momoa superhero vehicle the highest grossing DC movie of all time. It’s a bit of a Cinderella story considering that before the massive success of the movie, Aquaman was often the butt of jokes for being the DC hero who talks to fish. Of course, when an actor as charismatic (and imposing) as Momoa is wearing the suit, he’s no joke at all.

Both Momoa and director James Wan are back for the sequel, with Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Temuera Morrison also reprising their roles. But there are also plenty of new things to look forward to in the sequel, including a darker tone...

The new look for Aquaman has been unveiled by star Jason Momoa on Instagram, setting the stage for the upcoming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom sequel.

Momoa shared images of himself as Arthur Curry. The first photo shows Momoa in the green and orange costume that’s a throwback to the original comic book look. A second image shows Momoa’s film Aquaman in a darker costume.

“Second round. New suit. More action. #aquaman Aloha j” he wrote.

Momoa is in Lonon filming the sequel.

“I am finally in England,” Momoa’s video says in part. “It is sunny out, it’s amazing, and I’m gonna start Aquaman 2 tomorrow. This is the last day of the brown. I’m gonna be a blonde. Supposedly [they] have more fun. I don’t know about that. We’ll test it out. But I’m excited to see [director] James [Wan], see my whole cast.

Jason Momoa is everywhere. The former Game of Thrones actor is riding high after starring in the popular film Sweet Girl on Netflix, with Season 2 of his Apple TV+ series See set to start streaming this weekend and a key role in Denis Villeneuve’s hotly anticipated Dune adaptation on deck. Oh, and as the Dceu continues to shift and change, he’s still the only Arthur Curry, aka Aquaman, in sight. Not bad for a guy who got his start on Baywatch: Hawaii.

Things aren’t slowing down any time soon for Momoa. Besides the projects listed above, the actor has a few other big things planned down the road. If you just finished Netflix’s Sweet Girl and you’re looking for more Momoa in your life, here’s where you can expect to see the King of Atlantis next.

See Season 2

Streaming August 26

Apple TV+’s sci-fi...

Aquaman's $1 billion box office in 2018 ensured that Jason Momoa would be getting wet again as Arthur Curry. In a new interview, Aquaman director James Wan explains where his greatest influence for the superhero sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, came from. In an interesting revelation, Wan said that the story for the movie was inspired by Planet of The Vampires, a camp 60's Italian sci-fi horror movie. With Marvel taking on a horror theme with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it seems only right that DC give one of their upcoming movies a darker theme.

Aquaman has already hinted at the horrors that live below the surface with the residents of The Trench. With these additional comments from James Wan, it looks like we are going to see a host of other dark creatures that reside in the depths, an aspect that the director believes will be something that fans will relish.

While production on DC sequel Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has been underway in the UK for about a month now, the plot of the Jason Momoa-starrer mostly remains obscured under deep water. However, returning director James Wan has provided an intriguing tidbit that somewhat clarifies the plot issue, citing—of all things—cult classic 1960s Italian horror film Planet of the Vampires as its main source of inspiration. While Wan came into the trident-towing hero’s first solo film having helmed drastically different modern horror classics, the reference nevertheless indicates his genre-hybrid intentions.

James Wan seems to be signaling that his once-unlikely comic book movie franchise, Aquaman, is getting an injection of genre themes that only a directorial maestro of movie scares such as himself can administer. Indeed, while little to nothing is known about the 2022-scheduled sequel outside of its titular reference to a “Lost Kingdom” (more...

Aquaman 2, Aka Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, is now filming, and director James Wan has shed some light on a sequel’s primary source of inspiration. The filmmaker says that filmmaker Mario Bava’s 1965 sci-fi horror movie Planet of the Vampires “heavily inspired” the upcoming Aquaman follow-up. Bava’s film follows astronauts dealing with the undead on a planet […]

The post ‘Aquaman 2’ is Inspired by Mario Bava’s ‘Planet of the Vampires’ appeared first on /Film.

Mario Bava’s 1965 sci-fi classic, “Planet of the Vampires,” is said to be one of the biggest influences on Ridley Scott’s iconic “Alien” franchise. Well, nearly 50 years after its release, it appears ‘Vampires’ is going to inspire yet another major blockbuster— “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.”

According to an interview with James Wan in TotalFilm, the director of the “Aquaman” and its forthcoming sequel, ‘The Lost Kingdom,’ credits “Planet of the Vampires” as being a huge influence on the film.

Continue reading ‘Aquaman 2’: James Wan Says Sequel Is “Very Heavily Inspired” By Mario Bava’s ‘Planet Of The Vampires’ at The Playlist.

"The Furniture," by Daniel Walber. (Click on the images for magnified detail)

Last week’s column was about Dr. Zhivago, the obvious first choice for any 1965 celebration of production design. But where do we go for Part 2? None of the other 9 nominees really leap forward as worth a column, though I do like King Rat. Outside Oscar’s purview, meanwhile, there’s a lot. There are sweeping historical dramas, like The Saragossa Manuscript and Forest of the Hanged. There are wildly bizarre fantasies, like Juliet of the Spirits and Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors. But I think it would be fun to follow Dr. Zhivago with something entirely different, a movie with only a handful of sets and a budget of $200,000.

Mario Bava’s Planet of the Vampires was perhaps never destined to be a hit. Bava was disappointed with the casting of Barry Sullivan as Captain Mark Markary, who he considered far too old.

Oh Joy, Oh Rapture! Mario Bava’s comic book thriller makes the jump to Blu-ray in fine shape, with knockout visuals and eye-popping color. John Philip Law, Marisa Mell, Terry-Thomas and the late Michel Piccoli are all irreplaceable in this one-of-a-kind show. Bava’s film translates action comic fantasy into cinematic terms, pictorial appeal and dynamism intact. The disc comes with a pair of excellent commentaries, featuring Nathaniel Thompson, Troy Howarth, Tim Lucas and John Philip Law himself.

Danger: Diabolik

Blu-ray

Shout! Factory

1968 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 99 min. / Street Date May 19, 2020 / Available from Shout! Factory

Starring: John Phillip Law, Marisa Mell, Michel Piccoli,

Adolfo Celi, Terry-Thomas, Mario Donen.

Cinematography: Antonio Rinaldi

Film Editor: Romana Fortini

Art Director: Flavio Mogherini

Original Music: Ennio Morricone

Written by Adriano Baracco, Mario Bava, Brian Degas, Tudor Gates,

Dino Maiuri story by Angela & Luciana Giussani

Produced by Dino De Laurentiis

Directed by Mario Bava

We...

Italy’s Lucisano Media Group and Pascal Breton’s Paris-based Federation Entertainment have signed a deal to co-develop and co-produce a high-end TV series based on U.S. author Glenn Cooper’s “Library of the Dead” trilogy of thrillers.

The partnership to adapt these global bestsellers is being touted by Lucisano Group, which is among Italy’s oldest producers of film and TV genre content, as “an important step” towards becoming more international, the company said in a statement. Lucisano’s English-language releases include “Drive” by Nicolas Winding Refn, with whom it is developing a previously announced TV series “Les Italiens.”

The “Library of the Dead” trilogy features a New York-based FBI agent named Will Piper and involves a library situated under an ancient monastery where deadly secrets are concealed. Cooper’s books have been translated into 31 languages and sold over 6 million copies worldwide, and are particularly popular in Italy.

"In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream." Long before Prometheus, Predators, and even poor Newt, Ridley Scott's Alien blew open the space doors for sci-fi horror. Here we'll take a look at 10 Things You Never Knew About Alien.

The Dune connection.

The story behind experimental filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky's cancelled adaptation of Dune is the stuff of movie legend, lovingly detailed in the 2013 documentary, Jodorowsky's Dune. Dan O'Bannon, who co-wrote the 1974 sci-fi comedy Dark Star with John Carpenter, was hired to supervise the special effects for Dune, where he also worked with Swiss artist H.R. Giger. When Dune collapsed, O'Bannon found himself sleeping on the couch of another writer, Ronald Shusett. O'Bannon would eventually reassemble much of the artistic team from Dune for Alien, including Giger, Ron Cobb, Chris Foss, and legendary French artist Moebius.

Star Beast.

O'Bannon showed Shusett a script he'd started back in 1972 but had never finished.

"In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream." Long before Prometheus, Predators, and even poor Newt, Ridley Scott's Alien blew open the space doors for sci-fi horror. Here we'll take a look at 10 Things You Never Knew About Alien.

The Dune connection.

The story behind experimental filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky's cancelled adaptation of Dune is the stuff of movie legend, lovingly detailed in the 2013 documentary, Jodorowsky's Dune. Dan O'Bannon, who co-wrote the 1974 sci-fi comedy Dark Star with John Carpenter, was hired to supervise the special effects for Dune, where he also worked with Swiss artist H.R. Giger. When Dune collapsed, O'Bannon found himself sleeping on the couch of another writer, Ronald Shusett. O'Bannon would eventually reassemble much of the artistic team from Dune for Alien, including Giger, Ron Cobb, Chris Foss, and legendary French artist Moebius.

Star Beast.

O'Bannon showed Shusett a script he'd started back in 1972 but had never finished.

Since its premiere in 2015, Scott Drebit's Drive-In Dust Offs column on Daily Dead has celebrated forgotten cult horror movies and taken unique looks at beloved films in the genre. With 150 entries of the column now released, we thought it was the perfect time to shine the projector light on Scott's wonderful work on a new episode of Daily Dead's podcast!

In episode 41 of Daily Dead's podcast, co-hosts Heather Wixson, Scott Drebit, Derek Anderson, and Jonathan James celebrate Scott's Drive-In Dust Offs column for Daily Dead, discussing his ever-enlightening and always entertaining articles on cult horror movies from the 1950s to the 1980s, including Burnt Offerings, Night of the Comet, Planet of the Vampires, and many more frighteningly fun films. The ghoulish gang also talk about their favorite drive-in memories and select their dream double features that they would love to show on the silver screen. So, hop in your car...

When a filmmaker creates a number of movies that qualify for masterpiece status, it becomes nearly impossible to quantifiably conclude which one stands above the rest as his or her single greatest achievement. We have our favorites, of course, but can any of us really name which of Hitchcock’s films is his definitive best? Or Kurosawa’s? Or Spielberg’s? The same is true of Mario Bava, the great Italian director who made films across a number of genres but who is best known for his work in horror. How does one name a single “best” movie from the man responsible for Black Sunday and Blood and Black Lace and The Whip and the Body and Black Sabbath? It’s like naming a favorite child.

While his 1966 movie Kill, Baby... Kill! isn’t always named as being one of Bava’s best, it absolutely deserves to be part of the conversation and is,...

Though he worked across a number of genres, be it fantasy with Hercules in the Haunted World, science fiction with Planet of the Vampires or the crime thriller with Rabid Dogs, the great Mario Bava will forever be most closely associated with horror. His work in the genre is both groundbreaking and legendary, its influence felt across a wide swath of filmmakers and films. Traces of his gothic horror movies can be seen as recently as 2015’s Crimson Peak, while his 1971 effort A Bay of Blood inspired countless slashers, none more than Friday the 13th. It is his 1963 thriller Evil Eye, however, that would help create a genre both known and beloved by fans of Italian horror: the giallo film.

The “giallo,” as it is commonly known, refers to a style of paperback mysteries sold in Italy beginning in the late 1920s; the title “giallo” refers to the yellow covers adorning these cheap,...

Back in May, The Quad Cinema in New York celebrated the diverse works of director Larry Cohen, and they're now devoting the big screen to filmmaker Mario Bava in a massive retrospective series featuring screenings of 21 of the influential Italian director's films. Currently underway and running until July 25th, the Bava retrospective is highlighted by 35mm screenings of films such as Black Sabbath and Black Sunday, a 4K restoration of Planet of the Vampires, and much more.

Details on the Bava screenings can be found below, and to learn more, visit the Quad Cinema's official website.

"The Quad celebrates the Italian maestro of the macabre with a near-complete retrospective of his work—21 titles with 13 on 35mm—plus the U.S. Premiere of a new 4K restoration of Planet of the Vampires

Over the course of more than two dozen features, Mario Bava’s distinctive style developed from baroque manipulation of...

Above: Us one sheet for Black Sunday (Mario Bava, Italy, 1960).Earlier this week I featured Francine Spiegel and Dylan Haley’s terrific new poster for the re-release of Mario Bava’s Kill, Baby...Kill!, which has been playing at New York’s Quad Cinema in a 50th anniversary, 2K restoration. (Full disclosure: this week I started working for the film’s distributor, Kino Lorber, although I can take no credit for that design.) Today, the Quad follows up that run with Mondo Bava: 20-film retrospective of Bava’s films with many of the films on 35mm.Though Bava made over 30 films in various genres over the course of more than two decades, he is best known as perhaps the greatest stylist in horror, the maestro of the macabre. The posters for his horror films may not always convey Bava’s sense of style (notable exceptions being the French posters...

For the discerning science fiction fan, this is the best of the Eastern-bloc Cold War Sci-fi epics, a genuinely brilliant and warmly human ‘Voyage to the End of the Universe,’ restored in 4k resolution. It’s from before 2001: A Space Odyssey, and has an equally wondrous but totally different vision of the future.

Ikarie Xb 1

Blu-ray

Nfa (Czechoslovak National Film Archive)

1963 / B&W / 2:35 widescreen / 88 min. / Street Date March, 2017

Starring: Radovan Lukavský, Zdenek Stepánek, Frantisek Smolík, Otto Lackovic, Irena Kacírková Dana Medrická

Cinematography: Jan Kalis, Sasa Rasilov

Production Designer: Jan Zázvorka

Special Effects: Jan Kalis

Film Editor: Josef Dobrichovský

Original Music: Zdenek Liska

Written by Jindrich Polák and Pavel Jurácek, adapted from the novel The Magellanic Cloud by Stanislaus Lem.

Produced by Filmové Studio Barrandov

Directed by Jindrich Polák

The trailer for the new restoration of Ikarie Xb 1 (no hyphen) pretty much tells the story. A shot...

Mondo Bava July 14-25 The Quad celebrates the Italian maestro of the macabre with a near-complete retrospective of his work—21 titles with 13 on 35mm—plus the U.S. Premiere of a new 4K restoration of Planet of the Vampires The series will be preceded by the World Premiere of a new 50th Anniversary restoration of Kill, …

The post Mondo Bava: The Quad celebrates Mario Bava with a 21-film retrospective plus the 50th Anniversary Restoration of Kill, Baby…Kill! first appeared on Hnn | Horrornews.net 2017 - Official Horror News Site...

“I’ll tell you this, if there ‘are’ any intelligent creatures on this planet… they’re our enemies.”

Planet Of The Vampires screens Midnights this weekend (May 19th and 20th) at The Moolah Theater and Lounge (3821 Lindell Blvd, St. Louis, Mo 63108) as part of Destroy the Brain’s monthly Late Night Grindhouse film series.

In Planet Of The Vampires (1963), two ships of humans are answering a distress signal they picked up from the planetoid Aura. After suffering through a crushing rise in gravity (were the actors indulge in some chuckle-tastic ‘gravity struggling’), both ships land. Problem arise almost immediately as those who fell unconscious during the descent suddenly attack their fellow shipmates.

The other immediate problem is that the planet is creepy as hell and full of strange lights, fog, floating lights, and bad forced perspective shots. Captain Mark, our hero, grabs some of his crew and seeks out the other ship,...

In today's Horror Highlights, we take a look at Free Fire events at SXSW, a Comet network March contest, and the announcement of Shriekfest Orlando.

Free Fire at SXSW: "Armie Hammer, Sharlto Copley and writer/director Ben Wheatley joined SXSW press and attendees yesterday for paintball, explosions, BBQ lessons, and other ill-advised activities at Austin's Stunt Ranch to celebrate A24's Free Fire. The out-of-control film received an appropriately outrageous event ahead of the sold-out Us premiere at the Paramount, where the audience went wild for Wheatley's action-comedy."

Synopsis: "Bold, breathless and wickedly fun, Free Fire is an electrifying action comedy about an arms deal that goes spectacularly and explosively wrong. Acclaimed filmmaker Ben Wheatley (Kill List, High Rise) propels the audience head-on into quite possibly the most epic shootout ever seen on film as he crafts a spectacular parody -- and biting critique -- of the insanity of gun violence.

In today's Horror Highlights, we have a look at Comet TV's March viewing guide, release details for Quarries, info on Nitehawk Cinema's annual short film festival, the crowdfunding campaign for the sock-centric creature feature Crust (produced by Felissa Rose), details on the Terror Film Festival, and new stills from Anders Manor.

Comet TV's March Viewing Guide: "You Don’T Need A Subscription To Watch These Great Movies…

They’Re Airing For Free On Comet!

Cherry 2000 (1988)

Monday March 13 at 8/7C

Static (1986)

Monday March 13 at 10/9C

The Twonky (1953)

Tuesday March 14 at 10/9C

The Bat People (1974)

Tuesday March 14 at 8/7C

War Gods of the Deep (1965)

Wednesday March 15 at 8/7c

The Man Who Fell to Earth (1987)

Wednesday March 15 at 10/9C

Encounter at Raven’s Gate (1990)

Thursday March 16 at 10/9C

The Lost Brigade (1993)

Thursday March 16 at 8/7C

The Beasts Within (1982)

Monday March 20 at 8/7C

Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? (1971)

Monday March 20 at 10/9C

Troll 2...

Seddok, l’erede di Satana (Atom Age Vampire)

Region 2 Pal DVD

Terminal Video Italia Srl

1960 / B&W / 1:66 flat letterbox / 103 min. / Street Date June 12, 2011 / available through Amazon.it / Eur 6,64

Starring: Alberto Lupo, Ivo Garrani, Susanne Loret, Sergio Fantoni, Rina Franchetti, Franca Parisi, Roberto Bertea.

Cinematography: Aldo Giordani

Film Editor: Gabrielle Varriale

Makeup Effects: Euclide Santoli

Original Music: Armando Trovajoli

Written by: Gino De Santis, Alberto Bevilacqua, Anton Giulio Majano; story by Piero Monviso

Produced by: Elio Ippolito Mellino (as Mario Fava)

Directed by Anton Giulio Majano

Let me herewith take a break from new discs to review an Italian release from six years ago, a movie that for years we knew only as Atom Age Vampire. Until sporadic late- night TV showings appeared, it existed for us ’60s kids as one or two interesting photos in Famous Monsters magazine. Forry Ackerman steered away from adult films, with the effect that...

A spaceship heads to a remote planet to answer an Sos. Upon arrival on the fog covered world, they discover an insidious alien race that needs warm bodies to propagate their species. Yeah, I love Alien (1979) too! However, the film I’m referring to is Mario Bava’s Planet of the Vampires (1965), an influential departure for the prolific horror auteur and a gorgeously rendered sci-fi/horror blend.

Now, by no means am I suggesting that Sir Ridley Scott borrowed from Mario Bava (he claimed he never saw Planet beforehand); but I will say that this film also has a giant alien skeleton at the helm of a ship. Regardless of influence (or lack thereof), Planet still plays today due to Bava’s magnificent brushstrokes that drip from every frame.

Planet of the Vampires was also released as (take a deep breath): Planet of Blood, Terror in Space, The Haunted Planet,...