News

James Wan is one of the most highly respectable names in the horror genre, and for good reason. The Australian filmmaker has made some of the most memorable horror movies as a writer, director, and producer. Over the years, his spine-chilling narratives have beautifully captured audiences’ attention. The Saw, Insidious, and The Conjuring movie series are some of his famous works. His entire filmography has done business north of $2 billion at the global box office.

James Wan At A Convention | Via Wikimedia Commons/Gage Skidmore

Wan recently put up his Halloween watch list with a selection of some of his favorite vampire movies.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula A Scene From Bram Stoker’s Dracula | Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures

This movie, released in 1992, is an adaptation of author Bram Stroker’s novel of the same title. Directed by none other than Francis Ford Coppola, the film steers a tad away from the...

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...

On the JoBlo Movies YouTube channel, we will be posting one full movie every other day throughout the week, giving viewers the chance to watch them entirely free of charge. The Free Movie of the Day we have for you today is the dark comedy All at Sea, starring Brian Cox. You can watch it over on the YouTube channel linked above, or you can just watch it in the embed at the top of this article.

Directed by Robert Young from a screenplay by Hugh Janes, All at Sea has the following synopsis: Two retired sailors, Wally and Skipper, are old workmates and best friends for 40 years now living at an old folks’ home in Norway. One day, Wally finds Skipper dead and he wants a burial at sea, the old-fashioned way, as he promised him. Wally isn’t going to let the fact that he doesn’t have a boat,...

David Prowse, a one-time weightlifter and bodybuilder who became a film icon by playing Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy, has died at age 85 after a short illness.

According to multiple reports, the British actor’s death was confirmed via Twitter by his management, which stated, “It’s with great regret and heart-wrenching sadness for us and millions of fans around the world, to announce that our client Dave Prowse M.B.E. has passed away at the age of 85.”

It's with great regret and heart-wrenching sadness for us and million of fans around the world, to announce that our client Dave Prowse M.B.E. has passed away at the age of 85. #DaveProwse @starwars #DarthVader #GreenCrossCodeMan #iconic #actor #bodybuilder #MBE pic.twitter.com/dL2RmdIqg8

— Bowington Management (@BowingtonM) November 29, 2020

Although Vader was famously voiced by American actor James Earl Jones, it was Prowse’s massive six-foot, six-inch...

If one erases the centuries long horrible treatment of animals, circuses were a lot of fun; a place for families to go and see acrobats and feats of derring-do and munch really stale boxed popcorn. Now we’re left with Cirque De Soleil, in which only the humans die trying to entertain us. You could skip all that though and just head to the Vampire Circus (1972), where the performers will gladly strip you of your coin and your life. It’s a Hammer event, and those are always worth a peek behind the tent.

Released by Twentieth Century Fox stateside in October, Vampire Circus received middling reviews at best; however, modern critics have cited it as one of Hammer’s better latter day efforts – an opinion I’m more than happy to share.

But first, a story. It’s the mid 1800’s, and a little village in Eastern Europe has...

By Mark Mawston

In the music scene of the 60’s you had two bands that stood on their own: the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. In films of the same period and into the early 70s, Amicus and Hammer were the Beatles and the Stones of the horror film genre. At their best, both reflected the popular tastes of era as it pertained to movies of this type. The early 70s saw creative highlights. With Hammer it was the Carmilla trilogy, Vampire Circus, Captain Kronos and, with Amicus, we had the splendid portmanteau films which had started with Dr Terrors House of Horrors and reaching their creative peak at the beginning of the new decade. Two of the company’s best efforts are now released by Second Sight on Blu-ray as stand-alone discs after appearing as part of a boxed set last year, The House That Dripped Blood and Asylum...

Tony Sokol Feb 13, 2017

Robert Stromberg is going from Disney's Malificent to a new slasher movie called Carnival...

The upcoming noir slasher film Carnival is about a knife-throwing artist performing at a traveling circus. But the barnstorming blade buff is not the villain, he is the hunter. In the tradition of Tod Browning’s Freaks, Alejandro Jodorowsky's Santa Sangre, Hammer’s Vampire Circus and Halloween perennial Carnival Of Souls, Carnival will be a three-ringed affair.

Carnival will be directed by Robert Stromberg, the Oscar-winning production designer who made Maleficent (2014) with Angelina Jolie as the sympathetic, malicious witch. Stromberg was the first production designer to ever win back-to- back Oscars, for Avatar and Alice In Wonderland. He turned the lonely journey of astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) from Ridley Scott’s The Martian into The Martian: Vr Experience, which was released at Sundance last year. Stromberg also directed the pilot Dawn for Hulu and MGM.

In this ongoing Shock column, editor Chris Alexander tells tales and muses on classic and obscure horror cinema. As I leak into my forties, I am astonished by just how lazy I am. Well, maybe lazy isn’t the right word. In fact, I’m far from that. I’m busier than I’ve ever been, running this website,…

The post Chris Alexander’s Shock Treatment: How Vampire Circus Almost Killed Me…Literally! appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

Curious about all those Region B Hammer Blu-rays from overseas, the ones requiring a region-free player? As a public service, Savant has solicited an expert opinion (you'll have to take my word for that) of a film restoration/transfer specialist who is also an informed fan of the filmic output of the little horror studio at Bray. I know, real Hammer fans buy first and worry about quality later, but this little guide might be of help to the rest of us budget-conscious collectors.

A 'Guest' article Written by a trusted Savant correspondent.

(Note: I receive plenty of emails asking for advice about the quality of Region B Blu-rays, most of which I don't see. I have access to industry people qualified to compare and judge the discs, but they stay off the record, because their employers forbid them to go online with their opinions. They must sometimes simmer in...

Special Mention: Shock Corridor

Written and directed by Samuel Fuller

USA, 1963

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Shock Corridor stars Peter Breck as Johnny Barrett, an ambitious reporter who wants to expose a killer hiding out at the local insane asylum. In order to solve the case, he must pretend to be insane so they have him committed. Once in the asylum, Barrett sets to work, interrogating the other patients and keeping a close eye on the staff. But it’s difficult to remain a sane man living in an insane place, and the closer Barrett gets to the truth, the closer he gets to insanity.

Shock Corridor is best described as an anti-establishment drama that at times is surprisingly quite funny despite the dark material. The film deals with some timely issues of the era, specifically the atom bomb, anti-communism, and racism. It features everything from a raving female love-crazed nympho ward,...

Iconic Hammer actresses Martine Beswick, Veronica Carlson and Caroline Munro. (All photos copyright Adrian Smith. All rights reserved.)

Retro-active: The Best From Cinema Retro's Archives

(The following article was originally run in November, 2014)  

By Adrian Smith 

With around sixty special guests in attendance, the Westminster Central Hall on Saturday the 7th of November was packed to its domed roof with excited Hammer film fans.

Familiar faces including Caroline Munro, Valerie Leon, Madeline Smith and Martine Beswick were providing some glamour, but the organisers managed to make the event extra-memorable by securing the presence of Edina Ronay, George Cole, Freddie Jones and others who had not signed autographs at a fan event before. At times queues to meet them ran out of the building and down the street! Other rare UK appearances were made from Veronica Carlson and Linda Hayden, flown in from the Us to meet their fans. It was...

Cinema Retro has received the following press release:

London Film Convention

The 80th Anniversary of Hammer!

Saturday November the 8th ( 10am – 6pm )

Venue : Central Hall Westminster.

Storey’s Gate, Westminster, London SW1H 9Nh

Celebrates in a one-off special event one of the worlds longest running film production companies Hammer’s 80th anniversary.

Founded by William Hindes and James Carerras in November 1934!

The company very much dominated the world market from the 1950’s to the 1970’s in comedies but above all their now classic horror films.

Now very much back in production with several successful films over the past years.

With a sequel to their film version of the play “ Woman In Black “ that starred Daniel Radcliff due for release in 2015 “ Woman In Black : Angel Of Death “ .

The show is also a celebration of the British film industry and of the past and present creative film making in...

Mark Morris has written tie-in novels for Hellboy, Spartacus, Doctor Who and Torchwood, and novelizations for Vampire Circus and the game Dead Island. Titan Books recently released Noah: The Official Movie Novelization, here is my review.

I haven’t seen the movie yet, which I anticipate will be worth a viewing. I don’t believe that the tale of Noah is anything more than that, a tale.; though I will be reviewing the book much like I read other books and watch other movies – without prejudice. Like most people I am familiar with the story of Noah. It’s just one of those stories I remember finding interesting when I was a child. This retelling is definitely more interesting, and exciting as far as action and fiction goes.

The interesting part in this adaptation, and perhaps it’s the same in the movie is that Noah’s actions are based...

The hardest part about choosing my favourite horror films of all time, is deciding what stays and what goes. I started with a list that featured over 200 titles, and I think it took me more time to pick and choose between them, than it did to actually sit down and write each capsule review. In order to hold on to my sanity, I decided to not include short films, documentaries, television mini-series and animated films. I also had to draw the line at some point in deciding if certain movies should be considered horror or not. In such cases where I was split down the middle in deciding, I let IMDb be the judge for me. And in some cases, I’ve included these titles as special mentions. Long story short, I can’t include every movie I like, and I have to draw the line somewhere. With that said,...

Hammer and Horror Film Day!

Saturday November the 9th ( 10am – 5pm )

Central Hall Westminster.

Storey’s Gate, Westminster, London SW1H 9Nh

UK’s longest running film fair and convention.

Now in it’s 40th year!

The Convention presents dealers from all over the UK, Europe, Us ,

Canada and South America.

Specialising in rare original film memorabilia and collectables.

Taking place six times a year these are truly unique events for anyone with an interest in films!

With actors and director’s signings, illustrated talks, retrospectives and film screenings taking place through out the day.

Items covering the history of cinema can be found. From the silents to the present.

From rare items of the 1920’s to new releases and the latest heart throb.

Among the many different field of cinema covered at the show is – Classic Hollywood, horror films, sci-fi, the best of British and European cinema as we as cult tv!

One of Hammer’s last films and I think one of their best, Hands of the Ripper is a fun play on the Jack the Ripper mythology, with a great central performance from Angharad Rees. Although she’s the daughter of a killer and she is no angel, you still feel for her. Synapse has released this gem on Blu-ray and DVD with a fine looking image and a slate of bonus content that should make most fans happy.

Little Anna (played as an adult by Angharad Rees), witnesses her father murdering her mother as a child. Needless to say, she is traumatized. To make things worse, she is adopted by a terribly manipulative Mrs.Golding (Dora Bryan), a fraudulent psychic who ropes Anna into working for her. One night, something goes horribly wrong at a séance Anna is assisting with. Her life takes a turn seemingly for the better...

The team behind the now defunct Fantastic Films Weekend (Ffw) has reformed and regrouped as Fantastiq and will present the first edition from August 9-11 at Derby Quad in the UK.

Cinema Retro will be present in the form of Hammer’s quirky horror tale Vampire Circus, which we are sponsoring. The film’s director Robert Young will be present to talk about the 1973 film, one of the run of off-kilter shockers that Hammer produced in the Seventies.

Director Robert Young

The director of Fantastiq is Tony Earnshaw, formerly Head of Film Programming at the National Media Museum in Bradford where he launched the Ffw in 2002. He said: “I’m genuinely delighted to be able to resurrect my pet project, albeit under a new name. And I’m thrilled to welcome Cinema Retro on board as a key supporter along with We Belong Dead magazine and publisher Spectral Press, which...

Hammer Chillers is a new horror anthology series that will premiere June 7th. Available first as six 30-minute weekly downloadable episodes from the Hammer website, the collected series will also be released on CD July 26th with special bonus material.

Writers for the first series include some of the biggest names working in horror today: Stephen Volk (Ghostwatch, The Awakening), Mark Morris (Toady, Vampire Circus), Stephen Gallagher (Chimera, The Eleventh Hour), Christopher Fowler (The Bryant and May Mysteries), Paul Magrs (The Brenda and Effie Mysteries, Doctor Who) and comedian Robin Ince (Radio 4’s The Infinite Monkey Cage).

“Hammer films have been a massive influence on my writing from the days when I sneaked into the White Palace cinema in my home town of Pontypridd to see the likes of The Devil Rides Out and The Vampire Lovers,” says Stephen Volk. “Now to be writing an audio drama under the Hammer...

We’re excited to feature none other than Lori Cardille, the inimitable Sarah from George A. Romero’s 1985 horror masterpiece Day Of The Dead. Cardille’s strong, single minded and yet still vulnerable lead in Romero’s beloved third “Dead” film is inarguably one of the most important female characters in horror and the woman who played her is a delight. Lori is looking forward to hanging out in the romantic and garish Niagara Falls setting and meeting some of her devoted fanbase.

Also joining the roster is David Prowse, the man known best as Darth Vader who is beloved by horror fans for his double-shot turns as the Frankenstein Monster in Hammer’s Evil Of Frankenstein and Frankenstein And The Monster From Hell as well as Vampire Circus.

Also on the still-expanding bill is author Kier-La Janisse (House Of Psychotic Women), Fango editor Chris Alexander and the cast of...

We’re excited to feature none other than Lori Cardille, the inimitable Sarah from George A. Romero’s 1985 horror masterpiece Day Of The Dead. Cardille’s strong, single minded and yet still vulnerable lead in Romero’s beloved third “Dead” film is inarguably one of the most important female characters in horror and the woman who played her is a delight. Lori is looking forward to hanging out in the romantic and garish Niagara Falls setting and meeting some of her devoted fanbase.

Also joining the roster is David Prowse, the man known best as Darth Vader who is beloved by horror fans for his double-shot turns as the Frankenstein Monster in Hammer’s Evil Of Frankenstein and Frankenstein And The Monster From Hell as well as Vampire Circus.

Also on the still-expanding bill is author Kier-La Janisse (House Of Psychotic Women), Fango editor Chris Alexander and the cast of...

We’re excited to feature none other than Lori Cardille, the inimitable Sarah from George A. Romero’s 1985 horror masterpiece Day Of The Dead. Cardille’s strong, single minded and yet still vulnerable lead in Romero’s beloved third “Dead” film is inarguably one of the most important female characters in horror and the woman who played her is a delight. Lori is looking forward to hanging out in the romantic and garish Niagara Falls setting and meeting some of her devoted fanbase.

Also joining the roster is David Prowse, the man known best as Darth Vader who is beloved by horror fans for his double-shot turns as the Frankenstein Monster in Hammer’s Evil Of Frankenstein and Frankenstein And The Monster From Hell as well as Vampire Circus.

Also on the still-expanding bill is author Kier-La Janisse (House Of Psychotic Women), Fango editor Chris Alexander and the cast of...

Interview Jamie-Lee Nardone Feb 19, 2013

As Hammer prepares its sequel to The Woman In Black, Martyn Waites is writing the novel. Jamie-Lee spoke to him about Angel Of Death...

There are various reasons why I’m afraid of things that go bump in the night, the dark and small children, but only one reason why I will also never live by a causeway and repeatedly freak out whenever I see a woman in full Victorian costume.

An undiagnosed geek from a young age, I quickly became a fan of horror, aided by the fact that my father let me watch The Exorcist and Dawn Of The Dead before I reached primary school. Social services were not involved.

At secondary school, I came across The Woman In Black by Susan Hill. Falling in love with its gothic nature, I was taken to the theatre to see the stage adaptation. It was spectacular...

Robin Sachs, a British actor who is probably best known for his role as Ethan Rayne in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has died. He was 61.

In Buffy, Sachs played the small but pivotal role of Giles's former friend-turned-nemesis Ethan Rayne. But Buffy wasn't his only genre role. He got his start in 1972 with a small role in Hammer's Vampire Circus. He also appeared in Lost World: Jurassic Park, Galaxy Quest, Megalodon, and was a voice in the 2012 animated Resident Evil: Domination game. 

Sachs died suddenly on February 1st, four days before his 62nd birthday. A cause of death has not been announced.

Source: Deadline...

Robin Sachs, best known for his role in the long-running TV series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, has died at age 61. He passed away on February 1st, four days before his 62nd birthday, according to his website which announced his death on Tuesday. “This is a post we never thought we would have to write,” the post reads. “It is with great sadness that we have to announce the sudden and unexpected passing of Robin Sachs.” Born in London, Sachs’ first role was with the British Hammer film studio in the movie Vampire Circus. His other feature work includes The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Oceans Eleven, North Fork and Ravager. Sachs appeared in numerous TV series over the years, but his most memorable role was as Ethan Rayne, arch rival to Giles, Buffy’s mentor in Buffy The Vampire Slayer starring Sarah Michelle Gellar. His other TV work includes the role...

Robin Sachs, a British actor best known for playing the slippery, mercenary mage Ethan Rayne on Buffy The Vampire Slayer, has died, according to the BBC. Sachs’ death is described as “sudden and unexpected” on his official website, though no cause is given. He was 61. Though two of his earliest roles were in the miniseries Brideshead Revisited and Dynasty: The Reunion (where he replaced Gordon Thomson as Adam Carrington), Sachs was far more suited to science-fiction and horror stories than lavish costume dramas, beginning with his screen debut in the Hammer-produced Vampire Circus. Over the years he had numerous ...

A bit of sad news has come in regarding the passing of an actor who's very familiar to fans of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" along with gamers. On his 62nd birthday, word has come that Robin Sachs has died unexpectedly.

According to Sachs' official fansite:

It is with great sadness that we have to announce the sudden and unexpected passing of Robin Sachs. Please join us in raising a glass to Robin – goodbye, dear friend. Thank you for all the laughter and the cookies. We will miss you so very much.

Sachs is best known for portraying Giles' old friend Ethan Rayne in "Buffy." He also appeared in such films as Vampire Circus, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Megalodon, and the animated Resident Evil: Damnation and voiced roles in numerous video games such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds, Mass Effect 2/3, and Resident Evil: Outbreak - File...

There's a gazillion horror-themed metal bands out there, and while they're usually enthusiastic and sincere, only a handful manage to distinguish themselves with both talent and originality. So it's always an exciting moment, especially on Halloween, to unearth a black diamond of musical horror in the genre. There are also dozens of indie labels out there specializing in horror music, but one of the more prominent names in the field is Razorback Records, who have discovered some intriguing artists of many modes, ranging from old-school giallo rock like Sweden's Anima Morte and analog electronics with an '80s slasher vibe, to straight-up splatter-metal nastiness. One of the label's latest metal acquisitions is the Louisiana-based outfit Orloff, who take their name from Nosferatu's legendary villain and drape their death, doom and black metal creations in a shroud of gothic atmosphere. After hearing a three-song demo titled Swamp of the Ravens (named...

This week Michael & I sit down and talk about the new film Excision, released by Anchor Bay Home Entertainment.

Show Notes:

Intro

What We’ve Been Watching (1:34)

Michael: Vampire Circus (Michael’s Hammer Horror articles), The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Girl, Some short films for Sliff, Martha Marcy May Marlene Andy: The Voice, Sons of Anarchy, Dexter, Cloud Atlas

Picks of the Week for October 30, 2012 (24:19)

Michael’s Pick:

Price: -

Andy’s Pick:

Price: -

News (36:36)

A Teaser for the Teaser for ‘Evil Dead’ The Trailer of ‘Evil Dead’ is Here! Local Horror Film ‘Coyote’ Debuts Trailer Watch Tony Stark’s Life Crumble Away in the First Trailer for ‘Iron Man 3′ Movie Review: ‘Grave Encounters 2′ Where Should ‘Paranormal Activity 5′ Go From Here? Let The Speculation Begin!

Break (40:57)

Excision Discussion (42:49)

Outro (1:19:14)

Contact us Email Michael & Andy at podcast@destroythebrain.com...

Throughout the month of October, Editor-in-Chief and resident Horror expert Ricky D, will be posting a list of his favorite Horror films of all time. The list will be posted in six parts. Click here to see every entry.

As with all lists, this is personal and nobody will agree with every choice – and if you do, that would be incredibly disturbing. It was almost impossible for me to rank them in order, but I tried and eventually gave up.

****

Special Mention: Gremlins

Directed by Joe Dante

Written by Chris Columbus

1984, USA

Gremlins gets a special mention because I’ve always considered it more of a comedy and a wholesome Christmas flick than an actual horror film. This tribute the 1950s matinee genre stands the test of time from a time when parents would take their children to family films that pushed the boundaries of the MPAA. Joe Dante is...

The St. Louis Globe-Democrat is a monthly newspaper run by Steve DeBellis, a well know St. Louis historian, and it.s the largest one-man newspaper in the world. The concept of The Globe is that there is an old historic headline, then all the articles in that issue are written as though it.s the year that the headline is from. It.s an unusual concept but the paper is now in its 25th successful year! Steve and I collaborated last year on an all-Vincent Price issue of The Globe and I’ve been writing a regular movie-related column since. Since there is no on-line version of The Globe, I post all of my articles here at We Are Movie Geeks as well. In honor of the 40th anniversary of Blueberry Hill, the landmark St. Louis restaurant and music club that.s filled with pop culture memorabilia, this month.s St.

The Godfather, Alfred Hitchcock’s Frenzy, The Poseidon Adventure, Vampire Circus, The New Centurions, Silent Running, and Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes. What do these seven great movies have in common?…They’re all from the year 1972, making them 40 years old! You know what else is 40 years old? The St. Louis landmark Blueberry Hill restaurant and music club that’s filled with pop culture memorabilia and located in The Loop along the St. Louis Walk of Fame.

To help Joe Edwards celebrate the 40th anniversary of Blueberry Hill, we’re presenting a special edition of Super-8 Movie Madness there. It’s Super-8 1972 Movie Madness at Blueberry Hill! and it takes place on Wednesday, August 29th beginning at 8pm. We’ll show all seven of the aforementioned 1972 movies in condensed form (average length: 17 minutes) on Super-8 Sound film projected on a big screen in Blueberry Hill’s Duck Room.

It was almost two full years ago that cult home video geeks learned that Synapse Films had acquired the Us distribution rights to a trio of Hammer Films classics. The first, Vampire Circus, released back in December of 2010, while the other two, Hands of the Ripper and Twins of Evil seemed to fade away into obscurity, leaving the fans to wonder what the heck happened.  Well, it turns out that Synapse was busy making sure that Twins of Evil was absolutely perfect before it hit store shelves, and their patience paid off. Twins of Evil is a contender for cult Blu-ray release of the year, with a sterling image and outstanding supplemental material. I'll pad this review with more opinions, but let it...

As formats linger on, more and more movies get released. This is why we’ve been graced over the past few years with various releases (on Blu-ray and/or DVD) of such classics and obscurities as the original My Bloody Valentine, Dark Night of the Scarecrow, Night of the Creeps, The Monster Squad, The Dorm that Dripped Blood, Vampire Circus, Devil Dog: Hound of Hell, and Buio Omega (Beyond the Darkness). We’ve even gotten Blu-ray releases of classic clunkers like Troll 2 and Birdemic: Shock and Terror! Yet there are some surprising titles that haven’t gotten the high-def treatment (or maybe haven’t gotten it well enough). Below you’ll find a list of classics that haven’t seen either American blu-ray releases or appropriately loaded Blu-ray releases.

Netflix has recently added Kevin Smith’s Red State and John Carpenter’s The Ward to their streaming service. Other recently released horror movies include Paranormal Activity 2, The Last Exorcism, Poltergeist II, Poltergeist III, Ghoulies, Children of the Corn: Revelations, and The Nesting.

Older horror films tend to be less visible on their streaming service, so here are some other titles you may be interested in giving a try: Dracula (1931), Dracula (1979), Dracula Ad 1972, Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed, Blood From the Mummy’s Tomb, Vampire Circus, The Crimson Cult, Count Yorga, Vampire, The Return of Count Yorga, Witchfinder General, Countess Dracula, Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors, The Fly.

Below you will find a list of movie that Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz director Edgar Wright has never seen. Not long ago Wright went out and asked his friends and fans to recommend some movies they thought he may have missed over the last thirty years of his life. He got recommendations from Quentin Tarantino, Daniel Waters, Bill Hader, John Landis, Guillermo Del Toro, Joe Dante, Judd Apatow, Joss Whedon, Greg Mottola, Schwartzman, Doug Benson, Rian Johnson, Larry Karaszeski, Josh Olson, Harry Knowles and hundreds of fans on this blog.

From these recommendations, Wright created a master list of recommended films that were frequently mentioned. The director now wants the fans to choose which of the films on the list he should watch on the big screen.

Wright is holding a film event at the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles called Films Edgar Has Never Seen.

Edgar Wright's latest epic project [1] has him partnering with Quentin Tarantino, Judd Apatow, Joss Whedon, Bill Hader, Guillermo Del Toro, Joe Dante, Greg Mottola, Harry Knowles, Rian Johnson and, probably, several of you. Like all of us, Wright has a bunch of classic and cult films he's never seen. Unlike all of us, he has the means to see them for the first time on the big screen and will do just that in December [2] at the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles during Films Edgar Has Never Seen. The director of Shaun of the Dead and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World asked both his famous friends (some of which are listed above) and fans to send in their personal must see lists and, from those titles, Wright came up with one mega list from which he'll pick a few movies to watch December 9-16. After the jump check...

Reader and contributor Gemma St. Clair returns this weekend with a new list of horror trivia:

1. The Phantom of the Opera: There are multiple versions of this film, including the original silent 1925 release (107 minutes long) and the 1929 re-release (98 minutes long). There was a third version with talking scenes, but it is now considered lost.

2. Cat’s Eye: Stephen King wrote the part for Drew Barrymore in Cat’s Eye because he was so impressed with her in Firestarter.

3. Freaks: This film was banned in the UK for nearly 30 years after its release.

4. Willard (2003): A picture of Willard’s Father in the film is actually Bruce Davidson who played Willard in the 1971 original.

5. House of the Dead: The Sega logo can be seen in the background of the rave.

6. Alone in the Dark (1982): The house that was used for Dr. Potter’s home actually belonged to a psychiatrist.

Super-8 Presents Super-8 Movie Madness at the Way Out Club will be held on Tuesday June 7th from 8pm to Midnight. These are Super-8 Sound films condensed from features (they average 15 minutes in length) and will be projected on a large screen at the Way Out Club. Admission is only Three Bucks!!!!

Since this month’s show is sponsored by Steven Spielberg’s upcoming film Super-8 (a title he clearly chose to cash in on Super-8 Movie… Madness), which opens June 10th (www.super8-movie) we will be showing a Spielberg triple feature of Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, Jaws, and Duel. In return, we’ve been promised extra Super-8 goodies to give away. The other films we’re showing are Mighty Mouse in The Witch’S Cat, Peter Cushing in At The Earths Core, Reptilicus, The Omen, The Invisible Man, Raquel Welch in One Million Years B.C., The Hammer horror Vampire Circus,...

The Film:

Where would Hammer Films be without the vampire film? A struggling studio back in the 1950s emerged as a heir to Universal’s throne when they released the first color Dracula film in 1958′s The Horror of Dracula starring the immortal Christopher Lee. Yes, the studio would go on to other creatures of the night, including my personal favorite Curse of the Werewolf, but the kept coming back to the vampire film, even in their recent resurrection in last year’s Let Me In. Obviously, the studio was fading in the 1970s and their need to keep the old creatures fresh was apparent in funky films like Dracula Ad 1972. But the oddest of the bunch was this lesser known vampire film in Vampire Circus.

Hypnotically directed by a documentary film maker Robert Young, the film was a mixture of the classic horror Hammer was known for and new...

Earlier this year we told you about Exhumed, a uniquely original vision of horror written by Guy Benoit (Atomic Brain Invasion), produced by Ted Marr (The Disco Exorcist), and directed by Richard Griffin (Nun of That). This week Scorpio Film Releasing dropped us a line to let us know the film has wrapped production and provided us with three new stills.

Exhumed marks Sfr's 10th feature, their others including Nun of That, Atomic Brain Invasion, Disco Exorcist, Beyond the Dunwich Horror, and more. Producer Marr says that "even though we are early in the process, from looking at the raw footage, I strongly suspect that this will be our best work to date. Certainly the best technically."

Director Griffin further explains that "Exhumed is a major change of pace for us. Guy Benoit's amazing screenplay is not filled with the typical "Things That Go Bump In The Night" creatures like vampires,...

Hammer Films was a premier company when it came to making horror films in the 1950′s and 1960′s. But as times were changing, the company started faltering and were putting out watered down stories and sexually exploitative cinema. It seemed as if there were no more gems in their collection and that they’d just crank out the same old Dracula films with Christopher Lee starring in them. But then came a title that just sounds so interesting, you can’t believe it’s a real film. Vampire Circus is a bright spot of the later Hammer Films and thankfully Synapse Films has put it out on Blu-ray.

Vampire Circus begins with a prologue, showing a little girl frolicking in the forest. She is being led by a beautiful woman, Anna (Domini Blythe) to the castle of Count Mitterhaus (Robert Tayman), a sadistic and handsome vampire. He feeds on the...

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While we had heard 2009: Mutants of the Apocalypse was going to be the next project for Scorpio Film Releasing, it turns out that instead they're moving forward with Exhumed, a uniquely original vision of horror written by Guy Benoit (Atomic Brain Invasion), produced by Ted Marr (The Disco Exorcist), and directed by Richard Griffin (Nun of That).

The production will star Sarah Nicklin (Nun of That), Michael Reed (The Disco Exorcist), Ruth Sullivan (Nun of That), Michael Thurber (The Disco Exorcist), Rich Tretheway (Atomic Brain Invasion), Jonathan Thomson, and genre great Debbie Rochon as the Governess.

Synopsis:

Exhumed deals with a twisted family that is seemingly unable to leave their own home. Their gnarled existence and mounting animosity finally give way to violence and visceral panic. Exhumed’s closest living relatives would perhaps be The House of the Devil, Ils, and The Strangers. The recently deceased would include the...

As horror fans know better than anyone, the best way to beef up a film's mood and atmosphere is through the use of music, and few did that better than the composers who worked for Hammer Films in its heyday. Which is why we're thrilled to pass on the news that three new compilations of Hammer film soundtrack music will be made available through Silva Screen on March 28th.

Released as part of The Hammer Legacy series, "The Vampire Collection", "The Frankenstein Collection", and "The Science Fiction Collection" will feature some of the best music from the likes of Hammer composers Tristram Cary, Harry Robinson and James Bernard.

According to the official Hammer website the downloadable soundtracks will be available through iTunes and other digital retailers.

The complete track listing is below:

The Hammer Legacy: The Vampire Collection

1. Kiss Of The Vampire - Opening Credits (James Bernard)

2. Kiss Of The...

Few film studios offered movie posters as consistently beautiful as Hammer's. (Most of which were captured in the recent coffee table retrospective The Art of Hammer.) Unfortunately, behind most of those lush and lurid phantasmagorias lurked Hammer's movies, which often times weren't nearly so opulent in splendor. That's not to say there aren't a bunch of really good Hammer horror films (and a few truly great ones). But it's hard to not to get a little jaded when faced with the likes of Vampire Circus. For despite it having one of the studio's classiest posters (and now its DVD cover art), and a few other intriguing elements, the film is lacking in certain key...

Last November I dedicated my ‘Not Available on DVD’ column to the “infamously harebrained but entertaining-as-hell” 1978 Italian Star Wars knockoff Starcrash. It was released on the Orion VHS label in the mid-80′s (and on a cheap label under the title Female Space Invader) but had yet to appear as a domestic DVD release. At the time I wrote “Leave it to the wacky Italians, always quick to exploit a popular trend, to rip off George Lucas’s cash cow resulting in a film so spectacularly cheesy that over 30 years later it has actually aged better than the film it emulates.”. (read the entire column Here) I wrote this half in jest as a way to tweak my Star Wars-worshipping friends, but after watching the new Blu-Ray release from Shout! Factory, I’m starting to think I may have been on to something after all.

Shout Factory has done...

Titan Books has published Marcus Hearn’s third impressive hardback coffee table book on Hammer Horror and it’s a real dream not just for fans of the great British studio but for connoisseurs of the art of the movie poster. The team which produced “The Hammer Story” and “Hammer Glamor” has now come out with “The Art of Hammer“, a fantastic illustrated collection and history of Hammer film posters. Raquel Welch in her fur bikini against a backdrop of dinosaurs may be the most famous Hammer film poster (at least in the U.S.) but this book showcases over 300 posters from all over the world, all in color, pulled from private collections and the studio’s archives. Hearn has done a fantastic job assembling these sumptuous images. Some get the full-page treatment and some are accompanied by informative notes and trivia (the Danish Brides Of Dracula poster is the...

This Week in DVD & Blu-ray is a column that compiles all the latest info regarding new DVD and Blu-ray releases, sales, and exclusive deals from stores including Target, Best Buy and Fry’s. Exit Through The Gift Shop Describing the engrossing, frequently hilarious Banksy-directed Exit Through the Gift Shop as one of the best story-driven documentaries I've ever seen would almost certainly be misleading, as its veracity has been a point of contention since its Sundance premiere. To delve into the topic further would require detailing plot details that I'd be remiss to give away, so I'll just say this: The strength of the film is that whether or not it's authentic doesn't matter. The ultimate take-away from the picture comes from a place of complete truth, and that truth only resonates in the way that it does because the story was told in this form. Not only does...

Welcome back to Killer Film’s New Release Tuesday for December 14th! Before we get to what’s being released, let us kindly remind you Amazon.com buyers that if you’re going to order today and any other release you see reviewed here on the site, just click on the cover art or look for the new feature we have at the bottom of each review.

By ordering through our site, you not only get the best deals around from Amazon, but this one little click will help us out, and it’s all free – no extra cost to you! It’s what keeps us killer!

The A-Team

It’s no less goofy and fun as the ’80s TV series. Fast action, cool one-liners, and a silly ending, but what the heck, it was a good old-school action flick, something we did get a lot this year, but ’tis the season.