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One of American cinema’s most unusual delights celebrated its 20th birthday in Boston, Massachusetts last week. The Boston Underground Film Festival has a simple name and premise, but its breadth of content is far from standard. Its fearless leaders, Nicole McControversy and Kevin Monahan, consistently curate beguiling, unexpected work from around the world. With films from Turkey, Mexico, the UK, South Korea and more, the festival has outdone itself, but beyond internationality, the programming is inclusive as well.

This year's festival opened with My Name is Myeisha, a searing experimental drama recounting a true story of police brutality. Good Manners closed out the festival, bringing a tense, beautifully shot twist on several genres from Brazil. Its quiet characterizations and slow-building oddities create an almost lulling pace, so the moments of horror arise suddenly with genuine effect. The matte paintings and direct framing harken back to 1950s science fiction, but...

A Tribute to King Kong takes place as part of the The St. Louis International Film Festival Sunday, Nov. 6 beginning at 6:00pm at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium. The first film screened will be the new documentary Long Live The King, which explores the enduring fascination with one of the biggest stars — both literally and figuratively — in Hollywood history: the mighty King Kong. Produced and directed by Frank Dietz and Trish Geiger, the creative team behind the award-winning “Beast Wishes,” the documentary devotes primary attention to the 1933 classic, celebrating the contributions of filmmakers Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, stars Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, and Bruce Cabot, writer Edgar Wallace, and especially stop-motion innovator Willis O’Brien. But Kong’s legacy is also fully detailed: the sequel “Son of Kong,” the cinematic kin “Mighty Joe Young,” the Dino DeLaurentis and Peter Jackson remakes, even the Japanese versions by Toho Studios.

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!

Article by Tom Stockman

Though he may have been but an animated model given life through primitive special effects, King Kong, with his doomed loved for the beautiful blonde, has become one of the most beloved of all movie characters, revived in remakes, sequels and knock-offs. But Kong wasn’t the only massive simian to grace the silver screen. Here’s a look at the ten best giant ape movies.

Honorable Mention: A*P*E

The ad campaign for the 1976 Korean film A*P*E warned “Not to be confused with King Kong”. A captive giant ape, after escapes from a freighter and sets his destructive sights on Seoul, Korea where he falls for an American actress (Joanna Kerns ) filming a movie there. A*P*E was originally filmed in 3-D so there are countless shots of a man in a moth-eaten ape suit throwing Styrofoam boulders at the camera.

The news and photos just keep comin’ in from the currently lensing (in Britain) remake of 1976’s EXPOSÉ (a.k.a. The House On Straw Hill). This morning, producer Jonathan Sothcott sent along the first still of actress Linda Hayden (see below), who’s returning from the original (pictured at left).

“We are all thrilled to have Linda on board,” Sothcott tells Fango. “In addition to being the star of the classic version, she’s a terrific actress who has worked alongside Liz Taylor, Peter Finch and Vincent Price, and a true British genre icon. In the new movie, she meets a very grisly end: Her character literally gets a hammering. Linda is a pal from way back and it has been great having her on set; the rest of the cast love her to bits, and she has been a real trouper through some very cold night shoots.”

In the ’76 film,...