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Harold Schechter and Eric Powell follow up their excellent collaboration on Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done? with Dr. Werthless, an examination on Dr. Fredric Wertham, who many long-time comic book readers know for his witch hunt against the comic book creators that led to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority and extreme censorship of the industry. Taking an "unbiased look at this flawed and enormously and complex man," Dr. Werthless not only covers his role in comic book history, but his work in psychiatry, his support of disadvantaged African-American patients, and many little-known facts about the life of the infamous Wertham. In our latest Q&a, I caught up with Schechter and Powell to discuss their research, creative process, and more:

Following the success of Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?, what led to Dr. Fredric Wertham becoming the subject of your latest collaboration in Dr.

Serial killer Ed Gein‘s heinous exploits inspired three horror classics — Psycho, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and The Silence of the Lambs — but Deranged offers a more faithful cinematic retelling of the true-crime story.

Also known as Deranged: Confessions of a Necrophile, the 1974 film is coming to 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray on February 25 via Vinegar Syndrome.

Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things scribe Alan Ormsby writes and co-directs with Jeff Gillen.

Roberts Scott Blossom, best known as Old Man Marley from Home Alone, stars with Cosette Lee and Leslie Carlson. A young Tom Savini served as a special effects artist.

Deranged has been newly restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative in Dolby Vision.

Special Features:

Audio commentary with writer and co-director Alan Ormsby Audio commentary with special effects artist Tom Savini Audio commentary with film historian Richard Harland Smith “Very Unnatural Deaths” – Interview with special...

Imagine a filthy, sadistic, depraved group of relatives targeting unsuspecting travelers who pass through their rural town. The horror genre is no stranger to these brutal redneck families depicted in movies such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, House of 1000 Corpses, and Deranged, and this setup often makes for a suffocatingly tense and helpless atmosphere. Glen Stephens’ 2005 true crime horror film Hoboken Hollow, loosely based on the Texas Slave Ranch, is a lesser known movie within this niche, but no less haunting than these horrifying hillbilly stories.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre wasn’t the only Ed Gein-inspired horror film to be released in 1974. That year also saw the release of a movie called Deranged, which stuck closer to the details of the Gein case than Chain Saw did but still took plenty of dramatic liberties – and changed the name of the lead character to Ezra Cobb. Vinegar Syndrome has announced that they will be giving Deranged a 4K release later this month, and copies are available for pre-order at This Link! This release is limited to 6,000 units.

Directed by Jeff Gillen and Alan Ormsby from a screenplay written by Ormsby, Deranged features special effects by the legendary Tom Savini and tells the following story: Ezra Cobb leads a simple life on an isolated family farm with his overbearing, god-fearing mother, who spends her days ranting about the evils of women and the sins of the flesh.

Real-life serial killers have inspired countless films and TV shows. For instance, "Psycho," "The Texas Chainsaw Saw Massacre," and "The Silence of the Lambs" are all downstream from Ed Gein, the Wisconsin factotum who committed murder, grave robbery, and other grisly crimes during the mid-1950s. These may be great films but they are all strictly inspired by serial killers rather than about them. This article considers those films that depict killers' lives close to how they were rather than creating composite characters and other inventions. It also includes films that may not be entirely faithful to the historical record but are compelling enough to give an insight into real-world killers and their crimes.

These movies aim to capture balanced insight into their subjects. Some, like "Monster," show how abuse begets abuse, whereas others, such as "Citizen X," reflect how prejudice and ideology can allow a criminal to kill unchecked.

The real life serial killer who inspired classic cinema villains including Norman Bates, Leatherface and Buffalo Bill, Ed Gein will be the subject of the third season of Ryan Murphy’s Netflix anthology series “Monster,” and Variety brings us casting news this week.

Laurie Metcalf will play Ed Gein’s mother Augusta, while Tom Hollander is Alfred Hitchcock and Olivia Williams plays Alma Reville, Hitchcock’s wife.

Hitchcock of course directed Psycho, whose main character was based on Ed Gein and his horrific crimes. It seems “Monster” Season 3 will explore Gein’s connection to Hollywood.

Previously reported, Charlie Hunnam (“Sons of Anarchy,” Pacific Rim, Crimson Peak) will be playing the role of Ed Gein in the upcoming third season of Netflix’s “Monster” series.

The outlet explains, “Each cycle of the Monster franchise intends to tackle a different true-crime story after the massive success of the 2022 debut about serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer.

The real life serial killer who inspired classic cinema villains including Norman Bates, Leatherface and Buffalo Bill, Ed Gein will be the subject of the upcoming third season of Ryan Murphy’s Netflix anthology series “Monster,” which debuted with a Jeffrey Dahmer-centered first season and continues with second season “The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” this week.

THR reports that Charlie Hunnam will be playing the role of Ed Gein in the upcoming third season of Netflix’s “Monster” series.

The outlet explains, “Each cycle of the Monster franchise intends to tackle a different true-crime story after the massive success of the 2022 debut about serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer.”

Known as “The Butcher of Plainfield,” Ed Gein was a grave robber and murderer who committed his monstrous crimes in the 1940s and the 1950s in Plainfield, Wisconsin.

Like the family in Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Gein...

Netflixs hit serial true-crime anthology show, Monster, has announced its plans for season 3. Created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, season 1 was titled Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story and premiered in September 2022. Following its original release, Monster season 1 quickly amassed massive viewership numbers and would even become Netflixs second most-watched English language series within 28 days. Season 2, dubbed Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menndez Story, is slated to make its own streaming debut on September 19.

With season 2s release just days away, series co-creator Murphy (via Variety) has revealed that Monster season 3 has selected its new subject and leading star. Speaking at a promotional event for Monster season 2, Murphy announced that season 3 will focus on the infamous 1950s serial killer Ed Gein. Additionally, he revealed that Charlie Hunnam, best known for his role as Jax Teller in Sons of Anarchy, has been selected to play Gein.

Monsters Latest Subject...

A stage play adaptation of Akira Amano's ( Reborn! ) mystery manga Ron Kamonohashi's Forbidden Deductions is set to perform in Tokyo and Osaka in November 2024. Keita Kawajiri , known for his works on stage play adaptations of Mob Psycho and Cells at Work! , is attached to direct on a script by himself. The play's official website has released a teaser visual featuring the two main cast members — Yuta Kishimoto (Jun Sazanami in Ensemble Stars stage plays) as the title character, Ron Kamonohashi, and Yutaka Nozaki as Ron's partner, Totomaru Isshiki. And Dmm Stage's official YouTube channel is now streaming short promo videos introducing their visuals in character costume and messages. From Yuta Kishimoto as Ron Kamonohashi From Yutaka Nozaki as Totomaru Isshiki The stage play Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective is set to preform at Nihon Seinenkan Hall in Tokyo from November 1 to 4, 2024, then at Sankei Hall Breeze in Osaka on November...

After penning hits for other artists and making a splash on TikTok with “Ccc,” Maciel is delivering his first album. On Friday, Michelle Maciel, a pioneering trans voice in música mexicana, delivered his fiery debut album, Trastornado, or “Deranged.”

The album opens with corrido “El Susto,” before Yahritza y Su Esencia joins for the post-heartbreak cumbia norteña “Qptp.” The track’s video also dropped Thursday night, which sees Maciel and Yahritza exchanging verses at a warehouse party. (Maciel also joined Yahritza for “Nivel Dos” earlier this year.)

“I don’t know what to feel,...

Coheed and Cambria have returned with a new standalone single, “The Joke,” which arrives today along with the B-side, “Deranged.”

Originally recorded during the sessions for the band’s 2022 album, Vaxis II: A Window of the Waking Mind, “The Joke” features the band’s signature twist on progressive rock. Throughout, vocalist Claudio Sanchez carries the melody over a driving beat and layers of distorted guitars, with synth-lead interludes in between.

Get Coheed and Cambria Tickets Here

“The meaning behind ‘The Joke’ is basically: if you need a punching bag, I’ll be that guy,” Sanchez said in a press statement. The song arrives today with a video depicting Al the Killer (a character from the band’s Amory Wars universe) facing off with a Joker character. Stream it below, or if you’d like to get your hands on a physical version, check out the limited 7” colored vinyl editions of the single here.

The episode of Wtf Happened to This Horror Movie? covering The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) was Written by Cody Hamman, Narrated by Adam Walton, Edited by Juan Jimenez, Produced by Andrew Hatfield and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.

In 1974, director Tobe Hooper brought us The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. An independent production, shot in the heat of a Texas summer, that introduced us to a chainsaw-wielding cannibal called Leatherface. And his twisted family. It was a box office hit. And quickly became one of the most popular and respected horror films of all time. So, of course, there was eventually a remake. Produced by one of the biggest, flashiest filmmakers in the industry. Directed by a music video director in his feature debut. Starring an actress from a family friendly TV show. It sounds like a recipe for disaster. But when the remake was released in 2003, it was another success story.

MGM+ has released the chilling first trailer for the documentary series Psycho: The Lost Tapes of Ed Gein, delving into the life and crimes of the infamous killer who inspired Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. The docu-series seeks to explore Gein's twisted mind with new revelations and never-before-heard recordings, taking viewers back to 1950s Middle America and immersing them in his disturbing story. Ed Gein's crimes have inspired numerous acclaimed projects in film and television, including Hitchcock's Psycho, the series Bates Motel, and various movies that explored the chilling details of his life.

MGM+ has released the first trailer for upcoming documentary series Psycho: The Lost Tapes of Ed Gein, which explores the life and crimes of the infamous killer that inspired Alfred Hitchcock's acclaimed classic, Psycho.

Born in 1907 in Wisconsin, Edward Theodore Gein was a killer and grave robber who operated in his hometown of Plainfield and its surroundings.

A couple months ago, MGM+ announced that they had acquired the four-episode true crime docuseries Psycho: The Lost Tapes of Ed Gein. Now they have revealed that they’ve scheduled a September 17th premiere date for the series, and along with the premiere date confirmation comes the unveiling of a trailer and some promotional art! The trailer can be viewed in the embed above, and the artwork can be found at the bottom of this article.

The name Ed Gein will probably be familiar to genre fans, as not only have there been multiple movies about his crimes that had his name in the title, but Gein also served as inspiration for the characters of Norman Bates in Psycho, Leatherface in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Ezra Cobb in Deranged, and Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs.

Psycho: The Lost Tapes of Ed Gein is coming our way from...

MGM+ has announced that they have acquired the four-episode true crime docuseries Psycho: The Lost Tapes of Ed Gein, with the plan being to start airing the show sometime in September. Just in time for the spooky season. The name Ed Gein will probably be familiar to genre fans, as not only have there been multiple movies about his crimes that had his name in the title, but Gein also served as inspiration for the characters of Norman Bates in Psycho, Leatherface in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Ezra Cobb in Deranged, and Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs.

Psycho: The Lost Tapes of Ed Gein is coming our way from director and executive producer James Buddy Day, who has previously worked on Fall River and Blumhouse’s Compendium of Horror. Here’s the synopsis: For years, filmmakers, journalists, and scholars have tried to unravel the mind of this notorious killer,...

In director Wes Craven’s 1977 horror masterpiece The Hills Have Eyes, a family run into trouble when their campervan breaks down in the middle of the desert, leaving them at the mercy of a clan of cannibals lurking in the surrounding hills.

To celebrate the release of the definitive edition of this defining classics of American horror, on Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD from Arrow Video (featuring a brand new 4K restoration of the film and a cave-full of extras), here are nine horror films featuring murderous families – from seemingly sedate suburban couples driven to murder, to supposedly respectable hotel proprietors with a very grim secret – whose paths you really don’t want to cross!

The Last House On The Left (1972)

Suffice to say, if you inadvertently ended up bedding down for the night in the home of the parents whose daughter you had just savagely killed, you can expect a rude awakening.

Peacock has a revival of The Exorcist trilogy on the way, with the first film set for an October 2023 release. Fans have expressed mixed reviews over the classic being touched, and understandably so. William Friedkin created a lasting horror masterpiece with the 1973 film The Exorcist, which many still regard as the scariest film ever made.

On a positive note, Ellen Burstyn will return as Reagan's mother for the first revamp. On another arguably positive one, The Exorcist II: The Heretic, widely regarded as one of the worst sequels ever made, is probably due for a new and improved revision. No matter where you sit on the concept of the classic series being redone, discussions regarding The Exorcist urge audiences to revisit the legendary haunt and its sequels. Every great, groundbreaking horror spurred brazen knock-off films which attempted to cash in on those pioneering flicks' popularity. The Thing, Halloween, Alien, and...

The Londoner has spent years slogging away in hardman movies, but his latest film is a darkly funny exploration of masculinity. He discusses branching out – and the film’s unsimulated sex

Craig Fairbrass has made a career from giving a certain type of person exactly what they want. His films have titles such as Deranged and Hijacked and St George’s Day. There are gangsters. There are guns. There are posters that look like a recently divorced dad’s experiments with Photoshop.

His characters have nicknames that come in inverted commas, like Freddy “Dead Cert” Frankham and Malcolm “Mental Fists” Wickes. The films are usually released to little fanfare and lapped up by a small but dedicated crowd, unnoticed by the rest of the world.

Fairbrass’s new film, Muscle, is different. It is extraordinary: a black-and-white exploration of toxic masculinity that is as darkly funny as it is outright horrifying.

We may only have several home entertainment releases for this Tuesday, but as the saying goes, “quality over quantity,” because this bunch of Blu-rays and DVDs are a stellar lot of films. One of my favorite horror films of 2017, Mark Duplass’ Creep 2, makes its way home on November 28th courtesy of The Orchard, and Scream Factory has given Rob Reiner’s adaptation of Stephen King’s Misery the Collector’s Edition treatment (and deservedly so).

For you cult film fans, both Death Laid an Egg and Deathdream (aka Dead of Night) get the HD treatment this week, and other notable releases this Tuesday include M.F.A., Rememory, Super Dark Times, Woodshock, and Trailer Trauma 4: Television Trauma.

Creep 2 (The Orchard, DVD)

Sara, a video artist primarily focused on creating intimacy with lonely men, thinks she may have found the subject of her dreams after coming across a stranger’s online post.

The late, great Bob Clark will forever be synonymous with the holiday season thanks to his films Black Christmas and A Christmas Story, but before he brought those stories to life on screen, he gave horror fans the gift of Deathdream, aka Dead of Night (read our own Scott Drebit's Drive-In Dust Offs article on the film here). Over 40 years after its initial release, Deathdream is being revitalized in a 2K restoration Blu-ray from Blue Underground, and we have a look at a new video showing off the film's enhanced visuals.

Blue Underground will release their new Blu-ray/DVD of Deathdream on November 28th, and you can get an idea of what to expect in the full list of special features and videos below:

Deathdream Blu-ray: "Something Unspeakable Has Come Home

In this shattering variation on “The Monkey’s Paw,” grief-stricken suburban parents (Academy Award® nominees John Marley...

A few years ago, in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the death of influential film critic Pauline Kael, I wrote the following:

“I think (Kael) did a lot to expose the truth… that directors, writers and actors who often work awfully close to the surface may still have subterranean levels of achievement or purpose or commentary that they themselves may be least qualified to articulate. It’s what’s behind her disdain for Antonioni’s pontificating at the Cannes film festival; it’s what behind the high percentage of uselessness of proliferating DVD commentaries in which we get to hear every dull anecdote, redundant explication of plot development and any other inanity that strikes the director of the latest Jennifer Aniston rom-com to blurt out breathlessly; and it is what’s behind a director like Eli Roth, who tailors the subtext of something like Hostel Part II almost as...

Whenever someone compiles a list of The Scariest Films Of All Time, they always mention the same movies: Psycho, Jaws, The Shining, The Evil Dead, A Nightmare On Elm Street, The Ring, Insidious etc.

There is, as we all know, no “best” of anything, but if these lists are to have a purpose, it should be to introduce readers to a broader variety of films rather than echo the opinions of others. So let’s assume you’ve seen those films and move on, okay?

A good horror movie doesn’t want to reassure the viewer but sneak up on them unawares and scare the bejesus out of them, to unsettle them by giving some kind of insight into the things that lurk in the darkness. One of the most unsettling moments of the last 20 years occurs not in a horror film but in Todd Solondz’s Happiness (1998), when kindly...

Perhaps best remembered for the huge success of teen comedy Porky’s (1981) and perennial yuletide fave A Christmas Story (1983), Bob Clark will forever be known to horror fans as the director of Black Christmas (1974) , the taut, flat out scary as hell blueprint for John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978) . However, the same year he made BC, came the potent anti Vietnam parable Deathdream, aka Dead of Night, a chilling indictment on the ravages of war mixed with a spooky EC Comics vibe. Rarely talked about, it still packs a wallop today.

Made right after Clark’s rather boring zombie debut Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things (1972), but not released until August of ’74, Deathdream didn’t make much of a ripple at the box office but did see some solid notices. At the time, there weren’t a lot of films tackling the Vietnam War (most notable was 1968’s execrable John Wayne...

Kino Lorber looks to provide plenty of onscreen summer scares this year via a diverse high-definition horror movie slate, with The Crimson Cult, Madhouse, Deranged, and Black Sabbath all scheduled for Blu-ray releases in July. Respectively starring genre legends Boris Karloff, Barbara Steele, Vincent Price, Peter Cushing and more, these home media releases come complete with bonus features and vintage cover art, and we have details on the former and a look at the latter.

Via their Facebook page, Kino Lorber revealed the final bonus features and cover art for the following:

The Crimson Cult (hitting shelves July 7th):

• Audio Commentary by Film Historian David Del Valle and Actress Barbara Steele

• In Conversation: 47 minute interview with Christopher Lee

• Music Macabre: An Interview with Composer Kendall Schmidt - Produced by Code Red

• Original UK and Us Trailers

Synopsis: "In this spooky thriller, an evil sorcerer invites an innocent young man...

Paul Toombes has played a horror movie antagonist for years, but the wicked ways of his onscreen persona are now trickling into his real life world in 1974’s Madhouse. In 1975’s The Land That Time Forgot, World War I-era castaways wash ashore on Caprona, a place where dinosaurs still stomp the scenery. And in similar fashion to Psycho‘s Norman Bates, Ezra Cobb kills people with his mother in mind in 1974’s Deranged. Kino Lorber recently announced that they are bringing these three diverse films out on Blu-ray in the near future, and we have the trio’s release details for those interested in making them new additions to their collections.

Madhouse: Featuring a fresh HD master, Madhouse will hit Blu-ray in July. Bonus features and the cover art have not been revealed yet. Directed by Jim Clark, Madhouse stars Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, Robert Quarry, and Adrienne Corri.

Synopsis: “Masters of macabre Vincent Price,...

Actor Leslie Carlson has died, aged 81.

The character actor was best known for playing the villain Barry Convex in David Cronenberg's 1983 horror Videodrome.

He passed away from cancer at his Toronto home on May 3.

He had roles in three other Cronenberg movies: The Dead Zone, The Fly and Camera.

He also played the enthusiastic tree seller in A Christmas Story, and had roles in Black Christmas and Deranged.

On TV, he guest starred on a variety of shows including The X-Files, Highlander, MacGyver and 21 Jump Street.

★★★☆☆ Opinions on what makes a good horror film usually fall into two distinct camps. On the one hand you have those which unsettle and shock audiences, but sends them home smiling. Then you have the likes of Deranged (1974), the notorious cult outing by directors Jeff Gillen and Alan Ormsbury - starring Roberts Blossom, Cosette Lee and Leslie Carlson - which leaves the viewer nauseated and repulsed, asking the question "Was that really necessary?" Deep in the heart of rural America, Ezra Cobb (Blossom) lives alone with his mother Amanda (Lee). When Amanda dies, Ezra is left to fend for himself.

Haunted by the presence of his overbearing mother, Ezra embarks on a series of inhuman acts which would go down in the annals of American history as some of the country's most depraved and heinous crimes. Over the years, the life of Ed Gein - the unhinged handyman from La Crosse County,...

Greetings Bidites, some big news has just arrived. Arrow Video has announced that Alan Ormsby and Jeff Gillens disturbing 1974 cult-classic film "Deranged" is on it's way to a Blu-ray/DVD package. Arrow Video says that the movie will be fully uncut on Blu-ray for the very first time worldwide August 19th. Below is the official word, and all of the details. Press Release: "Arrow Video are pleased to announce the worldwide Blu-ray premiere o…...

While we’e been covering many of the Scream Factory releases for our Us readers, Arrow Video has been releasing horror classics in the UK for a while now and they recently announced their next set of Blu-ray releases. Take a look at release details, cover art, and bonus features for The Fall of the House of Usher, Lifeforce, Deranged, and Squirm. We’ve also included details for Motel Hell, which we covered earlier this week.

Motel Hell: “It takes all kinds of critters to make Farmer Vincent fritters!” cackle the brother-and-sister team behind the finest smoked meats in the county. They also run the friendly Motel Hello (the ‘o’ in the neon sign sometimes goes on the blink), and no matter how many times you’ve seen Psycho or The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, you can be sure that everything will be perfectly above board here as Vincent...

We’re back with the latest installment of our Indie Spotlight. Each feature includes the latest independent horror news sent our way. If you want to be included in our next spotlight, send us an email.

El Monstro del Mar:“Breaking Glass Pictures has announced the February 28 DVD release of the nautical bloodbath, retro-horror thriller “El Monstro del Mar!” (Srp $24.99). “El Monstro del Mar!” mixes sexy yet deadly beauties, the infamous Vernian monster, and a grindhouse feel that gets the blood pumping and brings a renewed fear of what lives in the sea. Let the bloodbath begin!

Three gorgeous but deadly hired killers, Beretta, Blondie and Snowball, hole up in a small beachside community to keep a low profile. But this town has a dark secret. The local old sea baron, Joseph, tries desperately to warn them to never go into the water. But these crazy vixens listen to no one,...

Randy slashes a couple fine bottles.

For the Trailers From Hell gang, nothing gets us in the mood for the holidays like a yuletide slasher movie. ”Black Christmas” was directed by Bob Clark in 1974. Nine years later he would settle in to a more conventional view of the holiday season with “A Christmas Story.” Ralphie would have peed in his snowsuit had he seen this film.

When you answer the phone over the holidays, you’d better hope it’s Grandma and not the homicidal maniac who phones it in before he does his dirty work. Watch “Black Christmas,” and you’ll immediately get rid of all the Saran Wrap in the house and put that unicorn ornament away for next year.

The title makes one think a Blaxploitation movie is about to roll. As a result, the name has been changed a couple of times. It was to receive...

by Gary Berger, MoreHorror.com

Tom Savini…those two words are all you need to say. A true legend in the world of SFX, his list of credits and accomplishments are longer than I have to time to name. So, it is my honor to bring you this amazing Q&A from someone who continues to leave an indelible mark on us all…enjoy!

MoreHorror.com: How did you get your start in SFX?

Tom Savini: My interest began when I was 11 after seeing the movie Man of a Thousand Faces. My start evolved from doing make up for local commercials, to doing my first movie in Florida called Deathdream, then Deranged, and really took off after doing Martin, Dawn of the Dead, and Friday the 13th.

Mh: In the current world of CGI effects, what advice can you give today’s make-up artists who wish to stay true to their art?...

Wow, I would have pegged this guy as being at least ten years older. Did he ever look young !? That means he was my age (!) when he played the Ed Gein-inspired Ezra Cobb in the 1974 cult horror classic Deranged. Mainstream audiences will always best remember him as ‘Old Man Marley’, the creepy old neighbor who turns out to be nice in the 1990 smash Home Alone. He was a Broadway star, a celebrated WWII vet, and a familiar face to movie fans whose long list of credits include Slaughterhouse Five, Close Encounters Of The Third Kind and Escape From Alcatraz.

From the New York Times.Com:

Roberts Blossom, a durable character actor who was known for playing cantankerous old coots, both comic and sinister, but who may be best remembered as the kindly next-door neighbor in the comedy .Home Alone,. died on Friday in Santa Monica, Calif. He was 87. His death was confirmed by his daughter,...

Roberts Blossom -- best known as the creepy, snow-shoveling neighbor in " Home Alone " who ends up saving the day (spoiler alert) -- died Friday of natural causes in Santa Monica, California. Blossom appeared in many films before landing the role of "old man Marley" in "Home Alone" -- including, " Deranged ", " The Great Gatsby ", " Close Encounters of the Third Kind " and "Doc Hollywood ". In addition to his acting career -- Blossom was a World War II Vet and a well-respected poet.

Some seriously sad news: Roberts Blossom — the character actor best known for playing the wrongly-accused South Bend Shovel Slayer, a.k.a. “Old Man Marley,” in Home Alone — has passed away at the age of 87. The L.A. Times reports that Blossom died of natural causes in a nursing home in Santa Monica.

While Blossom, a three-time Obie Award winner, had an illustrious career on stage and screen that spanned 40 years (he was featured in films like Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Always, Christine, and the cult horror movie Deranged, and appeared in TV shows such as Moonlighting, Northern Exposure,...

His name may not ring a bell at first, but chances are you're quite familiar with the work of character actor Roberts Blossom. Sadly, Mr. Blossom passed away last Friday in Santa Monica, California, at the age of 87.

The New York Times posted quite a nice tribute to the quirky actor, excerpts of which follow:

Roberts Blossom was known for playing cantankerous old coots, both comic and sinister, but may be best remembered as the kindly next-door neighbor in the comedy Home Alone. He was an ill-fated patient in the George C. Scott film The Hospital, the delirious Wild Bob Cody in Slaughterhouse-Five, Paul Le Mat’s ornery father in Citizens Band, the farmer who once saw Bigfoot in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the convict who paints the warden’s portrait in Escape From Alcatraz, and the irate judge who sentences Michael J. Fox to community service in...

If you have Netflix and are a horror fan in need of something to watch this Labor Day weekend, one look at this gargantuan list I compiled of the new terror titles Netflix has added for instant streaming in just the first three days of this month should keep you busy until Labor Day next year. You'll find something for everyone, from older titles to recent releases, famous to obscure, classic to not-so-classic, monsters to maniacs - you name it.

For the record, I considered compiling this list in alphabetical order or by year of the film's release, but then I realized I had already spent well over an hour just sorting through the massive catalogue of titles Netflix has now made available for instant streaming and realized Labor Day would be over by the time I finished arranging this list in any kind of order. Ready? Here you go.

One of the real joys of Back Catalogue is getting to sift through movies I actually want to watch instead of whatever happens across my desk. This look at the older titles available through Vci Entertainment offered a little bit of everything. Mario Bava, made for TV fare, cult classics, exploitation and even documentary. Needless to say this was quite a viewing party.

Kiss Of The Tarantula was a definite first into the DVD player for me as I loves me some campy spider action. The film follows the mold of other movies like Willard, and Stanley, leaving out the supernatural element. Poor misunderstood, constantly picked on Susan isn't able to control spiders, she just raises them in the family mortuary. And when the locals (and her lecherous uncle) get a little too aggressive poor Susan pops a few of her eight legged friends in for visit.

Death by spider...