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Alan Rachins, an actor known for his work on the series “L.A. Law” and “Dharma & Greg,” died early Saturday morning. He was 82.

Rachins died in his sleep of heart failure, his manager Mark Teitelbaum confirmed to Variety.

Rachins played lawyer Douglas Brackman Jr. on NBC’s “L.A. Law” for its entire eight-season run from 1986 to 1984, as well as in the 2002 made-for-tv film, “L.A. Law: The Movie.” He received nominations for a Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe in 1988 for his performance as Douglas.

“In the pilot episode, there was nothing of the more flamboyant or bizarre side of Douglas; he was going to be the hard-line office manager, the penny pincher,” Rachins said in a 1990 interview with The New York Times. “It was kind of limited, and I didn’t know where it was going. But quickly it developed a lot more color and flamboyance.”

After “L.A. Law,” Rachins portrayed Larry Finkelstein,...

The last ten years of superhero cinema has seen a lot of rule-breaking. Batman has been hanging out with Gandalf and Velociraptors in the Lego movies, actors and directors are able to work on both DC and Marvel films, and Sony’s Venomverse looks set to merge with the McU. But one rule that’s still respected is that actors only play one live-action superhero at a time and there’s no doubling up. But even that looks like it might be broken now.

Sources close to Wgtc – the same ones who told us John Cena is playing Vin Diesel’s brother in Fast & Furious 9 and Tom Holland is in talks to cameo in Venom 2, both of which we now know to be true – say that Tom Hardy is being eyed for another major superhero gig to take on alongside his role as Eddie Brock/Venom. And...

Over the next two months, Scream Factory’s releases include five Blu-rays limited to 1,000 units apiece. Each release will highlight an obscure and underseen sci-fi, horror, or fantasy film from the ’70s and ’80s, and the cover artwork and details on each Blu-ray have been revealed.

Deathstalker Double Feature (August 30th): “Deathstalker (1983)

Deathstalker (Richard Hill) is a mighty warrior chosen to battle the evil forces of a medieval kingdom who sets off on a journey to the most challenging tournament in the land. To the winner will go the throne of the evil wizard, the ultimate mystical power and the love of the beautiful Princess Codille (Barbi Benton). But first Deathstalker must prove himself worthy of his legacy . . . and treachery lurks at every turn.

Deathstalker II (1987)

Deathstalker II (John Terlesky) has a mission: to save the kingdom from the wicked grip of the immoral wizard Jerak and his queen Sultana,...

Great news for fans of Joel Schumacher's The Lost Boys—an auction of Dwayne's leather jacket and costume is going on right now and will continue until February 26th. Also: a Q&A with Refuge director Andrew Robertson and release details for MST3K: Vol. Xxxv, Venom, and The Hours Till Daylight.

The Lost Boys & Other Entertainment Memorabilia Auction: Press Release: "Prop Store is pleased to bring vampire Dwayne’s (Billy Wirth) Death Scene Leather Jacket and Costume from the 80’s classic The Lost Boys to their online auction site. Joel Schumacher’s 1987 vampire classic pitted a deadly group of vampires against a pair of brothers in a battle to save their family. The Dwayne vampire jacket on offer comes from the character’s death scene in which Sam (Corey Haim) shoots the vampire with an arrow, sending him back into a stereo which electrocutes him. Resembling a heavily worn biker outfit,...

Valiant. I’m not sure what happened here. After being blessed with three mind bending and rapturous issues of Divinity that I have covered here each and every month:

1. Divinity #1 Review

2. Matt Kindt’s Divinity Gauntlet | Valiant Divinity #2 Review

3. Divinity #3 review – Behold the Man

… I’m not sure what to make of Divinity #4, the concluding chapter of the first Divinity miniseries. More and more the title to my third review seems more apt here or now. So let me start with what I am sure about.

I don’t really care about David Camp. A character we were introduced to the first issue of the mini, seeming destined for a grand purpose, and at the time, many thought was perhaps in some way Abrams or his child, does in some way become his first child, a first apostle, and forms what looks like another group in a Valiant world overrun by groups,...

Motel Hell is an odd film. It’s packaged as a horror-comedy hybrid, but in reality, it takes itself far more seriously than most movies within the same category. Though the film does have an oddball quality, it steers clear of satire, and never reduces itself to slapstick. Motel Hell was produced during a time where all studio horror output was expected to be dead-teen slasher flicks, and while the film has a slasher quality to it, it has a lot more going on for it than that. Another thing Motel Hell is good for, is forcing you to create a lot of the violence in your own mind, as much of the gorier death scenes happen off-screen in a clever sort of way. Much like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, you walk away from Motel Hell feeling like you just watched a gorier film than you actually did. What...

For the second week of August, horror fans can look forward to a fun array of titles arriving on DVD and Blu-ray this week, including the Troma classic The Toxic Avenger, the cult classic Motel Hell from Scream Factory and the recent indie horror film Proxy.

Also arriving this week are the latest animated Batman feature, A Haunted House 2, a few more indie slasher films, including Crawl or Die and Bunnyman Massacre, as well as the long-awaited re-release of Santa Sangre on DVD from Severin Films.

Spotlight Titles:

Motel Hell Collector’s Edition (Scream Factory, Blu-ray & DVD Combo)

You really are what you eat with Farmer Vincent’s smoked meat in this creepy horror yarn that ’packs a punch that goes way beyond mere terror’ (Boxoffice). Vincent’s popular products contain a special ingredient that the psychotic farmer and his sister would literally kill to keep a secret! Starring...

On September 27th, Shout! Factor will be releasing another Roger Corman’s Cult Classics set, which includes The Velvet Vampire, Lady Frankenstein, Grotesque, and Time Walker. We’ve included the official press release, which contains disc information and cover art.

“In The Velvet Vampire, a couple accepts an invitation from the mysterious Diane LeFanu (Celeste Yarnall, The Mechanic) to visit her in her secluded desert estate. Unaware that Diane is actually a centuries-old vampire, the couple soon realize that they are both the objects of her seduction and cravings . . .

When Baron Frankenstein is killed by his creation, his daughter Tania (Rosalba Neri, a/k/a Sarah Bay) creates her own creature using the brilliant mind of her assistant and the body of her dimwitted servant in Lady Frankenstein. She not only ends up with the perfect lover, but one that can destroy her father’s killer. Also starring Joseph Cotten...

Shout! Factory has not let up delivering fans quality editions of writer/director/producer Roger Corman films, and it continues in their latest set, a series of four films in what’s being called Roger Corman’s Cult Classics – All-Night Marathon: Vampires, Mummies, & Werewolves.

The four titles included in this set are: Lady Frankenstein, The Velvet Vampire, Time Walker, and Grotesque. Here’s the press release (via Dread Central), along with the extras:

Roger Corman’S Cult Classics: Vampires, Mummies & Monsters 2-disc Special Edition: The Velvet Vampire, Lady Frankenstein (theatrical cut and a longer international cut), Grotesque, and Time Walker! Own It On DVD September 27, 2011, From Shout! Factory. Featuring new anamorphic widescreen transfers and bonus features!

In The Velvet Vampire, a couple accept an invitation from the mysterious Diane LeFanu (Celeste Yarnall, The Mechanic) to visit her in her secluded desert estate. Unaware that Diane is actually a centuries-old vampire,...

Even more Roger Corman spawned mayhem is on its way from our favorite purveyors of schlock, Shout! Factory, and this is one package you are not going to want to miss!

From the Press Release: Roger Corman’S Cult Classics: Vampires, Mummies & Monsters 2-disc Special Edition: The Velvet Vampire, Lady Frankenstein (theatrical cut and a longer international cut), Grotesque, and Time Walker! Own It On DVD September 27, 2011, From Shout! Factory. Featuring new anamorphic widescreen transfers and bonus features!

In The Velvet Vampire, a couple accept an invitation from the mysterious Diane LeFanu (Celeste Yarnall, The Mechanic) to visit her in her secluded desert estate. Unaware that Diane is actually a centuries-old vampire, the couple soon realize that they are both the objects of her seduction and cravings ...

When Baron Frankenstein is killed by his creation, his daughter Tania (Rosalba Neri, a/k/a Sarah Bay) creates her own creature using...

Horror fanatics are still buzzing like chainsaws over the Academy Awards’ genre montage. Anywhere there could be a conversation about it online, there was one. Many were upset over the Twilight ‘tweens’ participation, as if their mere presence sent a message about the state of scary in Hollyweird, USA.

A few seemed happy, though, to just get a glimpse of their beloved Evil Dead and Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 if only for a few seconds. But many called the selections generic and thoughtless, demanding the likes of Demons and TerrorVision instead (well, maybe not TerrorVision; that was just me).

How about Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer? Re-Animator? It’s Alive? Tombs of the Blind Dead? Coffin Joe? No list is perfect, but with a bit more care and a phone call to any one of us, the Oscars could have elevated that section into a real scream. Or maybe they...