Category: Horror

“The Breed” (2001) starring Adrian Paul, Bokeem Woodbine and Bai Ling / Z-View

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The Breed (2001)

Director: Michael Oblowitz

Screenplay: Christos N. Gage, Ruth Fletcher

Stars: Adrian Paul, Bokeem Woodbine, Bai Ling, James Booth, Ming Lo, Paul Collins, Reed Diamond, John Durbin, Zen Gesner and William Hootkins.

Tagline: Vampires Live Amongst Us

The Plot…

Another time.  Another place.

Detective Stephen Grant’s partner is killed when the two are following leads on a recent series of bizarre murders.  The murderer, a tale pale man, is shot several times to no effect.  The killer escapes by climbing up a sheer building wall.

After Detective Grant files his report, he is brought in for a secret meeting.  Grant learns that the killer is a vampire.  Although reluctant to believe, Grant is introduced to his new partner, Detective Aaron Gray.  Detective Gray is also a vampire.

Grant learns that vampires live among us.  Most want to live among humans in peace.  To that end, they have made themselves known  to government leaders.  However a minority of vampires don’t trust humans.  The murderer is one of them.

Grant and Gray are assigned to track down the serial killing vampire and put an end to him.  What Grant and Gray don’t know is that a conspiracy to wipe-out all vampires is being put in place by humans distrustful of the vampires’ intent.

Neither the humans plotting to kill all vampires nor the vampires distrustful of humans want Detectives Grant and Gray to succeed.

That makes them expendable.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I like the premise and setting of the film.  Vampires living among us and wanting a peaceful integration while some vampires and humans are fearful of that seems logical.  Having the film take place in a recognizable but slightly different future worked for me.

The Breed is an interesting mash-up of a buddy movies, conspiracy films, horror, a touch of romance, sci-fi, and alternate reality that just misses the mark for being better than good.  But good isn’t bad.  I enjoyed The Breed, but hoped it would be better.

The Breed (2001) rates 3 of 5 stars.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994), directed by Kenneth Branagh, starring Robert De Niro, Kenneth Branagh and Helena Bonham Carter / Z-View

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Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994)

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Screenplay: Steph Lady, Frank Darabont; based on FRANKENSTEIN: or THE MODERN PROMETHEUS by Mary Shelley

Stars: Robert De Niro, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Hulce, Helena Bonham Carter, Aidan Quinn, Ian Holm, Robert Hardy, Cherie Lunghi and John Cleese.

Tagline: Be warned. It’s alive.

The Plot…

1794. Captain Walton, leading an expedition to the North Pole, is in a bad way.  His ship has become trapped in ice. While attempting to free the vessel, the crew hears a frightening scream somewhere in the mist that surrounds them.  Suddenly a man appears and calls for the men to grab their weapons and come with him.

The crew grab their guns and begin to move forward.  Their dogs run ahead, disappearing into the mist.  Within seconds they hear the cries of their dogs being killed.

The men retreat to the ship.  As his crew stands guard Captain Walton and the man talk.  The stranger says that he created the creature in the mist, and that his name is Victor Frankenstein.

This is his (and the creature’s) story…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein earned a 1995 Academy Award nomination for Best Makeup – Daniel Parker, Paul Engelen, Carol Hemming

Francis Ford Coppola bought Steph Lady’s screenplay with the intent to direct the film as a follow-up to his Dracula film.  When Coppola decided to just serve as the film’s producer, he insisted that Robert DeNiro play the creature.

DeNiro chose Kenneth Branagh to direct.  Branagh brought in Frank Darabont to create a second draft of the screenplay.  Branagh wanted the film to include a “recreated bride” which doesn’t happen in Shelley’s novel.

Coppola didn’t like many of the choices Branagh made and their were multiple disagreements during filming.  Coppola wanted to recut the film, but Branagh refused.  Coppola went on record denouncing the film.

Coppola wasn’t the only creative who worked on the film that didn’t care for the finished movie.  Frank Darabont said in interviews that he didn’t care for the movie and that Kenneth Branagh mishandled the material, and made changes to the screenplay.

Kenneth Branagh was married to actress Emma Thompson, but during filming of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, began an affair with his co-star Helena Bonham Carter.  Thompson divorced Branagh in 1997 and he continued his affair with Carter until their breakup in 1999.

A four-issue comic book adaptation was published by Topps.  It was written by Roy Thomas and drawn by Rafael Kayanan.

DeNiro as the creature didn’t work for me.  I could only see DeNiro in make-up and not a creature reanimated from dead bodies.

The screen loves Helena Bonham Carter, so her rebirth as “the Bride” is shocking — especially since she doesn’t (and legally couldn’t) look like the classic Universal Bride.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994) rates 3 of 5 stars.

James Byron Huggins’ THE LAST HUNT is a HIT and the Sly Stallone Connection!

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James Byron Huggins’ THE LAST HUNT (the third in the Hunter trilogy) is a hit!  It currently has a 4.5 / 5 star rating at Amazon.  Its Goodreads rating is even better – 4.65 / 5 stars.

Perhaps even more impressive is that THE LAST HUNT sits in Goodreads’ Listopia #1 spot on the list of Best Action & Thrillers Ever.  Huggins is in the company of legends (Child, Clancey, Lundlum and Evanovich) and leads the pack! (See chart below.)

Long time readers of this site know that James Byron Huggins wrote HUNTER with Sylvester Stallone in mind as the lead character.  In fact Sly discussed ideas with Byron prior to the novel being written and the second edition is dedicated to Sylvester Stallone.

Sly Stallone has held the movie rights to HUNTER since the start.  A couple of times it appeared that the movie adaptation of Hunter would be soon on Sly’s agenda.  But the movie business proceeds in mysterious ways, and HUNTER has yet to reach the production stage.  Sly’s Balboa Productions still has the rights and hopefully fans will get to HUNTER as a feature film or television series.

Every book in the HUNTER trilogy gets my highest recommendation.

 

“Night of the Hunter” by Mat Peg!

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I love Mat Peg’s art.  Look at the thought put into this Night of the Hunter poster.

It’s in the style of an old time photograph.  Mitchum, the serial killer preacher has his love/hate finger tats in view.  He’s holding both his knife and the little girl he threatens with it.  She’s holding the doll that secretly carries the money Mitchum’s character is willing to kill for.  The title of the movie and stars’ names are scratched in as if with the knife.

 Brilliant.

Mike Mignola’s “Blade 2” Storyboards!

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Blade 2 is my favorite movie of the Blade franchise.  It’s also one of my favorite horror movies.  Most folks know it was directed by Guillermo del Toro.  Not as many realize that del Toro’s artist on the storyboards was none other than Hellboy creator, Mike Mignola.  Below are some examples.

Guillermo del Toro and Mike Mignola would reteam two years later for the movie adaptation of Hellboy.

A book of Mignola’s storyboards would be a welcome addition to my book shelf.

Click on the photos to see biggie-versions or each.  If you want to see even bigger versions check out our source for this post — Marco Foderà.

Eerie Archives Volume 13!

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Eerie Archives Volume 13 is available!  It is a double-sized giant and contains 608 pages of horrific fun! Here’s what we get…

A DOUBLE SHOT OF TERROR: TWO HORRIFYING VOLUMES IN ONE!

LEGENDARY CREATORS OF LEGENDARY TERROR!

Collecting eleven issues of Warren Publishing’s legendary Eerie horror anthology, previously compiled in Dark Horse’s hardcover volumes 15 and 16.

This double-volume paperback edition includes jaw-dropping work from Howard Chaykin, Bernie Wrightson, Richard Corben, Carmine Infantino, Jim Starlin, and a host of other fan-favorite talents! Thrill to the ongoing, brutal adventures of Hunter, El Cid, and Coffin! From fanciful freaks to downright disturbing demons, Eerie Archives has something for every horror devotee!

Collects Eerie magazine #70–78, #80, and content from the special reprint issue #79 not collected in previous Eerie Archives volumes.

 Deal me in.

Creepy Archives Volume 13!

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CREEPY Archives Volume 13 is coming!  It is a double-sized giant and contains 544 pages of horrific fun! Here’s what we get…

A DOUBLE SHOT OF TERROR: TWO HORRIFYING VOLUMES IN ONE!

LEGENDARY CREATORS OF LEGENDARY TERROR!

Collecting eight full issues and nine covers of Warren Publishing’s legendary Creepy horror anthology, previously compiled in Dark Horse’s hardcover volumes 15 and 16.

In this double-sized volume, Creepy teams up with Edgar Allan Poe, the founding father of short-form horror himself. This volume includes all original Creepy magazine letters columns and features are included alongside stories by legendary creators like Alex Toth, Wally Wood, Neal Adams, Bernie Wrightson, and Richard Corben!

Collects Creepy magazine #69–#73 and #75–#77, and the cover to Creepy #74, a reprint issue of stories that were collected in past Creepy Archives volumes.

 Pre-orders are available now.   Deal me in.

Eerie Archives Volume 12!

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Eerie Archives Volume 12 is out now!  It is a double-sized giant and contains 536 pages pages of horrific fun! Here’s what we get…

A DOUBLE SHOT OF TERROR—TWO HORRIFYING VOLUMES IN ONE!

LEGENDARY CREATORS OF LEGENDARY TERROR!

Now in a packed-full double volume with twice as many ghoulish stories, previously collected in Dark Horse’s hardcover volumes 13 and 14.

Collecting eight issues and nine covers of Warren Publishing’s legendary Eerie horror anthology, this double-volume paperback edition features dark and dystopian tales from talents like Wally Wood, Alex Toth, Bernie Wrightson, Richard Corben, and more. Revel in the vengeful exploits of favorite recurring characters Coffin, Exterminator One, and others!

This volume also includes all original letters columns, haunting full-color painted covers by Ken Kelly and Sanjulian, and introductions by modern horror pioneer and painter Tom Neely (The Blot, The Wolf) and prolific Warren writer Budd Lewis!

Collects Eerie magazine #61–#68 and the cover for Eerie #69, a reprint issue of Hunter stories that were collected in past Eerie Archives volumes.

  Deal me in.