Jonathan Maberry Interview!
Gaby Triana conducted a very fun and informative interview with Jonathan Maberry that is more than worth a read.
Category: Horror
11 Astonishing Facts About “Freaks”
Matthew Jackson at Mental Floss posted 11 Astonishing Facts About Freaks. Here are three of the most interesting…
2. MGM WANTED IT TO RIVAL DRACULA AS A HORROR FILM.
Though there were certainly monstrous characters populating various silent films (particularly those portrayed by Chaney in The Phantom of the Opera and London After Midnight), the horror film as a genre didn’t really take off until the era of talkies began. Shortly after Chaney’s death due to complications from lung cancer, Browning was off at Universal Pictures, helping to lead the horror wave with his now-classic adaptation of Dracula. When Browning returned to MGM in the wake of Dracula’s success, head of production Irving Thalberg wanted to capitalize on the horror boom. The hope was that, with the director of Dracula back at the studio, MGM could best Universal with something even more horrifying, and so Browning was finally given the go-ahead to make Freaks, which had remained a pet project of his for years.
According to Skal, it became a classic lesson for Thalberg in being careful what you wish for: The story goes that after he was presented with the screenplay for the film, Thalberg reportedly hung his head and said, “Well, I asked for something horrible, and I guess I got it.”
10. IT DERAILED BROWNING’S CAREER.
Before Freaks, Browning was one of the most successful directors in Hollywood, and his success had earned him enough clout to get the ambitious and gutsy film made after Dracula hit big at Universal. After Freaks, he never quite recovered. According to Skal, this was not just due to that film’s failure, but due to Browning’s continued discomfort with the change in the filmmaking process that came from the rise of talkies. That discomfort, coupled with an increasing inability to get more personal projects approved by the studios in the wake of Freaks, led to his decline in the 1930s.
Browning directed just four more films (two of them uncredited), with his final directing credit coming on the MGM mystery Miracles for Sale in 1939. He retired with enough savings from his directorial successes to live comfortably in a pair of homes in Beverly Hills and Malibu, and died in 1962.
11. IT FOUND A NEW AUDIENCE IN THE 1960S.
After its critical and commercial failure in the United States, Freaks faded into the background as a kind of Hollywood curiosity, and was banned in several countries (including the United Kingdom) for decades. The film was licensed by distributor Dwain Esper in the late 1940s, and played on the grindhouse circuit at various independent theaters, but it wasn’t until the 1962 Cannes Film Festival that the film’s revival really began. After screening there, it was heralded as a kind of forgotten classic. Noted film collector and archivist Raymond Rohauer picked up the baton from there, landing the rights to Freaks and showing it as a cult film. It gained prominence on the midnight movie circuit, and found particular success with members of the 1960s counterculture movement, who saw kindred spirits in its cast.
15 Facts About John Carpenter’s “Christine”
Sean Hutchinson at Mental Floss posted 15 Facts About John Carpenter’s Christine. Here are three of my favorites…
2. JOHN CARPENTER SIGNED ON SIMPLY BECAUSE HE WANTED A JOB.
Kobritz approached John Carpenter after the critical and financial failure of his 1982 adaptation of The Thing, which is now widely regarded as one of the filmmaker’s best.The pair previously worked together on Carpenter’s 1978 TV movie Someone’s Watching Me! and Carpenter agreed to take on the project because he wanted to jump immediately into another movie after his first high-profile box office flop.
8. KEVIN BACON WAS ORIGINALLY CAST AS ARNIE.
Carpenter held auditions in California and New York, looking for the right fresh faces for the teen characters in the film, and he found the perfect newcomer for Arnie: Kevin Bacon.
The now-famous actor’s only other significant work at the time was bit parts in Animal House and Friday the 13th, and Kobritz and Carpenter thought Arnie’s transformation from dweeby hero to suave villain was a perfect fit for Bacon. But after being cast, Bacon dropped out when he was offered a starring role in Footloose.
Carpenter went back the the drawing board to cast Arnie, and eventually found actor Keith Gordon in a play in New York City. Carpenter initially took to Gordon as Arnie because of the actor’s previous appearance in Brian De Palma’s thriller Dressed to Kill.
7. CARPENTER DIDN’T WANT TO CAST MOVIE STARS.
Columbia execs wanted a star-studded cast to round out their King adaptation, and suggested that Brooke Shields—coming off the hit film The Blue Lagoon—be cast as Leigh, and Scott Baio be cast as Arnie. But Carpenter didn’t want recognizable faces in the movie as a way to stress that the titular car was the real star of the movie.
The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, According to Critics
Josh Lynch at Business Insider posted The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time, According to Critics. Lynch’s list is a good one worth checking out.
Here are three of my favorites and some comments…
James Byron Huggins Podcast Interview!
Because we have so many James Byron Huggins fans here, I thought I’d let everyone know that James did a podcast interview and a reading from The Reckoning for The Other Stories.org.
Huggins is probably best known as the author of Hunter which he specifically wrote with Sylvester Stallone in mind as the book’s hero. Hunter is one of my all-time favorite novels and I’m not alone in that regard. Stallone fans continue to hope that Sly will helm a movie version of Hunter even if he doesn’t star in it.
Huggins also wrote The Reckoning, Cain, Leviathon, Rora, and other novels. I recommend each of them to fans of thrillers, action-adventure, horror and great writing.
Brooklyn Blood by Paul Levitz and Tim Hamilton
Brooklyn Blood by Paul Levitz and Tim Hamilton looks to be the kind of story fans of crime fiction and horror stories will love.
In Brooklyn, a serial killer is on the loose–and when strange clues lead down a paranormal path, a detective confronts his inner demons to solve the case.
After returning from a tour in Afghanistan, detective Billy O’Connor returns home to a Brooklyn he doesn’t recognize. As he tries to return to his normal routines, his PTSD is easily triggered and he suffers severe hallucinations. Once he begins to work a gruesome homicide case, however, O’Connor has difficulty sorting out what’s real–and after he uncovers some strange clues, he’ll have to face the unthinkable to bring the killer to justice.
From New York Times Bestselling authors Paul Levitz (75 Years of DC Comics: The Art of Modern Myth-Making) and Tim Hamilton (Ray Bradbury’s Farenheit 451: The Authorized Adaptation), this volume collects all sixteen chapters originally serialized in Dark Horse Presents Volume 3 #17-#22 and #24-#33!
SHOT BY SHOT: MEETING GILL-MAN IN ‘CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON’
Will Digravio and Film School Rejects present SHOT BY SHOT: MEETING GILL-MAN IN CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON. If you’re a fan of The Creature of the Black Lagoon, then you know the scene. Kay Lawrence (Julie Adams) is taking a swim while unknown to her, the Creature is right below her. It’s a tense, exciting scene and Digravio does a fine job of taking us through it.
I do have one nit to pick though. Digravio wrote…
By all accounts, Creature from the Black Lagoon is not a great film. It’s a classic and loved by those (like me) who think that Gill-man is one of the coolest monsters.
I beg to differ. Creature from the Black Lagoon is a great film. It is a classic and loved by those who think the Creature is one of the coolest monsters, and by those who love classic (monster) films!
Here is the First Poster for M. Night Shyamalan’s “Glass”
M. Night Shyamalan has released the first teaser poster for Glass and it is a good ‘un.
The 25 Best Horror Movies Based on True Stories
Gem Seddon and Games Radar present The 25 best Horror Movies Based on True Stories. Here are three that I enjoyed and my thoughts on each following Seddon’s comments.
21. The Strangers (2008)
The horror movie: House invasion horror starring Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman as a couple who go to stay at a summer home, only to fall victim to a trio of menacing, mask-wearing psychopaths.
The true story: Director Bryan Bertino revealed the movie’s premise was based on an incident that happened to him; as a kid a stranger appeared at his door, asked for someone who didn’t live there and left. He later found out that a series of break-ins occurred in his neighbourhood that night. On top of that, he also drew inspiration from the infamous Manson killings, carried out by the minions of occultist Charles Manson.
Craig’s Thoughts: The Strangers is a creepy movie. The idea that murders would randomly choose your house — not much is more frightening. No reason, no rationale other than you were selected. Brrr! That gives me the chills.
14. The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976)
The horror movie: A micro-budget indie slasher that pre-dates Halloween (but not Black Christmas). A hood-wearing killer terrorises a town in 1946 Arkansas, while a Texas Ranger attempts to bring him down.
The true story: A spate of murders in the 1940s, called the Texarkana Moonlight Murders, were carried out by the so-called Phantom Killer. Over a ten week period, the Phantom Killer murdered eight people… and the culprit was never found. Shudder.
Craig’s Thoughts: I, like many folks, am intrigued by serial killers who never get caught. First of all there’s something terrifying about a person who is compelled to kill again and again. It’s even more frightening to think that despite the increasing publicity and police presence the killer still goes out and finds victims to slaughter. Then add in that the killer could still be lurking around the corner…
5. The Silence of the Lambs (1990)
The horror movie: An Oscar-winning horror-thriller in which FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) is chucked in at the deep end when she’s tasked with working alongside cannibal Dr. Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) to bring down Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine).
The true story: Author Thomas Harris based Buffalo Bill on a number of serial killers, including Ed Gein (skinning his victims) and Ted Bundy (using a cast to lure in innocent women). Harris also based the relationship between Starling and Lecter on that between Bundy and Robert Keppel, a criminal profiler and professor at the University of Washington.
Craig’s Thoughts: The Silence of the Lambs gives us two serial killers but interestingly enough, the one that gets remembered is the one that’s already caught! Anthony Hopkins wasn’t the first to play Hannibal Lector, but he owned the role in such a way that not only is he the actor people remember, but it is THE role of his career.
Why not share YOUR thoughts by clicking on the link below and adding them?
13 Altogether Ooky Facts about “The Addams Family”
MeTV presents 13 Altogether Ooky Facts about The Addams Family. Here are three of my favorites…
1. Until the TV show, the characters did not have names.
Charles Addams, pictured here in his home office, did not name the creepy, charming characters in his one-panel cartoons. When the show was green-lit, Addams and producers came up with names for the clan. Did you know Wednesday’s middle name is Friday?
4. Ted Cassidy played two roles.
While best known for playing Lurch, Ted Cassidy also lent a hand — literally — by also playing Thing.
7. The Addams were the first TV family to have a home computer.
A couple years later, Bruce Wayne would utilize his Batcomputer in the Batcave, but the first family “P.C.” seen on TV was the UNIVAC on The Addams Family.
James Byron Huggins is Back!
James Byron Huggins is back!
Long-time readers probably remember Huggins best as the author of Hunter. Huggins wrote Hunter specifically with Sylvester Stallone (who bought the movie rights) in mind as the book’s hero. Hunter is one of my all-time favorite novels and would make an exciting movie! Stallone fans continue to hope that Sly will helm a movie version of Hunter even if he doesn’t star in it (and he should!).
Huggins wasn’t a one-hit wonder. He also wrote The Reckoning, Cain, Leviathon, Rora, and other novels. (And I recommend each of them!) Huggins’ novels are a combination of thriller, action-adventure and horror. His skill at seamlessly combining the genres made Huggins an international best-selling novelist. When two of his books were optioned for over a million dollars a piece, Huggins turned his attention to work on films.
But now James Byron Huggins is back!
International and New York Times bestselling thriller author James Byron Huggins is back with a vengeance. The former police detective-turned successful author has signed with Denver based WildBlue Press to release two new novels and four backlisted titles. The backlisted books will begin release in April, starting with the thriller The Reckoning. More backlisted titles will release in 2018, including The Hunter, a sci-fi/thriller with film rights owned by Sylvester Stallone. Dark Visions, a brand-new thriller from Huggins will release in July 2018. In the novel, Joe Mac, a legendary homicide detective forced into retirement when he lost his eyesight in the line of duty, is compelled to find whomever or whatever killed his grandson. Even if it costs him his life.
“I am both honored and privileged to put out the books I’ve been working on for so long,” Huggins said. “I wouldn’t go with any other company. WildBlue will always be my company. They are solid. The best there is.”
Dark Visions will release July 31, 2018.
I am excited to revisit Hunter and The Reckoning. It will be great to have the new Huggins’ novel, Dark Visions in July. Now if Sly will add Hunter to his “Films to Do” List…
“Sword of the Dead” Short is Here!
Stephen Vitale presents his short proof of concept for a planned feature called Sword of the Dead.
In feudal Japan a ronin returns home from exile to find the island he once knew plagued by a dark curse and overrun by the undead.
I’d be down for this as a feature film.
Mignola & Golden’s Joe Golem: Occult Detective Returns!
Mike Mignola, best known as the creator of Hellboy, has teamed with best-selling novelist Christopher Golden and artist Peter Bergting for Joe Golem: Occult Detective – The Drowning City, a five issue mini-series premiering in September. This will be the third mini-series featuring Golem with the first two being Joe Golem: Occult Detective—The Rat Catcher and the Sunken Dead and Joe Golem: Occult Detective—The Outer Dark.
Source: Paste.
How Do You Steal From Dracula? Stephan Franck Knows!
I’ve been singing the praises of Stephan Franck (writer & artist) since I discovered his Silver graphic novels which he describes as…
… an original universe built around Bram Stoker’s original Dracula, and it begins 40 years after the events of the novel, into the noir/pulp era of the 1930s. You meet James Finnigan, who is the most notorious conman/gentleman-thief of his day, as he teams up with Rosalynd “Sledge” Van Helsing (granddaughter of the original Van Helsing, and altogether the last of the Van Helsings), to steal a mystical treasure hidden in Dracula’s castle. Finn, of course, brings his known associates—a fun assortment of conmen and grifters of all kinds—as well as the kind of amoral attitude that puts him immediately at odds with Sledge. Lastly, the team enlists Tao Leu (or more accurately, he enlists himself), who is a 10-year-old boy with the gift of second sight and who might be the biggest scoundrel of them all.
“Frankenstein” Rare Behind-the-Scenes of Karloff
Today we have a rare shot of Boris Karloff on a smoke break in between takes on the original Frankenstein. Karloff needs to be careful not to set his thumb on fire.
Source: Classicman Film.
