“Dracula” and “Frankenstein” Prints by Greg Staples!

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While we’re on the topic of new posters for classic Universal monsters, let me direct your attention to the two new Greg Staples’ prints for Dracula and Frankenstein that will become available for purchase tomorrow through Vice Press.

From the Vice Press release…

On Tuesday the 26th of January Vice Press and Bottleneck Gallery will be launching a new series of limited edition Universal Monsters movie posters and art prints by British artist Greg Staples.

Greg Staples is best know for his work on British comic 2000AD and artwork for Magic the Gathering but also regularly contributes towards film and game design and most recently has worked alongside director Neil Marshall on a number of projects.

‘For me the classic Universal Monster films have been engrained into me since I was a child, not only with their legendary visual design and makeup but because they are almost not of this world. To me they are the purest form of escapism and something that simply couldn’t be made in this day and age. I decided to approach these illustrations a little differently by choosing to try to add a bit of realism, hopefully to capture a small part of their character so wonderfully portrayed by Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. This really was an honour.’ – Greg Staples

Working closely alongside Universal and the estate of Bela Lugosi, this officially licensed series kicks off with pieces for Dracula and Frankenstein and feature Greg’s amazing paintings that beautifully capture Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff in their iconic roles. Both versions of the art are available in a regular edition movie poster in an edition of 195 priced £44.99, and a variant edition art print in an edition of 175 and priced £49.99. Both prints are 24×36 inches. There will also be smaller art prints available featuring Greg’s original paintings.

There will also be the opportunity to add a signature by artist Greg Staples to your print for an extra £5.

I love the attention the classic monsters continue to get and that artists like Greg Staples are true fans of the genre.

Check Out This Amazing Alt “Dracula” Poster!

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I love this alternative Dracula poster.  Everything about this is right, from the colors, to the use of Lugosi’s likeness, to the female vampires bowing to the Count as he brings in his latest victim.

Sadly, the artist isn’t known to me or Neil Vokes. (I first saw the image on Neil’s Facebook page.  If you’re a fan of horror, Neil is as well, plus he’s a fine artist in his own right.)

If anyone knows/discovers the name of the artist who created this poster, let me know so I can update this post.

RIP: Larry King

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Larry King died this morning.  He was 87.  King had been hospitalized in December for complications from Covid-19.  King, who was born Lawrence Harvey Zeiger worked on radio and television for over 60 years.

King became a national celebrity when his Larry King Live interview program on CNN went viral in 1985.  King hosted the show for 25 years and interviewed just about everyone who was making headlines.  That was the joy of King’s program, one night he might be talking to a top political figure, the next night a celebrity or psychic.

King became so popular and well known that he began to appear in movies and television roles (hundreds listed on IMDb) usually playing himself.  Throughout his career King earned an Emmy, two Peabody awards and 10 Cable Ace awards.  When King left CNN he continued to work in television with Larry King Now (2012-2020) on Hulu and Politicking with Larry King (2013 until his death).

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Larry King’s family, friends and fans.

RIP: Gregory Sierra

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Although Gregory Sierra died on January 4, 2021, from cancer, his death wasn’t made public knowledge until yesterday.  Sierra, who had a long career acting in television and movie roles was probably best known for his co-starring role on Barney Miller.

Sierra made guest appearances on dozens and dozens of television shows with reoccurring roles on The Flying Nun, Sanford & Son, Soap, Hill Street Blues, Miami Vice, Murder She Wrote and more.  Sierra’s major theatrical film roles were in Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Papillon, The Towering Inferno, Vampires and Vic (written and directed by Sage Stallone).

I always enjoyed tv shows and movies a bit more when Gregory Sierra appeared.   Our thoughts and prayers go out to Gregory Sierra’s family, friends and fans.

“The Godfather, Part III” Trivia!

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I imagine that most folks reading this would agree that The Godfather and The Godfather, Part II are two excellent films.  I wonder how many of us would agree that The Godfather, Part III, while not on the same level as I or II is still a good film? 

Todd Gilchrist at Mental Floss presents 20 Facts About The Godfather Part III.  Before you click over, here are my thoughts on three from Gilchrist’s list and one that didn’t make the cut.

ROBERT DUVALL WAS WRITTEN OUT OF THE GODFATHER PART III DUE TO A SALARY DISPUTE.  It was a mistake to not bring Duvall back.  Then they replaced him with George Hamilton as a new character.  It felt wrong and didn’t help the film.

ANDY GARCIA HAD A LOT OF A-LIST COMPETITION FOR HIS ROLE IN THE GODFATHER PART III.  Some of the actors in the running included Alec Baldwin, Nicolas Cage, Tom Cruise, Matt Dillon, Val Kilmer, Charlie Sheen, and Billy Zane.  I thought Garcia did an excellent job in the role. From those listed my second choice would have been Alec Baldwin.

THE GODFATHER PART III FEATURED MANY FAMILIAR FACES BOTH IN FRONT OF AND BEHIND THE CAMERA.  This helped strengthen the film… and only made Duvall’s absence felt that much more.

A Godfather III fact that didn’t make the list is that at one point when it didn’t look like Francis Ford Coppola was going to return there were discussions of getting Sylvester Stallone to direct and star along with John Travolta.  While that would have been very interesting, critics would have been all over it with negativity… and we’d have never gotten Coppola’s return.

For Gilchrist’s complete list and his thoughts on each, click over.

“Creature from the Black Lagoon” Trivia

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One of my favorite horror movies is Creature from the Black Lagoon.  Nicholas Furnal at CBR.com recently posted 10 Things Everyone Missed In Creature From The Black Lagoon.  I’m proud to report that I only missed one, but it is a doozy.  Before you click over, I’ll tell you the one I missed plus two others that are favorties.

Telephone Pole In The Amazon.  I’ve watched Creature from the Black Lagoon dozens and dozens of times (once as recently as last week).  I never noticed the telephone pole.  Of course I am usually watching in the 1.37:1 screen ratio.  Well, now I have an excuse for another viewing.

No Visible Air Bubbles.  I applaud that director Jack Arnold made sure that no air bubbles were present for the Creature’s underwater scenes.  It made the monster all that more realistic.  Hats off to Ricou Browning for being able to hold his breath underwater during several minutes of filming!

Two Separate Creature Suits.  It would have been easier and cheaper to just create one suit, but the folks behind the movie made two (one for land and one for underwater) that varied in flexibility and color.  It’s attention to details like these that make Creature from the Black Lagoon a classic.

Click over to check out the other trivia items and see if any are new to you!

Two Posters & a Trailer for “Sky Sharks”

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Now we have two posters and a trailer for, I kid you not, Sky Sharks.  I would normally say this is doomed to flop, but then I remember there have been about a billion movies about Sharknadoes.

Directed by Marc Fehse

After an arctic research team discovers a long-lost Nazi warship, they inadvertently unleash the Third Reich’s unknown secret weapon: Sky Sharks.

“Godzilla vs Kong” – The Poster is Here!

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Above we have the Godzilla vs Kong poster and it is a good one.  I’m a King Kong fan.  Not so much for Godzilla.  I did like the most recent versions of the big lizard, so I’m leaning towards seeing Godzilla vs Kong.  We’ll know more once we see the trailer which drops this Sunday.  In the mean time, feel free to click on the poster above to get a, uh, Godzilla sized version.

Syfy’s “Day of the Dead” Limited Series Ties into the Romero Classic and Sounds Great!

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John Squires at Bloody Disgusting broke the story that Syfy’s Day of the Dead Series Will Have Some Ties to George Romero’s Original Classic.  This is great news for Romero fans.  Not only will the 10 episode limited series tie in to Romero’s film, but will focus on…

 …six strangers trying to survive the first 24 hours of an undead invasion.

The thing I love about the best zombie (or any apocalyptic) movies is the interplay between strangers trying not only to figure out what is going on, but also how to best survive.  As you can guess, I’m looking forward to Day of the Dead.

For more details click over to Syfy’s Day of the Dead Series Will Have Some Ties to George Romero’s Original Classic at Bloody Disgusting.

The “Goodbye, Butterfly” Trailer is Here!

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The Goodbye, Butterfly trailer sets up an interesting movie.  How far would you go to punish the man you believe killed your child… and what if you’ve targeted an innocent man?

After his five-year-old daughter is murdered, a loving family man becomes convinced that the oddball down the street is guilty.

Starring Adam Donshik, Andy Lauer, Marie Burke, Angela Sauer, Addison Ross, Jennifer Adam, Jeremy London. Directed by Tyler Wayne.

Goodbye, Butterfly will be released in theaters, on Digital, and VOD on January 15, 2021.

Joe Dator’s Rediscovering “Columbo”

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Over the last year I’ve posted about my wife’s and my renewed interest and love for Columbo starring Peter Falk.  Because the series is so popular it appears on several networks daily which makes recording episodes easy. My wife and I have been working our way through every episode.  Joe Dator is doing the same thing.

Joe Dator is an accomplished cartoonist whose work can regularly be found in The New Yorker, often be found in Mad Magazine and Esquire and believe it or not, at his personal website.  Joe was a winner of The National Cartoonists Society’s 2018 Silver Reuben Award.

I tell you all of this as a way of introduction into Joe Dator’s Rediscovering “Columbo” in 2020.  The cartoon strip first appeared in The New Yorker last October, but can be seen in full at Joe’s website.  I agree with everything Joe says about the joys of watching Columbo.  The one thing I would add is that while Columbo’s first name is never spoken it does appear to eagle-eyed viewers when Columbo shares his ID in a few episodes.

Paul Gulacy – Subject of Comic Book Creator #27

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Paul Gulacy will be the subject of Comic Book Creator #27 which is due out in September!  Here’s the synopsis…

Fall 2021 – 84 FULL-COLOR pages
Paul Gulacy is celebrated in CBC #27 with an extensive retrospective by Greg Biga that includes memories from the artist himself and a vast array of peers, including Val Mayerik, P. Craig Russell, Tim Truman, Roy Thomas, and others. From Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu, Sabre, and James Bond 007 to Batman: Prey and Catwoman, we examine this superb cinematic comic book artist’s influences and his influence on an entire generation of creators. Plus we feature an extensive Joe Sinnott Memorial (also compiled by Greg Biga!) that includes heartfelt testimonials from an army of the masterful artist’s peers and admirers. Rounding out CBC’s main features is part one of a fascinating chat with distributor, publisher, and mail-order bookseller supreme Bud Plant, discussing his very early days as underground comix retailer, top West coast distributor, and fledgling publisher of Jack Katz’s First Kingdom. Of course, our regular team of Arndt, Whitehouse, Patrick, Ziuko, Thompson, and other stalwarts are onboard this ish, along with the latest from Hembeck! Edited by Jon B. Cooke.

You can pre-order a print or digital edition here.  If you have a local comic book shop, you can also pre-order through it.