One of the very first film scores that hooked me was that of John Williams’ score for the 1979 version of Dracula, starring Frank Langella. It was also one of the first soundtrack LPs I bought back in the day, being every bummed that it just wasn’t that long of a score. But now all of that is going to change, thanks to Varèse Sarabande.
As you’d expect, this is a busy month for us. With events going on every weekend, not to mention coming into Chicago every Monday for something as well, the days are just flying by. Not a bad thing, mind you, but really tough to squeeze in some good horror flicks with all this going on. But this is the path we choose, right?
Last weekend, we were in Strongsville, OH for the 18th year at Cinema Wasteland. Hard to believe it has been going on that long and still continues to be a great time. The draw this year was for a reunion for a favorite of mine, the original My Bloody Valentine (1981) and the Q&A was very informative and entertaining. Although I must admit being a little depressed when they asked a packed room right before the screening of the film, just how many people there have never seen the film before, and about two thirds of the room raised their hands. I would have thought this would have been key film to watch during your slasher education. Or at least, if you were going to a convention that the main guest lineup was a cast reunion from a film you hadn’t seen…that you’d watch it before the show! Sorry…Old Man Kitley is coming out again. Times for my meds.
Yeah, I know this was all over Facebook yesterday, but damn if I’m not going to help spread the word a bit more! While I may be a huge Hammer fan, their 1966 film The Plague of the Zombies is one of my all time favorites of theirs. So I am more than thrilled to see this hit Blu-ray, thanks to Shout Factory!
This was Hammer’s only movie that dealt with zombies, though these are the voodoo type, not the flesh-eating type. Maybe because Romero didn’t unleash his until two years later. But this is a prime example of what Hammer did best. They had an great cast with two powerful leads, André Morell as Sir James Forbes and John Carson as Squire Hamilton. Morell is so much fun to watch, being so proper and the whole stiff upper lip, but yet still has a dark sense of humor. Carson, who plays the villain, was born to play this part. Whether it is his voice, which is very similar sounding to James Mason, or his evil stare, that can easily hide behind a smile. Of course, throw in Michael Ripper in a minor role, and it makes it even better!
I’ve been a huge fan of the horror films made in the Philippines, especially the Blood Island films. So I was thrilled when I first heard mention that Severin was going to be releasing these films on Blu-ray. Even more so when I saw the kind of promo stuff they are making available. Granted, the limited edition Dr. Lorca’s Head Bundle is already sold out (Also note…that’s not Dr. Lorca’s Head…just saying), which was a major bummer. But the stuff in the Blood Oath Bundle is pretty damn cool too. Got to give Severin major props for the stuff they come up with. From the Anthropophagus Plush figure, or the beach ball from The Horror of Party Beach, to even the little rubber ball from The Changeling, they are killing it when it comes to new promo items.
So what is in this box set?
I’m usually not one for cheap knock-offs or so-called tributes when it really looks like the filmmakers are just ripping off the subject they are supposedly trying to pay homage to. But after viewing the below trailer for The Legend of El Hombre Lobo, I am pretty intrigued about this short film and look forward to seeing it. I mean, when you’re paying tribute to the one and only Paul Naschy, you’re going to get my attention right away. From the look of this trailer below, it looks like they’ve nailed the look and feel of his gothic films. One can only hope!
Years ago, I used to be into resin and vinyl model kits. I wasn’t the greatest painter, but I enjoyed it and I did okay. But I got out of it quite some time ago because it just was taking too much of my time. I would get a kit and then spend every waking minute on it until it was finished. Several years ago, when we were setting up at Wonderfest in Louisville, it was very hard not to give into the temptation and buy more kits. But I stood my ground and kept myself from getting any. I still have a lot of my kits that I did paint around the Krypt, but haven’t bought a new kit in years.
Until now.
My buddy (and key enabler) Phil, sent me the below pics of a new kit that just came out, knowing that it was going to be very hard for me to pass up. And moments later, I was chatting with the man responsible for putting this kit out, Paul Gill, and ordering one of the kits.
This El Retorno Del Hombre Lobo kit was sculpted and painted by Mark Van Tine. It is 9 1/2″ inches of all Naschy! Obviously if you order one, it does not come assembled or painted. The parts are the bust, hand, base, and black plastic chains. Just making sure that is clear.
The price is $100 plus s&h. Keep in mind, these are made in limited quantities, so if you have any interests, I would contact Paul Gill through Facebook right away to make sure there are some left.
While I might dabble occasionally in horror figures here and there, I was smart enough to stay away from that part of horror collecting. Mainly because there are so freaking many different ones out there, had I started, I would have gone broke by now! Sure, they are very cool and usually well done. But I just personally have a problem paying $80 to $120 for a 8″ or 12″ figure. Trust me, I understand they are handmade and only a limited number made. Just hard for me to part with that kind of cash for one.
I will say that I’m thrilled to see Paul Naschy represented in these character figures. Not just once…not twice…but now a third figure has been announced. The first two were from Werewolf vs the Vampire Woman (1971), one an 8″ figure and the other a 12″ figure. This newest one is another 8″ but is from Naschy’s Night of the Werewolf (1981), my personal favorites of his Daninsky films. I believe the 8″ figures were created by Distinctive Dummies, but not sure about the 12″ one. Although, finding information about them and browsing their website isn’t the easies.
Either way, kudos to them for helping keep Naschy’s spirit and films alive with these great figures. Who knows…maybe one of these days I’ll break down and get one. Or two. Or all three….stranger things have happened.
It was almost two years ago when I have the joy of watching Lucio Fulci’s The Beyond, one of my all-time favorite films in the theater. But this time it was a little different. Composer Fabio Frizzi was there with his Frizzi 2 Fulci band playing a live score during the film. He called it “The Beyond – The Composer’s Cut”. There was music being played where there normally wasn’t, or maybe the cues were a little longer than originally. Either way, it was an amazing experience to be watching these nightmarish images that Fulci came up with on the big screen, and hearing this chilling score being played live right in front of you.
Now, thanks to Beat Records, you can have a chance to hear that live version over and over again, with the release of The Beyond – The Composer’s Cut: Live in Austin on CD. This release has two different versions here, one by a 51 piece symphonic orchestra and the second one performed by his Frizzi 2 Fulci band.
The CD is has over an hours worth of music and is only $19.95 and will be released Sept. 10th. You can order your copy from Screen Archives by clicking HERE.
Today, Senior Molina, aka Paul Naschy, would have been 84. It’s been almost a decade since we this icon of the horror genre. I am just so grateful that his memory and his work continue to live and breathe, with more and more titles hitting Blu-ray, books written about him, and more collectibles being produced, it shows just how important his work has meant to the fans, and what it will mean to the legion of newer fans that will discover his massive body of work each and every year. Oh, how I am envious of these newer fans that get to watch titles like Horror Rises from the Tomb or Night of the Howling Beast for the very first time.
So while us fans still miss him and continue to mourn the loss of such a talented actor, director, screenwriter, not to mention father and husband to his family, we know that the legend of Paul Naschy, much like his most famous character, Waldemar Daninsky, will never die and will be reborn time and time again.
Thank you, Senior Molina, for all the wonderful memories, both past and future.
The latest issue of THE best magazine out there dedicated to all things Hammer, Little Shoppe of Horrors, will be out next month. And if you’re a fan of those pesky dinosaurs, then you definitely are going to want to order issue #41.
This cover story is about Hammer’s return to the world of prehistoric creatures in When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1970). This issue will feature “When Danforth Ruled the Earth – The Making of Hammer’s Second Dinosaur Epic” by Mark Wolf. It will also feature interviews with actors Victoria Vetri and Robin Hawdon, and 1st Assistant Director John Stoneman. There will also be articles on some of Hammer’s unmade films, and interview with Pauline Peart from The Satanic Rites of Dracula, as well as all the other great stuff that is always found within these pages. With an amazing front cover by Jeff Preston, why wouldn’t you want to add this to your reading list?
You can pre-order your copy now, as well as all the back issues, by just heading over to their website HERE.
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