|
 |
| FEO NEWS FOR SPRING 2025: - MAY - The detritus of old Horror/Thriller history can be found here. These are archived news items, many of them linked outside of this website. |
GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN is 70
GOJIRA was a huge hit and the money didn't stop coming. While Director Ishiro Honda was busy with sales and trying to get it into the U.S. market, Toho Pictures rushed to deliver a second Gojira move for their newborn fans. What Toho got was what they asked for: A rush job. Yet it could have been so much worse, and Hollywood proved it by... by... ugh! Just read about 1955's GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN. And - THE GREEN SLIME is 57
The same year that MGM released Stanley Kubrick's epic and awe inspiring 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, the studio also brought audiences, THE GREEN SLIME! The contrast between the two could not be starker. Plus - EMBRYO is 49
So in the 1970s there was this aging actor named Rock Hudson. His handsome features were growing more distinguished with age but he successfully moved from hit movies to a hit TV show while in his 40s. If you've ever watched 1970s movies you've probably been surprised at how people in their 40s back then looked like people in their 60s now, but that was a time when everyone on earth was breathing na tmosphere heavily loaded with lead, drinking water, also heavily loaded with lead as well as PFAS, and if that wasn't enough, they compounded it all by chain-smoking as many packs of cigarettes day as they could afford. Then, at the height of his fame and his hit TV show, Rock chose to star in a cheap-o movie produced by Sandy Howard, whose biggest clim to fame at that point was directing children's shows like Howdy-Doody in the 1950s, and Captain Kangaroo in the 60s - 70s. As it turned out, Sandy enjoyed Horror movies and took shot at making them with THE NEPTUNE FACTOR and THE DEVIL'S RAIN. When those failed he took another shot with EMBRYO. Also - MAD MAX: THE ROAD WARRIOR Turns 43
From time to time a movie comes along that defines its genre like no other movie can. James Bond defined the Spy movie. NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD defined the Zombie sub-genre. Star Wars defined the Space Opera. ALIEN defined the Evil Aliens Horror genre. THE TERMINATOR defined the Killer robot genre. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK defined the Adventure genre, and John Wick defined the Thriller, Mob, Assassin, and Revenge genre all at once - stealing the crown from a few previous definers from the past. What all of those movies had in common was that they all came from the Northern hemisphere. Yet down in the middle of nowhere on the island continent of Australia, 35 year old Writer, Producer, and Director, George Miller and his crew - on the smallest of shoe string budgets - made the cinema franchise that defined the road movie. But just like all movies that define their genre, the first movie, still racing around the world for attention, needed that hit second movie to solidify its legacy. MAD MAX2: THE ROAD WARRIOR gave it all the horsepower it needed! Wassmor - TERMINATOR SALVATION Turns 16
Once in a while a person comes out of nowhere, makes splash, and then fizzles out. They have gret opening Chess move, and nothing after that. And when that happens to a movie Director? If they're savvy like McG, who begin as a Music Video Director Pawn, they sacrifice their Feature Film Director Knight and switch their power over the board to Producer Bishop. After all, once you've arrived you want to play the Long game. You'll never be satisfied with the past glories of your famous opening move back in 2000. Of course, if you're not careful, you can see a Chessboard without realizing that you're no longer playing major theatrical release Chess, but TV streaming Checkers: where all of your pieces are pawns and you struggle to become a King. If you're going cross-eyed over my analogies, fine: TERMINATOR SALVATION is where McG's name brand stopped selling movies. Finale - HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
Actor Fairuza Balk (DECEPTIONS, RETURN TO OZ, DISCOVERY, DEADLY INTENTIONS... AGAIN?, THE DANGER OF LOVE: THE CAROLYN WARMUS STORY, MURDER IN THE HEARTLAND, TOLLBOOTH, THE CRAFT, THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU, AMERICAN PERFEKT, GRINDSTONE ROAD, ORPHEUS, WHAT IS IT?, Masters of Horror: PICK ME UP, DOSE OF REALITY, AUGUST FALLS, TRESPASSERS, PARADDISE CITY [TV], THE CRAFT: LEGACY) is 51.
GODZILLA (1998) Turns 27
Yet it's still not a classic after all of these years. But why? Weren't there worse Godzillas throughout the decades? Oh, hell yeah! And in the U.S. they went straight to TV! However, when you make a slew of promises that this time will be different; when you swear that this will be the ultimate GODZILLA; when you want people to spend their time and money at the theater, you don't get to pull a bait switch and puke an over-priced, late night, Asylum Picture in their lap. You have to deliver the pricey theatrical experience you're promising and charging for. So why isn't this movie forgiven and allowed to become a classic after a quarter of a century? Oh, we'll tell you why! GODZILLA fans and filmmakers everywhere, this is where the audience is right and the makers of GODZILLA (1998) were wrong. And - THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES Turns 14
Director Gore Verbinski left the franchise he created after DEAD MAN'S CHEST and, despite his best effort, Rob Marshall dropped the ball with AT WORLD'S END and talk began about ending the series at three. But Disney was strongly attached to the franchise, was certain they could save it and, besides, it was now their most popular ride at their theme parks. Like Barbossa and Sparrow, they had to resurrect the series and Rob was already contracted for a second movie. Could Rob Skipper the franchise he nearly scuttled? This is what happened with THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES. Plus - HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
Writer Adam-Troy Castro (LOST IN BOOTH NINE, SPIDER-MAN: THE GATHERING OF THE SINISTER SIX, SPIDER-MAN: REVENGE OF THE SINISTER SIX, SPIDER-MAN: THE SECRET OF THE SINISTER SIX, EMISSARIES FROM THE DEAD [Andrea Cort Series], THE SHALLOW END OF THE POOL) is 65.
YOU DUG IT
1. FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES 14 years after the previous film in the franchise, FINAL DESTINATION series comes roaring back as it enters the Top Ten with an impressive world-wide first weekend box office of over $105 million. In the USA, the share was over $50 million of that total on 3,523 screens, making over 4 times more per screen average than the #2 movie this week. It's all the more amazing when you consider how nearly all Horror movie franchises suffer from the Law of Diminishing Returns by the 3rd movie and many go Direct to Video by the fourth. Now it's up to you, the audience, to determine if this latest entry has the legs to go all the way. 2. THUNDERBOLTS surrenders its #1 position, stepping down to #2 with a 49% loss in ticket sales against a 373 screen cut. This movie continues to underperform against expectations, but at #2 in its 3rd weekend, it still has plenty of time to win as it moves toward the half billion mark. 3. SINNERS steps down from last weekend's #2 position in its 5th weekend. This underdog movie continues to perform far above expectations and dropped only 31% in ticket sales while adding 16 more screens this weekend. 4. A MINECRAFT MOVIE, in its 7th weekend, steps down from last weekend's #3 spot with a mere 22% drop in ticket sales against a 111 screen cut. There were many ways this game-based movie could have taken with its story, but the studio leaned into Comedy Horror and it is Working. The executives at Warner Bros must be cross-eyed with glee at having three of their movies performing well above expectations in the Top 4. 6. HURRY UP TOMORROW, from Lionsgate, enters the Top Ten on 2020 screens. 8. CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD, in only its 2nd weekend, drops three places from last week's 5th place opening with a 63% loss in ticket sales despite losing no screens. You may be about to bury this one. 9. UNTIL DAWN steps down from its 8th place position in its 4th weekend with a 58% loss in box office against a 759 screen cut. That said, this low budget $15 mill. movie is performing to Sony Pictures expectations and is technically in its profit zone with a world-wide cume of nearly $50 million. 10. THE AMATEUR, though well received by critics and audiences alike, steps down from its #9 position with a mild box office loss of 38% against a 350 screen cut, which isn't bad for a movie in its 6th weekend. This slow descent suggests that its audience, while too small to support the big budget it has, continues to grow more by word of mouth and while it will leave theaters at a loss, may be profitable in Home Video. YOU BURIED IT 11. SHADOW FORCE, in its 2nd weekend drops from its opening 6th position with a huge box office loss of 70% despite no cuts to its 2,170 screens. 12. FIGHT OR FLIGHT, in its 2nd weekend, drops from its 7th place opening weekend with a huge box office loss of 75% against a 481 screen cut. What both of these Thriller movies suffer from is a Done to Death tiresome action/drama boilerplate plotline that is currently playing in around 20 to 30 different Direct To Video movies already on both free and premium streamers, with no Angelina Jolie or Denzel Washington in sight. If there were any surprising departures from this well-worn template, neither Lionsgate or Vertical chose to put them in their movie trailers. Figures calibrated from reporting by Box Office Mojo and The Numbers. Should there be differences between the two, I err on the side of caution and post the most positive numbers. And - Trailer Drop: MASSAGE PARLOR MASSACRE Plus - THE VIRGIN SUICIDES Turn 25
I've a strong lean into the idea that Director Sofia Coppola found more inspiration in the work of Richard Linklater's Slacker than she did in the work of her Pop. I'm willing to argue that 2000's THE VIRGIN SUICIDES had as much to do with the short-lived "Mumblecore" experimental cinema that began in 2005, as Linklater's 1990s work. Also - ALIEN COVENANT Turns 8
There was a time when fans were begging to have Ridley Scott back in the director's chair for the ALIEN franchise. After decades of Producer created crap from ALIEN³ to ALIEN RESURRECTION, how could it get any worse? ALIEN fans had no idea that Ridley would go the way of George Lucas and George A. Romero with the very franchises that created their careers. But Scott did with PROMETHEUS. Then with ALIEN COVENANT, he sunk ever deeper into the depths. Finale - HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
Actor Drew Fuller (VOODOO ACADEMY, ANGELS DON'T SLEEP HERE, VAMPIRE CLAN, CHARMED [TV], NUMBERED WITH THE DEAD, 911 NIGHTMARE, TEST PATTERN) who is 41. SUNDAY - THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES Turns 54
In retrospect, Vincent Price's acting career seems indestructible and THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES is one of the reasons why. SATURDAY -
Writer Yvonne Mason (SILENT SCREAM, BRILLIANT INSANITY, WHEN FATES COLLIDE, A VOICE FROM THE GRAVE) is 68. SHE-WOLF OF LONDON Turns 79
From the start, this movie was made to be a low budget B-Movie, shot entirely on Universal's studio lot, a Western town facade built for shitkickers but fogged and re-lighted at night to pass for London, then distributed to theaters as a double-feature. But film was not only costly, it was finicky, unstable: it needed careful guidance throughout the process from factory to shoot to develop, and entire reels could wind up not quite right, or poorly shot in the first place (Fire that damn cinematographer! Or camera loader! Or delivery boy! Or ... Somebody!). If the studio heads could have only imagined what a Long Life this movie would have, they may not have overlooked the One Big SPOILER issue with SHE-WOLF OF LONDON.
HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
By E.C. McMullen Jr.
INVISIBLE INVADERS is 66
Everybody has their scary monsters. What the monsters can do outweighs what the monster is or looks like. CHILD'S PLAY Chucky is just a Good Guy until he goes full blown homicidal. For many people, the scariest monster is the killer you can't see, because there's no way to know when its there: When It Is Near! That's the secret sauce of some of cinema's scariest Horror movies from THE INVISIBLE MAN to FORBIDDEN PLANET to FINAL DESTINATION. But it also worked in INVISIBLE INVADERS. And - THE MATRIX RELOADED is 22
In 2003, the excitement for the first THE MATRIX sequel felt like a rescue. George Lucas let fans down with his Phantom Menace, but the (then) Warchowski Bros. would set the blockbuster year off right! They won't let us down! Genre movies are going to be fun again! Hell, by 2003 it seemed as if nearly every MATRIX fan on earth was chattering about the many directions the first MATRIX sequel could go and all the new coolness we'll probably see! Then we packed the theaters for a massive opening weekend, the lights went down, and this is what we saw, watching THE MATRIX RELOADED. Plus - MAD MAX: FURY ROAD Turns 10
George Miller was back behind the wheel of his most famous and awesome franchise. He brought along Hugh Keyes-Byrne, as Toe-Cutter in the promos but as Immortan Joe in the movie. But there was a new actor playing Max and, unlike the plethora of actors playing James Bond through the many decades, actor Tom Hardy was justifiably concerned. He didn't want his career to wind up scorched as the George Lazenby of Max. That was just one of the problems George Miller had to contend with while going through the Herculean effort of making MAD MAX: FURY ROAD. Finale - HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
Director/Producer Rob Bowman (WEREWOLF [TV - 1987], DARK SHADOWS [TV - 1991], THE X-FILES [TV], REIGN OF FIRE, ELEKTRA, NIGHT STALKER [TV-2005], NIGHTMARES AND DREAMSCAPES: From The Stories of Stephen King [2006], CASTLE [TV]) is 65.
This May 27th is a HARD PLACE
And - CONAN THE BARBARIAN Turns 43
Italian movie Producer, Dino De Laurentiis was already impressed with Arnold Schwarzenegger as someone who could fill the sandals of Robert E. Howard's heroic anti-hero, Conan. But musclebound weightlifters grafted into movies and TV shows where they couldn't act had many box office bombings and few box office flights. Arnold stood apart because he was taking acting lessons and wanted to be good at it. Arnold was so serious about it, that he impressed fellow actors Max von Sydow and James Earl Jones, who both gave him lessons on the set during downtime while shooting CONAN THE BARBARIAN. Plus - HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
Actor, Director Danny Huston (THE HUMAN FACTOR, MISTER CORBETT'S GHOST, THE MADDENING, SUSAN'S PLAN, 21 GRAMS, SILVER CITY, BIRTH, THE CONSTANT GARDENER, CHILDREN OF MEN, FADE TO BLACK, THE NUMBER 23, THE KINGDOM, 30 DAYS OF NIGHT, X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE, EDGE OF DARKNESS, CLASH OF THE TITANS, THE WARRIOR'S WAY, A MONSTER IN PARIS, WRATH OF THE TITANS, MAGIC CITY [TV], HITCHCOCK, TIGERS, JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE FLASHPOINT PARADOX, AMERICAN HORROR STORY [TV], PRESSURE, FRANKENSTEIN [2015], PARANOID [TV], IO, ANGEL HAS FALLEN, MARLOWE, CONSECRATION, RED BIRD LANE, THE CROW [2024]) is 63.
Writer, Producer, Director Robert Zemeckis (ROMANCING THE STONE, WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT, DEATH BECOMES HER, TALES FROM THE CRYPT [TV], HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL [1999], TH13RTEEN GHOSTS, RITUAL, GHOST SHIP, GOTHIKA, HOUSE OF WAX [2005], WHAT LIES BENEATH, TALES FROM THE CRYPT: BORDELLO OF BLOOD, MONSTER HOUSE, THE REAPING, BEOWULF, MANIFEST [TV], PROJECT BLUE BOOK [TV], WHAT/IF?, MANIFEST [TV], THE WITCHES, FINCH, MANIFEST [TV]) is 74.
WEREWOLF OF LONDON Turns 89
Universal Picture's first Werewolf. They went for a fuzzy Science Fiction angle over superstition and, while this dapper Werewolf is never seen drinking Pina Coladas down at Trader Vic's, his hair is indeed, Perfect! WEREWOLF OF LONDON again. And - Today marks 48 Years of THE CAR
"Okay, here's the pitch. Ready?" "You're in my office. You got this far, yeah, get on with it." "An evil killer car drives across America randomly killing people." "Hm. Hmm... Okay, sure, but where's the conflict?" "The frightened but tenacious small town cop who hunts it down." "Hmm... Okay. JAWS, but with a car. Got it. But where's the hook? Everybody's making their JAWS. They've got bears, killer whales, mutant bears, dogs..." "It's based on the best selling novel." "Based on a novel?" "Baked in, Best Selling novel audience." "Let's do this." The George Barris design is why this is a classic and the Concept is why its ripe for remake: THE CAR. Plus - FRIDAY THE 13th: Part VII - THE NEW BLOOD is 37
As the entire franchise aims only to hack and slash in one movie after the next, forever looping, it leaves a lot of Horror, Thriller, and genuine creepy as hell scares on the table. We cover the storyline often visually hinted at but never explored in screenwriter Ken "The Fan Behind The Mask" King's review of FRIDAY THE 13th Part VII: THE NEW BLOOD. Also - It's Been 31 Years Since THE CROW
Because of the tragic killing on set of Brandon Lee, the screenplay needed a doctor. It had to be fixed. Changes needed to be made. Otherwise, Miramax would have to count it a loss and no one would ever see Lee's last movie. But what they did have was gold. Brandon loved the script and loved his role. So they re-wrote James O'Barr's story with his blessing. Brandon had become his friend during the time leading up to production and during it. O'Barr's story was a cathartic journey through hell for a real life personal tragedy involving the woman he loved. With Lee's death on set, he had to go through it all over again. The subsequent sequels made it all worse. Now they're talking remake and fans of the original aren't happy about it, as you'd expect. But those fans of the movie never saw O'Barr's original story. Between a thoroughly reworked script and the final edit that had to put it all together and make sense of everything, O'Barr's masterwork became something else. So before we boo remake, let's remember 1994's original THE CROW. Finale - HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
Actor, Producer, Director, Editor Bryan Coyne (SILENT NIGHT ZOMBIE NIGHT, HE, THE BLACK BOX, ORGY OF THE DAMNED, THE HUMAN RACE, INFERNAL, BAD APPLES) is 63 or something.
YOU DUG IT
1. THUNDERBOLTS stays at its Top Ten position in its second weekend despite a massive 56% drop in ticket sales. Holding onto its 4,330 screens in the U.S. alone. Despite winning #1 two weekends in a row, its ticket sales are lackluster for a $180 million dollar movie and it will need a huge boost next weekend to be profitable before it leaves theaters. Recouping its actual budget from theaters by the third weekend to be profitable is a general rule for movies costing North of $80 million and there are exceptions. 2. SINNERS continues to surpass all expectations. Now in its 4th weekend and despite a mild 33% drop in ticket sales, confidence from Warner Bros. helped add 155 screens, bringing its total to 3,502. 3. A MINECRAFT MOVIE holds onto its #3 slot for the second week in a row and is still going strong in its 6th weekend! This despite a 43% drop in ticket sales against a 03 screen cut. 5. CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD enters the Top Ten at #5 with over $3.6 million and a 2,277 screen opening. 8. UNTIL DAWN with so many new movies entering the Top Ten, this movie drops from last weekend's #5 to #8 this week, despite having only a 49% drop in ticket sales against a 590 screen cut. 9. THE AMATUER shares the same story. Falling from last weekend's 6th place to this weekend at #9 with only a 39% drop in ticket sales, this movie suffered a 935 screen cut to free them up for new movies. YOU BURIED IT 16. ROSARIO fell from last weekend's 9th place entry to this week's number with a staggering free fall of an 81% drop in ticket sales and a 592 screen cut. Figures calibrated from reporting by Box Office Mojo and The Numbers. Should there be differences between the two, I err on the side of caution and post the most positive numbers. And - HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
Actor Stephen Baldwin (BITTER HARVEST, THE USUAL SUSPECTS, DEAD WEEKEND, MR. MURDER, SCARRED CITY, X CHANGE, DEAD AWAKE, SPIDER'S WEB, SHELTER ISLAND, FALLACY, BOUND BY LIES, DARK STORM, THE GENIUS CLUB, SHARK IN VENICE, SHOOT THE DUKE, LET THE GAME BEGIN, MISSION: THE PROPHET, 2047: SIGHTS OF DEATH, MAGI, BLOOD PAGEANT, NOVA VITA [TV]) is 56. SUNDAY -
Actor Thomas Downey (HITTERS, JOLLY ROGER: MASSACRE AT CUTTER'S COVE, H.G. WELLS WAR OF THE WORLDS [2005], FRANKENSTEIN REBORN, THE BEAST OF BRAY ROAD, SHAPESHIFTER, KING OF THE LOST WORLD, EXORCISM: THE POSSESSION OF GAIL BOWERS, HILLSIDE CANNIBALS, DRACULA'S CURSE, TRANSMORPHERS, PARANORMAL INCIDENT, MIRROR IMAGE, 616: PARANORMAL INCIDENT, AXE GIANT: THE WRATH OF PAUL BUNYAN, SORORITY PARTY MASSACRE, ZEDD, THE BURNING DEAD, BETHANY, #CAPTURED, ZOMBIE, DARK IMAGE, DOLLS, ZOMBIE [2019], BEAST MODE, BLACK NOISE) is 55. A final farewell to 28 WEEKS LATER Turns 17
28 MONTHS LATER is in pre-production with original creator, Danny Boyle, back in the Director's chair . . An-nd.... Now it's called 28 YEARS LATER! Once in a Murder Moon, the third movie in a Horror franchise is known to save the trilogy if the first sequel nearly killed it (THE OMEN III, A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3, THE EXORCIST III, PHANTASM III, not many saves). More often than not, however, it's the third movie that's usually the final nail in the franchise, or at best, an oblique shift to any further movies in the franchise (CHILD'S PLAY 3 - last of the "Child's Play" titles) or at worst, the urine soaked passage to Direct to Home Video (AMITYVILLE 3D, HELLRAISER 3, CANDYMAN 3, HOUSE 3, THE CROW: SALVATION). Still, after all of these years, Danny hasn't given up on a second sequel to his most profitable franchise, turning that ship around to former glory! So maybe he shouldn't give up, not after we saw, 28 WEEKS LATER. SATURDAY -
Editor, DP, Actor, Director, and pretty much everything else
in film, Danny Draven (HORRORVISION, THE FRIGHTENING, CRYPTZ,
HELL ASYLUM, DEATHBED, DARK WALKER, WITCHES OF THE CARIBBEAN, DARK WALKER, GHOST MONTH, SKULL HEADS, THE EVIL BONG 3D, ZOMBIES VS STRIPPERS, DANNY DRAVEN'S MATERS OF TERROR [TV], and a lot more) is 48. Today We Spread the RUMOR to Midland, Texas
For those of you who live in the Permian Basin of Texas (and who doesn't?), I'll be doing a reading and signing of my latest Science Fiction Horror novel, RUMOR, today, May 10, 3:00PM at Barnes & Noble This is the end of my RUMOR book signing tour in the Permian Basin area of West Texas. Can't make Midland? RUMOR is free to Kindle Unlimited users. Trailer From Writer/Director Dan Asma: TRIBE
Boris Karloff's BEDLAM Turns 79
Is a picture really worth a thousand words? Artist William Hogarth's painting of Bedlam, Plate 8: "A Rake's Progress" was the inspiration used by screenwriters Carlos Keith and Mark Robson. Robson was Producer Val Lewton's goto guy for directing as well as writing. In 1946, while Bela Lugosi's career was sliding, Boris Karloff, thanks in part to his association with the wildly popular Val Lewton, was rising. With Lewton, Boris made respectable Horror for discerning adults. But how many people do you know who have ever heard of Val Lewton today? And how many do you know who have ever heard of what is considered one of Val Lewton and Boris Karloff's best, BEDLAM? Neil Marshall's DOG SOLDIERS is 23
If you don't know, this movie is either a Werewolf story involving soldiers, or a Soldier story involving werewolves. One of the best things (among many) about it, is its economy of story that lends itself to the audience's suspension of disbelief. Like the moment where the soldiers are confronted with the impossible idea of being surrounded by werewolves. They may have the guns and ammunition to fight their way out and live another day, but then Megan says, "If this is true then what else is true? You'll never have another good night's sleep as long as you live." This is the brutal beauty of DOG SOLDIERS.
Tomorrow We Spread the RUMOR to Midland, Texas
For those of you who live in the Permian Basin of Texas (and who doesn't?), I'll be doing a reading and signing of my latest Science Fiction Horror novel, RUMOR, this Saturday, May 10, 3:00PM at Barnes & Noble This is the end of my book signing tour in the Permian Basin area of West Texas. And - SOYLENT GREEN Turns 52 in the U.S.A.
The fact that political dystopian science fiction books and movies miss their date of expiration never means that their warning is obsolete. George Orwell's 1984 forever hangs over our heads and the very people who espouse a Big Brother government are often the same ones irritably telling us to ignore that "Orwell stuff". This movie's due date was 2022. Are the lessons of SOYLENT GREEN also outdated? Plus - FRIDAY THE 13th Is 44
Sean S. Cunningham saw John Carpenter's success with HALLOWEEN and he really wanted a piece of that! God, how he wanted to copy John Carpenter! Sean's movie would also have teens having sex and being stalked and butchered by a knife wielding killer. He didn't have a mask idea in mind so, you'd only see the killer's big hairy hands, see? Now he just needed a holiday. No good Holidays worth his time (Arbor Day Massacre? Surely you jest!) but lots of people are superstitious about the number 13 and ... and ... Friday the 13th! Well there you go! With this in mind he commissioned a movie poster, then put that sucker in a newspaper ad. Paramount Pictures took the bait. Now all Sean needed was a script! A FRIDAY THE 13th script that would haunt Sean for ... A Very Long Time... 44 years to be exact. Also - THE FIFTH ELEMENT Turns 28
28 Years! Can you believe I saw this movie in the same year I launched this website? ...Yes, I'm that old. Shut yer f*ckin' piehole! Anyway, it's a SciFi Action Thriller, not Science Fiction and by that I mean FLASH GORDON comic book-style Space Opera over hardcore Science Fiction like FORBIDDEN PLANET, 2001, ALIEN, or John Carpenter's THE THING. This is why THE FIFTH ELEMENT is such fun! Finale - HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
By E.C. McMullen Jr.
THE CORPSE VANISHES Turns 83
Look, let's not quibble, shall we? I don't like quibbling and I like quarreling and arguing even less. The fact is you could remake this movie with a bigger budget and better script but since it won't have Bela Lugosi to carry the weight, you'll be spinning your wheels and losing money by the minute. On the other hand, if you've never seen it and you love old Bela, you're going to be entertained when THE CORPSE VANISHES. This is why...! And - J.J. Abrams "Kelvin Timeline" STAR TREK Turns 16
The stewards of Star Trek TNG the TV show were poor stewards of the Star Trek TNG movie franchise and it slowly slid into ignominy as the actors went onto better careers or fan conventions. No, Paramount felt what the movie really needed was a guy who successfully made his mark in television shows that started hot and prematurely fizzled out. Paramount needed someone like J.J.Abrams who openly didn't like Star Trek because he couldn't understand it: it was over his head. And because he couldn't understand it, what was the point of making a movie that a massive world-wide fanbase could understand?
So, Abrams wanted to play to the lowest common denominator: A small slice of movie audience who didn't like Star Trek but might like the franchise he was selling because he dumbed it down. The desperate Star Trek fans were a bunch of rubes who only understood lame-brain science stuff, so they'd turn out en mass and maybe even convince themselves they enjoyed it (like I did. Mea culpa)! At first. Which meant they could get two, maybe three movies out of the way before audiences turned their backs on it. That's why the studio bean counters gave their cynical greenlight to J.J. Abrams STAR TREK. Yet Star Trek fans were happy with his first one and it made the most money. So naturally Abrams didn't like it. If he made Trekkies happy, he did something wrong. Abrams would go on to fall in love with the diminishing box office returns of his Star Trek sequels. Plus - HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
Actor, Producer Stephen Amell (ReGENESIS [TV], SCREAMERS: THE HUNTING, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: OUT OF THE SHADOWS, VIXEN: THE MOVIE, CODE 8, ARROW [TV], THE FLASH [TV], CODE 8: PART II) is 44.
Spreading the RUMOR to Midland, Texas
For those of you who live in the Permian Basin of Texas (and who doesn't?), I'll be doing a reading and signing of my latest Science Fiction Horror novel, RUMOR, this Saturday, May 10, 3:00PM at Barnes & Noble And - May is MARVEL and MUMMY Movie Month THE MUMMY is 26
Universal Pictures decided it was high time they relaunched their Monsters that put them on the map in the first place and remains their most recognized calling card (Monsters remain to Universal Pictures what a rodent remains to Disney World). Actually, it had been "high-time" for some time but Universal was looking for the right director for way too much time. They'd already attached and detached Joe Dante, Clive Barker, and George A. Romero. Wes Craven was offered the job but didn't jump. Disney Director, Stephen Sommer, did so well with 1994's live action Jungle Book that the mouse let him direct a Horror movie he wrote called Tentacle, through their Hollywood Pictures appendage. Before it hit the screens as DEEP RISING, word was getting out that this would be both a fun and scary ride. And word was getting out a lot because Disney kept cutting the budget (We can't get Harrison Ford? Cut the budget! Jim Carrey isn't replacing Ford? Cut it some more!) which contributed to a longer, not shorter, production schedule. So when Stephen mentioned in passing that he'd love to take on the famous Universal Mummy Monster franchise, UP sat up and took notice. Once DEEP RISING made fat profit, despite playing in theaters against James Cameron's box office gigantic TITANIC, there was no going back on Stephen Sommers THE MUMMY. Plus - IRON MAN 2 is 15
Stan Lee and Marvel Productions couldn't afford to do the standard knee-jerk crap sequel. The only way to support Stan's vision of an MCU was to make each sequel better than the preceding movie. It didn't get to have a lower budget, cheaper writers and directors and run off opening weekend fumes as it crawled to its trilogy disc pack and faded from memory. It had to rock! So this is what happened with IRON MAN 2. Also - HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
Actor Carrie Henn (ALIENS, THUNDER ISLAND) is 48.
Author E.C. McMullen Jr., creator of Feo Amante's Horror Thriller, found getting his short stories published in magazines and anthologies was great at first. Then, after years of this, he realized his stories were spread out everywhere in limited magazine runs and their availability vanished over time, lost to any readers who would look. Even worse was his life being wasted on the glacial response from publishers (up to a year, sometimes more) even if they eventually accepted! This despite the fact that his stories often received critical acclaim time and again. PERPETUAL BULLET is his collection of previously published shorts plus a few bonuses. Available in a new Special Edition Hardcover, Paperback, and Kindle now! And - BLACK SABBATH Turns 63
Yes, this is the movie that legendary musician and Boris Karloff fan, Tony Iommi, chose to name his new band after. That's right, the band that launched the career of Ozzy Osbourne. The band that introduced Stan Lee's Marvel comics IRON MAN movie and the MCU to the world with Black Sabbath playing their hit, Iron Man.
And yes, the same Mario Bava whose movies stylistically, in both design and story, heavily influenced everything from STAR TREK (TOS) to ALIEN to FRIDAY THE 13th and who knows what else? When it comes to modern Horror and Heavily Metal, there is a falling domino line from Mario Bava to the present, making him, if not the father, then at least the Godfather of it all. And that all began about 60 years ago with BLACK SABBATH. Plus - PHANTASM III Turns 30
The ball was back and so was a cheer from the Phans when a grown-up A. Michael Baldwin returned to play his character Mike (PHANTASM, PHANTASM IV) in PHANTASM III: Lord Of The Dead. Finale - HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO - Actor Emily Alyn Lind (ENTER THE VOID, EASTWICK [TV], THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUTT 2, MOCKINGBIRD, REVENGE [TV], HIDDEN [2015], LIGHTS OUT, THE BABYSITTER [2017], REPLICAS, DOCTOR SLEEP, SACRED LIES [TV], THE BABYSITTER: KILLER QUEEN, EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE, GHOSTBUSTERS; FROZEN EMPIRE) is 24.
The RUMOR is Spreading!
Do you live in the Permian Basin area of West Texas (Odessa, Midland)? May 10th: Book signing at Barnes & Noble in Midland, Texas, at 3:00pm If everyone sells out before you can buy a copy? RUMOR is also available on Kindle, so if you buy it online you can get your photo taken with the author while you ... hold your Kindle, I guess. And - YOU DUG IT
1. THUNDERBOLTS enters the Top Ten at #1, a position all of the main actors really needed at this time in their careers, as well as Marvel, as well as Disney. Released on a whopping 4,330 screens in the U.S. alone, this movie beat out the #2 movie by more than double the box office, yet still underperformed against expectations due to its massive budget, which clocked in at $180 million before the tens of millions spent in advertising and marketing. 2. SINNERS steps down to second place after three weekends at #1 with a mild 28% drop in ticket sales. Deep into profit in its 3rd weekend, this movie continues to ride high above all expectations and its 3,347 screens remain uncut from last weekend, where it actually added screens after its initial wide release. 3. A MINECRAFT MOVIE, in its 5th weekend bounced back up from last week's #4 despite a 40% drop in ticket sales and a cut of 270 screens. 5. UNTIL DAWN, despite a 52% drop in ticket sales, suffered no screen losses and held onto last week's #5 position in its 2nd weekend. With a worldwide box office of $44 million against a $15 million budget, Sony sees a mild profit, which is always better than a giant loss. 6. THE AMATUER also had a bounce this weekend from last week's #7 position despite a 48% drop in ticket sales and a 925 screen cut in its 4th weekend. 10. ROSARIO rounds out the top ten in its opening weekend with a low of 794 screens. Rising From The Dead 16. CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD leapt back up from last weekend's #34 position by getting a surprising 55 additional screens in its 12th weekend and, even more surprising, a +451% jump ticket sales! Combined this made its Per Screen Average higher than UNTIL DAWN at 5th place. Figures calibrated from reporting by Box Office Mojo and The Numbers. Should there be differences between the two, I err on the side of caution and post the most positive numbers. Plus - May Is MARVEL and MUMMY Month HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
Actor John Rhys-Davies (SPHINX, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, WAXWORK, THE LOST WORLD, THE UNAMEABLE II, THE LORD OF THE RINGS, CHUPACABRA TERROR, TAINTED LOVE, ANACONDA 3, ANACONDA 4, 31 NORTH 62 EAST, FEROCIOUS PLANET, MEDIUM RAW: NIGHT OF THE WOLF, FEROCIOUS PLANET, ESCAPE, 100 DEGREES BELOW ZERO, PRISONERS OF THE SUN, TIME LAPSE [2014], AUX, AQUAMAN, G-LOC, THE GATES, over 270 movies and TV episodes in all!) is 80. SUNDAY -
Actor Nicholas Hamilton (STRANGERLAND, THE DARK TOWER, IT [2017], IT: CHAPTER 2, ENDLESS, GEN V) is 24. THE MUMMY RETURNS is 24
Aw man! It was great to see the fun cast together again! And The Rock was at his prime and he was going to be... The Scorpion King (we had no idea but it sounded cool and we were there for it!). What a great movie! All building up to the appearance of the Scorpion King! Then... we saw it, and that utterly changed the direction of THE MUMMY RETURNS. SPIDER-MAN 3 is 18
There could have been many more SPIDER-MAN movies with the Sam Raimi cast. Unfortunately the only actor who got out of it unscathed was J.K. Simmons. My first watch was pure geek giddiness. But some movies cannot withstand repeated viewings and that's what happened with most of us who saw SPIDER-MAN 3. SATURDAY -
Director Joseph Kosinski (TRON: LEGACY, OBLIVION, SPIDERHEAD) is 50. SPIDER-MAN is 23
It was 2001! Hot Marvel movies like BLADE opened the door to Box office gold and X-MEN laid the foundation. It was no fluke! A BLADE sequel was in the works and a Horror director was signed on. An X-MEN sequel was in the works and it began with a Horror director! Columbia Pictures was ready to release their own Marvel superhero property and it too was directed by a Horror director! One who already proved himself in the Superhero realm with DARK MAN! Then on September 9, 2001, a day that changed the world for the worse put the brakes on Sam Raimi and Marvel Studios' ascent. It would be a new year before Columbia Picture's SPIDER-MAN would be released. IRON MAN 3 is 12 Years Old
How to put this? By 2013 the MCU was off and running. CAPTAIN AMERICA was a hit. THE AVENGERS were a bigger hit. It was as if Paramount had found the secret formula (which they did) for making Superhero movies that were basically legal machines for printing money. And whatever box office the movie made in theaters, that would be doubled or more in home video. Then came the second sequel. In hindsight, some point to Disney buying out Paramount's Marvel properties of THE AVENGERS and IRON MAN in 2012, leaving Paramount with plenty of cash and nothing to lose if they poisoned Disney's new well. On the other hand, maybe it was to Disney's benefit if the property lost some value before all the monetary transactions were complete? When you rule out all possibilities then whatever is left, however improbable, has an ocean of its own possibilities. Sour grapes coming from unexpected corners are legendary in Hollywood, and who knows really when everybody wants credit for a hit and nobody takes credit for a miss? For whatever reason(s) which are none too clear, somewhere in the chain they threw away everything they learned that far in making hit, fan pleasing Marvel movies, and made a parody IRON MAN 3 so mediocre that it destroyed the franchise for the next ten years and damaged the MCU brand.
The RUMOR is Spreading!
Do you live in the Permian Basin area of West Texas (Odessa, Midland)? Today, May 2nd - Odessa First Fridays Downtown event: Book Signing at Ye Old BookWorm at 7pm. May 10th: Book signing at Barnes & Noble in Midland, Texas, TBA If everyone sells out before you can buy a copy? RUMOR is also available on Kindle, so if you buy it online you can get your photo taken with the author while you ... hold your Kindle, I guess? And - THE BEAST OF YUCCA FLATS Turns 64
In 1961 it was the worst movie ever released in the U.S.A.! But that's a highly competitive field and it lost that emblem a long time ago. Never-the-less, this movie once occupied such a lowly perch and reviewer Kelly Parks forced himself to watch THE BEAST OF YUCCA FLATS out of sheer masochism. Plus - Like It Or Not, May Is Marvel Month So Let's Get To It: X-MEN 2 is 22
Over a quarter Century ago, New Line Cinema's BLADE blew off the door for Marvel movies. When it did, Columbia Pictures stopped sitting on their hands and finally committed to their SPIDER-MAN property. To top Sony's Columbia, 20th Century Fox finally roused from their moribund business model: their decade plus of fence sitting on their X-MEN property, and tried to shove as many X-Men through that doorway as possible. Columbia has one Marvel Superhero? Well we've got a whole school of them! The first X-MEN, in 2000, led by a cast of TV show and character actors, was a surprising smash hit. Let's make that sequel! Holy shit! Columbia Picture's much delayed SPIDER-MAN (2002) is a smash! Sony is rushing forward on the sequel! Will director and co-writer Bryan Singer make lightning strike twice with X-MEN 2? Also - IRON MAN Turns 17
By many accounts, Universal Pictures and the producers who owned Marvel's HULK franchise, didn't stand by Marvel icon Stan Lee and his Marvel Comics Universe. They went their own, non-Stan Lee way with HULK, Stan wished them well, and the movie crashed and burned to ash. This is how Stan actually turned Universal's loss to his gain and used it as a launch pad for his MCU, with two Marvel movies released within months of each other, starting with IRON MAN! Finale - HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
By E.C. McMullen Jr.
The RUMOR is Spreading!
Do you live in the Permian Basin area of West Texas (Odessa, Midland)? Today, Thursday, May 1st, 5:00PM at the Ector Public Library. Be among the first to buy an autographed copy of E.C. McMullen Jr.'s first novel, RUMOR. First come first served and when they're gone, they're gone. May 2nd - Odessa First Fridays Downtown event: Book Signing at Ye Old BookWorm at 7pm. If everyone sells out before you can buy a copy? RUMOR is also available on Kindle, so if you buy it online you can get your photo taken with the author while you ... hold your Kindle, I guess. And - FRIDAY THE 13th Part 2 Turns 44
It was meant to be nothing more than an "also ran". Producer Sean S. Cunningham had the poster before he had the script. In fact before he was sure what the story was going to be. All he knew is that he wanted to copy John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN, which meant a mysterious maniac hacking barely legal kids. Except John Carpenter's movie was practically a sequel of Bob Clark's BLACK CHRISTMAS. Would a copy of a copy work? It's not as sharp as... well... the original.* Though Cunningham had the low budget of Clark and Carpenter's indie slashers, he also had something the other two directors didn't have: the big studio clout of Paramount Pictures. And that, kiddies, is part of the reason that we still have FRIDAY THE 13th Part 2, today. *Michael Keaton in Multiplicity. Plus - X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE is 16
To the suits at 20th Century Fox's utter surprise, the first X-MEN was a far bigger hit than they anticipated. Then X2 was a bigger hit than that. Well if there was one thing 20th Century Fox despised in the 1990s and early 2000s it was producers, writers, and directors increasing their value (and so their paycheck) in the world with Fox properties. Fox soon made things unbearable for their hit director so he left, leaving a hole that Fox suits at that time didn't know how to fill and, from an outsider's view, didn't care. We saw this contemptable lack of care throughout the young millennium's Golden Age of Marvel movies. Everyone from Disney to Columbia Pictures figured out how to make a winning Marvel movie. Only 20th Century Fox threw themselves off of a cliff, nearly every single time they made one. X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE was no exception. Also - HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
By E.C. McMullen Jr.
|
| FEO'S BRAGGADOCIO | ||||||||
INTERVIEWS Matt Jarbo's interview with Feo Amante at The Zurvivalist. James Cheetham's Q&A with Feo Amante at Unconventional Interviews *. Megan Scudellari interviews Feo Amante and Kelly Parks (of THE SCIENCE MOMENT) in The Scientist Magazine. Check out our interview at The-Scientist.com. REFERENCES Researcher David Waldron, references my review of UNDERWORLD in the Spring 2005, Journal of Religion and Popular Culture entry, Role-Playing Games and the Christian Right: Community Formation in Response to a Moral Panic (downloadable pdf). E.C. McMullen Jr.
*Linked to archive.org |
NEWS? |
FAIR USE - |