By Hank Reineke
The blending of two disparate but popular film genres – in this case, the horror/sci-fi film with the saddle opera - was hardly new when The Valley of Gwangi hit the big screen in 1969. This film’s most identifiable predecessor, one pitting cowboys against a prehistoric monster, might be The Beast of Hollow Mountain (1956), but truth be told Hollywood had been combining these two genres almost from the very beginning. In the 1930s and ‘40s, audiences thrilled to the ghostly monochrome exploits of such western serial heroes as Ken Maynard, Buffalo Bill Cody, and Buster Crabbe with such films as Tombstone Canyon (1932), The Vanishing Riders (1935), and Wild Horse Phantom (1944). Universal’s Curse of the Undead (1959) was a later but no less interesting experiment for Hollywood’s preeminent fright factory. The studio removed the vampire from the usual atmospheric Gothic trappings of old Europe and dropped him onto the sagebrush plain.
The blending of two disparate but popular film genres – in this case, the horror/sci-fi film with the saddle opera - was hardly new when The Valley of Gwangi hit the big screen in 1969. This film’s most identifiable predecessor, one pitting cowboys against a prehistoric monster, might be The Beast of Hollow Mountain (1956), but truth be told Hollywood had been combining these two genres almost from the very beginning. In the 1930s and ‘40s, audiences thrilled to the ghostly monochrome exploits of such western serial heroes as Ken Maynard, Buffalo Bill Cody, and Buster Crabbe with such films as Tombstone Canyon (1932), The Vanishing Riders (1935), and Wild Horse Phantom (1944). Universal’s Curse of the Undead (1959) was a later but no less interesting experiment for Hollywood’s preeminent fright factory. The studio removed the vampire from the usual atmospheric Gothic trappings of old Europe and dropped him onto the sagebrush plain.
- 5/15/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
By Hank Reineke
Curt Siodmak’s The Magnetic Monster is one of the more thoughtful – and thought provoking - science-fiction films of the era. Produced by Ivan Tors (whom would share screenplay credit with Siodmak), this intriguing 1953 release from United Artists is a cerebral, worthy addition to the classic sci-fi canon. Its likely most fondly remembered among devotees of 1950s sci-fi for whom the presence of a rubber-suited monster is not a prerequisite.
Richard Carlson (It Came From Outer Space, The Creature from the Black Lagoon) essays the role of Dr. Jeffrey Stewart, a brilliant graduate of Boston’s M.I.T. now working for the Osi (Office of Scientific Investigation). Stewart and his assistant, the bespectacled egghead Dr. Dan Forbes (King Donovan) are self-described “Detectives with Degrees in Science.” They’re government “A-Men,” the “A” prefix representative of their pedigree in atomic energy research. The two are called by...
Curt Siodmak’s The Magnetic Monster is one of the more thoughtful – and thought provoking - science-fiction films of the era. Produced by Ivan Tors (whom would share screenplay credit with Siodmak), this intriguing 1953 release from United Artists is a cerebral, worthy addition to the classic sci-fi canon. Its likely most fondly remembered among devotees of 1950s sci-fi for whom the presence of a rubber-suited monster is not a prerequisite.
Richard Carlson (It Came From Outer Space, The Creature from the Black Lagoon) essays the role of Dr. Jeffrey Stewart, a brilliant graduate of Boston’s M.I.T. now working for the Osi (Office of Scientific Investigation). Stewart and his assistant, the bespectacled egghead Dr. Dan Forbes (King Donovan) are self-described “Detectives with Degrees in Science.” They’re government “A-Men,” the “A” prefix representative of their pedigree in atomic energy research. The two are called by...
- 12/14/2016
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Hank Pym not being Ultron's creator in Avengers: Age of Ultron is one major change, but now it seems like we should expect another. Based on the footage description for the movie (which you can read by clicking here), it sounds as if Tony Stark will be responsible only for the creation of the Ultron A.I. and not his first physical form. What you see below appears to be the first crude body that the villain builds for himself when he attacks Earth's Mightiest Heroes for the first time in Avengers Tower. Talk about a Frankenstein feel, eh? What do you guys think? Joss Whedon's Avengers: Age of Ultron stars Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Cobie Smulders, Don Cheadle, Paul Bettany, James Spader, and Samuel L. Jackson, and is set to be released on May 1st,...
- 7/27/2014
- ComicBookMovie.com
20th Century Fox
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
How do you solve a problem like the X-Men continuum? If you’re Bryan Singer, charged with marrying two casts and two timelines in a converging comic book epic, you just sort of don’t. Rather than wasting time attempting to atone for the plot-holes and errors created by the franchise’s careless time-keeping, Singer instead challenges the audience just to accept the film as a by-product of its source material. After all, nobody cares in the comics when details are retconned and origins changed in the same timeline, so why should they when it is translated to screen?
Had Singer got lost in that particularly hopeless quagmire, we would not have got to see this hugely intriguing, highly entertaining affair that trades off some of the socio-cultural tension of First Class to embrace a Godzilla like nuclear age allegory, even with a direct nod to Oppenheimer himself.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
How do you solve a problem like the X-Men continuum? If you’re Bryan Singer, charged with marrying two casts and two timelines in a converging comic book epic, you just sort of don’t. Rather than wasting time attempting to atone for the plot-holes and errors created by the franchise’s careless time-keeping, Singer instead challenges the audience just to accept the film as a by-product of its source material. After all, nobody cares in the comics when details are retconned and origins changed in the same timeline, so why should they when it is translated to screen?
Had Singer got lost in that particularly hopeless quagmire, we would not have got to see this hugely intriguing, highly entertaining affair that trades off some of the socio-cultural tension of First Class to embrace a Godzilla like nuclear age allegory, even with a direct nod to Oppenheimer himself.
- 5/22/2014
- by Simon Gallagher
- Obsessed with Film
We’re getting close to the end of the wild ride that’s been ‘American Horror Story: Coven,’ so needless to say, some people died tonight. Actually, scratch that— many people died tonight. Don’t read on if you don’t want to know who bit it!
American Horror Story has never shied away from horrifyingly graphic massacres, and they nearly outdid themselves in “Protect the Coven.” It was madness. Additionally, we got to see the gruesome beginnings of Madame Lalaurie’s (Kathy Bates) controversial habit, the aftermath of Queenie’s (Gabourey Sidibe) shooting, and some serious Marie (Angela Bassett) and Fiona (Jessica Lange) lady-bonding. Plus, find out who is headed to Disney World (this is not a joke) below!
‘Ahs: Coven’: Guts & Glory
As per the usual, so much happened during “Protect the Coven” that I’m still struggling to get my head straight — like, now that The Corporation is gone,...
American Horror Story has never shied away from horrifyingly graphic massacres, and they nearly outdid themselves in “Protect the Coven.” It was madness. Additionally, we got to see the gruesome beginnings of Madame Lalaurie’s (Kathy Bates) controversial habit, the aftermath of Queenie’s (Gabourey Sidibe) shooting, and some serious Marie (Angela Bassett) and Fiona (Jessica Lange) lady-bonding. Plus, find out who is headed to Disney World (this is not a joke) below!
‘Ahs: Coven’: Guts & Glory
As per the usual, so much happened during “Protect the Coven” that I’m still struggling to get my head straight — like, now that The Corporation is gone,...
- 1/16/2014
- by Shaunna Murphy
- HollywoodLife
"American Horror Story: Coven" is on hiatus until January 8th, but to keep you warm until then, we have a preview of Episode 3.10, "The Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks," and a few hints of what's coming.
Per usual, exec producer Ryan Murphy chatted with EW following last night's episode and shared the following info about what we can expect in the remaining four episodes:
Will we learn more about the witch hunters and that world?
Yes. Obviously now that the Corporation’s plant is dead, we get much more into that when we come back from the winter break.
The big question is: Is Queenie dead?
Everyone wants to know that and I’m not saying, but we do talk about what happens to her body in Episode 10 so keep watching.
It seems like Cordelia and Misty are building a bond. Will that continue?
Yeah. The interesting thing we’re...
Per usual, exec producer Ryan Murphy chatted with EW following last night's episode and shared the following info about what we can expect in the remaining four episodes:
Will we learn more about the witch hunters and that world?
Yes. Obviously now that the Corporation’s plant is dead, we get much more into that when we come back from the winter break.
The big question is: Is Queenie dead?
Everyone wants to know that and I’m not saying, but we do talk about what happens to her body in Episode 10 so keep watching.
It seems like Cordelia and Misty are building a bond. Will that continue?
Yeah. The interesting thing we’re...
- 12/12/2013
- by Debi Moore
- DreadCentral.com
[Spoiler Alert If You Haven't Seen The Latest American Horror Story: Coven!!!!!!]
The dead bodies are starting to pile up on American Horror Story: Coven. As is typical for this franchise, characters begin to get the ax as the season winds down and last night was no exception.
Hank, Luke, and (maybe) Queenie all bit the dust in the mid-season finale “Head.” EW talked to co-creator Ryan Murphy about all the developments and what’s in store for Ahs: Coven in 2014.
Entertainment Weekly: You’ve said “Head” is your favorite episode so far this season. Why is that?
Ryan Murphy: So far it’s my favorite one of the year...
The dead bodies are starting to pile up on American Horror Story: Coven. As is typical for this franchise, characters begin to get the ax as the season winds down and last night was no exception.
Hank, Luke, and (maybe) Queenie all bit the dust in the mid-season finale “Head.” EW talked to co-creator Ryan Murphy about all the developments and what’s in store for Ahs: Coven in 2014.
Entertainment Weekly: You’ve said “Head” is your favorite episode so far this season. Why is that?
Ryan Murphy: So far it’s my favorite one of the year...
- 12/12/2013
- by Tim Stack
- EW - Inside TV
American Horror Story: Coven Episode 103
“The Replacements”
Written By: James Wong
Directed By: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
Original Airdate: 23 October 2013
In This Episode...
The coven is getting new neighbors: Joan Ramsay and her son Luke. Joan is a religious zealot who is offended when she sees the girls watching Luke unpack boxes. Nan and Madison later bring over a welcome cake. Nan is sweet as can be, but Madison really sluts it up and doesn’t veil her flirting. She is offended that Luke seems more interested in plain-Jane Nan. Joan is furious when she sees Madison and demands both the girls leave. Madison picks up the cake knife and “throws it” (with her mind) at Joan, missing her on purpose. Joan screams at them to leave, and on the way out, her curtains go up in flames. “I didn’t know you could do that,” Nan whispers. “I didn’t either,...
“The Replacements”
Written By: James Wong
Directed By: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
Original Airdate: 23 October 2013
In This Episode...
The coven is getting new neighbors: Joan Ramsay and her son Luke. Joan is a religious zealot who is offended when she sees the girls watching Luke unpack boxes. Nan and Madison later bring over a welcome cake. Nan is sweet as can be, but Madison really sluts it up and doesn’t veil her flirting. She is offended that Luke seems more interested in plain-Jane Nan. Joan is furious when she sees Madison and demands both the girls leave. Madison picks up the cake knife and “throws it” (with her mind) at Joan, missing her on purpose. Joan screams at them to leave, and on the way out, her curtains go up in flames. “I didn’t know you could do that,” Nan whispers. “I didn’t either,...
- 10/24/2013
- by Alyse Wax
- FEARnet
American Horror Story Episode 302
“Boy Parts”
Written By: Tim Minear
Directed By: Michael Rymer
Original Airdate: 16 October 2013
In This Episode...
Cordelia wakes the girls for morning gathering, and insists Fiona join them. Morning gathering, as far as I can tell, is basically like an AA meeting. The festivities are interrupted by homicide detectives who want to talk to Zoe and Madison about the frat party. The girls were the last ones seen with the frat brothers, and the detectives suspect the girls messed with the bus. Of course, they have no proof, but they do have a photo of Zoe leaving the hospital around the same time that that one frat boy died... in a remarkably similar fashion as her boyfriend Charlie. Zoe loses it, hysterically admitting to everything, including that it was all done with witchcraft. This makes Cordelia’s explanation of a psychological break completely plausible. Fiona comes...
“Boy Parts”
Written By: Tim Minear
Directed By: Michael Rymer
Original Airdate: 16 October 2013
In This Episode...
Cordelia wakes the girls for morning gathering, and insists Fiona join them. Morning gathering, as far as I can tell, is basically like an AA meeting. The festivities are interrupted by homicide detectives who want to talk to Zoe and Madison about the frat party. The girls were the last ones seen with the frat brothers, and the detectives suspect the girls messed with the bus. Of course, they have no proof, but they do have a photo of Zoe leaving the hospital around the same time that that one frat boy died... in a remarkably similar fashion as her boyfriend Charlie. Zoe loses it, hysterically admitting to everything, including that it was all done with witchcraft. This makes Cordelia’s explanation of a psychological break completely plausible. Fiona comes...
- 10/17/2013
- by Alyse Wax
- FEARnet
"American Horror Story: Coven" puts two intriguing storylines into motion with "Boy Parts" -- a witchy war and a "Groom of Frankenstein" idea. Plus there's a sex scene in a fertility storyline that is either sexy or total nightmare fuel, depending on how you feel about snakes.
The War
In her quest to be young and beautiful forever, Fiona is holding Madame Lalaurie captive in the house in order to find out what happened to her. It turns out Marie Laveau gave her an immortality elixir, rounded up a mob, strung up her daughters and husband and then buried Lalaurie alive.
Fiona hunts down Marie Laveau, who is a running a salon in the 9th ward. There's an interesting conversation about a slave in Salem being the one who brought magic powers to the U.S., meaning all Caucasian witches are descendants of this slave and her powers that she...
The War
In her quest to be young and beautiful forever, Fiona is holding Madame Lalaurie captive in the house in order to find out what happened to her. It turns out Marie Laveau gave her an immortality elixir, rounded up a mob, strung up her daughters and husband and then buried Lalaurie alive.
Fiona hunts down Marie Laveau, who is a running a salon in the 9th ward. There's an interesting conversation about a slave in Salem being the one who brought magic powers to the U.S., meaning all Caucasian witches are descendants of this slave and her powers that she...
- 10/17/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
On tap right now are two new synopses for "American Horror Story: Coven" Episode 3.02, "Boy Parts," and Episode 3.03, "The Replacements." Read on for a hint of what to expect or fly blind. The choice is yours!
The full "Coven" cast includes Frances Conroy, Taissa Farmiga, Jessica Lange, Alexandra Breckenridge, Kathy Bates, Lily Rabe, Sarah Paulson, Jamie Brewer, Evan Peters, Gabourey Sidibe, Angela Bassett, Patti LuPone, Christine Ebersole, Danny Huston, Alexander Dreymon, Leslie Jordan, and Denis O'Hare.
Related Story: New Images, Promos, and Expanded Synopsis for "American Horror Story: Coven" Episode 3.01 "Bitchcraft"
"American Horror Story: Coven" Episode 3.01 - "Bitchcraft" (airs 10/9/13)
A young girl, Zoe (Taissa Farmiga), is shattered to discover she possesses a strange genetic affliction tracing back to the dark days of Salem. Zoe is whisked away to Miss Robichaux’s Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies, a mysterious school in New Orleans devoted to safeguarding the few remaining descendants who share this unique bloodline.
The full "Coven" cast includes Frances Conroy, Taissa Farmiga, Jessica Lange, Alexandra Breckenridge, Kathy Bates, Lily Rabe, Sarah Paulson, Jamie Brewer, Evan Peters, Gabourey Sidibe, Angela Bassett, Patti LuPone, Christine Ebersole, Danny Huston, Alexander Dreymon, Leslie Jordan, and Denis O'Hare.
Related Story: New Images, Promos, and Expanded Synopsis for "American Horror Story: Coven" Episode 3.01 "Bitchcraft"
"American Horror Story: Coven" Episode 3.01 - "Bitchcraft" (airs 10/9/13)
A young girl, Zoe (Taissa Farmiga), is shattered to discover she possesses a strange genetic affliction tracing back to the dark days of Salem. Zoe is whisked away to Miss Robichaux’s Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies, a mysterious school in New Orleans devoted to safeguarding the few remaining descendants who share this unique bloodline.
- 10/3/2013
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Whether you're celebrating Halloween with a spooky Saturday party or trick or treating on the night itself, there are plenty of creepy TV offerings to keep you occupied from now until October 31.
Many of your favorite series are staging themed episodes, along with the prerequisite horror movie marathons and Halloween specials, so set your DVR, break out the candy corn and don't turn out the lights ...
Friday, October 26
"Mockingbird Lane" (8 p.m. Et, NBC)
Sweet little Eddie Munster (Mason Cook) is a normal kid about to enter the horrors of puberty. Truth is, he's about to discover that for him, becoming a teenager means growing hair in truly unexpected places -- as in, all over his body -- every time the moon is full! Eddie's got it pretty good though. His loving, supportive, run-of-the-mill family includes his mom Lily (Portia de Rossi), the daughter of Dracula; his dad Herman (Jerry O'Connell...
Many of your favorite series are staging themed episodes, along with the prerequisite horror movie marathons and Halloween specials, so set your DVR, break out the candy corn and don't turn out the lights ...
Friday, October 26
"Mockingbird Lane" (8 p.m. Et, NBC)
Sweet little Eddie Munster (Mason Cook) is a normal kid about to enter the horrors of puberty. Truth is, he's about to discover that for him, becoming a teenager means growing hair in truly unexpected places -- as in, all over his body -- every time the moon is full! Eddie's got it pretty good though. His loving, supportive, run-of-the-mill family includes his mom Lily (Portia de Rossi), the daughter of Dracula; his dad Herman (Jerry O'Connell...
- 10/26/2012
- by Laura Prudom
- Huffington Post
It’s a good news/bad news report. Unfortunately, the bad news is that NBC has now confirmed that Mockingbird Lane, the Bryan Fuller-written-and-produced re-imagining of The Munsters, will not be produced as a series. The somewhat good news is that we don’t lose everything; the one hour pilot has been refashioned into a special, to air the Friday before Halloween.
Mr. Fuller himself tweeted this upbeat interpretation:
#Mockingbirdlane Lives!
— Bryan Fuller (@BryanFuller) October 11, 2012
It is perhaps a remote possibility that, should the special do well, the series still could become a reality, but that is wild speculation. Here’s the press release, which also details the episode of Grimm that will follow the special, and which will feature a Latin American folk tale:
NBC Stirs Up Creepy Cauldron For Halloween With A Fright Night Featuring One-hour Pilot Of ‘Mockingbird Lane’ Leading Into Haunting Episode Of ‘Grimm’ On...
Mr. Fuller himself tweeted this upbeat interpretation:
#Mockingbirdlane Lives!
— Bryan Fuller (@BryanFuller) October 11, 2012
It is perhaps a remote possibility that, should the special do well, the series still could become a reality, but that is wild speculation. Here’s the press release, which also details the episode of Grimm that will follow the special, and which will feature a Latin American folk tale:
NBC Stirs Up Creepy Cauldron For Halloween With A Fright Night Featuring One-hour Pilot Of ‘Mockingbird Lane’ Leading Into Haunting Episode Of ‘Grimm’ On...
- 10/12/2012
- by Erin Willard
- ScifiMafia
"'Even a Man Who is Pure in Heart': Filmic Horror, Popular Religion and the Spectral Underside of History," an essay that appeared in the Journal of Religion and Popular Culture in 2005, piqued Michael Guillén's interest in its author, Mario DeGiglio-Bellemare, "a native Montrealer and 'monster kid' who teaches courses on genre cinema and monsters in the Humanities department of John Abbott College." So they met up a few weeks ago at the Fantasia International Film Festival and Michael's transcription of their conversation — touching on national identities, filmmakers who straddle the high and the low, "the knowledge systems of ordinary people" and more — is one of the week's best reads, which is why I wanted to point it out right at the top of this little roundup of horror-related items.
The splashiest of these will surely be Jason Zinoman's survey of "a diverse collection of filmmakers about the scariest movie they'd...
The splashiest of these will surely be Jason Zinoman's survey of "a diverse collection of filmmakers about the scariest movie they'd...
- 8/21/2011
- MUBI
Set against and amongst the Cuban Missile Crisis during the 1960s as two superpowers squared off on the brink of war, Matthew Vaughn’s X-Men: First Class is the notably vigorous, deliberately retro setup of a similar epic clash between two powerful factions… and the humans who fear them.
“A war is coming,” a CIA agent warns at the movie’s midpoint, peering in on a known mutant with unknown capabilities. His colleague ominously replies, “Yes, but with whom?”
Suitably, the flick begins with an audible rumble and ends with a roar, and the promise of more spectacle on the horizon. But, as entertaining as the crescendo becomes, the expansive X-Men universe is ultimately too cumbersome to condense, even for an adept storyteller like Vaughn, and plays like a precursor to something much cooler to come. Characters are introduced and backstories are quickly established (or, in some cases, entirely ignored...
“A war is coming,” a CIA agent warns at the movie’s midpoint, peering in on a known mutant with unknown capabilities. His colleague ominously replies, “Yes, but with whom?”
Suitably, the flick begins with an audible rumble and ends with a roar, and the promise of more spectacle on the horizon. But, as entertaining as the crescendo becomes, the expansive X-Men universe is ultimately too cumbersome to condense, even for an adept storyteller like Vaughn, and plays like a precursor to something much cooler to come. Characters are introduced and backstories are quickly established (or, in some cases, entirely ignored...
- 6/2/2011
- by Jeff Leins
- newsinfilm.com
Curious to know what frightful films and devilish discs will be available to view in the privacy of your own digital dungeon this week? Fango's got you covered.
It's a stellar week for fright-fare in the home market, especially for those that prefer Blu-ray, with some pretty big titles hitting the format for the first time.
Below the jump you'll find the full list of titles arriving in-stores this Tuesday, September 15, 2009 in our weekly version of the famous Fangoria Chopping List - updated with all the last-minute additions and deletions.
Note: Clickable links lead to Amazon.com An American Werewolf In London (Full Moon Edition, DVD & Bd)
Re-discover one of the most gripping horror films of all-time with the cult classic An American Werewolf in London. Blending the macabre with a wicked sense of humor, director John Landis (National Lampoon’s Animal House) delivers a contemporary take on the classic...
It's a stellar week for fright-fare in the home market, especially for those that prefer Blu-ray, with some pretty big titles hitting the format for the first time.
Below the jump you'll find the full list of titles arriving in-stores this Tuesday, September 15, 2009 in our weekly version of the famous Fangoria Chopping List - updated with all the last-minute additions and deletions.
Note: Clickable links lead to Amazon.com An American Werewolf In London (Full Moon Edition, DVD & Bd)
Re-discover one of the most gripping horror films of all-time with the cult classic An American Werewolf in London. Blending the macabre with a wicked sense of humor, director John Landis (National Lampoon’s Animal House) delivers a contemporary take on the classic...
- 9/13/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (James Zahn)
- Fangoria
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