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2009 | 2008
1-20 of 25 articles from 2009 « Prev | Next »
Bsb: In Praise of Fright Night
11 hours ago | Fangoria | See recent Fangoria news »
When you scrape away the death obsessed subtext and technicalities of the process, watching and loving horror films should be just plain fun, exhilarating fun, a complete escape into another parallel world that echoes our own. If it's not, if you find yourself labouring to find that simple joyous eye of the proverbial needle, well then, perhaps you should just give up the pursuit of terror geekdome altogether.
For me, speaking as someone who was literally born into a world where the people that done made me loved dark movies and weird entertainments and fully endorsed my obsessions with my growing "id", horror films will forever be tied to the sweetest moments of my youth. From those secret late night, school night, TV movie binges to sneaking into R rated films after buying PG tickets, horror was my first rebellion against the mainstream so embraced by my peers and the »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (Chris Alexander)
MattFini's Halloween Top 10 Lists: Ghost Stories!
26 October 2009 4:47 PM, PDT | DreadCentral.com | See recent Dread Central news »
Editor's Note: We're always on the lookout for good new writers here at Dread Central, and with the addition of MattFini we hit pay dirt! Matt's not only one of our best and brightest, but he's also as opinionated as they come. You're almost always guaranteed to be either infuriated or amused at his musings. Each day this week he'll be posting his own Halloween Top 10 lists. Agree? Disagree? Laugh! Cry! Sound off inside!
Without further ado ... the man, the myth, the lunatic, our very own Masked Slasher, MattFini!
This past weekend saw the upset of the ages as sleeper hit Paranormal Activity bested the reigning champion that is the Saw franchise at the box office. So, in honor of one of the scariest films to come along in a while, we thought it’d be fun to offer a countdown of the 10 greatest ghost films ever made.
In the end, »
- Masked Slasher
The Wizard Of Oz 70th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray Review
15 October 2009 2:29 PM, PDT | Collider.com | See recent Collider.com news »
I had a friend who had done some jail time. I was always very curious about this because I knew that it would be hugely unlikely I would ever see the inside of a cell (knock on wood). He told that one of the most beloved movies by prisoners was Wizard of Oz. This made all the sense in the world. Wizard of Oz is the ultimate escapist fantasy, which betrays the film’s original message. My thoughts after the jump.
Ironically, what people remember most is the vivid Technicolor of Oz more than the sepia toned world of Kansas. We love our family, but the imagination is stirred by everything that happens when not at home, when not in a safe place. And yet that simple message that there is no place like home, that desire to return to one’s family is pretty profound in the movie. Wizard of Oz, »
- Andre Dellamorte
DVD Playhouse--September 2009
26 September 2009 1:01 PM, PDT | The Hollywood Interview | See recent The Hollywood Interview news »
DVD Playhouse—September 2009
By
The Human Condition (Criterion) Masaki Kobayashi’s epic (574 minutes) adaptation of Junpei Gomikawa’s six-volume novel was originally made and released as three separate films (1959-61), and is rightfully regarded as a landmark of Japanese cinema. Candide-like story of naïve, good-hearted Kaiji (Japanese superstar Tatsuya Nakadai) from labor camp supervisor, to Imperial Army solider, to Soviet Pow, and Kaiji’s struggle to maintain his humanity throughout. Unfolds with the mastery of a great novel, beautifully-shot, and a stunning example of cinematic mastery on the part of its makers. Four-disc set bonuses include: Interview with Kobayashi; Interview with Nakadai; Featurette; Trailer; Essay by critic Philip Kemp. Widescreen. Dolby 3.0 surround.
State Of Play (Universal) Russell Crowe stars as a veteran Washington D.C. political reporter investigating the murder of an aide to a rising congressional star (Ben Affleck), who also happens to be an old friend. »
- The Hollywood Interview.com
DVD Review: Delightful ‘Bedknobs and Broomsticks’ is Timeless
15 September 2009 11:33 AM, PDT | HollywoodChicago.com | See recent HollywoodChicago.com news »
Chicago – When it was announced that Disney would be releasing a new special edition of “Bedknobs and Broomsticks,” the little kid in me woke up and started pounding on my memory banks. I have such vivid memories of watching the film as a child, mouth agape, eyes wide, and falling in love with the blend of animation and live-action that looked so revolutionary to this future critic’s young mind. Pick up the DVD and inspire a child you know.
DVD Rating: 3.5/5.0 “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” is a film so ingrained in the memory of my childhood that I can’t really approach it critically. It’s difficult to separate the personal meaning the film has for me on rainy Sundays around the Vcr with my mother and sister and look at it without bias. But I bet I’m not alone. And if you remember “Bedknobs” with the same fondness, »
- adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
New on DVD This Week
9 September 2009 7:00 AM, PDT | The Flickcast | See recent The Flickcast news »
Here’s a list of some of the new movie and TV shows coming to DVD and Blu-ray this week that we’re looking forward to seeing. Also, there’s some classic, and not-so-classic, movies hitting Blu-ray for the first time this week as well.
Of all the new releases, we’re particularly interested in the Blu-ray versions of movies like Silverado, Dead Calm and The Quick and the Dead as well as Fringe Season One also on the Blu-ray.
Check them out.
Movies
Bedknobs and Broomsticks ~ Angela Lansbury, Roddy McDowall (DVD)
Catwoman ~ Halle Berry (Blu-ray)
Crank 2: High Voltage ~ Jason Statham, Amy Smart, David Carradine (DVD and Blu-ray)
Creepshow ~ Hal Holbrook, Leslie Nielsen (Blu-ray)
Dead Calm ~ Nicole Kidman, Sam Neill, Billy Zane (Blu-ray)
Requiem for a Dream ~ Billy Crudup, Jennifer Connelly (Blu-ray)
Freddy vs. Jason ~ Robert Englund, Monica Keena (Blu-ray)
Friday ~ Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, Nia Long (Blu-ray)
- Joe Gillis
'Bedknobs and Broomsticks' - See 9 clips from the DVD!
30 August 2009 10:10 PM, PDT | Movie Jungle | See recent Movie Jungle news »
We have nine clips in from Buena Vista Home Entertainment's "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" which comes to DVD for the very first time on . This was one of my favorite family films during my youth which I must have visited easily over a dozen times. The charming cast stars Angela Lansbury, David Tomlinson, Roddy McDowall, Sam Jaffem John Ericson, Bruce Forsyth and Cindy O'Callaghan. Robert Stevenston directs from the writing by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi based on the book "Bed-Knob and Broomstick." »
DVD Playhouse--July 2009
14 July 2009 12:00 PM, PDT | The Hollywood Interview | See recent The Hollywood Interview news »
DVD Playhouse—July 2009
By
Allen Gardner
Do The Right Thing: 20th Anniversary Edition (Universal) Spike Lee’s groundbreaking fable about race relations in an ethnically mixed Brooklyn neighborhood during a sweltering New York summer remains as potent, timely and prescient as it was in 1989. Lee is among the cast, which also includes John Turturro, Danny Aiello, Samuel L. Jackson, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, and Rosie Perez (to name a few), that provide the tableaux-like framework for this stunning work. Criminally ignored by Oscar (it wasn't even nominated for Best Picture, but did garner nods for Supporting Actor Danny Aiello and Lee’s screenplay), it endures as a timeless classic. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Commentary by Lee, Ernest Dickerson, Wynn Thomas, Joie Lee; Documentary; Deleted and extended scenes; Featurettes. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround.
Coraline (Universal) A young girl moves into an old Victorian house with her parents »
- The Hollywood Interview.com
Lassie: Famous Collie Returning to TV; Jon Provost Open to Revival
13 July 2009 6:24 AM, PDT | TVSeriesFinale.com | See recent TVSeriesFinale news »
W.C. Fields once said, "Never work with children or animals." Well, one of the world's most famous canines is returning to television and it looks like producers will get to avoid working with both real-life kids and dogs.
The character of Lassie the collie first appeared in a 1938 short story, written by Eric Knight. It was later expanded into a novel called Lassie Come-Home. An MGM film based on the book, starring Roddy McDowall and Elizabeth Taylor, hit theaters in 1943. That spawned additional Lassie stories in print, on radio and in movie theaters.
In 1954, the Lassie TV show debuted on CBS. Aside from the famous canine, the family show features the talents of Tommy Rettig, Jan Clayton, George Cleveland, Jon Provost, June Lockhart, Hugh Reilly, Robert Bray, Jack De Mave, Jed Allan, Ron Hayes, Larry Wilcox, Pamelyn Ferdin, Cloris Leachman, and Jon Shepodd. Lassie had a number of human friends »
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Dirty Mary Crazy Larry
1 July 2009 2:05 AM, PDT | Latemag.com/film | See recent LateFilmFull news »
A few years ago I picked up a book called Trash: The Graphic Genius of Xploitation Movie Posters. On page 42 and 43 are the posters for Dirty Mary Crazy Larry and Vanishing point. Also on page 42 is a flyer for a 1975 (Drive-in I assume) double bill of with both films. The flyer / poster bears the slogan "3 1/2 hours of high performance action as two of the great chase films return ... together". Now I've seen both films over the years (Vanishing Point more, because its the better movie), but ever since I picked up the book I have wanted to watch them back to back as a double bill. With cult movie magpie Quentin Tarantino referencing both films in his "Grindhouse" movie Death Proof it reminded me of this, love or hate Qt he does have the effect of putting older movies back in the public consciousness. Anyway you have obviously figured out where this is leading, »
- Leigh
“Nazis. I hate these guys.”: 15 WWII Movies Worth Watching Before You See Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds.
26 May 2009 4:10 PM, PDT | FilmJunk | See recent FilmJunk news »
Who knew that the Nazis -- one of the most brutal regimes in the history of brutal regimes -- would be responsible for such fun, mind-blowingly awesome entertainment? The second I see a dude in a grey German uniform and an eye patch enter the frame, I’m like ‘Whoa. That Nazi is going to provide me a great amount of entertainment this evening’. So, with Inglorious Bastards having recently premiered at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, I figured I'd put together a list of some awesome WW2 films as a resource for anyone wanting to beef up their WW2 film knowledge before checking out Tarantino's self-proclaimed 'masterpiece'. It's worth noting that I focused on older films -- pre-1980 for the most part -- and only the stories featuring Nazi's. It was tough to cut this down to 15 films, but I'm sure you all will be able to come up with »
- Jay C.
Dreamworks Remaking Fright Night
16 May 2009 12:00 AM, PDT | toxicshock.tv | See recent toxicshock news »
DreamWorks is in the process of remaking the classic horror-comedy “Fright Night.” Michael Gaeta and Alison Rosenzweig of Gaeta/Rosenzweig Films, and Michael De Luca are producing the remake. Mark Sourian, co-president of production at DreamWorks, is overseeing the project. The original “Fright Night” was written and directed by Tom Holland in 1985. Starring William Ragsdale, Chris Sarandon, Roddy McDowall, and Stephen Geoffreys, the horror comedy was about a teen who discovers that his neighbors are in fact, vampires. No writer or casting has been announced so far, or a release date. Stay tuned to Shockya.com for more “Fright Night” and other horror news. By Costa Koutsoutis (Source: The Hollywood Reporter) »
- Costa Koutsoutis
Unkillable Classics: Fright Night remake? Why?
15 May 2009 9:58 AM, PDT | Fangoria | See recent Fangoria news »
Greetings once again, Fango Faithful. Before I get back to our discussions on the best of horror on television, I wanted to stop and share some thoughts on another matter. As you may or may not know, I also captain the Blog@Newsarama section of Newsarama.com. Yesterday, I posted the following piece. For obvious reasons, I thought that all of you might like to share your thoughts. I’ll be back next week with continuation of the TV exploration. For now, read on.
It’s been confirmed by sources like The Hollywood Reporter (see previous item here) that 1985’s Fright Night will be getting the remake treatment. Now, I don’t want to be one of those people that runs down a remake before it appears; in fact, I thought that the Battlestar revamp succeeded beyond my wildest imagination, and I enjoyed Snyder’s Dawn Of The Dead. That said, »
‘Fright Night’ Remake in the Works?
14 May 2009 5:42 PM, PDT | The Flickcast | See recent The Flickcast news »
We shouldn’t really be surprised about any remakes or reboots these days. With the new Star Trek out recently and reboots of films like Predator and Dune in the works, its just a matter of time before someone dusts off another old project ripe for an update. In this case, according to an article at The Hollywood Reporter, that project is the 1985 horror “classic” Fright Night – which Dreamworks has the rights to and is currently in the process of developing an updated version.
In case you’re not familiar with the original horror-comedy film written and directed by Tom Holland and featuring Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale and Roddy McDowall, it concerns a teenager who discovers that his neighbors are vampires. Then, once he realizes that they are, with the help of his girlfriend and a washed-up horror TV show host, he has to destroy the vampires before they take over the town. »
- Chris Ullrich
DreamWorks Sinks Teeth into 'Fright Night' Remake
14 May 2009 7:05 AM, PDT | CinemaSpy | See recent CinemaSpy news »
According to The Hollywood Reporter, DreamWorks is in the process of picking up the rights to a remake of Fright Night from Screen Gems.
The original Fright Night, written and directed by Tom Holland in 1985, starred Chris Sarandon and Roddy McDowall. In the film, a young man, Charley (William Ragsdale) discovers that his charming next-door neighbor (Sarandon) is actually a bloodthirsty vampire, and enlists the aid of Peter Vincent (McDowall), a has-been horror film actor who now hosts "Fright Night", a local TV show.
Together, the duo set out to rid Charley of his coffin-dwelling neighbor—but their plans go awry when the suave bloodsucker realizes they're on to him.
A writer has not yet been hired, but the trade reports that the updated version will retain the comedy/horror angle, whilst modernizing the effects.
DreamWorks two most recent horror outings have been The Uninvited and The Ruins.
The studio »
Fright Night Remake on the Way
13 May 2009 10:21 PM, PDT | TheMovingPicture.net | See recent TheMovingPicture news »
DreamWorks is developing a remake of Fright Night, the 1985 horror-comedy flick written and directed by Tom Holland that starred Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale, Amanda Bearse, Stephen Geoffreys and Roddy McDowall. The original Fright Night centered around a teenager who discovers that his neighbors are vampires. No writer has been hired, but the updated version will keep the comedy-horror tone while modernizing the effects. Michael Gaeta and Alison Rosenzweig (Windtalkers) of are producing along with Michael De Luca (Ghost Rider). Rosenzweig, who also is setting up remakes of The Reincarnation of Peter Proud and Angel Heart with De Luca, brought the project to him. Fright Night marked the directorial debut of Holland, who went on to helm Fatal Beauty, Child's Play, which is also in the process of being remade, The Temp and Stephen King's Thinner. A sequel, Fright Night Part 2, opened in 1988. »
- James Cook
Now it's Fright Night being (officially) remade
13 May 2009 8:25 PM, PDT | Fangoria | See recent Fangoria news »
There's been buzz bubbling about it for some time now, but The Hollywood Reporter now confirms that a remake of 1985's vampire favorite Fright Night is now in active development. DreamWorks is lined up to release the new film, which will be produced by Michael De Luca, Michael Gaeta and Alison Rosenzweig.
The original movie, written and directed by Tom Holland, mixed fright with comedy elements as it told the story of a suburban teenager (William Ragsdale) who becomes convinced that his new next-door neighbor (Chris Sarandon) is a creature of the night, and enlists a washed-up horror star turned late-night creature-feature host (Roddy McDowall) to help him. The new version will reportedly retain the scary-funny approach while, predictably, "modernizing the effects" (helloooooo, CGI!). A writer and director have yet to be attached to the project; De Luca and Rosenzweig are also working on updates of the supernatural thrillers Angel Heart »
Tribeca, French Actresses, Gay History
1 May 2009 11:03 PM, PDT | FilmExperience | See recent FilmExperience news »
Next week blogging will return to normal but this weekend I'm mostly offline. That's normally hard for me (My name is Nathaniel and I'm an internet addict) but this wedding weekend is such a blast that I haven't much though of movies... except for when we passed the Alamo Ritz earlier.
Before I left I took in my last Tribeca film, All About Actresses [Q & A] which is a French mockumentary about actresses and their neurosis. The actresses play themselves... but comedic false versions of themselves. The writer/director/star Maïwenn looked So familiar to me and I just couldn't place her. This is what IMDb is for. Turns out she played the diva Plavalaguna in The Fifth Element. Well, how about that? I always loved her scene in that movie. Her new film is... unusual... but despite my francophilia, I feel like more knowledge of French cinema would have definitely helped »
- NATHANIEL R
Playing it Straight
7 April 2009 6:31 PM, PDT | AfterElton.com | See recent AfterElton.com news »
While Sean Penn’s recent Best Actor Oscar win for Milk helped bring Harvey Milk’s message to a wide audience — both from the increased visibility of the film and from Penn’s moving acceptance speech — the occasion marked another instance of a Hollywood tradition: a gay character played by a heterosexual actor.
Penn, like Tom Hanks (Philadelphia [1993]) and William Hurt (Kiss of the Spider Woman [1985]) before him, was praised for his “bravery” for taking on the role and even — eek! — kissing another man.
Gay actors, on the other hand, get no such credit for playing gay roles; let’s not forget the year that Rupert Everett’s hilarious supporting turn in My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997) was ignored by the Academy, with the implication that queer thespians need merely show up to play queer characters, with no actual acting involved. (To add insult to injury, that same year saw »
- dennis
Excerpt From Gail Gerber's "Trippin' With Terry Southern"
30 March 2009 7:00 AM, PDT | Cinemaretro.com | See recent CinemaRetro news »
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Cinema Retro columnist Tom Lisanti has paired with actress Gail Gerber to write her fascinating autobiography that details her experiences in Hollywood as a young starlet in the 1960s as well as her career as a writer and Terry Southern's longtime companion. The book, Trippin' With Terry Southern, is due out in June. Here is an excerpt:
Hollywood, summer of 1964. I had been living in California for almost a year now and still felt like a fish out of water. Growing up in Canada where I studied ballet from the time I was a small child, Los Angeles was mystifying to me with its palm trees, bright sunlight forever contrasting with the deep shade, and its superficial inhabitants. But I readily admit I was sort of a snob myself and didn’t know »
- nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
2009 | 2008
1-20 of 25 articles from 2009 « Prev | Next »
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