News

Here’s Why This The Twilight Zone Episode Was Banned For Decades(Photo Credit – YouTube)

The Twilight Zone had its fair share of eerie episodes, but one stood out for the wrong reasons. The Encounter was yanked from syndication for 52 years. The reason? Problematic themes that sparked outrage, especially within the Japanese American community. And while it finally resurfaced in 2016, its history remains just as haunting as the stories the series told.

Airing in 1964, The Encounter focused on two men — a World War II veteran named Fenton (Neville Brand) and a Japanese American man, Arthur Takamori (George Takei). What started as a simple conversation spiraled into tension, with Fenton’s bitterness toward Japan fueling hostility. The episode’s supernatural twist involved a katana Fenton took from a soldier he killed, hinting that the sword carried the original owner’s malice, driving the men into a violent confrontation.

While The Twilight Zone often explored deep themes,...

Robert Englund is a horror movie icon, and not just for his most obvious role. Getting his start in horror movies of the late 70s and early 80s, it wasn't until the American actor was cast as Freddy Krueger in the Nightmare on Elm Street movies that he became a household name, bringing to life the scarred, pun-slinging dream demon with ghoulish charisma. However, Freddy Krueger isn't Robert Englund's only horror movie film to fame, showing up in a wide variety of other roles in similarly scary movies.

Because of how iconic Freddy Krueger is as a slasher movie villain, it's easy to see why Englund quickly became typecast as the villain of the horror movies he does appear in, if not a creepy side character at the very least. That being said, Englund will also occasionally appear as a supporting character or even a protagonist, his appearance being more of a cameo.

While The Twilight Zone still enjoys popularity today, one controversial episode was banned from syndication for 52 years. Blending science fiction and horror, The Twilight Zone is often hailed as a staple of these genres. Each of The Twilight Zone's five seasons explores powerful themes and fascinating ideas for antagonists. Several episodes, such as "The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street" and "Time Enough At Last", play with perception while imparting messages that still ring true today, with various properties paying homage to these stories.

That being said, while The Twilight Zone plays with genres and themes well, many of its original episodes show their age, dulling some of the strong messages other episodes contain. The series' initial run was from 1959 to 1964, so many of its episodes' main ideas contain characterizations and themes that are hurtful and inaccurate today. One major example is the 151st episode of The Twilight Zone's original run,...

Phil Karlson’s The Scarface Mob was originally made as a two-part pilot for the Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse anthology series before the 80-minute episodes were re-cut for theatrical release. Given the sterility of so much dramatic television in the 1950s, it’s hard to imagine Karlson—best known for hard-hitting noirs like Kansas City Confidential and The Phenix City Story—seeing the format as suitable for his style. But Desi Arnaz, a huge admirer of the latter film, promised Karlson no studio interference. And while The Scarface Mob’s story presents a clear battle between good and evil in the form of Eliot Ness (Robert Stack) and Al Capone’s (Neville Brand) Chicago bootlegging empire, Karlson’s gritty brutality finds its way on-screen as the film conflates the maniacal ruthlessness of both men’s actions.

Stack’s performance went a long way in cementing Ness’s legacy in the public imagination.

Yet another batch of Dark Sky Films titles have made their way onto Screambox, joining previously dropped classics Willow Creek, Minor Premise, and The Deeper You Dig (details), as well as Ghost Killers vs. Bloody Mary, Landlocked, and Possum (details), Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer 1 & 2, and Emelie (details), and even Stake Land, Summer of Blood, & Bitter Feast (details).

First, from master of horror Tobe Hooper, Eaten Alive has now taken a bite out of Screambox.

The ’70s killer crocodile flick features The Addams Family‘s Carolyn Jones, a pre-Freddy-Krueger Robert Englund, and Halloween‘s Kyle Richards.

In the film, “Deep in the swamps of Louisiana, disfigured psychotic Judd (Neville Brand) manages a sleazy, decaying motel. Upon learning that one of his guests is a prostitute, he promptly impales her with a pitchfork and tosses her to the crocodile that stalks the nearby waters. This is just the first in a series of slayings,...

This week brings the release of Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story on Screambox, coinciding with the horror mainstay’s 76th birthday on June 6. And we’re celebrating accordingly. That means you’ll find plenty of Englund-starring horror on Screambox, including recent additions like The Mangler and Night Terrors, as well as articles on Bloody Disgusting spotlighting the prolific actor’s work. Of course, this means that this week’s streaming picks are dedicated to some of Englund’s most unforgettable roles.

Here’s where you can stream these five titles this week.

And don’t forget.. we’re celebrating #RobertEnglundDay all day long on June 6!

For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.

A Nightmare on Elm Street – Screambox

No tour through Robert Englund’s filmography would be complete without the seminal slasher that spawned seven sequels, a remake, a television series, in-depth documentaries and novels, a ton of merchandise,...

Producer Mike Finnell (Joe Dante’s long time producing partner) joins Josh and Joe to discuss a few of his favorite movies.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Avalanche (1978)

Airport (1970)

Earthquake (1974) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

Matinee (1993) – Illeana Douglas’s trailer commentary, Dennis Cozzalio’s review, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

Hollywood Boulevard (1976) – Jon Davison’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing

Deceived (1991)

Newsies (1992)

Milk Money (1994)

Rock ‘n’ Roll High School (1979) – Eli Roth’s trailer commentary

The Howling (1981) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings

Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)

Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s 4K Blu-ray review, Tfh’s 30th anniversary celebration

Explorers (1985) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

Innerspace (1987) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

The ’Burbs (1989) – Ti West’s trailer commentary, Tfh’s ’Burbs Mania

Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)

Small Soldiers (1998)

A Matter of Life and Death (1946) – Glenn Erickson’s...

"Two men alone in an attic, a young Japanese-American and a seasoned veteran of yesterday's war. It's twenty odd years since Pearl Harbor, but two ancient opponents are moving into position for a battle in an attic crammed with skeletons, souvenirs, mementos, old uniforms, and rusted medals. Ghosts from the dim reaches of the past, that will lead us into the Twilight Zone."

So goes Rod Serling's opening narration for "The Encounter," an episode of "The Twilight Zone" that aired on May 1, 1964, right near the original show's end. In it, a Caucasian WWII veteran (Neville Brand) sits in his attic, reminiscing about his time...

The post Why George Takei's Twilight Zone Appearance Went Unaired For Decades appeared first on /Film.

Gangster icons aren’t always determined by top billing. Sometimes it’s decided by a flip of a coin. Director Howard Hawks’ 1932 gangster classic Scarface recently celebrated its 90th anniversary. Producer Howard Hughes was so committed to presenting a realistic depiction of mob violence that the film pushed the Motion Picture Production Code to its limit. Paul Muni puts in a gritty, animalistic performance in the title role of Antonio “Tony” Carmonte, modeled after Al Capone, but the actor with the gangland bona fides was the co-star, George Raft.

Hired for his dark and menacing presence, Raft doesn’t have many lines in Scarface. To give the inexperienced actor something to do, Hawks directed him to flip a nickel. Raft practiced the toss to perfection, setting the film up for one of the most memorable mob movie moments: a coin rolling across a floor to a dead stop.

Raft would...

Director Sidney J. Furie discusses his favorite films he’s watched and re-watched during quarantine with hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Dr. Blood’s Coffin (1961)

The Ipcress File (1965) – Howard Rodman’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

The Appaloosa (1966)

The Naked Runner (1967)

Lady Sings The Blues (1972)

The Entity (1982) – Luca Gaudagnino’s trailer commentary

The Boys in Company C (1978)

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Dennis Cozzalio’s review

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

The Apartment (1960) – Dan Ireland’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing

The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946)

Twelve O’Clock High (1949)

A Place In The Sun (1951) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

Out Of Africa (1985)

The Last Picture Show (1971) – Mark Pellington’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing

Annie Hall (1977)

The Bad And The Beautiful (1952)

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)

The Tender Bar...

Kirk Douglas and Rock Hudson can’t quite bring this all-star western fully to life, even with Robert Aldrich at the helm and a storyline that toys with (then) lurid, adult subject matter. Screen-written by Dalton Trumbo and filmed in Mexico, it perhaps packs too much edgy psychodrama into a simple cowboys & six-guns saga. Dorothy Malone and Carol Lynley give fine support and the locations are nice, as is Ernest Laszlo’s cinematography.

The Last Sunset

Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1961 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 112 min. / Street Date October 12, 2021 / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95

Starring: Rock Hudson, Kirk Douglas, Dorothy Malone, Joseph Cotten, Carol Lynley, Neville Brand, Regis Toomey, Rad Fulton (James Westmoreland), Adam Williams, Jack Elam, John Shay, José Torvay.

Cinematography: Ernest Laszlo

Art Directors: Alexander Golitzen, Alfred Sweeney

Film Editor: Michael Luciano

Original Music: Ernest Gold

Written by Dalton Trumbo from the novel Sundown at Crazy Horse by Howard Rigsby

Produced by Eugene Frenke,...

Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none

By Todd Garbarini

If the title Killdozer is familiar to you, you may have seen it before. Originally a novella by Theodore Sturgeon published in the November 1944 issue of Astounding Science Fiction magazine, a Marvel Comics book in April 1974, and later appearing in The Mammoth Book of Golden Age: Ten Classic Stories from the Birth of Modern Science Fiction Writing (1989), Killdozer was adapted into a made-for-tv movie which aired on Saturday, February 2, 1974. Sporting the tagline “Six men…playing a deadly game of cat and mouse…With a machine that wants to kill them,” and billed as A World Premiere ABC Saturday Suspense Movie, there is little suspense in this overly silly tale of a Caterpillar D9 that is enlisted by a team of construction workers who have been assigned to build a landing strip for an oil drilling company on an island near Africa.

Stars: Steffani Brass, Brooke Mackenzie, Tina Cole, Chantelle Albers, Dabier, Charlie Ian, Malcolm Matthews, Ann Tomberlin, Gets Old, Masha Mendieta, Tom Ohmer, Rich Redmond, Carrie Aquino, Wilson Davis, Traveis Lee Eller | Written by Jose Altonaga, Remy MacKenzie | Directed by Jose Altonaga

Evil Town… Evils of the Night… Reawakened. Three films seemingly with nothing in common, separated by decades. However they have one key thread, Remy MacKenzie.

A casting director on both Evil Town (1977) and Evils of the Night (1985), MacKenzie co-scripted And produced this film alongside Jose Altonaga – who worked with MacKenzie back in 1989 on Hot Times at Montclair High; directing that teen sex comedy, whilst McKenzie would once again take on the casting role. Since then the pair have made a short together, Five Days in June, back in 2009; and now comes this, a film that feels very reminiscent of 80s shot on video horror And features a trademark of...

More than a dozen actors have tackled the role of infamous Prohibition-era gangster Al Capone, from Neville Brand in The Untouchables TV show (1959-1963) to Robert De Niro in the 1987 movie version of the series. But no one has ever played the Chicago mob boss, a.k.a. Scarface and Public Enemy No. 1, with quite the implosive power of Tom Hardy in Capone (on video on demand starting May 12th). What makes the Oscar-nominated British actor’s take particularly daring is the fact that the plays Capone only in the final year of his life.

Notorious mobster Al Capone was a larger than life bootlegger, racketeer, killer and organized crime boss in the first half of the 20th century, who has been portrayed on big-screen and small for seven decades. Here is a look at the actors who took on the challenge. And, if you’re curious, here is archival footage of Scarface himself.

Rod Steiger – “Al Capone” (1959) • Rod Steiger played Capone with deliberate showiness, from the roar of his voice to the tilt of hid fedora. Although he won a Laurel Award for his performance, Capone’s sister wasn’t crazy about the film – she sued the filmmakers for $10 million for invasion of privacy because they failed to get permission from the Capone estate to make it. The suit was eventually dismissed. Check out Steiger as Capone in a clip here.

Neville Brand – “The George Raft Story” (1961) • Although Neville Brand had an extensive resume...

Actor Tom Hardy, stars as notorious Chicago gangster 'Scarface Al Capone' in the new feature "Capone" (aka "Fonzo"), written and directed by Josh Trank ("Fantastic Four"), to be released as Video On Demand May 12, 2020 by Vertical Entertainment:

"...the new film focuses on the notorious Chicago mob boss, killer 'Scarface Al Capone'...

"... after his 11-year sentence at the United States Penitentiary, Atlanta for income tax evasion and perjury...

"...as he suffers from debilitating syphilis and fevered flashbacks that drive him insane..."

Cast also includes Linda Cardellini as 'Mae Capone, Jack Lowden as 'FBI Agent Crawford', Matt Dillon as 'Johnny', Noel Fisher as 'Junior', Kyle MacLachlan as 'Karlock' and Kathrine Narducci as 'Rosie Capone'.

Hardy said he researched the part by working closely with Warner Bros, "watching their gangster films — the ones with James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart and Edward G. Robinson...it's interesting to get them, and a bit of 'Capone',...

The star-studded biopic Capone is due to be released via digital platforms on May 12th. Tom Hardy plays Al Capone in his later years in the movie and he looks fantastic. Linda Cardellini, Kyle MacLachlan, and Matt Dillon co-star. Al Capone is America’s best-known gangster and the single greatest symbol of the collapse of law and order in the United States during the 1920s Prohibition era. Capone had a leading role in the illegal activities that lent Chicago its reputation as a lawless city and an interesting variety of Hollywood stars have had the leading role as Al Capone in the many films that have been made that featured him as a character.

The first film about Capone was produced when he was still making headlines. The main character may be named Antonio Camonte, but there’s little doubt as to who producer Howard Hughes had in mind when...

Actor Tom Hardy, stars as notorious Chicago gangster 'Scarface Al Capone' in the new feature "Capone" (aka "Fonzo"), written and directed by Josh Trank ("Fantastic Four"), to be released as Video On Demand May 12, 2020 by Vertical Entertainment:

"...the new film focuses on the notorious Chicago mob boss, killer 'Scarface Al Capone'...

"... after his 11-year sentence at the United States Penitentiary, Atlanta for income tax evasion and perjury...

"...as he suffers from debilitating syphilis and fevered flashbacks that drive him insane..."

Cast also includes Linda Cardellini as 'Mae Capone, Jack Lowden as 'FBI Agent Crawford', Matt Dillon as 'Johnny', Noel Fisher as 'Junior', Kyle MacLachlan as 'Karlock' and Kathrine Narducci as 'Rosie Capone'.

Hardy said he researched the part by working closely with Warner Bros, "watching their gangster films — the ones with James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart and Edward G. Robinson...it's interesting to get them, and a bit of 'Capone',...

As a child, I played with childish things; as an adult, I write about them. The ‘70s sure had its share of maniacal machinery, starting with the early Spielberg TV movie Duel (1971). Looking to recreate that success, ABC adapted Theodore Sturgeon’s novella Killdozer (1974) into its own attempt at motorized madness. It is certainly no Duel, but fun is had, and that’s all that matters.

Airing Saturday, February 2nd as an ABC Suspense Movie, Killdozer was trying to plow through the other network’s heavy hitters: CBS had M*A*S*H/The Mary Tyler Moore Show/The Bob Newhart Show, while NBC had their own Saturday Night at the Movies. I’ll go out on a limb and say that CBS crushed anyone in their path. Regardless, if you wanted to see people crushed by heavy, sentient machinery, you had to tune into ABC.

Let’s open up...

In the new horror movie “Crawl,” a pack of enormous alligators invades a sleepy Florida town during a violent hurricane and proceeds to rip the cast apart, limb by limb. These nasty gators aren’t the first critters of their kind to terrify audiences, however. Here’s our list of ravenous reptiles, ranked in order from scariest to silliest.

1) Alligator (1980)

Two-time Oscar-nominated screenwriter John Sayles penned this gruesomely entertaining monster mash about a baby gator named Ramón who gets flushed down a toilet and mutates into a 36-foot behemoth lurking in the Chicago sewer system. When his appetite for human flesh gets the better of him, Ramón bursts through the sidewalk and chows down on a horde of terrified locals. Featuring colorful performances from cult film superstars Robert Forster and Henry Silva, plus witty direction from the ever-dependable Lewis Teague, “Alligator” is more than just the best rampaging reptile movie...

Sneak Peek actor Tom Hardy ("Venom") as iconic gangster 'Al Capone', from director Josh Trank's new feature, chronicling the life of the ruthless Chicago mob boss, prior to his death:

The cast of "Fonzo" (aka "Cicero") also includes Matt Dillon, Kyle MacLachlan, Kathrine Narducci and Linda Cardellini.

Hardy said he has been working closely with Warner Bros, "watching their gangster films — the ones with James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart and Edward G. Robinson...it’s interesting to get them, and a bit of 'Capone', into the bloodstream…

"The idea isn’t to remake those films but to get a flavor of them as we explore Capone’s career as a racketeer."

A post shared by Tom Hardy (@tomhardy) on Mar 24, 2018 at 7:02pm Pdt

The "Cicero" screenplay was originally written by Walon Green, noted for writing director Sam Peckinpah's classic western "The Wild Bunch".

Actors...

Sneak Peek actor Tom Hardy ("Mad Max: Fury Road") as gangster 'Alphonse "Scarface" Capone', from director Josh Trank's "Fonzo" chronicling the life of the ruthless, former Chicago mob boss, prior to his death:

Cast of "Fonzo" also includes Matt Dillon, Kyle MacLachlan, Kathrine Narducci and Linda Cardellini.

Hardy said he had been working closely with Warner Bros, "watching their gangster films — the ones with James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart and Edward G. Robinson...

"...it’s interesting to get them, and a bit of 'Capone', into the bloodstream…

"The idea isn’t to remake those films...

"...but to get a flavor of them as we explore Capone’s career as a racketeer."

The "Cicero" screenplay was originally written by Walon Green, noted for writing director Sam Peckinpah's classic western "The Wild Bunch".

Actors previously playing Capone in film include Rod Steiger, "Al Capone" (1959), Neville Brand, "The George Raft Story (1961), Jason Robards,...

Sneak Peek actor Tom Hardy ("Mad Max: Fury Road") as iconic gangster 'Al Capone', from director Josh Trank's new feature, chronicling the life of the former Chicago mob boss, prior to his death:

The cast of "Fonzo" (aka "Cicero") also includes Matt Dillon, Kyle MacLachlan, Kathrine Narducci and Linda Cardellini.

Hardy said he has been working closely with Warner Bros, "watching their gangster films — the ones with James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart and Edward G. Robinson...it’s interesting to get them, and a bit of 'Capone', into the bloodstream… The idea isn’t to remake those films but to get a flavour of them as we explore Capone’s career as a racketeer."

The "Cicero" screenplay was originally written by Walon Green, noted for writing director Sam Peckinpah's classic western "The Wild Bunch".

Actors previously playing Capone in film include Rod Steiger in "Al Capone" (1959), Neville Brand,...

Rock Hudson and Donna Reed star in a kidnapping-vengeance-pursuit western filmed in large part in gorgeous Sedona, Arizona, in 3-D and (originally) Technicolor. It’s another 3-D treasure from the 1950s boom years. The trailer is in 3-D too.

Gun Fury 3-D

3-D Blu-ray

Twilight Time

1953 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 82 min. / Street Date September 19, 2017 / Available from the Twilight Time Movies Store 29.95

Starring: Rock Hudson, Donna Reed, Phil Carey, Roberta Haynes, Leo Gordon, Lee Marvin, Neville Brand.

Cinematography: Lester WhiteMusical Director (Stock Music): Mischa Bakaleinikoff

Written by Irving Wallace, Roy Huggins

Produced by Lewis Rachmil

Directed by Raoul Walsh

I have a new theory for why the 1950s 3-D craze only lasted about 2.5 years: they couldn’t find any more one-eyed directors to make them.

Gun Fury arrived at the end of 1953, in the thick of what would be called the ‘fad’ of 3-D. Columbia Pictures jumped into ‘depth pictures’ as if it were a gimmick,...

Revenge films have been around for a very long time; one can look to The Virgin Spring (1960), Straw Dogs (1971), or Death Wish (1974) for their rise from serious drama to movies of a more exploitive nature. Psychic Killer (1975) adds a unique twist to the tale by having astral projection as a means to the violent ends. Quirky and laden with creative deaths, it very much embraces its weirdness, providing a fun carpet ride for the whole family (at least according to its mind-boggling PG rating).

Released stateside in December by Avco Embassy Pictures, Psychic Killer, aka The Kirlian Force, only cost $250,000 and came and went like a phantom in the night. Critics paid it no mind either, and it was relegated to video store shelves and gas station rentals. On the surface, that’s understandable; a B cast with a former actor turned fairly unproven B director (Ray Danton – Deathmaster), and...

Al Capone is America’s best known gangster and the single greatest symbol of the collapse of law and order in the United States during the 1920s Prohibition era. Capone had a leading role in the illegal activities that lent Chicago its reputation as a lawless city and an interesting variety of Hollywood stars have had the leading role as Al Capone in the many films that have been made that featured him as a character.

The first film about Capone was produced when he was still making headlines. The main character may be named Antonio Camonte, but there’s little doubt as to who producer Howard Hughes had in mind when he and director Howard Hawks filmed Scarface during the Great Depression. Camonte shares more than the same initials with one Al Capone, who was about to begin his eleven-year sentence for tax evasion when the movie was released...

For me, the most interesting thing about horror maestro Tobe Hooper’s storied career is he takes chances. He always swings big; from his landmark second feature The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), to Lifeforce (1985), to even The Mangler (1995), he pushes the genre into the absurd through concept and execution, audiences be damned. It’s an admirable trait in a filmmaker, and one that’s on full display with Eaten Alive (1976), probably his most bizarre film to date. (Which is saying a lot.)

After a limited stateside release in October of ’76, EA was given a wide release in May of ’77 by Virgo International Pictures to theatres and drive-ins across the land. The start of the ever undulating arc of Hooper’s career, it was met with a resounding “Whaaaat?” by the public and critics alike. This was not the follow up to the cultural explosion that was Chainsaw people were expecting. And to be honest,...

Responsible for one of the most iconic horror novels (and films…and posters!) of all time, The Exorcist author William Peter Blatty has passed away at age 89. Blatty started as a scriptwriter with credits including the Blake Edwards comedy A Shot In The Dark and (uncredited) The Omega Man. He adapted his 1971 best-seller The Exorcist for the screen in 1973, which resulted in his Oscar win for ‘Best Adapted Screenplay’. In 1980, he directed an unusual film I saw at the theater then, but have never seen since. The Ninth Configuration, an odd allegory starring Stacey Keach and Neville Brand about a remote castle that served as an insane military asylum, deserves to be rediscovered. In 1996, he wrote and directed The Exorcist III, based on his novel Legion. Just last year, the director’s cut of the film, now titled The Exorcist III: Legion, was released on Blu-ray. Blatty had a type of blood cancer.

Savant UK correspondent Lee Broughton analyzes one of his favorite pictures starring Stacy Keach, who seemed to make only cult items in the '70s and '80s. William Peter Blatty dishes out a thick mix of comedy and dark soul-searching about the human condition as a Caligari- insane asylum, but with new twists. The Ninth Configuration Second Sight Region B Blu-ray 1980 / Colour / 2.35:1 enhanced widescreen / 118 m. / available through Amazon.uk Starring Stacy Keach, Scott Wilson, Jason Miller, Ed Flanders, Neville Brand, George Dicenzo, Moses Gunn, Robert Loggia, Joe Spinell, Tom Atkins. Cinematography Gerry Fisher Production Design William Malley Film Editors Peter Taylor, T. Battle Davis, Roberto Silvi, Peter Lee-Thompson Original Music Barry DeVorzon Written, Produced and Directed by William Peter Blatty from his novel

Reviewed by Lee Broughton

(Note: Savant reviews as a guest at Tfh. Here I stretch my prerogatives by presenting a review from Lee Broughton, a valued U.

If you’re looking for a great killer snake movie, you may find 1982’s Venom to be a disappointment. If you’re looking for a showcase of competitive overacting, Venom is your huckleberry.

Imagine the 1955 Humphrey Bogart/Fredric March movie The Desperate Hours if it were invaded by a killer black mamba. That’s Venom, only instead of Bogart and March, it’s Klaus Kinski and Oliver Reed, two incredibly talented but famously difficult actors, attempting to devour both the scenery and one another. Though it went into production with Tobe Hooper as director, he left the film fairly early on (with vague reports of “it just wasn’t working” as an explanation) and was replaced by Piers Haggard, the British filmmaker responsible for Blood on Satan’s Claw. He found himself in a difficult and unhappy situation, guiding a movie that wasn’t his and run roughshod over by his actors.

Summer is here and that means it’s time for racing in the streets. Or, if you’re not Bruce Springsteen, it’s a time for rest, relaxation, and binge watching. For nostalgia fans from various generations, CBS Home Entertainment is offering up a tasty assortment of television series from country comedy to ripped from the headlines detectives to our favorite science fiction.

The gem of the set may be the complete Blu-ray sets of Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation, part of CBS and Paramount’s celebration of Gene Roddenberry’s creation.

Here are the details:

Beverly Hillbillies: The Official First Season

Release Date: April 26, 2016

Synopsis

Join the Clampett family as they move to the most famous zip code in the world when the seven-time Emmy award®-nominated series The Beverly Hillbillies: The Official First Season arrives on DVD April 26 from CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Media Distribution.

Director Greydon Clark is not a name thrown around a lot. Horror fans will know him (probably) for 1977’s Satan’s Cheerleaders. The rest of filmdom need not apply. However, his best film, Without Warning (1980), would end up resonating in such a way as to inspire Predator (1987), Schwarzenegger’s Alien in the Jungle box office smash. And when I say inspire, I mean they stole the concept. But what Without Warning lacks in testosterone and Hollywood bankrolls, it makes up in B movie charm and a winsome personality. You can’t help but fall in love with the damn thing.

Released by Filmways Pictures in New York, in September 1980, Without Warning (Aka It Came…Without Warning) had a scattered release – dribs and drabs in smaller markets, and don’t forget Finland (who could?). Made for a meager $150,000 Us the film was given a real dine and dash release, I’m...

Otto Preminger looks at police corruption and comes up with a classy noir starring Dana Andrews as a rogue cop and Gene Tierney as the woman whose father he accidentally frames for murder. With Karl Malden, Gary Merrill and velvety-slick B&W cinematography by Joseph Lashelle. Where the Sidewalk Ends Blu-ray Twilight Time Limited Edition 1950 / B&W / 1:37 Academy / 95 min. / Ship Date February 9, 2016 / available through Twilight Time Movies / 29.95 Starring Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney, Gary Merrill, Bert Freed, Tom Tully, Karl Malden, Ruth Donnelly, Craig Stevens. Cinematography Joseph Lashelle Art Direction J. Russell Spencer, Lyle Wheeler Film Editor Louis R. Loeffler Original Music Cyril J. Mockridge Written by Ben Hecht, Robert E. Kent, Frank P. Rosenberg, Victor Trivas from the novel Night Cry by William L. Stuart Produced and Directed by Otto Preminger

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Want to see an example of a gloriously polished studio production, a film noir...

After falling into the public domain, Phil Karlson’s 1952 film noir Kansas City Confidential became unfairly lumped into B-grade bracket, a disservice considering the title’s odd narrative and eventual influence on contemporary filmmakers. Karlson, who would eventually turn to mainstream efforts starring the likes of Dean Martin and Elvis Presley in the 1960s and 1970s, contributed several enjoyable minor noir efforts in the 1950s. These would include 1952’s Scandal Sheet with Donna Reed and Broderick Crawford, Kim Novak casino heist effort 5 Against the House, and that same year’s Tight Spot with a peculiar role for Ginger Rogers. But none have enjoyed the staying power of this particular heist drama, now restored with its most accomplished transfer yet.

Kansas City delivery man Joe Rolfe (John Payne) is at the wrong place at the wrong time when he’s nabbed by the cops as the driver of a heist involving...

Riot in Cell Block 11

Written by Richard Collins

Directed by Don Siegel

U.S.A., 1954

It is the dawn of great social change in the United States, a time when the public consciousness is about to reckon with real, humanity-based issues that plague the country underneath the veneer of perfection. A wave of riots have exploded in prisons across the country, alerting the media, politicians and ordinary citizens that the penitentiary system is deeply flawed. The prisoners are guilty of crimes, yes, but their confinement conditions go beyond the sort of punishment they should serve. Filmed on location at Folsom State Prison in California, Riot in Cell Block 11 concerns the inmate uprising led by James Dunn (Neville Brand), supported closely by a man nicknamed The Colonel (Robert Osterloh) and dangerous felon Mike Carnie (Leo Gordon) among others. The Warden, Reynolds (Emile Meyer), and Commissioner Haskell (Frank Faylen) have...

Following the unprecedented success of his monolithic sophomore feature, 1974’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which would forever immortalize director Tobe Hooper in the annals of great horror filmmakers, he would return to the Southern Fried grindhouse realm with 1976’s Eaten Alive, another ‘based-on-a-true-story’ effort featuring a set of original backwoods kooks. Though the film failed to attain the same attention, Hooper managed to obtain a higher profile cast for a film arguably less off-putting thanks to its more comedic moments.

Opening with a line that would go on to be famously recycled by Quentin Tarantino, ornery redneck Buck (Robert England) assails Clara (Roberta Collins), a reluctant prostitute in a bad blonde wig. Kicked out of the brothel by the no-nonsense owner, Miss Hattie (Carolyn Jones), Clara stumbles through the swampy Louisiana bayou and comes upon a dilapidated motel run by Judd (Neville Brand). The lonely, repressed old coot gets overexcited...

The Beast

• Release Date: Available Now on Blu-ray

• Written By: Walerian Borowczyk

• Directed By: Walerian Borowczyk

• Starring: Sirpa Lane, Lisbeth Hummel, Elisabeth Kaza

I absolutely love the off-kilter, ridiculously horny horror flicks of Polish madman Walerian Borowczyk! While undoubtedly a master of softcore shenanigans, ol’ Borowczyk plied his trade in the horror biz as well (most notably with The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Miss Osbourne), and the film I’m goin’ to be turnin’ my putrid peepers on today, The Beast!

Originally created for (and then cut from) Borowczyk’s Immoral Tales anthology (also available from Arrow on Blu-ray, but I opted out on that one as it’s primarily a horror-less softcore art film), La Bête (the footage of which now comprises a sizeable chunk of The Beast) presented the simple tale of a young lass who has copious amounts of sex with a continuously ejaculating werewolf...

Stars: Neville Brand, Carolyn Jones, Mel Ferrer, William Finley, Marilyn Burns, Robert Englund, Stuart Whitman | Written by Alvin L. Fast, Mohammed Rustam, Kim Henkel | Directed by Tobe Hooper

After The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, it comes as no surprise that Tobe Hooper would move onto another horror based in the south. Taking inspiration from Jaws, Eaten Alive (aka Death Trap), even with some drama behind the scenes, still managed to be a memorable cult movie… Loosely based on the legend of Joe Ball (featured in a documentary on the Blu-ray) Eaten Alive tells the tale of a crazy old hotel owner Judd (Neville Brand) whose grudge against society sees him feeding most of his customers to his pet crocodile he conveniently keeps just outside the hotel doors.

While Neville Brand’s intense performance as Judd does take centre stage there is an impressive cast featured in Eaten Alive, especially for fans of cult films.

Shaggy maniac Neville Brand was born on the bayou. He lives by his high morals and so just can't resist feeding random visitors to his gargantuan crocodile. If they resist that idea, he uses a giant scythe for a persuader. Tobe Hooper's sopho-gore feature boasts several name stars, plus, in this new edition, a brightly colored, picture-perfect transfer. Eaten Alive Blu-ray + DVD Arrow Video (U.S.) 1976 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 87 min. / Death Trap, Starlight Slaughter, Horror Hotel / Street Date September 22, 2015 / 39.95 Starring Neville Brand, Mel Ferrer, Carolyn Jones, Marilyn Burns, William Finley, Stuart Whitman, Roberta Collins, Kyle Richards, Robert Englund, Crystin Sinclaire, Janus Blythe, Betty Cole. Cinematography Robert Caramico Special Effects Robert A. Mattey Makeup Effects Frank Gluck Confirmed Original Music Wayne Bell, Tobe Hooper Written by Alvin Fast, Mardi Rustam, Kim Henkel Produced by Mardi Rustam Directed by Tobe Hooper

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Tobe Hooper is an odd duck...

Kansas City Confidential

Written by George Bruce and Harry Essex

Directed by Phil Karlson

U.S.A., 1952

From across the street in a quiet hotel room, a man (Preston Foster) attentively observes the coming and goings of security guards that transport hundreds of thousands of dollars to and from the bank across the street. A plan is brewing in his mind, a plan that will require the assistance of three pawns, all known criminals. They are: small time gambler Pete Harris (Jack Elam), cop killer Boyd Kane (Neville Brand) and Tony Romano (a young, moustache-free Lee Van Cleef). Each is invited to the man’s room on separate occasions, presented a plan to steal the doe from the guards and make a getaway. Everyone is to wear masks so that no one participant can rat on any other in the event that things go awry. For the masked convicts themselves,...

Burbank, Calif. May 19, 2015 – On June 2, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (Wbhe) will release The John Wayne Westerns Film Collection – featuring five classic films on Blu-ray™ from the larger-than-life American hero – just in time for Father’s Day. The Collection features two new-to-Blu-ray titles, The Train Robbers and Cahill U.S. Marshal plus fan favorites Fort Apache, The Searchers and a long-awaited re-release of Rio Bravo. The pocketbook box set will sell for $54.96 Srp; individual films $14.98 Srp.

Born Marion Robert Morrison in Winterset, Iowa, John Wayne first worked in the film business as a laborer on the Fox lot during summer vacations from University of Southern California, which he attended on a football scholarship. He met and was befriended by John Ford, a young director who was beginning to make a name for himself in action films, comedies and dramas. It was Ford who recommended Wayne to director Raoul Walsh for the male lead in the 1930 epic Western,...

It's a Criterion Christmas! I'll be using Meeting the Criterion as a convenient way of reminding you of many of the Criterion Collections great releases from the last year. Whether your Criterion Collection is organized by spine number, title or director there's a good chance you'll see some releases that are bound to end up on your must remember to get list. First up I'm looking at Riot in Cell Block 11. Made in 1954 this is a treasure trove for classic cinema lovers . You get performances by a large number of highly recognizable character actors. Neville Brand the heavy in countless westerns and film noires like D.O. A. (1950) and great classics like Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) and Stalag 17 (1953),  just shines here as the leader of...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Full of sex, lasers, synth-pop, feathered hair, bikinis and axe wounds, Evils Of The Night is a pivotal example of Reagan-era teen fantasy fodder. Genre favorites John Carradine, Julie Newmar (TV’s Catwoman) and Tina Louise (Gilligan’s Island) star as a gang of alien scientists who want the life-giving blood supply of horny teens camping out near their secret lab. Veteran Hollywood stars Aldo Ray and Neville Brand (in his final film role) play a … Continue reading →

Horrornews.net...

Gorgon Video announced that they’re bringing 1985’s sci-fi cult classic Evils of the Night to DVD on October 14th:

“Full of sex, lasers, synth-pop, feathered hair, bikinis and axe wounds, Evils Of The Night is a pivotal example of Reagan-era teen fantasy fodder. Genre favorites John Carradine, Julie Newmar (TV’s Catwoman) and Tina Louise (Gilligan’s Island) star as a gang of alien scientists who want the life-giving blood supply of horny teens camping out near their secret lab. Veteran Hollywood stars Aldo Ray and Neville Brand (in his final film role) play a pair of bumbling mechanics hired by the extraterrestrials to kidnap the teens for experimentation – with botched and bloody results. Co-starring adult film legends Amber Lynn and Crystal Breeze, and directed by Mardi Rustam (producer of The Psychic Killer and Tobe Hooper’s Eaten Alive), this 1985 sci-fi horror classic features some of the most gruesome...

Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Nov. 4, 2014

Price: Blu-ray/DVD $29.95

Studio: Hen’s Tooth

The 1980 comedy-thriller cult favorite The Ninth Configuration is written and directed by William Peter Blatty, the author of The Exorcist.

Stacy Keach in The Ninth Configuration

It’s the final days of the Vietnam War and the Department of Defense has set up a mental hospital for soldiers in a remote castle. To all appearances, the patients are running the asylum. But nothing here is quite what it seems. A new psychiatrist (Stacy Keach, The Long Riders) arrives, assigned to determine if any of the vets are faking mental illness. Of particular interest to him is a distraught Nasa astronaut (Scott Wilson) who aborted his mission during the final countdown.

Also featuring Jason Miller (The Exorcist), Neville Brand (TV’s Laredo), Moses Gunn (Rollerball) and Robert Loggia (Scarface) in its cast, The Ninth Configuration suspensefully (and, at times,...

‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’ actress Marilyn Burns dead at 64 The Texas Chain Saw Massacre actress Marilyn Burns, the one cast member who manages to survive Leatherface in Tobe Hooper’s low-budget 1974 horror cult classic, was found dead on Tuesday, August 4, 2014, at her home in the Houston area. According to her manager, "she was found unresponsive by a family member." The cause of death remains unclear. Burns (born on July 5, 1950, in Erie, Pennsylvania) was 64. The Houston-raised Marilyn Burns began appearing in films in the early ’70s. She had a bit part in Robert Altman’s Houston-filmed Brewster McCloud (1970), starring Bud Cort, Sally Kellerman, and Shelley Duvall, and was later cast in a supporting role in Sidney Lumet’s Austin-shot 1974 drama Lovin’ Molly; however, Burns was ultimately replaced by Susan Sarandon, reportedly remaining in the production as a stand-in for both Sarandon and Blythe Danner. Also in 1974, Marilyn Burns landed the...

Without Warning is another film being released to Blu-ray by Scream Factory that I’ve never seen, but it’s with good reason. The film has been largely unavailable on home video for the past 30 years. From what I understand, there was a VHS released in the UK, as well as a DVD that was mastered from the same source used to master the VHS, but never a legitimate DVD release, and no release at all in the states. The fact that this film is even being released at all is a miracle, much less that it is being given the Blu-ray treatment, with all-new extras. Without Warning has a lot going for it. It was shot by Dean Cundey, the monster/alien is played by Kevin Peter Hall, who was also Predator, as well as Harry in Harry and the Hendersons, and the film features Jack Palance and Martin Landau in superb character roles,...

It’s hard to believe that it’s already August, which means fall (and Halloween!) are just right around the corner. To keep all you genre fans busy in the meantime, there are a couple of classic releases coming this week from Scream Factory, as well as Mike Flanagan’s Oculus.

Spotlight Titles:

Oculus (20th Century Fox, Blu-ray & DVD)

Ten years ago, tragedy struck the Russell family, leaving the lives of teenage siblings Tim and Kaylie forever changed when Tim was convicted of the brutal murder of their parents. Now in his 20s, Tim is newly released from protective custody and only wants to move on with his life; but Kaylie, still haunted by that fateful night, is convinced her parents’ deaths were caused by something else altogether: a malevolent supernatural force­­ unleashed through the Lasser Glass, an antique mirror in their childhood home. Determined to prove Tim’s innocence,...

From a suburban werewolf to a farmer who plants people, Scream Factory will continue to deliver cult horror films to viewers’ doorsteps throughout this Summer of Fear. Those attending Sdcc next week will get a taste of their terror treats firsthand at booth #4248, where a number of Blu-rays will be available, as well a limited edition t-shirt, posters, and an “inside look” panel that will include special announcements and sneak peeks of upcoming Blu-ray releases.

The panel, titled An Inside Look at Shout! Factory, Shout! Kids and Scream Factory, will take place on Friday, July 25th, 2014 at 7pm in Room 23Abc. In addition to exclusive panel announcements, a Comic-Con exclusive blood-red Scream Factory t-shirt will be available at their booth, as well as a free 2014 button pack, collectible keychains, screen wipes, and more. Also available at booth #4248 will be the following batch of Scream Factory Blu-rays, each one coming with...

“It preys on human fear. It feeds on human flesh.” Scream Factory has officially announced their August 5th release of Without Warning to Blu-ray & DVD. The cover art and special features on this first-ever home media release of Without Warning should excite fans of the 1980 sci-fi thriller.

“The hunting season has begun. Earth is the new hunting ground for an alien life form that preys on human fear and feeds on human flesh. Beyond any known terror, mankind is about to become the next endangered species in the 1980 sci-fi horror cult classic Without Warning, also known as It Came Without Warning, from celebrated exploitation filmmaker Greydon Clark (Joysticks, Satan’s Cheerleaders). A non-stop ride into extra-terror-strial mayhem, this highly sought-after sci-fi creature thriller stars Oscar® winners Jack Palance (Batman) and Martin Landau (Ed Wood), Tarah Nutter (Bitter Harvest), Christopher S. Nelson (Roller Boogie), Cameron Mitchell (Blood and Black Lace), Neville Brand...