METROPOLIS, THE FINAL VERSION?

Of all the versions of the classic silent film METROPOLIS that have been released over the years (about 40 in my recollection), the KINO INTERNATIONAL 2-disc version releasing November 16 is promoted as being the most complete. They have found over 20 extra minutes to add to their restored version. The film historian and sci-fi/fantasy fan in all of us await its release in eager anticipation.

"Fritz Lang's Metropolis belongs to legend as much as to cinema. It's a milestone of sci-fi and German expressionism. Yet the story makes minimal sense, and the "theme" belongs in a fortune cookie; to experience the film's pagan power, you have to see the movie. But for decades we couldn't, not really--not with so many versions, all incomplete, often in public-domain prints like smudged photocopies. This Murnau Foundation restoration changes all that. Some shots, scenes, and subplots may be lost forever, but intertitles indicate how they fit into the original continuity and the characters' individual trajectories. Most crucially, the images are crisp, vibrant, and three-dimensional instead of murky and flattened. The composite sequences (the Tower of Babel, a sea of lusting eyes) have been restored to their hallucinatory ferocity. And there's one moment when you can see a bead of sweat roll down a man's cheek--in medium long-shot." - FROM AMAZON.COM

CANNIBAL GIRLS, WON'CHA COME OUT TONIGHT?

Releasing tomorrow on DVD and Blu-Ray from SHOUT! FACTORY is Ivan Reitman's 1973 CANNIBAL GIRLS. Look for a review here at MONSTER MOVIE WORLD soon. In the meantime, here are a few clips (playable on Windows Media Player):

Clip One

Clip Two

Clip Three

LOOK OUT! IT'S MONSTER MOVIE WORLD'S 100TH POST!

MONSTER MODEL MAYHEM: "GLOW-IN-THE-DARK" HUNCHBACK

Here are a few new shots of Polar Lights' recent reissue of the Aurora Plastic's original HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME with "glow-in-the-dark" parts. Go to the sidebar at MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD to find dealers and purchasing information.

KAIJU FRIDAY

KAIJU (怪獣, kaijū) n. Japanese word loosely translated as "strange beast". Often used in English to mean "monster".

Not "Kaiju" in the strictest sense, but GORGO is generally referred to as the "British Godzilla". Illustration is from the comic book, GORGO #1 (Charlton Comics Group, 1960).

SCARY SUNDAY FUNNIES

What is fear? Fear is the unknown. The unknown becomes superstition. And superstitions make us fearful. It took a comic book to tell us that?! From GORGO #1 (Charlton Comics Group, 1960). Grab your cuppa joe and enjoy!

CD UNIVERSE: SALE ON HORROR DVDS

The folks over at CD UNIVERSE are offering a sale on horror DVDs for the Halloween season. I have purchased from them numerous times and have always found their merchandise competitively priced. They also ship pretty quickly. A recommended dealer from MONSTER MOVIE WORLD.

HALLOWEEN COSTUME ACCESSORY

No self-respecting Argonaut would go out trick-or-treating (or clash with any titan) this year without a pet Bubo on his shoulder.

BASED ON A TRUE STORY . . .

Inspired by the tragic and unfortunate events perpetrated by the dimwits of BP, here are two new costumes for the Halloween season.

The "Bad Planning" Costume

The "HazMat" Costume

NEW HORROR DOCUMENTARY FROM LORBER FILMS

LORBER FILMS RELEASES HORROR DOC
NIGHTMARES IN RED, WHITE AND BLUE (2010) ON DVD



"Insanely informative and fascinating ... A unique perspective on the rise of the American Horror film." - Classic-horror.com



"... thoroughly entertaining." - Dread Central


New York, NY - October 8, 2010 - Lorber Films is proud to release the feature-length documentary NIGHTMARES IN RED, WHITE AND BLUE (2010) on DVD.



This eagerly anticipated doc, narrated by horror genre icon Lance Henriksen, is a comprehensive re-telling of the history of the American horror film, starting with Thomas Edison's version of Frankenstein and slashing its way through to Saw and beyond.


Born out of collaboration between Andrew Monument (Director and Editor) and Joseph Maddrey (Writer and Producer), NIGHTMARES IN RED, WHITE AND BLUE features over 200 clips and scenes from the most influential and groundbreaking horror films ever made, and features exclusive interviews with legendary directors John Carpenter, George A. Romero, Joe Dante, Larry Cohen, and Roger Corman, among others.


Charting the genre's shift from atomic age anxieties (Them) and Vietnam-era violence (Night of the Living Dead) all the way to post-9/11 xenophobia (Hostel), NIGHTMARES also dissects classics like Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Psycho.
 Based on the eponymous book written by Joseph Maddrey, NIGHTMARES also explores the explores the rebellious appeal of the outsider, starting with silent star Lon Chaney and later epitomized in Hannibal Lecter's idiosyncratic pursuit of individual liberties.


The film ambitiously covers a period spanning from the mid-1910s to the present, and makes a compelling case about the nature of these monstrous creations as well as the socio-political contexts they were responding to. As such, NIGHTMARES is a bloody master class on one of America's most enduring and revealing art forms.



16:9 · 96 minutes · English · Not Rated · Color and B&W

LUX DIGITAL PICTURES PRESENTS A MIDNIGHT MOVIES PRODUCTION

"NIGHTMARES IN RED, WHITE AND BLUE" A LORBER FILMS release
NARRATED BY LANCE HENRIKSEN
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY MIKE BRATKOWSKI
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER INGO JUCHT
BASED ON THE BOOK "NIGHTMARES IN RED, WHITE AND BLUE: THE EVOLUTION OF THE AMERICAN HORROR FILM" BY JOSEPH MADDREY
ORIGINAL MUSIC COMPOSED BY PAUL CASPER
WRITTEN AND PRODUCED BY JOSEPH MADDREY
EDITED AND DIRECTED BY ANDREW MONUMENT

© Lux Digital Pictures, Inc

With a SRP of $29.95, NIGHTMARES IN RED, WHITE AND BLUE becomes available on DVD on September 28, 2010.

KAIJU FRIDAY

KAIJU (怪獣, kaijū) n. Japanese word loosely translated as "strange beast". Often used in English to mean "monster".

From THE MONSTER TIMES #23, June 1973

SCARY SUNDAY FUNNIES

Here's a selection from HORROR TALES, an Eerie Publication, from 1971. Grab your cuppa Joe and enjoy!

HOUSE OF THE WOLF MAN

"House of the Wolf Man" tells the story of Dr. Bela Reinhardt (Chaney) and the five guests he has invited to his castle to see which one will inherit his estate. He has arranged for a competition of sorts, and the victor shall be determined through a process of elimination. But it quickly becomes apparent to the five unwitting visitors that danger lurks in every corner, and that the House of the Wolf man holds a secret that could drive anyone to insanity! Starring Ron Chaney, grandson of Lon Chaney." - from Amazon.com

HOUSE OF THE WOLF MAN has a bit of horror film history behind it. Legend has it that Universal Studios was planning a third "monster rally" movie after the moderate successes of HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN and HOUSE OF DRACULA. Obviously, it was not to be -- until now. While far from being a Universal Picture, this production is a faithful horror homage to the great classic monster movies of the 1940s.

KAIJU FRIDAY

KAIJU (怪獣, kaijū) n. Japanese word loosely translated as "strange beast". Often used in English to mean "monster".

While not a "giant monster" movie per se, THE GREEN SLIME (1968 Japan/ 1969 US) was basically an American film produced in Japan. It's got Robert Horton, Luciana Paluzzi, and some pretty funky looking tentacled "aliens". It's also a fairly enjoyable film to watch, despite some of the aforementioned funky. And, be prepared for the UBER FUNKY theme song . . .

American Movie Poster

Italian Movie Poster

Robert Horton and Luciana Paluzzi (Above)

Various THE GREEN SLIME Lobby Cards (Below)