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Courtesy of Film Masters

by Chad Kennerk

The first feature film produced by the legendary Roger Corman has been given the special edition treatment by Film Masters in a stunning 4K restoration from the original 35mm camera negative. The B-movie horror gem serves as an important footnote in the history of monster movies, an early precursor to the likes of Jaws (which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year). While it may not have had the technical or financial resources of other 1954 aquatic releases like Creature from the Black Lagoon or 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, the film’s underwater footage still impresses, evoking an early look into the fear of the unknown ocean. Corman’s debut as a producer paved the way for a career filled with low-budget genre classics. The release adds to his enduring legacy, marking the ninth Corman title to receive the lush treatment from Film Masters.

Prepare for an interstellar adventure with “Svengoolie,” airing Saturday, July 6, 2024, at 8:00 Pm on MeTV. In this episode titled “The Angry Red Planet,” viewers are transported to Mars alongside an intrepid expedition facing the perils of an alien world. The narrative unfolds with explorers encountering hostile Martian flora and fearsome creatures, including a spine-chilling hybrid of mouse and spider.

“Svengoolie” blends science fiction thrills with classic horror elements, promising a nostalgic trip to the era of imaginative storytelling and special effects. As the crew navigates the treacherous Martian terrain, suspense builds with each encounter, highlighting the tension between human curiosity and the unknown dangers of extraterrestrial life.

For fans of vintage sci-fi and creature features, “The Angry Red Planet” offers an evening of suspense and intrigue. Join MeTV this Saturday night to witness the excitement and peril of Mars exploration through the lens of classic television, where imaginative storytelling and...

No one goes to the circus anymore. Outdated, antiquated, and cruel, it houses and mistreats animals for our amusement; I’d sure like to see the people running it tortured instead of the animals. Speaking of which, Circus of Horrors (1960) does just that; the circus is an ideal setting for shadowed deaths and “unforeseen” accidents, and this film provides plenty while still retaining a solid focus on its characters.

Released by American International stateside in August, with a slight earlier date (late June) by Anglo-Amalgamated on its home turf of the UK, Circus of Horrors was well received by some critics, who praised its sturdy direction, potent atmosphere, and strong performances. Audiences dug it too, especially in the states, where it double billed with The Angry Red Planet and did quite well. Even if it hadn’t performed, it’s still a fast-paced thrill ride through the grimy and tattered tents of the big top.

Scener, a Seattle-based startup that enables social viewing, has teamed with Comic-Con to become the exclusive co-viewing partner for its upcoming online event.

The company will host two tracks of library films and anime during Comic-Con@Home, which runs July 22 to 26, with a capacity of up to 1 million simultaneous viewers, featuring live community chat. (See full list of films below.)

Scener has also expanded the roster of services it can connect viewers with to seven in total: Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Funimation and Vimeo.

In recent months, Google Chrome extensions like Netflix Party and Scener have gained traction as viewers have craved social experiences while also boosting streaming consumption during Covid-19 shutdowns. Hulu and Amazon Prime have recently announced they are adding “party” features to their services in response to the trend. The social function can be accessed only on laptops,...

The renowned graphic novel from Joe Kelly and Ken Niimura comes to life in the feature film I Kill Giants, which has been acquired for Us distribution by Rlje Films. In today's Horror Highlights we also have a look at Comet TV's December viewing guide, the Indiegogo campaign for a Twin Peaks fan project, and we also enter the woods to watch the eerie short film The Temple of Lilith.

Rlje Films Acquires Us Distribution Rights to I Kill Giants: Press Release: "Los Angeles, Dec. 5, 2017 – Rlje Films, a brand of Rlj Entertainment (Nasdaq: Rlje), Umedia and Xyz Films announced today that Rlje has acquired the U.S. rights to the highly anticipated I Kill Giants, which premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival to critical praise. Based on the acclaimed Man of Action graphic novel by Joe Kelly and Ken Niimura with a screenplay by Joe Kelly, the film was directed by Anders Walter,...

Kong is back, transformed into a ‘MonsteVerse’ colossus suitable for combat with Kaiju-sized foes. The key inspiration is video games but the day is saved by capable performers in mostly amusing roles. Even though the show treats its fantasy halfway seriously, it’s still an infantile guns ‘n’ monsters romp, embellished with impressive visual effects.

Kong: Skull Island 3D

3-D Blu-ray + Digital

Warner Home Video

2017 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 118 min. / Street Date July 18, 2017 / 44.95

Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, John C. Reilly, Thomas Mann, Brie Larson, Tian Jing .

Cinematography: Larry Fong

Film Editor: Richard Pearson

Original Music: Henry Jackman

Written by Dan Gilroy, Max Borenstein, Derek Connolly, John Gatins

Produced by Mary Parent, Jon Jashni, Alex Garcia

Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts

Much of genre filmmaking is now being corporatized into interrelated ‘shared universes.’ Universal is struggling to shape its horror icons into a Marvel-like gallery of interchangeable ‘fun’ adventure figures.

Hey, Ib Melchoir’s Opus Mars-us is back, in a not-bad new scan and color-grading job. If the nostalgia bug has bitten you deep enough to appreciate a fairly maladroit but frequently arresting space exploration melodrama, this may be the disc for you. Let’s be honest: Nobody can resist the allure of the fabulous Bat-Rat-Spider-Crab, and in glorious Cinemagic, no less.

The Angry Red Planet

Blu-ray

Scream Factory

1960 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 83 min. / Street Date June 27, 2017 / 17.28

Starring: Gerald Mohr, Nora Hayden, Les Tremayne, Jack Kruschen.

Cinematography: Stanley Cortez

Film Editor: Ivan J. Hoffman

Original Music: Paul Dunlap

Written by Ib Melchior from a story by Sid Pink

Produced by Norman Maurer & Sid Pink

Directed by Ib Melchior

Unjust though it may be, not all Savant reviews make the national news feed, but my old 2001 coverage of the pretty miserable MGM DVD of The Angry Red Planet got quoted all over the place,...

Scream Factory is wishing cult horror film fans a very happy holiday season by announcing five obscure genre titles they plan to release on Blu-ray in 2017.

On Facebook, Scream Factory announced that in the spring / summer of 2017, they plan on releasing Blu-rays of Invasion of the Bee Girls (1973), The Vampire (1957), 1993's Contamination .7 (aka The Crawlers), I Bury the Living (1958), and The Naked Cage (1986).

The five selected titles came from an online vote Scream Factory conducted earlier this year when they let fans know which movies they had rights to and asked them which ones they'd like to see released on Blu-ray. You can read the official announcement below, and we'll be sure to keep Daily Dead readers updated on further release details as they are revealed.

From Scream Factory: "Some of you back in the Fall may remember that we asked you to vote on some obscure titles...

The seemingly endless supplies of candy that come with Halloween are always a highlight of the holiday, but one of the sweetest treats for horror fans this time of year is Scream Factory's announcement of upcoming Blu-ray releases. This year is no exception, as Scream Factory has revealed ten new Blu-ray releases due out in 2017, including a Firestarter Collector's Edition, Deadtime Stories, The Screaming Skull, 1998's Psycho, Tales From the Hood, and more.

From Scream Factory: "Okay by now you know we couldn’t let this day go by without some title announcements right? ;-) Here’s some treats to look forward to on Blu-ray in 2017:

- Tales From The Hood (1995) – The often-requested anthology film (Executive Producer by Spike Lee!) will finally make its Blu-ray format debut.

- Deadtime Stories (1986) – Another fun and highly-requested anthology movie that many remember from the 80s which features Scott Valentine, Melissa Leo...

Nick Aldwinckle Sep 2, 2016

Our latest The Bottom Shelf DVD and Blu-ray round-up features Jaws 2, Jaws 3-D, Jaws: The Revenge and Chuck Norris...

With Shark Week arguably America’s most beloved religious festival and the unprecedented worldwide cultural impact of Anthony C. Ferrante’s acclaimed Sharknado trilogy showing no sign of letting up, who could deny the necessity of the Jaws sequels finally getting a Blu-ray release?

The immediate answer is obvious (well, anyone), though this belated look at Jaws 2, Jaws 3-D, Jaws: The Revenge and Jaws 5: The Sharkening was, for this writer at least, a nostalgic journey through a world where morbidly obese fish bear grudges, Michael Caine fights a script far deadlier than any marine predator and where lines such as “Weld that sonuvabitch” are somehow deemed passable.

Generally considered the best of the sequels, perhaps Jaws 2 holds a special place in the heart of the reader who,...

What horrors will we find on the planet Yoo-rah-nuss? A cyclopean dinosaur? Nasty spider monsters? A megalomaniac cerebellum that can turn our X-rated sex fantasies into flesh and blood people? Let's go! Sid Pink's flashy and slightly idiotic adventure stars space cadet John Agar as an average guy willing to have sex with a phantom from his own imagination. Say, doesn't Woody Allen make dirty jokes about that? Journey to the Seventh Planet Blu-ray Kl Studio Classics 1962 / Color / 1:66 widescreen / 77 min. / Street Date April 5, 2016 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95 Starring John Agar, Carl Ottosen, Ann Smyrner, Greta Thyssen, Peter Monch, Ove Sprogoe, Louis Miehe-Renard, Ulla Moritz, Mimi Heinrich, Annie Birgit Garde. Cinematography Aage Wiltrup Visual Effects Krogh, Wah Chang, Jim Danforth, Ronny Scheemmel. Art Director Otto Lund Editor Tove Palsbo Original Music Jerry Capeheart, Ib Glindemann, Mitchell Tableporte Written by Ib Melchior & Sid Pink Produced by Samuel Z. Arkoff & Sid Pink...

Never exactly the crown jewel in the dystopic cinematic Ya pyramid of The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner and The Divergent Series, from the beginning, the lattermost has over complicated intuitive class commentary, presented sub-text as text (rest assured, there is a line of dialogue about wolves and lambs within the first five minutes), and buried a crowd-pleasing story of anarchy in mountains of superfluous exposition.

By the end of Robert Schwenke’s The Divergent Series: Allegiant – Part 1, the third of four interminable installments, it’s clear that that expectation was misguided. The Divergent Series is now the equivalent of re-animated roadkill, a desiccated corpse that’s been revived one more time in the foolish suggestion that the same thing won’t repeat itself.

Allegiant starts immediately where the last movie ended, placing Tris (Shailene Woodley) on the precipice of mass revolution in Chicago as Evelyn (Naomi Watts) takes over...

Mind games are played in deep space in Journey to the Seventh Planet. The 1962 film will be released on Blu-ray and DVD from Kino Lorber on April 5th, and we have a look at the cover art and release details.

From Amazon: “Newly Re-mastered in HD! You Are in Space… Beyond Space! In futuristic 2001, the United Nations has sent a special team of scientists to explore Uranus. And what this interstellar crew discovers is a planet not unlike Earth-complete with a small Danish village filled with voluptuous women! But underneath the utopian veneer is a so powerful and so heinous that it’s using the crew’s memories against them so it can take their spaceship back to Earth-and conquer it! Wonderfully directed by cult producer, writer and director, Sidney W. Pink (Reptilicus, The Angry Red Planet) and featuring campy performances by John Agar (Invisible Invaders, Miracle Mile) and Greta Thyssen...

This week, we’ve got another fantastic bounty of genre films hitting DVD and Blu-ray on June 16th, including a ton of cult classics like The Land that Time Forgot, Night of the Strangler and the Tentacles/Reptilicus double feature from Scream Factory.

Fans of Neill Blomkamp also have a lot to get excited about this Tuesday, as there’s a Limited Edition collector’s set featuring all three of his sci-fi actioners, with Chappie finally making his way home this week as well. Echo Bridge has put together two different DVD movie packs featuring a bunch of old-school horror movies, and the recent Blumhouse production, The Lazarus Effect, is arriving on Blu-ray and DVD, too.

Blomkamp3 Limited Edition Collection: Chappie/District 9/Elysium (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Blu-ray)

The world of Neill Blomkamp is unlike any other. Distinct of story and vision, and for the first...

"It slept... until man disturbed it. Then it woke with a fury no man could control." On June 16th, creatures will attack in Scream Factory's double feature of Tentacles and Reptilicus, and we've been provided with three Blu-ray copies to give away.

"Tentacles

It's angry. It's hungry. It's extremely well-armed and it's descending on a small seaside town to sample the local cuisine! John Huston, Shelley Winters, Bo Hopkins and Henry Fonda do all they can to keep a giant marine menace from turning their sleepy village into a one-stop snack-shop in this fast-paced thriller! Directed by cult director/producer Ovidio G. Assonitis (Beyond the Door, The Visitor, The Curse), Tentacles is a menacing jolt-a-thon that'll grip you with relentless terror and never let go!

Reptilicus

Discover the true meaning of survival of the fittest, as a terrifying creature from the past brings the future to its knees! Packed with thrills,...

"It slept... until man disturbed it. Then it woke with a fury no man could control." On June 16th, creatures will attack in Scream Factory's double feature Blu-ray of Tentacles and Reptilicus, and we have clips and trailers teasing the upcoming release.

"Tentacles

It's angry. It's hungry. It's extremely well-armed and it's descending on a small seaside town to sample the local cuisine! John Huston, Shelley Winters, Bo Hopkins and Henry Fonda do all they can to keep a giant marine menace from turning their sleepy village into a one-stop snack-shop in this fast-paced thriller! Directed by cult director/producer Ovidio G. Assonitis (Beyond the Door, The Visitor, The Curse), Tentacles is a menacing jolt-a-thon that'll grip you with relentless terror and never let go!

Reptilicus

Discover the true meaning of survival of the fittest, as a terrifying creature from the past brings the future to its knees! Packed with thrills,...

"It slept... until man disturbed it. Then it woke with a fury no man could control." Creatures will rise from the deep to take a bite out of summer vacations (and those taking them) in Scream Factory's double feature Blu-ray of Tentacles and Reptilicus, hitting shelves on June 16th.

Press Release -- "Invincible…Indestructible! Two underwater creature shockers on Blu-ray for the first time! Scream Factory proudly presents the monstrous arrival of Tentacles and Reptilicus in a double feature Blu-ray release on June 16, 2015.

Tentacles

It's angry. It's hungry. It's extremely well-armed and it's descending on a small seaside town to sample the local cuisine! John Huston, Shelley Winters, Bo Hopkins and Henry Fonda do all they can to keep a giant marine menace from turning their sleepy village into a one-stop snack-shop in this fast-paced thriller! Directed by cult director/producer Ovidio G. Assonitis (Beyond the Door, The Visitor, The Curse...

Reel-Important People is a monthly column that highlights those individuals in or related to the movies who have left us in recent weeks. Below you'll find names big and small and from all areas of the industry, though each was significant to the movies in his or her own way. Jerry Alan (c.1939-2014) Stunt man. He worked on the James Bond movies Casino Royale, Diamonds Are Forever and The Man with the Golden Gun, as well a Cop and a 1/2. He died of throat-and-mouth cancer on September 26. (THR) Bob Baker (1924-2014) - Puppeteer. His legendary marrionette work can be seen in Close Encounters of the Third Kind (see the long-limbed alien in the video below), Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The Angry Red Planet, G.I...

Read More...

Ridley Scott’s epic Exodus: Gods And Kings opens in theaters in three weeks.

Jessica Chastain currently stars in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar where she plays a scientist trying to save humanity from extinction.

One year from now, Scott and Chastain, along with Matt Damon, come together in 20th Century Fox’s upcoming sci-fi film The Martian.

“Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.

Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there.

After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.”

During her recent visit to The Daily Show, the Oscar-nominated...

"If the Martians land, they're gonna need a place to stay. Just like everybody else."

Mars. No other planet has inspired as much speculation about the possibility of extraterrestrial life as the Red Planet. There are currently five functioning spacecraft on the surface of Mars, or in orbit above it, searching for signs of life and, while we've yet to find any of the little green men of popular fiction, the latest data from Nasa's Curiosity rover indicates that Mars once supported a network of rivers capable of supporting life. But, enough about theoretical microbial Martians. More than anything, Curiosity's discovery got us to thinking about "real" Martians, the kind that thrill and terrify us in popular sci-fi movies, whether they be three-breasted mutant prostitutes, noble savages of a dying planet, or the icky, invader-y type.

Rate the Top 10 Best Mars & Martians Movies >>

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Link | Posted 3/19/2013 by BrentJS

Mars Attacks!

Disney has a problem – its latest epic is set on Mars, but the red planet's big-screen domination is now over. Scientific advances mean it's no place to battle aliens

For centuries, the planet Mars occupied a unique place in the human imagination. Hanging low and bloodshot in the night sky, it emanated mystery and menace. The Babylonians named it after their god of death and destruction. The ancient Chinese took its advent as a portent of grief and war. It's not surprising that it should have come to be considered the likeliest haunt of extraterrestrial creatures.

Science used to endorse this idea, with early observations suggesting that the planet had seas and vegetation. In 1877, an Italian astronomer mapped the straight lines on its surface that came to be interpreted as irrigation canals. During the years that followed, radio signals from Mars were thought to have been picked up in Colorado,...

As our knowledge of Mars has increased over the years, pop culture's love affair with it has waned.  The once-terrifying visions of Mars from movies like The Angry Red Planet have been replaced by the sad reality: a landscape of dust and ice populated not by exotic flora and fauna like John Carter's Barsoom, but by a handful of dead bacteria (and that's not even a proven fact).  The gaming arena, however, has maintained its own hard sci-fi edge with Thq's Red Faction series, which use the Red Planet as a backdrop for an uprising that blends Socialist proletariat aesthetic with the bombastic Geo-Mod technology, which allows for an unprecedented level of destruction. After three games, which firmly...

Fifty years old this year, Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho is as suspenseful as ever. And, Ryan argues, modern directors could learn a lot from its maker’s back-to-basic approach...

Few mainstream directors have been as influential or well-regarded as Alfred Hitchcock. In a succession of suspense thrillers, including Rope, Vertigo, Rear Window and Dial M For Murder, the director forged a filmmaking language that was both distinctive and personal, which would go on to have a profound effect on the output of an entire generation of filmmakers, including Brian De Palma, William Friedkin and Steven Spielberg.

For a director whose work began in pre-war England, quietly crafting black-and-white classics such as The Man Who Knew Too Much and The 39 Steps, his later rise to colossal fame in Hollywood was unprecedented. Within the space of a few decades, he was one of America's most bankable filmmakers and, for a time, each...