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Originally published in 1897, Bram Stokers Dracula became one of the most important horror novels ever conceived, introducing arguably one of the most prolific villains of all time, and he then moved on to the best Dracula movies for over a century. Dracula remains iconic thanks to cinema, and the debate over which interpretation did the greatest justice to the Lord of all Vampires will likely last forever. Over a century since the novel was first published, Dracula remains one of the most enduring monsters of all time and the contenders for best Dracula movie exemplify why.

The best Dracula movies have a strong mixture of charisma, potent sex appeal, and a timeless Machiavellian stereotype that continues to entertain and frighten fans of vampire flicks related to Stoker's Dracula novel. Dracula continues to get the silver screen treatment over 100 years after Bram Stoker immortalized the character in his 1897 novel. As far as movie villains go,...

After a busy August with the Season 2 premiere of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” which continues throughout September with new episodes through Oct. 3, “Batman: Caped Crusader,” and more, Amazon streaming services Prime Video and Freevee will have a comparably quiet September.

Most of the action for the month will come from Prime Video’s sports options. After the Sept. 5 Kickoff Game at Arrowhead Stadium with the defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs going up against the Baltimore Ravens, Prime Video’s third season of Thursday Night Football begins with AFC East champs Buffalo Bills taking on the Miami Dolphins in Miami. The WNBA and Nwsl also continue their seasons on Prime Video, with matches all month long from New York Liberty, Phoenix Mercury, Angel City Fc, and more top teams.

But Prime Video will welcome a few new series this month, including the highly publicized...

The 1995 film "12 Monkeys" was one of the few times a Terry Gilliam film wasn't beset with chaos and production problems. Gilliam is notoriously unlucky — not to mention incredibly headstrong — so many of his features were only made after last-minute disasters, deaths, or other major catastrophes. One can see Gilliam's unluckiness in play in Keith Fulton's and Louis Pepe's 2002 documentary "Lost in La Mancha," which traced the director's first, stalled attempt to make "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote." Also, one doesn't need to be a deep-cut cineaste to know all about the issues Gilliam had with his 1983 sci-fi film "Brazil," a picture that was re-cut multiple times.

For "12 Monkeys," though, everything seemed to work out okay. Based on Chris Marker's 1962 short film "La Jetée," the film begins in 2035 after most of humanity has been killed by a lethal virus. Survivors were forced into underground prisons,...

George Waggner's 1941 horror film "The Wolf Man" introduced audiences to, essentially, the "second officer" of the Universal Monsters canon. Everyone knows that Dracula is the captain of the monster ship, and that Frankenstein is his first officer (a position he often shares with the Bride). The Wolf Man is always third in command, perhaps serving as a security officer or an enforcer. Mummies, gillmen, invisible men, Dr. Hydes, and other ancillary ghouls serve lower down in the crew. 

Watching the original "Wolf Man" film, however, reveals a dark and sad tale about Larry Talbot who is attacked by a wolf on a misty night in Wales, afflicting him with the curse of the werewolf. Throughout the year, Larry will transform into an animalistic wolf/human creature and stalk and kill random victims. The tale is terrifying and tragic and inspired many pop culture tales to follow -- as well as many nightmares.

Back in March of this year the landmark 1943 film Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (dir. Roy William Neill) made its debut. In honor of the film’s 80th birthday, let’s have some fun celebrating the first big screen monster bash.

The Universal Monsters, particularly the trifecta of Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Wolf Man, are some of the most recognizable icons in pop culture, let alone film.

The legacy of Universal’s horror output from the 1930s and 40s has reached every corner of the zeitgeist. The visage of Bela Lugosi’s Dracula, Boris Karloff’s Monster, and Lon Chaney Jr’s Wolf Man have reached a point of cultural saturation that few fictional characters ever reach.

One of the most remembered films from this cycle is of course, Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man. It’s hardly a new or astute observation to connect today’s mega blockbuster shared universe...

Sheridan Le Fanu’s classic Carmilla has been adapted for the screen on numerous occasions, but few have demonstrated lasting appeal like Hammer’s version. The first of the studio’s Karnstein series, in which a family of vampires disguise themselves so as to prey upon humans by the simple means of anagramming their names (a technique pioneered by another such family in 1943’s Son Of Dracula), it captures something of the same energy as the novella in that they both pushed boundaries in their time and, despite being written by men, portrayed lesbian desire (if not actual sex) convincingly enough to become important to many women at a time when very little similarly themed material was available in the mainstream.

That lack of actual sex has been a key factor in the success of numerous vampire stories over the past century and a half, enabling them to explore all manner of sexual taboos.

Vampires are some of the most fascinating creatures in fiction, with an enduring popularity that extends to the anime medium too. Vampires represent the duality of humankind, as they can be both feral and seductive, and both aspects have been picked up by anime series. Vampires can play a plethora of different roles in the story, from monstruous villains to cursed lovers.

The best vampires in anime are popular not just when Halloween is close, but year-round. Monsters that prey on humans, drink their blood, and transform them into undead have been part of many cultures’ mythology for millennia. Humans’ collective fears of disease, death, and what may be lurking in the dark gave rise to one of the most recognizable character types of all time.

Japanese folklore does not contain vampires - at least not in the traditional Western sense - but since the introduction of the creature into early cinema,...

Acclaimed writer/director David Lowery joins Josh and Joe to discuss the films that inspired The Green Knight.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

The Green Knight (2021)

Peter Pan & Wendy (2022)

Lawrence Of Arabia (1962)

The Old Man And The Gun (2018)

A Ghost Story (2017)

Pete’s Dragon (1977)

Pete’s Dragon (2016) – Glenn Erickson’s review

Ain’t Them Bodies Saints (2013)

Ghost Story (1974)

Sword of the Valiant (1984)

Gawain and the Green Knight (1973)

Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films (2014)

Masters of the Universe (1987) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary

Andrei Rublev (1966) – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review, Dennis Cozzalio’s Muriel Awards blurb

War And Peace (1966) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

Heaven’s Gate (1980)

The Passion Of Joan Of Arc (1928) – Charlie Largent’s Criterion Blu-ray review

The Devils (1971)

Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021)

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

The Conjuring (2013)

Jubilee (1978)

Benedetta (2021)

Dune (1984)

Dune (2021)

Hard To Be A God (2013)

Jodorowsky’s Dune (2013)

Moby Dick (1956) – Ernest Dickerson’s trailer commentary,...

Our Halloween episode! The legendary actor and star of Shudder’s The Mortuary Collection talks about his favorite horror movies from his childhood.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

The Mortuary Collection (2020), now streaming on Shudder!

Nightmare Cinema (2019)

We Come In Pieces: The Rebirth of the Horror Anthology Film (2014)

Bad Boys (1983)

Gentle Giant (1967)

Gone In 60 Seconds (1974)

The Green Slime (1969)

Battle Royale (2000)

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Tarzan’s Three Challenges (1963)

The Professionals (1966)

Dracula, Prince of Darkness (1966)

Ultraman (1967)

Batman (1966)

The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)

Horror of Dracula (1958)

The Brides of Dracula (1960)

Psycho (1960)

Jack The Ripper (1959)

Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972)

The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973)

Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1974)

Count Dracula (1977)

Son of Dracula (1943)

Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

The Haunting (1963)

The Haunting (1999)

The Others (2001)

The Babysitter Murders (2015)

Halloween (1978)

Frankenstein (1931)

King Kong (1933)

Scanners (1981)

Wisconsin Death Trip (1999)

Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

The Bride (1985)

Young Frankenstein (1974)

The Love Bug (1968)

Son of Frankenstein (1939)

Son of Kong (1933)

The Road Back (1937)

Crimson Peak...

The Ape

Blu ray

Kino Lorber

1940 / 62 min. / 1:33:1

Starring Boris Karloff, Maris Wrixon

Cinematography by Harry Neumann

Directed by William Nigh

William Nigh directed over 40 silent films before he signed on for The Ape, which might account for this 1940 film looking far older than its release date—the staging is rudimentary and the dialog so simple that intertitles would convey the action with all its meaning intact. Curt Siodmak’s storyline could have been plucked from a different era too—in particular 1931’s City Lights in which a flower girl regains her sight thanks to Chaplin’s perennial outcast, the little tramp. In The Ape the misfit is Boris Karloff as a scientist who helps a lame girl to walk—and though this low budget melodrama can’t compete with Chaplin’s sentimental masterpiece, like many silent era films, it has its own unvarnished appeal.

Karloff plays Dr. Adrian,...

Come on, let’s do it again. Peter Frampton’s Do You Feel Like I Do? A Memoir brings it all back when you can’t remember who’s wine, what wine, and where the hell you may have dined while living the life of a working rock star.

Written by Frampton with Alan Light, Peter comes alive on the pages of Do You Feel Like I Do? A Memoir. He’s been in you, and now he’s letting you in. Hachette Books will release the book on Oct. 20. The stories are all first-hand accounts from the innovative guitarist himself. And he’s not using that talking box either. He got that effect, by the way, while he was playing sessions with country music’s premiere pedal steel guitarist, Pete Drake, for George Harrison‘s 1970 album All Things Must Pass. He liked the sound of Drake’s innovation so...

Perhaps Universal’s most renowned contributions to cinema lie in their horror library. Frankenstein, Dracula, The Invisible Man, if you can name it they probably made it. But until now, that awesome catalogue was unavailable to view in one place. Sounds like the grousing of a spoilt millennial, I know. The fact is that we’ve all become accustomed to having content at our fingertips. Praise be then that a streaming service has today launched to fulfil that demand. Peacock brings Universal’s esteemed horror collection to the masses.

Unlike its rivals, the service has both a paid-for package and a free one (though you’ll have to contend with adverts). Why not take a look at all the horror films currently available for free, though? Trick question, as there’s no reason why not to. That’s why all the horror films currently available for free are listed below.

Cobra Woman

Blu ray

Kino Lorber

1944/ 1:33 / 71 min.

Starring Maria Montez, Jon Hall, Sabu

Directed by Robert Siodmak

In the early 40’s Universal Pictures was still best known for its shadowy black and white horror shows. That all changed in 1944 when the studio produced the kind of candy-colored dreamland not seen since Dorothy woke up to Oz. The movie was Robert Siodmak’s Cobra Woman starring Maria Montez, Jon Hall and studio stalwart Lon Chaney Jr., last seen putting the bite on Louise Allbritton in Siodmak’s Son of Dracula. There aren’t any vampires in this florid South Sea adventure but this is Universal, after all – villagers are dying and the bite marks on their throats suggest Siodmak’s latest wouldn’t stray too far from the studio’s comfort zone.

Montez plays two roles, a moony island girl named Tollea and her twin sister Naja who rules far-off...

Robert Siodmak’s first film noir is a visually expressive masterpiece in the lush romantic tradition that imposes a dreamlike mood on a nightmarish story. Ella Raines goes to extreme lengths to break the conspiracy that’s sending her boss to Death Row, aided by the Kafka-like indifference of modern Manhattanites. Franchot Tone is the man with the weird hands, but Woody Bredell’s chiaroscuro cinematography is what puts this proto-feminist tale in the top tier.

Phantom Lady

Blu-ray

Arrow Academy

1944 / B&W / 1:37 Academy / 87 min. / Street Date March 5, 2019 / Available from Arrow Video / 39.95

Starring: Franchot Tone, Ella Raines, Alan Curtis, Aurora Miranda, Thomas Gomez, Fay Helm, Elisha Cook Jr., Andrew Tombes, Regis Toomey, Joseph Crehan, Doris Lloyd, Virginia Brissac, Milburn Stone.

Cinematography: Woody Bredell

Film Editor: Arthur Hilton

Written by Bernard C. Schoenfeld, based on the novel by William Irish (Cornell Woolrich)

Produced by Joan Harrison

Directed by Robert Siodmak

1944’s...

I did it, guys! One of the goals I set for myself this October was to go through the entire Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection box set, because it felt like the perfect opportunity to revisit so many classic films, but also fill in a few gaps for me as a fan, as there were a handful of films I just never had the opportunity to watch before this set existed. And while it took up pretty much every second of my free time this month, making time for the Complete Collection felt like I was getting to experience my very own film studies on some of the most influential and unforgettable horror movies to ever grace the silver screen, plus it also helped get me into the mood for this year’s Halloween season.

For Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection, Uni sets the stage for all the...

Universal has released a superb boxed set of their horror classics. Here is the official press release:

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Universal City, California, August 22, 2018 – Thirty of the most iconic cinematic masterpieces starring the most famous monsters of horror movie history come together on Blu-ray™ for the first time ever in the Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection on August 28, 2018, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Featuring unforgettable make-up, ground-breaking special effects and outstanding performances, the Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection includes all Universal Pictures’ legendary monsters from the studio that pioneered the horror genre with imaginative and technically groundbreaking tales of terror in unforgettable films from the 1930s to late-1950s.

From the era of silent movies through present day, Universal Pictures has been regarded as the home of the monsters. The Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection showcases all the original films featuring the most...

Thirty of the most iconic cinematic masterpieces starring the most famous monsters of horror movie history come together on Blu-ray&#8482 for the first time ever in the Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection on August 28, 2018, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Featuring unforgettable make-up, ground-breaking special effects and outstanding performances, the Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection includes all Universal Pictures' legendary monsters from the studio that pioneered the horror genre with imaginative and technically groundbreaking tales of terror in unforgettable films from the 1930s to late-1950s.

From the era of silent movies through present day, Universal Pictures has been regarded as the home of the monsters. The Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection showcases all the original films featuring the most iconic monsters in motion picture history including Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, Phantom of the Opera and Creature from the Black Lagoon.

Whether you loved watching them growing up (or as an adult) or you've never seen them on screen before, you may be excited to know that the Universal Monsters are getting the high-def home media spotlight they deserve this August with the release of Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection.

Featuring The Mummy, Dracula, The Wolf Man, and many more of Universal's iconic cinematic creatures and intriguing human characters, Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection is coming to Blu-ray on August 28th. While the Universal Monsters have been showcased on Blu-ray in separate Legacy Collections, this release will bring the entire ghoulish gang (who bring "squad goals" to a scary high level) together in one convenient collection.

We have a full list of the collection's 30 films and special features below (from Amazon via Bloody Disgusting), as well as a look at the cover art. Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection...

I’m pretty sure there’s an unwritten law stating that we must gorge ourselves on spooky movies whenever Halloween season rolls around. Unfortunately, most cable networks haven’t gotten the memo and have opted to wait until the week leading up to Samhain before treating us to various horror standards, but that doesn’t mean we can’t dust off some of our own favorites, right?

Not surprisingly, it’s not just everyday folk who are feeling the spirit of the season, but also those who’ve led high profile careers in the entertainment industry. On that note, being a lifelong horror junkie, none of us should be shocked that filmmaker/musician Rob Zombie has been spending some time in front of the TV lately.

Ever since arriving on the scene years ago when he fronted White Zombie, Rob has taken his love for the macabre and applied it...

(Aotn) Turner Classic Movies is bringing the horror next month. Starting on October 1st the channel will be bringing back movies such as the original Cat People and Dracula. Fan’s of classic movies will surely not want to miss this.

If you have ever wanted to know where the band White Zombie got there name be sure to tune in on Halloween morning at 8:30 Am. The Universal Monster’s are sprinkled throughout this marathon and will hopefully delight old school horror fans.

Complete Schedule Below:

Sunday October 1, 2017

8:00 Pm Dracula (1931) 9:30 Pm Dracula’s Daughter (1936) 11:00 Pm Son Of Dracula (1943)

Monday October 2, 2017

12:30 Am Nosferatu (1922)

Tuesday October 3, 2017

8:00 Pm Frankenstein (1931) 9:30 Pm Bride Of Frankenstein (1935) 11:00 Pm The Mummy (1932)

Wednesday October 4, 2017

12:30 Am The Wolf Man (1941) 2:00 Am Island Of Lost Souls (1933) 3:30 Am The Black Cat (1934) 4:45 Am The Invisible Man (1933)

Sunday October 8, 2017

2:00 Am Night...

The 2016 blu ray release of the Frankenstein and Wolf Man Legacy Collections was a moment of celebration for movie and monster lovers everywhere, bringing together all the golden age appearances of Frankenstein’s misbegotten creation and Larry Talbot’s hairy alter-ego. Universal Studios treated those dusty creature features to luminous restorations; from Bride of Frankenstein to She Wolf of London, these essential artifacts never looked less than impeccable and, at times, even ravishing. Colin Clive’s frenzied declaration, “It’s Alive!”, never felt more appropriate.

Now Universal has turned their attention to their other legendary franchise players, Dracula, the sharp-dressed but undead ladies’ man and Im-ho-tep, the cursed Egyptian priest who loved not wisely but too well.

Dracula: Complete Legacy Collection

Blu-ray

Universal Studios Home Entertainment

1931, ’36, ’43, ’44, ’45, ’48 / 449 min. / B&W / 1:33 / Street Date May 16, 2017

Starring: Actors: Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr. , Boris Karloff, Bud Abbott, Lou Costello

Cinematography: Karl Freund,...

Universal Pictures’ classic monsters are available now on Blu-ray in four bonus-packed box sets; The Mummy Legacy Collection, The Frankenstein Legacy Collection, The Dracula Legacy Collection and The Wolf Man Legacy Collection. And we have two complete sets on Blu-ray to giveaway… Yes, Two!!

The Mummy Legacy Collection

All 6 Films From The Legacy Of The Original Mummy Includes: The Mummy (1932), The Mummy’S Hand (1940), The Mummy’S Tomb (1942), The Mummy’S Ghost (1944), The Mummy’S Curse (1944), and Abbott And Costello Meet The Mummy (1955)

The original Mummy is one of the silver screen’s most unforgettable characters and, along with the other Universal Classic Monsters, defined the Hollywood horror genre. The Mummy: Complete Legacy Collection includes all 6 films from the original legacy including the terrifying classic starring Boris Karloff and the timeless films that followed. These landmark motion pictures defined the iconic look of the ancient Egyptian monster and continue...

Last fall, Universal Studios Home Entertainment gave horror fans an early Halloween treat with their Complete Legacy Collection Blu-ray box sets for Frankenstein's monster and The Wolf Man. This spring, two more Universal Monsters will get their due, as Dracula and The Mummy are also getting the Complete Legacy Collection Blu-ray treatment.

The respective Complete Legacy Collection Blu-ray box sets for Dracula and The Mummy are scheduled for a May 16th release. Although the full list of films for each collection have not been announced, it's likely that they will contain the same films featured on the DVD versions:

Dracula Complete Legacy Collection:

Dracula (1931) Dracula's Daughter Son of Dracula House of Frankenstein House of Dracula Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein Dracula (1931) - Spanish version

The Mummy Complete Legacy Collection:

The Mummy (1932) The Mummy's Hand The Mummy's Tomb The Mummy's Ghost The Mummy's Curse Abbott and Costello Meet The Mummy

And for additional details,...

Yesterday, amid a crush of sweaty people desperate for last-minute props, I visited a local Halloween superstore with my daughter, looking for a Pikachu mask. Well, there wasn’t much to choose from in the Cute Kid Division. But this particular hall of Halloween hell definitely had the adult sensibility covered. Of course there were the usual skimpy or otherwise outrageous costumes for purchase —ladies, you can dress up like a sexy Kim Kardashian-esque vampire out for a night of Hollywood clubbing, and gents, how about impressing all the sexy Kim Kardashian vampires at your party by dressing up like a walking, talking matched set of cock and balls! It’s been a while since I’ve shopped for fake tools of terror, but it seems there’s been a real advance in sophistication in the market for “Leatherface-approved” (I swear) chainsaws with moving parts and authentic revving noises,...

Expatriate Francis Lederer is a cultured menace in UA's revisit of the Dracula myth, made just before Hammer Films staked its claim on the horror genre. Avid Hitchcock fans may find the storyline very familiar, when European cousin Bellac strikes up a 'special' relationship with his American cousin Rachel. The Return of Dracula Blu-ray Olive Films 1958 / B&W / 1:85 widescreen / 77 min. / Street Date October 18, 2016 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95 Starring Francis Lederer, Norma Eberhardt, Ray Stricklyn, Virginia Vincent, John Wengraf. Cinematography Jack MacKenzie Film Editor Sherman A. Rose Original Music Gerald Fried Written by Pat Fielder Produced by Arthur Gardner, Jules V. Levy Directed by Paul Landres

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

The Levy-Gardner-Laven producing combo, minus Arnold Laven this time out, assemble what was probably their most successful drive-in cheapie for United Artists. Promoting their secretary Pat Fielder to screenwriter, they had already done okay with a contemporary, non-Gothic vampire story...

Halloween is almost here. This is the time of year for putting your favorite horror films in the DVD player. When you think of horror movies over the decades, there are certain actors whose names are indelibly linked to the horror genre. In honor of Halloween 2016, Cinelinx looks at the nine greatest horror films stars of all time.

9) Robert Englund: He made a name for himself as the burnt-faced dream demon Freddy Kruger. His body of horror work includes...A Nightmare On Elm Street, Anoes 2: Freddy’s Revenge, Anoes 3: Dream Warriors, Anoes 4: The Dream Master, Anoes 5: The Dream Child, Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, Freddy Vs. Jason, The Phantom of the Opera, Nightmare Café, Night Terrors, Mortal Fear, The Mangler, Urban Legend, Sanitarium, The Funhouse Massacre, etc.

8) Jamie Lee Curtis: The woman who created the trend of females...

Marc Buxton Nov 13, 2019

With the release of The Mandalorian, it's time to take a look back at the best Star Wars bounty hunter stories!

With The Mandalorian exploring a lawless corner of the galaxy far, far away, bounty hunters -- the scum of the galaxy -- are now at the forefront of the Star Wars universe. Certainly, it's been a long time for fans of the most famous bounty hunter of all, Boba Fett. But, as the famous scene in The Empire Strikes Back shows, there's a whole stable of bounty hunters working across the galaxy for the highest bidder.

Besides Boba Fett, the other intergalactic scum only had a few seconds of screen time in The Empire Strikes Back, but those brief ticks of a clock were unforgettable. The image of a few alien toughs, some truly salty looking armored humans, and even a few droids fueled the imaginations...

Summer is the time for superhero films but October is for ghosts and ghouls. Monsters were box-office gold long before superheroes thrived on screen and film buffs know it was the Universal Studios monsters that originated the concept of the shared universe.

Everybody’s doing it. Shared universes, I mean. It’s the ‘In’ thing to do these days. Disney, Fox and Warner Bros are doing it with their comic book characters. Transformers, Ghostbusters and Robin Hood are planning to do it with their franchises. And so are the revamped Universal Monsters. It already started with Dracula Untold, and others are to follow. Of course, it’s not the first time the Universal Monsters shared the screen together.

And that brings us to the point of this article. Since it’s Halloween time, we get into the spooky spirit of the season as Cinelinx looks back at the one that started it all…...

Some of the most memorable characters in movie history are antagonists. Here are our picks for the franchises that have make the biggest impression based on their villains alone.

A great antagonist in a film can make the effort of the protagonist seem more important. The hero’s plight becomes elevated to have meaning beyond just simple entertainment. It is those struggles that define some of the best movies ever made, and give the audience something to really cheer about.

It’s challenging enough to make one good antagonist, but what happens when you need to make a sequel? What happens if your antagonist has died but your protagonist needs more adventures to keep them busy or complete their story? Maintaining quality villains in a movie franchise is not easy to do. Some movie franchises have had better success at maintaining great antagonists, to the point of often being more...

With the death of horror film legend Christopher Lee, the last of the legendary honor guard of horror has passed on. He was part of an elite group that created the horror genre. Lee’s passing is a reminder that it’s been a long time since we had a new horror film superstar. Is the day of the horror film specialist gone forever? Where are the big-screen boogie-men for the 21st century?

Once upon a time there were a group of actors, known as the ‘screen boogiemen’ who created the horror film/monster movie genre (starting in Universal Studios and later in Hammer Studios.) They were specialists who understood the psychology and performance style of horror cinema and became legends in the industry. The first was silent film star Lon Chaney Sr. (Phantom of the Opera, London After Midnight, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, the Unholy Three, the Monster,...

Happy Monday everyone! For today’s installment of Daily Dead’s 2014 Holiday Gift Guide, we’re bringing you some stellar gift ideas perfect for horror, sci-fi and pop culture fans including collectibles from Neca, a new book celebrating Planet of the Apes, the ultimate box set from Universal and much more.

After you check out today’s gift guide, be sure to enter our Holiday Horrors trivia contest below for your chance to get your hands on some fantastic prizes from our sponsors at HorrorDecor.net, Anchor Bay Entertainment, and Scream Factory.

Vendor Spotlight: Cutestreak Designs

Launched in 2013 by Chelsea Patterson, Cutestreak Designs creates original pop culture infused artwork that’s inspired by some of the most iconic movies and television series of all time (and also creates the killer art for Deadly Magazine each and every month.

And if you’re on the lookout for something non-horror related, Cutestreak...

Halloween is almost upon us and there’s no better time of year to watch some of your favourite horror films, or better yet…discover something new to terrify you for the very first time.

These are ten films that I always find myself watching during the Halloween season.

1. The Universal Monsters

I’m cheating a bit here but try as I might I just couldn’t narrow it down to one. While none of these films are necessarily scary from a modern perspective, nothing gets me in the Halloween mood quite like a dose of good ol’ Universal Monsters.

Horror Trivia: Lon Chaney, Jr. played all four of the big monsters during Universal’s monster heyday. He played Frankenstein’s monster in The Ghost of Frankenstein, The Wolf Man in The Wolf Man, Dracula in Son of Dracula, and The Mummy in The Mummy’s Ghost.

Universal Classic Monsters:...

Draft Day I guess the discussion before releasing Draft Day was whether or not to take advantage of the start of the NFL season with the theatrical release or the DVD and Blu-ray release and the home video marketing team won because clearly that's the reason for bringing it out today, but does anyone care at this pointc The movie is no good, especially for anyone with a passing understanding of, or interest in, the NFL.

Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection I'm not sure what I think about this one. While it would be awesome to own all of these titles, why Universal decided to go DVD-only is beyond me. If someone is a big enough fan of Universal's Classic Monsters franchise aren't they going to want them all and be willing to pay for them all on Blu-rayc Is it the cost involved in restoring them all and...

September gets off to a fantastic start if you’re a genre fan, as Universal Home Entertainment is unloading a Ton of Universal Monsters-related titles on Blu-ray and DVD, including Universal Classic Monsters: The Complete 30-Film Collection and Dracula (1979) starring Frank Langella as the titular bloodsucker.

Also being released by Universal this week are a handful of horror and sci-fi themed 4-Movie Packs, an 8 Film Collection of Hammer horror titles and several other modern horror classics in high definition, including The People Under the Stairs and Firestarter. The third Cabin Fever film, Patient Zero, is also finally arriving on DVD & Blu-ray as well.

Spotlight Titles:

Cabin Fever: Patient Zero (Rlj Entertainment, Blu-ray & DVD)

A group of friends planned the perfect vacation in the Caribbean, but when they head ashore to explore a remote island, their ultimate bachelor weekend devolves into their worst nightmare. After an ill-fated swim in contaminated water,...

Attention, Universal monster fans... that means, well, all of you. The big U is releasing a gargantuan 30-film box set which spans their history of horror from 1931 to 1956, and we have your chance to score a copy on us!

To enter for your chance to win, just send us an email at contests@dreadcentral.com including your Full Name And Mailing Address. We’ll take care of the rest.

This contest will end on at 12:01 Am Pt on September 1st.

Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection Description

They informed our dreams and nightmares, each and every one. Brilliant actors, craftspeople, and filmmakers combined to deliver these indelible characters who may have died on screen, but they will surely live forever. They are the one and only Universal Classic Monsters.

Now, for the first time ever, all 30 Universal Pictures' Classic Monster films will be available together on DVD in...

All you cats out there who refuse to upgrade to Blu-ray are about to get one hell of a present from Universal! That is, if you're a Universal monster fan. The big U is releasing a gargantuan 30-film box set which spans their history of horror from 1931 to 1956!

The Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection is set for release on September 2nd and includes the following films, which are also available in smaller themed collections.

Dracula (1931)

Frankenstein (1931)

The Mummy (1932)

The Invisible Man (1933)

The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Werewolf of London (1935)

Dracula’s Daughter (1936)

Son of Frankenstein (1939)

The Mummy’s Hand (1940)

The Invisible Woman (1940)

The Invisible Man Returns (1940)

The Wolf Man (1941)

Invisible Agent (1942)

The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)

The Mummy’s Tomb (1942)

Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman (1943)

Phantom of the Opera (1943)

Son of Dracula (1943)

The Invisible Man’s Revenge (1944)

The Mummy’s Ghost (1944)

House of Frankenstein (1944)

The Mummy’s Curse (1944)

House of Dracula (1945)

She-Wolf of London...

Vampire. Envision the creature. Do you picture the classic cloaked version? Or the frilly shirt-wearing kind? Or the feral? Or god forbid the sparkly ones? Vampires come in all shapes and sizes, and with Rigor Mortis coming to Blu-ray and DVD on July 8th, we decided to take a look at some of our favorites.

Ever since Bram Stoker brought us Dracula, filmmakers and storytellers have been modifying vamps and making them into all sorts of unique beasties. Some are pretty and some are really, really ugly… but they all drink blood and use humans like we use cattle.

Rigor Mortis features a very unique type of vampire, and it's always fun to see a creature that expands the legend.

So let's take a look at some of the coolest types of vampires that have come into our lives.

For starters, we'll begin with the classic vampire. And what do we mean by "classic" vampire?...

1976 saw the publication of John Brosnan’s excellent book The Horror People. Written during the summer of 1975, it makes interesting reading 40 years down the line. Those who feature prominently in the book – Peter Cushing, Vincent Price, Jack Arnold, Michael Carreras, Sam Arkoff, Roy Ward Baker, Freddie Francis, Robert Bloch, Richard Matheson and Milton Subotsky – were still alive, as were Ralph Bates, Mario Bava, Jimmy Carreras, John Carradine, Dan Curtis, John Gilling, Robert Fuest, Michael Gough, Val Guest, Ray Milland, Robert Quarry and Michael Ripper, all of whom were given a mention. Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Junior, Michael Reeves and James H Nicholson were not long dead. Hammer, Amicus and American International Pictures were still in existence. George A Romero had yet to achieve his prominence and Stephen King wasn’t even heard of!

Brosnan devoted a chapter to a new British company called Tyburn Films. Founded by the charismatic and ambitious Kevin Francis,...

Since the era of silent films, Universal Pictures has earned a reputation as the home of the monster movie, producing landmark films that defined the horror genre for all time.

Now for the first time ever, all 30 Universal Classic Monster films will be available together on DVD in the Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection, available on September 2, 2014.

Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection showcases every original film featuring Hollywood’s most iconic monsters, including Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, The Phantom of the Opera and The Creature from the Black Lagoon.

Starring legendary actors Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney, Jr., Claude Rains and Elsa Lanchester in the roles they made famous, these films set the standard for decades to come with revolutionary makeup, mind-blowing cinematography and groundbreaking special effects. Featuring hours of revealing bonus features, Universal Classic Monsters: Complete...

Review by Sam Moffitt

I love the silent era of movie making. I’ve written of this before and will again, many times I’m sure. Roger Ebert, on his website, made the observation (accurately I’d say) that silent films are not just movies without sound; they are a different medium altogether from the movies we are used to seeing now. Silent films are as different to sound films as radio is to television.

Hollywood Cavalcade was one of the first movies to look back at Hollywood history, and managed to involve several artists who were instrumental in making films that are still enjoyable today.

Hollywood Cavalcade tells the story of Mike Conners (Don Ameche) and his partner, ace cameraman Pete Tinney (Stu Erwin) and their trip to New York City to find a stage actress they can take back to Hollywood and make into a star of moving pictures.

Miscasting in films has always been a problem. A producer hires an actor thinking that he or she is perfect for a movie role only to find the opposite is true. Other times a star is hired for his box office draw but ruins an otherwise good movie because he looks completely out of place.

There have been many humdinger miscastings. You only have to laugh at John Wayne’s Genghis Khan (with Mongol moustache and gun-belt) in The Conqueror (1956), giggle at Marlon Brando’s woeful upper class twang as Fletcher Christian in Mutiny on the Bounty (1962) and cringe at Dick Van Dyke’s misbegotten cockney accent in Mary Poppins (1964). But as hilarious as these miscastings are, producers at the time didn’t think the same way, until after the event. At least they add a bit of camp value to a mediocre or downright awful movie.

In rare cases,...

When Universal’s Dracula was released in 1931 vampires were a relatively underexplored creature of genre films. Sure you had Nosferatu, which was released a full nine years before, but Dracula was the first film to feature a blood sucking fiend that made a killing at the box office. Universal was quick to capitalize on the surprise success of Dracula and several sequels (some in name only) were made. There was Son of Dracula (‘Alucard’ is all I need to say about that one), Dracula’s Daughter, House of Dracula, House of Frankenstein (which featured all the Universal monsters) and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. While most of those films are disposable fodder, Dracula’s Daughter stands out from the pack as not only being entertaining, but also being the one sequel that had as much influence as its predecessor.

Released in 1936 and written by Garrett Ford and directed by Lambert Hillyer,...

A monster has awoken from Universal Studios' archives. Lon Chaney, Jr. was a star in the silent film era of the 1930s and 1940s who played some of the most iconic monsters ever including Frankenstein's Monster (in the Ghost of Frankenstein), The Wolf Man, The Mummy and the Son of Dracula. In a way, his face is famous although most people likely have forgotten his name since his passing in 1973. But Chaney Entertainment, a company run by the actor's heirs, is reminding Universal about the Chaney legacy with a lawsuit that seeks $1 million in damages for exploiting the

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As the man behind the repertory cinema guide email and website Screen Slate, Jon Dieringer is a true cinephile's cinephile.  His daily guide focuses on film and video screenings, gallery installations, and other events from a wide variety of venues across New York City. Most daily emails include an impassioned plea from Dieringer for his readers to go see a film screening later that night.  Today, for instance, he suggests seeing "Son of Dracula" at the Film Forum.  Below that is a robust list of other repertory and independent film screenings, followed by a list of galleries showing video and film work. In college, Dieringer was prepping to be on set, and he got started on film sets early. After college in Pittsburgh, he worked in various departments on the indie "Adventureland."  On set, he was able to make connections with various department heads and the film's producers, including Ted Hope and Anne Carey.

We’re recreating Shock Theater at Horrorhound Weekend March 24th complete with Horror hosts and a Super-8 twist. The original Shock Theater was a package of 52 classic horror films from the Golden Age of Universal Studios that were released to television in 1957, sparking the monster kid craze as well as the launching of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine. Shock Theater was usually broadcast late at night and introduced by a costumed host who would occasionally interrupt the movie with bad monster puns. Zacherly, Ghoulardi, and Vampira were the most famous of these but there were many local hosts as well.

The original Shock Theater Horror hosts

On Saturday March 24th at the Horrorhound Weekend in Columbus Ohio we’re presenting Super-8 Shock Theater a 4-Hour (!) show of films from the original Shock Theater package screened in condensed form on Super-8 Sound film. The films are abridged version of the classic...

For the horror buff, Fall is the best time of the year. The air is crisp, the leaves are falling and a feeling of death hangs on the air. Here at Sound on Sight we have some of the biggest horror fans you can find. We are continually showcasing the best of genre cinema, so we’ve decided to put our horror knowledge and passion to the test in a horror watching contest. Each week in October, Ricky D, James Merolla and Justine Smith will post a list of the horror films they have watched. By the end of the month, the person who has seen the most films wins. Prize Tbd.

Ricky D (5 viewings) Total of 76 viewings

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Purchase

Spirits Of The Dead (Histoires extraordinaires)

Directed by Federico Fellini (segment Toby Dammit), Louis Malle (segment William Wilson), Roger Vadim (segment Metzengerstein)

France, 1968

First thing to notice is the three directors: Federico Fellini,...

We delve deep into the mists of time to discover the origins of the sequel, and come up with an unusual prime suspect…

If you want to blame somebody in particular for the rise and lingering popularity of movie sequels, you may want to point an accusatory finger at Johannes Gutenberg. Several hundred years before the first moving image was projected onto a wall somewhere in the late Victorian era, it was with the invention of the printing press by Gutenberg and his contemporaries that the concept of the sequel almost certainly began.

The first book to go into mass publication was the Bible, which was hardly the kind of book you'd dare to attempt to follow up with a sequel (though Jerry Bruckheimer may have tried, had he been a 15th century publisher). It was the modern novel, an invention that properly came into being in the 1700s, that...

Back at the end of 2007, I had never even heard of Alien Versus Predator: Requiem when I saw a television advertisement that said it was opening that very week; at first I thought it was announcing the television screening of the 2004 film, and to clear up my confusion I opened up a newspaper and lo and behold– they actually made a second Alien Versus Predator film. Alien has always been one of my favourite films–perhaps second only to Star Wars…perhaps–and it has always saddened me to see the heights of silliness it had fallen to. But, I realised at that moment that it was not only the norm for virtually every successful film (it doesn’t even matter if the films are good or not but you can see this in everything from Terminator to Rocky to Rush Hour to Star Wars to Exorcist) but that...

Edward Cullen is without question the most iconic movie vampire of the 2000s. Critics cannot argue with that (go ahead, try to argue, critics; I’ll wait). However, many take issue with “The Twilight Saga’s” portrayal of vampires, complaining that it breaks many of the genre’s ”rules.”

While it’s true, does that really matter since it’s all fiction, anyway? And aren’t rules, as they say, meant to be broken? (Imagine if Batman still looked like this.) The answer depends on whom you ask.

In this week’s column, I compare Edward with his blood-sucking predecessors, matching him up with the most iconic film vampire from each era.The breakdown should give Twi-Hards a better understanding of the lineage “Twilight” draws upon… or choices to ignore. Use the information as you see fit: to defend Edward’s character, to criticize it, or to stock in your...

Did you somehow miss this amazing sequel to Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man? Who could ever forget The Wolf Man vs. Dracula, the Technicolor square-off between Bela Lugosi’s villainous vampire and Lon Chaney, Jr.’s, hirsute antihero? You don’t remember it? Of course not, because it never existed. But, it almost did!

Welcome to “An Alternate History for Classic Film Monsters,” a wonderful series of previously unpublished screenplays from the Universal Monsters era. Curated by Philip J. Riley (Count Dracula Society Award winner and inductee into the Universal Horror Hall of Fame), this collection of newly dug up scripts offers any devoted monster fan who’s “seen ‘em all” a special opportunity indeed of seeing some classic chiller movies that might have been.

Published in the same style as Riley’s earlier screenplays of the ‘30s thriller greats put out by MagicImage, these BearManor Media volumes include a...