News

Next week’s hyper-contentious election and its face-off between virulently opposed camps has cast a fearful pall over our culture, creating an atmosphere where political terrors are outdoing the movie versions. Why hasn’t someone made a slasher pic about volunteers canvassing door-to-door at dusk?

This uneasy vibe has foregrounded an uncomfortable truth about horror films: how they often come with subtle political messages that are not always subtle enough to obscure which way they might vote in November. (To be clear, films cannot cast votes in a presidential election.) For example, you could easily argue that one of the most blatantly Republican horror movies was The Exorcist, along with the entire satanic-possession genre. In William Friedkin’s 1972 original, science and modern medicine are completely powerless to dent the demon who has possessed the innocent victim, leaving it up to the patriarchal Catholic Church to take on Pazuzu (and forge...

Now streaming on Screambox, this year’s found footage horror movie Frogman is making the leap to physical media courtesy of Terror Vision, we’ve learned this morning.

There are two different bundles to choose from, with the Deluxe Edition limited to 1,000 copies and a special Collector’s Edition with more bells and whistles limited to just 100.

The company previews, “Terror Vision is happy to continue bringing contemporary films to home video in the era of streaming, and even happier to be bringing one of their favorite films of 2024 to the label. This edition of Frogman, the gnarly, warty genre flick with a slice of heart, is stacked to the gills with bonus features you’ll want to check out before you croak!”

Terror Vision lets us know, “There will be a Standard Edition down the road.” In the meantime, here’s what you need to know…

Deluxe Edition – Limited...

Consisting of five segments, Southbound (2015) is a horror anthology movie that saw direction under numerous creatives: a filmmaking collective called Radio Silence directed the first segment, and the last. Filling the void was Roxanne Benjamin, David Bruckner, and Patrick Horvath. And within each story, talented thespians perform to their greatest extents, emitting heartfelt screams that will echo in your head long after an initial viewing.

While there are dozens of well-known examples of filmmakers making more grounded anthology films — take Jim Jarmusch with Night on Earth (1991) and Coffee and Cigarettes (2003) — most popular projects of this ilk are categorized as horror films. Just look at Tales from the Crypt (1972) and Creepshow (1982), for instance. You've undoubtedly heard of those, if you haven't seen them outright. But the same can't be said for Southbound.

The film at hand flew drastically under the public radar upon release, and its popularity has remained rather stagnant ever since.

Our friends over at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago are reviving the spirit of late gimmick-master William Castle with a special screening of the horror classic The House on Haunted Hill next month, and they’re pulling out all the stops to recreate the wild theatrical experience that Castle employed at select movie theaters way back in the late 1950s.

The Music Box Theatre tells Bd, “William Castle is throwing a party and you’re invited! We’re rigging up the theatre the way Castle intended. See all your favorite gimmicks and gags at the Music Box Theatre on June 7th at 7:00pm and June 8th at 9:30pm.”

In the 1959 horror classic, “Rich oddball Frederick Loren has a proposal for five guests at a possibly haunted mansion: show up, survive a night filled with scares and receive $10,000 each. The guest of honor is Loren’s estranged wife,...

It’s hard to know where to begin when discussing William Castle. Master of the gimmick and shunner of finesse, his combination of marketing prowess and Giallo-like horror would become synonymous with his name. Castle’s first film, Macabre (1958) saw a father’s frantic search for his daughter play out in front of patrons who were provided life insurance certificates from Lloyds of London, covering against heart attacks during the screening. House On Haunted Hill (1959) has Vincent Price offer five people 10,000 to spend the night with him and his wife in a haunted house, while Castle added value to the proceedings by flying a red-eyed skeleton (Emergo) through the cinema at the opportune moment. The same year The Tingler reached campy cult status by attaching buzzers to the cinema seats for that extra dose of immersive realism. In case unsolicited electrocution wasn’t memorable enough, actors were hired to patrol foyers dressed as nurses,...

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By Hank Reineke

Following the success of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho in 1960-61, there was – forgive me – a “mad” rush to cash in on that film’s coattails. On one side of the pond, U.S. based pastiches of Psycho would come courtesy of Shlock-horror maestro William Castle. The gimmicky producer would rush out the psychological-thriller Homicidal in 1961 and, a bit later - and more famously - with Joan Crawford in Straiht- Jacket (1964). In England, Hammer Film Productions, riding high due to their reimagining of the classic “Universal” monsters, would likewise bring to the screen four psych-thrillers of similar temperament: Paranoiac and Maniac in 1963, Hysteria and Nightmare in 1965.

One of the connecting threads of this quartet of Hammer efforts were that all scenarios had been dutifully scribed by their “house writer” of sorts, Jimmy Sangster. In his entertaining autobiography Do You Want it Good or Tuesday?...

Hello, everyone! We have an eclectic group of films headed to Blu-ray and DVD this week, including the latest Purge entry, a cannibalistic comedy featuring the likes of Pat Morita and Michael Berryman, feature films helmed by both David Nelson (of Ozzie & Harriet fame) and John Russo, plus so much more. Arrow Video is keeping busy this week with their new releases of Death Screams and Children of the Corn in 4K, and Vinegar Syndrome is showing some love to Auntie Lee’s Meat Pies and Girls School Screamers as well. Severin has put together Blu-ray releases for A Day of Judgment and Midnight, and if you missed it in theaters earlier this year, you can catch up with The Forever Purge this Tuesday when it comes home on all formats.

Other home entertainment releases for September 28th include Blood Conscious, Harvest of Horrors, Know Fear, and The Purge: 5-Movie Collection.

As we wrap up the month of March, we have one final round of horror and sci-fi home media releases on tap before we start looking towards April and beyond, and I hope you have your wallets ready, because this week’s slate of titles is a budget killer, no doubt. Arrow Video is celebrating the 40th anniversary of An American Werewolf in London this year with a brand new limited edition Steelbook, and Warner Archives is showing some love to a few older titles this Tuesday as well: Isle of the Dead and The Bermuda Depths.

Vinegar Syndrome is keeping busy with a handful of new releases this week, too, including The Fear, Nightmare Weekend, Graduation Day, and Hitcher in the Dark. Severin Films is also celebrating a pair of films from Álex de la Iglesia with their Special Edition Blus for The Day of the Beast and Perdita Durango,...

This article contains spoilers for The Boys Season 2 finale

When we last saw Homelander, he wasn’t in a good place. At the end of The Boys Season 2, we parted ways with him angrily wanking over the city after his Nazi girlfriend Stormfront got her limbs lasered off by his own son. Little Ryan then chose to embrace the thorn in his side, Billy Butcher, over him. As the narcissistic leader of The Seven loudly repeated the phrase “I can do whatever I want!” we witnessed a deadly prologue for Season 3, according to Homelander actor Antony Starr.

“There are two words that Eric has said to me about Season 3,” Starr told Collider. “His description for Homelander Season 3 was, ‘Two words, homicidal maniac.’ That’s all I know.”

Season 2 dropped quite a few breadcrumbs for the possibility of Homelander finally snapping and giving up even the occasional pretence of being a...

It’s officially a new month and a new week, which means we have a bunch of brand new Blu-ray and DVD releases headed home this Tuesday. The official start to summer is right around the corner, which makes this the perfect time for Steven Spielberg’s Jaws to swim its way into 4K waters for the very first time, in honor of the film’s 45th anniversary this year. And if that wasn’t cool enough, Oscar winner Parasite from filmmaker Bong Joon Ho is also getting a 4K release this week as well.

Kino Lorber is also keeping busy with a pair of Blu-rays to kick off their slate of releases for the month—Let’s Kill Uncle and They Came from Beyond Space—and if you’re a big Creepshow fan, you’re definitely going to want to pick up the new anthology series this week.

Other...

So many icons, so little time. Two of William Castle's classic films, The Tingler (starring Vincent Price) and Strait-Jacket (starring Joan Crawford) are finally available on Blu-ray courtesy of Scream Factory. If you're not familiar with The Tingler or Strait-Jacket, it's no sweat, because we have three Blu-ray clips for each film, plus trailers!

Press Release: "This August, beat the heat with two classic chillers from Scream Factory! On August 21st, 2018, two of legendary horror filmmaker William Castle’s best-loved films will make their Blu-ray debuts loaded with bonus features, including new interviews and audio commentaries on each release. Fans can pre-order their copies now by visiting ShoutFactory.com

In Strait-Jacket, film legend Joan Crawford gives a terrific performance in this chiller from pioneer horror movie producer William Castle.

Crawford plays Lucy Harbin, a woman who goes berserk when she finds her husband in bed with another woman. With...

For all you genre fans who enjoy more serialized storytelling, August 21st features some truly excellent seasons of a variety of cable television series, including the final ten episodes of Ash vs Evil Dead, season 8 of The Walking Dead, and the first season of The Terror, and Kino Lorber has put together a 20th anniversary Blu-ray for Deep Rising. Scream Factory is keeping busy with William Castle’s The Tingler and Strait-Jacket on tap this week, and Shout Select has a Collector’s Edition Blu-ray of David Lynch’s Wild at Heart coming home as well.

Other notable releases for August 21st include Deadpool 2, What Still Remains, First Reformed, Leonor, and The Ninth Passenger.

Ash vs Evil Dead: Season 3

“Ash vs Evil Dead”: Season 3 features Ash, who – having gone from urban legend to hometown hero –discovers that he has a daughter. And, when Kelly witnesses a massacre with...

Shortly after taking viewers to the House on Haunted Hill, director William Castle introduced horror fans to The Tingler (which also co-starred Vincent Price). Nearly 60 years after its initial release, Scream Factory is releasing The Tingler on a new Blu-ray brimming with bonus features, and we've been provided with three copies to give away to lucky Daily Dead readers!

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Prize Details: (3) Winners will receive (1) Blu-ray copy of The Tingler.

How to Enter: We're giving Daily Dead readers multiple chances to enter and win:

1. Instagram: Following us on Instagram during the contest period will give you an automatic contest entry. Make sure to follow us at:

https://www.instagram.com/dailydead/

2. Email: For a chance to win via email, send an email to contest@dailydead.com with the subject “The Tingler Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.

Entry Details: The contest will end at 12:01am Est on August 27th.

In addition to their recent Blu-ray announcement of the House on Haunted Hill remake, Scream Factory will also release two William Castle movies on Blu-ray this August, and we have a look at the full lists of special features for Strait-Jacket and The Tingler:

Press Release: This August, beat the heat with two classic chillers from Scream Factory! On August 21st, 2018, two of legendary horror filmmaker William Castle’s best-loved films will make their Blu-ray debuts loaded with bonus features, including new interviews and audio commentaries on each release. Fans can pre-order their copies now by visiting ShoutFactory.com

In Strait-Jacket, film legend Joan Crawford gives a terrific performance in this chiller from pioneer horror movie producer William Castle.

Crawford plays Lucy Harbin, a woman who goes berserk when she finds her husband in bed with another woman. With her three-year-old daughter accidentally witnessing the grisly act, Lucy axes the couple to death.

Tuesday, July 19th doesn’t boast a ton of new home entertainment choices for genre fans, but as the saying goes, sometimes it’s quality over quantity, and there are a few releases to be more than excited for. Scream Factory has put together a stellar Collector’s Edition release of The Return of the Living Dead and is also bringing Bad Moon home in HD as well.

Mill Creek has two William Castle double features arriving on Blu-ray this week, and Warner Home Video is giving Watchmen the 4K Ultra HD treatment with their new release of The Ultimate Cut, which I know a lot of fans have been looking forward to for a while now.

Other notable titles coming home on July 19th include Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (with four separate format releases) and a special edition release of Ken Russell’s Crimes of Passion.

William Castle’s 13 Ghosts (1960), 13 Frightened Girls, Homicidal, and Mr. Sardonicus are coming to Blu-ray in two double features from Mill Creek Entertainment! Both double bills will be released on July 5th.

From Mill Creek Entertainment: “13 Ghosts (1960) – B&W – 85 minutes – Not Rated

Charles Herbert, Jo Morrow, Martin Milner, Rosemary DeCamp. Donald Woods, Margaret Hamilton

When an eccentric uncle wills a huge, ramshackle house to his impoverished family, they get the shock of a lifetime. Their new residence comes complete with a spooky housekeeper, plus a fortune in buried treasure and 12 horrifying ghosts.”

13 Frightened Girls (1963) – Color – 88 minutes – Not Rated

Murray Hamilton, Joyce Taylor, Hugh Marlowe, Khigh Dhiegh, Charlie Briggs, Norma Varden

The girls of a Swiss boarding school have one thing in common — they are all daughters of diplomats. One in particular finds out that she has a knack for espionage, and uncovers the murder of a Russian diplomat. Now she...

Special Mention: Dressed To Kill

Directed by Brian De Palma

Written by Brian De Palma

1980, USA

Genre: Thriller

Brian De Palma’s films, like Tarantino’s, are a cinematic mash-up of influences from the past, and in De Palma case he borrows heavily from Alfred Hitchcock. Obsession is De Palma’s Vertigo, Blow Out his Rear Window, and with Dressed to Kill the director set its sights on Psycho. Dressed To Kill is more thriller than horror but what a stylish and twisted thriller it is! The highlight here is an amazing ten-minute chase sequence set in an art gallery and conducted entirely without dialogue. There are a number of other well-sustained set pieces including a race in the subway system and even, yes, a gratuitous shower murder sequence. Dressed To Kill features an excellent cast (Michael Caine, Nancy Allen, Angie Dickinson), a superb score (courtesy of Pino Donaggio) and...

Before I Go to Steal: Polish’s Familiar, Bare Bones Genre Trick

It isn’t long after the film’s opening car crash sequence that the essence of Amnesiac comes grinding to an equally violent narrative standstill. The first of his three features set for theatrical release in 2015, director Michael Polish utilizes the blonde iciness of his actress/wife Kate Bosworth for a genre film duplicating the formulas of so many more infamous staples nearly every beat seems lodged in mundane presumptions. Unless audience members are suffering from the same condition promised in the title, there’s nothing remotely fresh or intriguing concerning this kidnapping thriller and its countless moments of generic flourishes.

A man (Wes Bentley) and wife (Bosworth) get into a car accident. He wakes up in their large home filled with mostly empty rooms to find he remembers nothing about or before the accident. He no longer recognizes his wife,...

Hammer horror fans are in for a treat, as respective collections of five William Castle films and five Hammer horror movies are coming out on Blu-ray in August, and The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant has been set to come out on Blu-ray.

The William Castle and Hammer horror collections will respectively come out on DVD August 18th from Mill Creek. The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant, meanwhile, is slated for release later this year by Kino Lorber. Stay tuned to Daily Dead for further updates.

From Mill Creek: "Iconic horror director William Castle created a simple, but winning formula for his films: a little comedy, a lot of scares, a preposterous gimmick, and a clear sense that fright films should be fun. This even meant Castle would, like Alfred Hitchcock, appear in his trailers and even the movies themselves. Though his career spanned 35 years and included everything from westerns to crime thrillers, he'll...

Adjustment Bureau: The Spierig Bros. Resuscitate Heinlein’s Dime Store Sci-Fi

Though it gets off to an idle, clunky start, the Spierig Bros, an Australian directing duo, rifle through the catalogue of vintage science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein as inspiration for their third feature, Predestination. Premiering at the 2014 SXSW Film Festival, the title is unfortunately being dumped in the undesirable January period for its theatrical release, connoting that the film doesn’t have much to offer. Perhaps more ambitious than its means, it’s a film that manages to intrigue and engross with a narrative that virtually creates the odor of the musty, yellowed pages of the writing style it’s been borrowed from. While some may have a problem with the treatment of certain subject elements, dated precariously from a less enlightened period, the Spierigs, if nothing else, capture a certain nostalgic energy for this material, like an insect trapped in amber.

Receiving a healthy domestic release in native Netherlands and released stateside by Ram Releasing last May, with limited festival play before it (it did show at the neighboring Razor Reel Fantastic Film Festival Bruges) this is a film that will indubitably be remembered as a quaint first-wave exercise in an increased integration of modern technology and cinematic streamlining as a way to increase audience participation. Dutch filmmaker Bobby Boerman’s sophomore film, App, is presented as little more than any number of dressed up J-horror narratives. That’s not to say there isn’t any fun to be had in what serves as the first film to utilize second screen technology, but it’s cheap and shallow fun, to be sure. The rather superficial mystery at the heart of the narrative takes a considerable back seat to the excitement of messages you may receive on your cell phone from the film’s app,...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present a 40th anniversary screening of “Young Frankenstein” with special guests Mel Brooks, Cloris Leachman, Teri Garr and executive producer Michael Gruskoff on Tuesday, September 9, at 7:30 p.m. at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. Film historian Leonard Maltin will introduce the comedy classic and host a live onstage discussion with Brooks, Leachman, Garr and Gruskoff.

“Young Frankenstein,” Brooks’s 1974 homage to the Golden Age of monster movies, features a large ensemble cast including Leachman, Garr, Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars and Gene Hackman. It earned Oscar® nominations for Adapted Screenplay (Wilder, Brooks) and Sound (Richard Portman, Gene Cantamessa).

Additional Academy events coming up in September at the Bing Theater in Los Angeles are listed below, with details at www.oscars.org/events:

“Let There Be Fright: William Castle Scare Classics”

The...

The St. Louis Globe-Democrat is a monthly newspaper run by Steve DeBellis, a well know St. Louis historian, and it’s the largest one-man newspaper in the world. The concept of The Globe is that there is an old historic headline, then all the articles in that issue are written as though it’s the year that the headline is from. It’s an unusual concept but the paper is now in its 27th successful year! Steve and I collaborated in 2011 on an all-Vincent Price issue of The Globe and he has asked me to write a regular monthly movie-related column. Since there is no on-line version of The Globe, I will be posting all of my articles here at We Are Movie Geeks. Since this month’s St. Louis Globe-Democrat is written as if it’s 1959, I decided to write about two of my favoririte films from that...

App of My Eye: Second Screen Technology Gets Double Dutch in Gimmicky Thriller

A film that will indubitably be remembered as a quaint first-wave exercise in an increased integration of modern technology and cinematic streamlining as a way to increase audience participation, Dutch filmmaker Bobby Boerman’s sophomore film, App, is presented as little more than any number of dressed up J-horror narratives. That’s not to say there isn’t any fun to be had in what serves as the first film to utilize second screen technology, but it’s cheap and shallow fun, to be sure. The rather superficial mystery at the heart of the narrative takes a considerable back seat to the excitement of messages you may receive on your cell phone from the film’s app, tuned to receive audio cues as the film plays and display extra content that those without the app are unable to see.

The Reach

Director: Jean-Baptiste Leonetti

Writer: Stephen Susco

Producer: Michael Douglas, Robert Mitas

U.S. Distributor: Rights Available

Cast: Michael Douglas, Jeremy Irvine, Ronny Cox

Jean-Baptiste Leonetti’s directorial debut was the stylistic dystopian film Carre Blanc, which reflected a world as a Kafkaesque caste system. While it played at Sitges and Toronto, the film never received a Us release, but it was enough to get Leonetti a high profile English language gig starring Michael Douglas. Even more exciting is the fact that this based on a young adult novel by Robb White, the screenwriter that penned a host of William Castle films (of which The Tingler and Homicidal are definitely worth a look, while more popular titles like 13 Ghosts and House on Haunted Hill have recently been remade). All around, it’s an arresting combination and we can’t wait to see what the offbeat Leonetti has in store for us.

By Lee Pfeiffer

Sony has reissued its 2002 special edition of producer William Castle's horror exploitation film Homicidal a burn-to-order DVD, although there is no mention of the extra bonus feature on the packaging or publicity for the film. (Sony seems determined not to capitalize on special features that are especially marketable to collectors.) Castle, of course, was the proud master of exploitation films and relished his reputation as the King of Schlock. He excelled in making low-budget, "quickie" films that often capitalized on major hit movies of the day. Castle seemed to fancy himself as a low-rent version of Alfred Hitchcock, who was also not shy about promoting his own image in connection with marketing his films and TV series. Castle's films were not meant to be taken seriously by critics but he did have high standards for the genre in which he worked and it's rare to find...

Every year, we here at Sound On Sight celebrate the month of October with 31 Days of Horror; and every year, I update the list of my favourite horror films ever made. Last year, I released a list that included 150 picks. This year, I’ll be upgrading the list, making minor alterations, changing the rankings, adding new entries, and possibly removing a few titles. I’ve also decided to publish each post backwards this time for one reason: the new additions appear lower on my list, whereas my top 50 haven’t changed much, except for maybe in ranking. I am including documentaries, short films and mini series, only as special mentions – along with a few features that can qualify as horror, but barely do.

Come Back Tonight To See My List Of The 200 Best!

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Special Mention:

Wait until Dark

Directed by Terence Young

Written by Robert Carrington

USA, 1967

Directed by Terence Young,...

Homicidal (1961)

Starring: Glenn Corbett, Patricia Breslin, Jean Arless

Writer: Robb White

Director: William Castle

Synopsis:

A vicious murder of a justice of the peace leads the police to Salvang, California, where the murderer, Emily, lives. As we delve into Emily’s life, we see her erratic relationships with her family and friends, and we learn about an inheritance worth millions.

Review:

Call William Castle a ripoff or a hack or whatever; the fact still remains that he was a genius at marketing his movies. Even the gimmicks that didn’t work were super intriguing. For House on Haunted Hill- filmed in Emergo, wire attached skeletons flew over the audience. The Tingler- filmed in Percepto, vibrating buzzers were used under the theater seats. 13 Ghosts- filmed in Illusion-o, the audience were given ghost viewer’s/removers. And that brings us to Homicidal, which contains a Fright Break- a 45 second timer...

It has been said countless times before, but you are unlikely to find a director with as impressive a back-catalogue as Sir Alfred Hitchcock. Over thirty years on from the iconic filmmaker’s death in 1980 and he and his features are still the subject of unabashed fascination. Strangers on a Train, Dial M For Murder, Rear Window, Vertigo, North By Northwest, Psycho and The Birds, being but a small selection of the films that are still continuously shown on television and in independent cinemas on a regular basis.

It’s rare to meet a filmmaker who does not cite Alfred Hitchcock as a creative influence. The director’s fusion of classic glamour and cool with unexpected thrills and genre-bending narrative twists, set him far above many of his contemporaries – serving as an inspiration to countless filmmakers, from Steven Spielberg and Brian De Palma to David Fincher and supposedly M. Night Shyamalan...

Throughout the month of October, Editor-in-Chief and resident Horror expert Ricky D, will be posting a list of his favorite Horror films of all time. The list will be posted in six parts. Click here to see every entry.

As with all lists, this is personal and nobody will agree with every choice – and if you do, that would be incredibly disturbing. It was almost impossible for me to rank them in order, but I tried and eventually gave up.

****

Special Mention:

American Psycho

Directed by Mary Harrron

Written by Mary Harron

2000, USA

Bret Easton Ellis’s dark and violent satire of America in the 1980s was brought to the big screen by director Mary Harron. Initially slapped with the MPAA’s kiss of death (an Nc-17 rating), American Psycho was later re-edited and reduced to a more commercially dependable “R”. Perhaps the film works best as a slick satire about misogyny,...

Vincentennial Lives! This year’s St. Louis International Film Festival will be capped with a screening of the 1959 shocker House On Haunted Hill starring St. Louis native Vincent Price. The screening will be this Sunady, November 20th at 8:30 pm at the Tivoli Theater and yes, it it will be in………..Emergo !!! Eccentric millionaire Fredrick Loren (Price) and his fourth wife (Carol Ohmart), Annabelle, have invited five people to their house on Haunted Hill for a “haunted house” party. Whoever will stay in the house for one night will earn $10,000 (a whopping sum in 1959!). As the night progresses, all the greedy participants are trapped inside the house with ghosts, murderers, skeletal apparitions, blood dripping from the ceiling, a severed head, and a vat of acid in the cellar.

House On Haunted Hill is the renowned work of producer and director William Castle, beloved for his signature-style fright-filled films and delivering...

Choosing my favourite horror films of all time is like choosing between my children – not that I have children, but if I did, I am sure I would categorize them quite like my DVD collection. As with all lists, this is personal and nobody will agree with every choice – and if you do, that would be incredibly disturbing. Also, it was almost impossible for me to rank them in order, but I tried. I based my list taking into consideration three points:

1- Technical accomplishments / artistry and their influence on the genre.

2- How many times I’ve revisited the films and how easily it makes for a repeated viewings.

3- Its story, atmosphere and how much it affected me when I first watched them.

Finally, there are many great films such as The Witchfinder General, The Wickerman and even Hour Of The Wolf that won’t appear here. I...

For those interested in classic horror, William Castle Productions presents a brand new release of the script from the iconic horror film The House On Haunted Hill. Check out excerpts from the press release:

Due out on October 31, 2011, William Castle Productions proudly presents House on Haunted Hill: A William Castle Annotated Screamplay. The book features legendary horror filmmaker William Castle’s authentic working script from his 1959 classic thriller with original formatting and Castle’s own hand-written notes. This collector’s item even comes with a new twist on Castle’s famous theater gimmick, Emerg-o. The 248-page book includes a foreword by acclaimed director Joe Dante (Gremlins, The Howling, Matinee), hailing the book as “an important artifact.” It also includes an introduction by William’s daughter, Terry Castle, who shares her personal thoughts on this seminal piece of film history. A critical perspective of the film by writer and illustrator...

"William Castle's Shockers", presented by the very undead folks from Cinefamily at Hollywood, California's iconic Silent Movie Theatre, has been running Saturday nights in October. Of course there will also be a double feature on Halloween night, Sunday, October 31st.

Here's a list of what will be shown during the last two weekends of the month. See you at The Silent Movie Theatre, 611 North Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90048; for more info call (323) 655-2520.

October 23rd / Macabre shown with Mr. Sardonicus

Macabre - 6:00pm

Macabre is a taut little race-the-clock picture about a kidnapped doctor's daughter and the his panicked attempts to save her! This was Castle’s first foray into horror (though he’d made some fine noir thrillers), and there’s the extra pleasure of the ever-jovial Jim Backus (Mr. Howell from “Gilligan’s Island”, and the voice of Mr. Magoo) sliming it up in a...

Homicidal is worth seeing for showmanship sake alone. William Castle was one of the great marketers in the history of cinema. Aside from putting together an impressive resume of hits he also had some of the legendary gimmicks in the history of the medium. His marketing genius is shown in full force here in his response to Hitchcock's Psycho. First, there is Castle himself introducing the film but there is also a "Fright Break" in which three quarters of the way through the film a clock appears on screen to countdown a minute allowing anyone who is too scared to keep watching...

If H.G. Lewis is the Godfather of Gore, then William Castle must be horror’s lovable Grandfather ... or at least its sneaky uncle. And just like family, we sometimes take him for granted, relegating him to the bowels of schlock cinema - a term that celebrates the gimmickry of niche movie making but not its inherent ingenuity.

The name William Castle has become synonymous with classic horror, but not dared spoken in the same breath as Hitchcock or even Terence Fisher for that matter. No, Castle is the midnight movie madman who elevated audience exploitation to an art form and invented the twist ending decades before M. Night Shyamalan pitched The Sixth Sense to Disney executives. Now, when one name splashes across the screen, it elicits groans from the audience (been in a theater showing the Devil trailer lately?), but when the name William Castle pops up, a sinister smirk...

Many genre fans today know the name William Castle, but not so many are aware of his full and lasting impact on it. Back in the late Fifties and on through the Sixties, his was a name that was synonymous with horror films. Further, his name was – and remains – one that defines the term “spectacle” in modern film history. Castle was a man who never forgot that “show” is the first word in “show business.” He knew, instinctively, that if you gave the movie-going audience a decent show, the business part would take care of itself. Give the audience their money’s worth and they would love you forever.

And so, in 1955, after an already successful career in film, he noticed lines that wound around the block for a small French film called Diabolique and he leapt into horror filmmaking with both feet. Since he knew he couldn’t compete...

A quick follow-up to yesterday's news story about the New York City Return of William Castle. In typical Castle fashion you just can't keep a good ghoul down! Get ready to hear from "the man himself" regarding the upcoming film festivities!

A Special Message From The “Master Of The MacAbre” William Castle

“Don’t think that a little thing like being dead would preclude me from attending “The Return of William Castle” retrospective at the Film Forum in New York City beginning on Friday, August 27th.

I am very much present. And I do so remember how I loved scaring the living daylights out of all of you ... But I’m not done yet. Not by a long shot. I am sure you are dying to know what to expect from me now that I’m back with From The Grave!, a new tale of terror and my first novel,...

If someone were to ask us to name our top ten directors of all time, the name William Castle would sit firmly somewhere within the top five. The man was not only a true showman but also an absolute genius. If we have one regret in our tenure here at Dread Central, it is that we weren't around during Castle's heyday of insane gimmicks. The man was without question the godfather of viral marketing, and it's taken the rest of the industry decades to catch up. If you live somewhere within the Tri-State Region, we have the info on an event that you do Not want to miss!

From the Press Release

The Return Of William Castle, a 15-film festival of horror and exploitation classics by the director and master showman, complete with their original gimmicks (Emergo!, Percepto!, Illusion-o!, and others – including one created exclusively for Film Forum), will run...

Like the plot of a dystopian fairy tale, the marketing campaign for last summer’s blockbuster “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” was a well-oiled machine selling a film about machines. We saw giveaway contests, multi-platform games, the requisite high-tech tie-in (LG’s new Versa), free movie posters with purchase, and Burger King kid’s meals with one of eight Transformers figurines. Fitting for a product that started as a toy, became a TV series, then a film franchise and a toy once again. Nothing surprising here; this is the studio marketing folk doing what they do, and doing it well.

These routine, sell-by-numbers operations inspire a certain nostalgia for the promotions of yesteryear. We look back with fondness on the horror movie posters stating ominous admission policies (no one admitted during the last five minutes, no pregnant women allowed at all) and begging the weak-of-heart to stay away. We remember...

“This is the Fright Break,” a friendly but insistent voice says near the end of Homicidal, as an animated stopwatch counts down the 45 seconds given to any audience member who wanted to flee the film’s gruesome climax. They could even get their money back, too, provided they were willing to suffer the humiliation of sitting in something called Cowards’ Corner. History is fuzzy as to whether many took advantage of the refund offer, but it’s a good bet that Homicidal’s producer and writer William Castle had already calculated he wouldn’t lose money on the gimmick ...

The weekend’s here. You’ve just been paid, and it’s burning a hole in your pocket. What’s a pop culture geek to do? In hopes of steering you in the right direction to blow some of that hard-earned cash, it’s time for the Quick Stop Weekend Shopping Guide - your spotlight on the things you didn’t even know you wanted…

(Please support Quick Stop by using the links below to make any impulse purchases - it helps to keep us going…)

When new editions of previously released titles come out, it’s always difficult to determine whether there is a significant difference in image/sound quality or bonus features to make a re-purchase worth it. And sometimes, it’s an easy decision - and that’s the case with Black Adder Remastered: The Ultimate Edition (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$79.98 Srp) and Fawlty Towers: The Complete Collection Remastered (BBC,...

The William Castle Film Collection (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, $80.95) includes eight pictures produced and directed by master showman Castle. In Part One of this lengthy DVD review, I dissected four of them—13 Ghosts, Homicidal and the two best, The Tingler and Mr. Sardonicus. Believe you me, it was a ghastly business! As Sardonicus would say, “I have known a ghoul—a disgusting creature that opens graves and feeds on corpses.” Like a DVD reviewer. See here.

In this epic conclusion, I am fitted out with a Strait-jacket (about time!) and also chronicle Zotz!, 13 Frightened Girls and The Old Dark House, the three Castle entries new to DVD (which lack the short, individual “making of” documentaries accompanying the other five). Only two of these eight flicks were shot in color (Girls, House); theatrical trailers are included with all of the movies. And that’s all you need to know as we continue—in amazing Screamarama,...

In this incarnation of our Videolog column (which began in 1982 with VHS & Betamax and later laserdisc), Starlog posts information weekly regarding selected genre titles now being released (or re-released) on DVD and Blu-ray. Prices listed are Msrp, though any clickable links lead to Amazon where the savings can be significant.

This week’s DVD releases:

Blood: The Last Vampire (Sony, $24.96 DVD; $34.95 Blu-ray): Based on the cult anime series, Blood: The Last Vampire takes place in a world where demons have infested Earth. Only one warrior stands between the dark and the light: Saya, a half-human/half-vampire samurai who preys on those who feast on human blood. Joining forces with the shadowy society known as the Council, Saya is dispatched to an American military base, where an intense series of swordfights leads her to the deadliest vampire of all. And now after 400 years, Saya’s greatest hunt is about to begin.

Here’s a list of some of the new movie and TV shows coming to DVD and Blu-ray this week that we’re looking forward to seeing. Also, there’s some classic, and not-so-classic, movies hitting Blu-ray for the first time this week as well.

Of all the new releases, we’re particularly interested in the Blu-ray versions of movies and TV shows such as Blood: The Last Vampire, Easy Rider and the first seasons of Hawaii Five-o and Vega$. Plus, I think some movie with lots of robots, explosions and Megan Fox also came out this week as well.

Check them out.

Movies

Blood: The Last Vampire ~ Michael Byrne, Constantine Gregory, Yasuaki Kurata (DVD and Blu-ray)

Cheri ~ Michelle Pfeiffer, Rupert Friend, Kathy Bates (DVD – 2009)

Easy Rider ~ Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson (Blu-ray)

Monsoon Wedding (The Criterion Collection) ~ Lillete Dubey, Vijay Raaz (Blu-ray)

Planes, Trains and Automobiles (Those Aren’t Pillows Edition) ~ Steve Martin,...

The William Castle Film Collection (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, $80.95) assembles the master showman’s eight Columbia Pictures features in one set. Three (Zotz!, 13 Frightened Girls, The Old Dark House) are new to DVD. Only two are in color (Girls, House), but black and white works far better here to evoke film fear anyhow. Castle produced and directed them all (though he shares a producing credit with Hammer Films’ Anthony Hinds on the House remake). Three were scripted by Robb White (who also wrote Castle’s earlier gimmicky genre hits MacAbre and House On Haunted Hill) while Ray Russell and Robert Dillon racked up two scripts each and Starlog contributor Robert Bloch penned one.

The films (fantasies, thrillers, comedies) are grouped sort of by theme, two per disc. So, 13 Frightened Girls (a.k.a. The Candy Web) is teamed with 13 Ghosts for the triskaidekaphobia entry. Homicidal and Strait-jacket represent the murder,...

Sony is releasing the William Castle Film Collection on October 20th. Castle is famous for releasing horror films with gimmicks like buzzers on seats, special glasses that let you see the ghost in 13 Ghosts, and so on... The set includes; The Tingler (1959), 13 Ghosts (1960), Homicidal (1961), Mr. Sardonicus (1961), Strait-Jacket (1964) and for the first time on DVD Zotz! (1962), The Old Dark House (1963), and 13 Frightened Girls (1963).

William Castle is a hero around the Dread Central offices. The man was a true showman in every sense of the word and knew how to deliver laughs, chills, and lunacy like no other! Come this October fans will be getting a box set to scream about courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment -- The William Castle Film Collection!

From the Press Release

The master of ballyhoo who became a brand name in movie horror with his outrageous audience participation gimmicks will be remembered on October 20 when the William Castle Film Collection debuts from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The set features eight of the legendary producer/director’s most notable films, including The Tingler (1959), 13 Ghosts (1960), Homicidal (1961), Mr. Sardonicus (1961), and Strait-Jacket (1964). Also included in the collection are Zotz! (1962), The Old Dark House (1963), and 13 Frightened Girls (1963), each making their DVD debuts. The extensive bonus materials include original theatrical openings, alternate sequences, vintage footage,...

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced that it will release the William Castle Film Collection October 20. The five-dvd set will include eight films by the veteran genre director/producer (famed for his attention-grabbing in-theater gimmicks), including three that have never been on disc before, plus a host of special features.

The most notable of the bonuses is Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story, Jeffrey Schwarz’s documentary on the filmmaker’s life and work that has won raves and awards over the last couple of years on the festival circuit. Also included are two episodes of the Castle-produced Ghost Story TV series. The three new-to-dvd titles are 1962’s Zotz!, a fantasy/comedy about a coin with magic powers; The Old Dark House, Castle’s 1963 take on the classic haunted-mansion tale; and ’63’s 13 Frightened Girls, in which a group of diplomats’ daughters at a Swiss boarding school become self-styled spies. Also...

Following up on our report last week regarding this package, we now have artwork for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment's The William Castle Film Collection . The set arrives on October 20. 13 Frightened Girls , 13 Ghosts , Homicidal , Straight-Jacket , Mr. Sardonicus , The Old Dark House , The Tingler and Zotz will all be included. Special features include... . The Magic of Illusion-o . Battle-Axe: The Making of Strait-Jacket . Joan Crawford Wardrobe Tests . Axe Tests . Scream For Your Lives: William Castle and The Tingler . Taking the Punishment Poll . Psychette: William Castle and Homicidal . TV spots . Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story . Commentary with Producer/Director Jeffrey Schwarz and Terry Castle . Ghost Story: Pilot (The New House) . Ghost...