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| FEO NEWS FOR FALL 2024: - NOVEMBER - The detritus of old Horror/Thriller history can be found here. These are archived news items, many of them linked outside of this website. |
YOU DUG IT
1. RED ONE Halloween is truly past when a Christmas movie in November wins the first spot in the Box Office. This Comedy Thriller with its all star cast of Dwayne Johnson (also Production Partner), Chris Evans, Lucy Lui, and as the Elf himself, Oscar winner J.K. Simmons, nabbed it with a $34 mil B.O. U.S. gross across over 4,000 screens. 2. VENOM: THE LAST DANCE, was finally wrenched out of its Number 1 spot in its 5th weekend, stepping down to #2 with a 54% drop in BO from last week against a 484 screen cut. With a world-wide box office four times its budget, and only at #2 after four full weeks, the suits at Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) must surely be reconsidering their "official" last dance with this character. 4. HERETIC dropped 54% and two places down from its 2nd place opening in only one week, despite an additional 9 screens. Are audiences ready to Bury this one? 5. THE WILD ROBOT is still wild after 8 weeks on the Top Ten and stepping down only one place from #4 last week. With a mere 34% drop in ticket sales against a small 157 screen cut, Director and Co-Writer, Chris Sanders, remains at the top of his game in feature film animation after over 30 years! 6. SMILE 2 is in the black with its 5th week in the Top Ten, stepping down from last week's #5 spot with a 42% drop in ticket sales against a 363 screen cut. Odds are favorable for a SMILE 3 in the near future. You Buried Nothing This Week Figures calibrated from reportings by Box Office Mojo and The Numbers. Should there be differences between the two, I err on the side of caution and post the most positive numbers. And - AMITYVILLE 3-D Turns 40 Today
This movie is uh.... That is, it's uh... uh. Um... Well, why don't you just go to my review? AMITYVILLE 3-D Plus - IT Was 34 Years Ago Tonight!
The Network made pie in the sky promises, then due to their own incompetence, butchered nearly every one. Only money matters in Hollywood so they still retained the rights to make the movie. How bad was the confidence in this movie? King's hopes were now in the basement and nobody wanted producer credit. To this day the only Producer credits listed on this TV movie belong to the "hands off" titles of Associate and Executive Producer, and the rarely seen in the wild or captivity, "Supervising Producer". No actual decision making Producers. Was there anything that could possibly save this TV disaster in the making? Yes. One hell of a scary, wicked, yet somehow delightful clown. The legendary Tim Curry as Pennywise in IT. Also - HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE is 22
A long, long time ago, Warner Bros. decided to make November a Very Harry month. Shirley Muramoto's review of HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE. Wassmor - THE GRAVEDANCERS Turns 18
A Rock 'em, Sock 'em, Supernatural Action Horror movie? Writer Director Mike Mendez did just that in 2006 and you'll recognize a ton of memes based on this movie you may have never seen: THE GRAVEDANCERS. Further - PENNY DREADFUL Turns 18
What can I say about this movie? Well let's start here: PENNY DREADFUL. Finale - HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
Writer Stephen Moffat (Books: DOCTOR WHO: THE DAY OF THE DOCTOR. SUNDAY -
Actor/Stuntwoman Zoe Bell (KILL BILL [both], POSEIDON [2006], DEVIL'S DEN, PENNY DREADFUL, DEATH PROOF, PLANET TERROR, LOST [TV], REFLECTIONS, GAMER, THE FINAL DESTINATION, HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS, RAZE, IRON MAN 3, OBLIVION, THOR: RAGNAROK, FRESHWATER, PARADOX, THE BIG TAKE, MALIGNANT) is 46. SATURDAY - Actor Gemma Atkinson (NIGHT WOLF, AIRBORNE, DEVIL'S PASS, NIGHT OF THE LIVING 3D DEAD, CAIN HILL, FEVER) is 40. A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET Turns 40 and was Based on an Actual Incident
It was happening in Los Angeles and shocked Wes Craven so much he was inspired to make this movie: A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET. November's Getting Harry as HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE is 23
That's right. A new born on this day in 2001 is 23 and might be married and apparently a parent. And if you were 23 on this day and in the theater watching a movie from your beloved childhood book? That means yer 45 and old! 45 isn't the new 35! Actor Daniel Radcliff is 35! You? You're 45, which is 5 years from 50 and You're F'n Old! So walk your creaky joints down memory lane as my reviewer, Shirley Muramoto, who was but a child in the 1990s when she fell in love with J.K. Rowling's books, saw Rowling's literary visions come to life on the theater screen. HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE.
THE FROZEN DEAD is 58
There are three types of Horror movie fans in the world. Those who know nothing of this movie, those who have only seen stills and don't know what the fuss is about, and those who have seen it and will never forget it. I'll tell you what makes THE FROZEN DEAD unforgettable. And - HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS is 22
That's right. Yer old! Yes you! Yer f'n OLD! Anyway, Shirley Muramoto is here to tell you about a kid, a chamber, and she shan't be spoiling the secrets of HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS. Plus - HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
By E.C. McMullen Jr.
HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
By E.C. McMullen Jr.
THE INVISIBLE MAN Turns 91!
In the 1930s, Carl Lammele's Universal Pictures had over a century of classic Horror literature, esteemed in the Western world, to draw upon (mostly for free) and none of the other big studios realized that there was a vast audience out there hungering for more than boilerplate mobsters and shitkickers (Westerns). Further, that audience would make stars out of directors like Todd Browning and James Whale who were directing the scary. In homerun after homerun, Universal Pictures made its name, legacy, and owes its success as a major studio to Horror movies, much to the embarrassment of future Universal Pictures CEOs who tried and failed to live it down or live up to such past glories. This is what 1933 audiences saw in THE INVISIBLE MAN. And - Bram Stoker's DRACULA Turns 32
In the 1990s, and thanks to Actor Winona Ryder, Producer/Director Francis Ford Coppola got ahold of a television script for Dracula: The Untold Story. Reeling from several film failures that put his studio, Zoetrope, deep into debt and trouble, Coppola desperately needed a hit. But by the 1990s, Dracula movies had been done to death: including vampire movies that brought Dracula into modern times (which in fact, is exactly what Bram Stoker's Dracula did - for its time). One thing that no one had really tried to do, however, was actually make Bram Stoker's Dracula the way that old Bram really wrote it. So this is what Coppola did in making Bram Stoker's DRACULA. Plus - HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
Actor Tom Atkins (THE DEADLY CARGO, THE FOG, THE NINTH CONFIGURATION, ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, HALLOWEEN III, CREEPSHOW, NIGHT OF THE CREEPS, MANIAC COP, DUE OCCHI DIABOLICHI, STRIKING DISTANCE, BRUISER, OUT OF THE BLACK, MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D, DRIVE ANGRY, APOCALYPSE KISS, ENCOUNTER, TRICK) is 89.
CREEPSHOW Turns 42
Stephen King and George A.Romero wanted to make a fun Horror anthology movie. Fun like TWILIGHT ZONE: THE MOVIE would have been had some of the actors not died while making it. The result was CREEPSHOW. And - SKYLINE Turns 14
Whew! What more can I say about this movie that audiences haven't already said? The fact that its two sequels went Direct to Video and the discs were being sold in Dollar Trees within a year after release should tell you what you need to know about this movie. Yet it was made by The Bros. Kraus (Colin & Greg): A-List cgi SFX artists who can and have created outstanding visual eye candy (their partial list includes, GALAXY QUEST, TERMINATOR 3, THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, CONSTANTINE, THE FOG, ÆON FLUX, X-MEN: THE LAST STAND, 300, THE INVASION, ALIENS VS PREDATOR: REQUIEM, X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE, AVATAR, THE BOOK OF ELI, IRON MAN 2, BATTLE LOS ANGELES, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES, THE PREDATOR, SMILE 2) yet can't tell a moderately decent script from a crap one or direct worth a damn. Yet they thought they could with ALIENS VS PREDATOR: REQUIEM and again with SKYLINE. This movie would be the last directing feature for both men from 2010 to now, and the meager franchise it spawned the only thing still keeping the two writers who created this, afloat in deep waters. Plus - HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
Writer Greg F. Gifune (NIGHT WORK, JUDAS GOAT, THE LIVING AND THE DEAD, DOWN TO SLEEP, A VIEW FROM THE LAKE, HERETICS, SORCERER, DEEP NIGHT, DOMINION, KINGDOM OF SHADOWS, BLOOD IN ELECTRIC BLUE, THE BLEEDING SEASON, SAYING UNCLE, LONG AFTER DARK, CHILDREN OF CHAOS, DRAGO DESCENDING) is 57.
NIGHT OF THE BLOOD BEAST
It took a lot of work and dedication (and of course, money) but Film Masters continues their dedication to Obscure Horror movie cinema in general and Roger Corman's cataloge in particular. That's right, it's their 4K scan and restoration of the Corman Brothers (Roger and Gene) NIGHT OF THE BLOOD BEAST, starring nearly forgotten Horror movie stalwart Ed Nelson. Don't ever forget Ed. Dude was in a ton of Horror movies and a lot of them with the Cormans. And - HE NEVER LEFT Movie trailer (Dread Central)
Plus - 55 Years Ago We Took a JOURNEY TO THE FAR SIDE OF THE SUN
And that's where we met our earth doppleganger! An entirely preposterous premise treated with enough serious gravitas to make Roland Emmerich blush. You too may find yourself swept away in the Rod Serling twists and turns of this bygone Cold War epic. Created by Gerry Anderson, who brought us television shows like THUNDERBIRDS, UFO, and SPACE 1999 whether we wanted them or not, this is our review of DOPPLEGANGER aka JOURNEY TO THE FAR SIDE OF THE SUN. Also - INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE Turns 30
Yeah, that's right. 30! When the lights went down and the opening movie credits came up, nobody had more apprehension than the late Anne Rice regarding what she was about to see. Yet actor Tom Cruise and Director Neil Jordan won her over in a way that never happened with any of her work onscreen again. This is how an adaptation seduced its toughest critic. Our review of INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE. Finale - HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
Artist Laurie Lipton - in accordance with typical female vanity stereotypes - will not mention her age. SUNDAY -
Writer Brandon Berntson (Various short stories) is 53. MAYHEM Turns 7
Director Joe Lynch (WRONG TURN 2, CHILLERAMA) struggled for a long time in Hollywood, but in 2017 he showed us that he was finally ready for the Big Time with MAYHEM. SATURDAY -
Actor Eric Dane (CHARMED [TV], FEAST, PAINKILLER JANE, X-MEN III: THE LAST STAND, OPEN WATER 2: ADRIFT, GREY LADY, THE LAST SHIP [TV], AMERICAN CARNAGE, DANGEROUS WATERS) is 52. Nov. 9, 1984. Two Horror movies got limited releases. One successful, one less so... A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET Turns 40
Over 20 years since the last of the Robert Englund Freddy Kruger movies (2003's FREDDY vs JASON), and Wes Craven's creation continues to storm at the front of Horror icons. Wes Craven's nightmare creation was actually the tamest, most Hollywood accessible movie he'd made by that point. Yet at the same time, he based it on actual events happening in Los Angeles. Paul V. Wargelin saw it in the theater in 1984: A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET. SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT Turns 40
It had the gore, it had the nudity, it had everything to win an audience in 1984 except for two things. It was up against Wes Craven's A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET and it had possibly the worst salesman/marketer of the 1980s. The movie that lost to Wes? SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT. CHILD'S PLAY Turns 36
The 1980s was the decade of cute little killer monsters. From GREMLINS to CRITTERS to DOLLS and more, your grandparents couldn't get enough. Then Don Mancini and Tom Holland's CHILD'S PLAY came along and, despite the eventual rebrand to "Chucky" and the rapid descent into Direct to Video - like Clive Barker's HELLRAISER of the era - an enduring franchise was born. CHILD'S PLAY 2 Turns 34
And it took off! The franchise I hate to love and love to hate! CHILD'S PLAY 2. OVERLORD Turns 6
J.J. Abrams produced this movie, yet everything about it suggests, or may be feels, is a better word, that he stayed "Hands off" creatively: He didn't write it or direct it. Which, to me, makes OVERLORD a better than usual J.J. Abrams movie.
Out & About Shout!
From Tomball, Texas comes this photo of a Mail & More Etc owner still celebrating Halloween on November 8, 2024! Whoever you are, you Rock the Bones! And - DEVON Hits the Internet Tuesday, Nov. 12
DEVON is a Found Footage Horror movie written and Directed by Jennie Farley aka JWoww from the old MTV show, Jersey Shore. This is her first feature. Plus - HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO - By E.C. McMullen Jr.
STARSHIP TROOPERS Turns 27
A box office flop and one of the worst rated movies at this site, which is a damn shame because Phil Tippet's outstanding creature design, the practical and cgi artists and their SFX, all put so much damn heart into into this movie that - a quarter century later - many of the alien "bugs" remain amazing to look at. But this was the movie that eventually broke Paul Verhoven and sent him scurrying out of America and Hollywood to lick his wounds back home. And not because it tanked at the box office, not because of fan appreciation, but because of Paul's own personal character. This movie review, originally posted in 1997 after the weekend release of the movie, chronicles 26 years of Verhoven's humiliating misstep and why it deserves a reboot: STARSHIP TROOPERS. And - HAPPY HORROR BIRTHDAYS TO -
By E.C. McMullen Jr.
TIME BANDITS Turns 41
It was the ostensible "Monty Python" movie no studio wanted to make... ... until someone else made it as a low budget indie... ... and it shot to #1, crushing all the big studios who "went with someone else". It not only became the best performing children's movie of the year, it was one of the top ten movies of 1981. But that was 41 years ago! Why does this movie remain a fan favorite among people whose parents weren't even born at that time? To start, every single movie is its own business. An actual business with its own business license, investors, employees, and so on. Read about the enduring appeal of one of the most convoluted movies in history in a business filled with convoluted movie histories. Terry Gilliam's TIME BANDITS. And - THE FOURTH KIND Turns 15
Have you ever waited for the release of a movie you want to enjoy? It's all Spooky UFOs, alien abduction, and the trailer appears to be as CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND-y, X-FILES-ie, and FRINGE as it wants to be, DAMN, do you ever want to See This Movie? That's how I felt going into theaters to watch THE FOURTH KIND. Plus - HAPPY HORROR BIRTHDAYS TO -
Over a Quarter Century of THE BONE COLLECTOR
Thomas Harris is far from the only author writing Horrific and twisted detective novels, he was only fortunate enough to have two great movies that also did great at the theater box office, based on his novels. Jeffery Deaver is another bestselling author, but movie adaptions to his Lincoln Rhyme novels, while good to great, didn't garner big box office. Still, it's easy to see why actors at the top of their game like Denzel Washington, Angelina Jolie, and Michael Rooker were eager to get onboard with screenwriter, Jeremy Iacone's adaption. If you've never seen it, this is why THE BONE COLLECTOR is worth the hunt. And - THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS Is Old Enough to Legally Drink
Right after the encyclopedic ANIMATRIX one off, the Warchowski's franchise stumbled with the first sequel, then crawled to a stop with the second sequel. Practically a textbook of what Not to do, this is what went wrong with THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS. Plus - THE INCREDIBLES Is 20
Brad Bird (THE IRON GIANT) sold Disney a Fantastic Four entry into the Superhero era before 20th Century Fox had the opportunity to churn out their craptastic Fantastic Four a year later. 4 years before Marvel finally hit their stride with 2008's IRON MAN and long before Disney bought into Marvel. Read about Pixar Disney's gateway drug into the Superhero universe, THE INCREDIBLES. Atlas! - HAPPY HORROR BIRTHDAYS TO -
Actor Famke Janssen (LORD OF ILLUSIONS, GOLDENEYE, DEEP RISING, THE FACULTY, HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL, X-MEN, X2, X3: Death of a Franchise, TAKEN [all], 100 FEET, THE CHAMELEON, HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS, HEMLOCK GROVE [TV], THE WOLVERINE, THE BEING, X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST, HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER [TV], THE BLACKLIST [TV], THE BLACKLIST: REDEMPTION [TV], THE POISON ROSE, THE CAPTURE [TV], PRIMAL, THE POSTCARD KILLINGS, THE VAULT, DANGEROUS, KNIGHTS OF THE ZODIAC, BOY KILLS WORLD, LOCKED IN [TV]) who is 59.
YOU DUG IT
1. VENOM: THE LAST DANCE wins the #1 spot for the second weekend in a row. A feat not seen since the previous Marvel movie, DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE. Despite belated Halloween parties and Dia de los Muertos throughout the weekend, VENOM suffered a 49% drop in ticket sales without any loss of screens. After over a quarter century of cinema success, its safe to say that Marvel and the MCU has buried Warner Bros. DCU. There will be successful Batman movies in the future, but the MCU has beaten the DCU to death. 2. THE WILD ROBOT, in its 6th weekend, jumped back up to #2 with a +9 in ticket sales this week despite a 190 screen cut. 3. SMILE 2 slips from #2 to #3 with a mere 29% drop in box office in its 3rd weekend against a 389 screen cut. 4. CONCLAVE holds onto #4 for the second weekend in a row. This Horror Thriller from boutique distributor, Focus Films, had only a 24% drop in B.O with an addition of 43 new screens. Having nearly half the number of screens as the movies in the #3 and #2 position, CONCLAVE earned more per screen than THE WILD ROBOT or SMILE 2. 7. TERRIFIER 3 slips from last weekend's #6 with only a 33% drop in ticket sales against a 363 screen cut. Not bad for a low budget indie after 4 weekends! 8. BHOOL BHULAIYAA 3, a Horror comedy from India, makes an impressive debut on the Top Ten despite a small 754 screen release. With a per screen average of $2,259 in the U.S.A. alone, it outperformed every Top Ten movie's per screen take except for #1. 10. BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE, in its 9th weekend, made it through Halloween with a small 33% drop in B.O. against a 623 screen cut. YOU BURIED IT 16. TRANSFORMERS ONE, despite hanging onto the Top Ten for 6 weekends, brought in a worldwide total of less than half its production budget before post production and advertising. It's rare to see a movie hold on for well over a month in the Top Ten and not at least break even. Figures calibrated from reportings by Box Office Mojo and The Numbers. Should there be differences between the two, I err on the side of caution and post the most positive numbers. And - John Carpenter's THEY LIVE Turns 36
It's flawed but cool and more than a little hypocritical. The evergreen pop-influence of John Carpenter's THEY LIVE. Plus - Kenneth Branaugh's FRANKENSTEIN is 30
Francis Ford Copolla, hot off the success of Bram Stoker's DRACULA, wanted this to be prefaced with Mary Shelley's name to indicate that this movie would be closer to the original intent of the novel same as he did with Bram. He bought a script from Steph Lady (her only produced screenplay), and soon realized that the undertaking was too huge to be both a Director and Producer. So Francis eventually hired Kenneth Branaugh who, once hired, disagreed with Copolla's vision. Ken brought in screenwriter Frank Darabont who at that time was best known for his work on sequels and remakes (A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3, THE BLOB [1988], THE FLY II) to make changes. What changes? To Kenneth, what this movie really needed is something to spice it up! Something Mary Shelley's book never had and what Kenneth never dared to do to his own Productions and that's Way More Sex: featuring his new girlfriend, Helena Bonham Carter. The fights between Copolla and Branaugh weren't epic but the wounds inflicted were apparently deep, as Francis wound up publically denouncing his own movie, Mary Shelley's FRANKENSTEIN, as did Frank Darabont when he said in later interviews that Branaugh mishandled the movie. Also - 19 Years Ago the Sky Fell on Disney
The growing cult-status of Director Mark Dindal's CHICKEN LITTLE. Wassmor - 8 Years of DOCTOR STRANGE
It built great box office, but despite the fan popular actors, the character isn't building much following. What's going on with DOCTOR STRANGE? Finale - HAPPY HORROR BIRTHDAYS TO -
Actor Olivia Taylor Dudley (CHILLERAMA, CHERNOBYL DIARIES, TRANSENDENCE, THE BARBER [2014], DUDE BRO PARTY MASSACRE III, THE VATICAN TAPES, APPLETON, PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE GHOST DIMENSION, THE MAGICIANS [TV], SHE DIES TOMORROW, CRAWLSPACE, ONYX FORTUITOUS AND THE TALISMAN OF SOULS) is 38. SUNDAY -
Actor Debbie Rochon (NEGATIVES, BANNED, VALERIE, BLACK EASTER, REGENERATED MAN, ABDUCTED II, SHRIEK OF THE LYCANTHROPE, DEPRAVED, TROMEO AND JULIET, SANTA CLAWS, EVIL AMBITIONS, CYBER VENGEANCE, THE VAMPIRE'S SEDUCTION, ALIEN AGENDA, RAGE OF THE WEREWOLF, TERROR FIRMER, HELLBLOCK 13, CITIZEN TOXIE: THE TOXIC AVENGER IV, THE RESURRECTION GAME, MULVA: ZOMBIE ASS KICKER!, KILLJOY 2, VAMPIRE QUEEN, DEADLY STINGERS, CHAINSAW CHEERLEADERS, DEAD END [2010], SINEATERS, IMAGO, SICK, DEATH HOUSE, ALTERSCAPE, FANTASMA [2018], SHAKESPEARE'S SH*TSTORM, and a whole lot more) is 56. What Began in Japan 70 Years Ago Became a World-Wide Phenomenon
Believe it or not, Japan's GOJIRA didn't reach U.S. shores until 2004: 50 Years! This is why: GODZILLA - 1954. CARRIE Turns 48
It was 1976, Hollywood movie public schools were segregated, and White kids preyed on White. Which was a foolish thing to do if you bullied CARRIE White. It was 19 Years Ago When We Danced After Dark
Great Script, Great Direction, Great Acting, and Great Practical Effects. Then the investors saw all that and decided to go with a crap cheap cgi finale. Why one of the scariest movies you may have never watched (though you've probably seen a ton of its freaky movie stills through years of Social Media memes) got limited release and why you should seek out Mike Mendez' THE GRAVEDANCERS. HAPPY HALLOWEEN Part 3... The Second Day of Dia de los Muertos: Remembrance.
SATURDAY DIA DE LOS MUERTOS FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS TO -
Writer Peter Atkins (MORNINGSTAR, BIG THUNDER, HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER 2, HELLRAISER III, WISHMASTER, HELLRAISER: BLOODLINE, PRISONERS OF THE SUN) is 69. JACOB'S LADDER Turns 34
Review of JACOB'S LADDER by Bram Stoker award winning author and fellow Feo Amante alumni, Brian Keene. MONSTERS, INC. is 23
I was there on opening day to see it on the giant screen! Remembering MONSTERS, INC.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN: DAY 2...
Countries adopt a wide variety of foreign holidays and make them their own, instilling their own customs into them, and world-wide the examples are many: HALLOWEEN, Christmas, Mardi Gras, Easter, St. Patrick's Day, and more. Even in China, their resolutely non-religious government still celebrates Christmas and goes to great expense to hire Caucasian men to fly in and cosplay as Santa for the children. Purists say Day of the Dead, which begins on November 1 and ends on November 2, is not a Mexican version of Halloween*. Yet Hallowmass (revamped to All Saint's Day), which also begins on Nov. 1, bears striking similarities to the Latin America version. Moreover no one can deny the obvious, that down through the years children and adults from both cultures increasingly celebrate with dressing up in costume and, depending on the state/cuidad, going door to door asking for dulce (candy). HALLOWEEN and DÍA de los MUERTOS are no longer the somber Catholic Feast for the Dead the European church created centuries ago. 33 Days of HALLOWEEN! Day 32 *Halloween comes from Hallowtide or Allhallowtide, which begins, not ends, on October 31 and continues through Nov. 2. And - DOWN TO THE BONE by René Castillo
Plus - PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE Turns 50
I was a kid when I saw this movie playing at a Science Fiction convention. They had a huge screen set-up and a far better sound system than I've heard at any subsequent conventions. I'd gone to the screening room to catch a different movie and Brian De Palma's passion project was so good I still can't remember the name of the movie I originally went to see! Even stranger than the fact that this movie tanked at the theaters, is how this experimental 20th Century Fox movie spent decades being the midnight movie event to see in One Small Town, years before 20th Century Fox's next experimental Horror Comedy Musical, THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. How on earth did a twisted comedic riff on the cut-throat recording industry and a morally corrupt and self-praising Hollywood so resonate with a backwoods farming community deep in the middle-of-nowhere - somewhere - Canada? Discover the bizarre life and times of Writer and Director Brian De Palma's PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE. Also - A NIGHTMARE ON ELMSTREET 2 Turns 39
It was the beginning of the "Odd Number Good, Even Number Bad" judgement on the A NIGHTMARE ON ELMSTREET movies. New Line Cinema Producer, Robert Shaye took full credit for this sequel and Wes Craven's name was nowhere to be seen. It would take decades and a lot of effort, and so money, for A NIGHTMARE ON ELMSTREET 2: FREDDY'S REVENGE, to find an audience. Finale - DIA DE LOS MUERTOS FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS TO -
By E.C. McMullen Jr.
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INTERVIEWS Matt Jarbo's interview with Feo Amante at The Zurvivalist. James Cheetham's Q&A with Feo Amante at Unconventional Interviews *. Megan Scudellari interviews Feo Amante and Kelly Parks (of THE SCIENCE MOMENT) in The Scientist Magazine. Check out our interview at The-Scientist.com. REFERENCES Researcher David Waldron, references my review of UNDERWORLD in the Spring 2005, Journal of Religion and Popular Culture entry, Role-Playing Games and the Christian Right: Community Formation in Response to a Moral Panic (downloadable pdf). E.C. McMullen Jr.
*Linked to archive.org |
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