Best known for playing Detective Ken ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson in the original 1970s “Starsky & Hutch” television series, actor/singer David Soul has passed away this week at the age of 80.
A post to the late actor’s official Twitter account states this morning, “David Soul—beloved husband, father, grandfather and brother—died yesterday after a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family. He shared many extraordinary gifts in the world as actor, singer, storyteller, creative artist and dear friend. His smile, laughter and passion for life will be remembered by the many whose lives he has touched.”
Here in the world of horror, David Soul is known for playing vampire hunter Ben Mears in Tobe Hooper’s Salem’s Lot, the original 1979 miniseries adaptation of the Stephen King tale.
Soul had previously appeared in one episode of the Richard Matheson-created supernatural anthology series “Circle of Fear,” and...
A post to the late actor’s official Twitter account states this morning, “David Soul—beloved husband, father, grandfather and brother—died yesterday after a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family. He shared many extraordinary gifts in the world as actor, singer, storyteller, creative artist and dear friend. His smile, laughter and passion for life will be remembered by the many whose lives he has touched.”
Here in the world of horror, David Soul is known for playing vampire hunter Ben Mears in Tobe Hooper’s Salem’s Lot, the original 1979 miniseries adaptation of the Stephen King tale.
Soul had previously appeared in one episode of the Richard Matheson-created supernatural anthology series “Circle of Fear,” and...
- 1/5/2024
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Who brings fear and passion into the heart of the Philippine jungle, striking with terror and hot, venomous lust? Why it’s the Cobra Woman of course, and in Night of the Cobra Woman (1972) she does just that, in a cheap, exploitation-filled frenzy of snakes, breasts, and incoherence. I’m afraid to say you won’t even win the small stuffed bear if you guessed that Roger Corman brought this to the screen.
Released by Corman’s nascent New World Pictures in January as part of a bill with Lady Frankenstein, Cobra was the perfect fit for the bottom half of a double header; short (77 minutes) and very weird, it offers up exploitation goodness as sweaty as the jungle itself.
Mr. Corman was as usual, busy busy busy, and when one has a location as visually sumptuous as the Philippines, one milks it for all its worth. The Big Doll House,...
Released by Corman’s nascent New World Pictures in January as part of a bill with Lady Frankenstein, Cobra was the perfect fit for the bottom half of a double header; short (77 minutes) and very weird, it offers up exploitation goodness as sweaty as the jungle itself.
Mr. Corman was as usual, busy busy busy, and when one has a location as visually sumptuous as the Philippines, one milks it for all its worth. The Big Doll House,...
- 3/14/2020
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
I can’t get enough of those murderous, irascible brats; The Bad Seed (1956) started it for me, and then those weirdo, virginal birth alien kids from Village of the Damned (1960) sealed the deal – kids can’t be trusted. This brings us back to the ‘70s, and before we get to wee Damien, we’re babysitting Devil Times Five (1974), a thriller that goes from low-key creepy to wtf over the span of 88 minutes.
Originally released as Peopletoys in May, it was re-released in June as The Horrible House on the Hill, and then re-re-released in October of ’76 as Devil Times Five. This indecisiveness is par for the course of this production as original (and credited) director Sean MacGregor (Gentle Savage) was booted from the project for only coughing up 38 minutes of usable footage, and veteran producer David Sheldon (Grizzly) was brought in to overhaul and finish things up. The result is...
Originally released as Peopletoys in May, it was re-released in June as The Horrible House on the Hill, and then re-re-released in October of ’76 as Devil Times Five. This indecisiveness is par for the course of this production as original (and credited) director Sean MacGregor (Gentle Savage) was booted from the project for only coughing up 38 minutes of usable footage, and veteran producer David Sheldon (Grizzly) was brought in to overhaul and finish things up. The result is...
- 7/6/2019
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
The early ‘70s were really just the hung over ‘60s; idealism had turned to realism as Vietnam marched on and acid dreams turned to lysergic comedowns. And that cutting pall was definitely there in the mainstream culture; TV sitcoms like All in the Family took on bigotry and racism with a sharpened blade and cynical tongue. Meanwhile in the underground, transgressive art was alive and well and still hitting its marks; sordid, seedy, and sprinkled with a devious sense of humor, Paul Bartel’s feature length debut Private Parts (1972) tried to bring that sensibility above ground to an audience not quite ready for its peculiar charms.
Released in September by MGM (!), Private Parts never even received much of a chance to offend mom and pop, as the title prevented it from being advertised in several newspapers and it quickly faded away. Such would be the directorial course of much of Bartel’s career,...
Released in September by MGM (!), Private Parts never even received much of a chance to offend mom and pop, as the title prevented it from being advertised in several newspapers and it quickly faded away. Such would be the directorial course of much of Bartel’s career,...
- 1/26/2019
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
If you were a genre fan in the ‘70s, you had so many to choose from: Horror, Blaxploitation, Kung-Fu, Action – you name it, it was probably done, and without shame. Along the way some bright bulb (or someone way too ambitious) decided to try and combine them all into one film, and the result is Devil’s Express (1976), a jaw dropping stew that’s hard to classify but easy to love.
Filmed as The Phantom of the Subway, Devil’s Express was released in early September by Howard Mahler Films (Death Promise) to drive-ins and grindhouses across the U.S. Made for $100,000, it was trotted out again in ’79 and renamed Gang Wars to capitalize on the success of The Warriors. (Spoiler alert: it didn’t match that film’s grosses.) Made for everyone so therefore ultimately no one, it wears its schizophrenia like a cello case covered in Black Flag stickers.
Filmed as The Phantom of the Subway, Devil’s Express was released in early September by Howard Mahler Films (Death Promise) to drive-ins and grindhouses across the U.S. Made for $100,000, it was trotted out again in ’79 and renamed Gang Wars to capitalize on the success of The Warriors. (Spoiler alert: it didn’t match that film’s grosses.) Made for everyone so therefore ultimately no one, it wears its schizophrenia like a cello case covered in Black Flag stickers.
- 10/6/2018
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
The dusty and evil 18-wheeler of Duel (1971) cast a large and ominous shadow across the TV landscape; some kid named Spielberg showed that the medium could come across as cinematic with even the simplest of stories: truck chases guy in car. Six years later the Valerie Harper vehicle Night Terror (1977) pulled up to a similar station; and while it’s no Duel, it is an effective thriller that manages to reach its destination before running out of gas.
Originally broadcast on February 7th, Night Terror was part of the NBC Monday Night at the Movies, and was roundly trounced by The ABC Monday Night Movie (and you can forget about The Sonny and Cher Show on CBS); no matter, those who stuck by the Peacock were treated to a suspense-filled show with Harper put through the wringer.
Flip open your faux TV Guide for more info:
Night Terror
A woman...
Originally broadcast on February 7th, Night Terror was part of the NBC Monday Night at the Movies, and was roundly trounced by The ABC Monday Night Movie (and you can forget about The Sonny and Cher Show on CBS); no matter, those who stuck by the Peacock were treated to a suspense-filled show with Harper put through the wringer.
Flip open your faux TV Guide for more info:
Night Terror
A woman...
- 9/23/2018
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
Louisa Mellor Dec 13, 2017
We’ve taken a highlighter to this year’s Christmas and New Year TV schedules and circled what we’ll be watching this festive season…
Amid the cosy repeats and cranberry-stuffed cookery shows on TV over the next few weeks are a few gems. There’s no Sherlock or Charlie Brooker’s TV Wipe this year, but there are plenty of treats, not least the return of The League Of Gentlemen for a three-part anniversary series and Peter Capaldi’s last hurrah in the Tardis in the Doctor Who Christmas episode.
See related 26 new TV shows to watch in 2017
Over on Netflix, six new episodes of Black Mirror are coming to usher in the New Year, two days into which we welcome the return of Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton’s genius anthology Inside No. 9.
Not to gloss over a spooky M.R. James night on BBC Four,...
We’ve taken a highlighter to this year’s Christmas and New Year TV schedules and circled what we’ll be watching this festive season…
Amid the cosy repeats and cranberry-stuffed cookery shows on TV over the next few weeks are a few gems. There’s no Sherlock or Charlie Brooker’s TV Wipe this year, but there are plenty of treats, not least the return of The League Of Gentlemen for a three-part anniversary series and Peter Capaldi’s last hurrah in the Tardis in the Doctor Who Christmas episode.
See related 26 new TV shows to watch in 2017
Over on Netflix, six new episodes of Black Mirror are coming to usher in the New Year, two days into which we welcome the return of Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton’s genius anthology Inside No. 9.
Not to gloss over a spooky M.R. James night on BBC Four,...
- 12/12/2017
- Den of Geek
Happy October, gang! With the Halloween season now officially underway, we have an incredible day of horror and sci-fi home entertainment releases to enjoy. Arrow Video has put together three stunning special edition sets for Children of the Corn, Don’t Torture A Duckling, and The Suspicious Death of A Minor, but we also have several other modern cult titles debuting as well, including Popcorn, 976-evil, and The Hidden.
For all you Charles Lee Ray enthusiasts out there, Cult of Chucky and the Chucky: Complete 7-Movie Collection both come home on Tuesday, and Scream Factory is also releasing the recent indie horror thriller Jackals on Blu-ray.
Other notable home entertainment titles bowing on October 3rd include American Horror Story: Roanoke, A Ghost Story, Haunters: The Art of the Scare, Little Shop of Horrors: The Director’s Cut, iZombie: The Complete Third Season, and Vampyr: Special Edition.
For all you Charles Lee Ray enthusiasts out there, Cult of Chucky and the Chucky: Complete 7-Movie Collection both come home on Tuesday, and Scream Factory is also releasing the recent indie horror thriller Jackals on Blu-ray.
Other notable home entertainment titles bowing on October 3rd include American Horror Story: Roanoke, A Ghost Story, Haunters: The Art of the Scare, Little Shop of Horrors: The Director’s Cut, iZombie: The Complete Third Season, and Vampyr: Special Edition.
- 10/3/2017
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
There’s the usual stockpile when we mention horror anthology TV series. Twilight Zone sits firmly on top for most, and then follows Outer Limits, Thriller, Tales from the Crypt, Masters of Horror, Night Gallery, and on and on. (The rankings are up to you.) And sometimes, way down in the pile of yellowed TV Guides lays one that time forgot (and Nielsen killed). Witness NBC’s Ghost Story/Circle of Fear (1972), a one season and done series that provided solid stories well told over 23 episodes.
If the title seems confusing, it’s because it was known as Ghost Story for the first 13 episodes (plus pilot), and then Circle of Fear for the last 9. Low ratings prompted the name change, which proceeded when the show returned from the Christmas break. Rotund host Sebastian Cabot also didn’t survive the retooling.
So what sank the show? ABC aired Room 222/The Odd Couple opposite it,...
If the title seems confusing, it’s because it was known as Ghost Story for the first 13 episodes (plus pilot), and then Circle of Fear for the last 9. Low ratings prompted the name change, which proceeded when the show returned from the Christmas break. Rotund host Sebastian Cabot also didn’t survive the retooling.
So what sank the show? ABC aired Room 222/The Odd Couple opposite it,...
- 9/11/2016
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
We’re back with another edition of the Indie Spotlight, highlighting recent independent horror news sent our way. Today’s feature includes DVD release details for Shiver, information on the Mile High Horror Film Festival, an exclusive excerpt from Dead is Only Skin Deep, a Q&A with 13-year-old Emily Diprimio for Carver, and more:
Q&A Interview with Up-and-Coming 13-Year-Old Filmmaker Emily Diprimio
by Heather Wixson
It’s not often that you run across aspiring genre directors who are still in their teens so when we discovered a brand new Kickstarter campaign for Carver, an upcoming indie slasher from the filmmaking team of Ron Diprimio and his 13-year-old daughter Emily Diprimio, we immediately took notice.
In the campaign, the Diprimios’ describe Carver as, “a throwback 80’s style slasher that follows a group of teenagers who are haunted by a despicable act they committed on Halloween when they were younger.
Q&A Interview with Up-and-Coming 13-Year-Old Filmmaker Emily Diprimio
by Heather Wixson
It’s not often that you run across aspiring genre directors who are still in their teens so when we discovered a brand new Kickstarter campaign for Carver, an upcoming indie slasher from the filmmaking team of Ron Diprimio and his 13-year-old daughter Emily Diprimio, we immediately took notice.
In the campaign, the Diprimios’ describe Carver as, “a throwback 80’s style slasher that follows a group of teenagers who are haunted by a despicable act they committed on Halloween when they were younger.
- 9/15/2013
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
It’s the month of October. It’s Halloween. No, not the day itself, but tis the season. That means we need to focus on some truly excellent 80’s horror surrounding our beloved holiday. Sure we could give the rehash job to Halloween and its subsequent sequels, but that’s not entirely in spirit of the game although I can assure you that I’m working on something that focuses on the Carpenter magnum opus. Today we’re going to focus on some horror flicks that are about Halloween, but aren’t John Carpenter’s Halloween. Let’s talk about The Day After Halloween, Trick or Treats, Lady in White in our first It Came From 1980X triple feature offering. Each of these movies incorporates something of the Halloween spirit and only one of them actually gets any street cred for being an honest to goodness creep out. There’s...
- 10/15/2012
- by Jimmy Terror
- The Liberal Dead
Anybody living in or around Montreal knows that La Belle Province’s metropolis is a fantastic place to be a film lover, especially for horror films. Now the obvious reason why this would be the case is the Fantasia International Film Festival, which had its 16th edition run this past July and August. Yet another, perhaps lesser know (but certainly growing) venue for Montreal horror film buffs to satisfy their cravings is the Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies, a unique experience if there ever was one.
The fine folks at Miskatonic have, in essence, set up a non-profit ‘school’ of sorts where an actual curriculum is set up for which films lovers and hopeful filmmakers can sign up for courses which last from September to April of the following year. Among the speakers are established writers, filmmakers and curators who provide bountiful insight, intelligent critical analysis and commentary on the...
The fine folks at Miskatonic have, in essence, set up a non-profit ‘school’ of sorts where an actual curriculum is set up for which films lovers and hopeful filmmakers can sign up for courses which last from September to April of the following year. Among the speakers are established writers, filmmakers and curators who provide bountiful insight, intelligent critical analysis and commentary on the...
- 9/15/2012
- by Edgar Chaput
- SoundOnSight
Jimmy Sangster, the man who wrote the screenplays for Curse Of Frankenstein, and Dracula, for Hammer Studios, has passed away at age 83.The two aforementioned versions of the venerated classics not only saved the archaic production house from imminent collapse, but turned it around on it's heel almost overnight, and into an immediate hit factory.Sangster wrote many of my personal favorites in the classic Hammer horror cycle, including The Mummy, Brides Of Dracula, and Dracula: Prince Of Darkness.Later, he donned the monocle and stepped up behind the camera as a director, helming the Horror Of Frankenstein, and Lust For A Vampire.The horror-meister also came to the USA and wrote for some of our most beloved genre shows, such as The Night Stalker, Ghost Story...
- 8/19/2011
- Screen Anarchy
British screenwriter and director Jimmy Sangster, a key creative force behind so many of the great Hammer Horror Films, has died. Sangster penned the scripts for Hammer’s two seminal entries in their monster series Horror Of Dracula and Curse Of Frankenstein. His other scripts for Hammer include X: The Unknown, The Mummy, and Revenge Of Frankenstein. Blood Of The Vampire and The Crawling Eye were scripts he wrote for competing studios. He worked on American television shows in the ’70s including Night Stalker, Ghost Story, Wonder Woman and The Six Million Dollar Man. In 1997 Sangster wrote his autobiography Do You Want it Good or Tuesday? Sangster was 83.
An excellent, comprehensive article about Sangster can be found on Cinema Retro’s website Here...
An excellent, comprehensive article about Sangster can be found on Cinema Retro’s website Here...
- 8/19/2011
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Actress Collin Wilcox was best known for her role as the young white woman whose false claim that she was raped by a black man served as the focal point in the 1963 Oscar-winning film To Kill a Mockingbird. She also starred in the classic Twilight Zone episode “Number Twelve Looks Just Like You” in 1964
Wilcox was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on February 4, 1935, and moved to Highlands, North Carolina, with her family as an infant. She studied acting from an early age and made her debut on the Broadway stage in the late 1950s.
She made her film debut as Mayella Violet Ewell in the 1962 adaptation of Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, directed by Richard Mulligan and starring Gregory Peck as heroic lawyer Atticus Finch. Wilcox also became a familiar face on television, appearing in episodes of “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”, the 1960 Dow Hour of Great Mysteries production of...
Wilcox was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on February 4, 1935, and moved to Highlands, North Carolina, with her family as an infant. She studied acting from an early age and made her debut on the Broadway stage in the late 1950s.
She made her film debut as Mayella Violet Ewell in the 1962 adaptation of Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, directed by Richard Mulligan and starring Gregory Peck as heroic lawyer Atticus Finch. Wilcox also became a familiar face on television, appearing in episodes of “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”, the 1960 Dow Hour of Great Mysteries production of...
- 11/7/2009
- by Harris Lentz
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
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 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,...
- 10/21/2009
- by no-reply@starlog.com (David McDonnell)
- Starlog
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,...
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,...
- 10/20/2009
- by no-reply@starlog.com (David McDonnell)
- Starlog
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,...
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,...
- 8/17/2009
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
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...
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...
- 8/17/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (Michael Gingold)
- Fangoria
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...
- 8/17/2009
- shocktillyoudrop.com
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