The day is finally here. Some of us have been waiting decades to catch a glimpse of Clive Barker’s intended vision of his 1990 epic monster movie, Nightbreed. Some of us got close with the Cabal Cut, but that still wasn’t his intended vision. It was long-thought to be an impossibility, thanks to both studio interference, as well as mishandling of the original elements. Hell, when Scream Factory announced the title, most of us assumed we would be getting the Cabal Cut, including the awful-looking footage sourced from VHS. I feel like, when the announcement was made that all of the materials they needed were located in a vault somewhere, a big enough deal wasn’t made. I see people every day, disappointed that The Cabal Cut isn’t what we’re getting with this release. These people don’t understand that Barker’s Director’s Cut is superior...
- 10/29/2014
- by Shawn Savage
- The Liberal Dead
I was a mere 9 years old when I was first gobsmacked by the monochrome nightmare that is George A. Romero's Night Of the Living Dead. A die-hard Creature Features kid, Saturday nights were always spent, Kool Aid and popcorn close at hand, watching the usually sarcastic Mr. Bob Wilkins broadcast some of the best (and worst) horror films in the vaults of our local station Ktvu Channel 2. I can still remember Wilkins warning us that night that things were going to go a little differently, and that the film we were about to see was indeed terrifying.Being used to Godzilla and Hammer fare, which I loved but weren't scary to me (I had already experienced the mind-bomb that was Friedkin's The Exorcist by...
- 10/14/2012
- Screen Anarchy
It was roughly 1980, John Stanley had published his first edition of "Creature Features," also having recently become the host of the show with the same title in California. Publishing the book himself, the story goes that he sold enough to have a second edition published through a major publisher, and then subsequently back to the good ol' Dyi for other editions. History lesson aside, this book is great, even for those who might have seen…...
- 9/22/2012
- Horrorbid
By Lee Pfeiffer
Ever hear of Bob Wilkins? Neither had I until I received a review copy of The Complete Bob Wilkins Creature Features from November Fire Recordings. If you grew up in Sacramento, California or the Bay Area in the 1960s and 1970s, Wilkins will be a familiar name. Many major American cities had popular local personalities who hosted retro-themed cult movie broadcasts. In some markets, it was Zacherly, the Cool Ghoul hosting horror flicks. In the New York City area, it was Officer Joe Bolton, a fictitious police officer who introduced Three Stooges shorts. Wilkins was a nondescript employee with no broadcasting experience who worked at nickel-and-dime local stations in the era in which such networks relied on old re-runs of classic TV series and cheap movies that were often in the public domain, copyright-wise. Wilkins was a baby-faced, blonde haired young man who wore thick black glasses,...
Ever hear of Bob Wilkins? Neither had I until I received a review copy of The Complete Bob Wilkins Creature Features from November Fire Recordings. If you grew up in Sacramento, California or the Bay Area in the 1960s and 1970s, Wilkins will be a familiar name. Many major American cities had popular local personalities who hosted retro-themed cult movie broadcasts. In some markets, it was Zacherly, the Cool Ghoul hosting horror flicks. In the New York City area, it was Officer Joe Bolton, a fictitious police officer who introduced Three Stooges shorts. Wilkins was a nondescript employee with no broadcasting experience who worked at nickel-and-dime local stations in the era in which such networks relied on old re-runs of classic TV series and cheap movies that were often in the public domain, copyright-wise. Wilkins was a baby-faced, blonde haired young man who wore thick black glasses,...
- 9/12/2012
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Coffin Awards are up for grabs at the fifth annual A Nightmare to Remember horror film festival.
Taking place from 7pm to 10pm on June 16, 2012, at Opera Plaza Cinema, 601 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, it will show a line-up of 20-minutes-and-under horror film shorts. Cost is $15 at the door.
Special guests on the black carpet will be Devanny Pinn (The Black Dahlia Haunting, Nude Nuns With Big Guns) and Brandon Slagle (The Super, 2012: Ice Age).
They will be joined by John Stanley (Creature Features, Nightmare in Blood) and filmmaker Dave Reda along with genre enthusiasts from all parts of the country. Guest judge this year is scream queen Debra Lamb.
Hosted by Miss Misery, the festival includes a free raffle, plus a 'blood bag' filled with goodies for the first 20 people in line. The top three films will receive a Coffin Award.
Taking place from 7pm to 10pm on June 16, 2012, at Opera Plaza Cinema, 601 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, it will show a line-up of 20-minutes-and-under horror film shorts. Cost is $15 at the door.
Special guests on the black carpet will be Devanny Pinn (The Black Dahlia Haunting, Nude Nuns With Big Guns) and Brandon Slagle (The Super, 2012: Ice Age).
They will be joined by John Stanley (Creature Features, Nightmare in Blood) and filmmaker Dave Reda along with genre enthusiasts from all parts of the country. Guest judge this year is scream queen Debra Lamb.
Hosted by Miss Misery, the festival includes a free raffle, plus a 'blood bag' filled with goodies for the first 20 people in line. The top three films will receive a Coffin Award.
- 6/14/2012
- by David Bentley
- The Geek Files
Horror fans today are spoiled. With the vast array of films available on DVD and Blu-ray via storefronts like Best Buy and Fye, online outlets like Amazon and Deep Discount, and rental/streaming services such as Netflix, there are few films that are unattainable. Virtually anything one might hear of is available some way, somewhere. But it wasn't always so...
Back at a time before disc (or VHS for that matter), the only way - and I mean the Only way - to see classic and not so classic genre pictures was on broadcast television. As a kid, I remember getting the local TV Guide and a yellow highlighter and systematically going through the listings, marking each and every show time of movies I'd heard about either from friends or ones that were obliquely mentioned in Forry Ackerman's Famous Monsters of Filmland . I would meticulously go over each entry...
Back at a time before disc (or VHS for that matter), the only way - and I mean the Only way - to see classic and not so classic genre pictures was on broadcast television. As a kid, I remember getting the local TV Guide and a yellow highlighter and systematically going through the listings, marking each and every show time of movies I'd heard about either from friends or ones that were obliquely mentioned in Forry Ackerman's Famous Monsters of Filmland . I would meticulously go over each entry...
- 3/8/2012
- by Carnell
- DreadCentral.com
It's almost time for WonderCon 2012 to start packing fans into the Anaheim Convention Center, and we have the horror highlights of the three-day event that runs from March 16th-18th right here.
Along with the horror, we've included a few other panels that we thought would be of interest to our readers. For more info be sure to visit the official WonderCon website.
Friday, March 16th
12:30-1:30 Idw Presents: The Idw Panel!— Chief creative officer Chris Ryall and sergeant of marketing Dirk Wood, give out prizes, make announcements, and evade questions! Featuring a host of creators, including Steve Niles, Ben McCool, Jason Ciaramella and more! All this, plus the Smoke & Mirrors boys, Mike Costa and Jon Armstrong, perform live magic! Yes, you read that right! Room 203
1:30-2:30 Monsters Anonymous— Comics and prose authors discuss the pros and cons of world-building with monsters and whether or not...
Along with the horror, we've included a few other panels that we thought would be of interest to our readers. For more info be sure to visit the official WonderCon website.
Friday, March 16th
12:30-1:30 Idw Presents: The Idw Panel!— Chief creative officer Chris Ryall and sergeant of marketing Dirk Wood, give out prizes, make announcements, and evade questions! Featuring a host of creators, including Steve Niles, Ben McCool, Jason Ciaramella and more! All this, plus the Smoke & Mirrors boys, Mike Costa and Jon Armstrong, perform live magic! Yes, you read that right! Room 203
1:30-2:30 Monsters Anonymous— Comics and prose authors discuss the pros and cons of world-building with monsters and whether or not...
- 3/7/2012
- by The Woman In Black
- DreadCentral.com
2012 will be the first year that GeekTrant will invade WonderCon, mostly due to the fact that it was moved down to Anaheim, CA this year which is right in our backyard. We're all pretty excited about attending this year, as we've heard it's a much smaller more intimate version of San Diego Comic Con.
WonderCon is set to open on Friday, March 16th and run through Sunday, March 18th at the Anaheim Convention Center. If you plan on attending let us know, and maybe we can meet up and hang out for a bit!
I've put stars next to the panels we are interested in attending. Check out the schedule, and let us know what you are looking forward to seeing most!
Friday March 16th
12:30-1:30 Idw Presents: The Idw Panel!— Chief creative officer Chris Ryall and sergeant of marketing Dirk Wood, give out prizes, make announcements, and evade questions!
WonderCon is set to open on Friday, March 16th and run through Sunday, March 18th at the Anaheim Convention Center. If you plan on attending let us know, and maybe we can meet up and hang out for a bit!
I've put stars next to the panels we are interested in attending. Check out the schedule, and let us know what you are looking forward to seeing most!
Friday March 16th
12:30-1:30 Idw Presents: The Idw Panel!— Chief creative officer Chris Ryall and sergeant of marketing Dirk Wood, give out prizes, make announcements, and evade questions!
- 2/28/2012
- by Venkman
- GeekTyrant
The Evans City Cemetery in Pennsylvania is featured in the opening scene of the George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead. Unfortunately, the chapel is scheduled to be torn down, but fans have launched a fundraising effort to try to save it:
“Fix The Chapel.com is the grassroots effort of Night of the Living Dead fans to restore and preserve the chapel in Evans City Cemetery, a cinematic landmark from the George A. Romero classic horror film originally released in 1968. Fundraising activities include donations and merchandise sales through this web site and online auctions, as well as raising awareness at horror conventions and via social networks such as Facebook and YouTube. A goal of $50,000 is being sought.
The restoration and fundraising project is being organzied by Gary R. Streiner, key member of the production staff on the original Night of the Living Dead and currently a resident of Evans City,...
“Fix The Chapel.com is the grassroots effort of Night of the Living Dead fans to restore and preserve the chapel in Evans City Cemetery, a cinematic landmark from the George A. Romero classic horror film originally released in 1968. Fundraising activities include donations and merchandise sales through this web site and online auctions, as well as raising awareness at horror conventions and via social networks such as Facebook and YouTube. A goal of $50,000 is being sought.
The restoration and fundraising project is being organzied by Gary R. Streiner, key member of the production staff on the original Night of the Living Dead and currently a resident of Evans City,...
- 12/9/2011
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
It may not be as well known as San Diego Comic-Con, its Southern California counterpart, but the San Francisco WonderCon is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year as one of the country's best comics and popular arts events. On the fence about attending? Here's a rundown of what genre fans can look forward to at the show.
WonderCon runs at the Moscone Center South from April 1 through 3 with an incredible roster of comics' greatest writers and artists as special guests and featured in spotlight panels throughout the weekend. The show's programming schedule includes panels and previews from the comics industry's biggest publishers, including DC, Marvel, Image, Dark Horse, Aspen, Idw, Boom!, Slg, and many more. All of these publishers have booths in the giant Exhibit Hall so you can visit and interact with them all weekend plus shop in a pop culture paradise! The Exhibit Hall includes vendors selling items...
WonderCon runs at the Moscone Center South from April 1 through 3 with an incredible roster of comics' greatest writers and artists as special guests and featured in spotlight panels throughout the weekend. The show's programming schedule includes panels and previews from the comics industry's biggest publishers, including DC, Marvel, Image, Dark Horse, Aspen, Idw, Boom!, Slg, and many more. All of these publishers have booths in the giant Exhibit Hall so you can visit and interact with them all weekend plus shop in a pop culture paradise! The Exhibit Hall includes vendors selling items...
- 3/26/2011
- by The Woman In Black
- DreadCentral.com
Hey gang! WonderCon 2011 invading San Francisco on Friday, April 1st through Sunday, April 3rd and the three-day schedule has been unleashed! Unfortunately we won't be able to make it up there this year, but if you are going, it looks like there's a ton of stuff for you to check out! I wish to hell I was going!
The convention will feature presentations and screenings for Falling Skies, Green Lantern, Super, Cowboys & Aliens, The Three Musketeers, Hanna, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Iron Man Anime, Priest, Immortals, Doctor Who, Terra Nova, Thundercats, and more.
Check out the full schedule below and start planning you WonderCon adventure!
Friday, April 1
12:30-1:30 Nerds! The Secret Origins of Game Designers— Comics. Movies. Games. Did you know that a life of fandom might be perfect training for a career as a video game designer? Learn the secret origins of industry veterans Haden Blackman...
The convention will feature presentations and screenings for Falling Skies, Green Lantern, Super, Cowboys & Aliens, The Three Musketeers, Hanna, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Iron Man Anime, Priest, Immortals, Doctor Who, Terra Nova, Thundercats, and more.
Check out the full schedule below and start planning you WonderCon adventure!
Friday, April 1
12:30-1:30 Nerds! The Secret Origins of Game Designers— Comics. Movies. Games. Did you know that a life of fandom might be perfect training for a career as a video game designer? Learn the secret origins of industry veterans Haden Blackman...
- 3/21/2011
- by Venkman
- GeekTyrant
Atlantic Month Press
Growing up in Richmond, Virginia in the 1970s, novelist Sheri Holman used to watch late-night horror movies introduced by a TV host named Bowman Body. “I loved it because you got to stay up past your bedtime and you felt like you were being initiated into some grown-up world,” Holman said. “It was like having a darkened theater but in your own living room.”
For her new novel, “Witches on the Road Tonight,” Holman created the character Eddie Alley,...
Growing up in Richmond, Virginia in the 1970s, novelist Sheri Holman used to watch late-night horror movies introduced by a TV host named Bowman Body. “I loved it because you got to stay up past your bedtime and you felt like you were being initiated into some grown-up world,” Holman said. “It was like having a darkened theater but in your own living room.”
For her new novel, “Witches on the Road Tonight,” Holman created the character Eddie Alley,...
- 3/8/2011
- by Steven Kurutz
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
Seeking publication in today's advertisement saturated industry can be a bit like wandering into the zombie apocalypse: impossible odds, a sense of isolation, and at times it feels like everyone actually making it out there is in serious need of "braaaaaaaaaiiiiinssss."
It's an upstream swim without a doubt. But author Thom Carnell (who is a longtime contributor to both Fangoria Magazine and the Dread Central site as well as a once upon a time co-creator and writer for the much revered Carpe Noctem Magazine) is tackling both at the same time with his first novel, No Flesh Shall Be Spared (review here). Fueled by zombie-bashing carnage, the novel was released in time for Halloween of 2010.
Ck Burch for DC: Let’s start by asking you about your nom de plume. Why do you write only under your last name?
Carnell: It's really a nod to my family. So much of...
It's an upstream swim without a doubt. But author Thom Carnell (who is a longtime contributor to both Fangoria Magazine and the Dread Central site as well as a once upon a time co-creator and writer for the much revered Carpe Noctem Magazine) is tackling both at the same time with his first novel, No Flesh Shall Be Spared (review here). Fueled by zombie-bashing carnage, the novel was released in time for Halloween of 2010.
Ck Burch for DC: Let’s start by asking you about your nom de plume. Why do you write only under your last name?
Carnell: It's really a nod to my family. So much of...
- 11/30/2010
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Biography: I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and grew up with a deep love for horror and sci-fi. Like most folks my age in the Bay Area, I'm 47, my first exposure to classic and not so classic genre movies was on Creature Features with Bob Wilkins. Creature Features was not only the first place I had ever seen the classic Universal horror films, Frankenstein, Dracula, etc., and the sci-fi films of the 50's and 60's, it was also where fans learned of upcoming films, conventions and events concerning horror. The show really spawned a horror/sci-fi community...
- 9/25/2010
- by Stephanie Anderson, San Jose Horror Examiner
- Examiner Movies Channel
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...
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...
- 8/31/2010
- by Carnell
- DreadCentral.com
Who loves ya baby? No, not Kojak (well him too), Fango does!
And because we love you, we're giving four lucky Fangoria readers copies of Scott Stine's latest Headpress release, Trashfiend: Disposable Horror Culture Of The 1960's & 1970's.
From low budget horror films to grisly comic art, from lurid movie magazines to late-night creature features, from campy monster toys to exploitive poster art, Trashfiend takes a loving look at “disposable” horror culture from the 1960s and 1970s.
Over two glorious decades the horror film waged war on good taste, exploiting every taboo and bursting every envelope along the way. Trashfiend is the definitive guide to the chaotic, creative and endlessly entertaining golden age of horror cinema.
Scott Stine (author of The Gorehound’s Guide to Splatter Films series and founder of the Stigmata Press) shines a fond but satiric light on everything from low budget horror films to grisly comic art,...
And because we love you, we're giving four lucky Fangoria readers copies of Scott Stine's latest Headpress release, Trashfiend: Disposable Horror Culture Of The 1960's & 1970's.
From low budget horror films to grisly comic art, from lurid movie magazines to late-night creature features, from campy monster toys to exploitive poster art, Trashfiend takes a loving look at “disposable” horror culture from the 1960s and 1970s.
Over two glorious decades the horror film waged war on good taste, exploiting every taboo and bursting every envelope along the way. Trashfiend is the definitive guide to the chaotic, creative and endlessly entertaining golden age of horror cinema.
Scott Stine (author of The Gorehound’s Guide to Splatter Films series and founder of the Stigmata Press) shines a fond but satiric light on everything from low budget horror films to grisly comic art,...
- 6/23/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (James Zahn)
- Fangoria
My courtship with 1973’s Terror Circus, a.k.a. Barn Of The Naked Dead, began in 1997, my junior year of high school. I was young and in love with a beautiful girl, Sarah, who would eventually become my wife. We were frolicking around town on one gorgeous Sunday afternoon when I stumbled upon the latest edition of John Stanley’s book Creature Features in some mega-bookstore. Stanley’s compelling description of Circus enchanted me for years to come:
“The humiliation of women reaches an all-time exploitation low in this first-feature effort from director Alan Rudolph, who went on to direct major Hollywood features… This has no redeeming values in depicting depraved Andrew Prine, a desert hermit with a mother fixation who kidnaps stranded women and ties them up in his barn… Out in the toolshed, meanwhile, there’s a mutated monster (caused by Nevada nuclear tests) that likes to break out and kill.
“The humiliation of women reaches an all-time exploitation low in this first-feature effort from director Alan Rudolph, who went on to direct major Hollywood features… This has no redeeming values in depicting depraved Andrew Prine, a desert hermit with a mother fixation who kidnaps stranded women and ties them up in his barn… Out in the toolshed, meanwhile, there’s a mutated monster (caused by Nevada nuclear tests) that likes to break out and kill.
- 5/4/2009
- Fangoria
• Horror/rockabilly personality Johnny Legend has three new DVDs coming out on his new Raunchy Tonk label. A 50th Anniversary Edition of House On Haunted Hill, a new disc of The Sadist and an update of his Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street all arrive next Tuesday, February 24.
House, the William Castle classic starring Vincent Price, has been newly restored in an anamorphic 1.66:1 transfer, accompanied by the following extras:
• Return to the House: featurette with Legend visiting Haunted Hill and exploring the film’s history • Profile of actress Carol Ohmart, with comments by Jack Hill (who directed Ohmart in Spider Baby) • Golden Age Price: The actor’s TV appearances on classic TV shows • Original theatrical trailers and TV spot • 25 minutes of further Castle and Price previews • Surprise William Castle TV spot
In the ahead-of-its-time 1963 shocker The Sadist, written and directed by James Landis, Arch Hall Jr. plays...
House, the William Castle classic starring Vincent Price, has been newly restored in an anamorphic 1.66:1 transfer, accompanied by the following extras:
• Return to the House: featurette with Legend visiting Haunted Hill and exploring the film’s history • Profile of actress Carol Ohmart, with comments by Jack Hill (who directed Ohmart in Spider Baby) • Golden Age Price: The actor’s TV appearances on classic TV shows • Original theatrical trailers and TV spot • 25 minutes of further Castle and Price previews • Surprise William Castle TV spot
In the ahead-of-its-time 1963 shocker The Sadist, written and directed by James Landis, Arch Hall Jr. plays...
- 2/19/2009
- Fangoria
Davd Del Valle over at Cinefantastique wrote what may be the best tribute to the late "Creature Features" host Bob Wilkins to appear anywhere yet. Bob Wilkins was a unique horror movie host in that he avoided that sort of camp stuff. Bob wore a suit and tie and sat in a yellow rocking chair on a small modest set. He would simply rock back and forth, smoking his cigar and lamenting whatever he was asked to introduce as the evening’s feature. He did this every Saturday night - on his own most of the time, but he would try to have guests to interview if he thought they could add something to the witches’ brew he was serving up on Creature Features. Click here for it. Meanwhile, the official Bob Wilkins site reports there will be two tribute shows in Northern California for the late horror show host.
- 1/28/2009
- ESplatter.com
I grew up watching Bob Wilkins' horror show "Creature Features" on Ktvu Channel 2 in the San Francisco Bay Area, and it's how I became addicted to horror movies. On January 7, 2009, Bob Wilkins passed away peacefully, his official Webmaster reports. A slideshow has been erected at his official site, www.bobwilkins.net. Although I was only a child, I still got much of Wilkins wit. He also became the legendary character "Captain Cosmic" on an afternoon show for kids that aired during the hype around "Star Wars." The series had Wilkins, in a space costume, hosting episodes of "Flash Gordon" and "Ultraman." I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Wilkins during an appearance at Atlantis Fantasyworld in Santa Cruz and was lucky enough to get an autograph.
- 1/9/2009
- ESplatter.com
Beginning in 1971, "Creature Features" was the single best show for fans of horror in the San Francisco Bay Area. "Watch Horror Films - Keep America Strong" is a documentary about the series. The documentary is set to screen at the Balboa Theater, in San Francisco, December 10, 2008. The film is ultimate tribute to the Bay Area late-night horror television phenomenon of Creature Features (1971-1984 on Oakland's Ktvu Ch-2), hosted by Bob Wilkins and later by John Stanley. Also rounding out the bill is the John Stanley cult film Nightmare In Blood. Proceeds benefit the Bob Wilkins Alzheimer's fund. John Stanley will be on hand speaking about his tenure as Creature Features host, signing books and posters.
- 12/2/2008
- ESplatter.com
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