In Robin Hardy's supremely creepy 1973 cult picture "The Wicker Man," a cop named Neil Howie (Edward Woodward) travels to a remote island called Summerisle to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. The citizens of Summerisle are secretive and strange and still abide by ancient Celtic religious rites. Howie, a devout Christian, is put off by their pagan weirdness. During his investigation, Howie stays at a local inn, The Green Man, overseen by Mr. McGregor (Lindsay Kemp) and his comely daughter Willow. Willow is sexually forward with Howie, something else he finds discomforting.
Later that night, while Howie attempts to sleep, Willow strips nude in her own room and gyrates seductively against the wall that neighbors Howie's. Howie can't see or hear it, but he seems to sense something strange is happening. Is she casting a spell of some kind?
It turns out that the nude body audiences saw dancing wasn't Ekland at all,...
Later that night, while Howie attempts to sleep, Willow strips nude in her own room and gyrates seductively against the wall that neighbors Howie's. Howie can't see or hear it, but he seems to sense something strange is happening. Is she casting a spell of some kind?
It turns out that the nude body audiences saw dancing wasn't Ekland at all,...
- 4/14/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Like its two recent multi-disc predecessors, Joni Mitchell Archives — Volume 3: The Asylum Years (1972-1975) collects live and studio vault tapes from a particular era in Mitchell’s career. This one gets off to a seemingly unbeatable start. Much of its first quarter is devoted to an entire live show from Carnegie Hall in 1971, months after Mitchell’s landmark album Blue had been released. Sounding at the top of her game, vocally and instrumentally, Mitchell opens with a swooping, vivacious “This Flight Tonight.” Accompanying herself on guitar, piano and dulcimer,...
- 10/3/2023
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
We are back for a brand new Let’s Scare Bryan to Death, where we’re going to Massachusetts by way of Italy with Fabrizio Laurenti’s 1988 Witchery. Our selection this month comes from director/screenwriter Michael Varrati, whose work includes some amazing short films, a segment in the horror holiday anthology Deathcember, and multiple episodes of The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula. Varrati brings a sharp, darkly comical perspective to his work and his love of horror shines through in his work.
Varrati’s pick this month was actually released in In Italy as La Casa 4 and is part of a disjointed series that actually starts with the first two The Evil Dead movies, renamed La Casa and La Casa 2 for Italian audiences. Witchery forgoes the Evil Dead cabin for a big, old house on an island that can only be accessed by boat and is said to be haunted by a witch.
Varrati’s pick this month was actually released in In Italy as La Casa 4 and is part of a disjointed series that actually starts with the first two The Evil Dead movies, renamed La Casa and La Casa 2 for Italian audiences. Witchery forgoes the Evil Dead cabin for a big, old house on an island that can only be accessed by boat and is said to be haunted by a witch.
- 4/26/2023
- by Bryan Christopher
- DailyDead
Well, it’s that time of the year. It’s the holidays! Bring on the short days, long nights, and bitter cold! Don’t forget the family dysfunction, either.
No horror trilogy captures familial dysfunction quite like Frank Henenlotter’s Basket Case Trilogy – the story of mild mannered Duane Bradley (Kevin Van Hentenryck) and his temperamental, hideously deformed twin brother, Belial.
The original film is a renegade cheapy, filmed on location (sometimes illegally) in New York City. It’s gritty and grimy and full of no-budget charisma. Since its release in 1982, Basket Case has gone on to become a drive-in and grindhouse classic.
The success of the film gave Henenlotter the opportunity to make sequels, and that he did! Basket Case 2 saw a bigger budget, more creature make-ups (thanks to genre staple and frequent Henenlotter collaborator Gabe Bartalos), and it expanded upon the world of the first film while also...
No horror trilogy captures familial dysfunction quite like Frank Henenlotter’s Basket Case Trilogy – the story of mild mannered Duane Bradley (Kevin Van Hentenryck) and his temperamental, hideously deformed twin brother, Belial.
The original film is a renegade cheapy, filmed on location (sometimes illegally) in New York City. It’s gritty and grimy and full of no-budget charisma. Since its release in 1982, Basket Case has gone on to become a drive-in and grindhouse classic.
The success of the film gave Henenlotter the opportunity to make sequels, and that he did! Basket Case 2 saw a bigger budget, more creature make-ups (thanks to genre staple and frequent Henenlotter collaborator Gabe Bartalos), and it expanded upon the world of the first film while also...
- 12/7/2022
- by Tyler Eschberger
- bloody-disgusting.com
Annie Ross, the legendary Jazz singer who was part of the trio Lambert, Hendricks & Ross died in the early morning hours of July 22 at her home in New York City. She was 89. Ross’ former manager, Jim Coleman, confirmed the cause of death to be emphysema and heart disease.
Her nephew Domenick Allen wrote on his Facebook page, “My Aunt, Annie Ross, passed today at 2:00est in NYC. She was a Force of Nature, both in her music and in her life. I stood onstage next to her many times, and she truly was a Powerhouse. Her Jazz/standard hit was Twisted, but she was Straight Ahead all the way…I know she’ll be swinging somewhere in the Universe…”
Born Annabelle Allan Short in 1930, in Surrey, England, Ross moved to the U.S. with her Vaudeville actor parents, John and Mary Short, when she was four. She would grow...
Her nephew Domenick Allen wrote on his Facebook page, “My Aunt, Annie Ross, passed today at 2:00est in NYC. She was a Force of Nature, both in her music and in her life. I stood onstage next to her many times, and she truly was a Powerhouse. Her Jazz/standard hit was Twisted, but she was Straight Ahead all the way…I know she’ll be swinging somewhere in the Universe…”
Born Annabelle Allan Short in 1930, in Surrey, England, Ross moved to the U.S. with her Vaudeville actor parents, John and Mary Short, when she was four. She would grow...
- 7/22/2020
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Annie Ross, the dexterous jazz singer and leading practitioner of the art of "vocalese" heard on her signature song, "Twisted," has died. She was 89.
Ross died Tuesday at her home in Manhattan of complications from emphysema and heart disease, her former manager, Jim Coleman, told The Washington Post.
Ross performed with fellow vocalists Dave Lambert and Jon Hendricks in the acclaimed jazz trio Lambert, Hendricks &Ross from 1957 to 1962. They made dozens of instrumental classics their own and recorded several albums, starting with 1957's Sing a Song of Basie, which employed overdubs to multiply ...
Ross died Tuesday at her home in Manhattan of complications from emphysema and heart disease, her former manager, Jim Coleman, told The Washington Post.
Ross performed with fellow vocalists Dave Lambert and Jon Hendricks in the acclaimed jazz trio Lambert, Hendricks &Ross from 1957 to 1962. They made dozens of instrumental classics their own and recorded several albums, starting with 1957's Sing a Song of Basie, which employed overdubs to multiply ...
- 7/22/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Annie Ross, the dexterous jazz singer and leading practitioner of the art of "vocalese" heard on her signature song, "Twisted," has died. She was 89.
Ross died Tuesday at her home in Manhattan of complications from emphysema and heart disease, her former manager, Jim Coleman, told The Washington Post.
Ross performed with fellow vocalists Dave Lambert and Jon Hendricks in the acclaimed jazz trio Lambert, Hendricks &Ross from 1957 to 1962. They made dozens of instrumental classics their own and recorded several albums, starting with 1957's Sing a Song of Basie, which employed overdubs to multiply ...
Ross died Tuesday at her home in Manhattan of complications from emphysema and heart disease, her former manager, Jim Coleman, told The Washington Post.
Ross performed with fellow vocalists Dave Lambert and Jon Hendricks in the acclaimed jazz trio Lambert, Hendricks &Ross from 1957 to 1962. They made dozens of instrumental classics their own and recorded several albums, starting with 1957's Sing a Song of Basie, which employed overdubs to multiply ...
- 7/22/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Stars: Linda Blair, David Hasselhoff, Hildegard Knef, Catherine Hickland, Annie Ross, Leslie Cumming, Robert Champagne, Rick Farnsworth, Michael Manchester, Frank Cammarata, Victoria Biggers, Ely Coughlin, Kara Lynch, Jamie Hanes, Richard Ladenburg | Written by Harry Spalding, Daniele Stroppa | Directed by Fabrizio Laurenti
If you grew up reading Darkside Magazine in the early 90s and regularly frequented your local video rental shop, as I did, you couldn’t help but know all about the UK VHS label Colourbox. Not a huge distributor, at least compared to others at the time, Colourbox were probably one of the most iconic – at least for me – VHS labels the UK had; and that’s mainly thanks to the fantastic line-up of films they released on VHS: Bad Blood, Bad Taste, Creepozoids, Dr. Alien, The Imp, Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers (though without the word “chainsaw” in the title thanks to stupid UK censorship at the time), the ever-awesome Intruder and Ghosthouse.
If you grew up reading Darkside Magazine in the early 90s and regularly frequented your local video rental shop, as I did, you couldn’t help but know all about the UK VHS label Colourbox. Not a huge distributor, at least compared to others at the time, Colourbox were probably one of the most iconic – at least for me – VHS labels the UK had; and that’s mainly thanks to the fantastic line-up of films they released on VHS: Bad Blood, Bad Taste, Creepozoids, Dr. Alien, The Imp, Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers (though without the word “chainsaw” in the title thanks to stupid UK censorship at the time), the ever-awesome Intruder and Ghosthouse.
- 6/19/2020
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Success in the ’90s gave Robert Altman the opportunity to experiment once again. Several short stories by Raymond Carver interlock in a mosaic of Los Angeles populated by scores of actors in ensemble mode. Clocking in at three hours, Altman’s epic has all the time and space it needs.
Short Cuts
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 265
1993 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 187 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date October 18, 2016 / 39.95
Starring Andie MacDowell, Bruce Davison, Jack Lemmon, Julianne Moore,
Matthew Modine, Anne Archer, Fred Ward, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Chris Penn, Lili Taylor, Robert Downey Jr., Madeleine Stowe, Tim Robbins, Lily Tomlin, Tom Waits, Frances McDormand, Peter Gallagher, Annie Ross, Lori Singer, Lyle Lovett, Buck Henry, Huey Lewis, Margery Bond, Robert DoQui.
Cinematography Walt Lloyd
Production Designer Stephen Altman
Art Direction Jerry Fleming
Film Editors Suzy Elmiger, Geraldine Peroni
Original Music Gavin Friday, Mark Isham
Written by Robert Altman, Frank Barhydt from writings...
Short Cuts
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 265
1993 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 187 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date October 18, 2016 / 39.95
Starring Andie MacDowell, Bruce Davison, Jack Lemmon, Julianne Moore,
Matthew Modine, Anne Archer, Fred Ward, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Chris Penn, Lili Taylor, Robert Downey Jr., Madeleine Stowe, Tim Robbins, Lily Tomlin, Tom Waits, Frances McDormand, Peter Gallagher, Annie Ross, Lori Singer, Lyle Lovett, Buck Henry, Huey Lewis, Margery Bond, Robert DoQui.
Cinematography Walt Lloyd
Production Designer Stephen Altman
Art Direction Jerry Fleming
Film Editors Suzy Elmiger, Geraldine Peroni
Original Music Gavin Friday, Mark Isham
Written by Robert Altman, Frank Barhydt from writings...
- 12/10/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
August 9th is an interesting day for horror home entertainment releases, as we have two titles I never could have imagined arriving on Blu-ray, and that’s always a great thing for fans.
Synapse Films has given both of Frank Henenlotter’s Basket Case sequels an HD overhaul, and for those who may have missed the Turkish horror movie Baskin during its release earlier this year, Scream Factory and IFC Midnight have teamed up for the film’s Blu-ray / DVD combo pack, which arrives on Tuesday as well.
Other notable releases on August 9th include 11.22.63, Dark Waves, and Alone in the Ghost House.
Basket Case 2 (Synapse Films, Blu-ray)
Duane Bradley and his surgically-separated twin brother Belial return in this frightfully gory follow-up to Frank Henenlotter’s original monster movie classic, Basket Case. After surviving a fall from a hospital window, the two brothers become media targets.
Synapse Films has given both of Frank Henenlotter’s Basket Case sequels an HD overhaul, and for those who may have missed the Turkish horror movie Baskin during its release earlier this year, Scream Factory and IFC Midnight have teamed up for the film’s Blu-ray / DVD combo pack, which arrives on Tuesday as well.
Other notable releases on August 9th include 11.22.63, Dark Waves, and Alone in the Ghost House.
Basket Case 2 (Synapse Films, Blu-ray)
Duane Bradley and his surgically-separated twin brother Belial return in this frightfully gory follow-up to Frank Henenlotter’s original monster movie classic, Basket Case. After surviving a fall from a hospital window, the two brothers become media targets.
- 8/9/2016
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
The continued adventures of Duane Bradley and his sinister twin brother are getting the high-def treatment, as Synapse Films announced that they will release Basket Case 2 and Basket Case 3: The Progeny on respective Blu-rays this August:
Press Release: Double your freaky fun with Frank Henenlotter’s Basket Case 2 and Basket Case 3: The Progeny on Blu-ray this August from Synapse Films!
1982’s Basket Case introduced horror fans to Duane Bradley and his twin brother Belial, and a new horror classic was born. They also introduced the world to Frank Henenlotter, the uniquely crazed talent who would later give us Brain Damage and Frankenhooker. In 1990 and ‘91, Henenlotter and star Kevin Van Hentenryck returned for two even more demented sequels, both coming to Blu-ray from Synapse Films this August, each at the low price of $19.95!
Basket Case 2
“Basket Case 2 is a hilarious genre spoof… paying homage to Tod Browning’s 1932 classic,...
Press Release: Double your freaky fun with Frank Henenlotter’s Basket Case 2 and Basket Case 3: The Progeny on Blu-ray this August from Synapse Films!
1982’s Basket Case introduced horror fans to Duane Bradley and his twin brother Belial, and a new horror classic was born. They also introduced the world to Frank Henenlotter, the uniquely crazed talent who would later give us Brain Damage and Frankenhooker. In 1990 and ‘91, Henenlotter and star Kevin Van Hentenryck returned for two even more demented sequels, both coming to Blu-ray from Synapse Films this August, each at the low price of $19.95!
Basket Case 2
“Basket Case 2 is a hilarious genre spoof… paying homage to Tod Browning’s 1932 classic,...
- 6/10/2016
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Robert Altman's murder tale reeks of insider access and Hollywood hipster Bs; its main claim to greatness is its fifty-plus star cameos. It may no longer seem as smart as it looked in 1992, but they don't make 'em any slicker than this. The Player Blu-ray The Criterion Collection 812 1992 / Color /1:85 widescreen / 124 min. / Available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date May 24, 2016 / 39.95 Starring Tim Robbins, Greta Scacchi, Fred Ward, Whoopi Goldberg, Peter Gallagher, Brion James, Cynthia Stevenson, Vincent D'Onofrio, Lyle Lovett. Cinematography Jean Lépine Original Music Thomas Newman Written by Michael Tolkin from his novel Produced by David Brown, Michael Tolkin, Nick Wechsler Directed by Robert Altman
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Robert Altman's filmography is undergoing what looks like a full retrospective through Criterion; even the 1975 title Nashville came out not long ago. This very successful later picture marks a revitalization of the director's career. It's sort of a Kafkaesque spin on Hail,...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Robert Altman's filmography is undergoing what looks like a full retrospective through Criterion; even the 1975 title Nashville came out not long ago. This very successful later picture marks a revitalization of the director's career. It's sort of a Kafkaesque spin on Hail,...
- 5/31/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
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Some bad guys just want to collect antiques, or sand down a nice coffee table. Presenting our pick of 9 affable action movie villains...
Villains come in all shapes and sizes, from the hulking and formidable, like Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, to the more lithe and cunning, like the maniacal Scorpio in Dirty Harry. The most memorable villains almost always have one thing in common, though: whether they're blessed with brains, brawn or both, they're intimidating and powerful in some way. They're a worthy foil for the hero (or heroine) of the piece.
So what happens when a villain comes across as, well, just plain nice? Sure, they may have the henchmen, the money, the gadgets and the guns. But some villains seem just too easy-going and friendly to be properly intimidating. This isn't to say the performances are bad; in some cases, they're scene-stealingly brilliant.
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Some bad guys just want to collect antiques, or sand down a nice coffee table. Presenting our pick of 9 affable action movie villains...
Villains come in all shapes and sizes, from the hulking and formidable, like Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, to the more lithe and cunning, like the maniacal Scorpio in Dirty Harry. The most memorable villains almost always have one thing in common, though: whether they're blessed with brains, brawn or both, they're intimidating and powerful in some way. They're a worthy foil for the hero (or heroine) of the piece.
So what happens when a villain comes across as, well, just plain nice? Sure, they may have the henchmen, the money, the gadgets and the guns. But some villains seem just too easy-going and friendly to be properly intimidating. This isn't to say the performances are bad; in some cases, they're scene-stealingly brilliant.
- 3/31/2016
- Den of Geek
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Our monthly round up of horror DVDs and Blu-rays, led by the wonderful and terrifying Audition...
So, it seems to be time once again to ask that age-old question: what’s your favourite cinematic depiction of conjoined twins? Ranging from the mutoid majesty of That Guy In Total Recall With The Talking Stomach Baby through to the Farrelly brothers’ gross-out gubbins Stuck On You, Hollywood has carved a progressive path in its depiction of wretched freaks of nature, magical otherworldly beings and monstrous killers. Following in this glorious tradition of stigmatising the disabled (insert Iain Duncan Smith reference here), this month sees the Bluray release of Frank Henenlotter’s classic splatter comedy Basket Case trilogy.
The director of the equally subtle Frankenhooker cut his teeth with his 1982 cult favourite Basket Case, which told the tale of the Bradley brothers, bemulleted Duane (Kevin van Hentenryck), the ostensibly ’normal...
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Our monthly round up of horror DVDs and Blu-rays, led by the wonderful and terrifying Audition...
So, it seems to be time once again to ask that age-old question: what’s your favourite cinematic depiction of conjoined twins? Ranging from the mutoid majesty of That Guy In Total Recall With The Talking Stomach Baby through to the Farrelly brothers’ gross-out gubbins Stuck On You, Hollywood has carved a progressive path in its depiction of wretched freaks of nature, magical otherworldly beings and monstrous killers. Following in this glorious tradition of stigmatising the disabled (insert Iain Duncan Smith reference here), this month sees the Bluray release of Frank Henenlotter’s classic splatter comedy Basket Case trilogy.
The director of the equally subtle Frankenhooker cut his teeth with his 1982 cult favourite Basket Case, which told the tale of the Bradley brothers, bemulleted Duane (Kevin van Hentenryck), the ostensibly ’normal...
- 3/15/2016
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
Legendary jazz singer and lyricist Jon Hendricks, dubbed 'The Poet Laureate of Jazz,' celebrated jazz vocalist and actress Annie Ross, and acclaimed jazz singer Janis Siegel are among the artists who will be honored at the 31st Annual Bistro Awards gala tonight, March 8 at 630 pm at the Gotham Comedy Club, 208 W. 23rd St. As is the Bistro Awards tradition, the evening will feature performances by the winners.
- 3/8/2016
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
'San Andreas' movie with Dwayne Johnson. 'San Andreas' movie box office: $100 million domestic milestone today As the old saying (sort of) goes: If you build it, they will come. Warner Bros. built a gigantic video game, called it San Andreas, and They have come to check out Dwayne Johnson perform miraculous deeds not seen since ... George Miller's Mad Max: Fury Road, released two weeks earlier. Embraced by moviegoers, hungry for quality, original storylines and well-delineated characters – and with the assistance of 3D surcharges – the San Andreas movie debuted with $54.58 million from 3,777 theaters on its first weekend out (May 29-31) in North America. Down a perfectly acceptable 52 percent on its second weekend (June 5-7), the special effects-laden actioner collected an extra $25.83 million, trailing only the Melissa McCarthy-Jason Statham comedy Spy, (with $29.08 million) as found at Box Office Mojo.* And that's how this original movie – it's not officially a remake,...
- 6/9/2015
- by Zac Gille
- Alt Film Guide
Some sequels are doomed to live in the shadow of the hits that triggered them. Here are a few examples...
Following up a successful movie with a sequel is a tough proposition for any writer or director, and it's often the case that such follow-ups fail to recreate the magic of their predecessors. But sometimes, sequels can offer a different yet entertaining experience of their own, and it's even possible that, if they didn't happen to share the same name as an earlier hit film, they might even have been better received.
This article's dedicated to a few of these kinds of films. They offer lots of excitement, comedy, jolts of terror and a smattering of great performances, and might have fared better with audiences and critics had they not been sequels. At the very least, they attempted to do something a little different than the films they followed. While other examples undeniably remain,...
Following up a successful movie with a sequel is a tough proposition for any writer or director, and it's often the case that such follow-ups fail to recreate the magic of their predecessors. But sometimes, sequels can offer a different yet entertaining experience of their own, and it's even possible that, if they didn't happen to share the same name as an earlier hit film, they might even have been better received.
This article's dedicated to a few of these kinds of films. They offer lots of excitement, comedy, jolts of terror and a smattering of great performances, and might have fared better with audiences and critics had they not been sequels. At the very least, they attempted to do something a little different than the films they followed. While other examples undeniably remain,...
- 7/29/2014
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
One of the reasons why we love horror films is the dangerous sex appeal – especially in slasher films from the 80s. Although most teenagers in these slasher films suffer brutal deaths after they engage in such sexy behaviors, there is something still strangely and erotically appealing about sex in these horror films. But what about the monster sex scenes? Do they have the same effect on spectators? Are monster scenes sexy? Maybe we’re getting too far ahead of ourselves - what qualifies as a monster sex scene? For the purposes of this list, I am only examining non-human sex – although one human might be involved in the act, at least one monster must be present: whether it be a re-animated head without a body, a creature with several legs, an alien, a ghoulie; basically anything that isn’t human and has undergone some process of “evil-i-zation” qualifies as a...
- 5/15/2013
- by Lianne Spiderbaby
- FEARnet
There’s a certain flavor to Stephen King’s 1970s novels that goes deeper than theme and tone and even feel, especially in the smaller, more personal stories like The Shining and ’Salem’s Lot and The Dead Zone. The books are certainly “of their time,” but it’s more than that: it’s a distinct spirit that’s difficult to pin down and even harder to describe. These books – as well as the Bachman novel Blaze, a relic from those early days – come from such a distinct time, place, and mindset in King’s career that the stories can’t help but reflect who and where their author was when they were written. Cheese aficionados and wine connoisseurs call this elusive essence terroir. At this late date, decades after those classic novels were published, it would be almost impossible to capture that exact flavor again, in a new novel...
- 5/15/2013
- by Kevin Quigley
- FEARnet
“Personality” was first performed by Dorothy Lamour in the 1946 film Road to Utopia. That’s not why it’s this week’s B-Sides. Being sung by a busload of human oddities in a Frank Henenlotter flick is the reason why this freakish take on “Personality” made the B-Sides.
Actress-singer Annie Ross has had a storied career that began with an “Our Gang” short and near its end saw her cast as the freak-loving “Granny Ruth” in the 1992 threequel Basket Case 3: The Progeny. A nutzoid mother hen to a gaggle of freaks similar to the franchise’s star mutant, Belial, it’s her love for these freaks of nature that leads to this amazing big band, bus-bound musical number from the most insane entry in Frank Henenlotter’s Basket Case franchise – and that’s saying something.
This scene is also a little depressing because looking at the wonderfully imaginative make-up...
Actress-singer Annie Ross has had a storied career that began with an “Our Gang” short and near its end saw her cast as the freak-loving “Granny Ruth” in the 1992 threequel Basket Case 3: The Progeny. A nutzoid mother hen to a gaggle of freaks similar to the franchise’s star mutant, Belial, it’s her love for these freaks of nature that leads to this amazing big band, bus-bound musical number from the most insane entry in Frank Henenlotter’s Basket Case franchise – and that’s saying something.
This scene is also a little depressing because looking at the wonderfully imaginative make-up...
- 5/11/2013
- by Foywonder
- DreadCentral.com
The BBC will broadcast a new documentary titled Queens of Jazz: The Joy and Pain of the Jazz Divas, which charts the stories of Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Sarah Vaughan, Nina Simone and Annie Ross. The 60 minute program, according to the BBC "takes an unflinching and revealing look at what it actually took to be a jazz diva during a turbulent time in America’s social history." It'll feature contributions from Lisa Stansfield, Melody Gardot, Diana Krall, Madeleine Peyroux, Claire Martin, Anita Wardell, Barb Jungr, Carleen Anderson, Tina May, Gregory Porter and others. The doc will air at 9pm on Friday, May 10, on BBC 4. The documentary tracks...
- 4/25/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Composer and pianist whose work included film scores, opera and jazz cabaret
The composer Richard Rodney Bennett, who has died in New York aged 76, pursued multiple musical lives with extraordinary success. He was one of the more distinguished soundtrack composers of his era, having contributed to some 50 films and winning Oscar nominations for his work on Far from the Madding Crowd (1967), Nicholas and Alexandra (1971) and Murder on the Orient Express (1974).
But it scarcely seemed credible that this knack for writing for a mainstream audience in a melodic, romantic style co-existed with his mastery of serialism and 12-tone techniques. From 1957 to 1959, Bennett was a scholarship student with Pierre Boulez in Paris and soaked up the latter's total serialism techniques as well as his infatuation with the German avant garde. He also attended the summer schools at Darmstadt, the mecca for diehard atonalists.
His tremendous facility as a pianist would prompt the...
The composer Richard Rodney Bennett, who has died in New York aged 76, pursued multiple musical lives with extraordinary success. He was one of the more distinguished soundtrack composers of his era, having contributed to some 50 films and winning Oscar nominations for his work on Far from the Madding Crowd (1967), Nicholas and Alexandra (1971) and Murder on the Orient Express (1974).
But it scarcely seemed credible that this knack for writing for a mainstream audience in a melodic, romantic style co-existed with his mastery of serialism and 12-tone techniques. From 1957 to 1959, Bennett was a scholarship student with Pierre Boulez in Paris and soaked up the latter's total serialism techniques as well as his infatuation with the German avant garde. He also attended the summer schools at Darmstadt, the mecca for diehard atonalists.
His tremendous facility as a pianist would prompt the...
- 12/28/2012
- by Adam Sweeting
- The Guardian - Film News
Directed by: Frank Henenlotter
Written by: Frank Henenlotter and Robert Martin
Featuring: Kevin Van Hentenryck, Annie Ross, Gil Roper, Dan Biggers, Jim O’Doherty
Frank Henenlotter’s Basket Case from 1982 was a seedy little fever dream of a film with operatic violence and a pitch black sense of humor. It told the twisted grindhouse tale of the Bradley brothers, Siamese twins crudely separated against their will by a team of doctors (and one veterinarian). Duane (Kevin Van Hentenryck), the more physically "normal" of the two, was saved while his deformed other half, Belial, was put in a trash bag and left for dead on the street. Duane, who shared a telepathic link with his lumpy twin, saved the still-breathing Belial. A few years later the two began to hunt down (and savagely mutilate) the surgical team responsible for their separation. The appropriately downbeat ending gave it a fable-like resonance and...
Written by: Frank Henenlotter and Robert Martin
Featuring: Kevin Van Hentenryck, Annie Ross, Gil Roper, Dan Biggers, Jim O’Doherty
Frank Henenlotter’s Basket Case from 1982 was a seedy little fever dream of a film with operatic violence and a pitch black sense of humor. It told the twisted grindhouse tale of the Bradley brothers, Siamese twins crudely separated against their will by a team of doctors (and one veterinarian). Duane (Kevin Van Hentenryck), the more physically "normal" of the two, was saved while his deformed other half, Belial, was put in a trash bag and left for dead on the street. Duane, who shared a telepathic link with his lumpy twin, saved the still-breathing Belial. A few years later the two began to hunt down (and savagely mutilate) the surgical team responsible for their separation. The appropriately downbeat ending gave it a fable-like resonance and...
- 10/31/2012
- by Bradley Harding
- Planet Fury
Basket Case Trilogy
Stars: Kevin VanHentenryck, Terri Susan Smith, Beverly Bonner, Annie Ross, Judy Grafe, Gil Roper | Written and Directed by Frank Henenlotter
Still somewhat of an underground series in mainstream movie-going consciousness (despite what seems like a huge horror-loving fanbase), the Basket Case trilogy finally makes its way to Blu-ray after a shoddy treatment on DVD where here in the UK they have often been resigned to the bargain bins. Thankfully Second Sight have decided to give the franchise its proper due with a trilogy release that will definitely please fans of the films and will hopefully also make a lot of new ones…
Released on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray steelbook (a must-buy for me), the Basket Case Trilogy features the adventures of two brothers, Duane and Belial, well I say brothers but they were originally conjoined twins, separated against their will; with Duane seemingly “normal” and Belial resigned to a life of deformity,...
Stars: Kevin VanHentenryck, Terri Susan Smith, Beverly Bonner, Annie Ross, Judy Grafe, Gil Roper | Written and Directed by Frank Henenlotter
Still somewhat of an underground series in mainstream movie-going consciousness (despite what seems like a huge horror-loving fanbase), the Basket Case trilogy finally makes its way to Blu-ray after a shoddy treatment on DVD where here in the UK they have often been resigned to the bargain bins. Thankfully Second Sight have decided to give the franchise its proper due with a trilogy release that will definitely please fans of the films and will hopefully also make a lot of new ones…
Released on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray steelbook (a must-buy for me), the Basket Case Trilogy features the adventures of two brothers, Duane and Belial, well I say brothers but they were originally conjoined twins, separated against their will; with Duane seemingly “normal” and Belial resigned to a life of deformity,...
- 10/21/2012
- by Phil
- Nerdly
By Seth Metoyer, MoreHorror.com
It's time to build a bigger basket because on October 9th, Belial is back for act three in Frank Henenlotter's Basket Case 3: The Progeny from Synapse Films.
This third entry Starring Kevin Van Hentenryck, Denise Coop, Annie Ross and Gil Roper promises "more mutants, more killings and more twisted science". (Read our review of the original Basket Case)
From The Press Release
He's back. He's bad. And he's a dad!
Belial, everyone's favorite beast-in-a-basket, is back in Basket Case 3: The Progeny, the sensational third film in Frank Henenlotter's wildly macabre horror series. After being separated again from his conjoined twin brother Duane (Kevin Van Hentenryck),
Belial finds out he’s going to be a deformed daddy! Mrs. Belial (“Eve,” played by Denise Coop) delivers a litter of bouncing baby monsters, but the blessed event turns into a nightmarish ordeal when the police kidnap the little critters.
It's time to build a bigger basket because on October 9th, Belial is back for act three in Frank Henenlotter's Basket Case 3: The Progeny from Synapse Films.
This third entry Starring Kevin Van Hentenryck, Denise Coop, Annie Ross and Gil Roper promises "more mutants, more killings and more twisted science". (Read our review of the original Basket Case)
From The Press Release
He's back. He's bad. And he's a dad!
Belial, everyone's favorite beast-in-a-basket, is back in Basket Case 3: The Progeny, the sensational third film in Frank Henenlotter's wildly macabre horror series. After being separated again from his conjoined twin brother Duane (Kevin Van Hentenryck),
Belial finds out he’s going to be a deformed daddy! Mrs. Belial (“Eve,” played by Denise Coop) delivers a litter of bouncing baby monsters, but the blessed event turns into a nightmarish ordeal when the police kidnap the little critters.
- 8/8/2012
- by admin
- MoreHorror
Synapse has announced that they will be releasing 1992′s Basket Case 3: The Progeny this October. Continue reading for release details and cover art:
Belial, everyone’s favorite beast-in-a-basket, is back in Basket Case 3: The Progeny, the sensational third film in Frank Henenlotter’s wildly macabre horror series. After being separated again from his conjoined twin brother Duane (Kevin Van Hentenryck), Belial finds out he’s going to be a deformed daddy! Mrs. Belial (“Eve,” played by Denise Coop) delivers a litter of bouncing baby monsters, but the blessed event turns into a nightmarish ordeal when the police kidnap the little critters. They should know it’s not safe to anger Belial! Attacking the cops in a climactic, gory rampage, everyone’s favorite mutant mauler stops at nothing to get his newborns back!
Special Features:
Original Theatrical Trailer
Disc Info:
Director: Frank Henenlotter Starring: Kevin Van Hentenryck, Denise Coop,...
Belial, everyone’s favorite beast-in-a-basket, is back in Basket Case 3: The Progeny, the sensational third film in Frank Henenlotter’s wildly macabre horror series. After being separated again from his conjoined twin brother Duane (Kevin Van Hentenryck), Belial finds out he’s going to be a deformed daddy! Mrs. Belial (“Eve,” played by Denise Coop) delivers a litter of bouncing baby monsters, but the blessed event turns into a nightmarish ordeal when the police kidnap the little critters. They should know it’s not safe to anger Belial! Attacking the cops in a climactic, gory rampage, everyone’s favorite mutant mauler stops at nothing to get his newborns back!
Special Features:
Original Theatrical Trailer
Disc Info:
Director: Frank Henenlotter Starring: Kevin Van Hentenryck, Denise Coop,...
- 8/7/2012
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
“What’s in the basket?” An innocent question that forever reminds genre fans of the bloody misadventures of Duane Bradley and his not-so-conjoined twin, Belial. Second Sight brings the entire Basket Case trilogy to Blu-ray/DVD across the UK in a Special Edition. Take a peek inside...
From the Press Release:
Following the huge success of The Return of the Living Dead, Second Sight Films now bring the wonderfully warped Basket Case - The Trilogy to special edition Blu-ray and DVD. This bumper release will hit the streets on 22 October 2012 as a limited edition three-disc steelbook and special edition DVD, complete with newly commissioned bonus material produced by bonus feature specialists Severin Films.
"What’s in the basket?" A question Duane Bradley is asked a lot when he arrives in New York and checks into the sleazy Hotel Broslin, a place filled with drunks, odd-bods and prostitutes. We soon discover...
From the Press Release:
Following the huge success of The Return of the Living Dead, Second Sight Films now bring the wonderfully warped Basket Case - The Trilogy to special edition Blu-ray and DVD. This bumper release will hit the streets on 22 October 2012 as a limited edition three-disc steelbook and special edition DVD, complete with newly commissioned bonus material produced by bonus feature specialists Severin Films.
"What’s in the basket?" A question Duane Bradley is asked a lot when he arrives in New York and checks into the sleazy Hotel Broslin, a place filled with drunks, odd-bods and prostitutes. We soon discover...
- 8/2/2012
- by Pestilence
- DreadCentral.com
All but confirming that they plan to keep Jon Stewart tethered to his glowing desk until he fuses with it like Annie Ross in Superman III, Comedy Central today announced that they have renewed The Daily Show host's contract through the middle of 2015, or his sixteenth season. At the same time, the network locked down Stephen Colbert through the end of 2014 and a ninth season of The Colbert Report. This ensures that both will be around to make fun of a good portion of Barack Obama's second term, the first few years of Mitt Romney's ...
- 7/25/2012
- avclub.com
The Wicker Man is a cult horror classic. Are the team of Scots who have turned the film into a musical – and rejigged its shocking ending – worried about offending fans?
The Wicker Man is easily one of the weirdest films ever made. Shot on location in Scotland, the 1973 movie tells the story of a devout policeman who travels to a remote Hebridean island to investigate the disappearance of a young girl, only to discover that the locals have reverted to pagan practices, using human sacrifice to safeguard their crops. Produced on a minuscule budget, with a cast who had to suck on ice cubes to stop their breath from showing in the cold, the film featured career-defining performances from Edward Woodward as Sergeant Howie and Christopher Lee as the sinister Lord Summerisle. Lee has since said it's his best film.
Practically unnoticed on its release (it was cut to an...
The Wicker Man is easily one of the weirdest films ever made. Shot on location in Scotland, the 1973 movie tells the story of a devout policeman who travels to a remote Hebridean island to investigate the disappearance of a young girl, only to discover that the locals have reverted to pagan practices, using human sacrifice to safeguard their crops. Produced on a minuscule budget, with a cast who had to suck on ice cubes to stop their breath from showing in the cold, the film featured career-defining performances from Edward Woodward as Sergeant Howie and Christopher Lee as the sinister Lord Summerisle. Lee has since said it's his best film.
Practically unnoticed on its release (it was cut to an...
- 2/16/2012
- by Alfred Hickling
- The Guardian - Film News
Wuthering Heights star James Howson had his voice overdubbed in the film, it has emerged. He joins a surprisingly well-known group of actors...
All things considered, Wuthering Heights has been good for James Howson, the unschooled, unemployed Leeds local who stars as Heathcliff. Andrea Arnold's drama has provided him with a pay cheque, a launchpad and a prospective ticket to an acting career. It now transpires that it provided him with a voice as well.
On first seeing the film, Howson noted with dismay that his performance had been dubbed. "I felt really hurt," he said this week. "All the things I had to do in the film – the cold mornings, the difficult scenes – and then they use someone else's voice."
It's hard not to feel some sympathy for Howson, plucked against the odds from open call auditions and pouring his heart and soul into playing brooding, vengeful Heathcliff.
All things considered, Wuthering Heights has been good for James Howson, the unschooled, unemployed Leeds local who stars as Heathcliff. Andrea Arnold's drama has provided him with a pay cheque, a launchpad and a prospective ticket to an acting career. It now transpires that it provided him with a voice as well.
On first seeing the film, Howson noted with dismay that his performance had been dubbed. "I felt really hurt," he said this week. "All the things I had to do in the film – the cold mornings, the difficult scenes – and then they use someone else's voice."
It's hard not to feel some sympathy for Howson, plucked against the odds from open call auditions and pouring his heart and soul into playing brooding, vengeful Heathcliff.
- 11/15/2011
- by Xan Brooks
- The Guardian - Film News
Some people just have a knack for certain things. Michael Jordan could play basketball like there was no tomorrow, Sam Kinison was a master of comedy, Bobby Fischer could hold his own in chess and Stu Ungar knew his way around a card table. In that vein Frank Henenlotter had his niche as well…making outrageously over-the-top and wildly entertaining films.
Anthology Film Archives is celebrating the career of Henenlotter on November 4-6 in New York City with a retrospective presentation of some of the writer/director’s most memorable works. The films to be screened are certainly standouts of ‘80s horror: Brain Damage, Frankenhooker, Basket Case and Basket Case 2. Quite the Murderers’ Row of celluloid!
And to add to the excitement of the three-day event, Frank Henenlotter himself will be in attendance for the screenings. You can get a chance to meet the man and ask him, “What...
Anthology Film Archives is celebrating the career of Henenlotter on November 4-6 in New York City with a retrospective presentation of some of the writer/director’s most memorable works. The films to be screened are certainly standouts of ‘80s horror: Brain Damage, Frankenhooker, Basket Case and Basket Case 2. Quite the Murderers’ Row of celluloid!
And to add to the excitement of the three-day event, Frank Henenlotter himself will be in attendance for the screenings. You can get a chance to meet the man and ask him, “What...
- 10/29/2011
- by Doctor Gash
- DreadCentral.com
Trailers are an under-appreciated art form insofar that many times they’re seen as vehicles for showing footage, explaining films away, or showing their hand about what moviegoers can expect. Foreign, domestic, independent, big budget: I celebrate all levels of trailers and hopefully this column will satisfactorily give you a baseline of what beta wave I’m operating on, because what better way to hone your skills as a thoughtful moviegoer than by deconstructing these little pieces of advertising? Some of the best authors will tell you that writing a short story is a lot harder than writing a long one, that you have to weigh every sentence. What better medium to see how this theory plays itself out beyond that than with movie trailers? Hell and Back Again Trailer I talked about the first trailer for this movie a couple of months ago [1]. Danfung Dennis looks like he's made...
- 9/16/2011
- by Christopher Stipp
- Slash Film
We continue our unabashed appreciation of some of the highlights of composer John Barry’s early movie career beyond the remit of the Bond franchise...
In the second part of our look at John Barry's extraordinary back catalogue of movie scores, we concentrate on a few more of the films from the mid- to late sixties. This was the beginning of a phase of phenomenal output, as well as experimentation, signposting his continuing diversity of technique and his burgeoning sense of style. Following on from the success of Zulu, his was a reputation that was quickly gaining momentum and garnering feverish accolades.
Stylish, contemporary and full of energy, Barry played as hard as he worked, and this musical period took place in a blur of fast living and nights at the Pickwick Club with the likes of Michael Caine and Terence Stamp, sampling the delights of the sixties at...
In the second part of our look at John Barry's extraordinary back catalogue of movie scores, we concentrate on a few more of the films from the mid- to late sixties. This was the beginning of a phase of phenomenal output, as well as experimentation, signposting his continuing diversity of technique and his burgeoning sense of style. Following on from the success of Zulu, his was a reputation that was quickly gaining momentum and garnering feverish accolades.
Stylish, contemporary and full of energy, Barry played as hard as he worked, and this musical period took place in a blur of fast living and nights at the Pickwick Club with the likes of Michael Caine and Terence Stamp, sampling the delights of the sixties at...
- 8/1/2011
- Den of Geek
My first appointment with “The Wicker Man” had came, rather worryingly, at the tender age of just 14 when it had aired on BBC2 as part of that year’s season of “Moviedrome”.
It had all begun with a jazz-tinged, neon lit introduction by cult British director Alex “Repo Man” Cox in which he had informed me, amongst other things, that a cult film was “one which has a passionate following but does not appeal to everybody” and, most intriguingly of all, that the negative for “The Wicker Man” had apparently ended up “in the pylons that support the M4 motorway”.Then, before I had barely begun to question just who Cox’s hairdresser was the familiar refrains of “The Lord Is My Shepherd” had assailed my ears and the film had begun.
As I sat there, lit only by the flickering glow from the small, portable TV set a number...
It had all begun with a jazz-tinged, neon lit introduction by cult British director Alex “Repo Man” Cox in which he had informed me, amongst other things, that a cult film was “one which has a passionate following but does not appeal to everybody” and, most intriguingly of all, that the negative for “The Wicker Man” had apparently ended up “in the pylons that support the M4 motorway”.Then, before I had barely begun to question just who Cox’s hairdresser was the familiar refrains of “The Lord Is My Shepherd” had assailed my ears and the film had begun.
As I sat there, lit only by the flickering glow from the small, portable TV set a number...
- 11/22/2010
- by Nick Turk
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
"Before we go any further, let's acknowledge that the question of whether and how different kinds of animals feel pain, and of whether and why it might be justifiable to inflict pain on them in order to eat them, turn out to be extremely complex and difficult. And comparative neuroanatomy is only part of the problem. Since pain is a totally subjective mental experience, we do not have direct access to any one's or any thing's pain but our own; and even just the principles by which we can infer that other people experience pain and have a legitimate interest in not feeling pain involve hardcore philosophy-metaphysics, epistemology, value theory, ethics. The fact that even the most highly evolved nonhuman mammals can't use language to communicate with us about their subjective mental experience is only the first layer of additional complication in trying to extend our reasoning about pain and morality to animals.
- 5/10/2009
- by unclebob
- DreadCentral.com
- Palm Pictures picked up a docu portrait today that, like last year's tragi-drama of La Vie en Rose demonstrates, musicans often come with open wounds. THR reports that the label picked up the distrib rights to the Tribeca film festival-selected Anita O'Day: The Life Of a Music Legend. "Legend" includes new interviews with jazz artists Annie Ross, Margaret Whiting and George Wein, along with rare footage of O'Day performances with Louis Armstrong and other musicians from her 1940s heyday. O'Day, who overcame alcoholism, rape, heroin addiction and jail time in her seven decade career. ...
- 4/3/2008
- IONCINEMA.com
NEW YORK -- A jazz singer's tragic life will hit screens this May in the Palm Pictures documentary Anita O'Day: The Life Of a Music Legend.
Palm picked up all North American rights to the portrait of O'Day, who overcame alcoholism, rape, heroin addiction and jail time in her seven decade career. Directors Robbie Cavolina and Ian McCrudden filmed interviews with the singer shortly before her 2006 death at age 87.
Legend includes new interviews with jazz artists Annie Ross (Robert Altman's Short Cuts) Margaret Whiting and George Wein, along with rare footage of O'Day performances with Louis Armstrong and other musicians from her 1940s heyday.
The film premiered at last year's Tribeca Film Festival. A fall DVD release is planned following the platform theatrical release in May.
Palm's Ed Arentz negotiated the deal with Cavolina, McCrudden and producer Melissa Davis.
Palm picked up all North American rights to the portrait of O'Day, who overcame alcoholism, rape, heroin addiction and jail time in her seven decade career. Directors Robbie Cavolina and Ian McCrudden filmed interviews with the singer shortly before her 2006 death at age 87.
Legend includes new interviews with jazz artists Annie Ross (Robert Altman's Short Cuts) Margaret Whiting and George Wein, along with rare footage of O'Day performances with Louis Armstrong and other musicians from her 1940s heyday.
The film premiered at last year's Tribeca Film Festival. A fall DVD release is planned following the platform theatrical release in May.
Palm's Ed Arentz negotiated the deal with Cavolina, McCrudden and producer Melissa Davis.
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