A24 released the trailer for “Maxxxine” early Monday, the third part of a genre trilogy from Mia Goth and director Ti West. Whereas “X” focused on a porno shoot in 1979 and “Pearl” took the action way back to 1918 (with Goth mugging with a frozen smile for insane lengths of time), “Maxxxine” is set in Los Angeles during its sleaze nadir of 1985, with Goth’s Maxine Minx ready to make the transition from adult entertainer to horror movie star. Alas, a serial killer (“The Night Stalker”) is on the loose, causing trouble.
Set to “My Obsession” by Animotion and “Self Control” by Laura Branigan, Maxxine and hear blown-out hairstyle zoom around L.A., meeting Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Lily Collins, Halsey, Giancarlo Esposito, and Kevin Bacon along the way.
Even though “Maxxxine” looks like a splashy, fun ride with 1980s makeup, Debicki in an ascot, and some shots on VHS,...
Set to “My Obsession” by Animotion and “Self Control” by Laura Branigan, Maxxine and hear blown-out hairstyle zoom around L.A., meeting Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Lily Collins, Halsey, Giancarlo Esposito, and Kevin Bacon along the way.
Even though “Maxxxine” looks like a splashy, fun ride with 1980s makeup, Debicki in an ascot, and some shots on VHS,...
- 4/8/2024
- by Jordan Hoffman
- Gold Derby
Two years after Ti West's "X" unleashed aspiring movie star and blood-soaked final girl Maxine (Mia Goth) into the world, she's back in the first trailer for "MaXXXine" -- and closer than ever to achieving her dream. "You're a f**king movie star," she whispers to herself in the mirror at the end of the film's just-released first trailer, and it's easy to believe her.
A few years after driving away from the Texas farmhouse where she was nearly killed, Maxine Minx has rebranded herself as a bombshell blonde in double denim, and she's quickly building a resume in the adult film industry. The movie seems to kick off with Maxine earning a role in a legitimate horror movie, but her aspirations are soon threatened by something neither the women who work alongside her in L.A.'s sex work scene nor fans of West's franchise saw coming: the L.
A few years after driving away from the Texas farmhouse where she was nearly killed, Maxine Minx has rebranded herself as a bombshell blonde in double denim, and she's quickly building a resume in the adult film industry. The movie seems to kick off with Maxine earning a role in a legitimate horror movie, but her aspirations are soon threatened by something neither the women who work alongside her in L.A.'s sex work scene nor fans of West's franchise saw coming: the L.
- 4/8/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Thanks to The Wachowskis and Joel Silver, Keanu Reeves’ The Matrix saw the light of day after several roadblocks the movie endured. The sci-fi masterpiece went on to be a huge hit opening doors for more installments to the franchise.
Keanu Reeves as Neo in The Matrix franchise
The directors Lana and Lilly Wachowski went through several tests at Warner Brothers to convince the studio that they were capable of helming the $70 million project. They even took a different approach to presenting the screenplay. But then another set of challenges were lurking above the project, the constant rejections from the favored stars for the primary roles.
One Actor Turned Down The Matrix Saying The Movie Will Be Flop
Lou Diamond Phillips in The Night Stalker
The Matrix was released on 31 March 1999, and the movie has retained its fan following. But making it was far too complex. Newcomers Lana Wachowski and...
Keanu Reeves as Neo in The Matrix franchise
The directors Lana and Lilly Wachowski went through several tests at Warner Brothers to convince the studio that they were capable of helming the $70 million project. They even took a different approach to presenting the screenplay. But then another set of challenges were lurking above the project, the constant rejections from the favored stars for the primary roles.
One Actor Turned Down The Matrix Saying The Movie Will Be Flop
Lou Diamond Phillips in The Night Stalker
The Matrix was released on 31 March 1999, and the movie has retained its fan following. But making it was far too complex. Newcomers Lana Wachowski and...
- 4/1/2024
- by Lachit Roy
- FandomWire
Arnold Schwarzenegger made a whole slew of classic 80s action movies. Still, one remains totally obscure despite being released smack dab in the middle of his amazing The Terminator to Predator run of movies from 1984-87. That film in 1986’s Raw Deal. A formulaic 80s action flick, it’s the most modestly mounted Schwarzenegger action epic of the era, with Arnie coerced into starring in it to complete a long-standing contract he had with producer Dino De Laurentiis following Conan The Barbarian.
In it, Schwarzenegger is somewhat unconvincingly cast as a small-town sheriff named Kaminski, who used to be an FBI agent but was forced out of the bureau after roughing up a suspect. He’s recruited by his old mentor (The Night Stalker’s legendary Darren McGavin) whose son was killed by the Chicago mob. He wants Kaminski to go undercover in the mob and tear them apart from the inside.
In it, Schwarzenegger is somewhat unconvincingly cast as a small-town sheriff named Kaminski, who used to be an FBI agent but was forced out of the bureau after roughing up a suspect. He’s recruited by his old mentor (The Night Stalker’s legendary Darren McGavin) whose son was killed by the Chicago mob. He wants Kaminski to go undercover in the mob and tear them apart from the inside.
- 3/26/2024
- by Adam Walton
- JoBlo.com
The episode of Made for TV Horror covering The Night Strangler was Written and Narrated by Jessica Dwyer, Edited by Victoria Verduzco, Produced by John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.
51 years ago television viewers were introduced to a monster in modern times. But luckily, they were introduced to a hero who was willing to shine the light on that monster and stop him. That hero’s name was Carl Kolchak and the TV movie that gave birth to the legend of the intrepid reporter was The Night Stalker. As we’ve covered here previously on JoBlo Horror, The Night Stalker became one of the biggest TV movies of all time when it was released and with ratings and accolades like that, it wasn’t hard to see that Kolchak’s search for the truth (which we all know is out there) was far from over. And so it...
51 years ago television viewers were introduced to a monster in modern times. But luckily, they were introduced to a hero who was willing to shine the light on that monster and stop him. That hero’s name was Carl Kolchak and the TV movie that gave birth to the legend of the intrepid reporter was The Night Stalker. As we’ve covered here previously on JoBlo Horror, The Night Stalker became one of the biggest TV movies of all time when it was released and with ratings and accolades like that, it wasn’t hard to see that Kolchak’s search for the truth (which we all know is out there) was far from over. And so it...
- 12/20/2023
- by Jessica Dwyer
- JoBlo.com
Tune in to Nightmare Radio: The Night Stalker for non-stop horror thrills. This deliriously dark horror anthology promises to sate fans’ thirst for bloody bedlam as it gets its UK premiere on digital on 24th April 2023, courtesy of Reel2Reel Films.
Crafted by acclaimed directors from all over the world, including Nathan Crooker (Midnight Delivery), Lorcan Finnegan (Vivarium), Carlos Goitia (Asylum: Twisted Horror and Fantasy Tales), David M. Night Maire (The Hobbyist), Mia Kate Russell (Auditioning Fanny), Ryan J. Thompson (The Dark Tapes) and Adam O’Brien (Banshee), this highly anticipated sequel to hit film A Night of Horror: Nightmare Radio is jam-packed with gore, shocks and thrills aplenty.
Candy (Paula Brasca – Focus) is a late-night radio DJ for Nightmare Radio who invites listeners to share their real-life horror tales. But when a contributor’s phone calls become more and more persistent, what begins as a host of harmless spooky stories,...
Crafted by acclaimed directors from all over the world, including Nathan Crooker (Midnight Delivery), Lorcan Finnegan (Vivarium), Carlos Goitia (Asylum: Twisted Horror and Fantasy Tales), David M. Night Maire (The Hobbyist), Mia Kate Russell (Auditioning Fanny), Ryan J. Thompson (The Dark Tapes) and Adam O’Brien (Banshee), this highly anticipated sequel to hit film A Night of Horror: Nightmare Radio is jam-packed with gore, shocks and thrills aplenty.
Candy (Paula Brasca – Focus) is a late-night radio DJ for Nightmare Radio who invites listeners to share their real-life horror tales. But when a contributor’s phone calls become more and more persistent, what begins as a host of harmless spooky stories,...
- 4/24/2023
- by Peter 'Witchfinder' Hopkins
- Horror Asylum
She’s baaack! Emma Roberts has reportedly signed on to star in “American Horror Story” Season 12, the details of which are still being kept under wraps. (See everything to know about the new installment.) This former “Scream Queen” is of course an “AHS” stalwart who previously appeared in “Coven,” “Freak Show,” “Cult,” “Apocalypse” and “1984.” But which of her former spooky roles is Your favorite? Read through our Emma Roberts “AHS” characters ranked listing below, and then be sure to vote in our poll.
See‘American Horror Story’ aliens explained: How does ‘Asylum’ connect to ‘Double Feature: Death Valley’?
1. Madison Montgomery (“American Horror Story: Coven” & “American Horror Story: Apocalypse”)
Madison is the quintessential Emma Roberts character: sassy, sexy and self-centered. When we first meet her, she’s a teenage witch at Miss Robichaux’s Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies with the power of telekinesis. After her throat is slit by...
See‘American Horror Story’ aliens explained: How does ‘Asylum’ connect to ‘Double Feature: Death Valley’?
1. Madison Montgomery (“American Horror Story: Coven” & “American Horror Story: Apocalypse”)
Madison is the quintessential Emma Roberts character: sassy, sexy and self-centered. When we first meet her, she’s a teenage witch at Miss Robichaux’s Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies with the power of telekinesis. After her throat is slit by...
- 4/11/2023
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
Encyclopocalypse Publications To Release The Graphic Novel “Where Wolf”: "Encylopocalypse Publication (the independent horror and grindhouse press run by Saturn-Award-winning producer and New York Times bestselling author Mark Alan Miller) is set to release their first graphic novel—Where Wolf, a creator-owned graphic novel from creative team Rob Saucedo, Debora Lancianese and Jack Morelli, on Friday, July 7.
The graphic novel will be available in paperback and hardcover formats—with three different covers available for readers to choose from.
This horror-comedy comic book was previously serialized as the first webcomic hosted on legendary horror brand Fangoria’s website. The book is set in the wild world of furry conventions, small-town Texas journalism and werewolf whodunits. Leading up to the wide release of the book, writer Rob Saucedo will tour movie theaters across the country—screening werewolf films and providing an opportunity to purchase the graphic novel early at concurrent signing...
The graphic novel will be available in paperback and hardcover formats—with three different covers available for readers to choose from.
This horror-comedy comic book was previously serialized as the first webcomic hosted on legendary horror brand Fangoria’s website. The book is set in the wild world of furry conventions, small-town Texas journalism and werewolf whodunits. Leading up to the wide release of the book, writer Rob Saucedo will tour movie theaters across the country—screening werewolf films and providing an opportunity to purchase the graphic novel early at concurrent signing...
- 2/23/2023
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
On the JoBlo Movies YouTube channel, we will post one full movie every day of the week, allowing viewers to watch them free of charge. Today’s Free Movie of the Day is the mystery thriller Never Forget, starring the great Lou Diamond Phillips. You can watch it over on the YouTube channel linked above or just watch it in the embed at the top of this article.
Directed by Leo Scherman from a screenplay by Kevin Hennelly and Mark Steinberg, Never Forget has the following synopsis: A man (Phillips) who wakes up with amnesia also finds his supposed friend has accused him of murder.
Phillips is joined in the cast by Kris Holden-Ried, Sarah Manninen, Jonathan Whittaker, Jimmy Byron, and Janet Morin.
Phillips’ acting career stretches back almost forty years now, with some of his 150+ screen credits including Bull, Blue Bloods, NCIS: New Orleans, Criminal Minds, Longmire, Brooklyn Nine-Nine,...
Directed by Leo Scherman from a screenplay by Kevin Hennelly and Mark Steinberg, Never Forget has the following synopsis: A man (Phillips) who wakes up with amnesia also finds his supposed friend has accused him of murder.
Phillips is joined in the cast by Kris Holden-Ried, Sarah Manninen, Jonathan Whittaker, Jimmy Byron, and Janet Morin.
Phillips’ acting career stretches back almost forty years now, with some of his 150+ screen credits including Bull, Blue Bloods, NCIS: New Orleans, Criminal Minds, Longmire, Brooklyn Nine-Nine,...
- 1/25/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Vince Gilligan’s sole script on the 2005 ‘Night Stalker’ reboot is the perfect stepping stone between the writer’s two television universes.
“There are countless stories in the city, about the lives lived here, about how the fates of others intertwine with our own in ways we can never expect or predict.”
The X-Files was one of the most significant cultural touchstones to come out of the 1990s and it forever changed the shape of genre storytelling on television. Breaking Bad and its prequel spin-off series, Better Call Saul, have very much done the same for television in the 2010s and ‘20s, albeit in very different ways. Vince Gilligan is the common factor between these completely unique worlds, but he also wrote a single episode of 2005’s reboot of the totemic supernatural procedural series, Kolchak: The Night Stalker.
If The X-Files is about the pursuit of the truth and Breaking Bad...
“There are countless stories in the city, about the lives lived here, about how the fates of others intertwine with our own in ways we can never expect or predict.”
The X-Files was one of the most significant cultural touchstones to come out of the 1990s and it forever changed the shape of genre storytelling on television. Breaking Bad and its prequel spin-off series, Better Call Saul, have very much done the same for television in the 2010s and ‘20s, albeit in very different ways. Vince Gilligan is the common factor between these completely unique worlds, but he also wrote a single episode of 2005’s reboot of the totemic supernatural procedural series, Kolchak: The Night Stalker.
If The X-Files is about the pursuit of the truth and Breaking Bad...
- 8/12/2022
- by Daniel Kurland
- bloody-disgusting.com
Kolchak: The Night Stalker – The Complete Series
Blu ray
Kino Lorber
1974/ 1.33:1/ 1,020 Minutes
Starring Darren McGavin, Simon Oakland
Directed by Gordon Hessler. Alexander Grasshoff
“I saw what I saw when I saw it.” That was the mantra of Wilbur Grey, an anonymous shipping clerk who made a habit of bumping into some pretty famous monsters. As with most cautionary tales, no one will believe Wilbur about his strange encounters until it’s too late. Carl Kolchak, a beat reporter for Chicago’s Independent News Service, is stuck in the same boat; it seems that toddlin’ town is not only the City of Big Shoulders but Big Monsters—and they have a habit of playing in Kolchak’s backyard.
The newsman made his debut in the early ’70s when producer Dan Curtis parlayed Jeff Rice’s The Kolchak Papers into two television movies, 1972’s The Night Stalker and 1973’s The Night Strangler.
Blu ray
Kino Lorber
1974/ 1.33:1/ 1,020 Minutes
Starring Darren McGavin, Simon Oakland
Directed by Gordon Hessler. Alexander Grasshoff
“I saw what I saw when I saw it.” That was the mantra of Wilbur Grey, an anonymous shipping clerk who made a habit of bumping into some pretty famous monsters. As with most cautionary tales, no one will believe Wilbur about his strange encounters until it’s too late. Carl Kolchak, a beat reporter for Chicago’s Independent News Service, is stuck in the same boat; it seems that toddlin’ town is not only the City of Big Shoulders but Big Monsters—and they have a habit of playing in Kolchak’s backyard.
The newsman made his debut in the early ’70s when producer Dan Curtis parlayed Jeff Rice’s The Kolchak Papers into two television movies, 1972’s The Night Stalker and 1973’s The Night Strangler.
- 10/26/2021
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
(Spoilers ahead for the entirety of “American Horror Story: 1984”)
It’s finally, mercifully, time for me to move on from “Ahs: 1984.” The season ended this week, after a season that somehow managed to establish a new standard for being all over the place for a series that is best known at this point for being all over the place. That’s quite an accomplishment, but not really a good one.
Before I can forget all of this ever happened, I have a laundry list of things that happened in “Ahs: 1984” that were super irritating and frustrating to watch, and I feel like I’m gonna go crazy if I don’t try to share this madness with our dear readers. So let’s do this. I have 18 items right now. I’ll probably add some more because I keep thinking of new ones.
Also Read: John Landgraf Foresees 'Many...
It’s finally, mercifully, time for me to move on from “Ahs: 1984.” The season ended this week, after a season that somehow managed to establish a new standard for being all over the place for a series that is best known at this point for being all over the place. That’s quite an accomplishment, but not really a good one.
Before I can forget all of this ever happened, I have a laundry list of things that happened in “Ahs: 1984” that were super irritating and frustrating to watch, and I feel like I’m gonna go crazy if I don’t try to share this madness with our dear readers. So let’s do this. I have 18 items right now. I’ll probably add some more because I keep thinking of new ones.
Also Read: John Landgraf Foresees 'Many...
- 11/17/2019
- by Phil Owen
- The Wrap
(This post contains spoilers for “American Horror Story: 1984” through the episode that aired Nov. 6. You have been warned.)
The penultimate episode of “American Horror Story: 1984” aired Wednesday, setting up what we can only assume is going to be a bonkers finale to a season which had such a seemingly straightforward premise that we had no idea it would get this crazy by Episode 8.
Tonight’s installment was all about introducing more questions than ever before, as we prepare for the end of this ’80s-slasher story. And because there have already been so many twists, we can’t help but wonder: how will Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk and their camp bring “Ahs: 1984” to a close without a bunch of loose ends.
See below for TheWrap’s list of the biggest questions we have and check back next week to find out which ones have — and haven’t — been answered by the finale.
The penultimate episode of “American Horror Story: 1984” aired Wednesday, setting up what we can only assume is going to be a bonkers finale to a season which had such a seemingly straightforward premise that we had no idea it would get this crazy by Episode 8.
Tonight’s installment was all about introducing more questions than ever before, as we prepare for the end of this ’80s-slasher story. And because there have already been so many twists, we can’t help but wonder: how will Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk and their camp bring “Ahs: 1984” to a close without a bunch of loose ends.
See below for TheWrap’s list of the biggest questions we have and check back next week to find out which ones have — and haven’t — been answered by the finale.
- 11/7/2019
- by Jennifer Maas and Phil Owen
- The Wrap
Spoiler Alert: Do not read if you have not yet watched “Episode 100,” the sixth episode of “American Horror Story: 1984.”
One hundred episodes is a big milestone in television these days, so kudos to “American Horror Story” for getting there. Also kudos for pulling out all the stops for this big episode — it definitely turned the construct of the season on its head.
“Episode 100” began a year later from the main events in “American Horror Story: 1984” — jumping to in 1985, where a woman in a hotel went banging on the door of a room with music blaring from inside (“Idol only plays one way — full throttle”). The Night Stalker aka Richard Ramirez (Zach Villa) answered the door and tried to drag her into the room, presumably to kill her, but Jingles (John Carroll Lynch) stopped him. Jingle told the Night Stalker he’s tired of being the sidekick and he can...
One hundred episodes is a big milestone in television these days, so kudos to “American Horror Story” for getting there. Also kudos for pulling out all the stops for this big episode — it definitely turned the construct of the season on its head.
“Episode 100” began a year later from the main events in “American Horror Story: 1984” — jumping to in 1985, where a woman in a hotel went banging on the door of a room with music blaring from inside (“Idol only plays one way — full throttle”). The Night Stalker aka Richard Ramirez (Zach Villa) answered the door and tried to drag her into the room, presumably to kill her, but Jingles (John Carroll Lynch) stopped him. Jingle told the Night Stalker he’s tired of being the sidekick and he can...
- 10/24/2019
- by Andrea Reiher
- Variety Film + TV
Right off the bat, American Horror Story: 1984 introduces us to not one but two villains: Mr. Jingles and the Night Stalker. While the first character is fictional, the Night Stalker, aka Richard Ramirez, was very much an actual serial killer in the '80s. And just as Emma Roberts's Brooke Thompson survived his terrifying attack in the first episode, so did a real young woman in 1985.
It's no secret that American Horror Story draws from gruesome real stories - in past seasons, we've seen everything from the Black Dahlia to the Manson Family. This time, as the series did with Bloody Face, we see the murderer up close as a main character portrayed by Zach Villa.
First, let's digest Brooke's encounter with the serial killer. College student Brooke unexpectedly finds herself in danger after her steamy L.A. aerobics class, during which she ironically tells her acquaintances that...
It's no secret that American Horror Story draws from gruesome real stories - in past seasons, we've seen everything from the Black Dahlia to the Manson Family. This time, as the series did with Bloody Face, we see the murderer up close as a main character portrayed by Zach Villa.
First, let's digest Brooke's encounter with the serial killer. College student Brooke unexpectedly finds herself in danger after her steamy L.A. aerobics class, during which she ironically tells her acquaintances that...
- 9/22/2019
- by Stacey Nguyen
- Popsugar.com
On the premiere of American Horror Story: 1984, the show incorporated a real-life serial killer into the action, which is something the show has done in the past. Before we dive into this creepy character, be warned: Spoilers for the premiere episode and for the actual details of the man known as "The Night Stalker" are ahead.
In "Camp Redwood," one of the big reasons the main characters leave Los Angeles for the Summer to go work at a camp is because "The Night Stalker" just killed someone in the Glassell Park neighborhood. Xavier (Cody Fern) talks about how 79-year-old Jennie Vincow was found with her throat slashed so deeply that she was almost decapitated. Then later that night, Brooke (Emma Roberts) is attacked in her home by Richard Ramirez, who would go on to be known as "The Night Stalker" in the press.
This real-life serial killer terrorized La...
In "Camp Redwood," one of the big reasons the main characters leave Los Angeles for the Summer to go work at a camp is because "The Night Stalker" just killed someone in the Glassell Park neighborhood. Xavier (Cody Fern) talks about how 79-year-old Jennie Vincow was found with her throat slashed so deeply that she was almost decapitated. Then later that night, Brooke (Emma Roberts) is attacked in her home by Richard Ramirez, who would go on to be known as "The Night Stalker" in the press.
This real-life serial killer terrorized La...
- 9/19/2019
- by Andrea Reiher
- Popsugar.com
There were mullets and midriffs aplenty in Wednesday’s American Horror Story premiere, which took us back to one of the horniest (and stabbiest) eras in pop culture history.
Ahs: 1984‘s opening hour introduced us to doe-eyed ingenue Brooke Thompson (Emma Roberts), whose plans to study veterinary medicine over the summer were suddenly derailed after a deranged serial killer broke into her apartment, stole her jewelry, and vowed to murder her. (And when a guy who calls himself “The Night Stalker” promises to kill you, you take that seriously.)
More from TVLineFargo Season 4 Adds Timothy OlyphantAmerican Horror Story Season 9:...
Ahs: 1984‘s opening hour introduced us to doe-eyed ingenue Brooke Thompson (Emma Roberts), whose plans to study veterinary medicine over the summer were suddenly derailed after a deranged serial killer broke into her apartment, stole her jewelry, and vowed to murder her. (And when a guy who calls himself “The Night Stalker” promises to kill you, you take that seriously.)
More from TVLineFargo Season 4 Adds Timothy OlyphantAmerican Horror Story Season 9:...
- 9/19/2019
- TVLine.com
‘American Horror Story: 1984’ Recap: Season Premiere Packed Full Of Camp Horror & Slashing Nostalgia
Spoiler Alert: This recap article contains details about tonight’s season premiere episode of American Horror Story: 1984. American Horror Story: 1984 is nothing if not loyal, at least to the tropes of the title era. From its pulsating synth-music to its Let’s Get Physical fashions and slasher film cliches, AHS84 rides the death train straight back to the Reagan era.
This incarnation of the Ryan Murphy horror anthology begins with a flashback to 1970, when we see the grisly slaughter of a summer camp full of teens, three of whom have just been caught in bed doing what it is people in slasher films get slashed for. The killer, soon named Mr. Jingles for the keys that jangle as he walks, slices off the ears of all his victims – a gruesome detail that will figure into the plot later on.
Jump to 1984 and an L.A. aerobics class, loaded with pastel leggings, short shorts and feathered hair, is being led by the handsome, head-banded Xavier Plympton (Cody Fern). His class includes pals Montana (Billie Lourd), the type of good-time girl typically marked for an early exit by ’80s horror convention, and Ray (Deron Horton), who, being black, would once have been expected to make a quicker departure than even the good-time girl.
There’s also Chet (Gus Kenworthy), a hunky but failed Olympics hopeful (damned drug tests), and Brooke (Emma Roberts), the innocent new girl in town.
When Xavier suggests that they all take camp counselor jobs up at the newly reopened Camp Redwood, all but Brooke think its a good idea: L.A. has lately been terrorized by the (real life) serial killer Richard Ramirez, aka The Night Stalker. Brooke’s initial reluctance vanishes when that very night, Ramirez breaks into her new apartment, robs her of her jewelry and attempts to kill her (a well-placed frying pan to the head puts the kibosh on that).
So the five friends set out for the camp-with-a-past, but won’t arrive until they get a a creepy “turn back” warning from an even creepier gas station attendant and, ignoring his advice, proceed onward, only to mow down a hippie-ish pedestrian who utters his own cryptic warning before passing out.
Upon arriving at the camp – the kids are due the following day – the counselors meet the truth-telling Nurse Rita (Angelica Ross) and athletic director (and porn ‘stache sporting) Trevor.
Then there’s camp owner Margaret (Leslie Grossman), an ear-less survivor of the long-ago slaughter who credits Jesus for her survival (and won’t let any of the sexually rambunctious and chemically adventurous counselors forget it).
By now, the ’80s slasher tropes are coming fast and bloody. There’s an escape at the local insane asylum (that would be Mr. Jingles), the suddenly ear-less injured pedestrian ends up hanging like a slab of meat on hook, Mr. Jingles terrorizes sweet Brook, as does the Night Stalker (Zach Villa).
Two killers aren’t enough to keep Brooke from wandering outside in the middle of the night to answer the payphone, the sort of no-sense decision that made the classic slasher films such enjoyable absurdity.
And enjoyable absurdity pretty much describes this first chapter of AHS84, an episode that neatly sets up the ’80s genre conventions even if it doesn’t do much beyond mimic them. Whatever twists, spins and eccentricities Murphy has in store for his unhappy campers wasn’t much in evidence tonight, but summer’s just beginning. Who knows what horrors could happen before Labor Day?
Ahs: 1984 airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX.
This incarnation of the Ryan Murphy horror anthology begins with a flashback to 1970, when we see the grisly slaughter of a summer camp full of teens, three of whom have just been caught in bed doing what it is people in slasher films get slashed for. The killer, soon named Mr. Jingles for the keys that jangle as he walks, slices off the ears of all his victims – a gruesome detail that will figure into the plot later on.
Jump to 1984 and an L.A. aerobics class, loaded with pastel leggings, short shorts and feathered hair, is being led by the handsome, head-banded Xavier Plympton (Cody Fern). His class includes pals Montana (Billie Lourd), the type of good-time girl typically marked for an early exit by ’80s horror convention, and Ray (Deron Horton), who, being black, would once have been expected to make a quicker departure than even the good-time girl.
There’s also Chet (Gus Kenworthy), a hunky but failed Olympics hopeful (damned drug tests), and Brooke (Emma Roberts), the innocent new girl in town.
When Xavier suggests that they all take camp counselor jobs up at the newly reopened Camp Redwood, all but Brooke think its a good idea: L.A. has lately been terrorized by the (real life) serial killer Richard Ramirez, aka The Night Stalker. Brooke’s initial reluctance vanishes when that very night, Ramirez breaks into her new apartment, robs her of her jewelry and attempts to kill her (a well-placed frying pan to the head puts the kibosh on that).
So the five friends set out for the camp-with-a-past, but won’t arrive until they get a a creepy “turn back” warning from an even creepier gas station attendant and, ignoring his advice, proceed onward, only to mow down a hippie-ish pedestrian who utters his own cryptic warning before passing out.
Upon arriving at the camp – the kids are due the following day – the counselors meet the truth-telling Nurse Rita (Angelica Ross) and athletic director (and porn ‘stache sporting) Trevor.
Then there’s camp owner Margaret (Leslie Grossman), an ear-less survivor of the long-ago slaughter who credits Jesus for her survival (and won’t let any of the sexually rambunctious and chemically adventurous counselors forget it).
By now, the ’80s slasher tropes are coming fast and bloody. There’s an escape at the local insane asylum (that would be Mr. Jingles), the suddenly ear-less injured pedestrian ends up hanging like a slab of meat on hook, Mr. Jingles terrorizes sweet Brook, as does the Night Stalker (Zach Villa).
Two killers aren’t enough to keep Brooke from wandering outside in the middle of the night to answer the payphone, the sort of no-sense decision that made the classic slasher films such enjoyable absurdity.
And enjoyable absurdity pretty much describes this first chapter of AHS84, an episode that neatly sets up the ’80s genre conventions even if it doesn’t do much beyond mimic them. Whatever twists, spins and eccentricities Murphy has in store for his unhappy campers wasn’t much in evidence tonight, but summer’s just beginning. Who knows what horrors could happen before Labor Day?
Ahs: 1984 airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX.
- 9/19/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
(Above: Lynley in the 1972 hit "The Poseidon Adventure")
By Lee Pfeiffer
Actress Carol Lynley has died from a heart attack at age 77. She began her career as a child model before gravitating to the movie industry. With her stunning looks, Lynley showed great potential in an era in which studios groomed starlets to become full-blown stars. Lynley gained fine notices for her starring role in the 1959 drama "Blue Denim" in which she and Brandon DeWilde played middle-class teenagers dealing with the secret of her unintended pregnancy in an era in which such scenarios were met with repression instead of compassion. Prominent roles followed including "Hound Dog Man", "Return to Peyton Place" and "The Last Sunset" in which she co-starred with Hollywood icons Rock Hudson and Kirk Douglas. Other major films of the 1960s include "The Stripper", "Under the Yum Yum Tree", "Shock Treatment", "The Pleasure Seekers", "The Maltese Bippy", "Danger...
By Lee Pfeiffer
Actress Carol Lynley has died from a heart attack at age 77. She began her career as a child model before gravitating to the movie industry. With her stunning looks, Lynley showed great potential in an era in which studios groomed starlets to become full-blown stars. Lynley gained fine notices for her starring role in the 1959 drama "Blue Denim" in which she and Brandon DeWilde played middle-class teenagers dealing with the secret of her unintended pregnancy in an era in which such scenarios were met with repression instead of compassion. Prominent roles followed including "Hound Dog Man", "Return to Peyton Place" and "The Last Sunset" in which she co-starred with Hollywood icons Rock Hudson and Kirk Douglas. Other major films of the 1960s include "The Stripper", "Under the Yum Yum Tree", "Shock Treatment", "The Pleasure Seekers", "The Maltese Bippy", "Danger...
- 9/6/2019
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Actress Carol Lynley, best known for her role in the 1972 film “The Poseidon Adventure,” died at her Pacific Palisades home Tuesday after suffering a heart attack, according to her friend, actor Trent Dolan. She was 77.
Lynley began her career as a child model, appearing on the cover of Life magazine at the age of 15, before starring in Disney’s “The Light in the Forest” and the independent film “Holiday for Lovers.” Shortly after, she secured a breakout role in the 1958 Broadway play “Blue Denim” and its subsequent film adaptation, in which she played 15-year-old Janet Willard tasked with figuring out how to undergo an illegal abortion.
The play, written by James Leo Herlihy, received immediate criticism for its laissez-faire attitude toward abortion, leading to a revised ending in the film that sees Janet go through with her pregnancy. Despite the controversy, the role earned Lynley a nomination for a Golden...
Lynley began her career as a child model, appearing on the cover of Life magazine at the age of 15, before starring in Disney’s “The Light in the Forest” and the independent film “Holiday for Lovers.” Shortly after, she secured a breakout role in the 1958 Broadway play “Blue Denim” and its subsequent film adaptation, in which she played 15-year-old Janet Willard tasked with figuring out how to undergo an illegal abortion.
The play, written by James Leo Herlihy, received immediate criticism for its laissez-faire attitude toward abortion, leading to a revised ending in the film that sees Janet go through with her pregnancy. Despite the controversy, the role earned Lynley a nomination for a Golden...
- 9/6/2019
- by Anna Tingley
- Variety Film + TV
I grew up in the ‘70s, and as a burgeoning horror fan, there was no better time to be alive. I cherished every outlet and every aspect – I had The Witching Hour comics and Creepy magazines, a mom who took me to the movies to see Burnt Offerings at the age of six, and a cavalcade of small screen terrors. Being a kid, my domain was Saturday morning, naturally. Scooby-Doo and the gang fighting the (usually) fake monsters, The Monster Squad, Far Out Space Nuts, and Land of the Lost were but some of the shows that tackled not necessarily horror, but at the very least the fantastic.
Because I was a kid, seeing previews for The Night Stalker TV series almost made me weep – it came on way after my bedtime as part of CBS’ late night programming. So imagine my delight one Saturday morning as I arose an...
Because I was a kid, seeing previews for The Night Stalker TV series almost made me weep – it came on way after my bedtime as part of CBS’ late night programming. So imagine my delight one Saturday morning as I arose an...
- 6/9/2019
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
John Llewellyn Moxey, a prolific TV director who helmed episodes of “Charlie’s Angels,” “Mannix,” “Magnum, P.I.” and “Murder, She Wrote,” died of complications from cancer on April 29 in University Place, Wash. He was 94.
The Argentinean-born British director was also known for a long string of 1970s-era TV movies, including “The Night Stalker,” “Panic in Echo Park,” “Smash Up on Interstate 5,” “Conspiracy of Terror” and “The House that Would Not Die.” His TV credits also include “The Saint,” “The Avengers,” “Hawaii Five-o,” “Mission: Impossible,” “Miami Vice” and the pilot episode of “Charlie’s Angels.”
He began as an editor, then moved on to direct episodes of the British series “London Playhouse,” “The Adventures of Tugboat Annie” and “Coronation Street.” He made his feature film directorial debut with “The City of the Dead” in 1960 in the United Kingdom, later released in the U.S. as “Horror Hotel” in 1961. Even though the cast was mostly British actors,...
The Argentinean-born British director was also known for a long string of 1970s-era TV movies, including “The Night Stalker,” “Panic in Echo Park,” “Smash Up on Interstate 5,” “Conspiracy of Terror” and “The House that Would Not Die.” His TV credits also include “The Saint,” “The Avengers,” “Hawaii Five-o,” “Mission: Impossible,” “Miami Vice” and the pilot episode of “Charlie’s Angels.”
He began as an editor, then moved on to direct episodes of the British series “London Playhouse,” “The Adventures of Tugboat Annie” and “Coronation Street.” He made his feature film directorial debut with “The City of the Dead” in 1960 in the United Kingdom, later released in the U.S. as “Horror Hotel” in 1961. Even though the cast was mostly British actors,...
- 5/2/2019
- by Jordan Moreau
- Variety Film + TV
April 16th’s home media releases feature a small but eclectic array of titles, including Glass, the latest from M. Night Shyamalan, Replicas featuring Keanu Reeves, the Master of Dark Shadows documentary, and a trio of genre classics from Scream Factory: The Manitou, Grave of the Vampire, and Superstition. Other titles headed to Blu-ray and DVD this week include Cynthia and Close Calls.
Glass
Night Shyamalan brings together two of his standout original films—Unbreakable and Split— in this explosive comic book thriller. Elijah Price, also known as Mr. Glass (Samuel L. Jackson), finds David Dunn (Bruce Willis) pursuing Kevin Wendell Crumb's superhuman figure, The Beast (James McAvoy), in a series of escalating encounters. Price, armed with secrets critical to both men, emerges as a shadowy orchestrator.
Alternate Opening Deleted Scenes The Collection of Main Characters A Conversation with James McAvoy and M. Night Shyamalan Bringing the Team Back Together David Dunn vs.
Glass
Night Shyamalan brings together two of his standout original films—Unbreakable and Split— in this explosive comic book thriller. Elijah Price, also known as Mr. Glass (Samuel L. Jackson), finds David Dunn (Bruce Willis) pursuing Kevin Wendell Crumb's superhuman figure, The Beast (James McAvoy), in a series of escalating encounters. Price, armed with secrets critical to both men, emerges as a shadowy orchestrator.
Alternate Opening Deleted Scenes The Collection of Main Characters A Conversation with James McAvoy and M. Night Shyamalan Bringing the Team Back Together David Dunn vs.
- 4/16/2019
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Mpi Media Group has officially released the trailer and announced the release date for it the highly anticipated Master of Dark Shadows, a comprehensive celebration of the legendary Gothic daytime series Dark Shadows and its visionary creator, Dan Curtis. The film will be available across digital platforms and on DVD April 16th 2019. The feature documentary, which was shot in New York, La and London, includes interviews with key actors and filmmakers involved in the undyingly popular story of vampire Barnabas Collins and all the eerie goings-on at the gloomy Maine mansion Collinwood. The documentary was directed by David Gregoryand is set to be released this spring.
Narrated by Ian McShane (Deadwood), Master of Dark Shadows offers insights from Curtis himself in addition to Oscar-winning writer-producer Alan Ball (True Blood), screenwriter William F. Nolan (Trilogy of Terror), author Herman Wouk (The Winds Of War), veteran actors Whoopi Goldberg (Ghost), Barbara Steele...
Narrated by Ian McShane (Deadwood), Master of Dark Shadows offers insights from Curtis himself in addition to Oscar-winning writer-producer Alan Ball (True Blood), screenwriter William F. Nolan (Trilogy of Terror), author Herman Wouk (The Winds Of War), veteran actors Whoopi Goldberg (Ghost), Barbara Steele...
- 3/4/2019
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Through its initial airings and reruns of Dark Shadows, generations of horror fans spent afternoons in the formative years at the Collinwood mansion, where the vampire Barnabas Collins crossed paths with devious humans and all manner of monsters. In 2016, Dark Shadows celebrated its 50th anniversary, and now Mpi Media Group has wrapped production on Master of Dark Shadows, a new documentary featuring interviews with fans of the series and the cast members themselves. Along with announcing a release date of April 16th, Mpi Media Group has shared with us the official trailer for the upcoming documentary:
Mpi Media Group has officially released the trailer and announced the release date for it the highly anticipated Master Of Dark Shadows, a comprehensive celebration of the legendary Gothic daytime series Dark Shadows and its visionary creator, Dan Curtis. The film will be available across digital platforms and on DVD April 16, 2019. The feature documentary,...
Mpi Media Group has officially released the trailer and announced the release date for it the highly anticipated Master Of Dark Shadows, a comprehensive celebration of the legendary Gothic daytime series Dark Shadows and its visionary creator, Dan Curtis. The film will be available across digital platforms and on DVD April 16, 2019. The feature documentary,...
- 3/1/2019
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Another turn of the dial, another vampire tale for the folks at home; TV sure did like them bloodsuckers, and for good reason – it’s generally the same story that everyone knows, and you don’t really need more than some fake chompers. A few wrinkles to the tale certainly helps to be set apart, as does a strong creative presence; and when you do those things, you end up with something like I, Desire (1982), a fun little neck biter that’s different just enough to stand out.
Originally broadcast November 15th as part of The ABC Monday Night Movie, I, Desire had to use its wooden stakes on M*A*S*H and Newhart over on CBS, while NBC trotted out their Monday Night at the Movies. I’m pretty sure I would have begged my folks to watch the vampire flick over Hawkeye if I had been given the chance.
Let...
Originally broadcast November 15th as part of The ABC Monday Night Movie, I, Desire had to use its wooden stakes on M*A*S*H and Newhart over on CBS, while NBC trotted out their Monday Night at the Movies. I’m pretty sure I would have begged my folks to watch the vampire flick over Hawkeye if I had been given the chance.
Let...
- 1/27/2019
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
Tony Sokol Mar 4, 2019
Collinwood casts a long shadow in upcoming doc on Dan Curtis' supernatural soap opera Dark Shadows.
"The Collins blood always had a rather-persistant strength," Barnabas Collins said in the iconic sixties daytime drama Dark Shadows. The series will get an infusion in the upcoming documentary Master Of Dark Shadows, which celebrates of the legendary Gothic series and its visionary creator, Dan Curtis. The Master of Dark Shadows release date is April 16, 2019, when the film will be available across digital platforms and on DVD. In Mpi Media Group's first Master of Dark Shadows trailer we learn the creator of the legendary Gothic soap opera was more than his horror he wrought on daytime and nighttime TV.
Curtis has always been slightly hidden behind the dark shadows of Dark Shadows. Yes, each episode proclaimed the daytime series was a Dan Curtis production, but that was just because he was good at it.
Collinwood casts a long shadow in upcoming doc on Dan Curtis' supernatural soap opera Dark Shadows.
"The Collins blood always had a rather-persistant strength," Barnabas Collins said in the iconic sixties daytime drama Dark Shadows. The series will get an infusion in the upcoming documentary Master Of Dark Shadows, which celebrates of the legendary Gothic series and its visionary creator, Dan Curtis. The Master of Dark Shadows release date is April 16, 2019, when the film will be available across digital platforms and on DVD. In Mpi Media Group's first Master of Dark Shadows trailer we learn the creator of the legendary Gothic soap opera was more than his horror he wrought on daytime and nighttime TV.
Curtis has always been slightly hidden behind the dark shadows of Dark Shadows. Yes, each episode proclaimed the daytime series was a Dan Curtis production, but that was just because he was good at it.
- 1/19/2019
- Den of Geek
Through its initial airings and reruns of Dark Shadows, generations of horror fans spent afternoons in the formative years at the Collinwood mansion, where the vampire Barnabas Collins crossed paths with devious humans and all manner of monsters. In 2016, Dark Shadows celebrated its 50th anniversary, and now Mpi Media Group has wrapped production on Master of Dark Shadows, a new documentary featuring interviews with fans of the series and the cast members themselves.
Masters of Dark Shadows is slated for release this spring, and we'll be sure to keep Daily Dead readers updated as more details are revealed. In the meantime, we have the official press release with more details:
Press Release: Mpi Media Group today announced it has completed production on the highly anticipated Master Of Dark Shadows, a comprehensive celebration of the legendary Gothic daytime series Dark Shadows and its visionary creator, Dan Curtis. The feature documentary, which was shot in New York,...
Masters of Dark Shadows is slated for release this spring, and we'll be sure to keep Daily Dead readers updated as more details are revealed. In the meantime, we have the official press release with more details:
Press Release: Mpi Media Group today announced it has completed production on the highly anticipated Master Of Dark Shadows, a comprehensive celebration of the legendary Gothic daytime series Dark Shadows and its visionary creator, Dan Curtis. The feature documentary, which was shot in New York,...
- 1/18/2019
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
By Todd Garbarini
Carl Kolchak (Darren McGavin) returns in The Night Strangler (1973), a follow-up TV-movie to the previous year’s unexpectedly successful The Night Stalker. Kolchak has been booted out of Las Vegas and settles in Seattle and teams up with his old boss Tony Vincenzo (Simon Oakland) just as a string of suspicious murders begin to plague the metropolis. It comes to his attention that the victims, young female exotic dancers, are turning up dead after having had their necks crushed, drained of a small amount of blood, and most disturbingly all had instances of rotting flesh on their necks. The murders occur over a period of 18 days.
Through a researcher, Carl learns that a nearly identical series of killings took place in 1952 (21 years earlier) for the same duration, and then 21 years prior to that, all the way back to at least 1889. The police want Kolchak to cease his...
Carl Kolchak (Darren McGavin) returns in The Night Strangler (1973), a follow-up TV-movie to the previous year’s unexpectedly successful The Night Stalker. Kolchak has been booted out of Las Vegas and settles in Seattle and teams up with his old boss Tony Vincenzo (Simon Oakland) just as a string of suspicious murders begin to plague the metropolis. It comes to his attention that the victims, young female exotic dancers, are turning up dead after having had their necks crushed, drained of a small amount of blood, and most disturbingly all had instances of rotting flesh on their necks. The murders occur over a period of 18 days.
Through a researcher, Carl learns that a nearly identical series of killings took place in 1952 (21 years earlier) for the same duration, and then 21 years prior to that, all the way back to at least 1889. The police want Kolchak to cease his...
- 11/7/2018
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
By Todd Garbarini
I was three years-old when John Llewellyn Moxey’s The Night Stalker premiered on the ABC Movie of the Week on January 11, 1972 and it took me nearly twenty years to catch up with it on a late night rerun on a local ABC-tv affiliate. Featuring the terrific late character actor Darren McGavin in the role of Carl Kolchak, an intrepid reporter who wants to print the truth regardless of what his editor says after finding himself in the midst of several murders, The Night Stalker, penned by the great Richard Matheson based on an unpublished novel, is a delightful slice of early 1970s spooky entertainment fare that is most definitely a product of a time that was populated by groovy music on the radio, TV dinners, and little kids getting tossed around in the backs of mammoth station wagons. The Las Vegas of 1971 when this movie was...
I was three years-old when John Llewellyn Moxey’s The Night Stalker premiered on the ABC Movie of the Week on January 11, 1972 and it took me nearly twenty years to catch up with it on a late night rerun on a local ABC-tv affiliate. Featuring the terrific late character actor Darren McGavin in the role of Carl Kolchak, an intrepid reporter who wants to print the truth regardless of what his editor says after finding himself in the midst of several murders, The Night Stalker, penned by the great Richard Matheson based on an unpublished novel, is a delightful slice of early 1970s spooky entertainment fare that is most definitely a product of a time that was populated by groovy music on the radio, TV dinners, and little kids getting tossed around in the backs of mammoth station wagons. The Las Vegas of 1971 when this movie was...
- 10/30/2018
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
The Night Stalker/The Night Strangler
Blu ray
Kino Lorber
1972/73 / 1.33:1 / 74/90 Min. / Street Date October 2, 2018
Starring Darren McGavin, Simon Oakland
Cinematography by Michel Hugo, Robert B. Hauser
Directed by John Llewellyn Moxey, Dan Curtis
In January of 1972 ABC broadcast the story of a middle-aged newsman hot on the trail of a vampire seemingly escaped from a 50’s horror comic. The man and the monster had one thing in common – by the 70’s they were both anachronisms, adrift in an era of hot pants and roller disco.
Carl Kolchak, the overbearing reporter played by crusty TV vet Darren McGavin, was not simply immune to current fashions – his steadfast belief in the supernatural ensured his outsider status throughout two films and 20 hour-long episodes broadcast between 1974 and 1975.
The first of those movies was The Night Stalker, a nocturnal thriller animated by the lurid neon of the Vegas strip where a string of showgirl...
Blu ray
Kino Lorber
1972/73 / 1.33:1 / 74/90 Min. / Street Date October 2, 2018
Starring Darren McGavin, Simon Oakland
Cinematography by Michel Hugo, Robert B. Hauser
Directed by John Llewellyn Moxey, Dan Curtis
In January of 1972 ABC broadcast the story of a middle-aged newsman hot on the trail of a vampire seemingly escaped from a 50’s horror comic. The man and the monster had one thing in common – by the 70’s they were both anachronisms, adrift in an era of hot pants and roller disco.
Carl Kolchak, the overbearing reporter played by crusty TV vet Darren McGavin, was not simply immune to current fashions – his steadfast belief in the supernatural ensured his outsider status throughout two films and 20 hour-long episodes broadcast between 1974 and 1975.
The first of those movies was The Night Stalker, a nocturnal thriller animated by the lurid neon of the Vegas strip where a string of showgirl...
- 10/16/2018
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
Now that October is officially underway, that means we have a big week of Blu-ray and DVD releases to get excited for, and there are some great genre-related titles coming out on Tuesday. Universal Studios Home Entertainment is unleashing both Tales from the Hood 2 and The First Purge on multiple formats, and for fans of action cinema, Death Race: Beyond Anarchy races home this week, too. Kino Lorber is giving both The Night Stalker and The Night Strangler the limited edition treatment, and for those who enjoy indie horror, Feral, Housewife,and Blood Fest are certainly all worth your time.
Other notable releases for October 2nd include Extremity, Molly, The Legend of Halloween Jack, The Evil Dead in 4K, Sleep No More, and West of Hell, with Rob Zombie’s Halloween getting a Steelbook release as well.
The First Purge
Blumhouse Productions welcomes you to the movement that began as...
Other notable releases for October 2nd include Extremity, Molly, The Legend of Halloween Jack, The Evil Dead in 4K, Sleep No More, and West of Hell, with Rob Zombie’s Halloween getting a Steelbook release as well.
The First Purge
Blumhouse Productions welcomes you to the movement that began as...
- 10/2/2018
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
One of the most fascinating live events that Daily Dead has recently attended was the career-spanning conversation with Michael Ironside that took place at the Fantasia Film Festival, so we're thrilled to share the news that The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies is launching a Los Angeles branch this fall, and we also have full details on all of the organization's classes and events taking place around the world in the autumn of 2018.
Below, we have the official press release with full details on The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies' new Los Angeles branch, as well as information on all of the Miskatonic classes taking place this fall in New York City and London. To learn more and to keep up to date on the organization's enlightening lectures on the horror genre and the people who make it so special, visit Miskatonic's official website.
Press Release: The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies,...
Below, we have the official press release with full details on The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies' new Los Angeles branch, as well as information on all of the Miskatonic classes taking place this fall in New York City and London. To learn more and to keep up to date on the organization's enlightening lectures on the horror genre and the people who make it so special, visit Miskatonic's official website.
Press Release: The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies,...
- 8/28/2018
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Hollywood is the cultural Bandwagon Central; if something can be rode and milked until the teat is dry, it will, and the carcass won’t be pretty. Television especially thrives on instantly recognizable content as much as the ads wedged in between; but when horror gives it a go, the content can’t help but be different by even a few recognizable degrees. At least it was in the ‘70s, when an intriguing pilot titled The Norliss Tapes (1973) tried (yet failed) to ride The Night Stalker (’72) vibe into viewers’ living rooms – something the Kolchak: The Night Stalker series was able to do the following year.
Originally broadcast February 21st as part of the NBC Wednesday Mystery Movie; across the dial were CBS’ Medical Center and the ABC Wednesday Movie of the Week, both of which did better, leaving poor Mr. Norliss unable to continue his fight against the supernatural.
Let...
Originally broadcast February 21st as part of the NBC Wednesday Mystery Movie; across the dial were CBS’ Medical Center and the ABC Wednesday Movie of the Week, both of which did better, leaving poor Mr. Norliss unable to continue his fight against the supernatural.
Let...
- 8/26/2018
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
Look, anyone who knows me is aware of my severe lack of fondness for spiders, as well as my love for movies about them. (I am riddled with inconsistency.) 1977 was a vintage year for arachnids; in addition to one of my all time favorite movies, Kingdom of the Spiders, the small screen offered up the telefilm Curse of the Black Widow, a Dan Curtis effort that never fails to entertain. Just keep the buggers away from me, okay?
Originally broadcast September 16th as part of The ABC Friday Night Movie, Curse went up against Logan’s Run/Switch! on CBS, and the much tougher competition, NBC’s The Rockford Files/Quincy, M.E. For those not inclined to have Jack Klugman yell in their face for an hour, Curtis’ Curse offered a fun, goofy alternative.
Let’s crack open our cobwebbed faux TV Guide and have a look see:
Curse...
Originally broadcast September 16th as part of The ABC Friday Night Movie, Curse went up against Logan’s Run/Switch! on CBS, and the much tougher competition, NBC’s The Rockford Files/Quincy, M.E. For those not inclined to have Jack Klugman yell in their face for an hour, Curtis’ Curse offered a fun, goofy alternative.
Let’s crack open our cobwebbed faux TV Guide and have a look see:
Curse...
- 5/6/2018
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
While some directors learned their craft through thrift bare independent features, others came up through the TV divisions of studios; one such fellow, Steven Spielberg, would go on to have a fairly successful career with big screen projects. Before he would make that leap however, he started with episodic shows, and then onto TV films like Something Evil (1972), a fun ride that shows the kid knows his way around a camera. I’m glad things turned out okay for him.
Originally airing on January 21st as part of the CBS Friday Night Movies, Something Evil had the ABC Friday night juggernaut of The Odd Couple/Love, American Style to contend with, and posted Something Lesser in the ratings. Too bad, because even though Something Evil’s material, from the title on down, is paper thin, Spielberg whips up one hell of a wallpaper.
Crack open your faux TV Guide and...
Originally airing on January 21st as part of the CBS Friday Night Movies, Something Evil had the ABC Friday night juggernaut of The Odd Couple/Love, American Style to contend with, and posted Something Lesser in the ratings. Too bad, because even though Something Evil’s material, from the title on down, is paper thin, Spielberg whips up one hell of a wallpaper.
Crack open your faux TV Guide and...
- 4/8/2018
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
War can be waged on many fronts, but don’t overlook or underestimate the subtle, but deadly psychological warfare campaign fought by a profoundly disaffected teenage girl. These notions clash and resistance are one of the ideas explored in “Sadie,” a troubled, coming of age trailer park drama from writer/director Megan Griffiths (“The Night Stalker,” “Lucky Them“) bolstered by an unnervingly cold, but breakout performance by Sophia Mitri Schloss.
- 3/22/2018
- by Ally Johnson
- The Playlist
There aren’t a ton of absolutes in life, but among a laundry list of things I enjoy whilst spinning around the sun, here’s three: Christopher George, private dicks, and mad scientists. And so imagine my delight when I stumbled across Escape (1971), a failed TV pilot about an ex escape artist turned P.I. who investigates, in his words, “the unexplainable.” And while the pilot doesn’t dip its toes too much into the pool of the unusual, it sure feels like that’s the way they were planning to go.
Not picked up by the network and instead broadcast on April 6th as an ABC Movie of the Week, Escape did little to swerve people away from their Hee Haw’s, All in the Family’s and 60 Minutes for the brass to reconsider putting it back on the slab. What a shame; Escape today plays as Bruce Wayne...
Not picked up by the network and instead broadcast on April 6th as an ABC Movie of the Week, Escape did little to swerve people away from their Hee Haw’s, All in the Family’s and 60 Minutes for the brass to reconsider putting it back on the slab. What a shame; Escape today plays as Bruce Wayne...
- 2/25/2018
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
Have you ever had the feeling you’ve seen something before, but couldn’t quite place when or where? A sense of…deja-view? (Hold your applause and/or groans. It was a premium cable channel way before this stupid pun.) I’m sure it’s happened to all of us at some point, and because I’m an old it took me halfway through watching A Taste of Evil (1971), an ABC Movie of the Week, to realize I had seen the almost exact same plot rolled out in a movie earlier in the same week. Horror is incestuous, and it had to happen eventually, especially when the same writer pens both.
Originally airing on Tuesday, October 12th, A Taste of Evil won out over CBS’ Hawaii Five-o/Cannon block and poor NBC’s Sarge/The Funny Side (from the peacock graveyard – if you know what they are, let me know...
Originally airing on Tuesday, October 12th, A Taste of Evil won out over CBS’ Hawaii Five-o/Cannon block and poor NBC’s Sarge/The Funny Side (from the peacock graveyard – if you know what they are, let me know...
- 12/10/2017
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
The Christmas season is a special time for many. A chance for friends to gather and spread cheer, or clans to gather in the warm glow of familial love. Sometimes, however, the warm glow cools down, love turns to hate, and the carving knife is put to more insidious uses. Welcome to ABC’s Home for the Holidays (1972), a fun murder mystery filled with proto-slasher goodness.
Originally broadcast November 28th as part of the ABC Tuesday Movie of the Week, Home for the Holidays was up against CBS’s Hawaii Five-o and NBC’s The Bold Ones: The New Doctors (whatever that was) and had a solid showing, as ABC often did with this particular brand. However, you won’t find any Snoopies or undernourished trees in this Holiday special.
Let’s open our eggnog soaked TV Guide and see what’s going on around the tree:
Home For The Holidays (Tuesday,...
Originally broadcast November 28th as part of the ABC Tuesday Movie of the Week, Home for the Holidays was up against CBS’s Hawaii Five-o and NBC’s The Bold Ones: The New Doctors (whatever that was) and had a solid showing, as ABC often did with this particular brand. However, you won’t find any Snoopies or undernourished trees in this Holiday special.
Let’s open our eggnog soaked TV Guide and see what’s going on around the tree:
Home For The Holidays (Tuesday,...
- 11/26/2017
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
It's regarded by many as one of the creepiest made-for-tv movies of all time, featuring one of the most unsettling (and relentless) killers to grace the small screen. Over 40 years after its initial premiere, Trilogy of Terror is coming to Blu-ray from Kino Lorber.
As announced on their Facebook page, Kino Lorber will release Trilogy of Terror on Blu-ray (and DVD) sometime in early 2018 (according to Blu-ray.com) with a brand-new HD master.
Directed by Dan Curtis, the anthology film features segments based on stories by horror master Richard Matheson, including one featuring a Zuni Warrior Festish Doll that attacks Karen Black and has certainly crossed over into more than a few nightmares over the years.
There's no word yet on the special features, cover art, or specific release date for the new Blu-ray, but we'll be sure to keep Daily Dead readers updated as more details are revealed. In the meantime,...
As announced on their Facebook page, Kino Lorber will release Trilogy of Terror on Blu-ray (and DVD) sometime in early 2018 (according to Blu-ray.com) with a brand-new HD master.
Directed by Dan Curtis, the anthology film features segments based on stories by horror master Richard Matheson, including one featuring a Zuni Warrior Festish Doll that attacks Karen Black and has certainly crossed over into more than a few nightmares over the years.
There's no word yet on the special features, cover art, or specific release date for the new Blu-ray, but we'll be sure to keep Daily Dead readers updated as more details are revealed. In the meantime,...
- 11/9/2017
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
With Sharknado 5 making a splash on TV screens across the globe these past few weeks, what better time to visit the world of The Asylum? With a myriad of films under their belt, from their beginnings as king of the mockbuster to their foray into original film making, it’s no secret we’re big fans of these bastions of the direct to DVD market and have reviewed a Lot of their output! With that in mind, here’s my pick of the Top 5 (because it’s Sharknado Five… geddit?!?) movies from The Asylum in – shock, horror – order of preference…
5) Avengers Grimm
An off-the-wall mix of Grimm Fairy tale characters and superhero team-up movies which, frankly, should have been obvious given the title, Avengers Grimm’s plot is relatively simple: when Rumpelstiltskin uses the Magic Mirror to escapes to the modern world taking Snow White with him and destroying the mirror in the process,...
5) Avengers Grimm
An off-the-wall mix of Grimm Fairy tale characters and superhero team-up movies which, frankly, should have been obvious given the title, Avengers Grimm’s plot is relatively simple: when Rumpelstiltskin uses the Magic Mirror to escapes to the modern world taking Snow White with him and destroying the mirror in the process,...
- 8/22/2017
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Dan Curtis and Richard Matheson fit together as comfortable as Pb &J, warm slippers on a cold day, and the best of TV horror. Dead of Night (1977) is the follow up to their critically acclaimed anthology Trilogy of Terror (1975), in which Karen Black starred in three distinct episodes of small screen mayhem. And much like that one, Dead of Night shall always be remembered for a terrifying final tale.
Originally broadcast on March 29th, 1977 on NBC, Dead of Night was Curtis and Matheson’s sixth collaboration of some sort, starting with Curtis producing the arrival of Kolchak and The Night Stalker (1972). And while this isn’t the best of their ventures together, solid performances and strong writing leading up make that final segment worth the wait.
Let’s dust off our TV Guide and see what the duo have in store for us:
Dead Of Night (Tuesday, 9pm, NBC)
Three...
Originally broadcast on March 29th, 1977 on NBC, Dead of Night was Curtis and Matheson’s sixth collaboration of some sort, starting with Curtis producing the arrival of Kolchak and The Night Stalker (1972). And while this isn’t the best of their ventures together, solid performances and strong writing leading up make that final segment worth the wait.
Let’s dust off our TV Guide and see what the duo have in store for us:
Dead Of Night (Tuesday, 9pm, NBC)
Three...
- 7/9/2017
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
Sometimes it’s hard to put a fresh coat of paint on an old house. The colors can bleed through no matter how many new layers are added, giving the house a look of desperation from a block away. But sometimes the right paint is used, the restoration is done with love and affection, and the new owners actually care about their surroundings. Such is the case with The Night Stalker (1972), the ABC TV movie that took the vampire out of his crumbling castle and transported him to the seedier side of the modern day Las Vegas strip; and in doing so created one of the most endearingly reluctant monster hunters of all time, Carl Kolchak.
Originally airing as the ABC Movie of the Week on Tuesday, January 11th, 1972, The Night Stalker slayed the competition in the ratings, including CBS’s successful Hawaii Five-o/Cannon lineup. And I mean destroyed...
Originally airing as the ABC Movie of the Week on Tuesday, January 11th, 1972, The Night Stalker slayed the competition in the ratings, including CBS’s successful Hawaii Five-o/Cannon lineup. And I mean destroyed...
- 2/26/2017
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
Stars: Stephen Manley, David O’Donnell, Liz Fenning, Francesca Santroro, Crystal Web, Phyllis Spielman, Kjai Block, Kim Shannon, Kris Marconi, Anna Harr | Written and Directed by Pearry Teo
“Don’t follow too close.”
When his wife and daughter fall victim to a Jigsaw-like serial killer by the name of The Night Stalker, Henry (Stephen Manley) has only one thing on his mind – to return to the scene of the crime and begin plotting his revenge. Yeah, that’s not true at all. In fact, you couldn’t be further from the truth! Upon finding that the killer is in fact dead, Henry actually wants to return to the Night Stalker’s torture mansion (that sounds quite pathetic doesn’t it? I could have worded it much better, but oh well!) to see if he can locate and make contact with the spirits of his wife and daughter. Seems a little farfetched?...
“Don’t follow too close.”
When his wife and daughter fall victim to a Jigsaw-like serial killer by the name of The Night Stalker, Henry (Stephen Manley) has only one thing on his mind – to return to the scene of the crime and begin plotting his revenge. Yeah, that’s not true at all. In fact, you couldn’t be further from the truth! Upon finding that the killer is in fact dead, Henry actually wants to return to the Night Stalker’s torture mansion (that sounds quite pathetic doesn’t it? I could have worded it much better, but oh well!) to see if he can locate and make contact with the spirits of his wife and daughter. Seems a little farfetched?...
- 1/12/2017
- by Mondo Squallido
- Nerdly
In the 1970s, there were few genuine heroes on prime time television and even fewer of them were close to being considered “super”. Instead, the three networks fed us giggly television, glossy and empty private eyes, and increasingly silly fare. As a result, our affection for the few genuine heroes is probably enhanced. Over on ABC, there was the Six Million Dollar Man and its spinoff, The Bionic Woman, along with Wonder Woman, for one season before it was moved to CBS. You might consider Kwai Chang Caine from Kung Fu or Carl Kolchak from The Night Stalker, but they lacked what you would consider powers.
Fans, of course, imagined these characters interacting since, after all, they were on the same network, which felt like the same comic book company. Sadly, though, the Amazon Princess’ adventures were during World War II, complicating any such meetings.
By 1977, though, she was having...
Fans, of course, imagined these characters interacting since, after all, they were on the same network, which felt like the same comic book company. Sadly, though, the Amazon Princess’ adventures were during World War II, complicating any such meetings.
By 1977, though, she was having...
- 12/7/2016
- by Robert Greenberger
- Comicmix.com
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
For horror fans of a certain vintage, Dan Curtis is TV terror royalty. The Dark Shadows soap opera, The Night Strangler, The Norliss Tapes, Dracula, Dead of Night, and of course, Trilogy of Terror (1975) – a unique anthology telefilm that boasts not one, but four great performances by Karen Black. This one kept some night lights on, folks, mostly due to the final segment featuring an overly enthusiastic Zuni fetish doll.
Originally airing on Tuesday, March 4th, 1975 as an ABC Movie of the Week, Trilogy of Terror ‘s competition was M*A*S*H* / Hawaii Five – O on CBS, and the NBC World Premiere Movie. M*A*S*H* was always a hard one to pass up, but anyone into horror knew where their dial stopped.
Let’s flip open our tattered, ear marked, fake TV Guide and see what we have:
Trilogy Of Terror (Tuesday, 8:30pm, ABC)
A blackmailed school teacher.
Originally airing on Tuesday, March 4th, 1975 as an ABC Movie of the Week, Trilogy of Terror ‘s competition was M*A*S*H* / Hawaii Five – O on CBS, and the NBC World Premiere Movie. M*A*S*H* was always a hard one to pass up, but anyone into horror knew where their dial stopped.
Let’s flip open our tattered, ear marked, fake TV Guide and see what we have:
Trilogy Of Terror (Tuesday, 8:30pm, ABC)
A blackmailed school teacher.
- 7/17/2016
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
June is ending on a quiet note for horror and sci-fi home entertainment releases, as we only have six titles coming our way on June 28th.
Blue Underground has shown some love to two cult classics with their Blu-ray double feature of Circus of Fear and Five Golden Dragons, and Arrow Video is resurrecting another cult classic (albeit one that is a bit more recent) with their Return of the Killer Tomatoes Special Edition Blu-ray.
Other notable titles being released this Tuesday include Alien Strain, Shark Exorcist, Forgotten Tales, and Hotel Inferno.
Alien Strain (Mti Home Video, DVD)
After his girlfriend vanishes without a trace on a camping trip, he quickly goes from witness to suspect. Now, a year later, she returns to the very spot from which she was taken, but not like she was before.
Circus of Fear/Five Golden Dragons Double Feature (Blue Underground, Blu-ray)
Circus Of Fear...
Blue Underground has shown some love to two cult classics with their Blu-ray double feature of Circus of Fear and Five Golden Dragons, and Arrow Video is resurrecting another cult classic (albeit one that is a bit more recent) with their Return of the Killer Tomatoes Special Edition Blu-ray.
Other notable titles being released this Tuesday include Alien Strain, Shark Exorcist, Forgotten Tales, and Hotel Inferno.
Alien Strain (Mti Home Video, DVD)
After his girlfriend vanishes without a trace on a camping trip, he quickly goes from witness to suspect. Now, a year later, she returns to the very spot from which she was taken, but not like she was before.
Circus of Fear/Five Golden Dragons Double Feature (Blue Underground, Blu-ray)
Circus Of Fear...
- 6/28/2016
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Any horror movie that starts off with a Serlingesque voiceover has my attention. And when you make your antagonist a hulking alien who looks like an eight foot tall Gene Simmons sans Botox with a proclivity for ripping off people’s heads And shooting laser beams out of his eyes, you are granted permission to take all my money. Welcome to The Dark (1979), a fun throwback to a time when audiences weren’t beholden of such things as logic and coherence to have a ripping drive-in experience.
But what audiences do always appreciate is a good cast, strong direction, and some solid jumps. The Dark answers the call though in such an unassuming way that before you could blink, it was gone from theatres (but hung around drive-ins for a bit, as horror films were wont to do). It’s so low key that viewers at the time probably felt...
But what audiences do always appreciate is a good cast, strong direction, and some solid jumps. The Dark answers the call though in such an unassuming way that before you could blink, it was gone from theatres (but hung around drive-ins for a bit, as horror films were wont to do). It’s so low key that viewers at the time probably felt...
- 4/2/2016
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
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