In this retrospective I pay homage to the girls who made the formative years of a fledgling horror fan so utterly memorable and while not all get a mention, they are so numerous; you can bet they all passed through my mind as I wrote (one of them even follows me on Twitter and you can’t begin to imagine how excited that made me!) Here then, in no particular order, are the girls...
As a forty-six year old English fan of all things horror, I was obviously raised on a diet of Hammer films. What makes Hammer so special? (See my previous article, Hammer – A History of Brilliance) Undoubtedly the period costumes, gothic settings and, of course, the ultimate horror icons Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, made the films so memorable for a period of over thirty years. But one equally important ingredient defined those films too; the Hammer glamour. A whole host of girls, some talented actresses, some not, but all of them stunning, contributed to the enduring popularity of Hammer. In this retrospective I pay homage to the girls who made the formative years of a fledgling horror fan so utterly memorable and while not all get a mention, they are so numerous; you can bet they all passed through my mind as I wrote (one of them even follows me on Twitter and you can’t begin to imagine how excited that made me!) Here then, in no particular order, are the girls... 1. INGRID PITT Ingrid was born in Poland on 21st November 1937 and as a child during WWII was interned in a Nazi concentration camp. Surviving this she eventually grew up in East Berlin from where she escaped in 1962 by swimming across the River Spree. Initially appearing in low-budget films in Spain, Ingrid was cast in 1968 in Where Eagles Dare alongside Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood. Despite only appearing in two Hammer films during its ‘Golden Era’ (The Vampire Lovers and Countess Dracula) Ingrid is felt by many fans to be THE Hammer girl. Post-Hammer, Ingrid appeared in The Wicker Man and then worked as a writer. She died on 23rd November 2010 after suffering from a heart condition for several years.
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First... Let me state that only film/TV adaptations of King’s horror stories are considered for this list (this is Horror Central after all). Obviously if all of his work was under consideration then The Shawshank Redemption, Stand By Me, The Running Man, Hearts in Atlantis among many others, would almost undoubtedly be on the list. As a MASSIVE Stephen King fan, it was tough enough just pruning his horror work alone down to ten, never mind everything else. Second... Let me repeat, I am a massive fan and avid reader of all of Stephen King’s writing. So, if your favorite isn’t here, or is lower on the list than you feel it should be, don’t worry. I still love it but felt that by disciplining myself to a list of only ten would force me to think more deeply, do more research and study the evidence harder. Without further ado...My personal top ten Stephen King adaptations for cinema and television. 1.CARRIE (1976) Primarily this is my favorite because of the stunning performance by Sissy Spacek as the gawky, awkward Carrie White. Stephen King himself, in his non-fictional On Writing (the absolute Bible for any budding writer, of any genre) states that he never liked Carrie White as a character, something I find astounding to this day. In my view it is impossible not to like her and feel for her; downtrodden and picked on at school and with no respite at home either. I can let you in on a secret here, I haven’t seen the 2013 version of Carrie yet! You see, I’m a bit of a stick in the mud for re-makes and Spacek’s acting in this film was of such a high quality, that I feel anything, and anyone, will detract from it (there are just some films that can never be remade). I will see it eventually but, for now, Carrie will always mean Sissy Spacek’s phenomenal performance to me.
John Carpenter hit the nail on the proverbial head in 1978 with his fantastic film, Halloween. Now, without getting into every detail that makes this film and subsequent franchise stand out amongst the genre all of these years later, I am instead going to be taking a different approach with the series. Halloween, widely considered to be the absolute best that the horror genre has to offer, has a history of greatness that transcends horror fans. Yet is also has a very different legacy; a legacy of thoroughly pissing off its rabid fan base. From the atrocious ways that it treated its most beloved characters to the (god help us) Busta Rhymes starring finale, the criticisms of Halloween are ripe for the picking. Keep in mind, there are tons of great things to say about the series as well, but for now I would like to finally pick that bone I have had with the series all of these years (and hope I don’t ostracize myself from the horror community in the process!) 1978 introduced us to the ultimate horror villain, Michael Myers. After killing his older sister Judith, he is sentenced to an insane asylum. Escaping years later, he returns to Haddonfield to reunite with his family and finish the job he started, killing everybody who gets in his way. My main problem with this movie is simple and is based on an interview with John Carpenter that I read years ago in which he stated that Halloween was never intended to have a sequel. This fact is all well and good, but it forces the diehard horror fan to re-watch the original as a standalone film with this in mind. Upon doing so (many times) I call BULLSHIT! Halloween is the ultimate definition of a character build up film. The fact of the matter is that this movie is very long, and until the last 20 minutes or so, nothing happens. This reinforces the fact that the original movie was meant to be built upon. We don’t even find out that Laurie is Michael’s sister until the second film, and this fact is what drives the Myers character to kill in the original. This is not to say that John Carpenter didn’t set the bar for the genre with the film, on the contrary. The panoramic camera angles and beautiful fall suburban streets contrasted by the masked killer stalking babysitter was absolutely exquisite, yet the story itself leaves so much to be desired. Which brings me to one of my major gripes with the series, the heroine herself, Laurie Strode.
“Horror movies are rehearsals for our own deaths.” |
Dracula A cannibalistic creature once believed to have been myth, his craving for blood has resulted in the death of more than 600 people across the United States. Age unknown, the Government is unable to appropriate the exact number of victims he has left in his wake or his current location. The public is advised to refrain from being outdoors after dark, and to prepare themselves for the possibility of an attack under any circumstances. Description: Charismatic and hauntingly normal, it is in the wisdom of age that the infamous serial killer Dracula has learned to blend in without drawing attention to himself. Bursts of uncontrollable anger prior to drinking fresh blood make him violent. It is only on these times that Dracula will show his actual form. |
In honor of Friday the 13th and one of most celebrated horror franchises in history, I asked myself... If given the opportunity to RE-DESIGN the legendary antagonist Jason Voorhees, how would I do it?
We've seen Jason tall in stature, average to muscular build. We've seen him indulge in his murderous exploits adorning a cloth bag with one eye hole, the iconic hockey mask in various levels of weathering and even a metal version that he wore in Jason X. His appearances and even mannerisms have changed throughout the franchise, with much of the body movements most recognized today being improvised by Kane Hodder on set. The way Jason looks and then turns his body in the direction he is looking, the deliberate tilt of the head and many other actions gave a bleak yet present personality to the killer which seemingly had none. |
The story of Jason has a familiarity in pop culture as known as Dracula's favorite beverage, and for that reason I will simply delve into how I would manifest that story whilst paying homage to the original.
At a young age Jason Voorhees would find self hatred and insecurity normality. Disgusted by his weight and appearance he often found satisfaction in putting other children down, bullying and forcing his will upon them. His mother Pamela was blind to her son's actions, and did nothing but spoil the young boy with anything and everything he possibly wanted.
While trying to support her gluttonous and spiteful son, Pamela would land a part time job at Camp Crystal lake, where she would ultimately force Jason to attend as to save money on child care. Furious at his mother's choice, Jason's presence at the camp would follow suit with the tendencies that he had in school. Tormenting his fellow camp goers, he had no consideration or empathy for others. His mother had once been told by school counselors that her son had some psychopathic traits and asked that she seek the aid of a psychiatrist for the young boy. It was at this camp where this would be all the more obvious to everyone except for Pamela herself.
Sitting on dock watching the other children swim and enjoy themselves from beyond his reach, Jason whom was terrified of the water scoffed at their joy as the lifeguard sought out Pamela to tell her of her son's actions while under her supervision. It was then that karma and inevitability would prove true for the young boy, as another child would push Jason off the dock and into the water.
Screaming for his life wasn't any louder than the screams of laughter while the bullied children watch Jason squeal, unaware that he was drowning and not throwing his atypical temper tantrum. Jason's cries for help would prove to be his last.
At a young age Jason Voorhees would find self hatred and insecurity normality. Disgusted by his weight and appearance he often found satisfaction in putting other children down, bullying and forcing his will upon them. His mother Pamela was blind to her son's actions, and did nothing but spoil the young boy with anything and everything he possibly wanted.
While trying to support her gluttonous and spiteful son, Pamela would land a part time job at Camp Crystal lake, where she would ultimately force Jason to attend as to save money on child care. Furious at his mother's choice, Jason's presence at the camp would follow suit with the tendencies that he had in school. Tormenting his fellow camp goers, he had no consideration or empathy for others. His mother had once been told by school counselors that her son had some psychopathic traits and asked that she seek the aid of a psychiatrist for the young boy. It was at this camp where this would be all the more obvious to everyone except for Pamela herself.
Sitting on dock watching the other children swim and enjoy themselves from beyond his reach, Jason whom was terrified of the water scoffed at their joy as the lifeguard sought out Pamela to tell her of her son's actions while under her supervision. It was then that karma and inevitability would prove true for the young boy, as another child would push Jason off the dock and into the water.
Screaming for his life wasn't any louder than the screams of laughter while the bullied children watch Jason squeal, unaware that he was drowning and not throwing his atypical temper tantrum. Jason's cries for help would prove to be his last.
Prepare to be mind blown. The following 11 Horror Movie facts are enough to send a horror fanatic into a NERDGASM!
11. ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES WOODY A DULL TOY
The iconic carpet design used in The Shining (1980) was used in Sid's house in the Toy Story (1995). Although the colors are different, the design is intentionally an homage to Kubrick's classic. Toy Story Director Lee Unkrich was asked about this coincidence and reason behind the subtle nods to the cult film, he stated..
"I saw it when I was 12, in 1980, for no particular reason other than that it was a new film in theaters. My mom took me to see it. She’d taken me to see a few bad horror films that had affected me really deeply in terms of having chronic nightmares. But still, that didn’t stop her from taking me to see this one. And it turned out to be the best move she ever made — because it began this 32-year love affair with the film. It was the film that inspired me to become a filmmaker myself."
"I saw it when I was 12, in 1980, for no particular reason other than that it was a new film in theaters. My mom took me to see it. She’d taken me to see a few bad horror films that had affected me really deeply in terms of having chronic nightmares. But still, that didn’t stop her from taking me to see this one. And it turned out to be the best move she ever made — because it began this 32-year love affair with the film. It was the film that inspired me to become a filmmaker myself."
Brought to you by Horror Central and our friends at TheFineBrothers.com... Are YOU a fiend for a good spoiler? WATCH this and bask in the glory that is surprise endings, plot twists, and ruining quite possibly every horror movie that you've not seen yet.
Don't say you weren't warned.
Don't say you weren't warned.
A documentary exploring 30 years of the "Friday The 13th" film series featuring all new interviews with cast and crew from all 12 films and various horror fans and filmmakers.
This documentary brings together some of Hollywood's masters of the horror genre, with clips of their most memorable and terrifying movie moments. MASTERS OF HORROR is the long-anticipated sequel to last Halloween's highly successful DVD release "Boogeymen," which brought horror movie fans up-close-and-personal with famed horror figures such as Freddy Krueger and Jason from the "Friday the 13th" films.
Hosted by "Evil Dead" star Bruce Campbell, MASTERS OF HORROR is a 90-minute documentary featuring exclusive, never-before-seen interviews with horror masters and directors John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Dario Argento and Tobe Hooper among many others, as well as Hollywood's makeup and special effects gurus Rick Baker and Tom Savini. The segments focus on the masters' landmark films and are illustrated with clips of the most memorable moments from 25 of the greatest horror movies of all time, including "An American Werewolf in London," "Day of the Dead," "Halloween," "Nightmare on Elm Street," "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "The Thing."
MASTERS OF HORROR also visits the studios of Baker, Savini and KNB FX for tips from the experts on how viewers can scare their friends with horrific Hollywood make-up effects.
Hosted by "Evil Dead" star Bruce Campbell, MASTERS OF HORROR is a 90-minute documentary featuring exclusive, never-before-seen interviews with horror masters and directors John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Dario Argento and Tobe Hooper among many others, as well as Hollywood's makeup and special effects gurus Rick Baker and Tom Savini. The segments focus on the masters' landmark films and are illustrated with clips of the most memorable moments from 25 of the greatest horror movies of all time, including "An American Werewolf in London," "Day of the Dead," "Halloween," "Nightmare on Elm Street," "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "The Thing."
MASTERS OF HORROR also visits the studios of Baker, Savini and KNB FX for tips from the experts on how viewers can scare their friends with horrific Hollywood make-up effects.
In the wonderfully inventive world that is the horror industry, there are many ways which film-makers cut costs and or utilize resources to enhance their motion picture. One such example is that of the infamous mask worn by Michael Myers in the Halloween Franchise. Simply a Captain Kirk mask painted white with eye holes widened and hair teased... The mask has become synonymous with terror and has gone down in horror history.
This got the minds at Horror Central wondering... WHAT IF another celebrity's face was used instead of William Shatner? Would it carry the same ever-present fear or just be entirely ridiculous. The following images represent how different pop culture icons would look covering the face of Michael Myers.
This got the minds at Horror Central wondering... WHAT IF another celebrity's face was used instead of William Shatner? Would it carry the same ever-present fear or just be entirely ridiculous. The following images represent how different pop culture icons would look covering the face of Michael Myers.
TOM CRUISE
Yeah.. That's right. Our fun loving Scientologist extraordinaire could ALMOST pull off a horrifying mask. In essence though the douchebaggy expressions that he comes by naturally would ultimately make the mask rather non intimidating.
Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) is perhaps one of the most beloved of Universal's Classic Monster films. The iconic movie would forever be enjoyed by it's undying fans in black and white, however a rare moment in time has given us a glimpse into the beauty that lied beneath the gray scale masterpiece. A photo shoot with LIFE Magazine in 1953 would result in some of the most RARE images in Universal Studios history. Many of the photos which were previously unpublished and recently restored by Kerry Gammill, show the absolute makeup and prosthetic brilliance achieved by Millicent Patrick, Bud Westmore, Jack Kevan and Chris Mueller, Jr..