Classic-Horror.com | Reviewing the History of Horror Movies

Our editor-in-chief Nate Yapp is proud to have contributed to the new book Hidden Horror: A Celebration of 101 Underrated and Overlooked Fright Flicks, edited by Aaron Christensen. Another contributors include Anthony Timpone, B.J. Colangelo, Dave Alexander, Classic-Horror.com's own Robert C. Ring and John W. Bowen. Pick up a copy today from Amazon.com!

Goyer to Helm "Baltimore, or The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire"

Submitted by Nate Yapp on Fri, 2007-09-28 09:40

The graphic novel "Baltimore, or the Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire" by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden is coming to the big screen courtesy of production company New Regency and director David S. Goyer. Variety.com reports that New Regency acquired the rights to the book, which was just published by Bantam, in a deal worth seven figures. Mignola and Golden will write the script themselves. "Baltimore" follows Lord Henry Baltimore, who is turned into a vampire in WWI and watches the vampiric plague ravage his family.

New NBC Series "Fear Itself" = Third Season of "Masters of Horror"

Submitted by Nate Yapp on Thu, 2007-09-27 12:20

Producer-director Mick Garris told Fangoria that his recently announced series "Fear Itself", produced by Lionsgate and set to air on NBC during Summer 2008, is the third season of "Masters of Horror." The main difference betweens the series are shorter episode runtimes (to accomodate commercials) and the content will have to meet a stricter set of standards regarding violence, language, and sexuality. However, Garris revealed that Lionsgate would be releasing uncensored versions of each episode that would run a least five minutes longer than the network versions.

Russell Mulcahy Directing "Zen in the Art of Slaying Vampires"

Submitted by Nate Yapp on Thu, 2007-09-27 11:56

Director Russell Mulcahy (Highlander, Resident Evil: Extinction) is attached to direct an adaptation of Steven-Elliott Altman's novel "Zen in the Art of Slaying Vampires" for CP Productions, according to Variety.com. Altman will write the screenplay himself. The book follows a man who is turned into a vampire and seeks the path of Buddhist enlightenment to fight his cravings for human blood. A video game is also being developed to dovetail with the film.

Coming Soon: The Shocktober Classics on Classic-Horror

Submitted by Nate Yapp on Thu, 2007-09-27 01:54

Let's face it: Halloween isn't just about October 31st anymore. Years of relentless marketing have broken the holiday free of its conventional single-day celebration and now horror reigns for all 31 days of October.(read more...)

Review: Tales from the Crypt (1972)

Submitted by Nate Yapp on Thu, 2007-09-27 01:54

Memory is a funny thing. I remember distinctly my viewings of the Amicus horror anthology Tales from the Crypt as a teenager, back when all films were on VHS and cropped. Up until today, I would’ve bet hard money that it was Roddy McDowall portraying the heartless real estate prospector in Peter Cushing’s segment. McDowall is nowhere to be seen, of course – the actor in his place is Robin Phillips. Memories of the segments featuring Joan Collins and Patrick Magee have held up better, but there’s still a certain haziness to them. One thing I do remember with absolute clarity is my overall impression of Tales, and that stands against the reality without any digression: it is an uneven film with uneven direction, uneven writing, and uneven acting, but a bumpy road is sometimes more fun than a smooth one.(read more...)

Review: Unholy (2007)

Submitted by John Dubrawa on Tue, 2007-09-25 01:29

For a film that is only 82-minutes long, Unholy has too much plot. It dabbles in the occult, government conspiracies, brainwashing, suicide, time travel, and Nazism but doesn’t have enough time to explain how these pieces fit into the grander scheme of the movie’s ever-running puzzle, likely because there is no answer. For a movie with so much happening, it’s also slow-moving, uninteresting, and dull. It contains a few formulaic scenes that are fright-inducing, and then repeats them over and over again until they become cringe-inducing. There is some decent acting to be found, at least as decent as the material will allow; the dialogue doesn’t stir the audience’s interest and not even the characters can seem to follow the plot.(read more...)

Director, Cast for Hammer's "Beyond the Rave"

Submitted by Nate Yapp on Mon, 2007-09-24 11:05

The revived Hammer Films' debut feature Beyond the Rave has gained a director and a full cast, according to ShockTillYouDrop.com. Matthias Hoene, who has helmed music videos for Tom McRae and Fatboy Slim, will take the director's chair for the production. The cast includes Nora-Jane Noone (The Descent), Jamie Dornan (Marie-Antoinette), and Tamer Hassan (Layer Cake). Legendary Hammer actress Ingrid Pitt is expected to make a cameo. No word on whether the previously-reported Rick Warden ("Band of Brothers") is still in as vampire Strigoli.

The script for Beyond the Rave follows a soldier named Ed who, on the eve of being deported to Iraq, sets out with his pal Necro to find his girlfriend. When Ed and Necro finally catch up to her at a rave in the woods, they learn they are in the company of bloodsuckers and that the lead vampire Melech has plans for this party's guests.

The Master Will Sing You Now: "Manos" Musical Hits Chicago Stage

Submitted by Nate Yapp on Mon, 2007-09-24 09:33

Fangoria.com is reporting on one of the stranger screen-to-stage adaptations in recent memory: Manos: The Rock Opera of Fate. Based on the 1966 film Manos: The Hands of Fate, which may be the worst ever made by anyone ever, the new musical debuts September 28th at the National Pastime Theater in Chicago.(read more...)

Review: Alucarda (1975)

Submitted by Nate Yapp on Thu, 2007-09-20 01:44

It’s impossible to get a bead on Juan Lopez Moctezuma’s Alucarda. There are no clear-cut heroes or villains; nearly every character seems monstrous at one point or another. The film hops from one protagonist to the next, condemning each in turn. A dichotomy between reason and the supernatural, standard to many horror films, is established, and then banished.(read more...)

New Poster for The CW's "Reaper"

Submitted by Nate Yapp on Wed, 2007-09-19 09:48

The Internet Movie Poster Awards have the latest promotional art for The CW's upcoming supernatural comedy "Reaper." The series stars Bret Harrison as a slacker whose life is going nowhere, until he finds out his parents sold his soul to the Devil (Ray Wise). Now he has to act as a bounty hunter for hell, bringing in escaped souls with the help and/or hindrance of his friend Sock (Tyler Labine). The show's premiere episode, directed by Kevin Smith, airs Tuesday, September 25th at 9PM EST/PST on The CW.

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