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!

Cameron Diaz Opens "The Box"

Submitted by Nate Yapp on Thu, 2007-06-28 17:59

Cameron Diaz has signed on to play the lead in Richard "Donnie Darko" Kelly's upcoming horror flick The Box, according to Variety.com. The movie, which is based on the Richard Matheson short story "Button, Button," deals with a young woman who receives a box that will cause "certain things" to happen, depending which of the box's buttons are pressed. Media Rights Capital is fronting the film's entire $30 million-plus budget and will begin pursuing distribution deals in the fall. "My hope is to make a film that is incredibly suspenseful and broadly commercial, while still retaining my artistic sensibility," Kelly said.

Review: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941)

Submitted by Nate Yapp on Thu, 2007-06-28 00:37

With an Oscar-winning director, a two-time Oscar-winner in the title role, and a number of future Oscar winners and nominees in the supporting cast, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's lavish 1941 adaptation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde suffers from a surfeit of class. While director Victor Fleming creates a very literary-minded film, he misses the point of making a horror movie, removing much of the sadism and sordidness necessary to make Robert Louis Stevenson's story play well in the cinematic medium. Instead, we're left with something that's pretty, but ultimately hollow.(read more...)

Sony Remaking Hitchcock's "The Lodger"

Submitted by Nate Yapp on Wed, 2007-06-27 11:06

Sony Pictures will produce a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's 1927 Jack the Ripper thriller The Lodger, Variety.com reports. David Ondaatje is set to write and direct the film, which will take inspiration from the Marie Belloc Lowndes novel of the same name. However, this version of the story will be set in modern day Los Angeles and concern a copycat killer. No word yet on casting prospects.

Review: Edge of Sanity (1989)

Submitted by Eric Miller on Wed, 2007-06-27 01:43

1989's Edge of Sanity, directed by Gérard Kikoïne and starring Anthony Perkins, offers a version of Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde where Mr. Hyde is not only a serial killer, but quite possibly Jack the Ripper. This retelling of a classic tale of good versus evil unfortunately doesn't have a very high opinion of its main characters; it goes straight for tawdry erotic and gory thrills. Even Anthony Perkins' memorable performance of Mr. Hyde can't salvage this inarticulate film. It is a fun movie, but not recommended for anyone looking for a serious exploration of the duality of human nature.(read more...)

Review: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)

Submitted by Eric Miller on Tue, 2007-06-26 00:43

Anyone doubting the disturbing effects of repression should experience Rouben Mamoulian’s 1931 version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. One of the most sophisticated and frightening films in 1930s cinema, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde explicitly explores sexuality and repression in ways that most films of the era merely hinted at or disguised in allegory. Using the characters of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to graphically express these themes, Mamoulian creates a very frightening and complex film for its day.(read more...)

Final Details on "Masters of Horror" Season 1 Box

Submitted by Nate Yapp on Mon, 2007-06-25 14:37

Fangoria.com has scored the final details on Anchor Bay/Starz Entertainment's "Masters of Horror" Season 1 box set. Coming August 28th, the set will collect all 13 episodes of Showtime's horror anthology series in a "mausoleum" box. Also included (and this is the new information) will be a fourteenth disc with some intriguing featurettes. They are:

"Masters of Horror" Dinner: Executive producer Mick Garris gathers the Season 1 directors to converse over a meal at Hollywood's Magic Castle restaurant.
"Masters of Horror" Director's Guild of America discussion
Two segments from Garris's 1980s cable talk show "Fantasy Film Festival", featuring Steven Spielberg and John Boorman.

The set's suggested retail price is set at $79.97, although you can expect it to be lower at online retailers like Amazon.com. The collection is limited to 20,000 units.

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Review: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920)

Submitted by Nate Yapp on Mon, 2007-06-25 02:40

Of the countless cinematic adaptations of Robert Louis Stevenson's novella "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", the most effective to this day is Paramount's 1920 version starring "the Great Profile", John Barrymore, in the title roles. Under the direction of John S. Robertson, and with the stunning performance of Barrymore, the film dips deep into the well of depravity that is Hyde, creating a thoroughly engaging experience.
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Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Week

Submitted by Nate Yapp on Mon, 2007-06-25 02:38

“He is not easy to describe. There is something wrong with his appearance; something displeasing, something downright detestable. I never saw a man I so disliked, and yet I scarce know why. He must be deformed somewhere; he gives a strong feeling of deformity, although I couldn’t specify the point. He’s an extraordinary-looking man, and yet I really can name nothing out of the way. No, sir; I can make no hand of it; I can’t describe him. And it’s not want of memory; for I declare I can see him this moment.”
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AFI to Horror: Not on Our List

Submitted by Nate Yapp on Thu, 2007-06-21 11:38

Let's take a second to review the process of listing "best movies". The only word that can really be used to describe the process is "arbitrary." In the case of the AFI's "100 Best" lists, the American Film Institute's "experts" -- over 1,500 "leaders from the creative community", including directors, writers, actors, cinematographers, and editors -- vote from a list of 400 nominated films on which 100 are the very best. The film must be feature-length and American.(read more...)

"The Host 2" Coming At You

Submitted by Nate Yapp on Wed, 2007-06-20 13:49

Bong Joon-ho's South Korean monster flick The Host has gained quite a reputation over here in the States, so this news isn't surprising: Chungeorahm Film, the production company behind the film, is planning a sequel, according to Yonhap News. "We'll start making the film from this fall," said Choi Yong-bae, CEO of Chungeorahm. Joon-ho will reportedly not be involved, as he will be working on other projects. The Host 2 is projected to have a budget of 10 billion won (roughly $10.8 million US dollars).(read more...)