I know I said I was going to foam at the mouth about the Cinema God known as Roger Corman this month, but it’s my column and I changed my mind. We’ll talk Corman next month or two.
August 20-22 saw the 15th Monster-Mania Con take place at the Crowne Hotel in Cherry Hill, NJ. There are several around the NE portion of the US held under this name and in March and August they hit NJ and attract any number of sci-fi and horror fans all looking for that elusive big name autograph or, in my case, the not so big names. I love the chance to talk to the stars one on one, since the HUGE names never afford you that opportunity because they are the main focus and draw the fullest lines. If you want to meet up with unnamed “victim number four” in Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning, however, this is usually your chance.
I’m not one for making an entire weekend out of it because I’ve already seen the films numerous times and I find most Q & A to be filled with idiotic questions that have been answered to death. I do enjoy the memorabilia tables and checking out the local companies’ recent releases, and in that regard there is plenty to choose from. T-Shirts, DVDs, jewelry magazines…..everything down to fake fangs. I check it all out, but my main focus is on the autographs and a few moments of “Hey, how’s it going?” If you luck out and the line isn’t there, you can have a great chat with anyone, they aren’t there to sit and stare. Most of those I’ve met have been very happy to talk about most anything. Reggie Bannister (Phantasm) and I talked for a good 10 minutes about the hassles of cross country flight (THAT conversation started when I said how sorry I was that Angus Scrimm couldn’t handle the long flights anymore because I would have loved to have met him) and I had a nice talk with Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni about her career with Argento until someone else had the nerve to want her autograph and I had to move on. She was a pleasure to talk to and I could have stayed there all day despite Allison pulling at my sleeve and telling me to come along.
This time around, we all had someone in our sights and so, with the lovely Allison and my sister Dee in tow, off we went to the land of no left turns…New Jersey. Once inside the hotel and admission paid, it was off to land an autograph from Barbara Steele (Black Sunday and Piranha). I now have her autograph and a picture of me looking stupider than Spongebob’s best friend, Patrick. One for the record books, because I don’t get star struck and she got to me. I grew up on her movies and it shows on my face.
By now, Allison was ready for her big moment…Julian Sands (Warlock). He could sit there and read the Denny’s menu and she wouldn’t leave until he was finished. Have to say he was a very soft-spoken and friendly man and I can see why people like working with him. He told us he’s read a few scripts for a fourth Warlock movie, but they amount to slasher films and that’s not what he wants to do. Give him a better story and he’s on board. We decided to head upstairs and see how bad the line was for the star of the show, John Carpenter. To our surprise, only a few people ahead of us (lines ranged from a two-to-four hour wait for the most part), so my sister got her VHS of Prince of Darkness signed. That’s right…VHS. He thought it was great to see one still around.
Once we finished with the Save The Yorkies auction, where I landed a Halloween shooting script autographed by Brian Andrews (Tommy Doyle) and an Erin Gray autograph from Jason Goes to Hell, we marched downstairs so Allison could get victim number two: Sean Patrick Flanery (Powder, Young Indy Jones, Boondock Saints), and finally back to where we started so she could meet Dale Midkiff (Pet Sematary). This is a good guy with a sense of humor. We walked up to his table where Allison proceeded to ignore him while looking at the photos available to autograph. I’m trying NOT to laugh and he quietly says “I know that look. It’s the you’re charging HOW much for an autograph? look. “ I told him that it was actually her “Oh my God, he’s so hot in all these photos, which one do I take” look, and she finally realized that she was ignoring him and we all started laughing at her. He asked her how she wanted it signed and she said “To me”, so he asked her if that was capital or small M. She tends to get a bit flustered and I love that about her.
Since the table next to him had his Pet Sematary co-star and Star Trek: TNG babe Denise Crosby at it and the line was gone, I took the opportunity to get her autograph and pose for a pic with her and the Chase the Cat prop from the movie. That done, we visited the memorabilia tables where I found copies of House of Dark Shadows and of all things, a forgotten to all but me and my mom copy of the Burt Reynolds movie Skullduggery. Don’t tell her I’m making a copy for her, it’s one of her most embarrasing moments and it will spoil our fun.
Now, stop vegging in front of the computer and go out and enjoy the sunshine. You’ll be complaining about the winter cold before too long…and next month, Roger Corman, I swear.
Fred Burdsall is an amusement park junkie living with his better half, Allison, and their 4 cats. You can find him in the Center City Borders looking for Doctor Who and zombie books.
Were you at Monster-Mania? Did you spot Fred going ga-ga over Barbara Steele? Drop on by the Famous Monsters of Filmland Forumto share your own convention memories!
The 2010 edition of the San Diego Comic Con International exploded on the scene July 22nd, as colorful and spectacular as the nightly fireworks display over the city’s Sea World park, threatening to burst the fortress-like walls of the San Diego convention center as over 126,000 fans packed the building and Famous Monsters of Filmland was there in the heat of the action!
Little could Comic Con founder Shel Dorf have imagined that the convention would grow to such monstrous proportions when he organized “The Golden State Comic Con” in the basement of the U.S. Grant Hotel back in 1970. Comic books are still the heart and soul of Comic Con, but over the years as the convention has grown, it has embraced related media like magazines, toys and Hollywood, itself, where the studios roll out news about their big, upcoming titles. And the late, founding Editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine Forrest J Ackerman would have undoubtedly been proud to see and hear about the re-birth of his beloved periodical, and the fact that news of future plans for the FM brand vied for fan excitement, on par with the excitement generated by things like the announcement of the final cast of the AVENGERS movie!
NO REST FOR THE FM TEAM
Fresh and invigorated from their own Famous Monsters Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana a short two weeks earlier, the FM crew, led by Publisher/Owner Philip Kim, Editor-In-Chief Michael Heisler, and Editor Jessie Lilley, collectively and tirelessly spoke with thousands of fans that visited the FM booth over the five day event.
FAMOUS MONSTERS IS BACK—BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EVER
Fans eagerly approached the FM booth and picked up copies of Famous Monsters numbers 250, the special tribute issue to Forrest J Ackerman, and 251, the official re-launch issue. Comic Con was the only place readers could get all of the fabulous variant covers under one roof if they wished. Eyes popped and jaws dropped as fans who remembered the magazine from their childhood approached the FM booth, recognizing the famous Famous Monsters logo. All had stories and fond reminiscences to share of which issue was their first, found at their respective local drug store magazine racks. Fans who are now parents delightfully showed the new Famous Monsters off to their children, introducing a whole new generation to their favorite monster mag. Famous Monsters and its fans may have grown up, but the child within has remained very much alive!
As magazines, posters, t-shirts and FM-branded apparel flew off the tables and shelves, the FM booth was visited by many stars and celebrities through-out the convention. Longtime fans of every stripe in entertainment, like writer-director Frank Darabont, wrestler Jerry Lawler, actor D.B. Sweeney and many other stopped by to wish the new venture and re-launch well. Lucky fans could have Bela Lugosi, Jr. or FM cover artist William Stout autograph their magazines or prints of FM covers for free.
BEYOND THE PAGES OF FM: THE FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT
But the big news concerning Famous Monsters could hardly be contained as rumor swirled to such a degree that Harry Knowles (of Ain’t It Cool News) had to blurt out an announcement at the Expendables panel he moderated on Thursday, just moments before introducing stars Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis to avid action fans: that he, himself, the one-and-only Harry Knowles, had become Editor-In-Chief of the Famous Monsters of Filmland website! The agreement between Knowles and FM publisher Philip Kim was signed at the FM booth earlier in the day, creating a memorable historic moment for fans present to witness it. Although it’s too early to reveal details about the FM website under Knowles editorship, expect on all-new Harry Knowles, very different from the one we’ve come to know and love at Ain’t It Cool News. As Knowles himself wrote at his site recently, “What you’ll see is a lot of Passion for the classics…To create a place for Families, Kids and Geeks like us (to) share a loving passion for the fantastic odd things that make us all the nieces and nephews of FJA (Forrest J Ackerman).”
The news of Knowles stewardship of the Famous Monsters website (to be launched in October, coinciding with Fantastic Fest) was elaborated upon during the FM panel discussion on Friday afternoon.
The FM panel, moderated by yours truly, included the FM team of Philip Kim, Michael Heisler and Jessie Lilley and special guests Bela Lugosi, Jr., artist William Stout, film producer Ted Chalmers, and filmmaker Joe Moe.
Editor-In-Chief Michael Heisler revealed the fabulous cover art for the Diamond and Captain Company editions of FM #252, and teased the audience with hints of the rich content to come. A rousing discussion with future website editor Harry Knowles ensued, with talk of the synergy and relationship that the website will have with the print magazine. Again, no detailed plans were revealed as all is “top secret” at the moment, but the relief of finally being able to talk about the FM website after months of negotiations was palpable and felt by all on the panel.
The connection to FM’s past was touched on with humor and reverence when FM’s unofficial Ambassador of classic horror, Bela Lugosi, Jr. spoke, along with long-time Forry Ackerman friend and caretaker Joe Moe, sharing stories with the audience and speaking of their unwavering support of the new Famous Monsters of Filmland.
As the brief hour allotted to the panel discussion sped by, FM owner Philip Kim was able to sketch some of the amazing future plans, which include (beyond the new website in October) other manifestations of FM in New Media, including the possibilities of web-based video content and a host of other FM-related projects still on the drawing table.
Famous Monsters of Filmland is back, and the future looks bright indeed for all fans of the fantastic, both in print, on the internet, and in the world of filmed media, both traditional and new. Had Forrest J Ackerman lived to see this amazing revival of one of the most important aspects of his life’s work come this far, and reach even farther into the immediate future, I think he’d be very proud. Speaking for myself and the rest of the FM team, we’re extremely proud to continue to serve, and to keep the legacy alive for fellow fans and the new fans just discovering all things Famous Monsters.
The new era of Famous Monsters of Filmland officially launched July, 2010 with a gathering of fans at Indianapolis’ Wyndham Indianapolis West hotel and the debut of the all-new FM #251. FM spoke to fans, celebs and volunteers to help write this (Cyclopean) eye-witness report.
FRIDAY JULY 9
Publisher Phil Kim, FM magazine editor Jessie Lilley, editor-in-chief Michael Heisler, and a host of staff members begin their day before 7:00 a.m. to make the final preparations for the first time convention of the new FM. They are all aware that they have high expectations to meet. A large and successful horror convention had been held in Indianapolis in March, and they will be compared to a wide variety of horror-related conventions held around the country, as well as being judged against memories of previous Famous Monsters conventions in past decades by earlier owners of the famous name. At the same time as the FM con, G-Fest, the annual Godzilla con, was being held near Chicago, and a Twilight convention was also being held in Indianapolis. The Famous Monsters Con had a lot to compete with!
Fate had not been uniformly kind to the convention; a number of celebrities, such as actress Margot Kidder, actor Eric Roberts and others canceled their appearances, and headliner Thomas Jane had to withdraw the night before the show’s opening due to a personal tragedy. But more than 90 celebrity guests in all attended, including Mick Garris, William Forsythe, Ernie Hudson and Billy Drago, as well as cast reunions for Night of the Living Dead, Return of the Living Dead, and The Lost Boys. Popular con guests such as Tony Todd, Tom Savini, William Stout, and Danielle Harris were on hand. Musical acts like G Tom Mac, and Sinners and Saints rocked the (haunted!) house.
With a crowd of people showing up on Friday, and with registration confined to a hallway rather than in the more spacious lobby, getting in meant a wait of up to 30 minutes for some. But the fans were patient and polite, which was deeply appreciated by the staff and volunteers.
After the occasional headaches of the sometimes-congested registration, the convention took off. Among the highlights for the kick-off day were:
• The mayor of Indianapolis, Greg Ballard, cut a blood-red ribbon to officially open the event.
• A beauty parade and contest was held which creature-featured a bevy of beautiful women.
• Screenings took place of the films The Lost Boys, the original Night of the Living Dead, The Telling, Downstream, From a Place of Darkness, My Bloody Wedding, Famous Monster, The Devil Within, Crustacean and many more. There were panels following several of the screenings, including a panel with most of the surviving NOTLD cast members and one with cast members of The Lost Boys. These were well-attended and were cited by various con-goers as highlights of the FM Con.
Another hugely popular event on Friday was the midnight screening of Repo! The Genetic Opera with co-writer, co-composer and star Terrence Zdunich. Fans packed the large screening room, and the audience could be heard shouting responses and cheers throughout. Mr. Zdunich has created an undying cult classic, if the vocal enthusiasm of the audience is any indication.
Late in the evening there was also live music from G Tom Mac (who composed the often-covered original song “Cry Little Sister” for The Lost Boys), accompanied by Lost Boys actor Brooke McCarter.
SATURDAY, JULY 10
As expected, attendance on Saturday was larger than the day before. Lots of “things” to see and do: a large number of vendors with a wide variety of merchandise for people with a taste for the macabre, numerous film screenings with accompanying panels, and a tattoo contest that was very popular.
Throughout the weekend too there were plenty of attendees in costume (including ghosts from Disney’s “Haunted Mansion,” a Predator, and a ten-foot-tall Grim Reaper), all enjoying seeing things and being seen; some were almost as popular as the celebrities there!
Staff writer for small-town newspaper The Harlan Daily Enterprise Jason Edwards tells FM that the access to the celebrities was a big plus for a convention he loved. “At many of the conventions I have attended there is sort of an invisible wall most celebrities will not cross or can’t cross because of their table arrangement. The celebrities at FM could all be approached to talk with or take a quick picture with. I also felt that the celebs at the FM Convention truly wanted to be there, unlike some of the other conventions I have seen them at.”
The celebrities appeared to have enjoyed themselves, chatting with fans at length and posing for photos. Tony Todd, Kane Hodder and Danielle Harris were seen posing with machetes for one photo, a “preview” of their work in the upcoming film Hatchet 2.
There were plenty of celebrities on the Famous Monsters of Filmland/Forry Ackerman Tribute panel, and each described what Forrest Ackerman and FM meant to them. A significant highlight of the panel occurred when Kevin Burns, trustee of the estate of first FMOF editor Forrest J Ackerman, publicly turned over the estate to new FM publisher Philip Kim. Kim emphasized that Forry would have wanted FM to evolve and cover modern-day directors, makeup and effects artists and movies alongside the classics of the silver scream, just as Forry had done in the pages of the original FM. Phil Kim then shared the covers for FM #252. Editor in Chief Michael Heisler followed by showing the cover for the first of a retro series of special FM publications: issues 70 through 79, the “missing” magazine issues from the original run by the Warren publishing company. Editor Jessie Lilley described the efforts that have been made to distribute the new FMOF online and in stores around the country.
Fan Dustin Jablonski told me that he really enjoyed the panel and found it “enlightening,” and added, “Afterwards I spent more time perusing the dealer’s room and noticed a lot of people talking about Forry and their Famous Monsters magazine collections.” He felt that “the spirit of Forrest J Ackerman” lived on at the convention.
Saturday also featured director Charlie Band’s Full Moon Horror Roadshow, a loud and raucous rockin’ stage show and promotional extravaganza from the renegade independent filmmaker, short concerts with the bands Saints Among Sinners and Noman, a Corey Haim Tribute, a tattoo contest, a dark magic show from illusionist Ron Fitzgerald, a V.I.P. FM Re-Launch Party and of course, a plethora of film screenings.
At the tattoo contest there was creepy art on display that even Leatherface would have been proud to own. Tattoo contest judges were tat legends Lyle Tuttle and Bob Tyrell. Bob also brought examples of monster art done by his father — fortunately, these were done on paper!
As part of the V.I.P. Party, some of the celebrities were honored with “Lifetime Achievement Awards” from FM. They were Billy Drago, Tom Savini, William Stout, Basil Gogos, and Indiana horror host Sammy Terry (represented by his wife and son). Bela G. Lugosi, son of Dracula, brought bottles of his new line of “Bela Lugosi Wines” to present to the honorees. Basil Gogos remarked how he’d never been given wine with an award, and how he pleased he was by it, and Tom Savini looked stunned as he remarked how much he wanted to buy a bottle and how he now didn’t have to buy one!
At The Lost Boys panel members of the cast answered questions and shared memories with the audience about working on the 1987 film that changed the way vampires are portrayed onscreen. They gave some moving answers when asked about the late Corey Haim, who they remembered fondly; actor Brooke McCarter in particular got choked up remembering his friend. He also shared that he had completed a film, The Uh-Oh Show, with gore grand master Herschel Gordon Lewis.
A panel that generated a lot of buzz during the con were the reunions of cast and crew members from the first Night of the Living Dead (more original cast assembled than ever before at any show!) and “George Romero’s…OF THE DEAD Trilogy” Reunion, including the screenwriter of the original NOTLD John A. Russo, makeup special effects artist and “Blades the Biker” Tom Savini, and Day of the Dead cinematographer Michael Gornick. FM staff members received glowing comments on these repeatedly.
One event that was packed past seating capacity was a screening of classic monster movie clips. Perhaps surprising because they were all shown in Super 8 sound, a now-defunct film medium. But to see Creature from the Black Lagoon in a low-tech version of 3-d was a thrill for the enthusiastic audience.
Some celebs mentioned they loved older horrors, too. Actor Joe Pilato from Day of the Dead was overheard telling a fan that his favorite films were F. W. Murnau’s Nosferatu and the Universal films Dracula and Son of Frankenstein. He added that he loves black and white films, and prefers horror films that create “dread” rather than “disgust.” Another horror film he mentioned as scaring him was the 1976 original version of The Omen.
Classic horror films were represented at the con in Cortlandt Hull’s display of life-size classic monster figures (many fans were spotted taking pictures of themselves in front of it), at “Monsterama”, a screening of of vintage monster movie trailers, and in Sunday’s screenings of Creature From the Black Lagoon and It Came From Outer Space in 3-D.
SUNDAY, JULY 11
The final day featured more films and panels for a variety of fans. As the con organizers had hoped, the attendees for the weekend were all ages. Zach Allen, a young fan who came for the full weekend, was asked what he thought about the con’s strengths and weaknesses: “I had a wonderful time at the convention. There was definitely an abundance of celebrities. Terrance Zdunich, Danielle Harris, and Ed Gale stand out in my mind as I am a big fan of those three. The vendor hall was very impressive.” His friend Haley Dillon wrote to FM to say “It was a highly memorable experience and definitely one that has potential to be an annual event.”
When asked how FM could improve the con, Allen said, “My biggest complaint would have to be about the organization of the costume contest. At any rate, the show was amazing (especially for the inaugural event) and I would love to see them back in Indy in the future. Everyone at the show was super nice.”
Con guest Billy Drago, so evil onscreen, would not hesitate to agree that horror fans are nice people and not morbid or malign. As he explained to one attendee, “It’s ’cause we get it out of our system.”
A screening and panel for the documentary Autopsy of the Dead, a panel with noted horror director and Masters of Horror creator Mick Garris, and a panel on horror filmmaking called “FM Film School” were perhaps the best attended parts of Sunday, the lightest day of the whole affair.
Phil Kim looks forward to more cons, calling this one “the first in a series of horrific gatherings hosted by your friends at FM.” That ought to please Indianapolis Business Journal columnist Lou Harry. He attended both the FM Con and the sci-fi and fantasy con InConjunction. He said in his online column on July 17th, “My inner 12-year-old (who read Famous Monsters and sat through Star Wars twice on its opening day) was very, very happy at both. And I’m looking forward to attending both in 2011.”
The team behind Famous Monsters thanks everyone who came and supported this new event, and looks forward to many more in the years ahead!
Watch the Famous Monsters Stake of the Union Panel at Comic-Con 2010. Join the FM staff with guest panelists Bela Lugosi, Jr. (son of legendary Dracula actor Bela Lugosi), William Stout (Return of the Living Dead, Raiders of The Lost Ark), Harry Knowles (Ain’t It Cool News), and other special guests as we unveil the covers for FM 252, a special time-lost Famous Monsters of Filmland #70, and reveal even more shocking news about the future of Famous Monsters of Filmland!
With only about a week until monsters and mayhem take over Indianapolis, IN for the Famous Monsters Convention, we are proud to announce some new additions to the guest lineup. Veteran horror actress Danielle Harris (the Halloween franchise) will be on hand at FM Con. Besides appearing in Halloween 4 and 5 as Jamie Lloyd, and in the Halloween reboot and its sequel as the ill-fated Annie Brackett, Danielle will soon appear in the films Hatchet 2 and Stake Land (both of which will be covered in the upcoming FM #251) as well as the William Forsythe-directed vampire flick New Blood.
Real-life paranormal investigators and Ghost Hunters International alumni Shannon Sylvia and Brian Joseph Harnois will also be making an appearance, as will Michael Nicolosi, voice of the fan favorite character Clown on HBO’s 1997-1999 Spawn animated series.
Harry Knowles, Steve “Capone” Prokopy and Jarrell Jay “Father Geek” Knowles of the movie megasite Ain’t It Cool News will be among the attendees. Harry’s nephew, who played The Kid Zombie from the movie Pathogen will be in attendance and it will be his first con (a male, time-honored rite of passage).
Unfortunately, due to scheduling conflicts, actresses Margot Kidder, Lori Cardille, and Kim Myers will be unable to make the convention. We here at FM wish them the best and hope to see them next year.
The city of Indianapolis has shown Famous Monsters great affection, spearheaded by the mayor, who will be performing the ribbon cutting ceremony to start this year’s FMCon. Guests will be arriving Thursday and into Friday afternoon escorted by a police motorcade from the airport to the Wyndham Hotel.
Want to be on TV? Come to the Wyndham at 6:30, 7:40, and 8:40 AM Friday July 9th. The local morning show on FOX TV will be at the convention before it opens to air three live segments to kick off the con.
At the convention you will have the opportunity to register to win door prizes from Sideshow Collectibles all throughout the weekend.
Don’t forget, it’s not too late to avoid lines at the ticket booth. Preorder your FM Con tickets from www.CaptainCo.com today!
“When there’s no more room in Hell, the dead will walk Indianapolis.”
So far on these Famous Monsters Convention updates, we’ve discussed a party celebrating Famous Monsters of Filmland’s grand return, a seminar for aspiring filmmakers, several panels featuring celebrity guests as well as a ton of movie screenings. If you haven’t purchased your ticket yet, then feel free to do so here. It will make your mother very happy (while you’re at it, give her a call why don’t you? She’s worried.)
Before I proceed, do me a favor and pretend that the next paragraph is being read to you by the late Don LaFontaine, will you? Thanks.
In a future where oil is scarce and America has been plunged into total chaos, a young man named Wes Keller (played by Jonathon Trent) tries to survive alone in a barren wasteland. Downstream is the first original film from the newly-reanimated Famous Monsters of Filmland and was written and produced by the new FM publisher Philip Kim. In addition to having a compelling, action-packed story, Downstream sports a talented cast and crew as well as fantastic musical numbers! (Ok, I might have made that last one up.)
Jonathon Trent has been in the acting game for a long time. Before starring in Downstream, he’s had guest-starring roles on hit TV shows such as CSI: NY, the 90210 reboot and The O.C. as well as roles in many films, including Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, the film Fashion Victim as spree killer Andrew Cunanan, and as Joey in the critically-acclaimed indie film Boy Culture. Join Jonathon, Phil and actor Billy Drago Friday, July 9 for the Downstream panel and screening as well as the Digital Film Expo Saturday, July 10!
Stop-motion animator and filmmaker Ray Harryhausen’s achievements and influence are incalculable. Numerous giants in the world of cinema have cited his work, especially in The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad (1958), as the inspiration for their career in films. In addition to two other pioneering Sinbad films, Harryhausen developed effects for and produced the feature films 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957), Jason and the Argonauts (1963), Valley of Gwangi (1969), and many others from the early 1950s through the early 1980s. However, his body of work, including personal experiments to work as the key animator on the King Kong-influenced Mighty Joe Young, stretches to before World War II to his first film, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms in 1953.
Turning 90 this year, Harryhausen retired in 1981 after Clash of the Titans and lives in England. His journeys to his hometown of Los Angeles to meet with friends, colleagues and protégés might finally be at an end. However, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has finally created a retrospective of Harryhausen’s amazing career with an extensive exhibit in the fourth floor hall of their 8949 Wilshire Boulevard facility in Beverly Hills, California that runs through mid-August.
For any fan, even one with casual interest in stop-motion generally and specifically in Harryhausen’s branded form of filmmaking – called Dynamation, the exhibit is a treasure trove of delights. On video screens, wall-mounted displays, and in showcases, many artifacts from Harryhausen’s long career reveal the work of a man who was clearly passionate about his endeavors, from earliest puppet animations through his nearly 30-year body of feature films. One can closely examine the baboon and sabre-tooth tiger models from Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977). Several incarnations of Medusa from Clash of the Titans are visible in their pre-production pencil sketch and test model form. Discarded sketch versions of the Cyclops from Seventh Voyage of Sinbad are on the walls as well as the original armature in its eventual finished form.
We even get to view photos of Harryhausen and his work as a young man in World War II and just afterwards. Clips from various documentaries on Harryhausen explain his process and methodologies, which are further detailed in several books for those who are piqued into learning more about the world of stop-motion animation. To say that attendance of the exhibit is a must might be an understatement as viewing Harryhausen’s full body of work places him, without embellishment, as cinema’s greatest creature creator of all time.
As a bonus, from this author’s DVD The Harryhausen Interviews, the following is an excerpt of a retrospective interview Harryhausen recently conducted regarding his pioneering career:
Essman: Have you ever stopped to think about how many fans you have, and how many people were influenced by your work, and maybe even indirectly by the work of people who followed your work, such as Phil Tippett, Jim Danforth and Dave Allen?
Harryhausen: When we made the pictures, of course, it wouldn’t cross one’s mind. But I’m so grateful that we’ve left a positive influence. Charles Schneer and I tried to make our pictures understandable. We always got the best composers. Music is so important. I learned that from watching King Kong. And we had wonderful composers score our films because they’re a visual type of thing. We try to keep a minimum of dialogue. Sometimes we’re criticized for that. But you don’t want a complicated story for a fantasy film. And music’s so important when you have striking visual images, which we tried to create on the screen. We had Bernard Hermann score four of our films. And the last, Clash of the Titans, was done by Laurence Rosenthal. Both [were] marvelous composers who have great imagination and a feel for fantasy.
Essman: When you think about the impact of the work of Willis O’Brien [1933’s King Kong’s chief technician] on your work, do you think you wouldn’t have done what you ended up doing without him? Or do you think you might have gravitated toward stop-motion anyway?
Harryhausen: Oh, that’s all speculation. I say sometimes that if the 1976 version [of KingKong] had come out in 1933, I probably would have become a plumber or something. But my mother wanted me to become a commercial artist. I don’t know… somehow it gelled. I think the fickle finger of fate had something to do with it. Because of little signposts here and there, I felt a compulsion to do certain things. But I felt a compulsion to study camerawork. When I entered the Army I thought I wanted to be a combat cameraman. I didn’t realize they were shot like clay pigeons, so I’m glad I didn’t. But I made a little film, four minutes long, called How to Build a Bridge. And my teacher showed it to the Eastman Kodak company, [and] he showed it to Frank Capra, and I got transferred into the Special Service Division. I worked with Ted Geisel on cartoons and made models and several covers for Yank magazine. So it was a great experience that I got to do something during the war that I was able to do, rather than just carry a gun.
Essman: In the black-and-white films of the 1950s, as with 20,000,000 Miles to Earth, it seemed like you were creating your own distinct style, especially with the Ymir character. Do you think those characters were different from any that had come before it?
Harryhausen: Well, I don’t analyze it in that way, I leave it to other people. You can analyze it—there was a book called Girl in the Hairy Paw, which tried to portray King Kong in many psychological different phases. I think a film is like an inkblot. It tells you more about the person who’s watching it than it does about the film itself. Merian Cooper always says that he just set out to make a damn good piece of entertainment. And that’s what we set out: to entertain the public in a positive way. And I’m grateful that we have. At signings a family of three generations will come up and say that our films made their childhood.
Essman: Do you have a favorite character?
Harryhausen: The others get jealous if I have a favorite character. I like the complicated ones. I like the Hydra [and] the seven skeletons fighting scene [from Jason and the Argonauts]. They’re a challenge. I like Medusa [from Clash of the Titans]. That’s one of the highlights. I still find a soft spot in my heart for the first scenes I did in Mighty Joe Young of Joe pushing over the lions’ cage. I think that’s one of the highlights of my career.
Vampires of the sparkly, angsty variety may be all the rage now, but back in the ‘80s, bloodsuckers of the badass, human blood-drinking, motorcycle-riding variety were popular. Joel Schumacher’s cult horror-comedy The Lost Boys has been credited with bringing vampires into the mainstream and with making two of its actors – Corey Feldman and the late Corey Haim – pop culture icons. The Lost Boys tells the story of two brothers, Michael (played by Jason Patric) and Sam (played by Corey Haim) and their mother who go to live at their grandfather’s house in Santa Clara, California. But strange things are happening in the beachside town and it’s up to Sam to save his brother before it’s too late.
Come to the Famous Monsters Convention (don’t forget your ticket!) on July 9 for a screening of The Lost Boys following a panel hosted by Jamison Newlander (Alan Frog), G Tom Mac (writer/performer of the song “Cry Little Sister”), Chance Michael Corbitt (Laddie), Brooke McCarter (Paul) and Billy Wirth (Dwayne) during which they will answer questions from the audience and discuss their experiences on the set.
The Cast
Since appearing in The Lost Boys as one of the Frog brothers, Newlander has reprised his role in The Lost Boys: The Tribe, though his scenes were ultimately deleted. He is expected to appear in The Lost Boys: The Thirst. G Tom Mac is a renowned singer, songwriter and music producer and has composed music for a variety of TV shows and movies including The Shield, Scrubs and Charmed. G Tom Mac will also be performing live during an exclusive concert at FM Con. Besides The Lost Boys, Chance Michael Corbitt has also appeared in the film The Rocketeer and the TV show Baywatch. Brooke McCarter has been acting sporadically since his role in The Lost Boys, and recently finished the film Emerging Past which will also be screened at FM Con. Billy Wirth has had numerous roles throughout his career, including guest-starring roles in Sex in the City, Charmed and CSI.
The Famous Monsters Convention is quickly approaching (and if you haven’t bought your tickets yet, what in Sam Hill are you waiting for? Go here!) and while your convention needs will be met July 9-11, if you’re a hardcore convention fanatic, you’re probably already looking for the next con to attend. Well look no further, my friend! From July 30 to Aug. 1, Rock Con will be hitting up New Jersey.
From the press release: “E. Rutherford, NJ: Rock Con: Weekend Of 100 Rock Stars Celebrity FanFest event comes to the Sheraton Meadowlands Hotel Conference Center in East Rutherford, NJ on Friday, Saturday and Sunday July 30th – August 1st weekend with theme reunions and guest appearances, including a roster of Rockin’ Horror Stars.
Already scheduled to appear are:
~Gerrit Graham played “Beef” in Brian DePalma’s rock horror musical film Phantom of the Paradise. He also composed with Bob Weir of The Grateful Dead.
~William Finley played Winslow Leech – ‘The Phantom’ title character in the rock horror musical film Phantom of the Paradise.
~Jonathan Tiersten starred in the cult horror/slasher film Sleepaway Camp [and is part of the band] Jonathan Tiersten & The Ten Tiers.
~Lezlie Deane ‘killed’ Freddie Krueger in the film Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare. She is lead singer in West Coast band Scary Cherry & The Bang Bangs.
~Demon Boy is a new recording artist influenced by Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie, and is the star of the upcoming Demon Boy comic book series.
~Eerie Von bassist for Danzig and Samhain, fits in this category for his ‘Fiend Art’ paintings of monsters and horror themes.
~Bobby Steele guitarist for The Misfits and The Undead.
KISS fans will be pleased to see former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick and Lydia Criss, ex-wife of Peter Criss, who wrote the book Sealed With A KISS.
Fans attending ‘ROCK CON’ will be able to talk directly to, obtain signed autographs and meet some of their favorite rock and media personalities on common ground. The events is ghost-hosted by ‘Cryptmaster Chiller Chucky’ of the National Horror Happenings newsletter [on Examiner.com.]“
Want to know who else is coming? Check out the con’s website here.
As you no doubt already know, FamousMonsters of Filmland is back with – dare I say it? – a VENGEANCE. To start things off with a bang, FM will play host to over 80 guests in our inaugural Famous Monsters Convention taking place in Indianapolis, Indiana July 9-11. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be regularly posting information regarding event details of an entertaining three days of movies, celebrities, horror and mayhem (the good kind!) to celebrate the return of everyone’s favorite monster magazine. Be sure to check back regularly for more information about the events, guests and surprises you’ll be sure to find at 2010 FM Con.
SATURDAY NIGHT VIP FM RELAUNCH PARTY(9PM – 2AM)
On Saturday, June 10, the party continues into the night. FM will be hosting a super special, VIP-only party in honor of Famous Monsters’ relaunch. Mingle with fellow horror fans, more celebrities than you can handle and the FM crew as we celebrate the long-awaited return to print of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine and usher in the next 52 years. Food (drinks not included) will be provided. There will be a live performance by bands such as Sinners Among Saints, Noman and more, a tribute to the late actor Corey Haim, a lifetime achievement award ceremony, a show by illusionist Ron Fitzgerald (left), and many more surprises. Doors open at 9 p.m. but only Gold Pass and Silver Pass owners will be allowed into the party. It’s not too late to purchase them – visit CaptainCo.com.
George A. Romero’s …OF THE DEAD TRILOGY REUNION
Today’s featured guests are the cast members of George A. Romero’s …Of The Dead trilogy, who will be reuniting at FM Con for a panel.
Click here for a complete profile and make sure to stop by and meet all of your favorite actors and crewmembers from the legendary horror series including the screenwriter of the original Night of the Living DeadJohn A. Russo, makeup special effects artist and “Blades the Biker” Tom Savini, and Day of the Dead cinematographer Michael Gornick.
While Night remains Russo’s most well-known film to date, he has also served as a screenwriter for the films Midnight, Santa Claws and Voodoo Dawn. Savini has many, many film credits under his belt, whether in front of the camera or behind it, he has proven himself to be a force to be reckoned with in the film industry. Savini has worked as a makeup effects artist, a stuntman, director and producer among other things in multiple hit films – including Martin, Grindhouse, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Creepshow and Dawn of the Dead. He has also authored several books about makeup special effects and runs the Special Make-up Effects Program at the Douglas Education Center. Besides Dawnof the Dead and Day of the Dead, Gornick has worked as a cinematographer on multiple other projects including Martin and Creepshow. He has also served as a director on Creepshow 2 and multiple episodes of the TV show Tales from the Darkside.
PRE-ORDER TICKETS, AVOID WAITING IN LINE
Tickets are still available for purchase at CaptainCo.com. Be sure to pre-order your passes so you can pick them up right at the door and avoid waiting in lines! Gold Pass and Silver Pass holders are allowed early access to the convention Friday and Saturday, admission to the Saturday Night VIP FM RELAUNCH PARTY, a Famous Monsters of Filmland #251 Convention-only variant cover, and an exclusive FM Con T-Shirt guaranteed to turn heads! Pre-order here.
If you haven’t heard of the television series True Blood, then congratulations on finally waking up from your coma. If you have heard of True Blood, then congratulations on being the proud owner of one of those new-fangled moving picture boxes (now in glorious color!). And if you’re a fan, then break out your best plastic fangs and a bottle of ketchup (you can even get a Sharpie and write ‘blood’ on the bottle if you want. You know, to add to the authenticity) because True Blood’s coming back. To celebrate, HBO is hosting a spiffy night chock-full of supernatural goodness.
From the press release: “As the June 13th Season 3 premiere of True Blood draws near, HBO continues to reward the show’s enthusiasts by hosting the ultimate fan experience – special screening events to be held in 50 theaters across the country on June 1st at Midnight/Eastern Standard Time (9:00p.m./PT).Doors open at 11:00p.m./EST (8:00p.m./PT) on June 1st. Fans can enter to win VIP passes through a True Blood Facebook Sweepstakes at www.facebook.com/trueblood, where they will be asked to register by ‘coming out’ as either a vampire, shapeshifter, werewolf or fangbanger.
“From the moment show devotees arrive at select theaters in the NCM Cinema Network, they will be immersed in an evening dedicated to the engaging world of True Blood. Complete with a red carpet, giveaways and photographers who will snap photos of fans, the events will be highlighted by a screening of the Season 2 finale, an extended sneak preview of Season 3 content, and a stimulating live Q&A session via satellite with select main cast members and show creator/executive producer Alan Ball.
“Prior to the events, fans will have the opportunity to submit questions through True Blood’s official Facebook and Twitter presences at www.facebook.com/trueblood and www.twitter.com/truebloodhbo. For those who can’t make it to the local screenings, the Q&A will also be streamed live on HBO.com and the True Blood Facebook page.
“Tickets to the screenings are free and can be won or obtained through several promotional vehicles. Echoing the vampiric theme of the show, the majority of VIP passes to the screening events will be distributed through the True Blood Facebook Sweepstakes from dusk-till-dawn, beginning May 14 through May 28, with registrants enticed by the caption, ‘We play at night. Do you?’ VIP passes will be awarded to winners in one of the 50 markets every six minutes and 13 seconds between 6:13 p.m. and 6:13 a.m., reinforcing the June 13th premiere date. VIP passes will also be dispersed through a national Best Buy® partnership, local radio giveaways, as well as HBO affiliate, print and online partners. General admission passes are also available through a registration site at www.truebloodultimatefan.com. Seating will be available on a first come, first served basis.”
A vampire, shapeshifter, werewolf or fangbanger, huh? Cthulhu is going to be so sad when he finds out that monsters of vaguely anthropoid outline, but with octopus-like heads whose faces are a mass of feelers, and who have a scaly, rubbery-looking body, prodigious claws on hind and fore feet, and long, narrow wings behind aren’t invited. And he loves that show; he thinks Stephen Moyer is dreamy. Don’t laugh, unholy destroyers of worlds need love too, you know.
This month, our friends at the Zombie Research Society are reminding the fans of the undead to show their support and review their apocalyptic disaster drills with friends and family.
May is designated as Zombie Awareness Month, and event that celebrates the famous reanimated corpses that have entertained and scared us for centuries.
During the month of May, the Zombie Research Society is having a special prize giveaway each day of the month. So far, the prizes have ranged from t-shirts, to autographed books, to special gray ribbons to show your support for the undead.
According to the society’s website: May was chosen for the special awareness month due to the fact that “many films important to the evolution of the modern Zombie are set in the month of May, from the original Night of the Living Dead, 1968, to the well received Dawn of The Dead remake of 2004.”
The site goes on to state that zombies – and the threat they represent- are not connected to the fall tradition of Halloween, since they are biological entities, unlike the otherworldly Halloween staples such as ghosts and witches.
To make people aware of the special month, zombie fans all over are encouraged to wear their gray ribbon, which represents the skin color of the creatures.
Coincidentally, the gray ribbon is also worn to show support and awareness for the debilitating diseases of Diabetes, Asthma, and Brain Cancer.
So show support for the famous film monsters by donning your gray ribbon, participating in your local Zombie Walk, and catching up on your favorite zombie flicks.
Who knows? There might be a few tips you have missed that could be useful in your future survival strategy.
By now, Allison was ready for her big moment…Julian Sands (Warlock). He could sit there and read the Denny’s menu and she wouldn’t leave until he was finished. Have to say he was a very soft-spoken and friendly man and I can see why people like working with him. He told us he’s read a few scripts for a fourth Warlock movie, but they amount to slasher films and that’s not what he wants to do. Give him a better story and he’s on board. We decided to head upstairs and see how bad the line was for the star of the show, John Carpenter. To our surprise, only a few people ahead of us (lines ranged from a two-to-four hour wait for the most part), so my sister got her VHS of Prince of Darkness signed. That’s right…VHS. He thought it was great to see one still around.
Since the table next to him had his Pet Sematary co-star and Star Trek: TNG babe Denise Crosby at it and the line was gone, I took the opportunity to get her autograph and pose for a pic with her and the Chase the Cat prop from the movie. That done, we visited the memorabilia tables where I found copies of House of Dark Shadows and of all things, a forgotten to all but me and my mom copy of the Burt Reynolds movie Skullduggery. Don’t tell her I’m making a copy for her, it’s one of her most embarrasing moments and it will spoil our fun.
Already scheduled to appear are:
