How do you kick off one of the most hotly contested horror films in history? By giving as little information as possible, that’s how!
Kubrick was a very intelligent guy, and that usually goes hand in hand with being pretty goddamn weird, too. Naturally, when ol’ Stanley adapted Stephen King’s 1977 bestseller, “The Shining”, for Warner Brothers, he decided to do things his way, taking a hard left and discarding a lot of King’s narrative and intent. This also included a landmark, wordless teaser trailer that erupted in a slow-motion torrent of blood, helping galvanize the film’s awesome image in the annals of horror cinema.
Today, we give you THAT trailer, which was possibly the very first thing audiences ever saw in conjunction with what would become one of the most famous fright films ever.
Today, we have another poster courtesy of the old Fangoria Poster Magazine. This time, it’s a gooey, hapless victim from John Carpenter’s PRINCE OF DARKNESS. Who woulda thought that orchestrating this type of thing would get you a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame years later?
For me, this will always be the quintessential example of the “Italian Cannibals” cycle popularized in the 1970s and 1980s.
Ruggero Deodato’s international hit, CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST (1980), immediately became notorious for its boundary-pushing look at Amazonian tribes and encroachment of the white man. Its faux documentary look, early use of the ‘found footage’ motif, graphic sexual and animal violence, and smug social commentary whipped worldwide audiences into a frenzy, instantaneously cementing it as one of the most notorious and profitable horror films of all time.
With any success, imitators can be expected to crop up 9-18 months later. This cash-in is one of the most reliable things in the entertainment industry. Just like clockwork, Euro gorehounds were treated to a new, somewhat streamlined version of Deodato’s infamous hit in the summer of 1981. This time, however, there was no message, no social commentary, and the subgenre’s grimy nihilism was honed to a very sharp point.
For its belated U.S. debut in the fall of 1983, CANNIBAL FEROX found a muted release under the name MAKE THEM DIE SLOWLY that featured no advertising and very few theaters willing to show it. Ultimately, the real boon for Lenzi’s gorefest was the burgeoning home video market. I still remember the oversized ThrillerVideo box on the shelves, which featured the same garish artwork that emblazoned the flick’s original one-sheet poster. “Banned in 31 Countries” the cover screamed, though this was mostly a Madison Avenue gimmick to get asses in cinema seats. This was a commonplace practice back in the day–hell, even THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE (1974) was less than truthful in its marketing materials.
Getting down to brass tacks, there’s no denying that CANNIBAL FEROX is strong stuff. The goopy mixture of rampant violence, misogyny, and bigotry–all the way to the film’s unsurprisingly cynical finale–can still easily deconstruct viewers and make them feel like they just ran the Boston Marathon rather than watching a horror movie. There’s a dangerous sense of realism and loss in this film that I felt was never equalled in the “Italian cannibals” subgenre, and this includes the movie’s more successful inspiration. What Lenzi pulls off with CANNIBAL FEROX is grotesque mutilation, gritty authenticity, and a draining sense of helpless emotional depression. If that isn’t an accomplishment in the horror genre, I don’t know what is.
Starting off the week with some bad news, unfortunately. This time, it’s a big blow to the FRIDAY THE 13th community.
Lar Park Lincoln, who starred as the psychokinetic Tina Shepard in FRIDAY THE 13th PART VII – THE NEW BLOOD, as well as a number of other horror projects, passed away on April 22 at the age of 63. Though an official cause of death has not yet been given, she had previously battled breast cancer.
Born Laurie Park in Dallas, TX on May 12, 1961, the actress and frequent convention guest additionally appeared in such genre efforts as HOUSE II: THE SECOND STORY (1987) and on television in “Freddy’s Nightmares” (1988). She also enjoyed success in conjunction with a number of top-rated prime-time dramas, including appearances in “Highway to Heaven”, “Murder She Wrote”, “Beverly Hills 90210”, and a recurring role in “Knots Landing”.
You can read more details over at Fridaythe13thFranchise.com. Rest in peace, Lar, and thank you for all you gave to the genre and its fans.
Going into its initial release in the spring of 1979, PHANTASM had a lot of strikes against it. Not only was it low-budget, it was also shot, directed, edited, and written by a young, yet unheard-of filmmaker by the name of Don Conscarelli. However, the film’s startling imagery and bizarre mix of science fiction, fantasy, and horror landed it in the annals of genre filmmaking, and in the process inspired a franchise that spanned nearly 40 years. Here’s where it all started, folks.
Today, we have a bit of a rarity. For those who lived on such publications as Fangoria, Cinefantastique, and Starlog back in the 1980s, you’ll surely remember seeing ads for Imagine, Inc., which became famous for publishing trade paperbacks highlighting horror, sci-fi, and fantasy filmmaking.
This ad (from circa early 1988), offers up a range of fun titles, including John Russo’s “Complete NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD Filmbook”, as well as special effects how-to releases from Tom Savini and Dick Smith. Ah, they don’t make ’em like this anymore, people, so order now!
Despite its source novel being released two years earlier, I remember Warner Bros. trying (and almost succeeding) to create a ‘mystique’ around its film adaptation of Stephen King’s 1981 bestseller. What was “Cujo”? Unfortunately for Warners, King by that time had risen to such fame that the secret was tough to keep, and soon everyone knew the title monster was indeed a big, cuddly Saint Bernard.
I’ve seen wildly conflicting reviews of the film since its release–some saying the dog’s whipped-cream makeup was downright laughable, while others still believe it to be one of King’s best adaptations, with Dee Wallace’s performance worthy of an Oscar nomination–but one thing you cannot deny is how neat the poster is. The title’s blood smear across the picket fence gives a big clue as to what “Cujo” is, while still maintaining some of that coy mystery the studio was shooting for in the weeks leading up to the film’s release.
In March, Netflix announced a new deal that would see the streaming service distribute a new reboot of King’s classic, so we’ll keep an eye out for more details regarding that in the coming months.
Let’s start your week with something weird. I shit you not, this was a real comic series in 2015!
Ten years ago this month, Dark Horse Comics and Archie Comics teamed up to give us one of the most unlikely crossovers ever: ARCHIE vs. PREDATOR! This incredibly demented pop culture remix ran for four issues and was such a curious hit it garnered both awards and a sequel, ARCHIE vs PREDATOR II in 2019!
Those crazy bastards over at Deadline tell us that genre stalwart JAMIE LEE CURTIS is moving from in front of the camera to behind it. She’s already slated to direct the eco-horror feature, MOTHER NATURE, for Blumhouse, and now we find out that she’s also producing and starring in SENDER, a full-length adaptation of Russell Goldman’s short film, RETURN TO SENDER. The plot involves a woman finding out the sinister truth lurking behind an Amazon-like package delivery scam.
Since the flick is currently in production for Comet Pictures, there’s no word yet on a release date, but sometime in 2026 would be a good bet. For now, you can check out Deadline’s original article here.
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