News

From mad man director James Balsamo comes a new bat shit crazy monster movie “It Wants Blood!” Starring Eric Roberts, and Featuring Amy “Lita” Dumas from the WWE, Steve Railsback, Bill Victor Arucan, and Ola Ray. Two giant monsters are forced to battle head to screaming head on the political circuit as they run …

The post It Wants Blood! Starring Eric Roberts appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.

Michael Jackson’s video for “Thriller” was released nearly 40 years ago, on December 2nd, 1983. Director John Landis (The Blues Brothers, An American Werewolf in London) extended the track — the seventh and final single released from the Thriller album — into a nearly 14-minute-long musical horror film, letting Michael indulge his monster-movie fantasies.

“Thriller” got saturation play on MTV and has been seen more than 149 million times on YouTube. Here’s 12 things you might not have realized the first time, or the 200th time, you watched it.

1. All “Thriller,” Some Filler

The...

The woman who played Michael Jackson's costar in the iconic music video "Thriller" is in the midst of a real-life nightmare ... now that her ex-manager has been charged with felony stalking. Ola Ray's alleged stalker, Timothy Beal, has been slapped with a slew of charges coming on the heels of incidents last month that forced her to file for a restraining order. Beal's been charged with 3 felonies -- stalking, vandalism and grand theft,...

The late Michael Jackson's 60th birthday would have been on Wednesday, Aug. 29. And to celebrate what would have been a milestone event for the King of Pop, his kids, son Prince Jackson, 21, and Paris Jackson, 20, honored their father at The Michael Jackson Diamond Celebration at the Mandalay Bay resort in Las Vegas. At the event, the brother and sister accepted the 2018 Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation Legacy Award for Humanitarian Service on their father's behalf. After the ceremony, they reflected on the singer's memory. (Photo Credit: Getty Images) "Being here today is definitely an awe-inspiring feeling, because our father was the King of Pop and he did so much," Prince shared with Entertainment Tonight. "He did so much for the music industry, but I think he put emphasis and importance on the charitable contributions to humanity that he really used his platform to [support]." Paris seconded her brother's response, and added a tidbit of her own.

Get ready to moonwalk, folks! It looks like the legacy of the late Michael Jackson is being memorialized on Broadway. While few details are known at this time, including the name of the show, there are a few exciting things worth noting! "The Michael Jackson Estate and Columbia Live Stage have partnered to develop a musical inspired by the pop icon; the show is expected to bow in New York in 2020," Playbill announced on Wednesday, June 20. In addition to a projected date, the musical — which will include a number of Michael’s greatest hits — will be written by two-time Pulitzer Prize Winner Lynn Nottage, who is best known for Sweat and Ruined. Christopher Wheeldon of An American in Paris fame has also "been tapped" to direct and choreograph, Playbill noted. (Photo Credit: Getty Images) This wouldn’t be the first time that the King of Pop’s musical catalog was used on stage.

Time Magazine has announced its picks for the 100 most influential people in the world in 2018, and included among the group is this year’s Oscar winner for Best Director, Guillermo del Toro. “The Shape of Water” visionary is honored by fellow Oscar winner Jordan Peele in the magazine. The “Get Out” writer-director praises del Toro as the “auteur whom artists adore” in a short essay.

“To watch one of Guillermo’s masterpieces is an experience in escapism and wonder,” Peele writes. “To gnaw on the totality of his work reveals an obsession with the eternally forbidden romance between beauty and beast.”

“Guillermo is in love with monsters and lives to show us that we are too,” he continues. “With each fable he weaves, he pushes us closer to acceptance of a primal truth: that we each have a deep connection to the spectrum of otherness.”

Del Toro’s “The Shape of Water...

Special mention: Häxan

Directed by Benjamin Christensen

Denmark / Sweden, 1922

Genre: Documentary

Häxan (a.k.a The Witches or Witchcraft Through The Ages) is a 1922 silent documentary about the history of witchcraft, told in a variety of styles, from illustrated slideshows to dramatized reenactments of alleged real-life events. Written and directed by Benjamin Christensen, and based partly on Christensen’s study of the Malleus Maleficarum, Häxan is a fine examination of how superstition and the misunderstanding of mental illness could lead to the hysteria of the witch-hunts. At the time, it was the most expensive Scandinavian film ever made, costing nearly 2 million Swedish krona. Although it won acclaim in Denmark and Sweden, the film was banned in the United States and heavily censored in other countries for what were considered, at that time, graphic depictions of torture, nudity, and sexual perversion. Depending on which version you’re watching, the commentary is...

If you’re anywhere near the Los Angeles area this Saturday, you may be interested in checking out “An Evening with the Makers of An American Werewolf in London,” a special event that features a screening of the film and a number of guests, including John Landis and Rick Baker:

“The moon seemed perennially full on screen in the 1980s, a decade that saw more than its share of classic—and not-so-classic—werewolf movies including Wolfen (1981), The Howling petrology (1981-1989), The Company of Wolves (1984), Silver Bullet (1985) and Teen Wolf (1985), to name a few. Towering above them all is writer-director John Landis’ An American Werewolf in London (1981). A defining film of the era,American Werewolf proved wildly successful thanks to Landis’ deft balance of comedy and horror, while Rick Baker’s Academy Award–winning makeup effects set the bar for technical mastery. The film’s influence can be felt in...

Every year, we here at Sound On Sight celebrate the month of October with 31 Days of Horror; and every year, I update the list of my favourite horror films ever made. Last year, I released a list that included 150 picks. This year, I’ll be upgrading the list, making minor alterations, changing the rankings, adding new entries, and possibly removing a few titles. I’ve also decided to publish each post backwards this time for one reason: the new additions appear lower on my list, whereas my top 50 haven’t changed much, except for maybe in ranking. Enjoy!

Special Mention:

Michael Jackson’s groundbreaking dance routines and unique vocals have influenced generations of musicians, dancers, and entertainers. He was one of entertainment’s greatest icons, and like most gifted individuals, he was always pushing boundaries, reinventing himself, and testing his limits. One of his biggest accomplishments was Thriller, a 14-minute...

Michael Jackson’s groundbreaking dance routines and unique vocals have influenced generations of musicians, dancers and entertainers for decades. He was one of entertainment’s greatest icons, and like most gifted individuals he was always pushing boundaries, reinventing himself, and testing his limits. The New York Times once described him as one of the six most famous people on the planet, but I’d like to up the ante by saying, he was the most famous person on the planet. Of his many achievements, Jackson helped elevate the music video, turning it into an art form with complex story lines, never-before-seen dance choreography, elaborate special effects and famous cameo appearances. And while he developed some of the greatest music videos of all time, it wasn’t always easy for him. At first Jackson struggled to receive coverage on MTV because he was African American. Pressure from CBS Records persuaded MTV...

It's been four years since Michael Jackson's death, and the throng of tributes that have poured out of the music industry have inspired and touched anyone familiar with the King of Pop's legacy. But now a new, rather unique tribute has emerged -- one that just might top all of its predecessors in its oddness.

The devotee in question is Ola Ray, the 52-year-old former Playboy model who is perhaps best known for having starred as Jackson's girlfriend in the iconic 1983 "Thriller" video. She's recorded her first single, "Remember," which she labels a tribute to Jackson, and produced an accompanying video that is, let's just say, a few steps removed from the quality of "Thriller."

Ray's video often finds her in front of a green screen -- literally. She sings portions of the song in front of some sort of green backdrop, while other moments find her mimicking the "Thriller" dance,...

Get your mind out of the gutter! The answer is Carroll Avenue, a street in Los Angeles’ historic Angelino Heights neighborhood.

As a local blog called Franklin Avenue points out today, that’s where Don Draper’s childhood home — a Pennsylvania brothel, in the show’s universe — is actually located. The real estate database Zillow says that the six-bedroom, 126-year-old building is worth just under $600,000, which sounds like a steal — especially considering how all the grime covering it in Sunday’s finale was added in post-production (and, evidently, after AMC took the photo above).

The fake whorehouse is located at 1355 Carroll Ave.

$55,000 ... that's how much it took for the chick from Michael Jackson's "Thriller" music video to call a truce in her war with the Mj estate ... TMZ has learned.TMZ broke the story ... Ola Ray settled her lawsuit with the estate earlier this year, and now we know what for ... $55,000 to Ola ... and $20,000 to her lawyer.Ola originally filed the suit against Mj and his production company in May 2009 -- a month before Jackson passed...

Throughout the month of October, Editor-in-Chief and resident Horror expert Ricky D, will be posting a list of his favorite Horror films of all time. The list will be posted in six parts. Click here to see every entry.

As with all lists, this is personal and nobody will agree with every choice – and if you do, that would be incredibly disturbing. It was almost impossible for me to rank them in order, but I tried and eventually gave up.

****

Special Mention:

Shock Corridor

Directed by Samuel Fuller

Written by Samuel Fuller

1963, USA

Shock Corridor stars Peter Breck as Johnny Barrett, an ambitious reporter who wants to expose the killer at the local insane asylum. In order to solve the case, he must pretend to be insane so they have him committed. Once in the asylum, Barrett sets to work, interrogating the other patients and keeping a close eye on the staff.

Michael Jackson's Estate has finally settled its beef with the girl who played Mj's date in the famed "Thriller" video -- three years after she filed her lawsuit.TMZ broke the story ... Ola Ray sued Mj and his production company in May 2009 -- the month before Jackson died -- claiming she hadn't been paid royalties from the legendary 1983 music video.The former Playboy Playmate sued for breach of contract, insisting she was still owed...

31 – Rosemary’s Baby

Directed by Roman Polanski

USA, 1968

Roman Polanski’s brilliant horror-thriller was nominated for two Oscars, winning Best Supporting Actress for Ruth Gordon. The director’s first American film, adapted from Ira Levin’s horror bestseller, is a spellbinding and twisted tale of Satanism and pregnancy. Supremely mounted, the film benefits from it’s strong atmosphere, apartment setting, eerie childlike score and polished production values by cinematographer William Fraker. The cast is brilliant, with Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes as the young couple playing opposite Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmer, the elderly neighbors. There is ominous tension in the film from first frame to last – the climax makes for one of the greatest endings of all time. Rarely has a film displayed such an uncompromising portrait of betrayal as this one. Career or marriage – which would you choose?

30 – Eraserhead

Directed by David Lynch

USA, 1977

Filmed intermittently over the course of a five-year period,...

There have been many portrayals of werewolves and other shapeshifting man/woman-beasts, in the media of film, but I can’t say there has been many memorable ones. With The Wolf Man (1941) Lon Chaney Jr. transformed into a werewolf at the full moon, and created one of the three most famous horror icons of the modern day. Werewolf fiction as since been an exceptionally diverse genre with ancient folkloric roots and manifold modern re-interpretations – from high shcool basketball players to American tourists hiking through the UK. Here is the list of my personal favourites.

#13- El aullido del diablo/ Howl of the Devil (1987)

Directed by: Paul Naschy

Paul Naschy, also known as Jacinto Molina Alvarez, was a Spanish movie actor, screenwriter, and director working primarily in horror films. His portrayals of numerous classic horror figures—the wolfman, the hunchback, Count Dracula, the mummy—have earned him recognition as the Spanish Lon Chaney.

The anniversary of Michael Jackson's death will be hard to escape on TV Friday (June 25).

ABC, CBS, NBC and several cable channels all have some kind of commemorative programming lined up, ranging from a look back at his music career to interviews with family members. Here's a rundown (all times Eastern):

ABC: A two-hour "20/20" special called "Michael Jackson: After Life" airs at 9 p.m. and will include interviews with those who knew and worked with him -- including Ola Ray, who co-starred in the "Thriller" video -- and a review of the circumstances surrounding his death.

Bet: Specials "Michael Jackson: Life of a Superstar" and "Inside the Michael Jackson Mansion" air at 1 and 2 p.m., and a two-hour celebration of his life and career, "Michael Jackson History: King of Pop" debuts at 8 p.m.

CBS: "The Early Show" will devote the 8 a.m. hour to Jackson, with remembrances from Christina Aguilera,...

I’m surprised that some Hollywood studio hasn’t yet announced that they’re adapting Michael Jackson’s seminal music video for Thriller for the big screen! I mean, really – while they’re obviously on this remake/adaptation/reboot stretch, why not look to expanding 4-minute music videos into feature-length films? They’re practically short films anyway, and we’ve seen a few short films go viral recently, eventually attracting studio attention.

And what better music video to begin with than the one that really started it all – Michael Jackson’s Thriller! And don’t forget, it’ll have to be in 3D too, right? We can get Angelina Jolie to star as the character Michael Jackson played in the original, and Brad Pitt could take over for Ola Ray

I should mention that it was reported Jackson did plan on making a feature-length 3D movie of Thriller before his death,...

HollywoodNews.com: Vanity Fair writer Nancy Griffin, who was on set during the 1983 filming of “Thriller,” talks with director John Landis about Michael Jackson, and with Jackson’s co-star, Ola Ray, who reveals for the first time in depth the relationship the two shared offscreen.

Ray tells Griffin that she “had some intimate moments with [Jackson] in his trailer,” and takes pains not to reveal too much, according to Griffin, saying: “I won’t say that I have seen him in his birthday suit but close enough.” She describes their involvement as “a little kindergarten thing,” saying that she thought it “important for him to be around someone who would make him feel comfortable.” She describes their intimate moments as “kissing and puppy-love make-out sessions – and a little more than that,” but refuses to say more. “I’ve already told you more than I’ve ever told anyone!”

Griffin reports that...

Photos excerpted from Michael Jackson: the Making of “Thriller”/Four Days/1983, by Douglas Kirkland, to be published in November by Filipacchi. © 2010 Douglas Kirkland.When Michael Jackson died one year ago this June 25, his loss generated a tidal wave of mourning and nostalgia. Journalist Nancy Griffin had tangible memories to cling to, having been present on set for the filming of Jackson’s iconic “Thriller” video. Observing Jackson firsthand at the peak of his career, and then going back to interview his key aides and collaborators, Griffin, in “The ‘Thriller’ Diaries” reflects on a man for whom all the talent in the world couldn’t stave off crippling insecurities and loneliness. Griffin speaks with director John Landis, record executives, Jackson’s co-star Ola Ray, choreographers, and others to illuminate the process of how the star created something totally revolutionary. On the backs of the record-setting LP of the same name,...

Live in La or planning to be in the area Friday-Sunday, April 9–11, 2010, and looking for something completely badass to do? Yeah? Good! Because we've got your chance to win one of three pairs of tickets to dig on this year's Monsterpalooza show!

Monsterpalooza (official site here) is like no other convention on the planet, and lord knows we've been to enough of them! If you're a horror fan, you're pretty much guaranteed a good time. Here's your chance to experience the difference yourself completely on us!

To enter (and hopefully win), just hit us off with an E-mail Here that includes your Full Name And Mailing Address, and we'll do the rest.

For full Monsterpalooza – The Art of Monsters convention info see below. Monsterpalooza can also be visited on Facebook and MySpace.

Monsterpalooza - The Art Of Monsters

Special F/X Driven Show

The Marriott Burbank Convention Center

2500 Hollywood Way

Burbank,...

With the second annual and highly anticipated horror convention Monsterpalooza – The Art of Monsters returning Friday, April 9–11, 2010, to The Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel in Burbank, CA (get your tickets here now, and how could you not, when they’re only $20 a day?), Dread caught up with the con’s creator, Eliot Brodsky, to talk about the F/X and monster-heavy event.

“Monsterpalooza was a glimmer of an idea back in 2007,” Brodsky told us of the show’s conception. “I actually did a very sized-down version of the show on the East Coast in 2008. It was in conjunction with Monster-Mania as a display museum.”

While other horror conventions seem to primarily focus on the stars of the genre (and this year’s Monsterpalooza isn’t slacking in that department by any means, as Brodsky’s organized a Return of the Living Dead reunion panel with the principals from that classic), the...

We're exactly two months away from the second annual Monsterpalooza, which is returning to the Marriott Burbank Convention Center April 9-11, 2010. To help get people fired up for the event, which features special effects artists from the horror industry along with their many works, the promoters have revealed the expanded guest list along with a slew of presentations and demos that will be taking place over the weekend.

Confirmed guests so far include:

Verne Langdon - Monster Of Ceremonies

Michael Westmore - Academy Award Winning Makeup Artist - Mask, Star Trek, Raging Bull

Tom Burman - Award Winning Makeup Artist - Island Of Dr. Moreau, The Goonies, Nip/Tuck

Barney Burman - Proteus F/X - Dawn Of The Dead, Matrix Reloaded, Star Trek 09

Rob Burman - The Fly, The Thing, Star Trek 09

Amalgamated Dynamics - Academy Award Winners Tom Woodruff & Alec Gillis - Starship Troopers, Avp

Knb - Academy...

Psychic Derek Acorah will attempt to contact Jackson's spirit.

By James Montgomery

Michael Jackson

Photo: Dave Hogan/Getty Images

In one of the more bizarre media events surrounding Michael Jackson's death, on Friday British television network Sky 1 will broadcast a live séance with the singer's spirit.

In a special "intimate and unique" hour-long event — dubbed "Michael Jackson: The Live Séance" — British psychic Derek Acorah will attempt to contact Jackson's spirit, with the hope of giving the King of Pop's fans the opportunity "to connect with their hero one last time."

"There is an insatiable appetite to find out more about Michael Jackson," Stuart Murphy, Sky 1's director of programs, told Yahoo UK earlier this month. "He was an extraordinary figure and the curiosity surrounding his life — and his death — stretches well beyond fans of his music."

Just how Acorah —best known to British audiences for his long-running paranormal TV...

Another con is on the horizon for Indiana residents. One that promises to be a veritable festival of fiends. In fact ... that's its name! Pretty nifty, no?

Tickets are on sale now for this year's Festival of Fiends, which takes place November 20th-22nd at the Sheraton Hotel Indianapolis. Admission price not only gets you into the show, but it also gets you into some pretty sweet screenings including House of the Wolf Man, Neighbor, and the short films Thirsty and The Resurrection of Officer Rollins.

Special guests include Gary Busey (Predator 2, Silver Bullet), FX legend Greg Nicotero, Kane Hodder, Ola Ray (the hot chick from Michael Jackson's "Thriller"!), Pj Soles (Halloween), Heather Langenkamp (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Amanda Wyss (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Margot Kidder (Amityville Horror, Black Christmas, Halloween II) and many, many more. Check out the full guest list and get all the...

Filed under: Michael Jackson, Exclusives

The woman who starred in Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video now claims Mj's estate owes her big-time for the infamous vid. Ola Ray sued Michael for breach of contract back in May, claiming she was stiffed out of her cut of the "Thriller" ...

Permalink...

She starred alongside Michael Jackson in his "Thriller" video, now Ola Ray is telling all to "The Insider"! Our Victoria Recano sat down with Ray, who played Jackson's girlfriend in the Thriller short film. Watch the video to see Ray reflect back on her days on the set with Michael, and share her feelings when she learned of his death. Ray adds that she's recording an album and writing a book.

[Read full story on The Insider]...

Yes, he was the punchline of approximately a quarter-million Tonight Show jokes. But Michael Jackson's stop-on-a-dime dance moves and sensual soprano have influenced generations of musicians, dancers and entertainers, and the man was so much more than what the tabloids made him out to be. One of entertainment's greatest icons, he was incredibly gifted, and like most gifted individuals he was an equally troubled genius who kept us captivated at his most dazzling, and at his most appalling moments. The New York Times once described him as one of the six most famous people on the planet. I'd like to up the ante:  he was the most famous person on the planet. He influenced artists ranging from Justin Timberlake to Madonna, and genres from rock to pop to R&B to even rap. No other artist has been as unifying. Jackson also helped elevate the music video, turning it...

When the King of Pop asked for a cameo, stars came running.

By James Montgomery

Michael Jackson and Chris Tucker in the "You Rock My World" music video

Photo: Sony Music

Michael Jackson was the King of Pop. And when the King called, people listened.

And not just any people, mind you, but the hugest celebrities in the world. Movie stars, supermodels, fellow recording giants, superstar athletes — they were all at Jackson's beck and call, mostly because he was the most famous man on the planet.

And his mega-celebrity came in handy when Mj wanted to make a music video. Because the King only did them one way: huge, loaded with eye-popping special effects, elaborate dance sequences and opulent set designs. His videos were mini-movies, they were events. And, accordingly, they needed stars.

Of course, the real star was always Michael Jackson. But over the course of three decades, he...

The people Michael Jackson does business with won't stop till they get enough. The much-sued King of Pop is the target of two new lawsuits, one that harks back to the making of Thriller, while the other is a reminder of his later, not-so-royal days. First up, Ola Ray, the actress who played a cat-eyed Jackson's horrified date in the "Thriller" video, has filed suit against the singer, claiming she has never been paid royalties from her role in the 1983 classic. "She just wants to get her fair share of payments from this extremely successful project that she's very proud of," Ray's attorney, Jason Feldman, told the New York Daily News Tuesday. "She did receive some...

This girl must be in need of some cash! Ola Ray, who starred in Michael Jackson’s 1983 Thriller music video, is suing him. Ray claims she was never paid the royalties for her role in the legendary video. Funny how it escaped her mind all these years until now while we’re conveniently in a recession! The video star and former Playboy model is suing for breach of contract because she never got her cut. Who knows how much money she’s allegedly entitled to, but our guess is a lot! That’s one of the hugest music videos...