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As the final stretch of October sets in, there is still plenty of time to catch favorite flicks, spooky, witchy, scary or cozy in the season of pumpkins, monsters and more. Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween has several classic films airing all month long such as Casper (1995), Arachnophobia, Goosebumps, Edward Scissorhands, etc.

More recent films like 2021’s Ghostbustesr: Afterlife, 2022’s Hocus Pocus 2 (2022) and Haunted Mansion (2023) will also be available. Disney+ is the home of several of the movies in the below list, as is Max. Follow along below for your favorite titles as well as what is available by streamer and network.

Movies:

While Bram Stoker’s Dracula directed by Francis Ford Coppola is streaming on MGM+, several other vampire movies like Interview with the Vampire are available on Max. Peacock also boasts a couple newer fanged flicks like Renfield (2023) and Abigail (2024). Twilight is not streaming anywhere currently, but...

We were sad to hear that veteran character actor Louis Gossett Jr, who got his acting start in Broadway productions back in 1950s (including Take a Giant Step and a 1959 production of A Raisin in the Sun where he shared the stage with Sidney Poitier), had passed away at 87. While we have to get used to the fact that our favorite actors are all human, and like all of us, eventually pass away, it can’t help but hurt anytime we lose a legend like this. But he leaves behind a rich legacy, so let’s look back at five of his coolest roles.

An Officer and a Gentleman:

Louis Gossett Jr. won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in this, and became the first African-American actor to win an Academy Award in that category in the process. Next to R. Lee Ermey...

Unlike Superman and Superman II, Superman III didn’t even bother teasing the next installment in the franchise. Really, by the time that movie’s end credits hit, did anyone even want another entry? Hadn’t the Salkinds done enough damage to the Man of Steel? And yet, as we all know, a fourth installment in the Superman series did indeed hit theaters…with a nearly unmatched thud.

If you remember from our previous instalment of What Happened to This Movie?!, Superman III was plagued with all sorts of problems both on and off the screen. So what happened this time around? Turns out, the series would be facing its greatest battles yet, with the rights being passed to another studio, its star only signing on so he could finance another movie altogether and the budget getting chopped in more than half!

And so, let’s suit up one more...

The Criterion Channel’s at its best when October rolls around, consistently engaging in the strongest horror line-ups of any streamer. 2024 will bring more than a few iterations of their spooky programming: “Horror F/X” highlights the best effects-based scares through the likes of Romero, Cronenberg, Lynch, Tobe Hooper, James Whale; “Witches” does what it says on the tin (and inside the tin is the underrated Italian anthology film featuring Clint Eastwood cuckolded by Batman); “Japanese Horror” runs the gamut of classics; a Stephen King series puts John Carpenter and The Lawnmower Man on equal playing ground; October’s Criterion Editions are Rosemary’s Baby, Night of the Hunter, Häxan; a made-for-tv duo includes Carpenter’s underrated Someone’s Watching Me!; meanwhile, The Wailing and The Babadook stream alongside a collection of Cronenberg and Stephanie Rothman titles.

Otherwise, Winona Ryder and Raúl Juliá are given retrospectives, as are filmmakers Arthur J. Bressan Jr. and Lionel Rogosin.

Before we get yet another Superman film next summer, this fall brings a documentary that examines the man who made him famous on cinema screens. Premiering at Sundance Film Festival earlier this year’s Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story tells the story of the actor and activist. Picked up by DC Studios, it’ll now arrive in theaters for two nights only on September 21 and 25. Ahead of the theatrical showings the first trailer has arrived.

Dan Mecca said in his review, “Directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story recounts and examines the incredibly compelling, tragic, redemptive story of actor and activist Christopher Reeve. He was made famous playing the superhero Superman in Richard Donner/Richard Lester/Sidney J. Furie’s quartet of films in the ’70s and ’80s. In 1995, Reeve was paralyzed from the neck down after being thrown from a horse during a competition.

Stars: Michael Caine, Jason Connery, Mia Sara, Michael Gambon, Anatoly Kulbitsky, Shaughan Seymour, Corinna Richards | Written by Harry Alan Towers | Directed by George Mihalka

Bullet to Beijing is a 1995 made-for-television film that sees Michael Caine reprising his iconic role as Harry Palmer, the unorthodox and disillusioned British spy first introduced in Len Deighton’s novels and brought to life in the 1965 film The Ipcress File. Directed by George Mihalka, Bullet to Beijing attempts to rekindle the charm and suspense of the original series, but it does so with mixed results.

The story follows Harry Palmer, now older and more cynical, as he finds himself forcibly retired from the British Secret Service. When he receives a mysterious job offer from an unknown Russian employer, Palmer is thrust into a convoluted plot involving stolen biological weapons. The journey takes him on the titular train ride to Beijing, encountering double-crosses, espionage, and a...

Possession is a relatively common topic on this channel and show and that’s probably because it’s something that has been recorded and pushed as factual by the people claiming to be possessed or investigators for a long time. It generally falls under the scope of he said/she said with most of the presented evidence as fact being very up for interpretation. These are almost always then turned into movies as that open for interpretation aspect of it can lead to a bunch of elements being added for entertainment and dramatic purposes. Today we look at a movie that is based on a book that was inspired by a true story. It’s not exactly possession but it is a poltergeist of a movie that is something very different and was taken quite seriously in both real life and as a movie. The Entity (buy it Here) is...

Directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story recounts and examines the incredibly compelling, tragic, redemptive story of actor and activist Christopher Reeve. He was made famous playing the superhero Superman in Richard Donner/Richard Lester/Sidney J. Furie’s quartet of films in the ’70s and ’80s. In 1995, Reeve was paralyzed from the neck down after being thrown from a horse during a competition. That terrible accident eventually sparked the creation of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, a non-profit whose goal is to cure spinal-cord injury and improve the quality of life for those with paralysis.

It’s hard to write criticism of films like these. Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is an important movie about an important subject, supported by those closest to him––in this case, Reeve’s grown-up children Matthew, Alexandra, and Will. Bonhôte and Ettedgui are accomplished documentarians (see their...

James Brolin on Wednesday clarified he was mistakenly referring to the 1973 film “The Way We Were” in an interview with Bill Maher in which he said his wife, Barbra Streisand, was working on redoing the ending.

“The Way We Were” is, in fact, being re-released Oct. 17 on Blu-ray for its 50th anniversary, not “Funny Girl.”

Brolin released a statement of clarification to TheWrap.

“To My Wife Barbra and all her fans,” the statement said. “Drinking tequila with Bill Maher on his ‘Club Random’ podcast recently, I mistakenly mentioned the wrong film. I meant to say my wife was working on ‘The Way We Were.‘ Apologies for all the confusion … Jim Brolin.”

Original story is below:

“Funny Girl,” the smash hit that cemented Barbra Streisand’s place in Hollywood at the ripe age of 26, ended with her protagonist, Fanny Brice, separating from her husband after he was released from prison.

Fifty-five years later,...

Refresh for chart…On the bright side for Independence Day bomb Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, its first five days at the box office of $82M aren’t as bad as Paramount/Skydance’s Terminator Genisys.

That sequel’s launch just prior to July 4, 2015 left a lot of methane in the air with $42.4M in its Wednesday to Sunday. The attempted Arnold Schwarzenegger comeback movie ended its domestic run at $89.7M, and Dial of Destiny will cross that mark before its first week is up.

Comparing July 4th tentpole hits and bombs can be tricky. Since the holiday skips around, sometimes studios launch on a Wednesday, sometimes a Friday so for the box office fanatics, everything is apples-to-oranges. The last time July 4th fell on a Tuesday was 2017 and 2006. In 2017, over the Friday-Tuesday frame, Illumination/Universal’s Despicable Me 3 led with $99M, followed by Sony/MRC’s Baby Driver with $29.97M.

Barry Newman, who propelled a supercharged Dodge Challenger across the American West in Vanishing Point and portrayed a defense attorney on the NBC series Petrocelli, has died. He was 92.

Newman died May 11 of natural causes at NewYork-Presbyterian Columbia University Irving Medical Center, his wife, Angela, told The Hollywood Reporter.

After appearing on Broadway and starring in The Lawyer (1970), the Boston-born actor was up for a change of pace when he was offered the role of a man tasked with transporting a car from Denver to San Francisco in the action-packed Fox film Vanishing Point (1971), directed by Richard C. Sarafian.

“This was very unique,” he said. “I had just done this film about a lawyer, a Harvard graduate, and I thought this is a different kind of thing. The guy was the rebel, the antihero. I enjoyed doing that very much.”

Newman’s taciturn character, Kowalski, was a Vietnam veteran, former...

Jay Weston, who was working as a publicist when a chance meeting with Billie Holiday at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival would lead to the producing of her 1972 biopic Lady Sings the Blues, died February 28 of natural causes at the Motion Picture Home in Woodland Hills, CA. He was 93.

His death was announced by spokesperson Jeff Sanderson on behalf of the Weston family.

Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story Ricou Browning Dies: 'Creature From The Black Lagoon's Gill-man Was 93 Related Story Brett Radin Dies: Talent Manager With Knitting Factory Management Was 53

A prominent restaurant critic later in life, Weston’s show business career in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s was marked by such high points as producing Billy Wilder’s last film, Chu Chu and the Philly Flash with Carol Burnett and Alan Arkin, W.C. Fields...

Jay Weston, who produced the Diana Ross-starring Lady Sings the Blues and Billy Wilder’s final feature, Buddy Buddy, has died. He was 93.

Weston died Tuesday of natural causes at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, his family announced.

Weston also served as head of ABC’s feature film division, Palomar Pictures, where his first project was the Sydney Pollack-directed They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (1969), nominated for nine Oscars.

And he produced the 1969 Broadway drama Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?, starring Al Pacino in a career-launching, Tony-winning turn.

A chance meeting with Billie Holiday at the Newport Jazz Festival led him to securing the rights to her autobiography. He then produced Lady Sings the Blues (1972), the Sidney J. Furie-helmed biopic that collected five Academy Award nominations.

Weston followed with films including W.C. Fields and Me (1976), starring Rod Steiger; Chu Chu and...

On the JoBlo Movies YouTube channel, we will be posting one full movie every day of the week, giving viewers the chance to watch them entirely free of charge. The Free Movie of the Day we have for you today is the Vietnam War drama The Veteran, and you can watch it over on the YouTube channel linked above, or you can just watch it in the embed at the top of this article.

Directed by Sidney J. Furie from a screenplay by J. Stephen Maunder and John Flock, The Veteran was originally released in 2006 and is a follow-up to Furie’s 2001 film Under Heavy Fire, a.k.a. Going Back. This one has the following synopsis: Thirty years on from the Vietnam War, a government official is trying to track down soldiers who went missing in action, in the hope that it may lead her to her father. Meanwhile,...

Click here to read the full article.

Gray Frederickson, the Oscar-winning producer who worked alongside Francis Ford Coppola on the Godfather trilogy, Apocalypse Now and One From the Heart in a collaboration that spanned more than four decades, has died. He was 85.

Frederickson died Sunday at his home in Oklahoma City after a battle with prostate cancer, his wife, Karen, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Frederickson shared the best picture Oscar in 1975 with writer-director-producer Coppola and producer Fred Roos for The Godfather Part II — the first of just two sequels to take the big prize — and the trio (and Tom Sternberg) were nominated again for Apocalypse Now (1979).

“I got on a winning horse. I was with Francis Coppola, who’s no slouch. I was lucky enough to be carried along with him,” Frederickson told The Oklahoman in a 2021 interview. “I got lucky with him, but he says he got lucky with me.

Barbara Hershey is raped and ravaged by an invisible force in Sidney Furie’s allegedly “true” shocker. Filmed in 1981 but not released until two years later. As with The Exorcist, unexplainable events reportedly occurred off camera during production. Martin Scorsese put this one on his list of 11 scariest horror films.

The post The Entity appeared first on Trailers From Hell.

The Ipcress File

Ipcress File, BBC2, 2.05pm, Sunday, October 2

Michael Caine was busy cementing himself as a household name on the big screen when he took on the role of Harry Palmer in Sidney J Furie's spy thriller, which came out the year after his breakout turn in 1964's Zulu and the year before Alfie. He brings a dash of East End grit to Len Deighton's secret-agent-with-attitude, who is embroiled in a kidnapping and brainwashing plot. Shot with off-kilter angles by cinematographer Otto Heller, we are invited to step into Palmer's disorientation, but Furie always ensures the movie stays grounded in a reality that's a world away from the glitz of James Bond.

Welcome To Chechnya: The Gay Purge, 10.30pm BBC4, Tuesday, September 27

David France's deep dive into the underground network trying to help LGBT+ people whose lives are threatened by the extreme Chechen government is a bleak but urgent watch.

Jeannie Berlin stars as Sheila, a misfit from Pennsylvania who finds New York’s dating scene no less daunting. Roy Scheider, on the cusp of superstardom in that year’s Jaws, plays a callous Romeo who plays the field but falls hard for Sheila. Though critics were mixed about Sidney Furie’s 1975 dramedy, the praise was unanimous for Scheider and Berlin.

The post Sheila Levine is Dead and Living in New York appeared first on Trailers From Hell.

Probably best known as the basis for the TV series Petrocelli, Sidney Furie’s 1970 crime drama stars Barry Newman as an ambitious lawyer who makes his name in a high profile murder case. Diana Muldaur co-stars as Newman’s wife and TV perennial Harold J. Stone plays his volatile courtroom rival.

The post The Lawyer appeared first on Trailers From Hell.

Director Sidney J. Furie discusses his favorite films he’s watched and re-watched during quarantine with hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Dr. Blood’s Coffin (1961)

The Ipcress File (1965) – Howard Rodman’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

The Appaloosa (1966)

The Naked Runner (1967)

Lady Sings The Blues (1972)

The Entity (1982) – Luca Gaudagnino’s trailer commentary

The Boys in Company C (1978)

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Dennis Cozzalio’s review

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

The Apartment (1960) – Dan Ireland’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing

The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946)

Twelve O’Clock High (1949)

A Place In The Sun (1951) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

Out Of Africa (1985)

The Last Picture Show (1971) – Mark Pellington’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing

Annie Hall (1977)

The Bad And The Beautiful (1952)

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)

The Tender Bar...

Director Sidney J. Furie specialized in brainy action films and his 1973 revenge fantasy starring Billy Dee Williams and Richard Pryor is no different. The duo plays two former military men who go rogue with a plan to wipe out a drug-dealing kingpin and his gang. Furie assembled an eclectic cast and crew including Gwen Welles as a hooked hooker and perennial sit-com sidekick Sid Melton as one of the vengeful soldiers of fortune. John Alonzo did the cinematography, the following year he was framing Chinatown.

The post Hit! appeared first on Trailers From Hell.

We loved James Bond but diehard ’60s spy fans hold a special admiration for Len Deighton’s ‘thinking man’s secret agent’ Harry Palmer. Viavision pulls off a slick trick by assembling the three top Michael Caine Harry Palmer pictures, each from a different studio, in a single deluxe gift box. Harry fights the Brain Drain, encounters criss-crossing conspiracies at the Berlin Wall, and witnesses a privatized invasion of the U.S.S.R., in The Ipcress File, Funeral in Berlin and Billion Dollar Brain, three great pictures by three very different directors. The presentations come with a glut of special edition extras.

The Harry Palmer Collection

All-Region Blu-ray

Viavision [Imprint] 75, 76, 77

1965-67 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / Street Date October 20, 2021 / Available from Amazon / 109.99

Starring: Michael Caine

From the novels by Len Deighton

Produced by Harry Saltzman

Directed by Sidney J. Furie, Guy Hamilton, Ken Russell

It didn’t seem possible that there...

Move over, Angry Young Men: Alfie Elkins leverages class resentment and killer good looks to become a ladies’ man extraordinaire… in his own eyes. Michael Caine was born to play Bill Naughton’s smooth-talking, responsibility-dodging cad’s cad. Alfie mistreats a glorious lineup of actresses — Julia Foster, Jane Asher, Vivien Merchant — and Shelley Winters is hilarious as the widow who has his number. Will Alfie maybe develop a conscience? The two-disc special edition shares a double bill with My Generation, a highly entertaining Swinging London documentary hosted by Michael Caine. Being kind doesn’t make one a fool, Alfie.

Alfie + My Generation

Blu-ray (Region-Free)

Viavision [Imprint] 41

1965 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 112 min. / Street Date June 2, 2021 / Available from Viavision / au 64.98

Starring: Michael Caine, Shelley Winters, Julia Foster, Jane Asher, Vivien Merchant, Millicent Martin, Denholm Elliott, Alfie Bass, Graham Stark, Eleanor Bron, Shirley Anne Field, Murray Melvin, Sydney Tafler.

Cinematography: Otto Heller

Art Direction:...

Exclusive: Here’s a hot one: ITV is turning Len Deighton’s spy novel The Ipcress File, which inspired the 1965 Michael Caine film of the same name, into a television series — and the UK broadcaster has assembled a stellar on- and off-screen team to make the drama a reality.

The adaptation will be penned by BAFTA-winning Trainspotting writer John Hodge, while the cast will be led by Gangs Of London and Peaky Blinders star Joe Cole, alongside Bohemian Rhapsody actress Lucy Boynton, and The Night Manager’s Tom Hollander. The Crown and Rush producer Andrew Eaton will serve as an executive producer, while the six-part Berlin-set series will be helmed by McMafia and Black Mirror director James Watkins.

The Ipcress File is the first major project housed at Will Clarke and Andy Mayson’s Altitude Television, a production arm of the British film and TV company Altitude Media Group,...

Forty years ago this week, the soundtrack to Neil Diamond’s The Jazz Singer arrived in record stores. The album was an enormous success due to hit singles “Love on the Rocks,” “Hello Again,” and “America,” even if the movie itself — which starred Diamond as a cantor who rebels against his strict, religious father by making pop music — was far less successful.

Diamond’s dreams of movie stardom go all the way back to the early Seventies when he unsuccessfully auditioned to play Lenny Bruce in Bob Fosse’s Lenny,...

“Just start shooting.” That was the advice the legendary A.C. Lyles delivered to young filmmakers when they asked him how he managed to produce five films every year. “Don’t waste your time waiting for some nameless executive to give you the green light,” Lyles told them.

His approach was problematic, but in today’s stalled pandemic economy, it makes perverse sense. Two young female filmmakers successfully pursued his tactic this year with festival-winning results that might inspire others to follow suit. So did a distinguished 87-year-old director who has finished shooting his new film built around two veteran stars, ages 82 and 90.

In both cases, the filmmakers knew the odds were stacked against them – too much experience on one side, too little on the other. They thus decided not to wait in vain for a studio green light, instead scratching together their resources until they could finally shout, “Action!”

The films,...

It’s finally back on Blu in Region 1, the ‘sixties spy movie beloved by enthusiasts that yearned for something a bit more substantial & nutritious than James Bond. This first Harry Palmer adventure seems even more perfect than when it was thanks to a great espionage recipe and quality ingredients. Michael Caine is sensational as the anti-007, the feel of London streets is intoxicating, and John Barry’s music score is beyond praise. Are Sidney Furie’s directorial mannerisms too show-offy, too fussy? I only raise the question to defend him.

The Ipcress File

Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1965 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 109 min. / Street Date October 27, 2020 / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95

Starring: Michael Caine, Nigel Green, Guy Doleman, Sue Lloyd, Gordon Jackson, Aubrey Richards, Frank Gatliff, Thomas Baptiste, Oliver MacGreevy, Freda Bamford, David Glover, Mike Murray, Anthony Baird.

Cinematography: Otto Heller

Film Editor: Peter Hunt

Production Designer: Ken Adam

Original Music: John Barry

Written by W.H. Canaway,...

Myopic Harry Palmer, the great cook, lover and reluctant spy, returns to where his trouble with the British Army began. This time he’s tangled up in a political snarl that might have dire consequences: not only are the Russians involved, ex-Nazis are on the payroll. Israel may have an agent in the field, and not necessarily working in Her Majesty’s interest. Michael Caine’s star quality shines through in this second Harry Palmer spy yarn, filmed on German locations in high style by Guy Hamilton.

Funeral in Berlin

Blu-ray Disc

Paramount Pictures

1966 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 102 min. / Street Date May 26, 2020 / 20.49

Starring: Michael Caine, Oskar Homolka, Paul Hubschmid, Eva Renzi, Guy Doleman.

Cinematography: Otto Heller

Film Editor: John Bloom

Production Designer: Ken Adam

Original Music: Konrad Elfers

Written by Evan Jones from the novel by Len Deighton

Produced by Charles D. Kasher & Harry Saltzman

Directed by Guy Hamilton

All three...

What is it about serpents and seduction? Is it the psychic residue of Sunday school and Adam and Eve, or is it that the ‘s’ sound is just so sexy? Not being much into organized anything leads me to believe the latter, and The Snake Woman (1961) bears this out in a short, simple way with surprisingly little in the way of exploitation; regardless, it’s a film that should leave viewers charmed (insert Gene Shalit gif here).

Released by United Artists in late April, The Snake Woman was a second biller in the U.S., riding the bottom end below Dr. Blood’s Coffin, released the same year from the same filmmaking team (producer George Fowler and director Sidney J. Furie). Costing under $20,000, it made money but not many friends, with critics deriding its barebones plot and poverty row budget; all true, but it also is something that most critics...

Scream Factory is looking to have another great week, as they are once again dominating this Tuesday’s home media releases with their Collector’s Editions for both The Entity and Frankenstein Created Woman, as well as a stunning Steelbook Edition of Joe Dante’s Piranha. Synapse Films has also put together a Special Edition for the criminally under-appreciated Slaughter of the Innocents, we’re also getting a Steelbook for Tobe Hooper’s Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and for those of you who can’t get enough Ghostbusters releases, there’s a new Steelbook featuring both the first film as well as its sequel, including some unearthed footage that hadn’t been released previously.

Other notable Blu-ray and DVD releases for June 11th include Leprechaun Returns, Hi-Death, The 27 Club, Devil’s Kiss, Final Stab, Captain Marvel, as well as the entire limited series set for I Am the Night,...

Based on Frank De Felitta's unsettling book of the same name, 1983's The Entity is coming to Blu-ray like never before in a new Collector's Edition from Scream Factory, and we've been provided with the full list of special features ahead of its June 11th release, including a new interview with star Barbara Hershey.

Press Release: Carla Moran, a hard-working single mother whose life becomes a nightmare when she is attacked in her bedroom by someone – or something – that she cannot see. Disbelieved by her friends and dismissed by skeptical psychiatrists, Carla begins to lose her grip as she is repeatedly attacked in her car, in the bath, and even in front of her children. Could this be a case of hysteria, a manifestation of childhood sexual trauma, or something even more horrific? Seeking help from a group of daring parapsychologists, Carla will attempt an unthinkable experiment: to seduce,...

Science experiments take a morbid turn for small-town citizens in Doctor Blood's Coffin, and with the 1962 horror movie coming to Blu-ray on May 15th from Scream Factory, we've been provided with three high-def copies to give away to lucky Daily Dead readers!

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Prize Details: (3) Winners will receive (1) Blu-ray copy of Doctor Blood's Coffin.

How to Enter: We're giving Daily Dead readers multiple chances to enter and win:

1. Instagram: Following us on Instagram during the contest period will give you an automatic contest entry. Make sure to follow us at:

https://www.instagram.com/dailydead/

2. Email: For a chance to win via email, send an email to contest@dailydead.com with the subject “Doctor Blood's Coffin Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.

Entry Details: The contest will end at 12:01am Est on May 21st. This contest is only open to those who are eighteen...

After their thrilling announcement that a remastered The House That Dripped Blood Blu-ray is coming soon, Scream Factory has added two other titles to their Blu-ray release slate this May: Doctor Blood's Coffin (1961) and The Vampire and the Ballerina (1960):

From Scream Factory: "We are now taking pre-orders for our upcoming release of two early 60’s shockers Doctor Blood’S Coffin and The Vampire And The Ballerina, both which make their Blu-ray format debuts in the U.S. & Canada this May!

Doctor Blood’S Coffin (Street Date: 5/15): After being dismissed from medical school because of his devious experiments, Doctor Peter Blood returns home to join his father's practice. He still believes he can create the perfect human, so he continues his experiments in an abandoned mine where he attempts to revive a rotting corpse. But Dr. Blood needs a living "donor" to create his "perfect human" and soon people...

By Hank Reineke

Though often dismissed as a low-budget “Made for TV” feature, director Franklin Adreon’s Cyborg 2087 enjoyed a brief theatrical run prior to its debut on broadcast television in March of 1968. In April of 1967 the film was packaged alongside such similarly low-budgeted, independent features as Death Curse of Tartu, Sting of Death, and even a second Adreon “time travel” themed film, Dimension 5. Though this somewhat lackluster film seemed destined for relegation to the late-night drive-in horror movie circuit, Cyborg 2087 nonetheless displayed some small measure of staying power. That same summer, Adreon’s film was still making the rounds of the secondary flea-pit theater circuit, sometimes serving as the under bill to Sidney J. Furie’s contemporary political thriller The Naked Runner featuring Frank Sinatra.

Though he had worked on serials and a handful of feature films in the early stages of his career, director Adreon was laboring...

According to the story he himself tells in the documentary series Hollywood, UK, Canadian filmmaker Sidney J. Furie came to England to take part in the British new wave, whose films he admired. First, he had to pay his dues with nonsense like Dr. Blood's Coffin, The Snake Woman and The Young Ones (starring pop singer Cliff Richard), but eventually, with The Leather Boys in 1964, he was able to make the kind of dynamic working-class social realism he'd been admiring from afar (Rita Tushingham's presence in the cast provides the stamp of authenticity).But During One Night (1961) shows Furie working on a small-scale independent film that has more in common with his mid-sixties work than it does with the cheesy exploitation movies he marked time on, and its date shows how quick off the mark Furie must have been: Look Back in Anger only hit cinemas in 1959, and by '61 Furie was in Britain,...

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) Director: Sidney J. Furie Stars: Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, Margot Kidder With the Justice League making their anticipated cinematic debut, and Superman rising back from the dead to join them (Spoiler Alert, my ass), Awfully Good Movies returns to finally tackle the movie that kicked Superman off the big screen for nearly 20 years, as Christopher Reeve... Read More...

In a sense, Arabesque (1966) is a sort of warmed-over rehash of Donen's earlier Charade (1963), which was a really nifty mock-Hitchcockian comedy thriller with Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant. The later film stars Gregory Peck, who's no Grant, and Sophia Loren, who isn't Hepburn but is Loren—which ain't nothing.Donen was reputedly highly unhappy with the script, despite being the movie's producer, and his cinematographer Christopher Challis records him saying that their only hope was to present the story in as stylish and eccentric a manner as possible: this, for the most part, they do. (A pretty-well identical tale is told of Sidney J. Furie and The Ipcress File, and the result is similar in each case: a pop-art expressionist fairyland London in which everyone is or might be a spy or double or treble agent.)The opening scene, in which George Coulouris is murdered at the optician with poisoned eyedrops,...

Kofo Owokoniran was a participant on this year's inaugural Film Critics Day workshop at the Cinema Rediscovered film festival in Bristol and Clevedon in the U.K. Cinema Rediscovered is a celebration of the finest new digital restorations, contemporary classics and film print rarities from across the globe. 15 early career and aspiring film critics took part in a full day workshop looking at the state of things for film criticism in the U.K. and beyond. They each produced a written or visual piece of criticism around the films in the program. Further examples of their work, as well as information about the program, can be found on the Cinema Rediscovered Blog.Having seen Sidney J. Furie’s entry into the 80s lexicon of horror, for the first time at the Cinema Rediscovered film festival in Bristol, it occurs to me that The Entity (1982) could be considered timeless. Not for...

'Making Love': Groundbreaking romantic gay drama returns to the big screen As part of its Anniversary Classics series, Laemmle Theaters will be presenting Arthur Hiller's groundbreaking 1982 romantic drama Making Love, the first U.S. movie distributed by a major studio that focused on a romantic gay relationship. Michael Ontkean, Harry Hamlin, and Kate Jackson star. The 35th Anniversary Screening of Making Love will be held on Saturday, June 24 – it's Gay Pride month, after all – at 7:30 p.m. at the Ahrya Fine Arts Theatre on Wilshire Blvd. in Beverly Hills. The movie will be followed by a Q&A session with Harry Hamlin, screenwriter Barry Sandler, and author A. Scott Berg, who wrote the “story” on which the film is based. 'Making Love' & What lies beneath In this 20th Century Fox release – Sherry Lansing was the studio head at the time – Michael Ontkean plays a...

Tim George Jun 10, 2019

Under Siege! Toy Soldiers! Cliffhanger! Speed! And the many other films that owe Die Hard a debt of gratitude...

The release of Die Hard in 1988 inaugurated a new trend in Hollywood action movies in which a new breed of everyman action hero faced off against terrorists in confined location. Between the one-man army action flicks of the eighties and the superheroes of the noughts, the Die Hard model was the action formula of record.

One of the main reasons for this success was that the formula was familiar yet flexible. All you needed was a location, a vaguely everyman hero, and a villain intent on (mostly) financial gain. Although the heyday of these movies was over twenty years ago, their influence endures to this day. Let’s take a look back…

It’s Die Hard… in a boarding school! Toy Soldiers

“Great, the school gets taken over...

Nick Aldwinckle Jun 5, 2017

We round up the latest horror-tinged Blu-ray and DVD releases....

So, after a brief hiatus, it turns out a lot’s happened in the few months between these round ups. A snap general election has been called, terror has struck at the heart of Manchester and a scandal approaching Watergate levels has hit the U.S presidency. More importantly, Troll 2 has finally come to UK Netflix and is the cherry on the cake made entirely of a series of kind of wonderful, kind of… not films on DVD and Bluray.

So, 1990’s Troll 2, you may or may not be aware of, is generally regarded as one of the very greatest 'so bad it’s good' movies. There are many worse (The Rollerblade Seven or Gary Oldman little person rom-com Tiptoes come to mind), though it’s difficult to think of many other truly awful movies...

Above: Czech poster for Once Upon a Time in the West (Sergio Leone, Italy, 1968).As I’m sure I’ve said before, the world of Czech movie posters is never less than an embarrassment of riches. I keep discovering new artists that I was never aware of previously, all with an impressive body of work behind them. The other day, as I was looking through the new acquisitions of my favorite poster shop, Posteritati, I came across this striking poster for Once Upon a Time in the West: a fascinating combination of bold color, eccentric collage, pop art elements and unusual typography. I wasn’t aware of the name of Stanislav Vajce before that but a quick search on the store's website and elsewhere revealed a wild array of some of the most exciting and inventive Czech posters I have seen in a while. As with so many of...

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Get the feeling someone is looking over your shoulder? This quiz won’t help! This week we’re investigating the subtle (and not-so-subtle) art of spying in the movies.

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The plot of Hitchcock’s North by Northwest was suggested by this spy film.

The Man Who Never Was I Was Monty’s Double Odd Man Out Correct

Clifton Webb starred in Ronald Neame’s 1956 film...

Wizard World is coming to New Orleans January 6th–8th! Many artists and personalities will be in attendance, including some of our favorites from The Walking Dead! Also in today's Highlights: a call for Razor Reel Film Festival 2017 entries, Nitehawk Cinema's "Because I'm Evil" midnite series screenings, a trailer for Attack of the Lederhosen Zombies, and acquisition details for The Eyes.

Wizard World New Orleans 2017: Press Release: "New Orleans, December 20, 2016 - From TV magicians “Masters of Illusion” to personalities Montel Williams, Kato Kaelin and “Chumlee” of “Pawn Stars” fame to a varied lineup of exciting dance, music, art and other options, Wizard World (Otcbb: Wizd) today announced the highlights of its new non-stop entertainment lineup at Wizard World Comic Con New Orleans, January 6-8, 2017, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The initiative, designed to keep the show floor buzzing throughout the weekend, will feature national and local acts of all kinds,...

Redford's back and Pollard's got him! Or is it Lauren Hutton? Sidney J. Furie fully earns his shaky reputation with this motorcycle buddy picture. Most of the energy seems to have gone into the deal, not the movie. Great cinematography, but it's for fans that want to look at a shirtless Sundance Kid. I know you're out there. Little Fauss and Big Halsy Blu-ray Olive Films 1970 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 99 min. / Street Date October 18, 2016 / available through the Olive Films website / 29.98 Starring Robert Redford, Michael J. Pollard, Lauren Hutton, Noah Beery Jr., Lucille Benson, Ray Ballard, Linda Gaye Scott, Erin O'Reilly. Cinematography Ralph Woolsey Film Editor Argyle Nelson Jr. Art Direction Lawrence G. Paull Songs Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Carl Perkins Written by Charles Eastman Produced by Albert S. Ruddy Directed by Sidney J. Furie

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

I purposely didn't look up reviews for Little Fauss and Big Halsy before writing my own,...

Join us for some old-school 16mm Movie Madness! – It’s our monthly 16Mm Double Feature Night at The Way Out Club (2525 Jefferson Avenue in St. Louis)! Join Tom Stockman and Roger from “Roger’s Reels’ for a double feature of two complete films projected on 16mm film. The show is Tuesday November 1st and starts at 8pm. Admission is Free though we will be setting out a jar to take donations for the National Children’s Cancer Society.

First up is The Entity (1982)

The Entity is a very intense powerful supernatural thriller from 1982 about an invisible presence grabbing every opportunity to attack and sexually assault the main character played by Barbara Hershey, a single mom with a checkered sexual past. One night after coming home to her kids, she is attacked and raped by an invisible intruder she can’t see. Later that night the house starts vibrating, so Carla...

My book editor on Sidney J. Furie: Life and Films — the venerable, celebrated Patrick McGilligan — once told me in an e-mail, “There is nothing like one’s first book. You forever feel a special connection to that first subject matter. I feel the same fondness about James Cagney, my first book’s subject, as you probably do for Sidney J. Furie, your first.” For certain, I find that to be true. But I feel an even stronger bond to Furie, by sheer virtue of the fact that I was the very first to write a book — or, for that matter, any kind of […]...

Political terror scenarios were a bit simpler in the 1950s, and movies about them fairly rare. Frank Sinatra gives a strong performance as the villain John Baron, in a tense tale of presidential assassination by high-powered rifle. Suddenly Blu-ray The Film Detective 1954 / B&W / 1.75 widescreen / 75 min. / Street Date October 25, 2016 / 14.99 Starring Frank Sinatra, Sterling Hayden, James Gleason, Nancy Gates, Willis Bouchey, Cinematography Charles G. Clarke Art Direction Frank Sylos Film Editor John F. Schreyer Original Music David Raksin Written by Richard Sale Produced by Robert Bassler Directed by Lewis Allen

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Some disc companies do well by refurbishing movies in the Public Domain, using various methods to bring what were once bargain-bin eyesores nearer the level of releases made from prime source material in studio vaults. As I've reported with efforts by HD Cinema Classics and Vci, the results vary dramatically -- did the company do a professional job,...

A selection of films from the 2016 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival has been unveiled, with films by Jim Jarmusch, Maren Ade, Tom Ford, Paul Verhoeven, Damien Chazelle, and many more.Opening NIGHTThe Magnificent Seven (Antoine Fuqua)GALASDeepwater HorizonArrival (Denis Villeneuve)Deepwater Horizon (Peter Berg)The Headhunter's Calling (Mark Williams)The Journey Is the Destination (Bronwen Hughes)Jt + The Tennessee Kids (Jonathan Demme)Lbj (Rob Reiner)Lion (Garth Davis)Loving (Jeff Nichols)A Monster Calls (J.A. Bayona)Planetarium (Rebecca Zlotowski)Queen of Katwe (Mira Nair)The Rolling Stones of Olé Olé Olé!: A Trip Across Latin America (Paul Dugdale)The Secret Scripture (Jim Sheridan)Snowden (Oliver Stone)Strange Weather (Katherine Dieckmann)Their Finest (Lone Scherfig)A United Kingdom (Amma Astante)Special PRESENTATIONSLa La LandThe Age of Shadows (Kim Jee-woon)All I See Is You (Marc Forster)American Honey (Andrea Arnold)American Pastoral (Ewan McGregor)Asura: The City of...

The third cascade of world premieres in 15 days flowed from the headquarters of the Toronto International Film Festival on Tuesday as programmers revealed their Midnight Madness, Tiff Docs, Vanguard, Tiff Cinematheque and Short Cuts selections.

This week’s offering includes Ben Wheatley’s all-star gangster thriller Free Fire, which opens Midnight Madness one year after the premiere of the British auteur’s High-Rise; fast-rising Chadwick Boseman in revenge thriller Message From The King in Vanguard and a Tiff Docs strand that features climate change documentary The Turning Point, featuring and produced by Oscar-winner Leonardo DiCaprio.

The 41st Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 8 to 18.

Wp = world premiere, IP = international premiere, Nap = North American premiere, Cp = Canadian premiere, Tp = Toronto premiere.

Midnight Madness

Ben Wheatley’s all-star gunfight Free Fire starring Brie Larson, Armie Hammer and Cillian Murphy will open the section, which includes Morgan Spurlock’s documentary Rats, Adam Wingard’s Blair Witch, André Øvredal’s [link...