It’s with a heavy heart that I learned of the passing of Forrest J Ackerman because so much of what we take for granted today as fanboys we owe to the man and his generation. Forrest was among the members of First Fandom: The first generation of fanboys who during the 30s invented science fiction conventions, fan clubs, fanzines and cosplay. And Mr. Ackerman did all of that by playing a leading role in establishing the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society in 1934, attending the first World Science Fiction Convention in 1939 and published on the first fanzines Futuria Fantasia in 1939. Here’s an interview with him talking about the early days of science fiction fandom from 1996: Read more…
The trailer for this videogame looks like it’s very true to the 1984 film of the same name, but as a fanboy I’m asking if this is really a good thing? Yeah on a technical level I’m impressed that Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd look exactly like Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd, but does that mean it will make a good videogame? I think sometimes the best thing to do with a Hollywood based title is to have some fun with it (example: Batman Lego) but for a film that was a comedy this title seems a tad serious from this first glance.
While Ridley Scott’s Alien is an amazing horror film, my favorite in the genre goes to his brother Tony Scott who directed The Hunger. To me the genre of werewolves can be a bit campy, but if there is anyone who can get it right it would be Ridley Scott:
“We learned of some interesting news this evening as we were tipped off that Ian Jeffers, who wrote both James Wans’ drama-thriller DEATH SENTENCE and Sylvain White’s upcoming adaptation of CASTLEVANIA, has sold an original script to legendary director-produce Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner). Here’s the juicy tid-bit… apparently the film is a werewolf project! No other details were revealed, but it sounds like we might have something pretty huge to look forward to in the coming years.”
Neil Marshall Writer/Director of the Descent and Dog Soldiers returns to the big screen with Doomsday. In 2008 the Reaper virus lays siege to Scotland, killing people by the thousands. In response the British government puts up a 30 foot wall around Scotland, separating it from the rest of the world and trapping those infected within. Anarchy ensues as people rape, loot and kill in a lawless land while the rest of the world looks on.
Fast forward thirty years. The rest of the world has turned their back on England, London has become a third world haven for the downtrodden who live on the streets because they can’t afford to live anywhere else. It is among the masses that victims of the returning Reaper Virus are found. Martial Law is declared by Prime Minister Hatcher (Alexander Siddig a.k.a Dr. Bashir from Star Trek:Deep Space 9) and a plan is drawn up to find out why some people survived within the quarantine zone of Scotland and to find the cure for the Reaper virus.
Eden Sinclair played by Rhona Mitra ( Shooter, The Number 23, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans ) is chosen to lead a team back into the wasteland to find a survivor and the cure. The team, of course, is filled with throw away good guys who’s only job is to get slaughtered and make Eden look all the more bad ass.
Shown above are two samples from an amazing gallery that features posters from classic Bollywood horror films. On the left is the poster for Khoon Ki Pyasi Dayan and on the right is Gumnaam from 1965. The website is here:
The first film released by WWE Films, See No Evil stars WWE Superstar Kane (a running theme in WWE movies with The Marine starring John Cena and The Condemned starring Stone Cold Steve Austin). The basis for the movie is a basic horror film formula. An abandoned building, a psycho killer and a group of kids just waiting their turn to die.
I’m sad to report that Maila Nurmi (known to us fanboys as Vampira) has passed away. Her career highlights include starring in Ed Wood’s classic epic Plan 9 From Outer Space and had her own TV show in Los Angles. This is the notice from her website:
Werewolves are back in the movies! Underworld and it’s sequel have managed to make the wolf man a popular topic for film in the new century and the latest release in this genre is Skinwalkers. With a PG-13 rating and a pretty formulamatic plot Skinwalkers was perceived as another tired retread from a Hollywood in desperate need of originality. Yet as the movie progressed it showed itself to have a little spark and a cast of actors and characters that you found yourself caring for.
Every day Ian Stone starts his life, at some point during that day Ian dies a terrible death only to find himself in a new life with an unsettling feeling that he’s been through something horrific. Thus the plot setup for the Deaths of Ian Stone for the best movie to come out of Horrorfest in 2007.
I’m starting to hear some good things about Cloverfield, but the Statue of Liberty treatment reminds me a bit too much of the end of Planet of the Apes and we’ve already seen the blowing up New York City thing in Independence Day. And not to make it personal but in my mind JJ Abrams is still not on my “friends list” until he patches things up with William Shatner over the next Star Trek film. Although that won’t stop me from standing in line to see the movie on opening day of course…
P.S. Although I have to say that Cloverfield’s marketing campaign is very blogger friendly which makes me happy!
