Author: FM Contributor
Star Trek fans have always had a unique appreciation for the fantastical creatures the series introduced over its many episodes, but few are as iconic as Arena’s reptilian nemesis, the Gorn. Played by actor and stuntman Bobby Clark, the Gorn faced off against Captain Kirk in one of the most memorable television battles of the 1960s. From the theatrically lumbering movements to the now-beloved rubber-suit charm, the showdown on the desolate terrain of Vasquez Rocks in California forever etched the Gorn into the pop culture consciousness. In this insightful interview conducted by Levi Tinker, a long-time cinematic moderator and pop…
Monster movies, we love them, but there is a sub-genre of these films that rarely gets any attention, paleo-fiction. So, let’s review the top ten horror movies steeped in the science of paleontology. #1 KING KONG Director: Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack 1933s King Kong has been ranked by Rotten Tomatoes as the greatest horror film of all time, and who could argue with that? The story was inspired by the popular jungle films of the day like Tarzan, as well as the movie many of those who created Kong’s amazing effects had worked on previously, The Lost…
This is the story of a boy and his robot, but we’ll get to that. To begin we need to understand there was once a time when cartoons were serious business thanks to astounding financial and viewer numbers. A US statistics report from 1966 revealed that each episode of one Saturday morning cartoon called: “Superman/Aquaman snares 1,000,000 men, 1,000,000 women 1,500,000 teenagers and 6,510,000 children.” It then highlighted a new series called the ‘Banana Splits’ was to be “telecast every Saturday for 50 weeks, under Kellogg sponsorship, at a reported tab of $5-million…” That Five-mill today is just short of…
The Night of the Cat was filmed entirely in Charlotte, North Carolina, and its environs in 1972 and released in 1973 to very little fanfare. The production was marred by controversy and rife with underhanded dealings, although the film originally began with a big buzz in the papers. Some press was positive, and some wasn’t. The movie was produced by my father – Michael Plumides, an attorney and nightclub owner, although the intervening illegality began months before he was involved with the film. The driving force behind the production was a man named Norman Williams, a weaselly conman with his underdeveloped…
As I set out looking for sponsors for our BROKEN MOON Monster Makeup Challenge, I never imagined I would have the opportunity to speak with Academy Award winner and long-time monster kid Matthew M. Mungle! For those who don’t know, Matthew is a highly regarded member of the movie makeup effects world, whose credits include EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (1990), Bram Stroker’s DRACULA (1992)—which earned him his Academy Award— SCHINDLER’S LIST, BEDAZZLED, THE SKELETON KEY, RED DRAGON, ANCHORMAN, THE X-FILES, INCEPTION, and more, not to mention his numerous TV and Broadway credits. Matthew is still very active in film while continuing to…
The Cinefamily Theatre in LA has been known to turn up the spooky on Friday nights for their “Friday Night Frights” series. A few weekends ago, my current horror movie obsession, IT FOLLOWS, was screened and Director David Robert Mitchell and Soundtrack Composer Disasterpeace (Rich Vreeland) made an appearance to answer questions and enjoy the show with fans. I was lucky enough to catch up with them before the film and get a few of my questions answered. Famous Monsters: Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me! I am a HUGE fan of the film and am…
While SUPER CASTLEVANIA IV was a huge success, Konami didn’t just settle for Nintendo only releases. While CASTLEVANIA: RONDO OF BLOOD was only for Japan and released on the ill-fated TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine, CASTLEVANIA: BLOODLINES is a bit more familiar to Western CASTLEVANIA fans. Not only because it was released worldwide, but also because it was released for the Sega Genesis. For those too young to remember the bit wars, there was no greater rivalry than Nintendo and Sega; and nothing purveyed the war quite like the Genesis vs. the SNES. Sega had finally managed to snag a CASTLEVANIA title, but…
There are entirely too many horror films about possessed children, or babies borne of the devil. The notion of kids alone is monstrous enough without them being monstrous themselves. HELL BABY is a jumbled parody of the finest in that popular subgenre, including ROSEMARY’S BABY, THE OMEN, and THE EXORCIST, while taking after the glut of crappy exorcist films we’ve been inundated with over the years. Ironically, a movie trying to make light out of the ubiquity of demon children will forever be paired with another like-minded film, BAD MILO!, which also came out around the same time this past year.…
In THE LUCKY SOUTHERN STAR, iconic starlet Julie Adams gets a chance to tell the tale of her long and impressive film, TV, and stage career. Julie Adams is known for the white bathing suit and attitude she brought to Kay Lawrence in Universal’s CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, a favorite for Monster Kids everywhere, but THE LUCKY SOUTHERN STAR is an opportunity to learn more about her experiences with Jack Arnold, the Gill-Man, and company. The book also shines a light on her jam-packed and under-appreciated acting career outside of CREATURE. In the 220+ pages, Julie covers almost every role she…
I vastly prefer indie horror flicks to big budget ones, for many reasons. I’m difficult to scare, and what does creep me out is often nowhere to be found in shrieking violins or twist endings. Truly scary movies are quiet, low-key endeavors, and Leigh Janiak’s HONEYMOON is just that. https://youtu.be/OrSh2CHmEW4?si=IMCUhKBUtzJKxuTg The problem is that I came into this movie with a handicap. Personal, slow-building horror films derive their effectiveness from putting yourself into the place of whoever is poking around in the dark. A movie about a honeymoon, then, sort of requires a kind of attitude towards committed relationships that…