Welcome to the Critical Condition web site. For those of you unfamiliar with Critical Condition, let me give a little background. Critical Condition (CritCon for short) was started as a small  bi-monthly newsletter in 1982 to alert my friends about the new horror films that were released to theaters. The early 80's were a boon to the horror business as many home-grown and foreign-made horror films were being released to theaters every month. Some were good (Lucio Fulci's THE BEYOND; Gary Sherman's DEAD & BURIED) but most were bad (Jim Henley's JUNIOR; Bruno Mattei's NIGHT OF THE ZOMBIES and countless others). Being the horror maven that I am (and will always be), I started CritCon to separate the cream from the crap. The first CritCon newsletter was merely one typewritten xeroxed page that I passed out to my friends. By 1985 CritCon had mushroomed into a 20 page semi-pro magazine that had a circulation of about 1,000. The year 1985 was a turning point in the horror film business. It was the year that home video became wildly popular and forever changed the way we viewed movies. Cheap horror films were no longer being screened in theaters. Video distributors got wise and started releasing every cheap horror film they could get their hands on. I must have viewed over a thousand horror movies on video in 1985 alone! By 1987, I had burned-out writing about all the horror films that I had watched and ceased publishing CritCon with one final 100 page issue. By this time  there were plenty of other semi-pro magazines on the market that were covering the same market that I was. I took a much-needed rest from the writing game and began to read all these other magazines. For the next five years I kept a low profile but I was also becoming somewhat disillusioned. While some of these magazines flourished and were quite well done (Tim & Donna Lucas' VIDEO WATCHDOG [which stopped publishing as a print zine], Mike Accomando's DREADFUL PLEASURES [now defunct]; Mike Weldon's PSYCHOTRONIC VIDEO [also now no longer publishing]), most were merely rants disguising themselves as film reviews. You would be lucky to get the name of the actor who starred in the films they were reviewing. Forget about getting the directing, producing or screenwriting credits because they were non-existant. They seemed more interested in raving about their political views or complaining about some insignificant pimple on their ass. By 1992, I'd had enough and decided to begin publishing Critical Condition on a semi-regular basis. I kept my own politics to a minimum (usually confined to the editorial page) and concentrated on the films and filmmakers themselves. Each issue of CritCon was jam-packed with reviews of films that you probably never heard of along with full cast and crew credits as well as original rare ad mats. CritCon accepted no advertising making it a complete read from the first page to the last. NOTE: After a long and hard look at the publishing business (or the "rip-off business" as I call it), I will no longer be publishing Critical Condition. It will now be completely web-based. I hope you enjoy this web site. If you do (or if you don't), drop me an e-mail and let me know what you think. Check back often to read the new reviews, news, scans and informative emails. NOTE #2: Now with the advent of "Publishing On Demand" there has been a new proliferation of genre zines flooding the market, some excellent and some self-serving. But bringing print back to horror is always a good thing and I wish these people nothing but the best of luck. I buy a lot of these POD zines and enjoy the hell out of them (check out Tim Paxton's MONSTER!, Brian Harris, Paxton and Tony Strauss' WENG'S CHOP and Billy & Vanessa Nocera's EVILSPEAK to read some of the best new zines on the market [look them up by name on Facebook for ordering information]), but don't look for me to revive CRITICAL CONDITION in print form. I'm a lazy bastard.

Fred Adelman
Editor & Publisher

PS: For all of you that have emailed me asking if I sell the films I review, the answer is NO!!!. I do this for the sheer joy of it and would never think of turning a profit off of something I love so dearly. While most of the films I review are available from reliable distributors, some of the films have been out of circulation for years and will probably never get a legal DVD or Blu-Ray release in the near or distant future. If you do not see a link to a distributor at the end of my reviews, I could probably make you a copy of the film on DVD-R (which will play on most DVD players sold in the last couple of years) if you have films to trade. Email me with your inquiries (I have over 10,500 films in my library) and I'll see what I can do for you. These films are to be distributed from one collector to another (Legal disclaimer). Don't expect crystal clarity as they are being copied from VHS to DVD-R and you may be able to get your hands on a film that you've been dying to see for many years. (Good news: I've completely turned all my VHS tapes to DVD-R, so you can probably get any film you want reviewed on this web site.) Good luck! To see my VHS and DVD library list (it's not complete and badly needs an updating), click HERE. You must have Microsoft Excel 2000 or later to view the file.

LATEST NEWS

DECEMBER 31, 2021: Goodbye Betty White and thanks for putting up the good fight.

DECEMBER 29, 2021: Everyone knows how much I love Roku-only channel B-Movie TV, but as I self-isolate in my apartment (don't ask) I come to the conclusion that B-Movie TV is becoming somewhat stale. It has nothing to do with the movies, but with the filler that is shown between movies. How many times can we watch the same cartoon and not become bored with it? Same thing with the music videos (especially those guitar instrumentals by Ethan Brosh). And since 'Madame Burlesque' has become the new spokesperson for the channel, why can't she name the hosted shows properly? It's not "Mary Deth's Horror Night", it's "Mary Deth's Subbed And Dubbed HorrorFest". It's not "Midnight Sleazies", it's "Midnight Sleaze". And Jake From Slashers Podcast is not only a listening experience, it's also a feast for the eyes, so, yeah, you are stupid. This is pure laziness, plain and simple. Ditch 95% of your filler and never, ever bring it back. When boredom sets in, it's hard to get rid of it. I would also ditch Vincent Vlado's convention footage on Saturday mornings because each episode has been played ad nauseum. Same with Cad Adver's Fried Rice Dojo and The Pervy The Clown Show. There hasn't been new episodes in nearly two years. There's hundreds of PD cartoons, movie trailers and music videos on YouTube, so if you are too busy to create new 25-minute filler segments for the channel, ask your fans to create them for you. I'll bet there will be a lot of takers. Oh, and keep Gothic Industry's 'Thrice' and bring back 'Amazing Horse'! UPDATE: It looks like Ken 'Ace' Brewer has listened and agrees with much of what I had to say! The New Year started off with a whole bunch of new filler and even some new films not seen on the channel before. There's changes coming to B-Movie TV.

DECEMBER 01, 2021: Other celebrity deaths in late-November 2021 include: Lou Cutell (November 21), an actor best known for portraying the bald-headed, pointy-eared alien Dr. Nadir in the cult film FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE SPACE MONSTER (1965; his debut film), as well as appearing in PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE (1985) as "Amazing Larry", and especially as the "Assman" in a 1995 episode of SEINFELD. Other roles included parts in the films YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (1974), FOUL PLAY (1978), FRANKENSTEIN GENERAL HOSPITAL (1988) and MY MOM'S A WEREWOLF (1989), as well as a fairly extensive TV credits list. Lou Cutell passed away from natural causes and was 91-years-old./Australian Aborigine actor David Gulpilil (November 29), who made his debut in the rarely-seen, but classic, film WALKABOUT (1971), directed by Nicolas Roeg. He then appeared in the films MAD DOG MORGAN (1976), THE LAST WAVE (1977), CROCODILE DUNDEE (1986), DARK AGE (1987), and THE PROPOSITION (2005), one of the most violent Australian Westerns ever made. Mr. Gulpilil passed away from lung cancer and was 68-years-old./Actress Arlene Dahl (November 29), best known to readers of this site as the female star of JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH (1959) and as the real-life mother of actor Lorenzo Lamas, appearing in his film NIGHT OF THE WARRIOR (1991). An actress since the late-1940s, Ms. Dahl also appeared in the film LAND RAIDERS (1969) and the TV Movie THE DEADLY DREAM (1971) before going into semi-retirement from the industry. Arlene Dahl died of natural causes and was 96-years-old./Actor-stuntman Tommy Lane (November 29), who had roles in COTTON COMES TO HARLEM (1970), SHAFT (1971; also stunts), SHAMUS (1972), GANJA & HESS (1973; also stunts), LIVE AND LET DIE (1973), ISLAND CLAWS (1980) and director Antonio Margheriti's final film VIRTUAL WEAPON (1997). Tommy Lane passed away from COPD and was 83-years-old.

NOVEMBER 21, 2021: The Kyle Rittenhouse verdict of "Not Guilty"  on all five counts of murder and attempted murder only shows us how the Trump mentality has infected the judicial system. From a biased judge, who worked the bench as an entertainer would work an audience, to a jurist pool who wouldn't know right from wrong even on their best day, this was justice in a communist regime, not in a country where evidence outweighs personal feelings. Remember how shocked we were when Rittenhouse shot and killed two innocent people and wounded a third? Apparently, no one in the courthouse did and let this twisted kid skate on all charges. This wasn't justice, it was a monumental loss of human responsibility. Shame on everyone who had a hand in letting this murderer go free, especially Fox News, who is treating this scumbag as some national hero. I'm sick and tired of this "New Normal", especially if it means losing your soul in exchange for YouTube and Internet stardom. Rittenhouse wants President Biden to apologize to him for calling him a "White Supremacist", telling asshole Tucker Carlson that the President defamed his name with "malice". Are you kidding me? My only hope is that Kyle Rittenhouse spends the rest of his life looking over his shoulder, hoping another him doesn't take his life.

NOVEMBER 20, 2021: We lost another talented character actor, this time being Art LaFleur, who passed away November 17th of Parkinson's Disease at the age of 78. Mr. LaFleur is no stranger to this website, as he appeared in many films loved by readers of this site. While he did a lot of television from the '80s through to the '10s, it's his film roles that really stand out from the pack of character actors from the same time period. His first theatrical film was THE HOLLYWOOD KNIGHTS (1980), followed by ANY WHICH WAY YOU CAN (1980), JEKYLL AND HYDE...TOGETHER AGAIN (1982), WARGAMES (1983), TRANCERS (1984), CITY HEAT (1984), ZONE TROOPERS (1985), COBRA (1986), RAMPAGE (1987), THE BLOB (1988), FIELD OF DREAMS (1989), DEATH WARRANT (1990), THE SANDLOT (1993), MAVERICK (1994), HOSTAGE (2005), SPEED RACER (2008), DAHMER VS. GACY (2009), THE RIG (2010), HOUSE HUNTING (2012, probably the largest role of his career), and many, many more. Some of Mr. LaFleur's TV appearances included roles on LOU GRANT (1979). M*A*S*H (1980), THE A-TEAM (1984), HILL STREET BLUES (1986), NORTHERN EXPOSURE (1990), WISEGUY (1990), TALES FROM THE CRYPT (Episode: "What's Cookin'" - 1992), STRANGE LUCK (1995), ER (1998), JAG (2000), THE PRACTICE (2001 - 2002), NIGHT STALKER (2005), LAS VEGAS (2008), THE MENTALIST (2009), and too many more to mention. He was also no stranger to TV Movies, making his acting debut in RESCUE FROM GILLIGAN'S ISLAND (1978), as well as THE INVISIBLE WOMAN (1983), THE FIFTH MISSILE (1986), LIVE! FROM DEATH ROW (1992), WAR WOLVES (2009) and others that have little-to-no interest to readers of this site. While most of Mr. LaFleur's roles were small character parts and he was rarely a leading actor, I enjoyed his performances, no matter how small they were. Like George 'Buck' Flower, Art LaFleur had that certain "something" that made you stand up and take notice. I will miss him.

NOVEMBER 09, 2021: Sad to report the death of Dean Stockwell, who passed away November 7th peacefully in his sleep at the age of 85. Stockwell, an actor in films and TV since the mid-1940s, gained notice from readers of this site by appearing in such films as David Lynch's DUNE (1984) and BLUE VELVET (1986; Wow, wasn't he iconic in his role here?), as well as having a leading role in the long-running TV Series QUANTUM LEAP (1989 - 1993). Also of interest to readers of this site are his roles in PSYCH-OUT (1968); THE DUNWICH HORROR (1970); THE LONERS (1972); THE WEREWOLF OF WASHINGTON (1973); THE LEGEND OF BILLIE JEAN (1985); TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. (1985); ONCE BITTEN (1985); BEVERLY HILLS COP II (1987); MARRIED TO THE MOB (1988; Earning Stockwell an Academy Award® nomination for Best Supporting Actor); TUCKER: THE MAN AND HIS DREAM (1988); THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (2004); DEEP IN THE DARKNESS (2014) and many other theatrical films. His TV appearances included THE TWILIGHT ZONE (episode: "A Quality Of Mercy" - 1961); NIGHT GALLERY (episode: "Whisper" - 1973); POLICE STORY (1973-1976); JAG (2002 - 2004); BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (2006-2009) and many more. Mr. Stockwell also appeared in the TV Movies PAPER MAN (1971); THE FAILING OF RAYMOND (1971); THE ADVENTURES OF NICK CARTER (1972); THE LANGOLIERS (1995); THEY NEST (2000); and THE DUNWICH HORROR (2008). Dean Stockwell was one of the few child actors to adapt to adult roles when his height and voice changed. He was a hippy at heart (even quitting acting in the mid-1960s to join a commune and smoke pot) and lived that lifestyle until the day he died. A true original who will truly be missed. Goodbye John Stockwell. I will see you "In Dreams".

SEPTEMBER 15, 2021: Shocking news about the death of comedian Norm MacDonald, who passed away yesterday at the age of 61 after battling cancer for nine years. He told no one about his cancer because all he wanted to do was make people laugh. I happened to love Norm's sense of humor. His dry delivery would make me laugh out loud, even though some people were known to not like his sense of humor at all. I think he was the best Weekend Update anchor on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE (from 1994 - 1997), as he was able to cover the O.J. Simpson trial and the Monica Lewinsky/Bill Clinton sex scandal with acerbic humor, most of it improvised. His spot-on impersonation of Burt Reynolds in those SNL Jeopardy skits were some of my favorite moments on the show. It was said he was fired from SNL in 1998 because of his off-the-cuff remarks about O.J. Simpson, as one of the corporate bigwigs (Fred Silverman) at NBC was good friends with Simpson. But Norm turned that episode in his life into a positive, not a negative, as he did stand-up concerts, starred in movies and TV Series and became a well-respected voiceover artist on many animated TV shows and films (He would eventually return to SNL as a host [and as Burt Reynolds] in 2009). Norm was also well-versed in politics and would become a guest on many political TV shows, using his sense of humor as a weapon against political chicanery. Goodbye Norm MacDonald. You were a welcomed breath of fresh air in a world of stagnant pollution. I will miss you greatly.

SEPTEMBER 11, 2021: Two more deaths of actors to report and one of them was a childhood favorite of mine. That would be Michael Constantine, who passed away of natural causes at the age of 94 on August 31st of this year. The other actor who left us was Nino Castelnuovo, who, even though you probably never heard of his name before, gets several mentions in reviews on this site. He passed away on September 6th after suffering a long illness and was 84-years-old. Michael Constantine was a favorite of mine since childhood, thanks to his performance as Principal Seymour Kaufman in the dramedy series ROOM 222 (1969 - 1974), but he actually began acting in the late-'50s and throughout the '60s appeared in a lot of TV series as a guest star, including THE TWILIGHT ZONE (Episode: "I Am The Night - Color Me Black" - 1964); THE OUTER LIMITS (Episode: "Counterweight" - 1964); VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA (1965); THE INVADERS (1967); GUNSMOKE (1963 & 1968) and many others. As the '70s rolled around, he appeared in such TV series as NIGHT GALLERY (Episode: "The Boy Who Predicted Earthquakes" - 1971); THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW (1971); KOJAK (Episode: "The Chinatown Murders" - 1974); FANTASY ISLAND (1980); LOU GRANT (1981 - 1982) and many others. The '70s also saw Mr. Constantine appearing in many TV movies, the ones that would interest readers of this site include: DEADLY HARVEST (1972); DEATH CRUISE (1974) and CRISIS IN MID-AIR (1979). While continuing his TV work, Mr. Constantine would appear in several theatrical films during the '80s & '90s, including PRAY FOR DEATH (1985); DEADFALL (1993) and the role that would give him a lot of recognition to readers of this site: the Gypsy with the large black, cancerous-looking, facial mole who curses Robert John Burke in THINNER (1996). But Michael Constantine's biggest fame came much later in his life, that being the role of Gus in the popular chick flick MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING (2002) and its sequel, MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 2 (2016), which would turn out to be his last acting role. It's tough when childhood favorites pass away and this year has been rife with them, but Michael Constantine will occupy a space in my heart as long as I am on this Earth. Rest in Peace Michael Constantine. The passing of Nino Castelnuovo barely caused a ripple in the news, but I remember him fondly for the Italian genre films he appeared in. Beginning way back with THE HUNCHBACK (OF ROME) - 1961, Mr. Castelnuovo made his mark in several films, including THE CAVERN (1964); Lucio Fulci's Spaghetti Western MASSACRE TIME (a.k.a. THE BRUTE AND THE BEAST - 1966); PSYCHOUT FOR MURDER (1969); THE BLOODSTAINED LAWN (1973); STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER (1975); STAR ODYSSEY (1978) and many others, finally getting some recognition in English speaking countries with his role in the long and boring THE ENGLISH PATIENT (1996). Mr. Castelnuovo always turned in memorable performances and even though he is not widely known here, I will remember him because of those performances. I know many people are not fans of foreign cinema, but they don't know what they are missing. Nino Castelnuovo was one of the many reasons of why I love Italian genre cinema.

SEPTEMBER 11, 2021: Twenty years. Forgive, but never forget. I use to think that terrorists came from other countries, looking to destroy our way of life, but I was wrong. The past few years have proven that terrorists can be America-born and  raised, especially considering the attack on the Capitol Building on January 6, 2021 by our own citizens. Yes, they are terrorists, too, even though they called themselves "patriots". They were only patriots of the Big Lie and, even today, consider it to be true. For the first time in my life, I was ashamed of being an American, watching Republican sheeple storm the Capitol and calling for the deaths of Democrats and Republicans alike that they believed were traitors to Trump. September 11, 2001 was one of the worst times in American history, but the events of January 6, 2021 came damn close to the sickening feeling we all experienced when we watched the Twin Towers collapse to the ground. Watching our own citizens try to destroy democracy over what was the Big Lie told by the coward Trump, proved to me that no one, not even those born in the U.S.A., are above treason. We need to treat these Republican scum as the traitors they are and not slap them on the wrist when they are judged by a court of law. These two recent dates in history will be in the history books forever, reminding us that democracy is a fragile thing and we must fight to keep it alive. But the fight must be for the right reasons; quit treating lies as the new truth and come to your senses.

AUGUST 30, 2021: Yes, another beloved actor has passed on, this time it is Edward Asner, who died of natural causes on August 29th at the age of 91. Mr. Asner (born Yitzhak Edward Asner) is the only actor I know of who would win Emmy Awards® in two vastly different shows playing the same character. His comedic turn as gruff boss Lou Grant on the 30-minute sitcom THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW (1970 - 1977; this leaves Betty White as the only surviving cast member of the show) earned him three Emmy Awards® and he would win two more playing the same character (but with a much harder edge) on the hour-long drama series LOU GRANT (1977 - 1982), which tackled a lot of hot button political issues of the day (I was a huge fan of the series and when it was canceled, I, and many other people, believe it was not due to low ratings [it was still a popular show], but because Asner's political views ran opposite of CBS' brass more conservative [Republican] political beliefs). Ed Asner was not only an actor, he was also a political and humanitarian activist, which earned him a lot of distain from his rivals (Asner was a staunch liberal Democrat). He also served as President of The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) for two terms (1981 - 1985). But let's talk about his acting roles, as Asner has an amazing 417 credits on his IMDb resumé. He started out doing TV in the late-'50s and appeared on nearly every TV series in the '60s, including THE OUTER LIMITS (episode: "It Crawled Out Of The Woodwork" - 1963); VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA (1965); THE WILD WILD WEST (1968) and many others. Mr. Asner's first credited theatrical film was THE SATAN BUG (1965), followed by GUNN (1967); CHANGE OF HABIT (1969; where Asner not only worked with Elvis Presley, but also Mary Tyler Moore, which led to him getting the role of Lou Grant on Moore's show); THE TODD KILLINGS (1971); the TV Movies DAUGHTER OF THE MIND (1969); THE LAST CHILD (1971); HAUNTS OF THE VERY RICH (1972) and DEATH SCREAM (1975) and a whole lot more. While working on Mary Tyler Moore's series, Asner always was acting in other projects, be it TV series, TV Movies or theatrical films. He was the consummate actor. He won an amazing seven Emmy Awards from the years 1971 to 1980, the most of any male actor on TV (the late Cloris Leachman has nine!), a record that still stands up today. Other Emmys included his role as "Axel Jordache" in the mini-series RICH MAN, POOR MAN (1976) and his unforgettable brutal role of "Captain Thomas Davies" in the mini-series ROOTS (1977). After appearing in the theatrical film FORT APACHE THE BRONX (1981), Mr. Asner spent the majority of the '80s & '90s working on television, either in TV Movies, busted TV Series (many in which he was a recurring character) or on animated series, where his voice was very much in demand. His gravelly voice was perfect for such animated TV shows as BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES (1992 - 1994); CAPTAIN PLANET AND THE PLANETEERS (1990 - 1996); GARGOYLES (1994 - 1996); FREAKAZOID! (1995 - 1997) and SPIDER MAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES (1994 - 1998). As the New Millennium rolled around, it didn't slow down Ed Asner, as he appeared on such TV Series as THE X-FILES (episode: "How The Ghosts Stole Christmas" - 1998); CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM (2001); ER (2003); THE PRACTICE (1997 - 2004); THE DEAD ZONE (2005); CSI: NY (2009; Nominated for an Emmy Award® for his performance); ROYAL PAINS (2011); LAW & ORDER: SVU (2013); CRIMINAL MINDS (2015); BONES (2017) and many many more. Ed Asner was a workhorse who didn't know how to slow down. Age meant nothing to him. Farewell Ed Asner. Just being here made a difference in many lives. SOMETHING PERSONAL: If anyone were to ask me what my favorite Asner performance would be, it would be something in which his face is never seen. Yes, I'm talking about Pixar's UP (2009), a film that makes me bawl like a baby every time I watch it (and I have watched it a lot). When Carl Fredricksen (voiced by Asner) flashes back in the beginning of the film about how he and his late wife first met, fell in love, got married and lived together for most of their lives as a deeply loving couple until her death, it is one of the most emotional, heartfelt and devastating pieces of animated cinema ever put to film. If it doesn't make you cry, you must be missing a few genes. I know that the animation and music added a lot to this flashback, but just knowing that Mr. Asner was portraying Carl made it so much more emotional. A perfect blend of animation and voice acting.

AUGUST 23, 2021: I know I am a little late posting this, but actor Alex Cord passed away on August 9th at the age of 88 and martial arts superstar/actor Shin'ichi "Sonny" Chiba went to the Great Beyond on August 19th at the age of 82. The handsome Alex Cord (Born: Alexander Viespi Jr.) was instantly recognizable sight unseen, thanks to his deep baritone voice and appearing in such films as A MINUTE TO PRAY, A SECOND TO DIE (1968); THE LAST GRENADE (1970); THE DEAD ARE ALIVE (1972); CHOSEN SURVIVORS (1974); INN OF THE DAMNED (1974); JUNGLE WARRIORS (1984); UNINVITED (1987); STREET ASYLUM (1990); C.I.A. CODE NAME: ALEXA (1992); HOLOGRAM MAN (1995) and many others. Mr. Cord was also a frequent TV series guest star, appearing in such series as NIGHT GALLERY (1971: Episode - "Keep In Touch - We'll Think Of Something"); POLICE STORY (Four episodes from 1973 - 1976); FANTASY ISLAND (Six episodes from 1980 - 1984); SIMON & SIMON (1988); KUNG FU: THE LEGEND CONTINUES (1995); WALKER: TEXAS RANGER (1995)  and many others, including a recurring role as the black eyepatch-wearing "Michael Coldsmith Briggs III" a.k.a. "Archangel" on the popular TV series AIRWOLF (1984 - 1987). Alex Cord (who was rarely seen without his thick black moustache) had a deep love for horses (he was a former rodeo performer) and always tried to incorporate horses in any role he played. He was once married to actress Joanna Pettet (THE EVIL - 1977: DOUBLE EXPOSURE - 1982), but they divorced in 1989 shortly after celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary. Cord's son by Pettet, Damien, died tragically in 1995 of a heroin overdose at the age of 26. Goodbye Alex Cord and thanks for all the entertainment. You can now ride horses in Heaven. Japanese martial artist/actor Shin'ichi "Sonny" Chiba (Birth name: Sadaho Maeda) was making films in Japan since the late-1950's, but didn't come into prominence in America until his role as  "Takuma 'Terry' Tsurugi" in the ultra-violent THE STREET FIGHTER (1974), which was the first film to be slapped with an X-Rating by the MPAA just for violence (Or as the MPAA described it: "This film unsuitable for viewers under the age of 17 because of its extraordinary fight sequences.") Later on, New Line Cinema edited out 16 minutes of violent footage so it could be released to theaters with an R-Rating. This was an unqualified hit in theaters, even with its X-Rating and two sequels quickly followed: RETURN OF THE STREET FIGHTER (1974) and THE STREET FIGHTER'S LAST REVENGE (1974). It should be noted that SISTER STREET FIGHTER (1974) is not a sequel, as Chiba doesn't portray Terry Tsurugi. New Line Cinema renamed the film to ride on the success of the three films that came before it (and it worked). Suddenly Chiba's other films became very successful across the world and especially in America. Titles such as KARATE BULLFIGHTER (a.k.a CHAMPION OF DEATH - 1975); THE KILLING MACHINE (1975); SONNY CHIBA'S DRAGON PRINCESS (1976); KARATE WARRIORS (1976); KARATE FOR LIFE (1977); DOBERMAN COP (1977); GOLGO 13: KOWLOON ASSIGNMENT (1977); MESSAGE FROM SPACE (1978);  VIRUS: DAY OF RESURRECTION (1980) and THE BUSHIDO BLADE (1981) appeared in theaters and home video and were very popular. Sonny Chiba eventually came to the United States to make films, including ACES: IRON EAGLE III (1992); IMMORTAL COMBAT (1993); and CODENAME: SILENCER (1995), but superfan Quentin Tarantino, who referenced Chiba in TRUE ROMANCE (1993) and PULP FICTION (1995), really brought Sonny Chiba back to forefront once again as "Hattori Hanzo" in KILL BILL: VOL 1 & VOL 2 (2003 & 2004). Chiba also appeared in the popular FAST & FURIOUS franchise in THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT (2006). Sonny Chiba was an expert in karate, judo & kenpo, but even with those skills there was no way he could fight Covid (especially at his age), as he passed away from Covid complications. Damn, Sonny Chiba, we will all miss your special brand of fighting and your take-no-prisoners attitude. You made it work better than most martial artists could ever hope for. When anyone ever talks about Bruce Lee successors, your name instantly comes to my mind, but there really was no one else like you. You were one of a kind.

JULY 23, 2021: I'm happy to report that B-Movie TV's guru, Ken "Ace" Brewer, will be premiering his first feature film, DEATH PARK: THE END, at Terrace Cinemas on Thursday, August 12, 2021 from 08:00 to 10:00 PM only. If you are going to be in the Los Angeles area at that time, tickets may be purchased at lividmediaorg.ticketleap.com/death-park-the-end---theater-event. Tickets cannot be purchased at the theater boxoffice. This is the final chapter in Ace's DEATH PARK franchise. The first six chapters were short films, but Ace made the seventh, and final, chapter a feature-length film that is filled with so many bloody and gory killings by the unstoppable killer in a Trump mask (portrayed by Ace), you'll have to see it to believe it. Ace also managed to get some genre actors to appear in this, including Robert Mukes (BONE TOMAHAWK - 2015), Sheri Davis (JEBADIAH'S AXE - 2013), Doug Waugh (MY PURE JOY - 2011), Lilian Mortis (CANNIBAL HOOKERS - 2019) and many others. If you are a fan of B-Movie TV (as I am), you will notice some familiar faces in this film (Meri Gyetvay, also co-writer of the screenplay with Ace; Aaron Poe; Richard Ethan Oates; Rebecca Martin; Kaitlin Kinner and the previously mentioned Doug Waugh. I should also mention the acting talents of Lawrence Waller and Joe D'Aguanno, who played very important parts in the last few chapters.), as they all host/hosted their own programs on the channel. If you are unable to attend the theatrical premiere, Ace will release the film on Blu-ray with a plethora of extras on his new label, Livid Media. More details on that when they become available. It always thrills my heart to see someone I admire make it to the big time and Ace deserves all the accolades he will get from this film. He is a dedicated, hard-working auteur like very few people on this planet. He's also one of the nicest guys I have ever had the pleasure of talking to. Here's a toast to you, Ken "Ace" Brewer! Wishing you nothing but success. UPDATE: Ken "Ace" Brewer's new Livid Media label's first release will be a double feature of late director Ronnie Cramer's EVEN HITLER HAD A GIRLFRIEND (1991) and its sequel THE HITLER TAPES (1994). This 30th Anniversary 2-DVD Edition will be the first time either film has received a disc release and will be available sometime in early-August 2021. Don't let these hilarious/disturbing films escape you. More information as it becomes available. UPDATE: The two Ronnie Cramer films are available on a double-disc DVD package for $25.00. There is also a deal for a t-shirt/DVD bundle for $45.00. Support Ace by going HERE and purchasing the DVD or the t-shirt bundle. Besides, I wrote the liner notes for the enclosed two-page DVD Insert.

JULY 21, 2021: Is it possible we jumped the gun by allowing everyone who was vaccinated for Covid-19 to move freely around the world maskless? Not only are many TV Series and Films being shut down temporarily due to Covid infections on set, but atheletes from around the world are being infected at the Tokyo Olympics and are either being quarantined or sent home. We have also discovered that getting the two vaccinations does not stop people who had the shots from getting Covid, even if they have had it before and it does not stop them from infecting people who haven't had the shots (idiotic as these people may be). Granted, those who have been vaccinated and catch the virus, don't suffer the most dire symptoms as those who weren't vaccinated, but it doesn't stop them from infecting others. Until the majority of the population around the globe are vaccinated, we should be careful who we come in contact with. Getting vaccinated is only the first step in wiping out Covid, the rest is pure common sense. Stay away from people who haven't been vaccinated (yet try to get them to see the light and tell them that the Covid vaccine is not a government conspiracy) and if they refuse to get the shots, stay away from them permanently. No matter how good they are as friends, it is not worth killing people over. The Delta variant of Covid is just one new strain out there, so be vigilant and, most of all, be careful and use your brain when you come in contact with people. And for God's sake, get vaccinated and wear your masks when coming in contact with a group of people, either indoors or outdoors! Better safe than sorry. We are not out of the woods yet and I would hate to experience another pandemic, yet all these Karens and SovCits (Soverign Citizens) think they are above the law and threaten to destroy not only the United States, but the entire planet. Remember: People Are Stupid and their stupidity has no bounds. They only care about themselves. It's only a matter of time before the governments of the world recognize how dangerous they are and do something about them (At least I hope they do. Charging them with involuntary manslaughter is a good first step.). Believe in science, not political conspiracy theories that Republicans are dishing out to their uneducated and feeble-minded followers.

JULY 10, 2021: WILLIAM SMITH is dead, passing away July 5th at the age of 88 from unknown causes. I'm speechless because Big Bill Smith was the number one actor I admired most. He could do anything, from appearing in blockbuster films in all genres to starring in minor B-films, yet, no matter what kind of role he had, he always impressed. He had two of the best fighting roles in film history, first fighting Rod Taylor in director Robert Clouse's extremely violent DARKER THAN AMBER (1970; when Taylor decided to skip the fight choreography and fight for real [he was a very good boxer], it ended with Smith receiving three broken ribs and Taylor with a busted nose. Smith says this was his favorite fight in any of his films because it wasn't faked and no punches were pulled. Taylor and Smith still remained friends and then appeared together in the film THE DEADLY TRACKERS in 1973) and then having the classic long fistfight with Clint Eastwood in ANY WHICH WAY YOU CAN (1980). But I loved Bill for his horror films, including my favorite bloodsucker flick of all time GRAVE OF THE VAMPIRE (1972; another classic fight scene during the finale); an FBI Agent in the mini-classic of the absurd INVASION OF THE BEE GIRLS (1973); a cop in the nudity-filled THE SWINGING BARMAIDS (1975); the main bad guy, named "Carrot", who battles Yul Brynner in THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR (1975; reuniting with director Robert Clouse); as Arnold Schwarzenegger's father in CONAN THE BARBARIAN (1982; when Smith bested Schwarzenegger in an arm wrestling contest, Arnold made sure that Bill never again acted in one of his films. Yet Bill held no grudges, as he was also a bodybuilder and was quite impressed with Arnold's workout regimen and career as an actor and, eventually, a politician.); and one of my favorite '80s action films, as bad guy Striker in EYE OF THE TIGER (1986). William Smith was also no stranger to television, making his mark as "Falconetti" on the first U.S. television mini-series RICH MAN, POOR MAN (1976). He also had recurring roles on the TV series THE ASPHALT JUNGLE (1961), ZERO ONE (1962 - 1965) and LAREDO (1965 - 1967); appeared as "Adonis" on the last episode of BATMAN (1968); and nearly every detective/western TV Series from the '60's to the '90s, even having a recurring role during the last season of the original HAWAII FIVE-O (1979 - 1980). Since Bill has over 270 film and TV credits, it would be impossible to list them all (go to IMDb for that), but since he spoke over five languages (Fluent in Russian, German, French and Serbo-Croatian) it often led to him being cast as a foreign bad guy, but in RED DAWN (1984), in which Mr. Smith spoke perfect Russian, he turned in the film's most memorable performance as Strelnikov, a U.S.A. invader with a soul. Other films William Smith appeared in (He got his start in films as a uncredited child in THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN [1942]. He remembers that between takes, Lon Chaney Jr. would take all the children out for ice cream!) that are reviewed on this site include: THE LOSERS (1970); GENTLE SAVAGE (1973); POLICEWOMEN (1974); HOLLYWOOD MAN (1976); BULLETPROOF (1987); EVIL ALTAR (1987); ACTION U.S.A. (1988); LAST OF THE WARRIORS (1989); DEADLY BREED (1989); CARTEL (1990); CHANCE (1990); THE LAST RIDERS (1991); MERCHANT OF EVIL (1991) and DEADLY MEMORIES (2002).  William Smith was the consummate tough guy with a heart, proving how tough he was by once doing over 5,000 sit-ups and push-ups in five hours. I could go on-and-on about how William Smith improved every film he appeared in, but now I must mourn his passing. The year 2021 is proving to be the most disappointing and heartbreaking time for me. I met Mr. Smith a couple of times while doing security at film conventions and he was the perfect gentleman and a class act all the way. He loved talking about his career. Thanks for all the countless hours of entertainment Big Bill. You will never be forgotten by your legion of fans. My soul is shattered, as I thought you would live forever, but time treats us cruelly. It always has.

JULY 05, 2021: Another sad death to report, although, unlike the passing of Ronnie Cramer, this one is being reported all across the Internet and TV. Director/producer extraordinaire RICHARD DONNER, one of the originators of Blockbuster Cinema (along with Spielberg and Lucas), passed away today of unreported causes at the age of 91. Donner, of course, is no stranger to this site, as he directed/produced such popular films as THE OMEN (1976); SUPERMAN & SUPERMAN II (1978/1980; director Richard Fleischer replaced Donner after SUPERMAN II was nearly completed, but when the "Richard Donner Cut" was released in 2006, it quickly became the version of choice by the majority of viewers); LADYHAWKE (1985); THE GOONIES (1985); The LETHAL WEAPON franchise (1987 - 1998); SCROOGED - 1988; MAVERICK (1994); ASSASSINS (1995) and CONSPIRACY THEORY (1997). The final two theatrical films of his career, TIMELINE (2003) and 16 BLOCKS (2006), were generally panned by critics, but they still offered some fun to viewers. Donner started his career by directing commercials for TV  in the 1950s and quickly graduated to directing episodes of '60s & '70s television, including six episodes of the original THE TWILIGHT ZONE (1963 - 1964; his first episode was the classic "Nightmare At 20,000 Feet"); three episodes of GILLIGAN'S ISLAND (1964 - 1965); three episodes of THE WILD WILD WEST (1966); THE SIXTH SENSE (1972); CIRCLE OF FEAR (1972); KOJAK (1973 - 1974) and many, many others. He was also Executive Producer on the HBO series TALES FROM THE CRYPT (1989 - 1996) and also directed three episodes. He also Executive Produced the three Tales From The Crypt feature films, DEMON KNIGHT (1995), BORDELLO OF BLOOD (1996) and the little-seen RITUAL (1992), which skipped theaters and went direct to video. Mr. Donner's first theatrical film was X-15 (1961) a true historical drama about the creation of rocket-powered aircraft during the Cold War and contained early starring roles for Charles Bronson and Mary Tyler Moore (Bronson and Donner would later team up again in the film LOLA [a.k.a. TWINKY - 1970], the story about a 38-year-old man having an affair with a nearly sixteen-year-old schoolgirl!). Donner was also adept at directing such adult films as the affecting INSIDE MOVES (1980) and the child abuse-indictment-disguised-as-a-fantasy RADIO FLYER (1992). Mr. Donner also Produced or Executive Produced such films as THE FINAL CONFLICT (1981); THE LOST BOYS (1987); MADE MEN (1999); X-MEN (2000) and X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE (2009). Mr. Donner was working on producing a remake of THE GOONIES when he passed away. As you can read, Richard Donner was an important part of mainstream cinema and without his involvement, there are many popular films that would have never existed. R.I.P. Richard Donner and thanks for the entertainment.

JULY 04, 2021: Sadly, I was informed last night that multiple award-winning independent filmmaker/musician/artist RONNIE CRAMER passed away July 1st of a heart attack at the age of 64. And nowhere on the Internet will you read about his death besides here (at the time this was written). Many readers of this site will recognize the name as director of the very watchable thriller BACK STREET JANE (1989) and, especially, the darked-humored EVEN HITLER HAD A GIRLFRIEND (1991) and its sequel THE HITLER TAPES (1994 [Expect  a major announcement in the near future about the last two films!]), as well as some interesting documentaries [the hilarious HIGHWAY AMAZON - 2001) and shorts (MUGS [2008] and the animated shorts ICONS [2018] and THE CHAIR [2019] are some of my favorites). But Mr. Cramer's real love was music (he had a special room in his house where he would listen to his favorite music for hours and discover new artists), releasing nearly fifty albums in his career, including a new soundtrack to director Fritz Lang's classic silent film METROPOLIS (1927). Nearly everything Ronnie Cramer created, whether it be films, music or art in general, either on paper, on canvas or in animated films, has won multiple awards at film festivals and deservedly so (I'm talking about 200+ awards!), which has me wondering why his credits list on IMDb is so incomplete and why his death is not being reported on any of the major Internet entertainment sites (Shame on you Variety!). Mr. Cramer deserved better than that. He was one of the true originals whose work was loved by so many, including myself. My deepest condolences to Ronnie Cramer's wife and family, as well as his many fans.

JUNE 29, 2021: I just learned that actor Robert Sacchi passed away June 23rd at the age of 89 after suffering a brief respiratory illness. Due to his uncanny resemblance to Humphrey Bogart (with no cosmetic surgery whatsoever), Mr. Sacchi portrayed Bogart (or a fictional version of him) on film and television, his first acting job being in one-time director Ferdinando Merighi’s excellent giallo film THE FRENCH SEX MURDERS (1972). He then went on to appear in the films PULP (1972), ACROSS 110TH STREET (1972), THE MAN WITH BOGART'S FACE (1980), FUNLAND (1987), COLD HEAT (1989), DIE HARD 2 (1990) and THE NAKED TRUTH (1992), as well as many TV Series, including SLEDGE HAMMER! (1987), SIMON & SIMON (1988) and TALES FROM THE CRYPT  (Episode: "You, Murderer" - 1995). Mr. Sacchi's final acting role was in the film BLAST FROM THE PAST (1999). Mr. Sacchi was also an accomplished musician, having a top ten hit in Germany with the 1982 single “Jungle Queen”. He also toured on Stage with his one-man show, “Bogey’s Back” and touring productions of Woody Allen’s comedy “Play It Again, Sam.”

JUNE 25, 2021: Today is the start of Severin Films' "Mid-Year Sale 2021" (it ends June 29th), where nearly all their titles on Blu-Ray & DVD are on sale at deeply-discounted prices. And they have also released some new titles, too, including Blu-Rays of Bruno Mattei's ENDGAME (1983; my favorite Italian post-apocalypse film), Ruggero Deodato's THE RAIDERS OF ATLANTIS (1983) and Lucio Fulci's WARRIORS OF THE YEAR 2072 (a.k.a. THE NEW GLADIATORS - 1983), as well as a three-disc version (4k + Blu-Ray + CD of Claudio Gizzi's soundtrack) of BLOOD FOR DRACULA (a.k.a ANDY WARHOL'S DRACULA - 1974) and a three-disc version of RETRIBUTION (1987), which contains two versions of the film (theatrical cut & extended Dutch video version) and a CD soundtrack by Alan Howarth. Severin sub-label Intervision Picture Corp. is also offering a Blu-ray of director Mark Savage's THE MASTURBATING GUNMAN (2000) for the first time in the United States. Severin is also offering all these films (including two new Jess Franco titles, BLACK BOOTS, LEATHER WHIP & THE HOUSE OF LOST WOMEN [both 1983; not my scene] and a surprise title that will be revealed at midnight on June 27th [turns out it's BEYOND DARKNESS - 1990]) as part of "The Nuclear Meltdown Bundle" for $246.00. That may sound like a lot of money, but it breaks down to a great deal. My wallet is already screaming "Uncle!", but I would have to be insane not to purchase these films at such low prices. As with all Severin titles, expect copious new extras to keep you busy after the films end. So what are you wating for? Jump on this now before they are sold out!

JUNE 13, 2021: Another important and favorite actor of mine, Ned Beatty, died today of natural causes at the age of 83. He was in so many great classic films, his debut film being DELIVERANCE (1972), where he was made to "squeal like a pig" while being anally raped by the head hillbilly. That line of dialogue is so iconic, it is still quoted today, and Beatty was very proud of it. Other films that Mr. Beatty appeared in with his good friend Burt Reynolds were WHITE LIGHTNING (1973), W.W. AND THE DIXIE DANCEKINGS (1975); and GATOR (1976), as well as the classic films ALL THE PRESIDENTS MEN (1976); NETWORK (1976; where he was nominated the first and only time for an Academy Award®, even though he had less than six minutes of screen time); SUPERMAN (1978); SUPERMAN II (1980) and the TV Movie GUYANA TRAGEDY: THE STORY OF JIM JONES (1980; my favorite TV Movie of all time). Ned Beatty also appeared in a lot of genre films, including EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC (1977); THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING WOMAN (1981); THE FOURTH PROTOCOL (1987); ROLLING VENGEANCE (1987); THE UNHOLY (1988); MINISTRY OF VENGEANCE (1989); REPOSSESSED (1990); CAPTAIN AMERICA (1990); ED AND HIS DEAD MOTHER (1993); REPLIKATOR (1994); and SHOOTER (2006). Kids and adults alike will recognize his voice as the nefarious "Lotso" in TOY STORY 3 (2010). He was also no stranger to TV, appearing in dozens of TV Movies (including DYING ROOM ONLY [1973] and THE DEADLY TOWER [1975]), as well as appearing as a guest star on such series as M*A*S*H; THE ROCKFORD FILES; ROSEANNE; and many others. He also appeared as "Stanley 'The Big Man' Bolander" in the first three seasons of the excellent HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET (1993 - 1999). He appeared in so many movies and TV Series that he became known as "The Busiest Actor In Hollywood". Mr. Beatty was also heavily involved in Stage work, both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. Even though he had not acted in anything since 2013, Ned Beatty was so prolific and excellent (two things that usually don't mix together) that his legend will live on for eternity. Shit, another one of my childhood favorites is no longer with us. If I believed in God, I would demand that he stop this!

MAY 26, 2021: I WISH I WERE A BILLIONAIRE DEPARTMENT: News just breaking that Amazon has purchased MGM and all their films (over 4,000) and TV Shows (over 17,000 hours!) for $8.45 billion! I don't know whether this will be a good or bad thing for the future of film and television, but I am thankful that I have been a Prime member nearly since it began. The deal should be completed by the end of this year and means that the James Bond franchise will be a Prime exclusive, owning MGM's 50% stake in the franchise (But Amazon will still have to deal with Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, the owners of Eon Productions, the production company responsible for the Bond films, if they want to create a Bond-related TV Series or film. MGM has been bought and sold many times over the years and none of them have been able to get past Broccoli or Wilson when it comes time to make decisions about James Bond.), along with the entire MGM/UA catalogue (it also includes the Orion Pictures library), which consists of such genre films as FREAKS (1932), KING KONG (1933), THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY (1945), MIGHTY JOE YOUNG (1949), THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER (1955), FORBIDDEN PLANET (1956), VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED (1960), THE HAUNTING (1963), 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968), HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS (1970), SHAFT (1971), NIGHTMARE HONEYMOON (1973), WESTWORLD (1973), THE KILLER ELITE (1975), CARRIE (1976), LOGAN'S RUN (1976), DEMON SEED (1977), INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1978), THE AMITYVILLE HORROR (1979), HE KNOWS YOU'RE ALONE (1980), THE BURNING (1980), POLTERGEIST (1982), A STRANGER IS WATCHING (1982), REVENGE OF THE NINJA (1983), STRANGE INVADERS (1984), RED DAWN (1984), RED SONJA (1985), LIFEFORCE (1985), CHERRY 2000 (1987), CHILD'S PLAY (1988), PUMPKINHEAD (1988), ROAD HOUSE (1989), LEVIATHAN (1989), HARLEY DAVIDSON AND THE MARLBORO MAN (1991), SPECIES (1995), DISTURBING BEHAVIOR (1998), STIGMATA (1999), THE CABIN IN THE WOODS (2011), and many, many more. I've always been against companies monopolizing TV and films (such as the Disney/ABC/FOX/AppleTV+ deals) and I thought there were laws in place to stop such monopolies, but since we live in a different time (thanks to the pandemic), I am glad that Amazon scored this deal, if only to stop Disney from taking over the entertainment industry. Life isn't Rated G, PG or PG-13, so why should all of our films be? We all need a little Rated R (and even some Rated X) ingredients in our lives, so let's quit thinking that all films should be Disneyfied. Only time will tell if this will be a good deal. I'm hoping it is. This deal will probably make Prime the number one streaming service, replacing Netflix as the champion.

MAY 19, 2021: Another celebrity death to report, this time comedian/actor Charles Grodin (real name: Charles Sydney Grodinsky), who passed away yesterday from complications of bone marrow cancer at the age of 86. While he had a large and varied career in television and film, he made precious few movies that would fit the criteria of this site, but he does have a handful. I loved Mr. Grodin for his appearances on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show and David Letterman's Late Night (and Late Show), where he would adopt a character that was verbally combative at every question asked of him, as if he was pissed to be there. He was not only wet-your-pants funny, he was usually right on target with his answers and both Carson and Letterman loved that, inviting him back countless times over the years. As far as Charles Grodin's genre film roles are concerned, he first appeared as an uncredited child in Disney's 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA (1954) and spent the rest of the '50s & '60s appearing on Television. His career began to take off when he appeared as a doctor in Roman Polanski's ROSEMARY'S BABY (1968), followed by CATCH-22 (1970). He then appeared in the 1976 version of KING KONG; directors Warren Beatty & Buck Henry's HEAVEN CAN WAIT (1978); and opposite a then-exploding-in-popularity Farrah Fawcett in SUNBURN (1979). The 80's found him starring in the unfunny THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING WOMAN (1981); the frequently quoted "worst big budget movie of all time" ISHTAR (1987); and then his probably best-remembered role as "Jonathan Mardukas" opposite Robert De Niro as "Jack Walsh" in the very funny action comedy MIDNIGHT RUN (1988), a certifiable hit both in theaters and home video. Mr. Grodin took that popularity and appeared in a series of unfunny film comedies during the '90s (including SO I MARRIED AN AXE MURDERER - 1993; the first two BEETHOVEN Films [1992 + 1993], even though the first one was a hit with audiences and it spawned six sequels [!]; and the truly horrible CLIFFORD - 1994 [Of course, all these films have their fans. I'm only stating my opinion.]), before quitting movies and trying his hand as a TV talk show host, which failed. He then became a sought-after guest on many political cable news shows and returned to film (usually in supporting roles) in 2006 and TV acting (His guest role on LAW & ORDER: SVU in 2012 was truly memorable) six years later. His final acting role was in director James Toback's crime thriller AN IMPERFECT MURDER (2017). Charles Grodin may not fit into this site like most genre film actors, but I certainly enjoyed him. He was just as at ease with drama as he was with comedy. His dry wit will always be remembered by me and his many fans. Rest well Charles Grodin. You brought a welcome smile to my face countless times and for that I will be forever grateful.

MAY 15, 2021: Another undeserved and underreported celebrity death to report, this time character actor Blackie Dammett (real name: John Michael Kiedis; the father of Anthony Kiedis, lead singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers), who passed away May 12th of undisclosed causes at the age of 81. Blackie appeared in many movies, but his most famous role was as a thug in the Christmas tree opening of LETHAL WEAPON (1987), where Mel Gibson beats the snot out of him. Other memorable roles include NINE DEATHS OF THE NINJA (1985), where he portrays the bonkers "Alby the Cruel", a wheelchair-bound drug kingpin who is obviously a homosexual, but keeps a squad of commando women to do his bidding (his death at a polo match is a real hoot); and as the murderous pastor in the little-seen THE AMERICAN SCREAM (1988). Other films Blackie Dammett appeared in included: THE LADY IN RED (1979); DOCTOR DETROIT (1983); THE LOST EMPIRE (1984); THE BOYS NEXT DOOR (1985); A NIGHT AT THE MAGIC CASTLE (1988); L.A. BOUNTY (1989) and many others. He also appeared on many police/detective procedurals and sitcom TV series from the late-'70s to 1990, the year he gave up acting to raise wolves and wolf hybrids (!) and then become President of "Rockinfreakapotamus", the official Red Hot Chili Peppers fan club. Many people never knew his name, but he certainly left an impression with his looks and acting ability. Like George "Buck" Flower, he was instantly recognizable for both his face and voice. Blackie Dammett was cremated and his ashes given to his family. My condolences to the Kiedis Family and all of Blackie's fans, of which I am one. He was truly one of a kind.

MAY 08, 2021: Sorry to hear that Actress/Whitesnake music video hottie Tawny Kitaen passed away yesterday of undisclosed causes at the age of 59. She had problems with drugs and alcohol and wasn't ashamed to admit it, appearing on CELEBRITY REHAB WITH DR. DREW (2008) as a rehab patient. Some of the movies Ms. Kitaen appeared in that would interest readers of this site include: GWENDOLINE (1984); BACHELOR PARTY (1984); INSTANT JUSTICE (1986); WITCHBOARD (1986); WHITE HOT (1988; probably her best role, even though the film is considered an unintentional hoot); PLAYBACK (1996); DEAD TIDES (1996) and director Fred Olen Ray's AFTER MIDNIGHT (2014). She made appearances on such TV series as SEINFELD ("The Nose Job" episode - 1991); a regular featured role on THE NEW WKRP IN CINCINNATI (1991 - 1993); MARRIED...WITH CHILDREN (1994); a semi-recurring role as "Deianeira" on HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS (1994 - 1997); and a guest-starring role on CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION (2011). Tawny was married to Whitesnake lead singer David Coverdale for a short period (1989 - 1991) and then married Major League baseball pitcher Chuck Finley in 1997 until their divorce on 2002. She also appeared on the first two album covers for the hair metal band Ratt. Fifty-nine-years is much too young to pass away and I'm sincerely sorry to hear about it. My condolences to Tawny Kitaen's family and friends.

APRIL 20, 2021: I just learned that director Monte Hellman passed away today at the age of 91 after suffering a fall in his home the day before. Mr. Hellman began his directorial career by hooking up with Roger Corman and becoming part of Corman's stable, which also included Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola. Monte Hellman's first directorial effort was the strange BEAST FROM HAUNTED CAVE (1959). He then directed several days on the piecemeal film THE TERROR (1963), where he became friends with Jack Nicholson, directing Nicholson in the films FLIGHT TO FURY (1964), BACK DOOR TO HELL (1964), THE SHOOTING (1966) and RIDE IN THE WHIRLWIND (1966). As the 1970s approached, Hellman directed the films TWO LANE BLACKTOP (1971), COCKFIGHTER (1974), uncredited directorial work on SHATTER (1974), CHINA 9, LIBERTY 37 (1978) and some uncredited post-production directorial work on AVALANCHE EXPRESS (1979). Mr. Hellman's '80s output included only two films, but they were very strange ones: IGUANA (1988) and SILENT NIGHT DEADLY NIGHT 3: BETTER WATCH OUT (1989). The rest of Hellman's directorial career was very sparse, including the horror film short STANLEY'S GIRLFRIEND (2006; which was part of the anthology film TRAPPED ASHES - 2006) and ROAD TO NOWHERE (2010), his final feature film. Monte Hellman was considered a filmic poet and was especially admired by Quentin Tartantino, as Hellman was Executive Producer of Tarantino's RESERVOIR DOGS (1992; He also got a "Special Thanks" on Tarantino's INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS - 2009). Monte Hellman also edited most of his films and was also Editor on such films as THE WILD ANGELS (1966), the Monkees film HEAD (1968), TARGET: HARRY (1969), Sam Peckinpah's THE KILLER ELITE (1975), SUDDEN DEATH (1977), and GREY KNIGHT (1993). He also directed the pre-credits sequence of CREATURE FROM THE HAUNTED SEA (1961), was Dialogue Director on THE ST. VALENTINE'S MASSACRE (1967) and was an uncredited Second Unit Director of ROBOCOP (1987). As you can see Monte Hellman had a wide and varied career in the film business. The films he directed almost always had an atmosphere for the weird and surreal, making him a cult figure by fans of his films (count me as one of them). So long Monte Hellman and thanks for the entertainment.

APRIL 13, 2021: The bad news never stops coming in, as I learned talented special effects makeup artist Giannetto De Rossi, known as "the Tom Savini of Italy", passed away April 11th of undisclosed causes at the age of 78. Mr. De Rossi, who had been a makeup artist on films since the early-'60s, really came into prominence thanks to his work on Italian gore films, beginning with director Jorge Grau's LET SLEEPING CORPSES LIE (1974) and continuing with Lucio Fulci's ZOMBIE (1979; who can forget the wood shard through the eye bit?), Antonio Margheriti's CANNIBAL APOCALYPSE (1980) and then a series of Fulci films, including THE BEYOND (1981) and THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY (1981), as well as THE RAIDERS OF ATLANTIS (1983), CONAN THE DESTROYER (1984), David Lynch's DUNE (1984), RAMBO III (1988), KILLER CROCODILE (1989), DRAGONHEART (1996), HIGH TENSION (2003) and many, many others. Mr. De Rossi even tried his hand at directing, being responsible for the films CY WARRIOR: SPECIAL COMBAT UNIT (1989) and KILLER CROCODILE 2 (1990), also co-writing the screenplays to both films. When it comes to reviewing (or even talking about) Italian genre films, especially horror films, it would be impossible to do so without mentioning Giannetto De Rossi's name constantly. Many of these films wouldn't have been memorable without his special brand of gruesomeness and his touches of the macabre. He was truely one-of-a-kind and will never be forgotten because his work will live on forever. On a related note, Enzo Sciotti, one of the most beloved and prolific Italian horror movie poster artists, also passed away on April 11th at the age of 76. You may not know the name, but readers of this site will definitely know his artwork, as it has graced posters of some of the best Italian and foreign horror films, including the aforementioned THE BEYOND (1981) and THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY (1981), as well as CANNIBAL FEROX (1981), Dario Argento's PHENOMENA (1984), DEMONS (1985), Fulci's MANHATTAN BABY (1982), SODOMA'S GHOST (1988) and A CAT IN THE BRAIN (1990; one of my favorite posters of all time).  He even did posters for such stateside films as CUJO (1983), MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE (1986), BLUE VELVET (1986), NEAR DARK (1987), TWO EVIL EYES (1990), ARMY OF DARKNESS (1992) and so many more. His artwork is what sold a lot of these films to audiences and he should be remembered for that. Not many poster artists get the recognition they deserve, yet Enzo Sciotti made a name for himself thanks to his excellent artwork that reeked of an atmosphere of fear and dread. These are two Italian masters who will never fade into the background because their bodies of work were so important to genre cinema. It is with much fondness and sadness that I bid Giannetto De Rossi and Enzo Sciotti farewell on their journeys to eternity.

APRIL 10, 2021: Rapper DMX (real name: Earl Simmons) passed away of cardiac arrest due to a drug overdose at the age of 50 yesterday. The popular rapper-turned-actor was known for his tough guy image in such films as BELLY (1998), ROMEO MUST DIE (2000), EXIT WOUNDS (2001), CRADLE TO THE GRAVE (2003) and NEVER DIE ALONE (2004; My favorite performance of his), as well as the horror films LOCKJAW (2008) and THE BLEEDING (2009). His music can be heard in the films THE CORRUPTOR (1999), GONE IN 60 SECONDS (2000), THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS (2001), HALF PAST DEAD (2002), DEADPOOL (2016), as well as many TV Series and video games. I'm having a hard time understanding why all the news outlets are not mentioning the drug overdose and are only mentioning he died of a heart attack, but when it first happened on April 2nd, they were quick to mention he was hospitalized due to a drug overdose that caused his cardiac arrest. Thousands of people attended a vigil for a comatose DMX outside the hospital in NYC he was in, praying for him to get better and not once during that vigil were drugs ever mentioned. Is this the message we want to send our children? The death of DMX is certainly a tragedy, but we cannot leave out the truth as to the cause of his death, no matter how much we loved him. Just food for thought. R.I.P Earl Simmons.

APRIL 07, 2021: It's time again to say goodbye to a genre celebrity, this time it's James Hampton, who many people from my generation will know as "Trooper Hannibal Dobbs" on the sitcom F TROOP (1965 - 1967). Mr. Hampton went on to appear in many other TV series and theatrical films from the '60s to the New Millennium, including his Golden Globe®-nominated role as "Caretaker" in THE LONGEST YARD (1974; He became best friends with star Burt Reynolds, which led to him directing 16 episodes of Reynolds' TV series EVENING SHADE [1990 - 1994]). Other films Mr. Hampton appeared in included FORCE FIVE (TV Movie - 1975), Reynolds' starrers W.W. AND THE DIXIE DANCEKINGS (1975) and HUSTLE (1975), THE CHINA SYNDROME (1979), HANGAR 18 (1980), CONDORMAN (1981), TEEN WOLF (1985) & TEEN WOLF TOO (1987), THE GIANT OF THUNDER MOUNTAIN (1990), SLING BLADE (1996) and many, many more. He was one of those actors whom, if you didn't know his name, you could immediately identify him by his voice alone. Mr. Hampton passed away due to complications of Parkinson's Disease and was 84-years-old. R.I.P. James Hampton. Thanks for the memories.

APRIL 05, 2021: I'm the first to admit that I am not a huge Kaiju fan, but last night I decided to watch GODZILLA VS. KONG on HBOMax since it was being shown simultaneously on that service and nearly 3,000 theaters in the United States (where it made nearly $50 million in its first five days, the most a film has made in a theatrical release in the U.S. since before the pandemic started). I have to say that I enjoyed the film immensely, as it hit most of the right notes and managed to pay tribute to both King Kong and Godzilla films of the past. While the film mainly pays attention to Kong throughout most of the film, the battles between Kong and Godzilla were done very well, be it the first attack underwater or the battle they have in Hong Kong, completely destroying it. But when Mecha-Godzilla makes an appearance (that's the only spoiler you are going to get from me) the battle changes completely and it had me applauding on my couch in approval and I even got choked-up a little. A Kaiju film that does that to me can't be all bad, so if you are sitting on the fence whether to watch it or not, I say go for it, you will probably like it. There are some clichés here (A small deaf girl is friends with Kong and the human baddie has intent on ruling the world), but they are easily overlooked because this film does nearly everything else beautifully, from the remarkable CGI (yes, I'm praising it!), the wonderful scenery of Hollow Earth (Man, I wish it did exist!) to the epic battle sequences. And it doesn't overstay its welcome, as it runs less than two hours (unlike the three other films in the Monsterverse series, which went way over the two hour mark, or at least it seemed they did). So does Kong or Godzilla die in this (Director Adam Wingard [YOU'RE NEXT - 2011] promised us one monster would perish)? All I'm gonna say is watch it for yourself to find out.

APRIL 03, 2021: I learned that genre film jack-of-all-trades Cleve Hall passed away on March 31st of congestive heart failure at the age of 61. Cleve, who was the younger brother of B-Movie director/producer/screenwriter/jack-of-all-trades Kenneth J. Hall (THE TOMB - 1986; EVIL SPAWN - 1987; NIGHTMARE SISTERS - 1988 and many more), acted in the films TWISTED NIGHTMARE (1982), WARLORDS (1988) and RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD: NECROPOLIS (2005); supplied special makeup effects to the films NIGHTMARE (1981), ZONE TROOPERS (1985), RE-ANIMATOR (1985), TERRORVISION (1986) and BLOODY MOVIE (1988; also one the Second Unit Directors); Executive Produced brother Ken's THE HALFWAY HOUSE (2004); and worked in the background (usually uncredited) on scores of other genre films, including GHOULIES (1985), TROLL (1986), ELIMINATORS (1986), ALIENATOR (1989), DEMON WIND (1990) and many, many more. Cleve Hall was also a longtime member of the Goth Subculture and usually dressed like a Goth (he was even seen driving in his hearse, a 1961 Cadillac S&S Victoria), but he used his stature to get many members of the Goth community to volunteer in various charity organizations in the Los Angeles area, proving that looks are not important, deeds are. I will say this: I enjoyed many of the films Cleve was involved with and I send my heartfelt condolances to Kenneth and his family. We lost a good one, folks. R.I.P. Cleve Hall.

MARCH 24, 2021: Jesus, make it stop! Jessica Walter, the sharp-tongued and martini-drinking Lucille Bluth on ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT (2003 - 2019) has passed away today of natural causes at the age of 80. I first noticed Ms. Walter as the psychotic Evelyn in Clint Eastwood's directorial debut PLAY MISTY FOR ME (1971) and followed her career closely after that. A TV staple from the '60s right up till the New Millennium (even a series regular on quite a few TV shows, including her own short-lived TV Series AMY PRENTISS [1974 - 1975]), Jessica Walter was equally at home in films such as DR. STRANGE (TV Movie - 1978), THE CONCORDE...AIRPORT '79 (1979), VAMPIRE (TV Movie - 1979), GHOST IN THE MACHINE (1993), BENDING THE RULES (2012) and many others. She was an entertainer of the highest caliber and will be missed. I have also learned that character actor Richard Gilliland departed from this plane of existence on March 18, 2021 after suffering from a short illness. He was 71-years-old. He was the husband of actress Jean Smart, meeting on the set of Smart's TV series DESIGNING WOMEN (1986 - 1993), where he had a recurring role. While Mr. Gilliland worked mostly on TV, he did appear in a few theatrical movies, such as BUG (1975; where he was third-billed), THE WHITE BUFFALO (1977; My favorite non-Spaghetti Western), AIRPLANE II: THE SEQUEL (1982), and STAR KID (1997). He was one of those actors you never heard of, but he appeared on TV so many times (over 150 guest star appearances from the early-'70s until recently), his face was instantly recognizable. R.I.P. Richard Gilliland.

MARCH 23, 2021: Yet another death to report, this time celebrated, Academy Award®-nominated actor George Segal, who passed away today at the age of 87 due to complications from bypass surgery. Known today for his role of Albert “Pops” Solomon on the TV series THE GOLDBERGS (2013 - 2021) and for his role as boss "Jack Gallo" on the celebrated sitcom JUST SHOOT ME! (1997 - 2003), Mr. Segal was also a distinguished actor on many films, many of them well-known to readers of this site, such as THE QUILLER MEMORANDUM (1966), THE ST. VALENTINE'S DAY MASSACRE (1967), NO WAY TO TREAT A LADY (1967), THE TERMINAL MAN (1974), RUSSIAN ROULETTE (1975), ROLLERCOASTER (1977), WHO IS KILLING THE GREAT CHEFS OF EUROPE? (1978), STICK (1985), JOSHUA TREE (1993), THE BABYSITTER (1995) and so many more. George Segal could do anything asked of him, including drama, romance, comedy, science fiction, action and anything else that could come in mind. He was a true original who entertained people from his acting debut in 1960 right up until his death. My condolences go out to Mr. Segal's family and closest friends, of which there were many. By all accounts Mr. Segal was loved by everyone he worked with, no matter what his role was. A true original who will be missed.

MARCH 16, 2021: Another sad day to report. On March 14, 2021 imposing actor Yaphet Kotto passed away of undisclosed causes at the age of 81. I first discovered Mr. Kotto in director Larry Cohen's BONE (1972) and watched his credits list expand greatly in such films as ACROSS 110TH STREET (1972), the evil Kananga/Mr. Big in the James Bond film LIVE AND LET DIE (1973), the blaxplotiation classic TRUCK TURNER (1974), the unsung and little-seen thriller REPORT TO THE COMMISSIONER (1975), FRIDAY FOSTER (1975), DRUM (1976), BLUE COLLAR (1978), ALIEN (1979; the` film that set his career ablaze), the excellent prison film BRUBAKER (1980), FIGHTING BACK (1982), WARNING SIGN (1985), EYE OF THE TIGER (1986; my favorite performance of his), THE RUNNING MAN (1987), MIDNIGHT RUN (1988), MINISTRY OF VENGEANCE (1989), THE PUPPET MASTERS (1994) and as "Al Giardello" on one of my favorite TV series HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET (1993 - 1999). Mr. Kotto basically retired from films and TV after this important TV series, only appearing in a handful of movies and TV guest roles after it ended. Yaphet Kotto had one of those voices that was immediately recognizable. If you heard it without looking at the screen, you would instantly know who it was. Thanks, Yaphet Kotto, for entertaining me throughout the decades. I and legions of your fans will miss you greatly.

MARCH 11, 2021: I discovered that Director Norman J. Warren died today of undisclosed causes at the age of 78. Mr. Warren was best known for the string of horror/science fiction film he directed in the '70s & '80s, including SATAN'S SLAVE (1976), ALIEN PREY (1977), TERROR (1978), INSEMINOID (a.k.a. HORROR PLANET - 1980) and BLOODY NEW YEAR (1986), which I think is his best, but unjustly overlooked, horror film. He also delved into comedy with the films SPACED OUT (1979) and GUNPOWDER (1986). Even though Mr. Warren never directed another feature film since 1986, he was still involved in filmmaking, directing music videos, acting in several short films and directing a PSA short that played in British movie theatres telling people to turn off their cell phones in a comically scary way. I always liked most of Mr. Warren's films and he was my second favorite British genre filmmaker right behind Pete Walker, who is still with us. R.I.P. Norman J. Warren and thanks for entertaining me and the countless other fans of your films. I also just learned that Mexican actress Isela Vega passed away March 9, 2021 of cancer at the age of 81. Ms. Vega came to worldwide acclaim due to her role of "Elita" in Sam Peckinpah's BRING ME THE HEAD OF ALFREDO GARCIA (1974) and readers of this site will remember her for roles in flims such as FEAR CHAMBER (1968), DRUM (1976), JOSHUA (1976), BLOOD SCREAMS (1987) and ISLAND OF THE DOLLS (2018). Ms. Vega held dual citizenship in Mexico and the United States, appeared on many U.S. and Mexican TV series during the '80s & '90s and worked right up till her death. R.I.P. Isela Vega.

MARCH 07, 2021: I just learned that jack-of-all trades John 'Bud' Cardos passed away December 31, 2020 at the age of 91. Mr. Cardos was an Actor (SATAN'S SADISTS - 1969; HORROR OF THE BLOOD MONSTERS [1965 - 1970]), a Stuntman (THE WILD BUNCH - 1969; BLOOD OF DRACULA'S CASTLE - 1969), a Production Manager (NIGHTMARE IN WAX - 1969; DEATHDREAM - 1972), a Second Unit Director (HOUSE OF TERROR - 1972; BULLIES - 1986), a Transportation Driver (PHANTOMS - 1998; MEMENTO - 2000), and even a Bird Handler (on both Hitchcock's PSYCHO - 1960 and THE BIRDS - 1963), but it is his films as Director that most people remember, including KINGDOM OF THE SPIDERS (1977), THE DARK (1979), THE DAY TIME ENDED (1979), MUTANT (1984), SKELETON COAST (1987) and ACT OF PIRACY (1988). Everybody that knew him loved him, as he was always funny, caring and, above all, professional in everything he did. Personally, I love KINGDOM OF THE SPIDERS, THE DARK (which Mr. Cardos rescued after Tobe Hooper was fired), SKELETON COAST and most of his other films. A sad goodbye to a true original. R.I.P. John 'Bud' Cardos.

MARCH 01, 2021: The CPAC Republican convention proves to me that Republicans want to overthrow Democracy in the United States. Not only did they create a giant gold statue of Trump (Made in Mexico!), they also allowed the ex-President to give a rambling 90-minute speech where he once again repeated his lies about winning the election, but he and his fellow Communists also put down Dr. Fauci and President Biden, while telling everyone that the COVID-19 pandemic was a hoax (A half-a-million Americans dead is a hoax? How stupid do you have to be?), every Republican in the conference applauding, hootin' and hollerin' in approval at every single lie that came out of their mouths. This just proves one thing to me: Do we want people like this running our country and making the most important decisions of our lives? I mean, we already put up with four years of lies and misinformation, do we need any more? If it weren't for the millions of uneducated people who swallow up these lies and believe they are the truth, these seditious idiots would have been kicked out of office a long time ago. When any Republican Governor, Senator or House Representative comes up for re-election, vote for the other guy or gal. Send a message to them that we are sick and tired of being fed lies and we are smart enough to distinguish the truth from outright false conspiracy theories. And to those millions of uneducated assholes who believe this ten pounds of shit in a five pound bag, all I have to say is this: grow up and take pride in your country. The pride you have now is nothing but treasonous behavior wrapped in a lie that you swallowed without hesitation. Use your brain (if you know how). And one other thing: Support President Biden. He has the empathy that Trump failed to convey at every turn. He's not perfect, but he is a million times more productive than that idiot former President! This is the first time in my 63 years on this planet that a proven dictator is trying to take over the United States of America and idiotic people are feeding off his lies. I wouldn't worry so much if it was just a tiny percentage of the population believing his lies, but we are talking over seventy million people who voted for him in the last election. It's time for action, any legal action to stop this from happening, but we know from experience that these treasonous people don't care about laws. They will do anything, including murder, to get their way. I always say, "People Are Stupid", but I should change that to, "People Are Stupidly Dangerous." It's up to us intelligent, freedom-loving citizens to stop this insurrection from destroying our Democracy. I don't know about you, but I have no problem stooping to their level to make sure this never happens. If that's all they understand, so be it.

FEBRUARY 15, 2021: After stewing in my own juices for the past two days, I have to voice my disgust for all the Republican Senators who voted to acquit Donald Trump of impeachment. They spit on the Constitution while saying the Constitution dictates that it is illegal to impeach a President who is no longer in office. Bullshit! Show me where in the Constitution it says that; the fact is it doesn't exist and was mearly a weak excuse used by these spineless bastards because they don't want to admit that they are afraid of the former President and many of them were just as guilty as he was for the insurrection at the Capitol Building on January 6th. By supporting this treasonous idiot who nearly took down our Democracy, it has proven to me one important thing: These Republican Senators should be banned from politics forever. They don't support their sworn duty to protect Democracy and the American way of life; they support the exact opposite. Remember every one of them when they come up for re-election, especially the two-faced Mitch McConnell, who is nothing but pond scum (sorry, pond scum, I didn't mean to debase you), delivering a speech after the impeachment that proved what a bold-faced liar he actually is. With these treasonous bastards in the Senate, nothing will get done that doesn't put more money in their pockets and sets-up Trump for another term as President in 2024. Up next: Trump facing criminal charges for what he did during his Presidency. This won't be so easy for him since politics don't play a role in criminal justice (at least it shouldn't). We'll see. The common citizens who still support him are beyond the pale. Can't they see he doesn't give a damn about them? Their blind committment to Trump is what led to the murderous insurrection in the first place. I always think that people are stupid, but to be this stupid even makes me shake my head in disgust. America is in turmoil, but I hope that President Biden handles it in a way that is fair and just. It looks like that is happening right now, but the future offers many surprises.

FEBRUARY 08, 2021: Yes, you guessed it, another death to report, this time famed Italian cinematographer Giuseppe Rotunno, who passed away yesterday of unknown causes at the age of 97. You may not be familiar with the name, but I am sure you have seen many of the films he photographed, as he not only shot Italian films, but many International and American films, too. Mr. Rotunno had a certain style that added atmosphere and intensity to the many films he photographed, including ON THE BEACH (1959); YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW (1963); SPIRITS OF THE DEAD (1968; the "Toby Dammit" episode); CARNAL KNOWLEDGE (1971); CHINA 9, LIBERTY 37 (1978); Bob Fosse's ALL THAT JAZZ (1979; for which he was nominated for an Academy Award®); POPEYE (1980); THE ASSISI UNDERGROUND (1985); RED SONJA (1985); HAUNTED SUMMER (1988); THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN (1988); WOLF (1994) and his penultimate film, Dario Argento's THE STENDHAL SYNDROME (1996); as well as over 75 other films, including many of Luchino Visconti and Federico Fellini's films. I'm sure you have seen at least one of these films and can understand the certain style Giuseppe Rotunno added to it, using non-standard camera angles and other strange set-ups to his films (especially when it came to lighting a scene), giving them a sense of urgency and a lot of class. In 1966, he became the first non-American cinematographer to be accepted as a member of American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), mainly because of his trademark style. He retired from filmmaking in 1997 and taught cinematography at a film school in Rome. Thanks for giving us your special brand of entertainment, Giuseppe Rotunno, something we can enjoy for an eternity.

FEBRUARY 05, 2021: My God, is 2021 the year of celebrities who died in their nineties? The latest being superb actor Christopher Plummer, who passed away today of natural causes at the age of 91, the actor with the smooth-as-silk voice who starred in many A-List films, (Like THE SOUND OF MUSIC [1965]; ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD [2017; where he replaced disgraced actor Kevin Spacey, all of Plummer's scenes shot after the film was completed]; and the recent KNIVES OUT [2019; which is excellent]), as well as appearing in many genre films that we know and love. The strange thing was, Mr. Plummer never became a world-reknowned A-List actor (but he deserved it), yet everyone knew him, because he stood out no matter how small his role was and didn't mind appearing in some low-budget genre flicks to pay the bills. He did win an Academy Award® and Golden Globe® for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in the film BEGINNERS (2010), making him the oldest actor to ever win those awards (at the age of 82, replacing the recently deceased Hal Holbrook) and won two Emmy Awards® (nominated an additional five times) for his work on television. We here at CritCon recognize him immediately for his roles in such genre films as THE PYX (1973); THE DISAPPEARANCE (1977); THE SILENT PARTNER (1978); STARCRASH (1978); MURDER BY DECREE (1979); my favorite time travel tale SOMEWHERE IN TIME (1980); THE AMATEUR (1981); DREAMSCAPE (1984; the first film to get a PG-13 Rating); VAMPIRE IN VENICE (1988); CRACKERJACK (1994); DRACULA 2000 (1999); and many, many others. Another excellent actor has left this mortal plane. Let's hope there are no more on the horizon. We are going to miss you, Christopher Plummer, and the good things you added to every film you appeared in.

FEBRUARY 03, 2021: In another shocker that is quite hard to take, Hal Holbrook passed away on January 23rd of natural causes at the age of 95. Not only was Mr. Holbrook an Academy Award® nominated actor (for INTO THE WILD - 2007), making him the oldest actor ever to be nominated for that award, he also won an Emmy Award® four times (nominated an additional six times) and a Tony Award® for his nearly lifelong portrayal of Mark Twain in the stage play MARK TWAIN TONIGHT! (he started the one-man show in 1948, when he was in his early-twenties, and continued to do so for the rest of his life). One thing I loved about Hal Holbrook is that he didn't shy away from appearing in genre films, always giving his professional best no matter how low the budget was, appearing in THEY ONLY KILL THEIR MASTERS (1972); MAGNUM FORCE (1975); RITUALS (1977; one of my favorites); CAPRICORN ONE (1978); THE FOG (1979); THE KIDNAPPING OF THE PRESIDENT (1980); CREEPSHOW (1982); GIRLS NITE OUT (1983); and THE UNHOLY (1988). Mr. Holbrook was also no stranger to TV, appearing in scores of TV Series, including recurring roles in THE BOLD ONES: THE SENATOR (1970 - 1971; His first Emmy win); DESIGNING WOMEN (1986 - 1989; Appearing with his late wife Dixie Carter); EVENING SHADE (1990 - 1994; Portraying Burt Reynolds' father-in-law); replacing a deceased Raymond Burr in three '90s PERRY MASON TV MOVIES (1994 - 1995), not portraying Mason, but a lawyer called "Wild Bill McKenzie"; the failed TV Series THE EVENT (2010 - 2011) and SONS OF ANARCHY (2010 - 2014). There was no character that Hal Holbrook couldn't play (such as a gay man in the ground-breaking TV Movie THAT CERTAIN SUMMER - 1972, the first TV depiction of the gay lifestyle told in a frank and honest way; and "Deep Throat" in the eight-time Academy Award® nominated [winning four] ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN - 1976), as he was the consummate professional. Rest easy, sir, and thanks for all of your memorable performances. Enjoy your eternity with Dixie Carter in Heaven, knowing that you will be terribly missed here.

JANUARY 28, 2021: Even more bad news: Supreme actress Cicely Tyson died today of natural causes at the age of 96. Even though she lived a very long life, this news still hurts. She didn't appear in many genre films that would be reviewed on this site, but her steady portrayal of strong black women made her a grand dame that anyone with a heart would respect. I know I did. Some of her genre films include: THE CONCORDE...AIRPORT '79 (1979); DUPLICATES (TV Movie - 1992); RIOT IN THE STREETS (Cable TV Movie - 1997); HOODLUM (1997); ALEX CROSS (2012) and THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT 2: GHOSTS OF GEORGIA (2013). She had guests role on such TV series as THE OUTER LIMITS (2000); LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT (2009); HOUSE OF CARDS (2016) and HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER (2015 - 2020). She was nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Actress in the film SOUNDER (1972) and won an Honorary Oscar® for her remarkable body of work in 2019. She received three Emmy Awards® and was nominated an additional twelve times. We are going to miss Ms. Cicely Tyson because she opened doors for many of the black actresses today and influenced many other people with her performances. I remember watching her in the TV Movie THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MISS JANE PITTMAN (1974; her first two Emmy® wins, for Best Lead Actress in a Drama and Actress of the Year) and bawling my eyes out at the age of seventeen. I'll never forget that; it was the first time I cried when watching a film. She had that kind of hold on you and she was truly one of a kind. She was one person I wished would live forever. She never failed to give me goosebumps of joy with her performances.

JANUARY 27, 2021: It's unfortunately time to say goodbye to Cloris Leachman, who passed away in her sleep last night at the age of 94. Ms. Leachman was not only a great actress, winning an Academy Award® for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her role in THE LAST PICTURE SHOW (1971), she  also excelled at comedy, winning five Emmy Awards® for her role as  "Phyllis Lindstrom" on THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW (1970 - 1977)  and PHYLLIS (1975 - 1977) and, later, four more for her guest roles in the TV Series PROMISED LAND (1996 - 1999) and MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE (2000 - 2006). She was also nominated for an Emmy an amazing additional twelve times. Ms. Leachman started her career on television in the late-1940's and appeared on such TV Series as THRILLER ("Girl With A Secret" - 1960), THE TWILIGHT ZONE (the unforgettable episode "It's A Good Life" - 1961), ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS (Three episodes; 1955 - 1962), THE SIXTH SENSE (1972) and hundreds of others, right up to her passing. Cloris Leachman was no stranger to the genre films we love here at CritCon, appearing in the films KISS ME DEADLY (1955); HAUNTS OF THE VERY RICH (Creepy TV Movie - 1972); DILLINGER (1973); HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, LOVE GEORGE (1973); DYING ROOM ONLY (TV Movie - 1973); YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (1974 - I still can't help but whinny like a horse every time I hear the name "Frau Blücher"!); DEATH SCREAM (TV Movie - 1975) CRAZY MAMA (1975); HIGH ANXIETY (1977); THE DEMON MURDER CASE (TV Movie - 1983); THE LONGEST YARD (2005) and many, many others. Cloris Leachman had a voice like no other, which is why she was in demand as a voiceover artist for many animated TV shows and movies (such as FOODFIGHT! [2012], a favorite of our own Steven Jackson, but only if you twist his arm...hard). Thanks, Cloris Leachman, for a long and varied career that never diminished and always entertained. We will miss you.

JANUARY 25, 2021: It is my sad duty to report that Italian producer Alberto Grimaldi passed away January 23rd of natural causes at the age of 95. You may not know his name, but he produced many films you do know, such as the Clint Eastwood starrers FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE (1965) and THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY (1966); as well as DESERT COMMANDOS (1967); FACE TO FACE (1967); A QUIET PLACE IN THE COUNTRY (1968); SABATA (1969); the controversial films LAST TANGO IN PARIS (1972) and SALO, OR THE 120 DAYS OF SODOM (1975); ILLUSTRIOUS CORPSES (1976); BURNT OFFERINGS (1976); GANGS OF NEW YORK (2002) and dozens more. According to IMDB: " Alberto Grimaldi founded Produzioni Europee Associati (PEA), in Rome, Italy, that became known for a number of low budget action movies in European co-productions with Spain and West Germany. The company remained active until the early 1980s, even through the decline of its films distribution to the American market." Mr. Grimaldi was an important part of getting Italian genre films to America and should be remembered fondly for doing that. R.I.P. Alberto Grimaldi. You had a long life on Earth and now you can enjoy an eternity in Heaven.

JANUARY 22, 2021: Another day, another crop of celebrity deaths. Yesterday, stunt driver and vehicle stunt coordinator extraordinaire Rémy Julienne passed away at the age of 90 from Covid-19 complications.  Mr. Julienne and his team of stunt drivers were responsible for many of the iconic car chases in films, including chases in THE ITALIAN JOB (1969); SUMMERTIME KILLER (1972); THE MAGNIFICENT DARE DEVIL - 1973; SHOOT FIRST, DIE LATER (1974); STRANGE SHADOWS IN AN EMPTY ROOM (1976; One of the best car chases in Italian genre cinema); LOVE AND BULLETS (1979); the James Bond films FOR YOUR EYES ONLY (1981), OCTOPUSSY (1983), A VIEW TO A KILL (1985), THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS (1987), LICENCE TO KILL (1989) and GOLDENEYE (1995); MAXIMUM RISK (1996); DOUBLE TEAM (1997); WAKE OF DEATH (2004) and over 200 other films. Rémy Julienne always delivered when it came to car stunts and no one did it better, especially when it came to low-budget genre films, as well as big-budget blockbusters. Mr. Julienne's career hit a roadblock (so to speak) in 1999, when a stunt he was performing on a French film resulted in the death of a cameraman. He was made to serve a six month jail term, even though the legal case against him was later reversed. His career never rebounded after that. Another useless death due to Covid, but at least Mr. Julienne lived lived a long life. Also passing away (on January 4th) was actor Gregory Sierra, who was a favorite of mine during the '70s & '80s. He portrayed "Det. Sgt. Chano Amenguale" on two seasons of BARNEY MILLER (1975 - 1976), which is where I first noticed him. Even though he was a guest star on many TV series during those two decades (and beyond), he also appeared in the films BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES (1970); THE CLONES (1973); THE TOWERING INFERNO (1974); MEAN DOG BLUES (1978); LET'S GET HARRY (1986); DEEP COVER (1992); and John Carpenter's VAMPIRES (1998). Gregory Sierra passed away from cancer and was 83-years-old. Rest In Peace, gentlemen. You entertained us more than you could possibly know.

JANUARY 20, 2021: After four years of tyranny, treason and dangerous self-serving actions, the United States is under new management and the dictator formerly known as Trump is no  longer in charge. Don't expect this country to get better immediately because the people who praise this former dictator still believe that he is President and will cause all kinds of trouble, much of it deadly. My only hope is that President Joe Biden deals with them with an iron hand, not allowing them to spread their lies and continue to infect America. If justice still exists (and it does), Trump will get his due and will be put in prison for the many crimes he committed, some against the country he was sworn to protect and much of it to the honest people of this country, who were only trying to survive, but were lied to constantly. If anyone deserves major jail time, it is him. But for now, let's bask in the glory of a new beginning. A country where the pandemic is treated properly and the citizens are finally recognized and praised for all they did to help this country during these dark times. The medical profession as a whole should be recognized for their selfless acts to treat the infected and comfort them even though they could become infected, even dying. And a lot of them did. It is acts such as this that make me proud to live in this country. For the first time in four years, I feel renewed. I feel like an American again.

JANUARY 19, 2021: I just learned today that English actor John Richardson passed away January 5th of complications from Covid-19. He was 86-years-old. Mr. Richardson came into prominence after appearing in the Hammer Films Production version of SHE (1965) and opposite Raquel Welch in ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. (1966). He then began appearing in numerous Italian film productions, many of them reviewed on this site, including FRANKENSTEIN '80 (1972), TORSO (1973; my favorite giallo of all time), EYEBALL (1975), REFLECTIONS IN BLACK (1975), NINE GUESTS FOR A CRIME (1977), COSMOS: WAR OF THE PLANETS (1977), BATTLE OF THE STARS (1977), MURDER OBSESSION (1981) and THE CHURCH (1989). Mr. Richardson quit acting in the late-'80s (he was not happy with the roles he was being offered and the declining state of '80s cinema) and became a world class photographer, whose photos were highly sought after by collectors. He was once married to actress Martine Beswick (DR. JEKYLL & SISTER HYDE - 1971; SEIZURE - 1974) after co-starring with her in ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. and JOHN THE BASTARD (1967). They divorced in 1973. John Richardson succumbed to Covid-19 just two weeks short of his 87th birthday (which was today).

JANUARY 14, 2021: Shit, the beginning of year 2021 is turning out to be terrible when it comes to deaths of celebrities. Case in point: B-Movie actress and Scream Queen Julie Strain has passed away at the age of 58 of dementia (caused by falling off a horse and hitting her head in her youth, wiping out nearly all of her childhood memories) on January 10th. Many may remember the reporting of this former Penthouse Pet Of The Year's death in 2019, which turned out to be an Internet hoax, so I took care this time to make sure her death was real and sadly it was. Some of the films Ms. Strain appeared in were: REPOSSESSED (Her film debut - 1990); the Steven Segal film OUT FOR JUSTICE (1991), THE UNNAMABLE II: THE STATEMENT OF RANDOLPH CARTER (as the creature - 1992); PSYCHO COP RETURNS (1993); SORCERESS (1994); HOW TO MAKE A MONSTER (2001); BLOOD GNOME (2003); and many others, including the majority of late director Andy Sidaris' "Girls 'n' Guns" sexploitation actioners during the '90s. I should also mention that actor Peter Mark Richman passed away today from natural causes at the age of 93. Some of the films and TV Series Mr. Richman appeared in included: THE TWILIGHT ZONE ("The Fear" - 1964); THE OUTER LIMITS ("Borderland" - 1963; "The Probe" - 1965); AGENT FOR H.A.R.M. (1966); PSI FACTOR (1980); JUDGEMENT DAY (1988); FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VIII: JASON TAKES MANHATTAN (1989) and many more. Peter Mark Richman spent most of his career on America Television, appearing as a guest star or series regular on countless TV Series during the '60s through the '90s. Please God, make this stop!

JANUARY 11, 2021: This is a year that just keeps on giving...bad news. I have just learned that director Steve Carver passed away from a heart attack at the age of 75. Mr. Carver gave us such entertaining films as THE ARENA (1973), BIG BAD MAMA (1974), CAPONE (1975), DRUM (1976), the Chuck Norris films AN EYE FOR AN EYE (1981) and LONE WOLF MCQUADE (1983; one of my favorites), the Gary Busey-starrer BULLETPROOF (1986), RIVER OF DEATH (1989) and others. Also passing away during this New Year was British director Michael Apted, who gave us such memorable high calibre films as the Loretta Lynn biography COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER (1980; winning  Sissy Spacek an Academy Award® for Best Actress), GORILLAS IN THE MIST (1988; earning Sigourney Weaver an Academy Award® nomination for Best Actress), my personal favorite THUNDERHEART (1992), the James Bond film THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH (1999) and many others. Mr. Apted was 79-years-old and his cause of death was not reported. Two great directors with totally different styles are no longer with us. This should make us all sad.

JANUARY 09, 2021: I just learned that actor Antonio Sabato Sr. passed away on January 6th due to Covid-19 complications. If you follow this website, you know that Mr. Sabato was the father of actor Antonio Sabato, Jr., who starred in many genre flicks during the '90s to the present day (KARATE ROCK - 1990; TORTILLA ROAD - 1991; HIGH VOLTAGE - 1997 [also featuring his father]; GHOST VOYAGE - 2007; DRIFTER: HENRY LEE LUCAS - 2009). Antonio Sabato Sr. appeared in many Italian genre films dating back to the mid-'60s and a lot of his work gets mentioned here in reviews or image pages, including HATE FOR HATE (1967), TWICE A JUDAS (1968), BARBARELLA (1968), THE MAN WITH ICY EYES (1971), SEVEN BLOOD-STAINED ORCHIDS (1972), GANG WAR IN MILAN (1973), THE MANIAC RESPONSIBLE (1975), RETURN OF THE .38 GANG - 1977; THE NEW GODFATHERS (1979); BRONX WARRIORS 2 (1983); THUNDER (1983), TUAREG: THE DESERT WARRIOR (1984), THE WILD TEAM (1985), and many others. I just loved his face, especially his eyes. Once you saw him you never forgot him; he was one of those actors that always left an impression. Most of my favorite Italian genre film actors are gone now, so all we have are the films they appeared in to keep us entertained. Mr. Sabato left acting in 2006 after appearing in several episodes of an American soap opera (!), but I never forgot about him thanks to my love for Italian genre films. Mr. Sabato was 77 years-old. Rest well, Antonio Sabato, and never forget that you have fans down here who admire your work. Only nine days into this New Year and it is already turning out nothing but bad news. It doesn't give me much hope that the rest of the year will be any different.

JANUARY 06, 2021: Never in my life did I think I would regret being an American, but today made me think otherwise. The actions by Donald Trump and his followers in Washington D.C. are nothing short of treasonous behavior. With Trump's permission, thousands of his followers gathered and rioted at the Capitol Building to violently protest the disproven time-and-time-again "fradulent" Presidential election, which resulted in one innocent woman (turns out she wasn't as innocent as we first thought) being shot and killed by police after illegally storming inside the Capitol Building. President-elect Biden called on Trump to tell his followers to cease and desist, but Trump's response was a one-minute rant where he told his followers to "go home" and "I love you" and then railed against the fixed election, giving his followers a very mixed message. If Trump doesn't face severe criminal charges for this murderous stunt, then there is no justice in this country. He has proven himself to be anti-democracy, so let's give him a taste of what democracy does to any person who incites a riot where people are killed. Instead of a taste, we should give him a seven course meal in democracy justice. And while we are at it, let us also charge all the Republicans who tried to void Biden's elections results by trying to block the Congress from certifying the election, especially in the States that Trump swore he won. The delusions by these Republicans and Trump have ruined this country for a long, long time and was only done because Trump doesn't like to lose (his actions reminds me of a child who is being punished for lying) and his Republican cronies are too afraid to go against him (although a few Republicans have vocally supported Biden, but not enough of them). It's also going to make it tough going for Biden when he takes office on January 20th, but if anyone can straighten out this total mess, it is him. Unfortunately, this is not a time to talk about films, but a time to put Trump in his place. A prison would be perfect. A firing squad would be better (after he is found guilty of treason in federal court). Trump thinks he is made of teflon. Let's prove him wrong.

JANUARY 04, 2021: I was about to report the death of actress Tanya Roberts, since it was incorrectly reported over nearly all of the news sources, but it turns out she is still alive and in "dire condition" at the hospital ICU, according to her manager. I hope she makes a full recovery, even though her manager is not so sure she will. But this first week of the New Year still brought us two celebrity deaths, the first one being actor Gary Klar, who made an impression as "Steel" in George Romero's DAY OF THE DEAD (1985). He also appeared in A STRANGER IS WATCHING (1982), MIAMI BLUES (1990) and a whole bunch of television appearances. Mr. Klar was 73-years-old. The next to pass away was actress Barbara Shelley, who appeared in such memorable horror films as BLOOD OF THE VAMPIRE (1958), VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED (1960), THE GORGON (1964), DRACULA, PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1966) and QUATERMASS AND THE PIT (1967), as well as over a hundred TV appearances. Ms. Shelley passed away from Covid-19 related symptoms and was 88-years-old. Another unnecessary death, thanks to anti-maskers and idiotic people who refuse to follow pandemic rules because they believe it infringes on their "freedom". They don't care, as long as they aren't the ones who die. They are the ones who are keeping the pandemic alive. It should have ended months ago. UPDATE: I'm sorry to report that Tanya Roberts did pass away tonight from a urinary tract infection that spread to her kidneys, liver and bloodstream. Some of the genre films Ms. Roberts appeared in include FORCED ENTRY (1975), an R-Rated remake of the extremely nasty 1972 porno film of the same name and her film debut; THE YUM YUM GIRLS (1976); THE PRIVATE FILES OF J. EDGAR HOOVER (1977); TOURIST TRAP (1978), the film that got her noticed (mainly for the Daisy Dukes and halter top she was wearing); director Don Coscarelli's THE BEASTMASTER (1982); the Italian sword & sorcery flick HEARTS AND ARMOUR (1983); SHEENA (1984), a film that failed spectacularly at the boxoffice, only to become a home video favorite; the James Bond film A VIEW TO A KILL (1985); BODY SLAM (1986); PURGATORY (1988), a WIP film that should get more attention than it does now; NIGHT EYES (1990); and many others. But it was TV that made Ms. Roberts famous, including joining the cast of CHARLIE'S ANGELS in its final season (1980 - 1981) and then as the sexy "Midge Pinciotti" on nearly the entire run of THAT '70s SHOW (1998 - 2004). Tanya Roberts was 65-years-old. Farewell, beautiful soul, you will be missed, but we always have home video and TV reruns to remind us how beautiful and talented you were.

JANUARY 01, 2021: Now that the new year is upon us, can we all agree that 2020 was a year we would rather forget and regret the stupid things people did? This world will always be populated by people with very few brain cells, but never in my life did I ever think they would show themselves en mass and do stupid things like refusing to wear masks, keep proper distance away from people and spread lies like most intelligent people try to spread the truth. These people cannot be ignored if we want this planet to be back to "normal" again, because if we allow them to run rampant, all we are doing is contributing to the downfall of Earth. This is why I have decided to "go dark" this year, not allowing any of these idiots to get away with their deadly stupidity. If you see these retards doing something that contributes to the deadly pandemic, do something about it, even if it means using your gloved hands against them. It's the only thing these anti-maskers understand, so speak their language and fight back for the preservation of life as we know it. We have tried everything else, so it is time to take it to the next level. This is a call to arms, so to speak.

DECEMBER 24, 2020: As this year (the worst of my, and nearly everyone's, life) is finally coming to an end, I would like to wish a very Happy Birthday to Edwige Fenech, the most beautiful woman in Italian genre films. She still looks stunning today at the age of 72 and I hope she is enjoying her life to the fullest. Some of the films Ms. Fenech appeared in were TOP SENSATION (1969), FIVE DOLLS FOR AN AUGUST MOON (1970), THE STRANGE VICE OF MRS. WARDH (1971), ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK (1972), THE CASE OF THE BLOODY IRIS (1972), YOUR VICE IS A LOCKED ROOM... (1972), MEAN FRANK AND CRAZY TONY (1973), STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER (1975), SEX WITH A SMILE (1976), PHANTOM OF DEATH (1987) and HOSTEL: PART II (2007). I consider her the Queen of Giallo films and if you have seen her in any of those, or the many Italian sex comedies she appeared in, you will immediately know what I mean. She not only had a body to kill for (which she unforgivenly bared...a lot!), she had eyes that could melt you like butter at a summer picnic. I instantly fell in love with her the first time I saw her and I bet many other men feel the same way. She not only has a kickin' body, she could also act with the best of them, which is why she has had a long career in films. Happy Birthday, Edwige Fenech, and I wish you many more!

DECEMBER 11, 2020: Jesus Christ, this is the worst year ever. Not only is Covid-19 ravaging the planet, but people I admire are dropping like flies. The latest example is actor Tom Lister Jr., better known as  Tommy "Tiny" Lister. This brick shithouse of a man, with a physique many men would kill for, appeared in countless films and was one of those actors who was instantly recognizable, not only for his physical attributes, but also for his shaved head and scary voice. If you needed an inmate, criminal or bad guy who was imposing, Mr. Lister was the man you would hire for your film. This ex-basketball player-turned-actor was also known for his role as "Zeus", a wrestler on WWE (then known as the WWF) during the late-'80s to the early-'90s, before taking small roles  in films (such as RUNAWAY TRAIN - 1985; EXTREME PREJUDICE - 1987; PRISON - 1988 and UNIVERSAL SOLDIER - 1992) and on TV, before graduating to bigger roles in  films, such as IMMORTAL COMBAT (1993), THE FIFTH ELEMENT (1997; as world leader President Lindberg!) and, especially, as the hulking "Deebo" in the films FRIDAY (1995) and NEXT FRIDAY (2000). Mr. Lister was equally adept at drama, comedy or whatever was thrown his way. He always turned in a good performance, no matter if the film was good or bad (see IF I TELL YOU...I HAVE TO KILL YOU - 2014 and DEATH'S DOOR - 2015 as examples of the latter category). Tommy "Tiny" Lister died of unknown causes (some reports say he passed away from Covid-19 symptoms, but that has not yet been verified) and was 62-years-old. Rest in peace, Gentle Giant, rest in peace.

DECEMBER 05, 2020: This was a terrible week for celebrity deaths. We lost Hugh Keays-Byrne, who is known for his roles in MAD MAX (1979), THE BLOOD OF HEROES (1989) and MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015); character actor Warren Berlinger from THE CANNONBALL RUN (1981), OUTLAW FORCE (1987) and hundreds of TV series appearances; and David L. Lander, who made his mark as "Squiggy" on LAVERNE & SHIRLEY (1976 - 1983), as well as appearing in the films PANDEMONIUM (1982), FUNLAND (1987) and STEEL AND LACE (1991). It's rough when actors you admire pass away suddenly. It reminds us that life is fleeting, as all three of them entertained me through some tough times earlier in my life. R.I.P. gentlemen. You will be missed.

NOVEMBER 26, 2020: I am saddened to report that Daria Nicolodi passed away today. I know most people don't know who she is, but readers of this site are well aware how important she was to Italian cinema, especially Italian genre cinema. She wasn't just an actress and mother to actress Asia Argento, she was a longtime partner of Dario Argento (they were never married, as was erroneously reported many times) and appeared in many of his films (even writing some of them), including DEEP RED (1975; her arm wrestling match with David Hemmings is a thing of comic beauty), SUSPIRIA (1977), INFERNO (1980), TENEBRE (1982; as Anne, Anthony Franciosa's personal assistant), PHENOMENA (1984; who will ever forget her as Frau Brückner?), OPERA (1987; as Mira, the poor woman who gets shot in the eye when looking through a door's peep hole) and MOTHER OF TEARS (2007). She also appeared in many other Italian genre films, such as Francesco Rosi's MANY WARS AGO (1970), Elio Petri's PROPERTY IS NO LONGER A THEFT (1973), Mario Bava's SHOCK (1977), Lamberto Bava's DELIRIUM: PHOTO OF GIOIA (1987), Luigi Cozzi's PAGANINI HORROR (1989), Enzo Castellari/Luigi Cozzi's SINBAD OF THE SEVEN SEAS (1989) and many others. When Steven Jackson emailed me with the news of Ms. Nicolodi's passing, it hit me like a ton of bricks because I have been enjoying her performances for years. Daria Nicolodi was only 70-years-old and her cause of death was not reported at press time. To say I am gutted is a vast understatement. R.I.P. Daria Nicolodi.

NOVEMBER 20, 2020: As the pandemic rages on across the world to very serious and deadly levels, I have to address a certain group of people in my country who refuse to wear masks. You are fucking idiots, as well as murderers! You think this Covid-19 pandemic is a hoax? Then you are simply fooling yourselves and committing murder for your psychotic beliefs! I only hope that people like you (including "Mark K.", a former member of a certain Canadian collective) are arrested for manslaughter when you are tested for the virus and come up positive.  You may not feel sick, but that doesn't mean you are not passing on the virus to people just for the simple reason you are not wearing a mask. You can have your insane beliefs (saying things like "Wearing a mask is against my First Amendment Rights and my liberty as a U.S. citizen!"), but not when it comes to infecting other people, which could lead to their deaths. I caught the virus from such a person in June and I am still suffering from the effects of the virus, even though now I no longer am infected and have tested negative for it. As Mark K. once said to me in a Facebook post, "If I can blow smoke through a mask, what's the use of me wearing one?", totally ignoring the basic reasoning for wearing masks in the first place. If everyone wore them, the pandemic would be long over, asswipes! It's not just you wearing a mask, it's infecting everyone you come in contact with (they also ignore the "six feet apart" recommendation), which then has a domino effect. You may be able to blow cigarette smoke through a mask, but if you were wearing a mask like everyone else, your chances of infecting anyone are greatly reduced (Mark K. also believes that 9-11 was a government conspiracy, telling me that a large shipment of plastic explosives were left in the Twin Towers the day before the two planes hit it, which is why both towers crumbled to the ground! It just proves to me he is not in his right mind, but there are plenty of idiots who believe him, which makes him dangerous.). My hope is this: Don't wear a mask + test positive for virus = time in prison for manslaughter. Fuck your First Amendment Rights and your liberty, you are killing people! Maybe a few years in prison will make you see the light, but you will go down in the history books as people who killed thousands upon thousands of people just for refusing to wear a mask. You don't deserve pity, you deserve all the scorn that is coming to you.

NOVEMBER 08, 2020: R.I.P. to JEOPARDY host and all around nice guy Alex Trebek, who succumbed to pancreatic cancer today at the age of 80 (He hosted over 8,100 episodes from the years 1984 to 2020!). According to his family, he passed away early this morning peacefully surrounded by family and friends. Alex, who was not an actor, appeared in countless movies and TV shows, usually portraying himself (Although he portrayed a "Man In Black" on THE X-FILES episode "Jose Chung's 'From Outer Space'" - 1996), since he was an iconic figure on TV and instantly recognizable around the world. He also had a voice that was perfect for documentary narration, doing several for PBS and other networks. The world is worse off without him and his final hosting duty on JEOPARDY will air on December 25, 2020. He was a consummate professional who continued working while dying from cancer until the very end. He filmed the last batch of episodes on October 29, 2020, just a week before he passed away. People like him are very rare these days. We will miss you, Mr. Trebek, and I hope you don't have to test the knowledge of all those people in Heaven. My condolences go out to Mr. Trebek's family and to everyone who watched him religiously on weeknights. "What is emotionally saddened and already missing you, Alex?"

NOVEMBER 07, 2020: The people have spoken and Joe Biden is now our President Elect, Kamala Harris is our first woman Vice President Elect and they won in a record amount of voters ever for a Presidential election (Over 78 million votes)! Like it or hate it (I love it!), that's the way it is going to be for the next four years. I will never forget what Trump and his supporters nearly did to this country and I will never forgive them. They are the true traitors. What I do know is that Biden will treat everyone equally, whether they voted for him or not. He is a much better man than me. If I had my way, I would have all of Trump's supporters go back to school and learn what being a true patriot really means. It's not carrying guns and rifles to vote counting centers or shooting innocent people because they think Black Lives Matter, it's about making America a better country than it was before. That includes treating everyone equal no matter their skin color, religious convictions or sexual preferences. When you start understanding that, you will become a better person. That is what America is really about! Emotionally, I'm a complete mess and it was beginning to affect me physically, too. Now let's get back to what this web site is really about: MOVIES!!!

NOVEMBER 06, 2020: Donald J. Trump is a worm of the highest order, still trying to destroy this country with his blatant lies and refusal to submit to the will of the people. He is incapable of understanding how to lose gracefully and will spout lies until his contemptuous inbred hillbilly followers brandish weapons and storm vote counting buildings shouting "Stop Counting Now!", knowing full well that counting these mail-in votes are the law of the land and they are only in place due to Trump's criminal mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic. There would hardly be any mail-in voting if people weren't scared to vote in person, afraid of contacting the virus from Trump supporters, who refuse to wear masks because, in Trump's words, "It's a hoax" (Even though we also know that was a lie when he spouted it, as proven by his recorded phone tapes to the Washington Post reporter). Trump is also scared of spending the rest of his life in prison, not only for defaulting on hundreds of millions (if not billions) of dollars in loans, but also for the treasonous way he and his Republican cronies have treated the United States to such favorite Trump dictators such a Vladimir Putin and that short scuzzy-looking dictator from North Korea, Kim Jong-un (Trump wanted to rule the U.S. like they ruled their countries). Sorry, you orange-skinned bastard, the majority of the people are done with your deadly nonsense and want you to leave office come January 21st, 2021. If not, expect an armed escort to take you out of office, either willingly or kicking and screaming, yelling for your dead father to reach out and save you, like he did hundreds of times when he was alive, bailing you out of legal trouble for your failed business dealings. You see, America is not a business, it is a democratic government. People only elected you (barely) because they wanted to see how a businessman and a "celebrity" and not a politician would run our country. Now that we know, we can't wait for you to leave office and leave this country, as you have repeatedly said you would should you lose. Goodbye, loser. Don't let the doors hit you in the ass on the way out. Now you will know how it feels to be an "illegal alien" when Putin welcomes you into his country (I can think of no other country [besides the aforementioned North Korea] that would accept him, as he will be broke and destitute. Oh, well, he could always write another book [via ghost writer, because I doubt he can write a single sentence on his own] that will also be full of lies.). I hope you suffer! Next stop: Getting rid of Trump's cabinet of equally scuzzy lying Republican bastards. Mitch McConnell, keep looking over your shoulder. Your time is coming!

NOVEMBER 04, 2020: I am bitterly disappointed with people in the United States. I know this is a genre movie review site, but some events are more important than films. This is one of them! So much for "Every Vote Counts". UPDATE: It seems every vote does count, especially those mail-in votes!

NOVEMBER 03, 2020: No matter how the Presidential election turns out, I need to say something that is important to me. The year 2020 has been the worst year in my 63 years on this planet, thanks to the horrifying way Trump has treated the United States and the people who live in it, so IF YOU ARE A TRUMP SUPPORTER AND/OR BELIEVE IN THE STUPID THINGS QANON SAYS, YOU ARE NO LONGER WELCOME ON THIS WEBSITE! I know this really doesn't matter to you, because I cannot stop anyone from reading this site (unless I make it password protected, something I would never do), but Trump supporters and Qanon followers are destroying this country. I know I usually shut down any mention of Hitler or the Nazis whenever having a conversation with anyone, but the parallels between Hitler's rise in Germany and Trump's rise in America are remarkable. Hitler was able to convince much of Germany's population that those with non-Aryan blood were inferior and must be eliminated, which led to the worst massacre of Jews or anyone with Jewish blood in them in modern history. Germany is still reeling from this over eighty years later and for good reason. Trump is basically doing the same thing in America, calling all "illegal aliens", especially Mexicans and Muslims, "murderers", "rapists" and "pedophiles", taking their children away from them, locking the young kids in metal cages and ruining their lives forever. Trump's supporters have shot and killed innocent people simply because they believe Black Lives Matter and Trump supports all this, even refusing to condemn racism and racist militia groups (I don't want to name them because it only gives them validity by doing so) because they support him. Trump supporters are even forming roadblocks to voting places so they cannot vote Democratic and they even stand outside voting booths threatening voters if they will not tell them who they are voting for. If Trump wins a second term (deriding mail-in voting, incapable of understanding that his criminal mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic is why we need mail-in voting!), it will be the end of the U.S.A. and I think everyone sees that, but people are stupid and follow a man who is incapable of telling the truth. Every word that comes out of his mouth is a lie and if he repeats it enough, these feeble-minded inbred rednecks, with nothing to look forward to in their miserable lives, start to believe him and praise him for his racist values. His supporters are the new Nazis and I cannot in good conscience abide by that, so if you are one of these despicable people, please do not support this site as I hate you with all my heart and soul. I believe in facts, something you never seem to understand (I had one member [who shall remain nameless] of the Canadian collective "The Internet Astronauts" call me a pedophile [which seems to be a codeword for "Qanon believer"] because I disagreed with him about Covid-19 being a hoax and there was no need to wear a mask because a smoker could could blow smoke through it! He ignored all the other valid points about why wearing a mask is beneficial to everyone's health, which includes keeping a six foot distance away from everyone when out in public. Idiots like him seem to think they are more knowledgeable than scientists or doctors!). Trump supporters are what is keeping Covid-19 alive, as their refusal to wear masks and throwing huge parties are what is killing thousands of people weekly. I know I am going to catch a lot of flak for this, but my doctor (whom I trust with my life, unlike most Trump supporters) told me if I didn't find a reasonable outlet to release my anger (I've been keeping it inside for most of the year), my life would be over very soon. I have survived two bouts of leukemia, broke my back when I was younger (which led to a lifetime of painful inoperable back pain) and had a growth removed from my neck that led to months of rehabilitation to learn how to speak again, but that is all child's play when compared to the year 2020. I love my country and will do anything to return it back to its former glory, but stupid people are ruining it with their constant beliefs in unprovable conspiracy theories and racist attitudes. If you are one of these people and are friends with me on Facebook, please delete me, because I have nothing but contempt for you. I'm done with you for now, but it's not over by a longshot. I'd like to thank all who believe in me and who have supported me through these very tough times. One of the reasons I haven't posted any new reviews recently is because of the state of mind Trump and his supporters have put me (and many, many others) in, but, hopefully, that will end very soon. If not, I will find a way to survive. I always do.

OCTOBER 31, 2020: R.I.P. to Sean Connery, dead today at the age of 90. Mr. Connery was not only the original theatrical James Bond, he improved nearly every movie he starred in, be it THE OFFENCE (1973; One of Connery's finest performances of his career), ZARDOZ (1974), HIGHLANDER (1986), THE UNTOUCHABLES (1987; for which he deservedly won the Academy Award® and Golden Globe® for Best Supporting Actor), INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE (1989), THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER (1990), RISING SUN (1993), DRAGONHEART (1996; where his voice as "Drago the Dragon" is what made the film so special) and THE ROCK (1996). Mr. Connery hasn't appeared on screen since 2003's disastrous THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN (which I liked, even with all its faults), which made him quit show business (he did do voiceover work and narration on a few films after that, but never appeared on film again). He always brought a sense of class and a wink towards the humorous to his roles, even in the James Bond films. He passed away after suffering from a long, unknown, illness. Goodbye to a true class act.

OCTOBER 2, 2020: Roku-only streaming channel B-MOVIE TV is now having its 5TH ANNUAL HALLOWEEN MONTH MARATHON. They are showing nothing but horror and sleaze movies 24/7 for the month of October, no repeats! For the past two years, I watched nothing but this channel for the month of October and I plan to do the same thing this year. This channel seems to be streaming's best kept secret and I urge everyone to buy a Roku streaming player and give this channel a try. Once you view it, I can almost guarantee you'll be hooked for life. Their enthusiasm is infectious and that is all due to Ken "Ace" Brewer, the mastermind behind this channel. His love for everything B-Movie, especially '80s & '90s action films, has no bounds and for an old fogey like me, it's a breath of fresh air in an atmosphere polluted by multi-millon dollar "blockbusters" that lack the charm and sense of playfulness found in low-budget cinema. This year, Ace has some new movies up his sleeve and not the same old Public Domain films. The weekly hosted segments are also all new this month and we will be welcoming back a hostess that we all missed, Kaitlin Kinner, who will alternate hosting duties with Rebecca Martin on SATURDAY NIGHT TERRORS at 10:00PM every Saturday. This is going to be an epic month full of horror, sleaze and more than a few surprises, so watch B-MOVIE TV or be damned to an eternity in Hell! UPDATE: At the end of the marathon (Saturday, October 31, 2020 starting at 10:00 PM [All Time Zones]), Ace will be premiering his DEATH PARK 6 (after airing the first five parts), where the Trump mask-wearing killer murders 16 people in a little over 30 minutes! Be there!

SEPTEMBER 27, 2020: What the fuck has happened to YouTube? It seems YouTube has a new commercial policy and it's downright stupid and annoying as hell. It seems that they insert commercials into every movie and shortform video on the platform, sometimes inserting commercials at a time that is very intrusive. It doesn't matter how short the video is, you can be sure that there will be commercials, not only at the beginning of (every) video, but also during the video. To show you how ridiculous their new policy is, I was watching a two minute movie trailer and YouTube just had to insert a commercial in the middle of it! Why the fuck would they do that? I'll tell you why: They know that most people are trapped in their homes during this pandemic and they know their audience is captive, so they ram commercials down our throats. This is not only annoying, it's downright insane! I'm calling for a freeze on YouTube, just to show them that we are not going to take it any more. People have said to me, "Fred, but they are only six-or-fifteen-second commercials, what's the harm?" I'll tell you what's the harm. I have to keep my finger on my Roku's remote control "OK" button continuously whenever I watch something on YouTube, just to skip the commercials after five seconds of play. If I don't, I could suffer through a three minute commercial for some new prescription drug for a medical condition I never heard of that uses a re-recorded popular song from the past. Yes, I watch YouTube on my Roku (I don't like watching movies on my computer), so there is no way for me to use the ad removal software that I use on my computer. YouTube knows this, therefore they stuff as many commercials down my throat as they can (I counted nineteen commercial breaks during one movie I was watching!). Fuck them. I am not going to use the 'Tube any more until they change their policy. If you are also experiencing this, please do the same thing. Send them a message. Don't get me started on how YouTube forces channels to edit their films of nudity and violence, under fear that, if they don't, YouTube will terminate their channel permanently (They have done it to many of my favorite channels, some of which had been on YouTube for years). While I am on the subject: Facebook's "New" look is also the most memory intensive program on the Internet. I am not using it until they revert back to their old look. I can't even use Facebook and my web program at the same time because the New Facebook eats up most of the memory on my computer! There are also several sub-programs that run in the background that search your hard drive so they can send you ads that caters to your taste. It is the most intrusive, privacy-stealing program on the web. I am also through with it. The Internet is not the same any more, not since "businessmen" took it over.

SEPTEMBER 15, 2020: Happy Birthday to Henry Silva, 92-years-old today. I hope he lives forever, as even the Grim Reaper would be scared of his steely stare. To say I'm a fan of Mr. Silva is a vast understatement! He is one of the original bad guys of the silver screen (at least of my generation).

SEPTEMBER 12, 2020: Everyone who reads this site knows that I love streaming channel B-MovieTV. It's the only streaming channel that caters to my many needs. The channel's guru, Ken "Ace" Brewer, is always finding new ways to improve the channel, but this time he has outdone himself. He has created a separate channel, THE B-MOVIE TV VIDEO ON DEMAND (VOD) CHANNEL, where you can watch movies and hosted shows that you missed when you had to do something else (like grease your monkey  or shave your cat). Ace has once again outdone himself and I have to ask myself: "How in the hell can one man do all this?" Well, I stopped asking this question when I found out that Ace was actually an alien (Kidding!), who does everything he puts his mind to. The VOD channel has approximately one third of the films shown on the channel (otherwise, people won't tune in to B-Movie TV and just watch everything on the VOD channel!) as well as past and present hosted shows, some I came to the channel too late to enjoy. He also has three pro wrestling series (Fully Gimmicked Fight Club; Poser Championship Wrestling; and Canadian Wrestling Elite [CWE, new to the channel]) and a lot of extras that you need to see to appreciate. If you have a Roku streaming player and a Roku account, just click HERE to install and enjoy entertainment like you never experienced before. Prepare to be blown away!

SEPTEMBER 11, 2020: Never forget. Nineteen years is still far too soon to forgive.

SEPTEMBER 10, 2020: Actress Diana Rigg died today of cancer at the age of 82. Dame Diana is very special to me because she was my very first childhood crush and that is something you never forget. I can still picture her in that sexy black leather outfit when she starred in THE AVENGERS in the mid-'60s with co-star Patrick Macnee. Not only was Dame Diana a very sexy woman, she was also a great actress, winning many awards for her thespian talents. Like Honor Blackman, whom she replaced on THE AVENGERS in 1965, Ms. Rigg went on to co-star in a James Bond film, one of my favorites, ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE (1969). She went on to star in such films as THE ASSASSINATION BUREAU (1969), THE HOSPITAL (1971), THEATRE OF BLOOD (1973) and EVIL UNDER THE SUN (1982), just to mention a few. Fans of GAME OF THRONES will recognize her as "Olenna Tyrell". I followed her career closely and since she appeared quite often on my local PBS station on MASTERPIECE THEATRE (she hosted "Masterpiece Mystery" from 1989 to 2004), she was the sole reason why I pledged money to the channel. I don't want to sound crass on this very sad day, but Diana Rigg was the first woman to give me an erection at my very young age. That's also something you never forget. Rest well Dame Diana.

SEPTEMBER 03, 2020: Just a reminder that my favorite series of 2019, THE BOYS, returns to Amazon Prime tomorrow (September 4th) for Season 2. If you want to know why it is my favorite series of 2019, even though I really despise superhero shows, click HERE to discover the answer. This is one crazy-ass action series, with many scenes of blood, gore and sex that you never see in any ordinary superhero series. Some scenes from Season 1 still stand out in my mind (such as the crashing airplane sequence; and a baby being used as a deadly weapon), not only because of the action, but also for the acting. This is a first class show all the way and I can't wait to see what Season 2 holds in store for the viewer. It should be kick-ass! The first three episodes will be available on September 4th, with the remaining five episodes being released weekly.

SEPTEMBER 01, 2020: I was saddened to hear that porn star/genre film actor Ron Jeremy has been charged by the Los Angeles District Attorney's office with over twenty charges of rape and sexual misconduct. I have been a verbal supporter of Jeremy's genre acting career (especially in the film ONE EYED MONSTER [2008]), but if these charges are valid, I can no longer give him any support. Here's how it reads: "Prosecutors added another 20 sexual assault counts against porn star Ron Jeremy (67) the L.A. County DA's Office announced (8/31/20). Jeremy faces 6 counts of sexual battery by restraint, 5 counts of forcible rape, 3 counts of forcible oral copulation, 2 count of forcible penetration by a foreign object and 1 count each of sodomy, assault with intent to commit rape, penetration by a foreign object on an unconscious or sleeping victim and lewd conduct with a 15-year-old girl." If these charges are true, I hope Jeremy gets the full punishment that the law allows. It's unconscionable to think that a man of his stature would think he could get away with it, but I'll reserve my opinion until I hear what Jeremy has to say about it. A lot of careers have been destroyed by false accusations and I hope that this is another example and not the actual truth. Yet a part of me believes the charges to be true. I hope I'm wrong.

AUGUST 28, 2020: I am finally Corona Virus-free! After nearly six long weeks, I was finally told I could leave my apartment and enjoy life once again. Those of you who believe that this virus is nothing but a hoax don't get any sympathy from me. You can believe what you please, but don't you let me find you not wearing a mask in public, especially when other people are nearby. I'll punch your lights out because you are putting many innocent people's lives at risk. Being one who survived the virus, I can tell you it wasn't easy and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy, but if you are stupid enough to go outside or into public places without wearing a mask, because you don't "believe" in them (or some other asinine excuse), expect someone to tap you on the shoulder. That will be the last thing you remember for hours (after I sanitize my hands for touching and knocking you on your ass). It's time we all started acting like thinking, breathing human beings who actually care about each other, not Trumpeteers who care for nothing except themselves. Stop acting like idiots! Full Disclosure: I caught the virus when videotaping a Black Lives Matter rally in my town. I always wear a mask when outside, but there were some Trump supporters protesting against the rally. And none of them were wearing masks. When I passed by them, a few of them tried to grab my camera away from me, telling me I had no permission to film them, causing me to push their skanky, disease-ridden bodies off me. It's the only way I could have caught the virus because I am always careful about what I do.

AUGUST 01, 2020: I know I have fallen behind in most things on this site, such as reviews and keeping up with the obituary section, due to me being infected with Covid-19, but I can't help report that director Alan Parker and actor Wilford Brimley have passed away. Alan Parker was a genius director who excelled at musicals, such as FAME (1980, my favorite of his musicals) and PINK FLOYD: THE WALL (1982), as well as intriquing dramas, such as MIDNIGHT EXPRESS (1978) and MISSISSIPPI BURNING (1988), both films in which he was nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Director, not to mention the seriously fucked-up supernatural horror film ANGEL HEART (1987). Wilford Brimley needs no introduction to CritCon, as he starred in James Bridge's THE CHINA SYNDROME (1979), John Carpenter's THE THING (1982), Ron Howard's COCOON (1985) and John Woo's HARD TARGET (1993), among many other films. I often joked that Mr. Brimley was born old, as he has played old men for many, many years on screen. 2020 is becoming a year of death and pestilence, one of the worst years of my entire life and Alan Parker (who passed away of a long illness at the age of 76) and Wilford Brimley (who was on dialysis and had other medical issues and was 85) leaving this planet only makes the year all the more worse. Goodbye gentlemen, it was nice having both of you around on this sick planet. UPDATE: Proving that Saturdays can be deadly, charactor actor Reni Santoni, who appeared in such films as THE STUDENT NURSES (1970), DIRTY HARRY (1971) the TV movie PANIC ON THE 5:22 (1974), BAD BOYS (1983), COBRA (1986; playing Sylvester Stallone's junk food-loving partner) and too many guest spots on TV Series to mention (such as playing "Poppie" on four episodes of SEINFELD), passed away today at the age of 81 after being "sick for quite a while." This is proving to be the worst year for celebrity deaths ever. I know I say it for most of the years I have been writing obituaries, but I really think this is a year like no other. And a completely awful August 1st.

JULY 25, 2020: I just learned that great actor John Saxon died of pneumonia today at the age of 83. Mr. Saxon needs no introduction to readers of this website, as he appeared in many films loved by everyone, be it Horror films (NIGHT CALLER FROM OUTER SPACE - 1965; BLACK CHRISTMAS - 1974; THE BEES - 1978; CANNIBAL APOCALYPSE - 1980; BLOOD BEACH - 1981; A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET - 1984; BLOOD SALVAGE - 1989; HELLMASTER - 1990; FROM DUSK TILL DAWN - 1995), Actioners (MITCHELL - 1975; MOONSHINE COUNTY EXPRESS - 1977; THE GLOVE - 1978; RUNNING SCARED - 1980), Italian Eurocrime flicks (STRANGE SHADOWS IN AN EMPTY ROOM - 1976; VIOLENT NAPLES - 1976; THE .44 SPECIALIST - 1976; A SPECIAL COP IN ACTION - 1976; THE CYNIC, THE RAT AND THE FIST - 1977), Giallo films (Mario Bava's EVIL EYE - 1963; Dario Argento's TENEBRE - 1982 Sergio Martino's THE SCORPION WITH TWO TAILS - 1982; Umberto Lenzi's WELCOME TO SPRING BREAK - 1989), Science Fiction (QUEEN OF BLOOD - 1966; BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS - 1980; HANDS OF STEEL - 1986; AFTERSHOCK - 1989), too many TV guest appearances during the '60s, '70s & '80s to count, and, of course, ENTER THE DRAGON (1973; people tend to forget that he was one of the stars of that film). And let's also not forget Mr. Saxon's only directorial effort, the 1987 horror film DEATH HOUSE. John Saxon was one of those actors I thought would never die because he had a very tough exterior that would scare even the Grim Reaper. At least we have his tremendous film and TV output to entertain us in the years to come. Goodbye John Saxon. I was one of your many loyal fans and I will always remain one. Oh, by the way, Regis Philbin also died today at the age of 88 of natural causes. There was a time about 20 years ago when you couldn't turn on the TV without seeing Mr. Philbin. He hosted game shows, had his own morning talk show (with Kathy Gifford and, later, Kelly Ripa) and was a frequent guest on many TV series and late night entertainment programs. He had no problem making fun of himself, which is what made him popular with audiences, including myself. This is a very sad day in history. R.I.P. John Saxon and Regis Philbin. God is going to have his hands full with you two! UPDATE: Even more bad news on this awful Saturday. Olivia de Havilland, the last surviving cast member of GONE WITH THE WIND (1939), passed away today at the age of 104. Ms. de Havilland won the Academy Award® two times and recently was involved in a lawsuit against the makers of the TV mini-series FEUD: BETTE & JOAN (2017) for the bitchy way she was portrayed (by Catherine Zeta-Jones) in the series, which she found unfair and libelous (she lost because the Supreme Court refused to hear the case). Nonetheless, Olivia de Havilland was a courageous woman who supported our troops during World War II and was involved in many humanitarian causes. Readers of this site know her primarily for her roles in LADY IN A CAGE (1964), HUSH...HUSH, SWEET CHARLOTTE (1964), AIRPORT '77 (1977), THE SWARM (1978) and the TV Movie MURDER IS EASY (1982).

JULY 13, 2020: More sad news to report. Actress Kelly Preston, the wife of John Travolta for nearly 29 years, has passed away after battling breast cancer for the past two years. She was only 57-years-old. I really don't care what you think about John Travolta (or the unsubstantiated rumors about him that have been circulating for years), as he has been through some very rough times, losing his and Kelly's son Jett after he suffering a seizure in 2009 at the age of sixteen and also losing his girlfriend, actress Diana Hyland, to cancer in 1977. Mr. Travolta has been through a lot and I send my condolences to him, his family and Kelly's family at this most sad time.

JULY 6, 2020: It is with extreme sadness that I report that music soundtrack master Ennio Morricone passed away today at the age of 91. Mr. Morricone taught everyone that a proper music score actually enhanced the film experience, as he scored over 500 films. Everyone has their favorite Morricone score, from THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY (1966) to John Carpenter's THE THING (1982), right up to his Academy Award®-winning score to Quentin Tarantino's THE HATEFUL EIGHT (2015). My favorite Morricone music score was for Sergio Leone's DUCK YOU SUCKER (a.k.a. A FISTFUL OF DYNAMITE - 1971), which was one of the most romantic music scores my ears ever heard. I watch this film at least once a year and the score never fails to tug at my heart. Mr. Morricone was nominated for an Academy Award® another five times and was awarded an Academy Award Honorary Award® in 2007 "for his magnificent and multifaceted contributions to the art of film music", which was well deserved. His contributions to film scoring were unsurpassed. He always managed to give the film music he scored a "hook" that would become earworms to all film and music lovers and he worked on many films (especially the giallo films reviewed on this site) that were made memorable by his music scores. He scored everything from A-list Hollywood films to many Italian genre films that most people would consider "minor" (but not by me). Everything he touched was greatly improved by his music. I could go on and on about Mr. Morricone's film scores, but I'll leave that for his obituary, which I am working on at this moment. We lost a musical genius today and the world will never be the same, especially when it comes to film music scores. Rest In Peace, Ennio Morricone.

JULY 3, 2020: In the mail today, I received my 3-disc Blu-Ray box set titled FORGOTTEN GIALLI from Vinegar Syndrome (after ordering it three days ago!). I was quite impressed with the box set, as the box itself is hard cardboard and not that cheap thin cardboard that many other companies consider as a "box" set. Inside the set are three little-known giallo films, only one of which I heard of before (but have not yet seen). The films in this set are THE KILLER IS ONE OF THIRTEEN (1973); THE POLICE ARE BLUNDERING IN THE DARK (1973/1975) and Leon Klimovsky's TRAUMA (1978), all available on home video for the first time in the United States. The set was a little expensive (about $50.00), but well worth it. All-in-all, a nice little package and since this is Volume One, I guess I can look forward to other sets in the future if this one sells well, so get over to Vinegar Syndrome's website and order yours! I look forward to reviewing the films very soon. Well done, Vinegar Syndrome, well done!

JUNE 28, 2020: Amazon bares their greedy teeth once again. Not only did they ruin the look and feel of IMDb, as their homepage is a horrendous mix of blocky images and useless links, now they have made their images proprietary. No longer can you copy and paste any images that you find connected to any film title, as they have taken away that "luxury". I find that highly greedy and superflous because many of their images have come from my website and I make all my images freely available to everyone should they need them for any reason. Maybe I should have my lawyer send a cease and desist letter to Amazon, forbidding them to use any of my images? I mean, it's only fair, since they "steal" images from my site and don't make them freely available to anyone who would want them. Not only is Amazon ruining IMDb, they are turning it into a store rather than a website full of valuable information. Amazon, come to your fucking senses and stop ruining the Internet with your greed! Don't you make enough money as it is? And, really, all I have to do is a Google search, where I can grab your images there. it's an extra step for me, but you are not getting away with anything. It's just pure corporate greed, plain and simple. UPDATE: Amazon apparently saw the error of their ways and reverted back to their old selves when it comes to images. This after one day! I guess they got the message. UPDATE #2: It's proprietary again! This time it looks permanent. Fuck you Amazon.

JUNE 26, 2020: Once again, I must take issue with YouTube's new commercial policy. Last night, I was watching TEN DEAD MEN (2008) on YouTube, a violent and bloody British actioner, and it was interrupted fifteen times for 5-second and fifteen-second commercials! Some people have told me that they haven't been experiencing this practice yet and I only wished I was them. Not only are these short commercials intrusive, they appear without any rhyme or reason, most of them happening in the middle of a fight scene, taking me right out of the film. I know YouTube has to make money, but they are becoming much worse than Network TV with their commercials. Sure, they are shorter, but they are just as bothersome, if not more so, than the longer commercials on Network TV, because they appear much more frequently (Do the math: Fifteen commercial interruptions in a 90-minute film!). YouTube, get your act together or you are going to lose a very good customer in yours truly. Why is it that these "new improvements" are only good for the company and not the viewer? Because YouTube want's to become another network channel, that's why! It's the user who suffers, not YouTube. First YouTube "cleaned house", deleting a lot of excellent long-standing movie channels on their site (such as "Horror Realm", "EuroCrime Realm" and "Giallo Realm") and now they are doing this shit. Wise up YouTube and quit ruining the Internet!

JUNE 20, 2020: I would like to thank Steven Jackson, CritCon's newest reviewer, for being so influential to me the past few years. He was the main reason why I switched to reviewing EuroFilms, mainly genre films from Italy, thanks to his humorous writing style and knowledge (Steven also was the main reason why I created the Spaghetti Westerns page). I could never hope to see the sheer amount of films he has seen from the country shaped like a boot. I always wanted him to write for Critical Condition, yet I was always too scared to ask him (it's a guilt I want no one to feel!). A couple of weeks ago, I finally pulled the trigger, asked him and he accepted! Steven decided to write reviews to films that were not in my wheelhouse. In other words, films I wouldn't touch with a TEN FOOT POLE. If you want to learn, laugh and wet your pants (adult diapers should be required!), read Steven's reviews of films very few people have seen. He covers all the genres I usually don't write reviews for, be it Animation, Comedy and films about Sports. He also writes about films in genres I do cover, including Horror, Action, Sci-Fi, Martial Arts and Westerns, but they are films that I would never think of reviewing for reasons only known to me and Steven (It's hard, if not downright impossible, to find a person on the same wavelength you are on. Steven and I share the same wavelength. I consider him a brother that I never knew I had!). Steven has a "voice" unlike any writer today and if you don't laugh when reading his reviews, then you, my friend, have no sense of humor at all. I would like to welcome Steven to Critical Condition. He adds that extra "something" missing from this website for the past twenty years. You'll know what that "something" is when you read his reviews.

JUNE 10, 2020: I know I'm going to catch some flak for saying this, but I feel it must be said. While the murder of George Floyd (and it was murder) is a worldwide tragedy, I believe we have taken it a little too far in the protest department. TV Shows such as COPS and LIVEPD have been taken off the air or canceled, GONE WITH THE WIND (1939) has been deleted from HBOMAX and people are getting fired from TV shows or their jobs because of past "racially offensive" tweets from years ago, all because of the George Floyd murder. It reminds me of what happened after 9-11, when songs were banned from radio, movies showing the World Trade center were taken off TV and people were scared for their lives, blaming all Muslims for the crimes. Different circumstances, same mindset. I don't believe defunding the police or even going as far as to delete police departments from cities is the answer, because, believe me, there are criminal elements out there who live for these situations and will take advantage of them. No police means lawlessness. And lawlessness means more loss of lives. Let's train our police officers to be a little (or a lot) more racially acceptive. Not all officers are like the ones who murdered or assisted in the murder of Mr. Floyd. Let's not punish the masses for the sins of the few.

JUNE 5, 2020: I would like to thank Ken "Ace" Brewer and Meri Gyetvay for mentioning my name and the name of my website on MERI DETH'S SUBBED AND DUBBED HORRORFEST tonight on B-Movie TV when they aired the film MAGDALENA - POSSESSED BY THE DEVIL (1974)! It was the first time my name and the name of my website were ever mentioned on any TV channel and also the first time my website address was flashed on screen! It came as a complete surprise to me and it is just another reason why I love this channel so much. Meri even pronounced my last name correctly, one of the very few people to do so. This just proved to me that no matter how old you are (and I am old!), you can be pleasantly surprised by the kindness of people. If you have never watched B-Movie TV and you have a Roku streaming player, you don't know what you are missing!

MAY 31; 2020: Is anyone surprised by the protesting and violence caused by the unnecessary death of George Floyd? People have been cooped up in their houses for two months and this one single violent action caused them to leave their homes and protest. Yes, some of the protests have turned violent and I blame that on people who are using this as an excuse to loot and pillage. They always come out during times like this, but this is actually a once-in-a-lifetime experience for this planet. People have to remember that COVID-19 is still not on the wane and their protests may bring a spike in the virus for a second round. I have seen many protesters not wearing masks and that is wrong. This isn't fake, as the President and the Republican majority wants you to believe, this is real and many innocent people are dying from this virus. If you are going to protest the death (or, more realistically, the murder) of George Floyd, please remember that the person next to you not wearing a mask may have the virus and when you go home, you will spread it to your family and friends. This virus doesn't attack indiscriminately, it affects everyone, so please be careful and wear a mask when you are outside. This way, everyone is protected. The last thing we need is the protests causing more unnecessary deaths. Also, please remember that not all police are as violent and unfeeling as the one who put the knee on Mr. Floyd's neck. The vast majority of them are actually doing it for the sake of the innocent. They care about people. But, I still defend the right to protest, because, as they say: "To be silent is to be complicit."

MAY 29, 2020: A big "FUCK YOU!!!" to YouTube for forcibly inserting commercials during any program you watch. I'm use to seeing commercials before or after a program, but to insert them willy-nilly during any film or short-form program you may be watching is inexcusable, making YouTube no better than network or basic cable TV. There seems to be no rhyme or reason in their insertion of commercials. I was watching a 12-minute Nuke's Top 5 paranormal program and it was interrupted 3 times for commercials! And any film I may watch on YT is interrupted at least a dozen times. I know programs like YouTube are privately owned companies, but their greed and passion for making money off the backs of honest people just trying to entertain us is beyond the pale. A few people have told me that they haven't experienced it yet, so this may be a pilot program, but, even if it is, there is no need to force commercials on anyone, earning YouTube a second big FUCK YOU!!! And here's another big eff you to YouTube for permanently deleting long-standing channels such as "Giallo Realm", "Eurocrime Realm" and "Horror Realm". Why delete the channels permanently? If they are showing films they don't have a license to, block those, but don't completely delete the channel! That's putting the cart before the horse. I use to enjoy YouTube, but now it's becoming too much of a chore to endure. And it's not gone unnoticed by me that they did it during the COVID-19 pandemic, fully knowing that they have a captive audience. Bad medicine, YouTube, bad medicine.

MAY 28, 2020: After several months of posting nothing but short DTV reviews, due to my internet connection being spotty because everyone is working from home, I'm glad to report that I have finally posted my first full-length review, this one being for the film SPECTERS (1987)! My internet connection has been stable for the past week, giving me the impetus to start posting new reviews every other day. I have at least fifty new full-length reviews that need to be posted, since I never stopped writing reviews during the COVID-19 pandemic. I literally have two 150-page notebooks full of new handwritten reviews, all of them for Euro or Italian genre films, some you may have heard of and a lot you haven't! I'm a little rusty at this, so please be patient with me as I get myself re-acclimated to posting long reviews again. And, as always, thanks to my veteran readers for sticking with me. I know it wasn't easy during this time of uncertainty, but I appreciated your emails, especially when they are full of information that may have skipped my attention. So thanks, Steven, Michael, William (Bill) and everyone else out there that took the time to write me. Oh, and this message is for Edward J. McKenney: Thanks for your postcard, but I don't have a DVD catalogue to send you! I never take money for any film I review. It keeps me grounded and honest.  I do have a library of films that just passed the 7,000 mark, but none of those films are for sale. I'm a collector and always will be! It's both a gift and a curse. Any collector can understand that. I will continue posting shorter DTV reviews, but not with the regularity that I have been doing for the past few months. In other words, I'm back to normal business, baby!

MAY 16, 2020: I am saddened to learn of the passing of Fred Willard yesterday, one of my favorite deadpan comedians of all time, dead at the age of 86 from natural causes. The mutiple award-nominated Willard got his start with the improvisational comedy troupe The Ace Trucking Company (which he co-founded) and worked his way to a career as a comedic actor and even a dramatic actor. But it was his deadpan humor that won me over, especially when he was allowed to rip with his improvising. No one did it better and he could make you laugh so hard, you would have to change your pants because you peed yourself. No one could deliver a joke like him, no one. I was surprised to read that he was 86-years-old, because he seemed ageless to me. He kept on working until the day he passed away, even after losing his wife of 50 years, Mary, in 2018. I send my condolences to Mr. Willard's family. He was one in a billion and can never be replaced. R.I.P. Fred Willard, with over 500 film and TV credits to his name. You will be missed greatly.

APRIL 25, 2020: A very special Happy Birthday to one of my favorite people in this entire fucked-up world, Ken "Ace" Brewer, the genius creator of the Roku-only streaming channel B-Movie TV, 53-years-old today. Being trapped in my apartment for the past four weeks, Ace and his channel has kept me from going stark raving mad, thanks to the choice of films he plays all hours of the day and night. As readers of this site know, B-Movie TV has replaced most of my TV watching, keeping me focused on films from the '70s, '80s & '90s. I know I'm always singing B-Movie TV's praises, but it's not something that I do lightly. There is NOTHING like this channel streaming today; it's a trip back to kinder, more wilder, times that brings a rush of nostalgia to a senile old brain such as mine, reminding me of things that happened in my life that I thought I have totally forgotten. And for that I say this to Ace: I consider you a brother I wish I had when growing up. I really can't say more than that. Enjoy your day, Ace, and I hope you enjoy a thousand more birthdays to come. You are my hero.

APRIL 18, 2020: The last thing I want to do is sound like an alarmist, but for three weeks I, and everyone in my apartment building, have been under forced quarantine. We are not allowed to leave our apartments. While I understand why this is being done (a resident in my building has COVID-19), the fact of the matter is we are not allowed to go grocery shopping, depending on grocery stores to deliver. We only have one grocery store in our town that delivers, ShopRite, but since everyone is self isolating, delivery times have been backed up for over two weeks and we can't get an open stot for a delivery. Even if we can, nearly 3/4 of our order will be out of stock, so we must go to the store and pick out alternatives, but we are not allowed to, as we have police cars parked outside the front and back of our apartment building, stopping people from going in and stopping people from leaving. Here's my conundrum: I don't want to act like those idiotic protesters in Michigan, who are causing traffic jams and putting other people's lives at risk, but if we are put under forced quarantine, the least they can do is feed us, not let us starve. And we are going hungry (it's not a money thing, as we have plenty of that). Personally, I can only eat one meal a day, so I can ration the food I do have and I am tired of having pizza and sub sandwiches delivered from the only restaurant in town that will deliver (all the other ones are closed). All we are asking is to be treated like human beings, but we are being ignored by everyone (including news outlets), like we are disposable. Never in a million years did I ever consider that we would be treated this way (and we are not getting out of quarantine until May 15th), but if one family in this building suffers, there will be hell to pay and I would be more than happy to dish it out. If things don't change and soon, things are going to turn ugly. We are The Forgotten during this strange time in our planet's history. This should never happen. We are not asking for a handout, we are asking to be treated like ordinary people.

APRIL 16, 2020: For Christ's sake, will someone make this stop? Not only have I been trapped in my apartment for three weeks (since a neighbor caught COVID-19, everyone in my apartment building is under forced quarantine) and I just got notice that I will be here for three more weeks before allowed to leave, but I then find out that one of my favorite actors, Brian Dennehy, passed away yesterday, not from the virus, but of "natural causes". Mr. Dennehy turned in many excellent performances and was a Golden Globe® and Tony Award® winner, so it's sad to lose him at such an awful time in the world's history. I will be giving him his due in an obituary I am currently working on, but it will take a couple of days to complete it. I remember almost crying at his performance on a LAW AND ORDER: SVU episode titled "Scheherazade" back in 2007. I, and a whole lot of people around the world, will miss him, because he never turned in a bad performance. R.I.P. Brian Dennehy, dead at the age of 81.

APRIL 14, 2020: R.I.P. Joel M. Reed, director of the infamous BLOODSUCKING FREAKS (a.k.a. THE INCREDIBLE TORTURE SHOW - 1976), dead at the age of 86, another victim of the COVID-19 Coronavirus. Too many people are dying from this virus and it never had to be this way, but I'm not going to make Mr. Reed's death a political statement. It's hard to believe he only directed six films, but he's done so much more than make films. Look for an obituary tomorrow.

APRIL 13, 2020: Remember when I mentioned Full Moon's new film CORONA ZOMBIES, which was released streaming on April 10, 2020? Well, those who are looking for a worthwhile new film have a big surprise coming. My friend Michael Prymula emailed me to share this important bit of information about the film: "You thought the idea of this film couldn't get any worse? Well guess what? The "film" is almost nothing but footage of HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD (1980) and ZOMBIES VS. STRIPPERS (2008) with terrible overdubbed dialogue thrown in (think the 30th anniversary version of the original NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD only even worse somehow) and only about 5 minutes of original footage (all of which is generic and dull) like seriously what a fucking rip-off! I can't remember the last time ANY film pulled a bullshit stunt like that, like when the film was announced I was willing to give it a shot because I don't think any subject should be off limits for a film, but once I found out what a rip-off and lie this movie was...... So I'd recommend letting people know about this rip-off of a film on the front page as a PSA so people don't get fooled into wasting money on this, much as I love Full Moon this feels depressingly cynical and calculated on their part and I hope they don't do it again in the future." So there you have it, Charles Band, once again, is pulling a scam on his audience! Show your disapproval by not renting or buying this film! Shame, shame on Charles Band and Full Moon for pulling the old bait and switch on an audience hungry for a new film. Taking advantage of an audience trapped in their homes is unforgivable and everyone involved should be ashamed of themselves. Thanks for alerting us to this scam, Michael! UPDATE: So what's next for Charles Band and his rip-off company? That's right, a "sequel" to this film, titled BARBIE & KENDRA SAVE THE TIGER KING, set to premiere May 15th. I wonder what Italian cannibal films Band will steal footage from? UPDATE #2: According to my Facebook friend Stephen Burt, the films this movie cribs footage from are TERROR IN THE JUNGLE (1968) and LUANA, THE GIRL TARZAN (1968).

APRIL 01, 2020: This is no April Fool's Day joke, folks, as I have decided, for the time being, to stop posting full reviews and concentrate on posting short reviews in my DTV Section, which I have been ignoring for a long time. The reason I am doing this is simple. Since everyone is working from home during this time of the COVID-19 crisis, my internet speed has been drastically reduced and is downright spotty at times. When I try to upload one of my usual long reviews, it stops mid-upload, causing the page I uploaded the review to to be incomplete and I have to recreate it, which takes a lot of time. It doesn't happen with shorter DTV reviews, though, which is why I am now concentrating on them for the moment. Don't worry, I have literally dozens of DTV reviews to post, so keep checking those pages (and here) for updates, where you can read my reviews for THE MYSTERY OF LOVECRAFT: ROAD TO L. (2005), THE WICKEDS (2005), DEVIL IVY (2006), FREAKSHOW (2006), DARKPLACE (2007), THE EXPEDITION (2008), KLOWN KAMP MASSACRE (2008), DR. SLEEPLESS (2008), ONE-EYED MONSTER (2008), SPRING BREAK MASSACRE (2008), THE HORSEMAN (2008), TEN DEAD MEN (2008), S.N.U.B! (2008), ROOM 33 (2009), SINNER (2009), SMILE (2009), BACKLIGHT (2010), THE BUCKS COUNTY MASSACRE (2010), THE PENITENT MAN (2010), LIZARD BOY (2010), MANBORG (2011), THE HAUNTING OF FOX HOLLOW FARM (2011), BLOODY BLOODY BIBLE CAMP (2011), VENOM (2011), ALIEN EXORCISM (2011), DIABLO (2011), MASKS (2011), INBRED (2011), CHEMICAL PEEL (2012), HOUSE HUNTING (2012), PARANORMAL ISLAND (2012), SPECTER (2012), 6 DEGREES OF HELL (2012), SORORITY PARTY MASSACRE (2013), WRATH OF THE CROWS (2013), THE BELL WITCH HAUNTING (2013), ANTISOCIAL (2013), ALIEN HUNGER (2013), THE HIVE (2014), IF I TELL YOU...I HAVE TO KILL YOU (2014), THE EDITOR (2014), DOLL FACTORY (2014), the LAKE FEAR trilogy (2014 - 2018), BLOOD MOON (2014), 13 SINS (2014), PICKAXE (2014), THE TAKING OF DEBORAH LOGAN (2014), THE SCAREHOUSE (2014), CHARLIE'S FARM (2014), UNION FURNACE (2014), CONTRACT KILLERS (2014), INNER DEMON (2014), CIRCUS OF THE DEAD (2014), THE HOUSES OCTOBER BUILT (2014), BAT OUTTA HELL (2014), KUNG FU KILLER (2014), THE QUIET HOUR (2015), INSANE (2015), CHATTER (2015), DEATHGASM (2015), CHILD EATER (2015), BONE TOMAHAWK (2015), CONTAINMENT (2015), AFTERDEATH (2015), HELL HOUSE LLC. (2015), BEYOND THE GATES (2015), DEATH'S DOOR (2015), THE HOUSE ON PINE STREET (2015), THE CHAIR (2015), ENCOUNTER (2015), BUDDY HUTCHINS (2015), FURY OF THE DEMON (2015), MOONTRAP: TARGET EARTH (2015), 911: OFFICER DOWN (2015), GHOSTLINE (2015), WELCOME TO WILLITS (2016), TERRIFIER (2016), HAUNTED (2016), BOONE: THE BOUNTY HUNTER (2016), THE SHADOW PEOPLE (2016), THE EVIL WITHIN (2016), RED CHRISTMAS (2016), PHANTASM: RAVAGER (2016), ONE BY ONE (2016), I HAD A BLOODY GOOD TIME AT HOUSE HARKER (2016), HOTEL OF THE DAMNED (2016), DEVIL'S GATE (2016), MY LITTLE SISTER (2016), PATIENT 62 (2016), ISLAND ZERO (2016), THE BARN (2016), BRACKENMORE (2016), RANGE 15 (2016), CAROUSHELL (2016), PATIENT SEVEN (2016), I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE (2016), RAVENSWOOD (2016), ALL THE WRONG FRIENDS (2016), BLOODRUNNERS (2016), OUIJA 3: THE CHARLIE CHARLIE CHALLENGE (2016), CHECK POINT (2016), SURVIVAL GAME (2016), LOST & FOUND: THE TRUE HOLLYWOOD STORY OF SILVER SCREEN CINEMA PICTURES INTERNATIONAL (2017), COLD GROUND (2017), BRAWL IN CELL BLOCK 99 (2017), THE NIGHT WATCHMAN (2017), MOM AND DAD (2017), SIGHTINGS (2017), THE UNWILLING (2017), CIRCUS KANE (2017), ULTIMATE JUSTICE (2017), DIE IN ONE DAY (2017), WOLF WARRIOR 2 (2017), FIRST HOUSE ON THE HILL (2017), WISH UPON (2017), DEAD ANT (2017), ESCAPE FROM CANNIBAL FARM (2017), GHOST STORIES (2017), DEVIL 2.0 (2017), EAT LOCALS (2017), DAVE MADE A MAZE (2017), THE TERROR OF HALLOW'S EVE (2017), THE HOUSES OCTOBER BUILT 2 (2017), MADAM YANKELOVA'S FINE LITERATURE CLUB (2017), RED EYE - 2017, ONE NIGHT IN OCTOBER (2017), THIS OLD MACHINE (2017), THE FOLLOWER (2017), GHASTLIES (2017), BOOK OF MONSTERS (2018), HALLOWEEN (2018), CLOWN MOTEL (2018), HEREDITARY (2018), BUS PARTY TO HELL (2018), STRANGE NATURE (2018), THE PUNISHED (2018), OVERLORD (2018), BLACK WAKE (2018), SUSPIRIA (2018), EXPOSURE (2018), ANTRUM: THE DEADLIEST FILM EVER MADE (2018), HIGH MOON (2018), BLOOD FEST (2018), CLOWNADO (2018), ROAD TO HELL (2018), HALLOWEEN AT AUNT ETHEL'S (2018), IT CAME FROM THE DESERT (2018), ENCOUNTER (2018), BLOOD BAGS (2018), ANNIHILATION (2018), CLINTON ROAD (2018), FLIGHT 666 (2018), POSSUM (2018), DEATH KISS (2018), THE JURASSIC GAMES (2018), DEAD SQUAD: TEMPLE OF THE UNDEAD (2018), PUMPKINS (2018), THE LEASE (2018), THE MUSIC BOX (2018), ABRAKADABRA (2018), H0US3 (2018), PARANORMAL DEMONS (2018), MIMESIS: NOSFERATU (2018), WEST OF HELL (2018), WARNING SHOT (2018), US (2019), CANDY CORN (2019), THE PRODIGY (2019), THE NIGHT SITTER (2019), 3 FROM HELL (2019), THE BUTCHER (2019), LITTLE MONSTERS (2019), GAGS THE CLOWN (2019), THE DUSTWALKER (2019), THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA (2019), TRICK (2019), ITSY BITSY (2019), KNIVES OUT (2019) THE TOMBS (2019), GLASS (2019), PET SEMATARY (2019), GUNS AKIMBO (2019), VIVARIUM (2019), DEVIL'S REVENGE (2019), BIG TOP EVIL (2019), AGRAMON'S GATE (2019), BUTT BOY (2019), UNDERWATER (2019), READY OR NOT (2019), TABERNACLE 101 (2019), THE HUNT (2019), ART OF THE DEAD (2019), CRAWLERS (2020), REDWOOD MASSACRE: ANNIHILATION (2020), STUCK - TRAPPED IN THE DARK (2020), UNCLE PECKERHEAD (2020), ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK (2020), ATTACK OF THE UNKNOWN (2020), CANNIBAL TROLL (2020), DOLL HOUSE (2020), BARNEY BURMAN'S WILD BOAR (2020), DETECTION OF DI RENJIE (2020), MALIGNANT (2021), HALLOWEEN KILLS (2021), and many others. The majority of these titles can be found streaming on Amazon Prime or other pay streaming services (some are even free to watch on Tubi and YouTube). I will  get back to posting full reviews when this pandemic goes on the wane, which I hope is very, very soon. Until then, stay at home and watch lots of movies! UPDATE: April 4, 2020: Many more titles added! UPDATE: April 6, 2020: Even more titles added! UPDATE: APRIL 11, 2020: A lot more titles added! UPDATE: April 30, 2020: Even more titles added. Nearly 100 new reviews in less than a month! UPDATE: JULY 18, 2020: I'm still adding even more titles to this list. The pandemic is not over yet, but I am also posting full-length reviews, too! UPDATE: AUGUST 15 2020: I'm still at it! UPDATE: OCTOBER 26, 2020: Ditto! UPDATE: NOVEMBER 2020: It doesn't look like the pandemic is going to end any time soon, so I'm going to keep adding them. I love doing it, no matter how good or bad they are! UPDATE: DECEMBER 2020: The pandemic rages on, so I do, too (Thanks non-mask-wearing believers, I hope you are arrested for manslaughter!). You are all getting spoiled! UPDATE: MAY 2021: Thanks to President Biden and the organized rollout of the vaccine, we seem to have the pandemic under control, but I'm still going to list all the new DTV flicks I review right here. People seem to like it, so why should I change? Enjoy! UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 2021: Still churning 'em out!

MARCH 27, 2020: I would like to thank Aaron M. Poe, a.k.a. "Mr. Poe", for giving this website some exposure on his podcast A PODCAST FROM BENEATH. Mr. Poe's podcast is one of the very few that I subscribe to, as it is very informative and downright enjoyable to experience. Aaron and cohorts Carey and Billy talk about all types of genre films ("The Good, The Bad & The Cheaply Made") and he also has his own show on B-Movie TV, "Mr. Poe's Sci-Fi Sideshow", every Sunday night at 8:00 PM, where he airs some classic (and not-so-classic) Sci-Fi films. Do yourself a favor and tune into his podcast using your app of choice (I use Spotify) and watch his show on B-Movie TV (only on Roku). You will not be disappointed!

MARCH 24, 2020: Here is a message to all people: Quit hoarding food and think of those less fortunate than you. I went to two grocery stores today and I could find nothing of substance to eat on any of the shelves in both stores. They were sold out of nearly 90% of stock and didn't know when they would be able to restock. All I was able to pick up was some soda and milk. I couldn't even find any breakfast cereal or eggs. Hey, I'm not one of those "less fortunate" people, so I will find some way to buy food, but we have to think about those who lost their jobs and have very little money to spend on things they need, such as food to stay alive. Not being able to pick up what they need at the local grocery store is going to stretch their very thin budget to the breaking point. As a society, we have to stop being selfish and stop hoarding. We all will survive if we just think about everyone, not just ourselves. Shop like you normally do and quit shopping like the Apocalypse is coming. If we all do this, we all survive. STOP BEING SELFISH!

MARCH 17, 2020: I received this badly-worded email yesterday tagged "MESSAGE FROM JOHN": My name is John Blair i am 20 years of age and a professional NFL player, I have tested positive for the coronavirus presently on isolation under the supervision of professional doctors, my girl friend and best friend died last week no family left and just yesterday the doctors confirmed i have a couple of days left. Therefore i am in search of an honest, reliable and sincere person, to help me give my life savings of US$4.6 Million to all the coronavirus isolation control hospital this is to help in the fight against this virus. Although i only got your contact from the internet but i ask if you can be trusted to do this because it took me a little time to make up my mind to contact you and to offer you this proposal which many life depends so if you can help get back to me as quickly as possible. Thank you...John. Anyone who falls for this disgusting act of cyber crime deserves to be picked clean. And "John" should be hung by his short hairs and set on fire for delivering a new version of the Nigerian Prince scam during this scary time. Most level-headed people would not fall for this, but, as my country has proven time and time again, there's not too many level-headed people left. People, just don't fall for this shit. I shouldn't have to tell you that, but in this time of uncertainty and fear, I thought it was my duty to make you aware of it. Peace. UPDATE: If that's not bad enough, look what Charles Band and Full Moon Pictures are releasing in the very near future: CORONA ZOMBIES! No one ever accused Band of having good taste.

FEBRUARY 28, 2020: Let's face it, it's only a matter of time before the coronavirus begins infecting people in the United States. Over 65 people have already been diagnosed with it here and more cases are being reported daily. But, if we are to listen to our psychotic President, it's not such a big deal, as, according to him, only 15 people in the U.S. have been infected with it and nearly all of them are getting better. He seems more interested in the Stock Market falling due to the coronavirus outbreak than he is in human lives (He even blames the Democratic Primaries for the spreading of the virus!). We have to stop listening to his lies, because he thinks if he keeps repeating those lies long enough, people will believe him. And some people loyal to him are! He has put a muzzle on the CDC and other health organizations, including his own health czar, so they cannot tell us the truth. It will be at least twelve to eighteen months until we have some type of vaccine to combat this (according to President Liar, it will be ready in a month!), so be careful out there, but don't be like our President. Don't believe a word he says because he is incapable of telling the truth. The United States has sunk to a country of despair thanks to this President (who thinks he can do anything he wants since his cronies made sure he was aquitted for impeachment). He doesn't care about human lives. He only cares about money, as the Stock Market falling means less money for him and his businesses. President Liar is incapable of running a country during a crisis, or even without a crisis. Remember this come voting time, that is, if we survive until then! I'm not kidding about this, folks! UPDATE: Over 180 people have been infected in the U.S. with nine reported deaths so far (as of March 4, 2020) and it is increasing exponentially every passing day. While President Liar sits on his orange hands, residents across the country are panicking, surgical masks and hand sanitizer is sold out at every store and people are making hard decisions, such as the newest James Bond film being moved back from this coming April to November (well, that is not a hard decision, but a financial one), sports outings (and whole seasons) are being canceled, schools closed, nightly live late-night programs being taped without an audience and yearly film festivals are being postponed or outright canceled, all because of the COVID-19 Coronavirus. President Liar has put the least qualified person, Vice President Dunce, in charge of this disaster (and it IS a disaster!), as his record on health care is abominable (just look at his record on AIDS as Governor of Indiana), and the President keeps going on TV and lying to us all, giving us wrong numbers, wrong "facts" and wrong decisions (such as restricting travel from Europe to the U.S. without telling the leaders of European countries in advance). Quit listening to this man or we all are going to die! Trust yourself to make the right decisions. This virus is going to grind this country to a halt, as it is already doing to other countries around the world. This is our wake-up call. Answer it!

FEBRUARY 24, 2020: A jury has found sleazebag Harvey Weinstein guilty of of sexual assault and third-degree rape, which could get him 29 years behind bars, yet the jury also decided not to believe Annabella Sciorra's testimony that Weinstein had raped and assaulted her at her Gramercy Park apartment in the early 1990s. I believe this is nothing but the jury trying their best to seem "fair and balanced", even though they knew Weinstein actually did rape Sciorra and would put the scumbag behind bars for life. Juries have to realize that there is no such thing as partitioning their "fairness". Weinstein was (and is) a pig, who used his fame and wealth to rape and assault women, including Sciorra. At least the judge in this case is making Weinstein stay in prison until his sentencing hearing in March of this year. Let's hope he serves the maximum  and gets the same treatment in prison that he handed women when he was free. I just hope his money doesn't earn him a minimum sentence. My heart goes out to Annabella Sciorra, who was brave enough to tell the truth, yet made to look like a liar by the jury's split verdict. I only hope this doesn't stop women from testifying in their own rape cases. I also hope that Weinstein's vicious lawyers never get paid. Their treatment of Sciorra and other women who testified can politely be called inhumane. UPDATE: Harvey Weinstein complained of chest pains while being driven to prison and was instantly hospitalized...in a prison ward of the hospital. Oh, no, Harvey. You don't get off that easy. Your pain will be much greater in prison, but the pain will not be in your chest (think lower). UPDATE #2: March 11, 2020: Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison, even though his scumbag lawyers were asking for five years, citing Weinstein was involved in many charitable organizations while awaiting his trial. Thankfully, the judge presiding over this case didn't buy this load of horseshit and sentenced the rapey Weinstein to nearly the maximum sentence. Even Weinstein's closing statements to the judge and his victims (many who were in the courtroom to hear the sentence) was a weak mea culpa. Weinstein will probably die in prison, but are we to feel sorry for him? Hell no! My faith has been restored in the U.S. justice system, even though Weinstein's scumbag lawyers plan to appeal the sentence.

FEBRUARY 19, 2020: LIFE IS STRANGE DEPT.: For those who have read my review of the incomplete workprint of GRIZZLY 2: THE PREDATOR (1983) and thought to yourself, "Man, I would love to see that film completed!", I've got good news for you. Believe it or not, the film's original producer, Suzanne Csikos Nagy, finished the film! It's now called GRIZZLY II: REVENGE and had it's world premiere theatrical showing in Los Angeles on February 17, 2020! From what I have read, only fifteen people showed up for the screening and half of them were crewmembers who worked on the film, but that can be blamed on poor marketing. If you want to read more about the filming of the missing scenes and a re-worked screenplay, you can go to the official website here: www.grizzly2revenge.com. When it is officially released on Blu-ray and DVD, look for a revised review. Until that happens, just remember this: Sooner or later, everything gets completed, even if it takes nearly 40 years! (Thanks to Michael Prymula for passing this news to me.).

FEBRUARY 10, 2020: Ken "Ace" Brewer, who runs the always entertaining Roku channel B-MOVIE TV, has given it a major update, adding new shows and streaming a lot of films new to the channel. I know that I am always praising Ace and his baby, but this time he has outdone himself. If you haven't experienced the greatness that is B-MOVIE TV, all you need is a Roku streaming player (it will not work on any other streaming player) to watch this fantastic channel. There is some great shit airing here, including hosted series that show martial arts films (Cad Aver's Fried Rice Dojo), action films from the '80s & '90s (Ronny D's Friday Night Action), Subtitled and English dubbed horror films (Meri Deth's Subbed And Dubbed Horrorfest), regular horror films (Saturday Night Terrors, hosted by the lovely Rebecca) science fiction flicks (Mr. Poe's Sci-Fi Sideshow) softcore sex and sleaze films with a touch of topless nudity (Midnight Sleaze and Zora's Kinky Sleepover) and even Ace's long-running series (B-Movie TV Classics). There's always something new on every day of the week (including themed nights, weekly wrestling and roller derby!), so what are you waiting for? Catch the wave that is B-MOVIE TV!

FEBRUARY 05, 2020: I mourn the passing of Kirk Douglas, dead today at the amazing age of 103. Kirk Douglas was, hands down, one of my favorite actors of all time, his dimpled chin and razor-sharp eyes reaching through the screen and either grabbing you by the throat or by the heart with his amazing performances. And not just in genre films that I mention or review on this site, such as 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA (1954), HOLOCAUST 2000 (1977), THE FURY (1978), SATURN 3 (1980), THE FINAL COUNTDOWN (1980) or EDDIE MACON'S RUN (1983), but also classic films, like OUT OF THE PAST (1947), DETECTIVE STORY (1951), LUST FOR LIFE (1956), GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K. CORRAL (1957), PATHS OF GLORY (1957), and SPARTACUS (1960). Douglas was an actor who could do anything and do it with flair. Later in his life, after having a major stroke and being paralyzed on the right side of his body, losing his power of speech (which he got back with plenty of hard rehabilitation), Douglas became a best selling author with the release of "The Ragman's Son", an autobiography of his life (which everyone should read!) and several more books. I give my heartfelt condolances to the entire Douglas family (which is a rather large one!), including son Michael Douglas, on the loss of a great man and humanitarian. Look for an obituary very soon. UPDATE: It is also my sad duty to report the deaths of actors Kevin Conway (THE FUNHOUSE - 1981), Robert Conrad and ILSA, SHE-WOLF OF THE SS herself, Dyanne Thorne, who passed away in late January, but I just found out today. Her death wasn't reported in any of the entertainment websites or even in Variety itself. It's a shame when we forget the people who entertained us in our youth. One thing you can count on: I will never forget!

JANUARY 20, 2020: Well, folks, IMDb has done it again, only this time they didn't just shoot themselves in the foot, they also put the pistol to their temple and pulled the trigger. Yes, these wonderful folks at IMDb have "improved" their homepage so that it looks like a bastardized version of Netflix, or better yet, it looks like some teen tech puked it up after drinking too much Mountain Dew. IMDb seems to be going all digital (They are "rolling out" the new look, so if you haven't seen it yet, you soon will), which is strange for a site that thrives on printed information and what use to take one click of the mouse (such as reading the latest, movie, TV and celebrity news), now takes three clicks. Will someone please tell me how this is an improvement? I have just one thing to say to IMDb: Wise up, idiots! They put a newbie IMDb employee on the boards to deliver this news (it was her first post!), so, of course, she will be the sacrificial lamb, but people who are a whole lot smarter than me can see where this is headed. IMDb wants to pull in the youth market, you know the ones, young adults who watch movies on their phones (and will have severe eye problems when they get older), and throw out all the veteran users of the site. Don't let this happen. Voice your displeasure and let IMDb know that change doesn't have to mean a complete overhaul of their home page. There's change and then there's CHANGE. How long before the entire site follows suit? UPDATE: Rather than complaining to IMDb (who don't seem to give a fuck), I urge everyone to take their complaints to Amazon, IMDb's parent company, and tell Customer Service that you will give up your Prime membership (IMDb's new homepage is an exact copy of Amazon Prime's Video homepage) if they don't revert the homepage back to its previous incarnation. Customer Service will say that they can't help you in this matter, but if enough people complain, they will have no choice but to listen and respond. IMDb now thinks of us as "customers" rather than "readers" or "users" and that is purely Amazon's doing. Don't let them turn IMDb into a streaming video service, rather than an informational movie database!

JANUARY 12, 2020: This new year is starting off on the wrong foot and if we don't stop thinking like idiots, this could be the end of our planet. I am, of course, talking about people backing their party line, no matter how wrong it is. With the recent shooting down of a Ukraine airliner by Iran using Russia missles, how can this not be traced back to "President" Donald Trump's actions regarding Iraq and Iran? Yet, Trump cronies keep insisting that their "savior" Trump is doing what any President would do. Really? Would any President do such a thing to get the peoples' mind off his impeachment by having people "accidentally" killed? Wise up people and face the facts. Trump is nothing but a disgusting businessman who wants you to watch his right hand while his left one destroys the United States in ways we have never seen before. We are becoming a joke to the world and people hate us in ways we have never seen before. Think before you act or speak. Only common sense will defeat such an evil. It's Trump's worst enemy. I hate talking politics on this site, but it's time to for me to speak my piece before my country and the world is destroyed by evil, twisted minds. And, yes, I am talking about the people who back Trump, no matter what he does or says. They are more dangerous than Trump himself, because they give Trump a feeling of invincibility. That is where his power lies. Lies ARE NOT the new truth! UPDATE: After the Senate hearings into Trump's impeachment, all I have to say is this: Shame, shame on Republicans! This is no longer a country of truth and justice. It's a country more interested in following party lines, letting a criminal get away with his crimes. Have you no shame? I hope people remember this treachery come election time, not only for the Presidency, but for every House and Senate Republicans' careers. They have no place in this country, other than to destroy it. President Trump and Fox News have brainwashed a new generation of people who will believe everything that they say. It is a real sickness that needs to be wiped out, not by violence, but by instilling common sense back to their brains by whatever means possible.

JANUARY 04, 2020: My heart goes out to all my readers in Australia who are victims of the devasting bushfires that are happening there (since September!). Not only has it cost an unacceptable amount of human life (23 so far), it also caused the deaths of countless amounts of wildlife indigenous to the area. It is estimated over 500,000 koala bears lost their lives in the fires and over half a billion (billion!) other animals also perished. That alone makes these fires one of the worst events in the world in recent memory. I hope these fires are brought under control before it turns into something apocalyptic in Australia. For those who think this is no big deal: Shame on you! If you can, donate to the charity of your choice and state that you would like your money to benefit those affected by the bushfires. It's the humane thing to do.

DECEMBER 28, 2019: After retaining control of this website, I have discovered that some images are missing and some sections are basically in ruins. I will try to fix all of them, but the "A VISUAL HISTORY OF 80'S VIDEO COMPANIES" is shut down until further notice because nearly 50% of the images are missing and it will take me weeks, if not longer, to repair it. I can trace this back to "The Great Hard Drive Failure of 2009", where I lost tens of thousands of images. That day, I learned to back up all my data on media not a permanent part of my computer (i.e. USB thumb drives and hard drives). So be patient with me. I'll get to fixing all the errors as soon as possible. As always, if you see any errors, please email me and I'll get to fixing them immediately! UPDATE: Everything is now fixed and up and running! Thanks for your patience.

DECEMBER 27, 2019: If you were wondering why this site was down for two weeks, it's because my hosting site, Infinology, whom I was with since 2002, went out of business without giving anyone advance notice! Yes, these bastards took off with my money (I just paid them for a full year of hosting a month ago) and just skipped out, closing all accounts, emails and everything else that goes with hosting, leaving every website they hosted in the lurch, just a few days before Christmas. I never really had any complaints about them in the past (even though they had no tech help or a phone number to call for service interruptions) but what they did to everyone whom they hosted is an insult, as well as illegal. I sent them over a dozen "tickets" complaining about my site being down, all of them going unanswered. I only found out they skipped town from other websites who were also hosted by them. I hope I have more luck with my new website host, DreamHost, as they were very helpful migrating my site to their servers (even though it cost me an arm and a leg to do so and I had to migrate all 66,900 images to my new server. Twice!). I guess only time will tell, but their tech help was beyond reproach for me (at least at the beginning). Fuck, I'm just glad to be back! I was lost without this "little" website (which I soon discovered was not so little!).

DECEMBER 06, 2019: What's up with IMDb's new "look"? Why did they feel that they had to fix something that wasn't broken? Not only is their new look hard on the eyes for people with vision problems (It's a proven fact that white type on a black background, which is what IMDb's new searchbar is, not only is detrimental to people with eye problems, it could make their eyesight worse!), they've also omitted some long-standing features, such as their poster gallery, which was one of my favorite features! I tried contacting techs at IMDb about this omission and they have given me a Google 'shortcut" to access the feature! I mean, what the hell, why give me a Google shortcut; why don't you put the feature on your own website? That is, if they are going to keep the feature. I hope it's not a feature they are eventually going to delete, like they did when they deleted the user boards a few years ago without telling anyone! I'm willing to bet that they hired some young new blood to "streamline' the site and they didn't do their homework. This new 'look" has been greeted with distain by longtime users of this site, of which I am one. I have had my own login to the site since 1999! It is the only site on the Internet worth my time when I am doing film research, but if they are committed to screwing over longtime users as myself and are only interested in attracting new, younger viewers, I'm afraid IMDb has slit their own throat, because people like me are not going to stand for such unneeded change. It may be harder, but I'll do my research somewhere else. Places where they care about their veteran users. Here's a big "Fuck You!" to IMDb. UPDATE: IMDb just closed my message board about the poster section, saying, "This conversation is no longer open for comments or replies." A double "Fuck You!" IMDb! UPDATE #2: Well, they reverted their searchbar back to black type on a white background (I like to think my bitching and moaning had something to do with it, but thousands of other users complained about the same thing), but still no poster gallery.

NOVEMBER 30, 2019: For all my readers in the United States: Hulu (www.hulu.com) is offering a terrific deal on their streaming service, good until Midnight December 2, 2019. For only $1.99 a month for a full year, you can get Hulu service, with limited commercials! The commercials don't really interfere with movies (the reason I subscribed), as they only play before the movie starts and after the movie ends, never during the movie. This is a terrific deal, especially if you are a movie lover. I just watched the insane Nicolas Cage film MOM AND DAD (2017) as well as the pretty good Hulu Original Movie LITTLE MONSTERS (2019), which paid for my subcription alone for the month, as the Cage movie is on Amazon Prime for $3.99 (even if you are a Prime member, which I am) and the Hulu Original Movie is only offered (duh!) on Hulu (until its eventual disc release). Jump on this offer as quick as you can, before it's too late!

NOVEMBER 25, 2019: I know I always joke about how actress Tiffany Shepis (WRATH OF THE CROWS - 2013; VICTOR CROWLEY - 2017) is "My Girl", but I have to get serious for a moment. A. Michael Baldwin, the actor in PHANTASM (1979; my favorite film of all time) and its sequels (except for #2) notified everyone on Facebook that Tiffany Shepis-Tretta and husband Sean Tretta's young daughter, Mia, was wounded in last weeks gun violence at Saugus High School in California. She is recovering nicely, which is, of course, good news, but many children, including Mia's best friend, did not survive the shooting. Not only does this senseless gun violence have to stop, it shouldn't have even happened if spineless politicians on the NRA's payroll would just realize that human lives are more important than gun rights. Contact your State's politicians and call them out on this. Make them understand that you will not give them a vote come election time if they don't do something about gun violence, especially in our schools, where children should feel safe, not scared out of their wits. Make them understand the harm they are doing to our children by not growing a backbone and standing up for our children's safety. The answer is not posting cadres of police to stand guard at our schools. The answer is keeping guns out of the hands of people who don't care about anyone's safety. Make them understand this as clearly and succinctly as possible. They will no longer be in office unless they take a stand about gun violence. Let our children grow up not afraid of our school system. In other words, let our children have normal childhoods! My thoughts and prayers go out to Tiffany and her family, as well as the parents who lost their children to sensless gun violence. I hope to live to see the day when this senseless violence is abolished for good.

OCTOBER 28, 2019: The 4TH ANNUAL B-MOVIE TV HALLOWEEN MONTH HORROR & SLEAZE MARATHON ends this week and I want to personally thank Ken "Ace" Brewer for delivering a great month of horror and sleaze movie madness like I have never seen before. This one even beats last year's marathon, in my opinion. For people who have no idea of what I am talking about, let me say this: Buy a Roku streaming player (any model) and add B-Movie TV to your device through the Roku Channel. Once you do, I guarantee you will never look at TV the same way again. You will not get this channel on any other streaming device, only a Roku, so spend $25.00 and purchase a Roku Express. As always, you can thank me later.

OCTOBER 15, 2019: Halloween is quickly sneaking up on us and, as I have been doing for over 30 years, I will be watching PHANTASM (1979), my favorite Halloween movie of all time, on Halloween Night (especially the nicely remastered Blu-Ray!). I found another film which may very well also get play every Halloween, a little independent film titled THE BARN (2016). I've had the Blu-Ray for over three years, but I just viewed it a few days ago. It's very low-budget and horribly acted, but it has a certain '80s charm that just won't quit, as well as being gory as hell. Look for a review in my DTV section very soon. A new tradition is born!

OCTOBER 14, 2019: I'm calling bullshit on Roku for not having customer service of any type. Recently my Roku Express + was automatically updated with new version 9.2.0 and ever since it was automatically installed, it kicks me out of whatever I watch after 30 minutes and takes me to the home screen. Since I use my Roku to basically watch B-Movie TV and films on YouTube and Amazon Prime, it's frustrating and annoying getting kicked out of what I am watching and I have to log back on. After doing some research, I found that this is a problem with the new update with Express + players only. Since I use my player with a tube TV next to my computer (I have a Roku Ultra for my 60" plasma in my living room), I use it a lot and to have this problem is unacceptable. The lack of customer service is especially depressing. I even went to the Roku group on Facebook and they are about as much help as tits on a rock. Since B-Movie TV is a Roku-only channel, I want this problem fixed as soon as possible, but Roku keeps ignoring my DMs or tells me to go to their web site, which is basically worthless. Roku, wise up, or you are about to lose a customer! If anyone has a workaround for this problem, please email me. I'm at my wit's end! UPDATE: I joined the Facebook Roku Codes, Tips And Tricks Group and when I asked about this problem, my posts were deleted! WTF is going on here? UPDATE #2: Like most remotes, the one I use for my Express + has a "Secret Menu" that is accessed by pressing multiple buttons in a certain order. Using this Menu, I was able to revert my player back to the previous release version, solving my problem once and for all without any help from Roku. Fuck them!

OCTOBER 12, 2019: Some really sad news this week. We lost both Academy Award®-nominated actor Robert Forster and director/special effects wizard Ryan Nicholson this week, both due to brain cancer. Forster was a longtime favorite of mine, appearing in many films that I love, including the TV Movie THE DEATH SQUAD (1974), ALLIGATOR (1980), VIGILANTE (1982), WALKING THE EDGE (1983) and personal favorite PEACEMAKER (1990), among many others, including his Oscar®-nominated role in Quentin Tarantino's JACKIE BROWN (1997). I first noticed Ryan Nicholson with his film GUTTERBALLS (2008), but my friend Mario Dominick, who wrote all the reviews of this site's FILMS ON THE FRINGE section and alerted me of Nicholson's death, was a fan long before then, supplying me with a review of Nicholson's LIVE FEED (2006) and alerting me of his other accomplishments, including being a very good special effects artist. He not only supplied the effects to all of his films, he also did some for a lot of A-List films, including FINAL DESTINATION (2000), BLADE: TRINITY (2004) and, one of my favorite indies, IT STAINS THE SANDS RED (2016). Both Forster and Nicholson were tops in their field and they will be sorely missed. Robert Forster was 78-years-old and Nicholson was only 47 when they passed away. Look for obituaries very soon (They are now up. Click on their names to bring up their obituaries.)

OCTOBER 11, 2019: Here's some good news. Make that great news. According to The Playlist: Without hesitation, horror fans will likely include filmmaker Dario Argento among the very best directors to have ever graced the genre. And not only is he one of the most iconic filmmakers in horror history, his films, such as SUSPIRIA, DEEP RED and TENEBRE revolutionized the giallo subgenre and introduced it to audiences all around the world. However, in recent years, Argento has been relatively quiet. Well, according to a new report, the filmmaker is stepping behind the camera once again for a new TV series titled LONGINUS. Variety is reporting that Dario Argento will step behind the camera for a new horror-thriller series, LONGINUS. The series is said to delve into the “obscure and terrifying” imagination of Argento. The production companies, BIM and Publispei, explained LONGINUS will be an “auteur series for the international market” and will be set “between the French Alps of Grenoble and the Siena of the Palio” will fall between “the real and the supernatural.” So, yeah, we still don’t know much about it. If you’re familiar with your Biblical stories, Longinus also is the name of the Roman centurion that stabbed Jesus Christ in the ribs with a spear during the crucifixion. Though, it’s unclear if the series is set to tackle anything Biblical. LONGINUS marks the first project for the filmmaker since 2012’s DRACULA 3D. Throughout the years, Argento has also dabbled in TV projects, with his most recent small-screen effort being a couple of episodes of the anthology series, MASTERS OF HORROR. Recently, while at Fantastic Fest, the filmmaker hinted that he had another film on the docket, as well, but there has yet to be a formal announcement. Obviously, LONGINUS is still in the early stages of development, with no network or streaming platform announced as a partner. However, you have to imagine that the first project from Dario Argento in almost a decade will attract plenty of buyers.

SEPTEMBER 30, 2019: Roku-only streaming channel B-Movie TV is now having its 4TH ANNUAL HALLOWEEN MONTH MARATHON. They are showing nothing by horror and sleaze movies 24/7 for over a month, no repeats! Last year, I watched nothing but this channel for the month of October and I plan to do the same thing this year. This channel seems to be streaming's best kept secret and I urge everyone to buy a Roku streaming player and give this channel a try. Once you view it, I can almost guarantee you'll be hooked for life. Their enthusiasm is infectious and that is all due to Ken "Ace" Brewer, the mastermind behind this channel. His love for everything B-Movie, especially '90s action films, has no bounds and for an old fogey like me, it's a breath of fresh air in an atmosphere polluted by multi-millon dollar "blockbusters" that lack the charm and sense of playfulness found in low-budget cinema. All I am asking is to give it a try. Any fan of this website is bound to catch the wave that is B-Movie TV!

SEPTEMBER 26, 2019: Could this be the end for Donald Trump? He believes he did nothing wrong by asking the new President of Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and his son, but what he was asking for is simply horrendous. He wants a foreign nation to investigate one of his Democratic challengers for the 2020 Presidency. This not only reeks of collusion, he also held back military spending to the Ukraine until the new President investigated Biden. He did nothing wrong? C'mon now! I'm very interested to see whether his Republican lemmings will back him now. If they do, I hope their States vote against them because they are backing a criminal who is abusing his power. Impeachment seems imminent. It's about time.

SEPTEMBER 23, 2019: I just learned that Sid Haig passed away Saturday, September 21st at the age of 80 and I feel just awful. He was an important actor in exploitation cinema, dating back to the early-'60s. I met him a few times at various conventions and he was always a kind person with a really humorous attitude. This is a big loss to exploitation cinema and his next-to-final film, Rob Zombie's 3 FROM HELL is bypassing the theatrical route and going straight to DTV, both on VOD and an Unrated Blu-Ray/DVD in October. This is a sad time in genre cinema. There was no one like Sid Haig. R.I.P. You can read my obituary HERE.

SEPTEMBER 23, 2019: Congratulations to Peter Dinklage for winning a record-breaking fourth Emmy Award® for Best Supporting Actor on GAME OF THRONES. Dinklage may be small in stature, but his talents know no bounds. In my opinion, it was him and him alone that made THRONES such a blast to watch. He never let his size get in the way of challenging anyone and he did it in such a way that was riveting to watch. Congratulations, Mr. Dinklage! It should also be noted that Broadcast TV only won 14% of the awards this year, as the majority of wins went to cable, pay cable or streaming series, meaning that Network TV is on its way out, unless it does something drastic to once again pull in viewers. Could this mean the end of Network TV? (See my thoughts on Streaming TV directly below.) Other Emmy News: It warms my heart that HBO's CHERNOBYL won the coveted award for Best Limited Series as well as winning Writing and Directing noms. This was an important, as well as spellbinding, take on one of the world's worst man-made disasters and how politics nearly destroyed the world.

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019: It seems everyone wants a piece of the streaming pie and it's the customer that loses. More and more streaming services are being developed, each one costing the customer more and more money, pricing streaming out of nearly everyone's pockets. Companies such as Disney (Disney +), NBC (Peacock), Universal (HBO Max) and Apple (Apple TV +) and streaming channel Quibi are forming their own streaming services, each one of them costing about $12.00 a month on average. The biggest problem I have with this is that most of their programming should have ended up on Network TV, but companies got greedy and decided to compartmentalize TV, charging the viewer to watch something that they should have gotten for free. Throwing a few "fucks" into the dialogue is no reason we should have to pay for something that we should have gotten as part of our monthly TV bill. The only thing we can do is not subscribe to these channels and tell the money-grubbing executives that we are not going to have any of this. Streaming is now no better than having a $200+ monthly cable bill. As a matter of fact, it will now cost more to get everything you now have on cable to what you will receive streaming. Once again, business destroys something that was meant as an alternative to cable. We can't let these "businessmen" win! Vote with your wallet.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2019: My mantra has always been "Once on the Internet, always on the Internet" and today once again proved that to be true by the firing of Shane Gillis as a new member of Saturday Night Live because of his "unacceptable" language in the past. Just like many times before, people with way too much time on their hands dug up some past statements Gillis said and posted them online, just to get him fired. And like all the times before, he was fired. I only have one problem with this and it's a big one: What ever happened to freedom of speech? While Gillis' remarks were said in jest (he is a comedian, after all), they take on a whole new meaning when taken out of context and this whole new meaning is why he was fired. Stop this insanity! We all said something off color in our past (I know I have). Would you want those words revealed today? I wish these online trolls the worst of luck, just so they can feel what it means to be on the other end. The Internet has created a new kind of enemy: The unknown, unseen keyboard warrior. Fuck them!

SEPTEMBER 15, 2019: The passing of another September day brings more bad news: The death of musician Ric Ocasek, the rail-thin singer and guitarist for the '70s & '80s band The Cars. He not only mixed pop with electronic music (he wrote nearly every song The Cars recorded), creating a new brand of New Wave music, he later became a successful music producer of such bands such as Weezer, Bad Brains and The Killers. Thinking back, The Cars were a band that meant a lot to me in the beginning days of New Wave and their sheer amount of hit tunes (such as "Good Times Roll", "You Might Think", "My Best Friend's Girl" and, especially, "Drive") during the decade they were a band will be hard to beat and also shaped my life during a really hard time. Damn, I hate when my music heroes begin passing away. It makes me think of my mortality. Ric Okasec was found dead in his New York apartment, the victim of heart disease and he was 75-years-old. My condolences to his family and fans.

SEPTEMBER 13, 2019: Since today is FRIDAY THE 13TH, I guess we all expect some bad news, so I'll give you some. We lost Eddie Money today, the singer-saxophonist of such '80s staples as "Baby Hold On", "Two Tickets To Paradise" and "Take Me Home Tonight", among others, who passed away peacefully early this morning. Eddie Money was different than most singers in the '80s for many reasons, the main one being his facial twitches and jerky body movements when he sang, making watching his music videos on MTV such a joy to our eyes and ears. Besides his songs being real earworms, he was an entertainer at heart and he did it in such an unusual way, he will never be forgotten. Eddie Money was 70-years-old. It's now time to entertain God, Eddie. Give him a good show and know you will be missed.

SEPTEMBER 07, 2019: When people ask me what films I wish I had if I were trapped on a deserted island, I would answer them PHANTASM (1979), TORSO (1973) and ALICE, SWEET ALICE (1976), besides asking them how I could watch them on a deserted island, when I would need electricity to do so! I have to commend Arrow Video for their recently released Blu-Ray of ALICE, since it is a remarkable pristine print (remastered in 2K), looking better than I remember seeing it in theaters back in the day. This is the perfect American giallo film, lensed in my backyard of Paterson, NJ. I remember watching them film it on the streets and I even had a short conversation with director/co-screenwriter Alfred Sole, who was as gracious as he could be. It then disappoints me that in the many extras (an Arrow trademark) supplied on the disc that Sole mentions that he never watched a giallo film before he made this film, because I remember him telling me that he was a fan of Dario Argento. I know this was over 40 years ago and memories may be foggy, but my journal (I kept a daily journal of my activities and still do) tells me otherwise. But that makes no mind, because this "proto-slasher" is as close as you can get to a giallo film. The Arrow disc also contains a booklet and a poster, only available for the first pressing. For those who order the disc too late (and it is selling fast!), I have scanned the booklet HERE for your reading and visual pleasure. No one does Blu-Rays as well as Arrow and I thank them for giving us this film. It is a remarkable, if overlooked, foray into mystery and terror, told with a scathing religious subtext, something you won't easily forget once you see it (Look for a review very soon on this site). Personally, I have seen this film at least a dozen times and on every viewing I pick up something new to discover, making this film 100% re-watchable. So hop onto Amazon or whatever site you use for DVDs and Blu-Rays and purchase this film ASAP! You won't regret it. Hey, have I ever steered you wrong? Now, if I only could find the unedited version of Sole's freshman film, the porno flick DEEP SLEEP (1972), a comedy/horror tale about necrophilia! It only seems to exist in a heavily edited form, the original unedited version considered lost, but we all know that nothing is ever lost forever, right?

AUGUST 17, 2019: The death of Peter Fonda yesterday at the age of 79 from lung cancer has hit me hard. Yes, I was a child of the '60s and EASY RIDER (1969) opened my mind to the fact that there were different ways to live your life. I could live like my father, who worked the same job for nearly 40 years, but seldom smiled, or I could live life my own way, enjoying every day just for the little things, making new friends and trying things I thought I would never try. The film was an eye-opening experience for me and the ending hit me very hard. You see, "adults over 30" never understood this way of life and what they didn't understand they destroyed. That's what this film was all about and it is thanks to Peter Fonda, who not only starred, but co-produced and co-wrote (with late director Dennis Hopper) this important counter-culture film, that hit teens and young adults with the impact of a cannonball to the stomach. Goodbye, Mr. Fonda, and thanks for changing my life and the lives of millions of people. Some of us may have forgotten you, but there's no denying that you impacted our lives like no other film before or since. I'm not a religious person, but I hope you and Hopper are showing God what Heaven should be like!

AUGUST 07, 2019: Three mass shootings in as many days? Now is the time to ban guns of all types in the United States, no exceptions. And don't give me the old standby that any object can be turned into a deadly weapon, because I would rather be worried about a psycho coming at me with a knife than him pointing a pistol or automatic weapon at me! At least I stand a chance to survive. The United States is a country full of political cowards who would rather have its people scared than enact any new gun legislation. You know, the kind that saves lives. UPDATE: Our (or your) President once again proves what an ignoramus he is, blaming movies, video games and TV for the recent mass shootings, rather than blaming our very loose gun laws. Since Trump is relatively comfortable with the NRA, it only stands that he would take their side. But Universal Pictures decided to pull one of its films, called THE HUNT, from its late-September theatrical release, a real cowardly move, basically telling Trump that he is right. They didn't delay its release, they permanently pulled it, never to be shown in theaters (but I can promise it will show up on home video)! I don't see anyone pulling HOBBS & SHAW from release, because it is a monster hit. This reminds me of 9-11, when songs on the radio were banned, films showing the World Trade Center were banned (or edited out) and certain movies were not allowed to be shown on TV, all done for "the people." Bullshit! This was done to cleanse the minds of politicians, who have no idea on how to deal with violence in society, especially gun violence, rather blaming music, TV, video games and films for it. When will we learn, as a society, that this is wrong? Trump doesn't care what we think; he will do the thinking for us. Is he the right person to do this? Hell, NO!!!

AUGUST 01, 2019: I just got done binge-watching all eight episodes of Amazon Prime's THE BOYS. While I am not the biggest fan of superhero shows, this may be my favorite new series of the 2018 - 2019 TV Season! To read why it is, click HERE for my review.

JULY 29, 2019: The more web sites and YouTube channels I look at, the more I see that they want you to become a "patreon" of their site, if you want to see more of the same. That's just another word saying to send them some money if you want to see more of the same content on their site or channel. I would never ask anyone for money to do what I do because I ENJOY it. This web site is now 20-years-old and I never get sick of posting reviews or doing what I do because I know I will never grow tired of it. If I did this for the money, it would seem like a job and that's something I never want this site to become. Yes, I know some sites and YouTube channels are jobs for the personnel behind them, so good luck to them. Just know that I will never ask you for money. This site is my baby and mine alone. It has never accepted advertising and it never will because I don't want to be beholden to anyone; or worry about my content or writing in any way, afraid that it will upset advertisers (Think that doesn't happen? Well, you're wrong!). So, if you want to see more of the same from my site, just log in on a different day and keep your credit card in your wallet or purse. You won't need it here.

JULY 24, 2019: I just heard that Rutger Hauer, one of my favorite actors of all time, passed away at the age of 75 after a short illness. What is weird is that he died on July 19th, but we weren't told until he was already buried. Mr. Hauer will always be an important actor to me, as well as a nice guy in general. He was one of those actors who improved any film just by being in it. There are too many films to mention here, but look for my obituary for a full filmography, along with my thoughts of them. Rest well, Mr. Hauer, rest well.

JULY 15, 2019: If it's one thing I love, it's a good real-life mystery, whether it be unexplainable, paranormal or just a bunch of bunk. You can find all that on YouTube, as many channels there have footage of unexplainable events, such as "cryptid" sightings, ghost videos or just plain weird things happening on video. As much as I want to believe (and as much as these channels want us to believe), it is rather easy to see that the majority of these videos are nothing but CGI-enhanced footage, with off-screen narrators trying to get us to believe what we are seeing is real. While some of the footage is really spooky and may be real, most of the footage is nothing but fake crap, with people having too much time on their hands creating this footage and trying to make it look real (it's not what you see, but what you don't see). I'm not saying that strange shit doesn't happen, because it does. What I am saying is that some people spoon-feed us this footage and try to get us to believe it is real, but there are some good channels out there on YouTube, who call a spade a spade and a fake a fake. Channels such as NUKE'S TOP 5 and SLAPPED HAM are my favorites, followed by SIR SPOOKS and CHILLS (look for all of them on YouTube's Search Bar or click on the links provided), but there are too many channels out there that try to pass off fake footage as real (such as AMERIKANO, which mysteriously stopped posting after having an untalented on-screen narrator [who shouldn't be near a camera] showing us some footage and talking off the cuff [all his episodes have been deleted and rightfully so]). If you want to be entertained and creeped out, or if you just want to see some footage by talented fakers, these are the places to go. UPDATE: AMERIKANO has returned, but the smirky off-screen narrator really grates on my nerves, especially his attempts at humor. "Snarky" doesn't begin to describe him. It is so bad, I unsubscribed from the channel. Too many of the clips were misrepresented, as I have seen most of them on other channels and done much better with more truthful meaning. It has become a muckraking channel now and I don't need it in my life. Neither should you. UPDATE #2: It seems that AMERIKANO got rid of their smarmy narrator and hired a British one (Most sites have one!), but it still is full of cringe-worthy writing and flat-out false reporting that makes this site such a chore to watch. What they need to do is get a better writer!

JULY 09, 2019: Is anyone as excited as I am about how Rob Zombie's 3 FROM HELL will be released theatrically on September 16th of this year? This sequel to HOUSE OF 1,000 CORPSES (2002) and THE DEVIL'S REJECTS (2005) promises to be a real headtrip of graphic violence and degradation, as only Rob Zombie can do it. I'm unapologetically a big fan of Zombie's work (even his two HALLOWEEN films) because no one does White Trash Horror better than him. I know people usually love or hate Zombie, there is no middle ground, but I look forward to every film he releases. I will be the first one on line when this film is released to theaters, even though I know the film will be heavily cut to get an R Rating, but that's the MPAA for you. I also look forward to the uncut Blu-Ray when it hits home video! Welcome back, Rob Zombie!

JULY 05, 2019: I have been staying away from politics for the past year or so, but I have to remark on Trump's "celebration", which he called "A Salute To America",  last night. It was straight out of Russia and North Korea, with Trump speaking at the Lincoln Memorial surrounded by tanks, telling us how our 18th Century forefathers protected airports (!) from the enemy (Blaming it on a teleprompter error. Really?) Not only is Trump out of his fucking mind, it only proves that his brain is slowly going blank, like he has Alzheimers and that he admires Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-Un more than anyone in the United States, but not the "camps" he set up to house "illegal" border crossers, splitting up families and causing death in some cases, which he is quite proud of. These are not the acts of a President of the United States, these are the acts of a dictator who thinks he can do anything he pleases, including eliminating our God given rights as Americans. When major TV networks (besides Fox, that is) ignored Trump's celebration, it should give you an idea that something is majorly wrong and it is not because they are prejudiced against the President. It's because this "celebration" was nothing but back-patting propaganda, the stuff we saw during the Cold War coming out of Communist countries. And that is where the United States is heading! I wonder what Trump would think of Putin if he knew Russia was laughing at him, one Russian news commentator saying that the "newest tanks" that Trump promised to show were “Abrams and Sherman tanks, used during World War II and withdrawn from service in 1957.” Caught in another lie! Can this man ever tell us the truth?

JULY 03, 2019: Sometimes I think my life is cursed. Recently, I have been watching episodes of ROWAN & MARTIN'S LAUGH-IN on Amazon Prime and really enjoyed Arte Johnson's improvational skills that threw other cast members into hysterics, especially his German soldier Wolfgang, who hid behind bushes while giving us his honest opinion about the precedings. Arte Johnson died today of heart failure at age 90. Need I say more? Veeeerrrry in-ter-es-ting, but tragic. R.I.P. Arte Johnson.

JUNE 26, 2019: Sad to hear that Beth Chapman, wife of Duane Chapman, better known as DOG THE BOUNTY HUNTER, died today at age 51 of throat cancer. Beth was Duane's conscience, the driving force behind his success. Anyone who watched their "reality" shows knows that Beth could sometimes be more than a handful, but the comments I have read from some Internet trolls out there are beyond the pale. Shame on you. Someone's wife, mother, daughter has died a horrible death. The anonimity the Internet affords you makes you think you are invincible, doesn't it? Well, karma's a bitch and I hope it bites you on the ass. R.I.P. Beth. UPDATE: Damn! I also learned today that actors Billy Drago and Max Wright  also passed away on this date. Make it stop!!!

JUNE 20, 2019: Here's some more proof that we live in a ridiculous world. Over 20,000 Christians signed a petition to have Amazon Prime's GOOD OMENS canceled because it is "another step to make satanism appear normal, light and acceptable, and mocks God's wisdom." They go on to say, "This type of video makes light of Truth, Error, Good and Evil, and destroys the barriers of horror that society still has for the Devil." There's only one problem with this petition (which has since been pulled off the Internet): It is aimed at Netflix, who have nothing to do with this "Limited Series"! You would think Christians would know who to accuse before burning them at the stake, but just like the witchcraft trials during the Dark Ages and in Salem, they've managed to accuse the wrong people. Nothing ever changes, does it?

JUNE 09, 2019: I prefer to read an actual book than to read one online, but have you seen the prices of softcover reference books lately? With prices in the $40 to $50 range, it just isn't worth it to buy a book that I will finish reading in a day (thanks Troy Howarth!). So imagine my surprise when I found a really nice softcover reference book titled SCIENCE FICTION ITALIAN STYLE by author Matt Blake for less than $20! While this 287-page POD (Print On Demand) tome has its share of inaccuracies (Joe Dante did not direct ALLIGATOR [1980], Lewis Teague did!), it does cover more than standard Italian science fiction films (including the colorful mid-'60s space operas by Antonio Margheriti and the turgid late-'70s STAR WARS rip-offs by Alfonso Brescia), such as the early-'80s post-apocalypse genre (my favorite of all Italian genres), giant monsters on the loose, ALIEN (1979) rip-offs and even a chapter on the films of gonzo director Elio Petri (THE 10TH VICTIM - 1965). It deals mainly with films from 1958 to 2000, but there is a chapter on much more recent Italian genre efforts, many of which I never heard of before and which I intend to search out. The price for this book is more than reasonable, especially if you are a fan of Italian genre flicks and it can be purchased from Amazon. If more books were as reasonably priced like this one, I would buy more. I love the feel of a book in my fingers, something you can't experience on a Kindle.

MAY 21, 2019 I just received my order of Severin Films new disc releases of EMANUELLE AND FRANCOISE (1975) and ESCAPE FROM WOMENS PRISON (1978) and noticed a strange error on one of the sleeves. It could have been prevented if a proofreader was hired and, if one was, they should be fired, because mistakes like this are inexcusable, especially from a company like Severin, whom I love dearly for all their Italian genre film releases. To see the error, click HERE. Look for reviews of both films in the weeks to come, along with Severin's excellent new Blu-Ray of David Blyth's DEATH WARMED UP (1984), one of my favorite horror films to come out of New Zealand.

MAY 15, 2019: I was never a fan of GAME OF THRONES, but this is taking "privilege" a little too far. Fans of the series have created a petition demanding that HBO reshoot the entire final season, merely because they don't like the direction it is heading! Seriously? Apparently so, as, of this morning, they collected over 20,000 signatures. Demanding that the entire final season should be reshot takes privilege to a whole new level, telling me that these "fans" live in a fantasy world, much like GOT itself. Wake up, idiots! Your shield is showing! UPDATE: MAY 16, 2019 (One Day Later): The amount of signatures has snowballed to 400,000! (A few days later, it mushroomed to over a million signatures!) If HBO cowtows to fans' demands on this matter, it will be one less "premium" station I will watch. I will not support a channel that would use my cable money to satisfy some fan's hurt hairy ass. Grow some balls HBO and tell these fans to "fuck-off"!

MAY 14, 2019: Goodbye Tim Conway and Doris Day. Tim kept me in stitches while Ms. Day removed those stitches. To say this is a sad day in entertainment is quite an understatement. At least Mr. Conway can crack up Harvey Korman once again in Heaven and Ms. Day can play the romantic second fiddle to Rock Hudson (Yeah, I know, Hudson was gay, but this is Heaven, so give me a break!)

APRIL 25, 2019: Am I the only one who doesn't give two fucks for the "MCU" and the new Avengers film, a bloated three-hour CGI fest that is sure to break box office records around the world (It made $1.2 billion globally on its first weekend alone!)? Films like this make it so little films don't stand a chance at theaters, as theater owners would rather have a proven winner on their screens than a smaller film that is ten times better than any superhero film. I'm not blaming theater owners, mind you, because they are in the business of making money. I am blaming audiences for flocking to these films and influencing film production companies as to what they should produce: a sure-fire winner or something that actually makes audiences think and feel. It's a shame that we think of these superhero films as entertainment, because all they really are is nothing but pandering to our lowest common denominator. Think about that before you buy a ticket to these films (even though I know you would gladly shell out your hard-earned bucks to see this). It's a sickness that is destroying one of my favorite pasttimes: going to the movies.

APRIL 22, 2019: Happy Birthday Jack Nicholson. Can you believe he is 82 years-old today? He must be doing something right. Here's hoping for many, many more!

APRIL 03, 2019: Everyone knows that I am a giallo film fanatic, so, of course, I purchased Severin Films' ALL THE COLORS OF GIALLO, a Blu-Ray/DVD/CD set of everything you need to know about giallo films and beyond. The first disc contains a feature-length documentary about the history of giallo films, along with over four hours (!) of giallo trailers. To say I was in hog heaven would be to over-simplify my state of mind, as I saw trailers of films I never heard of before and many of them are sadly no longer available to the public. Now it is my turn to become a detective and track down some of these elusive films and I'm glad to say I got my hands on one that was long-thought lost. As we all know, nothing is ever "lost", because someone, somewhere has reels of film in their attic or basement and doesn't know how valuable it is to the public (Such as my ongoing search for a print of VOODOO HEARTBEAT [1972], my "golden fleece" that I have been searching for since the late-'70s. Oh, the stories I could tell!). I will be reviewing this film very soon, but I wanted to tell you about Severin Films' excellent Blu-Ray set. The second disc, a DVD, contains a documentary on the German "Krimi" films, you know the ones, those black & white (and, eventually, color) Edgar Wallace mysteries that use to show up on TV in the '60s and the '70s before they disappeared from view. There is also 90-minutes of Krimi trailers on the disc. But I saved the best for last. The third disc is a CD full of of music tracks from giallo films, from such composers as Ennio Morricone, Bruno Nicolai, Riz Ortolani and the recently deceased Stelvio Cipriani. Any giallo fan knows that the music tracks are what usually make giallo films so memorable, adding an element to the films that gives them a lot more tension and pizazz. I would like to congratulate Severin Films for putting this set together and entertaining me for hours (It will take a full night or two to watch and listen to these discs, so make room on your calendar!). You should also know that Amazon ran out of stock fairly quickly (it's now back in stock), but (as of this writing) they were still available on online site DiabolikDVD (where I got mine), as well as  Severin's site, so order now or face a life without this excellent set (Or you could pay outrageous prices on FleaBay).

MARCH 29, 2019: Congratulations to LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT for getting renewed for a record-breaking 21st Season, making it the longest running scripted series in American TV history, beating out GUNSMOKE and the original LAW & ORDER, which both lasted 20 Seasons. It also makes Mariska Hargitay, who has been with the series from the start, the longest-running actor to play the same character, beating out James Arness and Kelsey Grammer, who have portrayed the same character for 20 consecutive seasons. May Lt. Olivia Benson continue to beat evil for a long time to come! Way to go Dick Wolf (I must confess that I haven't watched any new episodes for the past couple of years, but I catch up on repeats streaming on Amazon Prime).

MARCH 26, 2019: Is Jussie Smollett guilty? It sure seemed so, but charges were dropped today against him, so it seems the legal community moved a little too quickly to bring charges against him, with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel calling all dropped charges against Smollett a "whitewash of justice." Here's a little something I was taught before accusing anyone of anything: Make sure you get all your ducks in a row because, if you don't, it will bite you in the ass. Don't look for this to be the end of the story. So will we see Smollett on EMPIRE next year? Count on it, unless he gets charged again, but there's a little thing called Double Jeopardy, so any new evidence (old evidence can't be used) will have to be compelling for Smollett to be charged again (but there's always Civil Court and Federal charges, the old standbys to punish the innocent and not-so-innocent). After all, TV loves legal charges to boost their ratings.

MARCH 24, 2019: Jesus Christ, could this year get any worse? I can't keep up with the amount of celebrity deaths this year, when comes the news that Larry Cohen, cult director, producer and screenwriter (IT'S ALIVE - 1973; GOD TOLD ME TO - 1976; Q - THE WINGED SERPENT - 1982; THE STUFF - 1985; WICKED STEPMOTHER - 1989) , passed away last night at the age of 77. And all this comes a month after watching the entertaining documentary KING COHEN: THE WILD WORLD OF FILMMAKER LARRY COHEN (2017). Cohen was as entertaining in real life as he was on screen. This is sad, sad news. Another original gone way too soon. There will never be anyone to take his mantle. Look for an obit soon.

MARCH 20, 2019: Disney completed its $71 billion acquisition of nearly all of 21st Century Fox properties, including the film division, the local Fox TV networks, cable stations FX, FXX and National Geographic, as well as a 30% stake in streaming channel Hulu. Once again, the FCC allows a juggernaut to own more than one major TV station (Disney already owns the ABC stations), which means only one thing: less choice for the viewing public. Disney already inserts some not-so-hidden ads in most of ABC's schedule, so that only means they will do the same thing with Fox (look for subliminal ads for Disney products digitally inserted into ABC programs. It's shameless). How this happened is anyone's guess, but it only hurts the viewer. The Golden Age of Television is now officially over! I gave up on network TV a few years ago, which is why I didn't review any new shows for the 2018 - 2019 TV Season. The really bad part of this deal is that Fox gets to keep all its news divisions, including Fox News, so that means more misinformation to the public. UPDATE: Three days after the acquisition, Disney disbanded the Fox 2000 theatrical arm and it is estimated that 4,000 people will lose their jobs to "trim the fat". Will someone tell me why this is good for the economy? Does Disney have no shame? I'm not the biggest fan of Fox, but what Disney is doing shouldn't happen to a dog (and a rabid dog at that!).

MARCH 19, 2019: I have to say I was shocked to hear that John Carl Buechler, special effects makeup master and director, died of Stage 4 prostate cancer yesterday. I just heard about his condition last week in an email from Full Moon. Buechler gave us some good makeup effects, many of them for Charles Band and Full Moon, before he turned to directing, giving us such films as TROLL (1986), CELLAR DWELLER (1987), FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VII: THE NEW BLOOD (1988), ICE CRAWLERS (2002), MINER'S MASSACRE (2003) and others. He also acted, most notably as "Jack Cracker" in the first two HATCHET films. My sincere condolences to John's family and friends. There will be no one else like him, especially to those, like myself, who were entertained by his makeup effects in the '80s. Another major loss in the year 2019. Please make it stop! (You can see his obituary HERE)

MARCH 15, 2019: I'm glad saner heads prevailed at Disney and they reinstated James Gunn as writer/director of GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 3. I find it ridiculous that internet trolls, with nothing better to do than search through a person's entire texting history to find dirt that would harm their career, could influence a juggernaut like Disney. Firing Gunn was not only stupid, it also gave the trolls a sense of power, giving them an air of importance they did not deserve. Rehiring Gunn shows those trolls that some things are more important than a person's past social media postings. Hey, we all are guilty of saying something off-color or telling a bad joke (I know I am), but we do not deserve to lose our career or become a pariah because of it. You did the right thing, Disney. (On the other side of the coin, Disney may have rehired Gunn because they knew that without him the third chapter of the Guardian series would have been a bomb. It could be a money thing, but we won't know that until after the film is released and see if they hire Gunn for more films. Stay tuned.).

MARCH 08, 2019: I have to say that I wasn't surprised to learn that Jan-Michael Vincent died on February 10th of this year (suffering a cardiac arrest in a North Carolina hospital), but what I am surprised about is that he was cremated without an autopsy and his death was kept secret until today. I just have one question: Why? We all know that Vincent suffered from alcoholism which destroyed his career and he was in a terrible automobile accident in 1996 which permanently altered his voice. In 2012, he had the lower half of his right leg amputated due to a blood disease and he used a prosthetic or wheelchair to get around. Jan-Michael Vincent was a big deal in in films and TV during the '70s (WHITE LINE FEVER - 1975 and DAMNATION ALLEY - 1978 are my favorites from this period) & '80s (THE RETURN - 1980, TV's AIRWOLF - 1984-1986 and ENEMY TERRITORY - 1987 are faves), but showing up inebriated on set and forgetting his lines (footage can be found of this on YouTube) caused him to lose his career. Let this be a lesson to everyone of the dangers of alcoholism. Look for an obituary soon.

MARCH 04, 2019: Today was definitely a bad day. Today we lost Luke Perry and Keith Flint, lead singer of The Prodigy ("Smack My Bitch Up", "Firestarter"). Perry died of a heart attack, dead at the age of 52. Flint took his own life, committing suicide at the age of 49. Both were way too young to slip off this mortal coil. Why do singers think that suicide is the answer? It isn't. We lost Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington to suicide in 2017 and I'm still hurting from that. Nothing should be so bad that suicide is the answer. It is the coward's way out. Suicide doesn't just affect the person who commits it. It affects everyone, from their family to their fans. Luke Perry, on the other hand, was a shock. 52 is much too young to suffer a heart attack and die. My thoughts and prayers go to his family and fans.

FEBRUARY 26, 2019: R.I.P. to Mark Hollis, frontman of the band Talk Talk, dead at 64 after a short illness. With songs such as "It's My Life", "Talk Talk" and especially "Renee", Talk Talk was an important band to me in the '80s. Their music not only had soul, it had emotion and it spoke to me, influencing my taste in music. Mr. Hollis' voice was very unique, quite unlike anyone out there at the time. Goodbye, Mr. Hollis. Time to entertain the angels in Heaven with your unique voice. I'm going to listen to your music all day today. Thanks for the countless hours of entertainment.

FEBRUARY 24, 2019: Not only were the Academy Awards® a complete wash-out for fans of fantastic cinema, they also forgot to include Dick Miller, R. Lee Ermey, Sondra Locke, David Ogden Stiers and many other deceased actors in their "In Memoriam" sequence, an unforgivable omission. It's like these people never existed. Fuck the Academy and fuck what they stand for!

FEBRUARY 21, 2019: R.I.P. Peter Tork, dead at 77. Hey, hey, I'm not ashamed to admit that I was a huge Monkees fan during my pre-teen years. There's no denying that they gave us some great tunes. Sure, they started out as the "Pre-Fab Four", but they grew into their roles as serious musicians. Peter can now join Davey Jones and entertain the angels.

FEBRUARY 9, 2019: I just learned that we will have to wait until sometime in 2020 to see the third season of HBO's WESTWORLD. I found the second season of this sci-fi/fantasy series to be something of a filmed nightmare and I mean that as a good thing. Every week, we were transported to a world where technology overruled humanity, where robots had better emotions than their human counterparts and where circuits replaced human blood. It was quite the headtrip and having to wait over a year for some new episodes seems too long to me, but quality takes time, so the wait should be worth it.

FEBRUARY 3, 2019: Congratulations to the New England Patriots for winning the Super Bowl in one of the most boring games in football history. Still, many records were broken by quaterback Tom Brady and the Patriots, the likes we will never see broken in our lifetime or even in our children's children's lifetime (if at all). For that reason alone, this game is historic. The less said about Maroon 5's halftime show, the better!

JANUARY 23, 2019: "You are a god." I decided to celebrate the 2018 Academy Awards® nominations by watching last year's Best Picture THE SHAPE OF WATER. Now, I have never seen this film before (I know, I know), but this film affected me in so many ways, I nearly burst out in tears on more than one occasion. Everyone, from star Sally Hawkins to supporting players Octavia Spencer, Richard Jenkins, Michael Stuhlbarg and Michael Shannon, turn in amazing performances, but what I found peculiar is that Doug Jones, who portrayed the amphibian creature, never even got mentioned in any of the major awards. His performance is key to believing such a creature exists and he does it amazingly. The movie would not have worked without his riveting performance, which is why I find it weird he was overlooked for major awards. I applaud Guillermo del Toro for his expert direction of his own original story and I especially applaud Sally Hawkins for turning in such a brave performance, exposing her soul (and so much more) for all to see. If you haven't seen this film, see it now! "Life is but the shipwreck of our plans."

JANUARY 12, 2019: I hate to see TV's CRIMINAL MINDS end its run, but its next short 10-episode 15th Season will be its last. This show got away with so much graphic violence and twisted plots, it made the weekly wait worth it, but all good things must end and when it does, it will have aired an amazing 325 episodes! Goodbye, dear friend. Serial killers will no longer be the same without you.

JANUARY 10, 2019: My heartfelt condolences to Steve Buscemi on the death of his wife, Jo Andres, dead at 65 years old.

DECEMBER 31, 2018: I usually don't make New Years resolutions, but I decided to be different for the year 2019. My only resolution is this: I will seriously try to keep this site up to date. I am currently working feverishly to update my 2018 Obituary List, as well as trying to post at least four new reviews every week. Now I don't know if I will be able to live up to this resolution (this site is mine and mine alone), but you have my promise that I will try. Here's wishing everyone a great 2019, full of happiness and no sorrow, full of little-known films and no crappy blockbusters and most of all, full of knowledge with no useless lies disguised as facts being forced down your throat. A Healthy and Happy 2019 everybody!

DECEMBER 18, 2018: For All those who miss my 2018 Obituary List: I know I haven't kept it up to date, but I will rectify it shortly. We lost too many good people this year, the latest being Penny Marshall. I will do my best to list everyone who passed away, even "minor" celebrities (if such a term exists). I know some of you use my list as a starting point and, as always, email me if you have someone you would like to add to the list.

DECEMBER 15, 2018: I don't watch SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE and I don't pretend to know who Pete Davidson is, but I do know that if someone posts a suicidal Instagram post on the Internet, what you shouldn't do is put the person on live TV for less than a minute to show everyone that he is OK, because that is not the way it works. SNL dropped the ball here. Rather than showing his face on TV, they should have made sure he got the medical attention that he needs. As someone who has lost more than two people to suicide, I can tell you that Davidson's Instagram post was a cry for help. If he doesn't get proper attention soon, it won't be long until he goes through with his promise. And then everyone loses. Yes, suicide is painful, not only for the person who commits it, but for all the people who knew and loved them. Take it from me SNL, putting him on TV is not the answer. Get him the help he needs and do it quick or the fingers will be pointing at you as an enabler. As we all well know, some of your former stars didn't end up so well when they left the show (Google "Charles Rocket"). Now is the time to do something about it! This is not about ratings, it's about a human life.

DECEMBER 7, 2018: Kevin Hart quitting as the host of the Academy Awards? People really should get a life and quit looking for things that a person wrote in their past to use against them. We have all said some things in the past that other people will find offensive, so those people who demanded that Hart step down as host really should get a life. And everyone should follow my credo: "Once on the Internet, always on the Internet!" Ruining people's lives over what they said in the past is becoming a national pasttime, which is very troubling. Whatever happened to freedom of speech? In this era of Trump, that doesn't exist anymore. None of our freedoms exist anymore. I wonder if we will ever get them back?

NOVEMBER 30, 2018: Goodbye George H.W. Bush. I can't say that I agreed with your, or your son's, politics, but there no doubt in my mind that you did try to do what was best for this country. Rest well, Mr. President.

NOVEMBER 24, 2018: Goodbye director Nicolas Roeg and thanks for giving us DON'T LOOK NOW (1973), one of my favorite movies of all time. PERFORMANCE (1970; co-directed with the late, great Donald Cammell) and THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH (1975) were also special. It is time now to entertain God with your special brand of talent.

OCTOBER 24, 2018: Goodbye James Karen. A nicer man you will never meet. Thanks for all the good times and the dinner we shared. You will be missed, by me and your legion of fans.

SEPTEMBER 10, 1983: Damn! My favorite streaming station was shut down. I should have known something was up when they showed A CAT IN THE BRAIN, MOUNTAIN OF THE CANNIBAL GOD, MACABRE, ZOMBIE and FOUR OF THE APOCALYPSE back-to-back! It seems they got caught airing films that they did not license and got a cease and desist order to stop showing movies. I wish they told me that because I just quit cable TV! Their station was one of the reasons I quit. Now I'm going to have to go back to cable with my tail between my legs. At least I still have B-Movie TV, but they started showing commercials between films and everytime you log on to their station with Roku! I swear, it's impossible for anyone to put together a good station without being punished. I only recently discovered Shockwerks and it was quickly becoming my go-to station for films that are never shown anywhere else. Now I know why. I had a suspicion that they didn't license their films, because they were not run of the mill Public Domain flicks. Damn, I'm pissed! ADDENDUM: My opinion of B-Movie TV has changed considerably. During the month of October, they aired different horror movies 24/7, no repeats! They aired the uncut versions of THE MUTILATOR (1984), ATTACK OF THE BEAST CREATURES (1983), BLOOD STALKERS (1975), TOXIC ZOMBIES (1980) and many other unsung gems, along with a lot of Italian fare, including EYEBALL (1975), 2020 TEXAS GLADIATORS (1982), ZOMBIE 4: AFTER DEATH (1988), ZOMBIE HOLOCAUST (1980), HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD (1980) and many of Lucio Fulci's early-'80s gore flicks, most of them in anamorphic widescreen for the first time on TV. While there are commercials, they are never shown during the film and only come before a film or when you first access the channel. They also have some hilarious filler between films, including a shocking ROBOCOP take-off (professionally realized, funny and cringe-inducing to all men), bizarre animation ("Amazing Horse") and some foreign commercials showing us how far we in the U.S. have to go before we will be equal (?) with the rest of the world. This channel is only available to people with a Roku streaming player, so why don't you have one? I have been watching this channel and this channel only during October and plan on making it my "go-to" channel in the future. Unlike Shockwerks, this streaming channel will be around for a long time. They recently celebrated their fourth anniversary on the air. A special thanks goes to Ken "Ace" Brewer, the brains behind this channel. He puts a lot of hard work into this channel, directing and writing the original aspects of this channel and even hosts his own weekly series, "B-Movie TV Classics", where he plays some of the best action films in the B genre. Livid! Where else can you see such diverse and rare films such as VAMPIRE KNIGHTS (1988) and GO, KILL AND COME BACK (1967) on your TV? Nowhere but here!

SEPTEMBER 6, 2018: Goodbye Burt Reynolds and thanks for the years of joy you gave me. There was only one Burt Reynolds and there will never be another. I have something planned to celebrate your life and legacy (coming soon to this site). Until then, rest well and know that you will be missed.

AUGUST 21, 2018: This may be the worse day in the history of the Presidency. Not only did we find out that Trump paid people to have his affairs covered up, he may also be the first President to win by criminal trickery. If this were to happen to a Democrat, he would have been forced to resign, but Trump thinks he is above the law. He isn't. Let's show him how we really feel about his underhanded tactics and demand his removal from office. It is more than clear after all we have learned in the past 24 hours that Trump doesn't deserve to be in office. Demand his resignation now!

JULY 29, 2018: Did you cry at the end of the Robin Williams documentary on HBO? I did. Thank you, HBO, for paying such a talented man the respect he deserved, warts and all.

JULY 21, 2018: Just a word of warning for any people who have ordered items from Wish.com: I did my own investigation of this company, after seeing many of their TV commercials, where people get expensive items at ridiculous prices. First of all, Wish seems to be run by the Chinese, as nearly all of the items listed on the site ship from China. Secondly, they are cheap knock-offs, not the real thing. Thirdly, be careful of bait and switch, as the price of the item changes if you don't look carefully. I ordered ten items, the price range between $5 to $10 for each item, in early June. After waiting over a month, only five of these items arrived and none of them were as advertised. When the other five items didn't arrive, I contacted Wish Customer Support and they did reimburse me (after telling me to wait another 30 days, which I refused to do!): only 50% of what I actually paid for each item! Yes, this site feels like a scam to me, since even non-delivered items make money for Wish. I hate to be lied to, especially when I read the rave reviews that "customers" have submitted. They all read as if English was their second (or third) language. Buyer beware. If it seems to good to be true, it usually is.

JUNE 26, 2018: Goodbye to PAWN STARS' "Old Man", Richard Harrison, who passed away yesterday at the age of 77. It was the only reality show I watched on a regular basis and he was the reason why. He was knowledgable, a shrewd businessman, had a tremendous sarcastic sense of humor and treated his family like family. Rare in this day and age. My condolences to son Rick and grandson Austin.

JUNE 08, 2018: My condolences to Asia Argento on the unexpected death of her boyfriend Anthony Bourdain. Anyone who is a devoted reader to this site knows what I think about suicide and it hasn't changed. Until we, as a society, work together and talk open and honestly about why people commit suicide and try to prevent it, this will continue to be a major cause of death in this country and many other countries across the world. What we need is proper mental health coverage to combat it. Once we have that, people will no longer feel embarassed to talk about it. We need to be open and honest, otherwise more people, famous or not, will continue this deadly trend. Nearly every family knows someone who took their own life. I know three people who did and the pain never goes away.

MAY 29, 2018: The Second Season of HBO's WESTWORLD is a real headtrip, the stuff nightmares are made of, especially Episode 4, titled "The Riddle Of The Sphinx". People have been arguing over what this episode is trying to convey but, to me, it couldn't have been simpler. A "humanized" robot is only as human as the person who programmed it. Robots can never be more human than human (thanks White Zombie!) because mankind created them, therefore they will contain all the foibles  and make the same mistakes as their human counterparts, something this episode explains so well. Those who worry that we will eventually be replaced by machines should open their eyes and realize that humanity can never be replaced. It can be wiped off the face of the Earth, obliterated or go extinct, but never be replaced to do the things we do now. I bow to you WESTWORLD and hope you receive the accolades you deserve come Award Season.

APRIL 26, 2018: Hey! Hey! Hey! Rot in prison Bill Cosby! Justice may be slow, but it's not stupid. No pudding pops for you!

APRIL 02, 2018: What is it with magazine paper these days? I subscribe to both TV Guide and Entertainment Weekly and I have noticed that they print pages with paper so thin that I can read the following pages. After doing a little investigating, I discovered that this thin, almost transparent paper is printed for subscribers. The magazines sold at groceries or at newsstands are printed on thicker paper. This should be the other way around. Why make long-time subscribers (as myself) suffer with such thin paper (not only is it thin, but sometimes it is impossible to go to the next page because the paper sticks together with electro-magneticy!)? Corporate greed (it is cheaper to print on this thin paper) once again rears its ugly head.

MARCH 14, 2018: Goodbye Professor Hawking. Thanks for living in our cruel world.

MARCH 04, 2018: Congratulations to Guillermo del Toro for winning the Academy Award® for Best Director and Best Picture for THE SHAPE OF WATER. It is a film worthy of such an award. Also, a big congratulations to Jordan Peele for winning the Best Original Screenplay Oscar® for GET OUT. Unlike the "Color Shamers" out there, I did not think that film deserved to win Best Picture (Although it was highly entertaining), although I did think that Daniel Kaluuya should have been in the running for Best Actor (watching his nuanced performance in that film made me realize that I was seeing an actor with more amazing performances to come). Well done!

FEBRUARY 24, 2018: Special thanks to Starz/Encore for showing the first eight installments of the FRIDAY THE 13TH franchise (1980 - 1989). Watching them today, I got the feeling that most of the films are way below par (I saw all eight of them in theaters) and as each film unfolded, it was plain to see the MPAA's hand in neutering the violence (especially FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VII: THE NEW BLOOD - 1988, which had to be submitted nine times to the MPAA in order to get an R-Rating. All the violent footage was excised and Paramount destroyed the cut footage, so we will never get an uncut version.). What I found exciting in the 1980's turned out to be nothing more than the over-eager imagination of a gorehound. Color me severely disappointed.

FEBUARY 1, 2018: There have been many theories on how Natalie Wood died in 1981, ranging from accidental to murder. The case was reopened in 2011 and today a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s lieutenant has called actor Robert Wagner a “person of interest” in the renewed investigation into the death of his wife. Every law enforcement agency knows that if you call  someone a "person of interest" that you are labeling them guilty, only they can't sue because of the phrase (it's a loophole in the justice system that should be fixed). All I can say in this matter is that they better have proof and not say this for ratings since the CBS newsmagazine 48 HOURS is bringing new scrutiny to the investigation into Wood’s death. My best guess is that they are hoping for a ratings bonanza, just like the O.J. Simpson trial docudrama was a blockbuster for FX and the USA Network is having a dramatization of the Biggie Smalls/Tupac Shukur murders later this month.

JANUARY 7, 2018: Congratulations to THE HANDMAID'S TALE for winning the Golden Globe® for best Drama TV series. It just proves one thing: Now is the time to switch from cable to streaming since this excellent series can only be viewed on Hulu.

DECEMBER 26, 2017: The Netflix original film BRIGHT (2017) received 11 million views in three days, even though it was universally panned by critics. It reportedly cost over $90 million to make, so the jury is out on if it was worth the money. NOTE: It seems that it was worth the money, as Netflix has ordered a sequel.

DECEMBER 25, 2017: I would like to thank the Encore Channels for making my December a month to remember. They have been showing most of the original Godzilla films in widescreen and in the original Japanese language (with English subtitles). It was like a trip to my childhood, when I would watch all these crazy films cut to pieces on THE 4:30 MOVIE, but in their original, uncut versions. It inspired me to create this page of Godzilla through the decades and some other Toho Films that contained monsters that would eventually battle Godzilla. UPDATE: JANUARY 1, 2018: My cable company decided to drop Starz/Encore because of a pricing dispute. Rather than try to come to some agreement, Optimum (formerly Cablevision) came to the conclusion that its viewers didn't need Starz or Encore. I knew once when I heard Cablevision was being bought by Altice that there were going to be some changes (my cable bill has increased $12.00 a month!), but not that they were too cheap to work out an agreement with Starz. I have had Starz (and Cablevision) ever since it premiered and now I won't be able to watch the third season of ASH VS. THE EVIL DEAD. Fuck you, Altice! Thanks for the New Years present. (Altice has taken away 15 commercial-free movie stations and gave us two movie stations to replace them: The Sony Movie Network and MGM HD [both show commercials during prime time!], yet they are not reducing my cable bill. I think it's time to cut the cable and go streaming with my Roku!). ADDENDUM: Not only didn't my cable bill go down, it increased by $2.00!

DECEMBER 22, 2017: While I support the drive to make sure sexual abusers are brought to justice and lose their livelihood, am I the only one that feels like we are losing our long-fought-for right to Freedom Of Speech? First off: John Schnattner, patriarch and TV spokesperson for PAPA JOHN'S PIZZA chain, is forced to step down as the CEO of the company he founded for saying what many of us felt. He blamed the low ratings Professional Football and the downturn in business his franchise experienced (it was the official pizza of the NFL) to the disrespect players such as Colin Koepernick and others showed our flag and national anthem. He was roasted in his own ovens for saying what many of us were thinking (yet Schnattner remains as the official TV spokesperson). These players deserve none of our respect and I did watch less football this year because of it. Since when is telling what you feel a fireable offense? It boggles the mind! And now, an online petition has collected over 19,000 signatures to get Matt Damon's cameo taken out of the film OCEAN'S 8 because he said what he felt about women coming out of the woodwork to point fingers at sexual abusers. He was not saying that Harvey Weinstein was innocent of the charges leveled against him, just that it was common knowledge in the industry for years. Blame the industry, not Matt Damon for saying it. This country is turning into thin-skinned sissies who refuse to hear an opposing view without trying to ruin a person's credibility. I blame Number 45 and the way he lies constantly and disguises it as truth. He is the chief abuser of Freedom Of Speech. Just look at his Twitter remarks. He should be held liable for some of his remarks, but stupid people eat it up. No President should act this way and it is spreading across this country, infecting us like a new virus. Don't become one of them. Nobody can fire me from this website because I am beholden to no one. Happy Holidays everyone!!!!!

DECEMBER 12, 2017: The women of Red State Alabama have spoken. They will not vote for a sexual abuser such as Republican Roy Moore and have voted Democrat Doug Jones into the Senate. Naturally, being a Republican, Roy Moore refuses to concede defeat. I hope this message is made clear to Donald Trump. We, as a society, will refuse to endorse anyone who has used a woman for their own twisted purposes. My only hope is that Trump is next on the chopping block. He is not normal. He is mentally sick. He has shown that sickness time and time again, yet the Republicans fear his wrath. My only hope is that the Republican Senate gets the message. We will not tolerate Republicans voting on the party line. Another Democrat in the Senate will destroy Trump's plans. That is the way it should be. Trump believes he is untouchable. He's not.

NOVEMBER 19, 2017: The notorious Charles Manson has died at the age of 83 of natural causes. Even though he never took part in the horrendous "Helter Skelter" murder spree in 1969 (he was found guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder for the deaths of seven people, which also included a pregnant Sharon Tate), he was convicted of being the cult leader and mastermind behind the "Tate–LaBianca Murders" and was found guilty (Manson was also convicted of first-degree murder for two other deaths.) I'll bet late Manson prosecutor and author Vincent Bugliosi (who wrote "Helter Skelter") is celebrating in his afterlife.  Manson was originally sentenced to death, but his sentence was commuted to life without parole after California invalidated the state's death penalty statute in 1972. He became a cult figure, both in Films (The two HELTER SKELTER films and many other grindhouse films such as HELTER SKELTER MURDERS [1970], THE MANSON MASSACRE [1971], the Academy Award® nominated documentary MANSON - [1973], another lurid documentary called CHARLES MANSON, SUPERSTAR [1989], director Jim Vanbebber's excellent THE MANSON FAMILY [1997/2003] and HOUSE OF MANSON [2014], just to mention a few) and on TV (The David Duchovny vehicle AQUARIUS [2015-2016]). People today are still enamored over Manson (rumor has it that a 26-year-old woman named Afton Elaine "Star" Burton was engaged to Manson in 2014 and she ran several websites where she proclaimed Manson's innocence, even though he was denied parole 12 times) and that swastika he carved between his eyes (He carved an "X" between his eyes during his trials in 1971 and turned it into a swastika while in prison sometime before 1981) and much like his followers who commited those heinous crimes, he became a real cult item (Serial killers have groupies). Manson loved that. I just hope he loves his eternity in Hell. I just wish, after nearly 50 years in prison, he would have died a very painful death but, like they say: Only the good die young. NOTE: No word if this news is going to impact Quentin Tarantino's untitled 1969 movie in which Manson is supposedly a major plot point.

November 16, 2017: NBCUniversal announced that Chiller TV will be off the air permanently come New Years Day. For more info on this sad news, click HERE.

November 12, 2017: Today is a very sad day. I learned gossip columnist premiere Liz Smith passed away at the age of 94. She was one of the most popular gossip columnists of the 20th century and I consider her the Hedda Hopper of her time, although, unlike Hopper, she never attacked someone in print. Her most hurtful observation was, "Reporters are amazingly hypocritical. They have all taken drugs and cocaine and have been unfaithful to their spouses. People judge one another by standards they would never apply to themselves." Most of her gossip stories were true because she was friends with many of the stars and would verify the stories with them. I remember reading her column every day in the NY Daily News. She also appeared in some films and TV shows, usually appearing as herself. R.I.P. Liz Smith. I'm waiting for some gossip on God.

NOVEMBER 4, 2017: My deepest condolences to Jimmy Fallon and the whole Fallon family for losing his mother Gloria Fallon after a brief illness on Saturday, where she died peacefully at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City.

NOVEMBER 3, 2017: Talking about doing the right thing for the wrong reasons. Lou Diamonds Phillips (LONGMIRE [2012-2017]) saw some police up ahead talking to a woman in a car and politely asked one of them for directions for a benefit he was supposed to be at. Problem was, good old Lou was drunk as a skunk (He blew a 2.0, over twice the legal limit) and was arrested for DUI on the spot. He made bail and never missed his benefit (Where he apoligized profusely for his actions stating "This will never happen again"), but police said he was one of the nicest people they have ever had in the back of their vehicle. Next time Lou, just keep on moving and ask a pedestrian. Just try not to run him over! Better yet, don't drive drunk!

OCTOBER 5, 2017: It seems we found a bigger pig than Bill Cosby! The Weinstein Company faces potential legal jeopardy in the wake of a New York Times expose detailing sexual harassment claims against co-chairman Harvey Weinstein. Though the cases referenced in the story have been settled, it is now possible that new accusers could come forward. “His company is extremely vulnerable,” says Debbie Katz, a Washington, D.C., attorney who represents plaintiffs in harassment suits. “The board has been on notice that there is significant misconduct, settlement moneys have been paid, and there has been no corrective action.”The Times story alleged a pattern of behavior, in which Weinstein would meet with actresses or young female employees at hotel rooms. According to the story, he would either expose himself or encourage the women to give him nude massages. A former employee, Lauren O’Connor, made a detailed complaint about Weinstein’s behavior, which reached the board level. In Thursday Otober 5, 2017's damning New York Times exposé — an in-depth investigation by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey titled "Decades of Sexual Harassment Accusations Against Harvey Weinstein" — the movie mogul admitted he has issues and, thus, would be taking a leave of absence to deal with them while consulting with therapists and lawyers.  However, because this is Harvey Weinstein, the outspoken executive who plays by his own rules, he's not about to retreat from the spotlight quietly. In fact, he's chasing his own story. Fox News reporter Lauren Sivan claims that producer Harvey Weinstein once masturbated in front of her after trapping her in a restaurant vestibule, (What is it with Female Fox news reporters and sexual abuse?) Two more Weinstein Company board members — Tim Sarnoff and Marc Lasry — resigned today in the wake of Thursday’s devastating New York Times report that outlines a pattern of behavior stretching back at least two decades. If I were a woman, I would never get into an elevator or phone booth with that pervert! But there may be a plus side to all this nasty business: Maybe the Weinstein Brothers will finally release AMITYVILLE: THE AWAKENING (which grossed a paltry $742 in 10 theaters!), which has been sitting on their shelves since 2014! NOTE: October 8, 2017: Harvey Weinstein has been Terminated from The Weinstein Company. "In light of new information about misconduct by Harvey Weinstein that has emerged in the past few days, the directors of The Weinstein Company — brother Robert Weinstein, Lance Maerov, Richard Koenigsberg and Tarak Ben Ammar — have determined, and have informed Harvey Weinstein, that his employment with The Weinstein Company is terminated, effective immediately," read a statement from the TWC board. (You know this is newsworthy because LAW & ORDER: SVU is doing an episode about him, or rather a man like him that preys on Flight Attendants!)  The stunning turn of events followed an Oct. 5 New York Times article by investigative reporters Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey detailing sexual harassment claims spanning decades on the part of the mogul, including from actress Ashley Judd. The paper also reported, citing two unnamed sources, that "Weinstein has reached at least eight settlements with women." While Weinstein's wife, Georgina Chapman, has filed for divorce and many other female actors, including Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie have came forward with tales of unwanted touching and advances, The Weinstein Company is bleeding money. Channels are canceling TV shows. Theatrical arms are putting films on permanent hold and anything with the name Weinstein on it is suffering. And he was Banned for Life From The TV Academy. Could this be the end of The Weinstein Company? It sure looks so. And to think just a few years ago they were a part of The Walt Disney Company (who are having troubles of their own when they banned critics from an L.A. paper from advance screenings of the new STAR WARS film after the critics posted a story that Disney was sought out to be purchased by cable giant ComCast. Solidarity has spread to other papers and magazines, who also refuse to release reviews for the film and others in the future.) Meanwhile, the Twitter account belonging to Rose McGowan (who was one of the originators accusing Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment and rape) was placed on temporary suspension Wednesday night for unspecified violations of the social media site’s rules. I have one question: If her account can be suspended, why can't Trump's (another serial groper)? Amazon on Friday, October 13, 2017 became the latest outfit to distance itself from the still-unfolding Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment scandal, severing ties with The Weinstein Company, and canceling an in-development series from David O. Russell that was set to star Robert De Niro and Julianne Moore. All three support Amazon's decision. October 14, 2017: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has expelled disgraced mogul Harvey Weinstein from its ranks. The Academy’s 54-member board of governors — which includes such Hollywood luminaries as Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Whoopi Goldberg and Kathleen Kennedy — held an emergency meeting at the organization’s Beverly Hills headquarters today and voted to strip away Weinstein’s lifetime membership. So many actresses, including Eva Green, Lysette Anthony and Natalie Mendoza have accused him of sexual abuse or rape, it's a wonder Harvey Weinstein got any movies made. His membership to the Producers Guild of America has also been terminated on October 16, 2017. On October 17, 2017, Harvey Weinstein formally resigned from the board of The Weinstein Company. It's about time! Also: Spike is investigating “THE MIST” (The Canceled TV Series) showrunner Amanda Segel’s allegations of harassment against Bob Weinstein. Who didn't see this coming? The only thing that really bothers me about all this criminal activity is that we may lose Miramax, who have given us more than their share of horror and genre movies. Some good (FROM DUSK TILL DAWN - 1995; nearly every Quentin Tarantino film [Who chef Anthony Bourdain Called Out for "Complicity" He is Asia Argento's husband.]), some awful (AMITYVILLE: THE AWAKENING - 2015). October 30, 2017: Now all this women power "#MeToo" has hit Kevin Spacey who finally admitted to being gay and apologized to actor Anthony Rapp ("Lt. Paul Stamets" on STAR TREK: DISCOVERY - 2017 - Present) for "sexual misconduct" when he was just 14 in 1986. Harry Dreyfuss, son of actor Richard Dreyfuss, has claimed via a Buzzfeed News column that he was once molested by Kevin Spacey (in  2008, when he was 18 years old) while his own father was in the room. “It happened one night when the three of us were alone in Kevin’s apartment rehearsing my father’s lines. My father didn’t see, and I didn’t tell him about the incident for many years, (Because he didn't want his father to lose his part in the play, which Spacey was directing)” he wrote. “Instead, I spent the next nine years telling people the story at parties for laughs.” For Laughs? Really? Spacey May find himself banned from Great Britain. If he steps one foot on British soil, he would possibly be thrown into a prison for forceable rape. Sony Pictures is considering moving the release date of ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD and is weighing canceling its American Film Institute premiere next week (which they did), according to insiders. The studio is still debating how to best position the Ridley Scott drama in the wake of multiple sexual assault and harassment allegations against its star Kevin Spacey. A final decision has yet to be made. If ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD's premiere is moved, there is a good chance it will be released in June 2018 instead of its current Dec. 22, 2017 release date (Sony decided not to do that; it will be released on Dec. 25). November 8, 2017: In a move that could be called revolutionary or crazy, director Ridley Scott is replacing all the scenes of Spacey as J. Paul Getty in the movie and recast Christopher Plummer as Getty in replacement scenes to be shot a little over a month before the film is to be released to theaters. This takes balls and Ridley Scott has them! No one knows what will happen to Spacey's career (This move is not a good sign and Netflix has canceled HOUSE OF CARDS and will film Season 6 without him in it.), but women such as Rose McGowan (who gets involved in everything sex-related, even male-on-male gay sex), Dan Savage and Billy Eichner are slamming Spacey's apology as "not enough". Netflix has canceled Spacey's hit series HOUSE OF CARDS because they are "troubled" over the allegations made against Spacey over 30 years ago. After touting that Netflix is killing off Spacey's character, leveler heads prevailed at Netflix an said they were officially severing ties with HOUSE OF CARDS completely. Additionally, the streamer has scrapped a Gore Vidal biopic Spacey was set to star in.  What do they want him to do? Pay him off? Then they will call him an extortionist. This looks like the end of the Hollywood System, which may be a good thing, but I think a lot of actors are getting a raw deal over things they did when they were much younger (Weinstein excluded). If fans can forgive Sports Heroes for their many sins, including drug taking, Steroid use and dog fighting, why can't they forgive Actors? Now will someone please shut Rose McGowan up? October 30, 2017: Rose McGowan is the subject of an arrest warrant related to a felony drug charge in Loudoun County, Virginia, the Associated Press is reporting. Police issued the warrant on Feb. 1, following a Jan. 20 incident in which traces of narcotics were detected on items left on a United flight bound for Washington Dulles International Airport. Police say McGowan did not respond to attempts to contact her to appear in court, according to the AP. The actress was blunt in her assessment of the charges, calling them “a load of HORSESHIT” late Monday morning and accuses the authorities of trying to "silence" her. McGowan became a prominent voice against sexual harassment after going public with her accusation that she was raped by Harvey Weinstein, and confirming in a New York Times report that she was one of the women with whom Weinstein settled sexual harassment lawsuits. She later said that just weeks before the New York Times report was published, Weinstein offered her $1 million to stay quiet about her accusations. Some say that McGowan is becoming a little too prominet and should learn to keep quiet unless she has the evidence to back it up. October 31, 2017: Now Jeremy Piven is being accused of sexual assault against a Playboy Bunny at Hef's Playboy mansion while he was starring on the HBO Series ENTOURAGE, CBS is looking very closely at the allegations and may even cancel Piven's new CBS show WISDOM OF THE CROWD.  Brett Ratner has been accused of Sexual Misconduct by 6 Women Including Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge. Henstridge claims that Ratner forced her to perform oral sex on him in his New York apartment in the 1990s. The actress, then a 19-year-old model, was hanging out with the then-music video director watching TV. Henstridge fell asleep, she told the Los Angeles Times, and when she woke up the others had left and she was alone with Ratner. He blocked the exit and began touching himself, she tells the Times, and then he forced her to perform oral sex on him. He has been annointed the "King Of Pigs" on Twitter. All projects with Ratner’s production company, Ratpac Entertainment are on hold, including Ratner's biography on Hugh Hefner, that Ratner was attached to direct and produce. Ratner's attorney Martin Singer dismissed the accounts of Henstridge and the five other women, who opened up to the Times in a series of interviews, saying the alleged sexual misconduct occurred in private homes, on movie sets or at industry events. None of the women the Times spoke to reported the allegations to the police, the paper says in its Nov. 1 story and Ratner vehemently denies all the allegations. Playboy (talk about the pot calling the kettle black!) is reviewing the situation before they make a decision. NOVEMBER 01, 2017: The Weinstein Company has removed their horror-thriller movie POLAROID from its Nov. 22 release date with no explanation. Box office tracker ComScore confirmed the move Tuesday. TWC’s Dimension Films began production in March in Nova Scotia on POLAROID, based on director Lars Klevberg’s short film about a high school loner who stumbles upon a vintage Polaroid camera tainted with a dark secret. She soon discovers the camera has the power to murder those who come in contact with it. The cast includes Kathryn Prescott, Mitch Pileggi, Grace Zabriskie, Tyler Young, Keenan Tracey, Samantha Logan, Priscilla Quintana, Madelaine Petsch, and Javier Botet. Producers are Roy Lee and Chris Bender. At the 2016 American Film Market, Klevberg and Lee made a presentation to buyers and touted the fright factor for POLAROID.” Lee, who helped develop THE RING and THE GRUDGE franchises, asserted that POLAROID would be a franchise starter. Weinstein’s brother Bob Weinstein, founder and head of Dimension, said at the same event that Dimension would focus on fewer films with bigger budgets in order to create franchises. And so it begins......no more miniscule budgets for films like HELLRAISER: REVELATIONS (2010) or CHILDREN OF THE CORN: GENESIS (2010) just to keep their licenses from being snatched-up by other companies. Dimension and Miramax were the Kings of Franchises. Time for them to relinquish their mantle to BlumHouse Productions or WWE Productions (That's taking into fact that Jason Blum & Vince McMahon are not accused of anything sexual). Actress Julianna Margulies said in an interview that producer Harvey Weinstein and actor Steven Seagal both tried to sexually harass her earlier in her career. Doe this really surprise anyone? With Marguiles & Seagal, this must have happened during the filming of OUT FOR JUSTICE (1991), Marguiles' first acting assignment. This is no way for any woman to enter show business. Anna Graham has has accused Dustin Hoffman in The Hollywood Reporter of sexually harassing her as a teenager in a column that describes the actor as making lewd comments and groping her on the set of the 1985 TV film adaptation of DEATH OF A SALESMAN. Dustin Hoffman? There soon may be no males in Hollywood if it keeps up at this rate. It seems that women are getting exactly what they want: Dominence in Hollywood! Both LAPD & NYC Police believe they have a legal case against Weinstein, so look for an arrest shortly (remember to bring two sets of hand cuffs, the man is portly!). When Corey Feldman gets involved in the sexual abuse name game, it is time to take a real close look at the allegations. Corey says he has the names and even named one, a bit actor who worked with him on THE LOST BOYS (1987) that raped him! [The LAPD have dropped Feldman's case, but may reopen it, since they finally found the audio tapes that Feldman made in 1993, where he names his rapists. This tape was made when the LAPD was investigating Michael Jackson on pedophilia charges]. One important thing for victims of such horrendous allegations to remember: Charges Delayed = Delayed Justice. The time for female empowerment is now! Add about a dozen more well-known names, such as Charlie Rose (Who CBS & PBS terminated from CBS THIS MORNING, 60 MINUTES and THE CHARLIE ROSE SHOW), Ryan Seacrest, Disney/Pixar's John Lasseter (Who took a six month leave of absence for hugging women on his staff. Hugging? Give me a break!) and, surprise!, actor Tom Sizemore (Who did more than hug.) and it is beginning to look like it would be easier to point out sexual predators in showbiz rather than pointing out the innocent ones. Every day the list grows longer. Nearly all these people have been suspended from their movies, TV shows, studios or outright replaced (such as Kevin Spacey & Jeffrey Tambor), that there is going to be a male actor shortage when it comes to casting a TV Series or Film. Remember men: Karma is a bitch. Women will no longer be sexually abused and keep silent (but hugging is not sexual abuse unless they grab her ass!). And that is a good thing. NOTE: November 29, 2017: Matt Lauer has been fired from THE TODAY SHOW and NBC NEWS for "inappropriate sexual behavior". That is a big loss for NBC since Lauer has been with TODAY since 1993 and will surely put a dent in their ratings. Of course, Trump Tweeted “Check out Andy Lack’s past!”, referring to the Chairman of NBC NEWS. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! This is your President, folks! (He will never be mine because his behavior is beyond the pale. Not presidential by any means.). Word is out that some tech giants from Silicon Valley will be the next to get the ax. Stay tuned. NOTE #2: December 5, 2017: Danny Masterson (THAT '70S SHOW) was written out of Netflix's streaming series THE RANCH due to him being accused of raping multiple women. Masterson says, "From day one, I have denied the outrageous allegations against me. I have never been charged with a crime, let alone convicted of one. In this country, you are presumed innocent until proven guilty. However, in the current climate, it seems as if you are presumed guilty the moment you are accused. I understand and look forward to clearing my name once and for all." What Masterson said is true. We, as a society, have to figure out a way to separate the false allegations from the true ones and not jump the gun and destroy a person's career and reputation (In Netflix's defense, they did wait a long time before firing Masterson, saying that they didn't believe the four women who accused him of rape, but the women came out and accused Netflix of favoring Masterson. Netflix fired Masterson merely not to get another black eye like they did with Kevin Spacey and HOUSE OF CARDS). This has become a feeding frenzy and people with a grudge against a certain person can allege (or have someone else do it) inappropriate sexual abuse. Rather than perform an investigation, studios fire the person assumed guilty and then perform an investigation, not caring the the person fired may be innocent. Masterson has been one of the few to deny the charges against him. Netflix will resume shooting Season 3 of the series in early 2018, but will keep Masterson in the episodes already shot. NOTE #3: December 6; 2017: Time magazine named “The Silence Breakers” of the #MeToo movement its 2017 Person Of The Year. It looks like it's going to be a long ride until this finger-pointing ends. At least Trump didn't get it (He came in second).

AUGUST 5, 2017: Sometimes I really go out of my way to watch films I never want to watch. I have watched all five SHARKNADO movies and the latest one, SHARKNADO 5: GLOBAL SWARMING (2017) is the weakest one yet (Fabio portraying the Pope? And how many women in this film had lips with too much collagen in them?), turning April (lousy actress Tara Reid) into nothing but a head and son Gil (Billy Barratt) into an adult (played by Dolph Lundgren!) in the end as they take off in a flying time-traveling vehicle that is a direct take-off of BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985). There were also weak take-offs of the STAR TREK TV Series (Nichel Nichols calls the gathering of the Federation of Nations and says Fin [Ian Ziering] has "Boldly Gone where no man has gone before"), RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981), GOLDFINGER (1964; where Clay Aiken played a Q-like character) and Tom Cruise's MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE (1996). The funniest bit is when Geraldo Rivera plays the pilot of a Zeppelin (named "The Hindenburg"!) and opens a vault and finds it empty, a take-off of Rivera's unsuccessful 1986 live bid to find something in Al Capone's vault. The Zeppelin explodes and some news reporter has the audacity to say "Oh! The Humanity!" The end title says "To Be Continued" in BACK TO THE FUTURE typeface, but since SyFy hasn't greenlit a sixth film and this one got the lowest ratings of all five films, it looks like The Asylum will have to release the sixth installment as a DTV film. I would just rather see them stop completely. And finally, Al Roker gets killed in this one!

JULY 20, 2017: My condolences to the family and children of Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington, who committed suicide by hanging at the age of 41. They released their first all-Pop album in May of 2017 and it hurt some fans' feelings because this was unlike anything they have ever done before (Linkin Park had three albums go Diamond) because it sounded nothing like their first album's cut "In The End" from "Hybrid Theory". I hate to disagree with the fans but their new album, "One More Light" is a delight and the sixth song, "Heavy" is my favorite Linkin Park song of all time. Listening to its lyrics will give you some idea of how Bennington felt at the time (He sang Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" at Chris Cornell's funeral and killed himself on Cornell's birthday), but he left six children behind. We have to start talking seriously about suicide because people are killing themselves at a rate not seen since the Great Depression in the 1920's & 1930's. It's time to bring suicide out into the open and discuss it with all seriousness and not make fun of it like the assholes on Facebook (Josh Hadley, I'm looking at you.). Suicide doesn't mean only one person suffers. Everyone who knew the victims also suffer.

JULY 17, 2017: If people are wondering why I have not written obituaries for Martin Landau and George Romero, the explanation is simple: Once I do, it makes their death final in my eyes. I adored both of these men because I did security for both men, both at conventions and at film sites. You will never meet two nicer guys. I remember Martin once mentioning to me that he wondered if people would remember him after all the bad films he made and I told him all great actors like himself always get a second chance at greatness and I proceded to quickly name everything I remember he did and it was a long list. He was shocked that I knew his career that well and less than five years later, he won an Academy Award® for Best Supporting Actor for his uncanny portrayal of Bela Lugosi in Tim Burton's ED WOOD (1994). Martin sent me a letter and all it said was: "You were right, my friend." Martin and I remained friends (I called him "Uncle Marty") until the day he passed away (He once invited me to join him as his guest on the first X-Files movie, THE X-FILES: FIGHT THE FUTURE [1998], but I couldn't because I was working. Now I wished I did.). As for George Romero: I handled security for him at a Pennsylvania convention, where thousands of people showed up for a photo, autograph or both. He was very kind to each and every person who stood before him and when it was over, I said to him, I never seen someone treat his fans with such joyfulness. He said, "Why not? They were the ones who put me here. They deserve to remember me as a kind person." And he was that kind of gentleman, even though he made the best trio of gory horror films in the history of film, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968), which I remember, even at the age of 11, being the horror film that would change horror films in the future forever; DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978), one of the goriest films of the 70's which was also a scathing treatise on consumerism; and DAY OF THE DEAD (1985; mine and George's favorite of the trio), a film that was panned by most Romero fans when it first came out, but now seems to be on everyone's Top Ten list of horror films. My personal favorite film of George's was MARTIN (1977), which he was so happy to hear. People think that George only made horror films, but he did much more than that, especially in the beginning of his filmmaking career. As he got older, all production companies wanted him to make was zombie films, so he did, but he also threw a lot of social commentary into them. I am at a loss for words for losing two great gentlemen, so please be patient with me when it comes to writing their obituaries. I want them to be something special, because they were special.

July 16, 2017: The BBC broke new ground by naming the latest DOCTOR WHO actress Jodie Whittaker, the first female Doctor since the show originated in 1964. She will become the 13th Doctor in the series and she deserves it because she is damn good in the British series BROADCHURCH. Now we have to wait and see what the fans of the series think. The bile is already flowing like a tidal wave. Give her a chance before you say such disgusting things. I believe now is the perfect time for a woman to play the immortal Doctor and I hope fans who really care feel the same way. This opens up many new doors for the Doctor to walk through.

July 07, 2017: From the Hollywood Reporter: In the upcoming drama BLIND, due out July 14, 2017, Alec Baldwin stars as a visually impaired novelist who, after the fatal car crash that left him without his wife or his vision, begins to rediscover life and his writing. The Ruderman Family Foundation, an advocacy group for those with disabilities, has come out against the movie's choice to cast Baldwin as blind man, saying on their Facebook page that they are disappointed with the casting, adding that the production is "once again overlooking the opportunity to cast actors with disabilities." Note to The Ruderman Family Foundation from me: Alec Baldwin is an actor and what he is doing is called acting. I supposed if someone was dying of AIDS in a film, some advocacy group would demand that an actor dying of AIDS play the role. People with sight have been playing blind people since the beginning of film, so my advice is to get over it. This political correctness crap is going way too far for comfort nowadays. Ever notice that things that actors and other famous people say on the internet are being torn apart by people and groups you never heard of? Fuck them Alec Baldwin. You keep doing what you do best. And let me ask this final question: Did dwarves (or "little people") protest Tim Conway in the 1980s for playing the dimutive "Derk Dorf" in a series of Made-For-Home Video VHS tapes or on Johnny Carson's TONIGHT SHOW? The answer: No they didn't. So get off your high horse and actually help blind people. Don't bitch and moan that they didn't get a role in a movie.

June 30, 2017: Received this email from someone named Shaun Shaffer ([email protected]). It shows how a typical Trump supporter really thinks (shown verbatim): "YOU DIRTY JEW! TRUMP IS THE BEST PREZ SINCE BILL CLINTON AND ALL YOU GODDAMN HILLARY CUNTFUCKING CRYBABIES NEED TO GET USED TO IT! PEOPLE LIKE YOU NEED TO BE DEPRTED AND KILLED! YOUR WOMEN NEED TO BE RAPED! I’VE SUPPORTED TRUMP ALL THE WAY! I DID NOT VOTE BECAUSE I DIDN’T WANT TO BE NEAR YOU CRYBABY FAGS! WOMEN CAN NEVER BE PRESIDENT! TRUMP WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN AND THERE IS NOT A GODDAMN MOTHERFUCKING THING ANY OF YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT! WHEN YOU PISS TRUMP AND HIS SUPPORTERS OFF,WE WILL STRIKE BACK TEN TIMES HARDER! AND ALL THOSE SO-CALLED “CELEBS” WHO THREATENED TO MOVE TO CANADA IF TRUMP BECAME PREZ? THEY WERE JUST BLOWING SMOKE UP THEIR SELF-INDULGENT ASSES! DON’T FUCK WITH US OR YOU WILL DIE,YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!" I think no more has to be said.

June 19, 2017: My deepest condolences to David Cronenberg for the death of his wife, Carolyn Zeifman, who passed away in Toronto, Canada at the age of 66. She helped her husband on some of his earlier films, being a Production Assistant on RABID (1977), and Assistant Picture Editor on THE BROOD (1979) and a couple others, before making documentaries for DVD and Blu-Ray of her husband's later films. They were married from 1979 until her death on the above date. Also: My condolences to Marvel superstar Stan Lee, who lost his wife of 69 years, Joan Lee (ne Joan Clayton Boocock). She passed away on July 6, 2016. It is hard staying married long in this industry, but these two couples bucked the system. Love conquers all.

June 10, 2017: Goodbye Adam West and thanks for all the wonderful memories. There was only one Adam West and I thank whatever god you believe in that I got the chance to meet and talk to you on several occasions. A nicer man there never was. The world is worse off without him on it.

June 7, 2017: According to Variety: "Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has launched a “clean version” initiative allowing viewers to screen edited versions of two dozen Sony films. The studio is making the broadcast TV or airline version of these 24 titles available when a consumer purchases a film in its original form on iTunes, Vudu, and FandangoNOW. 'The Clean Version allows viewing for a wider audience, giving people the chance to watch their favorite films together,' Sony said. 'Clean Version movies can be accessed with purchase of the theatrical versions.' The films include all five versions of SPIDER-MAN, along with 50 FIRST DATES, BATTLE OF THE YEAR, BIG DADDY, CAPTAIN PHILLIPS, CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, EASY A., ELYSIUM, GHOSTBUSTERS, GHOSTBUSTERS II, GOOSEBUMPS,  GROWN UPS, GROWN UPS 2, HANCOCK, INFERNO, MONEYBALL, PIXELS, STEP BROTHERS, TALLADEGA NIGHTS: THE BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY and WHITE HOUSE DOWN." Now my personal opinion: Since most of these films have been Rated PG-13 (and even PG!) when they were theatrically shown (many of the films star Adam Sandler or Will Ferrell), I fail to see the usefullness of cleaning them up. I can now see it: A person in a movie says "Fuck you!" and in the cleaned-up version, the dialogue is changed to "Fudge you!". And most kids have already seen the uncut SPIDER-MAN films, so cleaning them up seems kind of moot. I believe this was pressure put on Sony by the religious right to clean up their films so religious people can show these movies to their kids. No sex (The scene of Spider-Man kissing Jane while he hangs upside-down will probably be edited out because to the religious right, that is considered sex), no violence and no foul language. Watch a Pixar film instead. Fuck them! (or rather, Fudge them!); at least Sony makes sure you buy the original theatrical version to get the cleaned-up versions. Many people, including Seth Rogan, Judd Apatow and The Directors Guild Of America (and myself) fail to see the point of all this. And companies have tried this before, only to have all the major studios (including Sony) shut them down in court. Now Sony is doing what it sued not to be done to their films. Clean them up. I don't watch TV versions of any movie unless it is uncut, unedited and commercial free on Pay TV. Wise up Sony!

June 1, 2017: Do you want to know the real reason why Donald Trump wants to wipe out everything Barack Obama contributed not just only to our country, but to the world? Plain and simple. Donald Trump is a racist and hates Blacks. Sure, he has a few "token" Blacks in his administration (but less known is how many Blacks he has fired from Obama's administration, including the female White House greeter), but that is only to keep up appearances. I can think of no other reason why a white man would want to wipe out all the good Obama has done for us. Plain and simple, Donald Trump is a racist and when he hears that white supremacists support him, he smiles on the inside. All you Trump supporters are in for a big surprise and it is coming soon. It will make Watergate or Bill Clinton's blowjob look like a Disney movie. I have never been sickened by a white man this much in my entire life (He makes George Bush Jr. look intelligent). He is doing everything he can to make people of color's life so bad, they will die of starvation. And he treats white poor people the same way, going back on all the promises he made during his run. Now he will pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement, which means that people will be choking on deadly smog in the near future. He cares about nothing but himself. WAKE UP PEOPLE and voice your displeasure of this obvious psychotic President. A President that would destroy this country if he weren't about to be impeached and his son-in-law put in prison. At least that is what I hope happens.

May 19, 2017: I admire CNN's Anderson Cooper for telling a Trump supporter “If [Trump] took a dump on his desk, you would defend it.” That was pure genius. But Cooper should have never apologized for saying it because you should never say you are sorry for telling the truth. Cooper’s remark came on the heels of political commentator and Trump supporter Jeffrey Lord saying he “[doesn’t] care” what information Trump gives to the Russians, because “he’s the president of the United States." Lord should be the one apologizing, but Trump supporters never say they are sorry because every one who disagrees with them are wrong. At least Lord took the remark with the humor it deserved. Next time Anderson, don't apologize to people who would never apologize to you.

MAY 09, 2017: So Number 45 fires FBI Director James Comey in the middle of an investigation between Trump and the Russians, This is the straw, folks, The one that broke the camel's back. Now don't get me wrong, Comey deserved to be fired, if only for announcing a new Hilary Clinton email investigation a day before the Presidential election last November and giving a Press Q & A about the Clinton email investigation, something a FBI Director never does, but Trump gladly kept him on after he was sworn in. Now he fires him in the middle of a criminal investigation (and suddenly said he was going to fire Comey after the Clinton email server fiasco. So why didn't he?). No President has fired the head of any head of any government law enforcement agency during a criminal investigation, especially one that may involve him. But here is Number 45 doing just that, because he can and it will turn out to be the biggest blunder of his short Presidential career. Politicians, law enforcement and most importantly, the people, will question his timing of firing Comey. Did he come too close to the truth for Number 45's own good? Or did he find out the real answer and now that he is no longer an FBI agent, he doesn't even have to be called to testify (but he will by the Prosecution)? Oh, Number 45, how we will not miss you. You thought you could do anything you wanted and then you hit a brick wall. I hope you serve some prison time when the Trump/Russia illegal relationship turns out to be true (and it is). NOTE: Comey wrote a letter to all his investigators saying that he accepts his firing, but will miss the people he worked with and the investigation. As with most letters, it is not what is said, but what isn't said. Not once did he mention the President, so that has to mean something. A few days before he was fired, Comey asked for more funds and investigators to finish their investigation. And then he was fired. Republicans are telling the people to "move on" and forget about Comey's firing. Remember, they are the great deceivers. And Number 45? Well, he is still Tweeting accusations and lawsuits that Comey may have taped him, when, in fact, Number 45 tapes everyone that comes into his office. Just another illegal offence to add on to his list. And hey, Republicans, we will not "move on" until this situation is taken care of in a proper legal way. And that does not include anyone Number 45 hires to replace Comey in the investigation. We need an independent investigation. We will not settle for anything less. Good luck to the new impartial investigator, Robert Mueller. If anyone can root out the truth, it is him, but his findings still are reported to Number 45's administration before anyone else. If I know Robert Mueller (and I do), he will not settle for anything but the truth to reach the public, whether Number 45 tries to cover it up or not. Number 45 better have a few pair of new underwear handy, because he is about the shit the ones he's in. NOTE #2: Roger Ailes, the embattled former CEO of Fox News, has passed away on May 18, 2017. Looks like Number 45 will get less Press Coverage from FNC for the next few days. As much as I hate FNC, R.I.P. to Roger Ailes. He was 77 years-old.

MAY 08, 2017: Former President Bill Clinton and best-selling author James Patterson are co-writing a book this Summer. Word is the title of the book will be a semi-biography of Number 45 titled "The First Cock-Holster: What It Feels To Be Hated By the World Without Saying Anything Productive With all That Russian Meat In His Mouth." It is guaranteed to be an all-time best seller. It is supposed to be first in a line of books between Clinton & Patterson about Number 45, the second one being "How Adult Diapers Saved My Businesses." Fake or Real? You decide.

May 02, 2017: That retard William Wilson is at it again. A little backstory: William and I traded hundreds of DVD-Rs years ago and then we just lost touch. My Facebook account was hacked while I was in the hospital sick and the person who hacked it said I died. Mr. Wilson accused me of faking my own death with the flimsiest of evidence (which would never stand up in court, because, even in the hospital, I hand wrote the return address labels for packages to be sent out to give me something to do) and then labeled me a liar in one of his movie reviews. This person doesn't care about anyone but himself. He has no scruples. If I actually faked my own death, I would have to be the stupidest person in the world because all anyone would have to do is Google my name to see I was very much alive. Yet loads of my ex-Facebook friends believed Wilson and some even wrote my obituary on their blogs before checking their sources. He and Number 45 are like two peas in a pod. He left Facebook for a long time to co-author a book on Full Moon Films and recently returned to Facebook, where he started shit again by calling my good friend Steven Millan "Indiana Bonehead", because Steven is a better writer than he is. Here is a person who just co-authored a book already starting to put down people because he cannot handle people better than him (I have no problem with people better than me and Steven is one of them). If he is looking to sabotage his career, William Wilson is doing a very good job of it. Keep it up Wilson. Your book will end up in the cut-out bins of every book store. At least Troy Howarth writes great books, even if we don't talk anymore. I have praised him endlessly in my Best Zines and Books section of the ODDS 'N' ENDS part of this site. You will never make it into that section William. Never.

May 01, 2017: Number 45 and his crafty bunch of asswipes created a commercial where they call CNN, MSNBC and other news outlets "Fake News" (even super-imposing that term over photos of Wolf Blitzer and other well-known anchors) and then cry foul that their First Amendment Rights are being ignored when none of the news stations would show the commercial (It's akin to yelling "Fire!" in a crowded theater when there is no fire). This is what we can expect from Number 45 for the next four years. They knew none of the news stations would show the commercial because it is a blatant lie, but they make the commercial anyway to make them look good and all the news stations, besides Fox News (which is going through its own problems, with Bill Shine, another FNC founder, being fired today, but reasons were not given), as the bad guys. Any smart person can see exactly how Number 45 is playing fast and loose with our Bill of Rights and The Constitution, but his own lemmings, many born without a working brain, are howling how our President is being denied his rights. His rights of what? Spitting blatant lies? It is like showing a man being killed live on SESAME STREET with all the children watching it. Some things are not First Amendment issues, especially when they are false. If Number 45 says something in public, the exact opposite is true. UPDATE: April 7, 2017: Apparently every TV channel has refused to show Donald Trump's Commercial. “All of the mainstream media television networks have decided to block the paid placement of a campaign ad that celebrates the achievements of President Trump in his first 100 days in office,” railed daughter-in-law Lara Trump. “Apparently, the mainstream media are champions of the First Amendment only when it serves their own political views. Faced with an ad that doesn’t fit their biased narrative, CNN, ABC, CBS, and NBC have now all chosen to block our ad. This is an unprecedented act of censorship in America that should concern every freedom-loving citizen.” Are you kidding me? Calling people names without a lick of proof is not only dangerous, it is foolhardy and should be against the law. We all know how Number 45 feels about every channel except Fox News Channel (which Trump seems to not care about all their sexual harassment suits), but he and every Republican know that if a Democrat were to say the same thing about FNC, there would be war in the White House. Everyone knows this is a bunch of bunk put out there to keep our mind off the Trump/Putin relationship (The organization that made this "commercial" has no official ties to the White House). "Cock Holster" is my new favorite term because it describes our new President to a tee when it comes to Putin and Number 45. The light at the end of the tunnel is not that far away. He is running out of things to take our minds off Russia. And when that happens, He will be forced out as President. Now he know how it feels not to be accepted into one of his hotels because our bank statements aren't big enough. Boo-fuckin'-hoo, Cock Holster.

APRIL 29, 2017: Let's make this short and sweet. The only reason Number 45 didn't attend the annual White House Press Correspondents’ Dinner is because he cannot stand anyone making fun of him. If he were there (He decided to throw his own party on the same day), everyone who made fun of him probably would have gotten a cease and desist letter from his littany of lawyers. Another reason to hate 45. He cannot take a joke at his own expense, right Samuel (An idiot who tried unsuccessfully to jam my email box with the same email because I speak the truth about Number 45. He thinks getting rid of Meals on Wheels is a good thing and "rich" people like me should donate money to feed the elderly. Do you think Number 45 will do the same thing? He doesn't care for the elderly or anyone else, only himself, and people like Samuel think the elderly should die rather than get a meal from a government program.)? He also thinks my views on asking Trump supporters to pass my web site because I don't want them here is "like me putting a sign up on my store saying no blacks or fags allowed." Yep, those are his exact words. In other words, a typical brain-dead Number 45 supporter who fails to understand that I can't stop Number 45 supporters from reading my site, but he can tell African Americans and Homosexuals not to enter his store. And he would lose a lot of business. I don't care if no one reads my site. I do it because I like it. This site does not run for profit as you see no advertising on it.

April 26, 2017: So Bill Cosby tells everyone today that he has been blind for two years, just before his 2004 rape trial is about to begin. He says he was walking with his wife and suddenly he couldn't see. He had doctors and everything to prove it was true. So how does this affect his trial? It doesn't. He could see perfectly well when he slipped women roofies and raped them. Sight has nothing to do with his heinous crimes. I feel no sympathy towards him and neither should anyone else (His daughter says his father could not be guilty of rape. She is the one that needs to open her eyes because she is not blind). A rapist deserves to go to prison for life and maybe feel what it is like to be raped. Besides, I never forgave him for LEONARD PART 6 (1987) and GHOST DAD (1990). I hope he is found guilty and has to spend the rest of his worthless dark life in a prison cell with a white supremacist named Bongo. UPDATE: June 17, 2017: The judge on Cosby's 2014 sexual assault trial called for a mistrial after the jury deadlocked for five days of deliberations. Cosby is estactic, but he will stand for a retrial according to the Prosecutor and hopefully go broke in the civil trials when he does go to jail. Cosby likes to think that his celebrity caused the mistrial (and probably did), but the fact is his career is over and when he is tried for a second time, he can look forward to a guilty verdict. He will then spend the rest of his raping life in prison, right where he belongs.

April 24, 2017: Thank you A&E for giving us five years of BATES MOTEL and not sticking to Alfred Hitchcock or Robert Bloch's version of it. The iconic shower scene from the original was played much differently in the TV Series (and felt genuinely effective) and the final episode was nothing like the end of the 1960 movie. WARNING SPOILERS: In the TV series, Mother and Norman were finally reunited, albeit tragically in death, when Dylan (Max Theriot) was forced to shoot Norman (Freddie Highmore) when he charged at him with a knife (Norman had already killed his Mother). Norman wanted to die and gave Dylan no choice but to kill him. We see in the future that Dylan, Emma (Olivia Cooke) and their daughter have put all the craziness behind them and live happily ever after. A perfect ending for a wonderful series. Both Vera Farmiga as Mother Norma Bates and Freddie Highmore as Norman Bates were perfectly cast and I see a long acting and directing future for Highmore (He directed one episode of the last season). Vera Farmiga has been acting for years; my favorite film she appeared in was director/screenwriter Wayne Kramer's RUNNING SCARED (2006), in which the late Paul Walker played her husband. Sorry to see the series end, but at least it went out on a high note. NOTE: A&E has said that this will be the end of new scripted shows for the foreseeable future. I guess I can now cross them off my list of channels to watch.

April 21, 2017: After a long delay, a deal is finally in place to produce a second edition of Fox’s THE X-FILES revival. The show’s three principals, stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, and creator/executive producer Chris Carter, are back for the new installment. The event series is set to air during the 2017-2018 season, with production set to begin in Summer 2017. Let's just hope they don't show the first new episode after The Super Bowl like they did the last time. This will be a 10 episode season rather than a 6 episode event series like the first revival. Welcome back THE X-FILES and keep the new episodes and seasons coming! We all know The Truth Is Out There and we need you to show us the way.

April 19, 2017: Could it be true? Is America coming to its senses? Word is that Rupert Murdoch will fire Bill O'Reilly of Fox News Channel's THE O'REILLY FACTOR for paying five women $13 million for sexual assault and Fox News knew all about it (they not only knew about it, they paid part the money!). Murdoch is in Europe hoping to buy a major cable news channel, but if he keeps O'Reilly, that deal may fall through. He may have no other choice but to fire him. Let's hope so. Seems like America hasn't come to its senses. It is only one billionaire finally doing the right thing for all the wrong reasons. O'Reilly should have been fired years ago for his views on women and non-white people in general, but Murdoch kept him on because he was a moneymaker. O'Reilly (who is on "vacation" in Italy) has lost so many advertisers since The New York Times broke the story (O'Reilly's show use to have over 14 minutes of major advertising per hour and now his show has just 3 minutes of major advertising, the rest being Fox News Channel promos), Murdoch will have no choice but to fire him because of the Europe deal and O'Reilly's show is now losing millions of dollars a day. Of course, O'Reilly's lawyer is accusing far-left organizations of a "Brutal Campaign of Character Assassination." Since when is an obvious female sexual abuser the good guy? (Why pay $13 million if he wasn't? O'Reilly said it was to protect his children, but don't all rich sexual abusers use the same excuse?). Ever since Number 45 became President, that is when. Let's ignore all the obvious felony sexual assaults and give him a new start. NOT!!! Now, let's show Number 45 is also not a good guy when it comes to women (among hundreds of other things), New York Times! We the people will fire him! He can Tweet to his heart's content about how "Fake News" organizations are out to get him and Fox News is the only news organization he trusts, but he is in for a real eye-opener very soon. He is an eight-year old schoolboy in big boy pants with no idea how the Presidency works. Nobody but him trusts Fox News. It isn't even registered with the FCC as a news channel. It is registered as an entertainment channel. The time is now, people! UPDATE: Bill O'Reilly has been let go by Fox, when Rupert Murdoch and his two sons thought it was in their best interest because major advertisers will not come back if Bill O'Reilly was still a member of Fox News Channel. The KKK and White Nationalists are in mourning, holding rallies all across the U.S. over the loss of their High Commander as their voice on TV (That part is "Fake News", but how many people will believe that it is true? Maybe it will come true?). One down, many more to go (Let's not just go after Number 45, but also that fat, pill-popping blowhard Rush Limbaugh and comedian-turned-Far, Far Right political crony Glenn Beck, the "Patriot" whose once free TV Channel, The Blaze, is now a subscription streaming service [He was also once a Fox News Channel employee, but he left to form his own channel. We can all see how that turned out!]). NOTE: Number 45 has fired U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and replaced him with Deputy Surgeon General Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams. Gee, I wonder why this happened (besides Vivek being appointed by President Obama two years ago)? Could it be that Vivek is an Indian-American and we all know how our current President feels about Muslims or possible Muslims? How much longer are we going to let Number 45 get away with his prejudices? NOTE #2: Now Fox News Channel anchorman Tucker Carlson (who took over O'Reilly's time slot) is being accused by several women of making inappropriate sexual remarks to them. It seems Fox News is in a big state of flux right now. I wonder if Number 45 will still call them the only news channel not putting out Fake News? I think because he is also a sexual abuser of women, he will stand by Fox. They tend to stick together.

April 9, 2017: Congratulations CBS for showing seven hours of golf (!) and not showing a new episode of ELEMENTARY this week because golf ran overtime by one hour. We on the East Coast (The West Coast have no such problem because of the three hour time difference) are sick and tired of you destroying shows because of sports overruns. This is the third time this season it has happened (And it actually started on time only 3 times because of Football overruns). The West Coast gets to see the new episodes while the East Coast goes right to the nightly news. The last four series that had a Sunday 10:00 PM time slot on CBS have been cancelled. If you cancel one of my favorite shows, your network is dead to me. And what psychopath can stand watching 7 hours of golf on TV? Does anyone think golf is more important than scripted shows? If you do, watch The Golf Channel (Yes, it does exist.).

April 5, 2017: During the March 31 to April 2, 2017 weekend, the Shia LaBeouf/Gary Oldman post-apocalypse film MAN DOWN (2015) broke all kinds of records in the U.K.. Unfortunately the records were not the good kind. It sold a total of one ticket (taking in a whopping £7 [$8.73]) in the one theater in Burnley, Northern England that was willing to take it. It went on to sell three more tickets after the weekend before the film was pulled and replaced with another movie. Shia LaBeouf has said on several occasions that he was giving up acting. If this isn't an omen, I don't know what is.

April 5, 2017: Sylvester Stallone reportedly will not appear in EXPENDABLES 4 because he disagrees with Nu Image/Millennium chief Avi Lerner about the the direction of the new film, including its director and script. Arnold Schwarzenegger said without Stallone, he would not appear in the film (both of these 80's superstars still carry plenty of clout). Avi Lerner better learn to trust Stallone's opinion. Stallone has been on a big film streak lately, including one that got him an Academy Award® nomination, one he deserved to win.

April 03, 2017: Congratulations to Doris Day (MIDNIGHT LACE - 1960), who turns 95 years old today. Ms. Day was never actually sure what year she was born, so The Associated Press went to Ohio's Office of Vital Statistics, obtained a copy of Ms. Day's birth certificate and discovered she was born on April 3, 1922, making her 95. Here's to many more birthdays to a living legend. SAD NOTE: Doris Day passed away on May 12, 2019 at the age of 97.

March 28, 2017: Goodbye BONES and thanks for 12 Seasons of witty banter, suspense (being stuck in a buried car is still one of my favorite episodes, even if it was early in the series), rotting corpses (of every kind) and more day and time changes than any other TV Series I can think of. Yet you prevailed for twelve years, which I think says a lot about your fans. Calling them rabid is an understatement and ending the final episode like any other episode, where Booth and Brennan are bantering as the screen goes black, tells us all there may be a time in the future when they will return. While most TV Series use a marriage and wedding to increase ratings, on this show it seemed like a natural next step for Brennan and Booth. Thanks to everyone involved in the show, both past and present, for giving us a show that could keep us entertained for an hour. Nothing groundbreaking, but a nice, pleasant diversion for the week.

March 25, 2017: Number 45 is like a modern technological version of the old fable "The Boy Who Cried Wolf". One day, he is going to announce a real major event in the world on Twitter and no one will believe him because of all the false statements he has made on it on a continuing basis. Do we have to guess what is true and what is false? Never in my life has there been a President I can not trust to get the news out in a truthful manner. There's nothing wrong with the technology, just the person who uses it. His reckless use of Twitter may spell the end of the United States. How come all I can see in my mind is Putin smiling?

March 20, 2017: To prove that some Republicans are beginning to come around to logical thinking (I think we all have Shepard Smith from FOX News to thank for that), Tomi Lahren, who hosts a nightly show on Glenn Beck's far-right leaning network THE BLAZE, has been suspended for a week saying that she was Pro-Choice when it came to women deciding what to do with their bodies when she was a guest on THE VIEW the Friday before. Her words were: “I am a constitutional, y’know, someone that loves the Constitution. I’m someone that’s for limited government,” she said. “So I can’t sit here and be a hypocrite and say I’m for limited government but I think the government should decide what women do with their bodies. I can sit here and say that, as a Republican and I can say, you know what, I’m for limited government, so stay out of my guns, and you can stay out of my body as well.” She still has the thought that we want to take away everyone's guns (nothing could be further from the truth), but at least she spoke her mind on abortion, which got her suspended for a week. She has been making fun of her suspension on Twitter every day, so she may not ever come back to THE BLAZE. People don't seem to realize that people like Glenn Beck began their careers as comedians. They are entertainers, not places to get real news. And as soon Ms. Lahren spoke something that goes against every Alt-Right commandment, she was punished. Add to that FOX News benching Judge Andrew Napolitano for telling lies about the British wiretapping Number 45 with President Obama's approval (He's back on the air as of March 29, 2017) and it looks like things are changing in the political atmosphere (Number 45 quoted Napolitano on Twitter). But we have a long way to go. This is the country we are living in now. Freedom of Speech means nothing anymore, especially if you want to keep your job (at least in Tomi's case). UPDATE: March 27, 2017: What did I tell you? Tomi Lahren has been "banned permanently" at THE BLAZE. One step forward, ten steps back. A woman speaks her mind and a man tells lies. So who gets their job back? A man, of course. Ms. Lahren has rightfully brought a freedom of speech lawsuit against Glenn Beck and the financially-strapped THE BLAZE.

March 11, 2017: New York U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, one of the 46 Attorneys that were appointed during the Obama administration, revealed that he was fired after he refused to step down from his post at the request of Number 45's team. Bharara had previously made it clear that he would not be resigning, but was then told by General Jeff Sessions that they had to vacate their positions. "I did not resign," tweeted Bharara. "Moments ago I was fired." Is this the kind of President you want running our country? A vile, racist, puerile portrait of a man who fired 46 viable and accomplished U.S. Attorneys simply because they were hired by President Obama, so he can replace them with attorneys that lean so far to the Right that they would fall over if they sneeze? Why are you just sitting on your ass? Go out and protest. Go out and demonstrate. Number 45 is counting on you to do nothing. And so far, he has been basically right, except for the women of our country. They are the ones now with balls. If men could get pregnant, you can be damn sure they would be out protesting, too.

February 27, 2017: With all the bad news that is going on in the world and especially the U.S., the screw-up of envelopes at the Academy Awards® is the top news of the day? Is it any wonder why Number 45 attacks the media as being false? This whole Acadamy Award thing was non-news from the start, yet they play it up like it was World War III. Sure people's feelings got hurt, but does that make it news? Not by a long shot! Everyone has their feelings hurt every day and just because they were celebrities, it makes them more important than us? Now PriceWaterhouseCooper is giving out the actual name of the two people who made the mistake so we can look upon them as the villains. I will not repeat their names because it was a MISTAKE, people. A mistake. There are mistakes happening in this world all the time. Just look at Trump as President. One of the biggest mistakes of all time. NOTE: The Academy Awards® will no longer work with those two people. Talk about overkill. Two people's careers ruined over a simple mistake. Let's not take into consideration all they did for the show, let's just concentrate on their one mistake. Please!!!! This is exactly the kind of country we live in today. A career to be proud of ruined by one mistake. Shame on the Academy, shame on the Media, shame on PWC and shame on all of us for letting these two people look like villains. Both of them are getting death threats over Twitter and other internet programs and PWC [Who leaked their names in the first place. I smell a lawsuit!) had to hire protection for them. It was a FUCKING AWARDS SHOW boneheads. People are stupid. Stupid to the point of being dangerous.

February 26, 2017: As much as I loved that Casey Affleck won Best Actor at the Academy Awards® (but Michael Shannon didn't as Best Supporting Actor), actors and filmmaking personnal should learn to keep their mouths shut when it comes to political speeches. We all hate Number 45's ban on Muslims and his wall across the Mexico border, and his reversal of transgender bathrooms, etc., but their opinions are no more valid than mine. I may agree with them on the specifics, but the Academy Awards® is an Awards Show, so keep me entertained with show business. If I want to get angry about politics, I'll put on FOX News. I know that this award show has lately become a springboard for political causes, but just because you are a celebrity, doesn't mean your opinion holds more weight than mine. What you are spouting is old hat. Just thank the people who helped you earn the award and walk off the stage. Leave your political opinions at the door. You are not going to change anyone's mind. We all know Number 45 sucks.

February 5, 2017: Congratulation to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI in what has to be one of the best "impossible come from behind" football games that I can remember. Not only did Tom Brady break the record as the quarterback with the most Super Bowl wins (5), but they were the first team in Super Bowl history to win a game when they were 14 points behind (they were actually 24 points behind at one point). It is also the first Super Bowl game to go into overtime. I'm purposely keeping politics out of this because this is what football should be: an edge-of-your seat finale that not even the best screenwriter could compose. The Patriots ruled the second half of the game, posting 28 unanswered points. Lady GaGa's Halftime Show was average (except for her frightening gymnastics and the hundreds of drones in the sky that performed flawlessly) and the commercials were basically blah, but the game was the thing here. And, boy, what a game!

JANUARY 24, 2017: Congratulations to Michael Shannon for being nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in the film NOCTURNAL ANIMALS. Shannon is one of those rare actors that can do anything and if you have seen him in TAKE SHELTER (2011), you will understand what I am talking about. He will soon be one of the biggest stars in Hollywood whether he wins or loses (this is his second Oscar® nomination, the last one in 2009), simply because he is mesmerizing to watch. I know I'll watch him in anything. NOTE: February 26, 2017: Shannon didn't win.

JANUARY 20, 2017: Well, Donald Trump is officially our President. It's about time we learn from our mistakes. All I have to say is I didn't vote for this fraud. NOTE: As much as I despise Donald Trump, there is no excuse for people to bully and make fun of his 10 year-old son Barron, on TV, Radio and Online. Making fun of a President has always been a national tradition, but there is also an unwritten rule that their young children are never part of that process. Hands off by everyone, not just the Press. Like Chelsea Clinton said: Let him be a kid. I am glad Saturday Night Live writer Katie Rich was suspended for making light of Barron in a Tweet (calling him America's “first homeschool shooter”). Remember: We never vote for the kids, we vote for their parents. I never want to say "Suffer The Little Children" again, but the heartless trolls out there will continue doing it. Let's hope they can be traced and taught a lesson by the Secret Service.

JANUARY 8, 2017: I usually hate award shows, but the Golden Globes® showed class in their tribute to Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher. You could tell this tribute came from the heart. And a big shout-out to Casey Affleck for winning Best Actor for MANCHESTER BY THE SEA (He also won an Academy Award® for the same category!), a film very few people of this site would watch, but you must learn to be a fan of all genres of films and this one was great. Ben Affleck is not the only one to win awards (Casey is his brother and appeared in some of Ben's directed films) and the look of pride on Matt Damon's face as Casey walked up to the podium to pick up his award was basically all that needed to be said. Matt has been a lifelong friend with the Afflecks, but tonight was Casey's turn. Congratulations Casey Affleck! NOTE: Even THE SIMPSONS, shown the same time as the awards, paid their respects to Carrie Fisher by putting a little tribute to her before the show started. She still has a couple of episodes of the series that she voiced that haven't been shown yet. NOTE #2: Also a big shout-out to Meryl Streep (she won the Globes' Cecil B. DeMille Award®) for telling it like it is when it comes to President-elect Donald Trump mocking the disabled. Trump immediately trashed Streep on Twitter (where else?), calling her "one of most over-rated actresses in Hollywood" (Really?), a "Hillary flunk who lost big", and saying that he never mocked the disabled, but merely showed the reporter how he looked to him. Sorry Donald, it is all on videotape, as you made bad-taste fun of a disabled reporter at one of your rallies. But we all know what Trump does: Deny everything, even if it is on audio and video. And his mentally disabled flunkies believe every word he says. This is our next President, folks!

JANUARY 1, 2017: To ring in the New Year, I would most whole-heartedly recommend visiting my friend Vince Corkadel's new web site DEUX FELINES MEDIA. Vince is a professional jack of all trades, creating logos from scratch, designing DVD & Blu-Ray sleeves and disc art, a fantastic filmmaker (If you have never seen his 2010 documentary BASTARD ART: ANDI SEX GANG, you are doing yourself a huge disservice. He has also made a handful of shorts I can't wait to watch!) and is part of a experimental electronic band called TO THE WINTER (Vince designs the CD sleeves, too). Take a look at the website by clicking on the logo at left or go to: http://www.deuxfelinesmedia.com/. Vince is one in a million; the type of person that can do anything and his prices are lower than nearly everyone who use PhotoShop as their imagination. Vince may use PhotoShop, but his vivid imagination is what counts. He knows exactly what you need. Do yourself a favor and check his site out and if you know anyone who needs his services (you may know a band that needs a logo or a CD cover for their music; you may know a disc company who could use a professional sleeve designer, etc.), recommend Vince. You can contact him at his website. He is not only a great professional at what he does, he is also a fantastic person who is easy to talk to.

DECEMBER 25, 2016: A very sad goodbye to George Michael, one member of the 80's duo WHAM! ("Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go") before he went on a solo career and had major hits with "Faith" and  "Careless Whisper" (his first solo album sold 20 million copies). George had some personal problems in the past and told CNN in 1998 that he was gay (back then, that took guts), but I rather remember him as a musician that loved to entertain audiences. One of my favorite musical moments was Elton John and George Michael singing Elton's "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" live in Madison Square Garden back in the 90's. Rest In Peace George. We all should have had a little more faith in you. George Michael was only 53 years old. The manner of his death is unimportant. What is important is that we forgot what a great entertainer he was. See my extended George Michael tribute in the 2016 Obituary section.

DECEMBER 25, 2016: FIDEL CASTRO IS STILL DEAD, which now officially makes this movie irrelevant.

NOVEMBER 9, 2016: DONALD TRUMP IS OUR NEW PRESIDENT? Clearly, the majority of voters need psychiatric help as other countries look at us as a country full of idiotic morons and laughing at us. I really have nothing more to say, except you get what you deserve. And the more President-elect Trump and VP-Elect Pence keep moving forward appointing known racists, anti-Semites, anti-abortion and Science and Climate Deniers to their cabinet, the worst I feel this country is moving backward, not forward. All the idiots that voted for him are no better than Trump himself. Thanks for destroying our country, mindless idiots. And for all of you that keep saying give the man a chance and chill out: Fuck You!!! Trump will never be my President. You want to know why? Because I have a brain and I use it. It doesn't just fill the top of my head and is never used like Trump supporters. They are drones who will chew their own arm off if Trump asked them to. How will they be able to count to ten without taking off one of their shoes? I saw a group of Trump supporters on CNN and the interviewer asked one of the women Trump supporters how she can look at all of his sexual assault charges and still support him? Her answer did the same thing to me as it did to the female interviewer. The female Trump supporter said (imagine I am saying this in my best toothless hillbilly voice): "We should overlook his past and all support him for what he does in the future." Just like the interviewer, I slammed the palm of my hand to my forehead. Support a known sexual assaulter? Are you kidding me? It is enablers like these people that are sending our country down the toilet, just like Trump wants to jail or deport anyone who burns the American flag when the Supreme Court already said years ago that it wasn't against the law. Or when he calls the Chinese Premier out of the blue and sets back relations with China 40 years (and then his cunt of a Press Secretary says, "Too damn bad!"). Or when he declares that any company that sends jobs overseas or to Mexico will be tarriffed out of business. Or hiring businessmen and women to be part of his cabinet (Linda McMahon as Small Business Administrator? Really? Or Carl's Jr. and Hardee's CEO Andy Puzder as Labor Secretary? Are you fucking kidding me?). Or when FOX News declares that the Democrats are destroying this country, not Trump. Really, why are people supporting an egomaniac/meglomaniac like this? Like I said before, Trump will never be my President. Hell, I wouldn't even have him shine my shoes (he'd probably steal one and then deny it, even though it is on video). America is no longer the Land Of the Free, Home Of The Brave. It is now the Land of the Fake News, Home Of the Mindless Trump Idiots. In early January 2017, Trump held his first Press conference and continually failed to take any questions from a CNN reporter, barking out at him, "You are Fake News!" Really? This coming from a person that makes up fake news (something which we use to call "lies") and expects everyone to believe him (Even FOX News defended CNN!). His hypnotized group of mentally deficient followers will believe everything he says, but I will never let Fake News become the new truth. That is exactly what Trump wants. CNN is not fake news just because they don't like Trump. Now on-line site BuzzFeed is a totally different animal. They are the purveyors of Fake News by publishing, in its entirety, the obviously fake Russian report about Trump. All CNN did was report of its existence and not mention a word of what was in the report. After the Press conference was over, Trump went on Twitter (Where else?) to put down CNN even more, saying “CNN is in a total meltdown with their Fake News because their ratings are tanking since election and their credibility will soon be gone!”. This is your new President, folks. Get use to these things happening daily.

NOVEMBER 7, 2016: R.I.P. JANET RENO, THE FIRST WOMAN TO SERVE AS U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL UNDER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON (Nearly 8 years, the longest of any A.G. in history). I may not have agreed with all her decisions (Remember the Waco, Texas standoff? But to be fair, it was already in process before she took office.), but this woman had guts and frequently told us (especially after 80 people died on the 51st day of the notorious Waco raid), "The buck stops with me." (which also resulted in the convictions of "Unabomber" Ted Kaczynski, Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman for the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, and Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols for their roles in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.). You have to admire a woman with the moxey to tell the truth when the truth wasn't popular. She passed away due to complications of Parkinson’s disease (which she battled for over 20 years) and was 78 years old. My heart goes out to her family.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CHICAGO CUBS FOR WINNING THE WORLD SERIES IN A NAIL-BITING GAME 7. The Curse of the Billy Goat is no more after 108 seasons. A full 33% of the TVs in use (at least 39.2 million people) on the night of November 02, 2016 were tuned to the game. All Cub fans are estatic right now and rightfully so. The 7th game was like watching a well-rehearsed suspense show, with a 17 minute rain delay and extra innings. All-In-All a well-deserved triumph for a team that has disappointed consummate fans for over a century. Those fans now have reason to celebrate.

IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT ONE OF OUR MOST TALENTED ACTORS, KIRK DOUGLAS, WILL TURN 100 ON DECEMBER 09, 2016. Having a pacemaker installed in the mid-80's, both knees replaced, surviving a helicopter crash and having a major stroke in the 90's (which ended his acting career [mostly] because it paralyzed one side of his face), this strong old dog continues to write novels and autobiographies, including the must-read "The Ragman's Son". It is nice to write about legends who are still alive and Kirk Douglas is a living legend. Some of his films that may interest readers of this site are: HOLOCAUST 2000 - 1977; THE FURY - 1978 and SATURN 3 - 1980, but there are many non-genre films (like SPARTACUS - 1960) where his presence shines brightly.  Long may he be with us. UPDATE: Kirk Douglas passed away on February 5, 2020 at the age of 103.

HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY OLIVIA de HAVILLAND (GONE WITH THE WIND - 1939; HUSH...HUSH, SWEET CHARLOTTE - 1964), ONE OF OUR LAST TRUE STARS OF THE SILVER SCREEN. LONG MAY YOU STAY WITH US. A true lady if there ever was one. The 100-year-old two-time Oscar winner was named a Dame Commander in Queen Elizabeth II‘s Birthday Honors list on Saturday, June 17, 2017. UPDATE: June 30, 2017: On the eve of her 101st birthday, Miss de Havilland is not above suing the FX Network, along with Ryan Murphy Productions, over her portrayal in the excellent new TV Series FEUD, saying that it paints her in a false light, according to court documents obtained by Variety. The lawsuit claims that FEUD “puts words in the mouth of Miss de Havilland which are inaccurate and contrary to the reputation she has built. For those unfamiliar with the series, Season 1 details the feud between Bette Davis (Susan Sarandon) and Joan Crawford (Jessica Lange) had in front and behind the camera while making the film WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? (1962). Even though Miss de Havilland did not appear in that film, she was portrayed by Catherine Zeta-Jones in the series and was not happy with her dialogue or actions in the series. She is a living legend and as much as I loved the series (Season 2 is about the feud Princess Diana and Prince Charles), I hope Miss de Havilland gets everything that is due to her. UPDATE: Olivia De Havilland passed away on July 26, 2020 at the age of 104.

GOODBYE WES CRAVEN AND THANKS FOR MAKING ME JUMP OUT OF MY SEAT MORE TIMES THAN I CAN EVER REMEMBER. YOU WERE TRULY ONE OF A KIND. I can't believe it has been a year already.

GOODBYE BANSHEE AND THANKS FOR FOUR SEASONS OF BONE CRUSHING ACTION, GUNFIRE, GORE AND DRAMA. EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE SHOW DESERVES A STANDING OVATION. I have never seen a show like it and I doubt I ever will again.

GOODBYE PERSON OF INTEREST AND THANKS FOR FIVE AMAZING SEASONS OF ACTION, SUSPENSE AND HUMOR. ALSO, THANKS FOR ENDING THE SERIES ON A PROPER NOTE (Michael Emerson should win an Emmy Award® for his performance in the final episode, but he wasn't even considered for a nomination [they should rename it the Pay Cable/Streaming Awards]), WITH TEARS OF BOTH JOY AND SADNESS. NOT MANY SERIES ARE AFFORDED THAT CHANCE AND YOU HIT A HOME RUN. I WILL MISS YOU. SOMEWHERE IN THE FUTURE, A FUSCO/SHAW SPINOFF WOULD BE NICE.

*September 4, 2016: Again I have more bad news. My furry female feline family member Allie passed away after 15 years of companionship this morning. After my boy Gator passed away in February of this year, Allie became my constant companion, giving me love when I needed it the most. She made me smile, laugh, cry and show nearly my entire range of emotions. For the first time in my life, I am truly alone. Allie was unlike most female cats I have ever met. She didn't need companionship, she WANTED it and would sleep on my chest every night. She also missed Gator, but made sure that she kept me occupied to try and keep my mind busy. She would play fetch with her favorite mouse (which I buried with her in a handmade casket I made, right next to Gator), went gonzo with a laser pointer I would use (Want to laugh? Use a laser pointer on the floor and walls, but never in your cat's eyes) and sit on my lap while I type on my computer. I think that is what I miss the most: Allie asleep on my lap purring while I typed. And it would be for hours. I just hope that if there is a Heaven and they allow animals, that Allie and Gator are now playing together and having the time of their deaths. They both gave me unconditional love, something humans are unable to do and Allie took the helm when Gator passed away. I never had two furry four-legged family members like Allie and Gator and I doubt I will ever experience that feeling again. Those that think that the death of their pet (God, I hate that word!) means nothing don't deserve to have one. R.I.P. Allie Adelman. There will never be a more beautiful and caring female family member like you again. Thanks for all the good times and there were many. Daddy will always love you (I made up the word "ultra-infini-love" to describe our feelings for each other. It means our love will never die, long after I retire from this mortal coil.). NOTE: The reason why Allie is my family member was simple. As you can see from the photo, Allie had two different color eyes (it did not affect her eyesight) and I was born with only one working eye. Allie saw me and licked me just under my non-working eye and from that moment-on, she was part of my family.

*February 27, 2016: It took me a week to write this because it was one of the most emotional times of my life, but my friend of 17 years, Gator, passed away at the age of 17. Yes, Gator was my cat, but it was more like I was his servant and I loved every minute of it. He was not only a friend, confidant, playful attacker (When I would walk through the door, I would find him suddenly attached to my leg, hanging from my pants, but he never once scratched my skin. I did go through a lot of pants though.), sleep partner, neck warmer and, most of all, someone who was able to give me unconditional love in times when I needed it the most. He seemed to understand me unlike any human being ever could. He was my son and one of the most important family members that I have ever had (My mother & father not included). When he was younger, one of his favorite things to do was go for a back ride. I would crouch over and, the next thing you know, Gator was on my back and I would run around the apartment with his two front legs on either side of my neck, like he was going on a rollercoaster ride. One day last week, as we were taking our normal one hour afternoon nap, I woke up but Gator didn't. I  cannot express in mere words how I felt at that moment, but looking back, at least he died in his sleep and did so while lying on my stomach. He will always be a part of me and I shall never forget him. People have been telling me that 17 was pretty old for a cat, but that's not the point. I nearly lost him in 2010 when his back legs started to fail him. But my cat doctor, Dr. Niedermeier (the best damn cat doctor in the world), diagnosed him as a diabetic and I would have to give him daily insulin shots and special food. Every morning Gator would lie down while I gave him his shot at the fleshy part of his upper back. Not once in six years did he ever scratch me. And within three weeks after being diagnosed, he was back to his normal, playful self. When you have someone that close to you, age doesn't make a difference. It is one of God's cruel gifts that cats (and most other animals) don't live the lifespan of a human. Gator leaves behind a younger sister, Allie, who also misses him very much and the next day, she came to lay on my stomach to take Gator's place when I tried to take a nap. What she did made me cry like a baby and I'm not ashamed to say that I spent a good portion of last week waiting for Gator to attack me as I walked through the door or fart next to my face when we were sleeping at night (I think it was his favorite thing to do). Gator, wherever you are, remember that Daddy loves you and thinks about you every day. You were the best friend a lucky person could ever have. I'm not a lucky person, but I hit the jackpot when I brought you home from the shelter. Sleep tight, son. Sleep tight. And remember people: Adopt from a no-kill shelter. Giving love to any kind of furry friend will bring you years of joy and satisfaction. Animal lovers will understand what I am talking about and not think of me as a pansie for crying over a cat. For those of you who do think that: Shame on you.

*Click HERE to discover why you should always hire a proofreader before you release DVD sleeves. You know, because things can go worng...

OTHER NEWS: 

To see a comprehensive up-to-date 2020 Obituary List, Click HERE.
To see a comprehensive up-to-date 2019 Obituary List, Click HERE.

Click HERE for an Important Update!

R.I.P. FRED WILLARD  09/18/1933 - 05/15/2020
R.I.P. ENNIO MORRICONE  11/10/1928 - 07/06/2020
R.I.P. JOHN SAXON  08/05/1936 - 07/25/2020
R.I.P. ALAN PARKER  02/14/1944 - 07/31/2020
R.I.P. WILFORD BRIMLEY  09/27/1934 - 08/01/2020
R.I.P. RENI SANTONI  04/21/1938 - 08/01/2020
R.I.P. DIANA RIGG  07/20/1938 - 09/10/2020
R.I.P. SEAN CONNERY 08/25/1930 - 10/31/2020
R.I.P. ALEX TREBEK  07/22/1940 - 11/08/2020
R.I.P. DARIA NICOLODI  06/19/1950 - 11/26/2020
R.I.P. HUGH KEAYS-BYRNE  05/18/1947 - 12/01/2020
R.I.P. WARREN BERLINGER  08/31/1937 - 12/02/2020
R.I.P. DAVID L. LANDER  06/22/1947 - 12/04/2020
R.I.P. TOM LISTER JR.  06/24/1958 - 12/10/20020
R.I.P. JOHN 'BUD' CARDOS  12/20/1929 - 12/31/2020
R.I.P. BARBARA SHELLEY  02/13/1932 - 01/03/2021
R.I.P. TANYA ROBERTS  10/15/1949 - 01/04/2021
R.I.P. GREGORY SIERRA  01/25/1937 - 01/04/2021
R.I.P. JOHN RICHARDSON  01/19/1934 - 01/05/2021
R.I.P. ANTONIO SABATO SR.  04/02/1943 - 01/06/2021
R.I.P. MICHAEL APTED  02/10/1941 - 01/07/2021
R.I.P. STEVE CARVER  04/05/1945 - 01/08/2021
R.I.P. JULIE STRAIN  02/18/1962 - 01/10/2021
R.I.P. PETER MARK RICHMAN  04/16/1927 - 01/14/2021
R.I.P. REMY JULIENNE  04/17/1930 - 01/21/2021
R.I.P. HAL HOLBROOK  02/17/1925 - 01/23/2021
R.I.P. ALBERTO GRIMALDI  03/28/1925 - 01/23/2021
R.I.P. CLORIS LEACHMAN  04/30/1926 - 01/27/2021
R.I.P. CICELY TYSON  12/18/1924 - 01/28/2021
R.I.P. CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER  12/13/1929 - 02/05/2021
R.I.P. GIUSEPPE ROTUNNO  03/19/1923 - 02/07/2021
R.I.P. ISELA VEGA  11/05/1939 - 03/09/2021
R.I.P. NORMAN J. WARREN  06/25/1942 - 03/11/2021
R.I.P. YAPHET KOTTO  11/15/1939 - 03/15/2021
R.I.P. RICHARD GILLILAND  01/23/1950 - 03/18/2021
R.I.P. GEORGE SEGAL  02/13/1934 - 03/21/2021
R.I.P. JESSICA WALTER  01/21/1941 - 03/24/2021
R.I.P. CLEVE HALL  06/22/1959 - 03/31/2021
R.I.P. JAMES HAMPTON  07/09/1936 - 04/07/2021
R.I.P. EARL SIMMONS (a.k.a. DMX)  12/18/1970 - 04/09/2021
R.I.P. GIANNETTO DE ROSSI  08/08/1941 - 04/11/2021
R.I.P. ENZO SCIOTTI  09/24/1944 - 04/11/2021
R.I.P. MONTE HELLMAN  07/12/1932 - 04/20/2021
R.I.P. TAWNY KITAEN  08/05/1961 - 05/07/2021
R.I.P. BLACKIE DAMMETT  12/07/1939 - 05/12/2021
R.I.P. CHARLES GRODIN  04/21/1935 - 05/18/2021
R.I.P. NED BEATTY  07/06/1937 - 06/13/2021
R.I.P. ROBERT SACCHI  03/27/1932 - 06/23/2021
R.I.P. RONNIE CRAMER  ??/??/1957 - 07/01/2021
R.I.P. RICHARD DONNER  04/24/1930 - 07/05/2021
R.I.P. WILLIAM SMITH  03/24/1933 - 07/05/2021
R.I.P. ALEX CORD  05/03/1933 - 08/09/2021
R.I.P. SONNY CHIBA  01/23/1939 - 08/19/2021
R.I.P. EDWARD ASNER  11/15/1929 - 08/29/2021
R.I.P. MICHAEL CONSTANTINE  05/22/1927 - 08/31/2021
R.I.P. NINO CASTELNUOVO  10/28/1936 - 09/06/2021
R.I.P. NORM MACDONALD  10/17/1959 - 09/14/2021
R.I.P. DEAN STOCKWELL  03/05/1936 - 11/07/2021
R.I.P. ART LAFLEUR  09/09/1943 - 11/17/2021
R.I.P. LOU CUTELL  10/06/1930 - 11/21/2021
R.I.P. DAVID GULPILIL  07/01/1953 - 11/29/2021
R.I.P. ARLENE DAHL  08/11/1925 - 11/29/2021
R.I.P. TOMMY LANE  12/17/1937 - 11/29/2021
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September 20, 2017: Warner Bros.’ runaway horror hit IT (2017) will pass THE EXORCIST (1973) on Wednesday to become the highest domestic grossing horror film of all-time. Upon its initial release in 1973, THE EXORCIST grossed $193 million domestically, followed by an additional $39.9 million from two director’s cut releases in 2000 and 2010, for a total of $232.9 million. IT currently has $228.4 million after adding $4.2 million on Monday and $5.3 million on Tuesday. The movie should easily pass THE EXORCIST record this week — as early as Wednesday night.

September 15, 2017: Jamie Lee Curtis announced that she will return as Laurie Strode in Blumhouse's Production of a HALLOWEEN reboot that will debut on Oct. 19, 2018. Since she died in HALLOWEEN:RESURRECTION (2002), Jason Blum stated that all the Halloween sequels will be ignored except for the original and HALLOWEEN II (1981). As you probably already know if you read my DTV section of this site, I am not the biggest fan of Blumhouse Productions. Let's hope that it pays respect to John Carpenter's original (Carpenter is an Executive Producer and Creative Consultant) and is not made for a quick buck on the first week of its theatrical release and then dumped on DVD/Blu-Ray, VOD and Pay Cable like most of their films. Let me just say that I don't have high hopes for this (Danny McBride co-wrote the screenplay). Remember, Rob Zombie made his own version and a sequel that had fans hitting the roof with bad reviews (I did not consider them bad at all). UPDATE: Read how I eat my own words HERE.

October 4, 2016: Nothing is Sacred Dept.: I am usually not against any film being remade for a new generation, because old fogies like myself will always have the original film to watch (Some idiots think a bad remake makes the original look bad. It doesn't. Quite the opposite, it makes the original the better film, that is all.). But then I get news that the undisputed original thinker's film SUSPERIA (1977), directed by the always interesting Dario Argento, is being remade with Chloe Moretz, Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton and Mia Goth to star (Original star Jessica Harper is set to make a cameo). My question (Besides being "WHY???") is simply this. Why would anyone want to remake the first chapter of Argento's "Three Mothers" trilogy (which includes INFERNO [1980] and MOTHER OF TEARS [2007]) and forget about the other two films (and the classic soundtrack of Goblin)? And why such a classic film of the absurd and colorful gel-colored lighting? It just makes no sense. What's next, a remake of Argento's classic giallo DEEP RED (1975)? It is slated to be directed by Luca Guadagnino (Who?) and written by David Kajganich (Again, who?), based on the original screenplay by Dario Argento and Daria Nicolodi. This is one of those head-scratching decisions that studio's make. First it was remaking classic Japanese horror films (like THE RING - 2002, and dozens others) until interest ran out and now they have switched gears and are remaking Italian classics. They picked the wrong film to start off with. Argento fans won't see it and if it is a complete remake of the first film (like Gus Van Sant did with Hitchcock's PSYCHO - 1998), no one will understand it without seeing the other two films. I predict a huge flop but Amazon (who will distribute it) has faith in the project considering the cast. Too bad no one today besides Argento has the talent of Argento. Set for release sometime in 2018. NOTE: Word is the film will be nearly 150 minutes long! UPDATE: I have seen the film and I'm going to eat my own words. This is a terrific film which pays Argento much respect. And Tilda Swinton? Marvelous in a dual role, one of them most people don't know is her!

August 14, 2016: I have always been a fan of author Lois Lowry's THE GIVER which was made 20 years after it was written into a 2014 film directed by Phillip Noyce. Its message is probably more relevant today as the day when she wrote it (I am not going to explain it. It is best to watch the film or read the book.). What may surprise people more is that star Jeff Bridges (who stars as "The Giver") has been trying to get this film professionally made right after he read it 20 years ago, with his father, the late Lloyd Bridges, playing the Giver. In a surprise revelation by Jeff Bridges: "I originally wanted to direct my father in it, as a matter of fact, somewhere in some garage, there is a version of this movie with my father (Lloyd Bridges) playing The Giver, Bud Cort narrates the whole thing, Beau's kids, one is shooting it, one is playing Jonas. We did the whole book, so that's around somewhere." We get a peek of Lloyd Bridges doing some line readings for the film on the combination DVD/Blu-Ray, but wouldn't it be great if Jeff Bridges could find the first film and release it as a double feature with the new version? I know that Lois Lowry would approve because she and Jeff became good friends and I would be pleased as punch to see it, whether it is good or not. Let's just hope it is not a lost film. And just a word about color desaturization in a lot of modern films. In the 2014 film, the lack of full color serves a purpose, as you will see in the film's final minutes (check out the film's posters for an important clue). While a lot of films do it mostly for "atmosphere", this film actually has a purpose for using it. I really disliked the 2014 film the first time I saw it because it deviates too much from the book (maybe it is best not to read the book before viewing the film), but the more and more I watch it, I realize that the message is the same and it works as a movie on its own. If you have not seen the film, I advise doing so. Jeff Bridges gives the performance of his life (you can tell this film means a lot to him), Meryl Streep has never been nastier (and looks a lot different than what she looks like in the posters, mainly because she was working on two films at the same time), and the young cast (including Odeya Rush [GOOSEBUMPS - 2015] and Taylor Swift!) also do a terrific job. This is not a YA (Young Adult) Film, but a film about being human and what it means to be one.

JULY 12, 2016: Production will begin on SAW 8 (not the final title, but it will be shot under the title SAW: LEGACY; to be directed by Australian twin brothers Michael and Peter Spierig; UNDEAD - 2003; DAYBREAKERS - 2009; PREDESTINATION - 2014) sometime in September or October of 2016 for a Halloween 2017 release (Opening October 27, 2017). Whether that news is good or bad depends on what you think about the films. In my opinion, I think the SAW Franchise was one of the best franchises of the new Millennium, misunderstood by most critics and, eventually audiences, who preferred the PARANORMAL ACTIVITY franchise for Halloween theatrical consumption (They grew tired of those cheap found footage films, too.). Besides one very bad film (SAW IV - 2009) the rest of the series were well-written and taut horror thrillers with a lot of surprises. And they play as one continuous story, too. Sure, they all may be considered partially torture porn, but the films had complex stories and some very inventive deaths, which were the decisions of those being killed. Everyone who died in these film were given at least two choices and some even survived. I am looking forward to another film and maybe even more if it becomes a boxoffice hit. NOTE: The film was released as JIGSAW and did moderate boxoffice business at best, but I found it to be very good, with a plot that surprises (especially the reveal at the end).

AUGUST 03, 2015: I received a package from Amazon of Full Moon's DVD of TRAUMA (1978; stop judging me!) and it had a bright blue sticker on the cellophane wrapper that said "Physical Goods Still Rule.". That thought made me extremely happy because I will always pick physical media over streaming versions (The best reason being that the compression rates of streamed files are so low, they look like crap most the time, especially on a good HDTV set. The second reason is that hard drives fail a lot more than discs do.) But imagine my surprise when I opened a second Full Moon DVD (this one being of the new Spanish horror film WAX) and the first thing that comes on screen is Charles Band declaring that DVDs and Blu-Rays are dead, which is why we should all join his Full Moon Streaming site. He even contradicts himself by saying if we invest $18.00 for the first three months of his streaming site, he will send us three DVDs or Blu-Rays as a way of saying thanks! He decries all the losses of the brick and mortar stores as a reason why physical goods don't sell well any more (which is a bunch of bullshit, since internet stores like Amazon, Screen Media Archives, Oldies.com, Diabolik DVD, Vinegar Syndrome, Code Red and dozens of others sell physical discs at prices much better than you can find in any brick-and-mortar store). I'm all for Charles Band pitching his new streaming site (where it will be the only place you can view Full Moon films, including premieres before they make it to DVD or Blu-Ray and Blue Underground & Something Weird Video announcing themselves as exclusives to the Full Moon Streaming site, increasing Band's site worthiness immensely and $6.00 a month is a steal! [He says $6.00/month in the DVD commercial, but it says $6.99/month in the full page ads.]), but to say physical media is dead after slapping on a sticker on another Full Moon DVD is just more crazy Charles Band hucksterism. Don't get me wrong. I like Band and he is one of the very few independent filmmakers to survive through the good and the bad times from the 1970's till today, but you can't say one thing and do another without being called out on it. Dear Charles Band: Both streaming and physical media can survive side-by-side. There is no reason to decry the death of physical media (especially on a DVD!!!) when I bought it and I know I'm not the only one who loves physical media. I am also of the mindset that if I see something I watch streaming that I like, I ALWAYS buy the physical media version of it. Just like I refuse to read ebooks (I love the feel of paper between my fingers), I feel the same way about owning films. Just the idea that my entire library of films resides on a few terabytes of hard disk space makes my skin crawl.

Valerie Harper is facing a devastating diagnosis: terminal brain cancer. The television icon, beloved for her role as brash New Yorker Rhoda Morgenstern on THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW and its spin-off, RHODA, received the news on Jan. 15, 2013 she revealed to PEOPLE. A battery of tests revealed she has leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, a rare condition that occurs when cancer cells spread into the fluid-filled membrane surrounding the brain. Her doctors say she has as little as three months left to live. Resolved to face her last days with courage and humor, "I don't think of dying," says the actress, 73, who previously battled lung cancer in 2009. "I think of being here now." (I was never a big fan of Moore's or Harper's TV shows, but she was also an excellent actress, appearing in such films as FREEBIE AND THE BEAN - 1974; NIGHT TERROR - 1977; DON'T GO TO SLEEP - 1982; THE EXECUTION - 1985; THE PEOPLE ACROSS THE LAKE - 1988; MY FUTURE BOYFRIEND - 2011; SHIVER - 2012; as well as dozens of TV show appearances. It breaks my heart every time I hear news like this. UPDATE: It's now June of 2013 and I'm happy to say that Valerie Harper is still alive, defying doctors' predictions. UPDATE #2: August 29, 2013: Doctors have said that Valerie Harper's brain cancer is "close to remission", but say the prognosis could change at any time. To say I am happy for Ms. Harper is an understatement and apparently she is back at work on TV and is even appearing as a contestant on DANCING WITH THE STARS. While I am not a big fan of the series, here's to wishing that she wins the competition [she didn't]. She has handled herself with grace, gratitude and, above all, with a sense of humor. People could learn a thing or two from her behavior. UPDATE #3: February 25, 2014: Ms. Harper is still alive and kicking, proving once again to never believe your doctor. Your brain has ways of fighting off the most horrid of conditions. May she live a long and healthy life. UPDATE #4: December 12, 2015 and Ms. Harper is still with us. Maybe laughter is the best medicine. UPDATE #5: July 25, 2016: Ms. Harper is still alive and well, appearing as a guest on multiple TV Series. I am a firm believer of mind over matter and, apparently, so is Valerie Harper. - Editor) UPDATE #6: Valerie Harper passed away on August 30, 2019 at the age of 80. R.I.P. to a true fighter.

October 10, 2013: AFM: Why the Found-Footage Genre Is Here to Stay. EXISTS, a Big Foot-themed chiller from THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT co-director Eduardo Sanchez, is among the projects making a splash at this year's market. The found-footage film has been declared dead more than once, but at AFM the low-budget horror genre is in rude health, with a stream of new projects continuing to find buzz and buyers worldwide. Case in point: EXISTS, the Big Foot-themed chiller from THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT co-director Eduardo Sanchez – the grandfather of the found-footage movement – which International Film Trust sold to eOne in the U.K. and looks set to close worldwide by the end of the market. Sanchez may be a found-footage pioneer, but he, like most of the industry, largely abandoned the genre after BLAIR WITCH spawned a horde of copycat titles, none of which set box offices alight. (EXISTS went directly to VOD and refuses to reveal the financial status of the film). “The genre really didn't jell for Hollywood until maybe CLOVERFIELD, nine years later,” Sanchez tells The Hollywood Reporter. “But now you are seeing a new generation of found footage directors who are taking what [Blair Witch co-director] Daniel Myrick and I began and taking it to a whole new level.” Sanchez contributed an episode to found-footage omnibus feature V/H/S/2 (direct to limited theatrical/VOD; it made $21,833 in 12 theaters; the second sequel, V/H/S: VIRAL made even less money theatrically), which Memento Film International has had little problem selling worldwide. Other buzzy indie FF titles include [REC4] APOCALYPSE ("Limited theatrical/VOD" release; made $837 in 5 theaters), the concluding chapter in the hit Spanish franchise, which Filmax unveiled to buyers at this market, and AFFLICTED, the found-footage-with-vampires movie that premiered at Toronto's Midnight Madness section and immediately sold to CBS Films for the U.S. (It also went directly to the "limited theatrical/VOD" release, making an anemic $121,179 theatrically). “This is still the only genre where you can have a $4 million film and go and do $50 million at the box office,” says Marc Schipper, chief operating officer at Exclusive Media, which is shopping found-footage title PROJECT BLUE BOOK at AFM, explaining the inherent appeal of the genre (It looks like the film has been abandoned). The studios have certainly embraced it. Paramount continues to ride the Paranormal gravy train, with the latest, PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE MARKED ONES (making $90,904,854 worldwide in theatrical release on a $5 million budget; which would make it the highest-grossing film in the titles listed here), a Latin-themed spinoff of the tentpole found-footage franchise ($718 million worldwide gross and counting) set to bow Jan. 3, 2014 and PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 5 slotted for an Oct. 24, 2014 release (NOTE: It has been retitled PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE GHOST DIMENSION and has been moved to a October 23, 2015 release; not a good sign). Paramount is also pushing ahead with PROJECT ALMANAC, a found-footage meets time-travel title, for which rising talents Jonny Weston and Sofia Black-D’Elia are in negotiations to star (It also bombed at the boxoffice during the weekend of January 31 to Febuary 2, 2015, making around 8.5 million dollars in 2,893 theaters in its first week, with an estimated budget of $12 million). Warner Bros. tornado disaster found-footage pic INTO THE STORM ($47,602,194 in boxoffice receipts, but still not reaching that "$50 Million" plateau, since it was one of the most expensive found footage films to make, with an estimated $50 million budget), from Steven Quale (FINAL DESTINATION 5), will rip through theaters Aug. 8, 2014 and DreamWorks, after winning a bidding war for the found footage sci-fi project GLIMMER, penned by Carter Blanchard, is looking to begin shooting this summer, with Shameless star Jeremy Allen White attached (as of January 2015, the film was still listed as being in "pre-production" and Jeremy Allen White's name is nowhere to be found). “I definitely think found footage is here to stay this time,” says Sanchez. “I think it will change into something different, maybe a mix of found footage with conventional filmmaking, but that's where the next big thing is going to come from.” (And this is the exact reason why the horror film genre is going down the crapper. "Found-footage" is starting to affect other genres of films, too. Anything for a quick buck, even if it means extreme nausea and migraines for the audience. What's next, a found footage movie filmed in 3D? How much punishment does an audience have to take? UPDATE: Well, apparently not too much more, since almost all the films listed above did poorly at the boxoffice or went directly to Video On Demand. It seems the days of these "found footage" films making $50 million are long gone and audiences are tired of watching them while popping Tylenol. - Editor)

According to Entertainment Weekly: Sherlock Holmes has appeared on stage and on screen numerous times played by dozens of actors, and now, thanks to a recent discovery, fans of the world’s greatest detective will be able to view a lost but key piece of his on-screen history. The French film archive Cinémathèque Française announced on Wednesday that a silent film version of Sherlock Holmes produced in 1916 was discovered in their collection a few weeks ago. Produced by Essanay Studios, the film, simply titled SHERLOCK HOLMES, stars William Gillette as the titular detective, a role for which he was known around the world. Gillette is also credited with some of Holmes’ trademark characteristics, including his deerstalker hat, magnifying glass, and pipe. A nitrate dupe negative of the film was stored away in the archive’s vault, but is now undergoing a restoration process thanks to the San Francisco Silent Film Festival in conjunction with Cinémathèque Française. The film, directed by Arthur Bethelet, is not only the last surviving appearance of Gillette as Holmes, but it is also his only portrayal ever committed to film. For those who want to witness a piece of Holmes and cinematic history, the film will make its European debut at the Cinémathèque Française’s festival of film restoration, Toute la Mémoire du Monde, in January 2015. The film will then premiere in America at the San Francisco Silent Film festival in May 2015. (This is a great piece of news. It tells us that maybe some other hidden treasures will be discovered. We have the technology today to restore them, so film archive vaults around the world should start doing an inventory check before the film itself totally disintegrates and even modern technology cannot save it - Editor)

According to Entertainment Weekly on January 17, 2015: Fox’s new agenda is looking a lot like their old one. Confirming some prior reports, the network’s leadership says they are seriously chasing a reboot of THE X-FILES and are possibly interested in bringing back PRISON BREAK too (along with yet another edition of 24 as well — but that’s another story). On THE X-FILES front, Fox chairman and CEOs Dana Walden and Gary Newman say they have been in talks with series creator Chris Carter about reviving the supernatural procedural, which was a major hit for the network from 1993 to 2002. The executives also revealed they hope to have original series stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson reprise their roles on the show. One thing all three titles have in common is they’re properties of 20th Century Fox Television, which Walden and Newman ran prior to adding the Fox broadcast network to their plate last year.“It’s true that we’ve had some conversations on X-Files,” Newman said. “We’re hopeful of being able to bring that back at some point.” Walden added: “Gary and I both worked [at 20th Century Fox Television] through the entire run of THE X-FILES. It was a great experience. We’ve maintained good relationships with Chris, David and Gillian. We’re very hopeful, but it’s hard. The actors are very busy. They have a lot going on. Chris has a lot on his plate, so it’s just trying to carve out the time.” Amazon recently declined to make Carter’s new post-apocalyptic series project THE AFTER, so the writer-producer may be more open to revisiting his past. More problematic is that Duchovny has an upcoming NBC event series, AQUARIUS, while Anderson has a recurring role on NBC’s HANNIBAL. Both actors would presumably have to get contractually clear of their commitments to Fox’s rival before signing onto an X-Files relaunch. As for BREAK, the team sounded more skeptical of a reboot coming together, but also very interested. “There is some speculation in the press about PRISON BREAK, which honestly was slightly news to us,” Newman said. “Although we’ve made it clear over the years to the studio that we would bring PRISON BREAK back in a heartbeat. It’s probably the perfect event series. If our old partners in that show are interested, that would be great. ”It wasn’t clear if the executives planned to do PRISON BREAK with a new cast or not, but the show’s stars Dominic Purcell and Wentworth Miller are currently recurring as villains on The CW’s THE FLASH. (I was never a big fan of PRISON BREAK, but since THE X-FILES was [and still is] my favorite TV series of all time, I would love to see it come back. It would be a dream come true, as long as they kept the conspiracy theory plotline to a minimum. I believe that is what killed the show [I like the duo tackling strange monsters of the week]. I even went to see the two X-FILES movies [not to mention the convention that came to NYC in 1998, where I met the beautiful and warm Gillian Anderson], even if the second one was weak when I first saw it, but it has grown on me over time. I really, really hope this happens! - Editor) UPDATE: It's now official. New episodes of THE X-FILES will start to be filmed in the Summer of 2015, with both David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson returning to their iconic roles. The Bad news? It will air on FOX as a six-episode "Event Series". I guess six episodes are better than nothing, but it hardly puts a dent in audiences' hunger to see the duo back together again, the first time since the 2008 theatrical film. Let's hope that the ratings go through the roof and make FOX order more episodes from original creator Chris Carter, who is overseeing this Event Series. No air date has yet been set. UPDATE #2: FOX, in it's ultimate stupid wisdom, will air the first episode at "10-ish p.m." after the NFC Championship Game on Sunday, January 24, 2016. The following night, THE X-FILES will have its time period premiere at 8 p.m. on Monday. This raised questions about the strategic value of both using that football game as a platform to relaunch what is a very established property, while also simultaneously burning off one-third of the network's inventory of the six-episode limited X-FILES return. This can only do damage to the series, since the first episode will not be DVR-friendly, because it has no concrete start time (Look at what CBS does with their Sunday series after football overruns. The one show that should start at 10:00 p.m. usually gets canceled after airing there for one season; even established shows like CSI:). This could hurt the series overall, since if people miss the first episode, they may not want to watch the rest (diehard fans will, but new viewers to the show probably will not). Nice move FOX, you jackasses.

From Variety: March 26, 2015: WWE Studios has formed a partnership with Gene Simmons to launch label Erebus Pictures to finance and produce movies. The alliance is launching with a three-picture co-production deal starting with TEMPLE, originally acquired and developed by WWE Studios. The moniker Erebus is taken from the Greek God “representing the personification of darkness.” It will sell worldwide rights on all titles and use WWE’s TV shows, including MONDAY NIGHT RAW and SMACKDOWN, along with digital, social media and the WWE Network, to market its titles. “The horror genre continues to fascinate me as it proves to be endlessly thrilling and engaging for audiences,” said Simmons, who has been in rock group Kiss for four decades. “Horror films fall into a genre that thrives on genuine passion, and I believe this partnership truly capitalizes on that sentiment and supports our vision,” said Michael Luisi, president of WWE Studios. TEMPLE, written by Matt Savelloni, follows a team of trained operatives who find themselves trapped inside an isolated military compound after its artificial intelligence is suddenly shut down — and then begin to experience strange and horrific phenomena. A director will be announced shortly, with principal photography expected to start this summer. Erebus Pictures’ second feature will go into production later this year. Simmons is repped by legal team Kleinberg-Lopez. Bradley Buchanan negotiated on behalf of WWE Studios. (I'm going to hold my tongue until their first movie as a team appears. I hope it is more like SEE NO EVIL [2006] than the pathetic Soska Sisters sequel SEE NO EVIL 2 [2014]. While Gene Simmons has proven himself to be quite the capable actor, in films such as RUNAWAY [1984] and WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE [1987], only time will tell if he knows what makes a good horror film. I mean, he's no Rob Zombie, is he? Remember KISS MEETS THE PHANTOM OF THE PARK [1978]? Let's hope these three new films are better than that one. - Editor)

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