Movie Heralds were way cool extras to the movie-going experience before all the media- hyping via Facebook, Twitter, and (name-your-own-preference-here) took over. A sample "newspaper" would usually come with the pressbook and the theater would then purchase them in bulk, to hand out to patrons as free advertising to promote the movie.
Here's the one for The Legend of Hell House. See more movie pressbooks From Zombos' Closet.
Famous Monsters of Filmland wasn't always about monsters. As monsterkids entered the space age in earnest in the 1970s and 1980s, science fiction (or science fantasy, take your pick) took off for the galaxy from the pages of FM. Purists hated it, but the magazine needed to stay in step with the new interests of hybrid monster-space-age-kids, or it, and Captain Company's sales, would plummet back to earth.
Buck Rogers was a lively, well-concieved show primed for action figures and vehicles, until it went all bizarro with season two. The toys were wonderful to play with, especially Twiki (bidi-bidi-bidi, okay Doc!).
From Professor Kinema's archives...
One of the coolest club houses on the planet Internet gets down and funky with an interview with yours truly. Just wish Jose Cruz hadn't mentioned about Zombos' beauty nap. He's old. He needs it you know.
Through a Closet Darkly: An Interview with ILoz Zoc (that's me!)
More Boris from the Professor Kinema archives...
From Professor Kinema's archives...
Zombos Says: Excellent
Buried is a minimalist horror movie with maximum terror. Big screen, little screen, this one will make you squirm.
Chris Sparling's story and Rodrigo Cortes' direction emphasize what we hear over what we see, although what little we see is horrifying. We cough out the stale air, cramp up our tense limbs, and feel the desperation, the isolation, and despair Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds) is being smothered in, minute by minute, as he uses his one hope at hand, a cell phone. We see and hear him, but we only hear the others from the cell phone: the FBI, the family members, the corporation he works for. They are the people he desperately calls from the Blackberry entombed with him. They aren't very helpful.
Every voice, every response to his growing frustration, seems to be heaping more dirt onto his coffin. Those voices aren't soothing. They say things that are, given Paul's dire situation, ludicrous or infuriating or unsympathetic. It's another day in Iraq and Paul's another civilian buried somewhere in the ground, alive, held for a ransom that no one's willing to pay. And we stay with Paul the entire time. No flashbacks, no chipper moments away from his predicament to ease the tension.
Movement within the wooden box is limited of course. Paul's got a Zippo lighter, a cell phone using Arabic, and time is running out as fast as his oxygen is. Above him the military is pounding the ground harder with bombs, sending sand into his cramped space, cramping it even more. No one seems to share Paul's ire, or fear, or sense of urgency. When he makes calls he gets voice mail prompts, he's redirected to others, and he hears a lot of stay calm, be patient recommendations. Watching this movie, you realize how intrinsically stupid it sounds every time you hear "stay calm" or "be patient" uttered in a movie.
Maybe finding the exposed nail in his coffin, to tear through the bonds on his wrists, could be called a plot convenience, but that's the only one. And while I'm not sure how many truck drivers in Iraq carry Zippo lighters, I will say it's now my favorite example of seamless product placement in a movie. Both the Zippo and the Blackberry are actors along with Reynolds. Both play crucial roles in shedding light and insight in and around Paul, his predicament, and who the real criminals are. These aren't terrorists he's told, they're criminals looking for money. That doesn't lessen his terror because the criminals' requests to make phone videos still terrify him.
Increasing his terror are his company's personnel director who does something so outrageous, yet so possible (I'm betting anyone working in a corporation for a long time will agree with me), and a hostage negotiator who's not overly reassuring. He can't even remember who he's saved. He does eventually come up with a name, but don't forget it because it comes up again at the end, when time runs out.
This is the first time I've awarded classic status to a movie this early because it takes the common horror theme of being buried alive beyond its usual limits. It leaves its audience with questions and no answers, and a discomforting feeling it's too possibly real. I can say two things with certainty after watching Buried. I'm going to be carrying a Zippo lighter from now on and I'm waiting to see what else Rodrigo Cortes and Chris Sparling dig up. Those two scare me.
Here's the rundown from collectiondx.
"EMCE toys is promoting a new kit they cooked up. The "Make Your Own Zombie" Action Figure Customizing Kit. This thing is seriously cool! For $49.99 here is what you get..."
I recently reorganized my library and came across this fanzine I almost started when I was 19 . I say almost because after printing up the first issue of Straitjacket: Tales of Fantasy to Escape With, Phil Seuling's assessment of it made me tuck my tail between my legs and hide the issue.
He avoided me as long as he could at the 1975 Comic Art Convention in New York City, but I finally pinned him down. He didn't want to hurt my feelings, but he also was a professional and told me why my little endeavor wasn't very professional. After doing all that mechanical paste up and typing on a borrowed clunker's rigid keys to put it together, I didn't put up much of a fight. He was right. He was a good friend.
But for posterity, here's the first story I ever wrote, the Waters From Merom. I think I've gotten better, but when I get up enough courage to actually send out my recent work, I'm sure I'll find out one way or the other. My story appeared in another fanzine around that time, though I can't think of its name. Lovecraft was and still is a heavy influence on me.
Just don't forget I was 19 at the time and it's my first story. I can't take any more criticism right now. Don't even bother asking about my pseudonym. My mind's drawing a blank on that one.
Graveside visit by Professor Kinema
On a shelf in the East Columbarium, in Golder’s Green Crematorium (in Greater London), sits an urn containing the cremains of Bram Stoker. Also contained in the urn are the ashes of his only child, son Noel Thornley Stoker.
Bram’s birth and death dates are listed (8 November, 1847-20 April, 1912) while only his son’s departure date is listed (16 September, 1961). Some sources list his son’s name as Irving Noel Stoker. It was planned that when his wife, Florence, departed in 1937, her ashes were to be added to the urn, but they were scattered elsewhere in the Garden of Rest.
It’s truly ironic that the author of possibly the most famous literary work about vampirism never really achieved true celebrity status until after his death. Like its main character Count Dracula, the novel took on a new life (I’m avoiding using the term resurrected) in the years after its initial publication in 1897.
Visitors to the crypt housing Stoker’s urn these days are required to be escorted by someone from the columbarium personnel. During my initial visit in the early 1980s, I was simply handed the key. One would guess that I didn’t look like I was planning to steal or vandalize anything.
Among the other notables whose ashes are contained at Golder’s Green, either in an urn in the columbarium or buried in one of the surrounding gardens are: Sigmund Freud, Anna Pavlova, and Keith Moon; and actors Gibson Gowland, Joyce Grenfell, Hugh Griffith, Cedric Hardwicke, Jack Hulbert, Frank Lawton, Ivor Novello, and Peter Sellers.
Former husband and wife actors Ian Hendry and Janet Munro are also there. Classic film actor Conrad Veidt’s cremains were originally kept in a crypt in Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York, but were brought here in 1997.
Among those who were cremated at Golder’s Green, but whose ashes are elsewhere, are comedian John Inman and author HG Wells. Wells’ cremains were scattered by his sons at sea (some sources say in the English Channel).
Stoker was born in Dublin, Ireland and died in London, England. A plaque exists commemorating his stay in Whitby, England (a location used in the novel, Dracula).
In more recent times Stoker’s great-grandnephew is attempting to get a statue of him erected in his home city of Dublin.
--Jim K/Prof K
Here's the pressbook for The Return of Count Yorga, a solid contemporary vampire story that adds 1970s grittiness.
See more movie pressbooks From Zombos' Closet.
The Creature With the Atom Brain(1955)
Frank Buchanan, referring to one of the creatures with an atom brain: “Is he dead?”
Dr Wilhelm Steigg: “He never was alive. Different parts of the body die at different times. My next problem is how to keep them working as long as the heart is beating.”
Buchanan: “Does the brain still die first?”
Steigg: “Always. The brain always dies first.”
I Was a Teenage Frankenstein(1957)
Dr Frankenstein: “There will be no death in this laboratory unless I declare it.”
The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake (1959)
Dr Zurich: “Since you know I’m dead, you know that you can’t kill me.”
Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959)
The Ruler: “What plan will you follow now?”
Eros: “Plan 9.”
The Ruler: “Plan 9? Ah yes, Plan 9 deals with the resurrection of the dead.”
Eros to Tanna: “You know, it’s an interesting thing when you consider the Earth people, who can think, are so frightened by those who do not – the dead.”
…
Col Manning: “Why is it so important that you to contact the governments of our Earth?”
Eros: “Because of Death. Because all you of Earth are idiots.”
…
Kelton commenting on the hulking form of Inspector Clay (Tor Johnson) carrying the unconscious Mrs. Trent: “Clay is dead and we buried him. How’re we gonna kill somebody who’s already dead…dead? Yet, there he stands.”
Steel Helmet (1951)
Sergeant Zack after ‘loosing his cool’ and shooting the Red Korean Officer he was supposed to keep alive to turn over to headquarters as a POW for interrogation: “If you die, I’ll kill you!”
It, the Terror From Beyond Space (1957)
Lone survivor Col Ed Curruthers: “(Mars was) …alive with something we came only to know as death.”
…
Crewman Calder describing the Martian Creature standing in front of him: “There he is, as big as death!”
…
Final summation of the doomed Martian expedition and putting the kibosh on any future expeditions: “Another name for Mars is death.”
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Sheriff McClelland describing the state of the marauding ghouls: “Yea, they’re dead. They’re…all messed up.”
Beetle Juice (1988)
Adam: “Barb, honey... we’re dead. I don’t think we have very much to worry about anymore.”
The Seventh Seal (1957)
Knight: “Who are you?”
Death: “I am Death.”
Knight: “Have you come for me?”
Death: “I have been walking by your side for a long time.”
Knight: “That I know.”
Death: “Are you prepared?”
Knight: “My body is frightened, but I am not.”
Death: “Well, there is no shame in that.”
Knight: “Wait a moment.”
Death: “That’s what they all say. I grant no reprieves.”
Knight: “You play chess, don’t you?”
Death: “How did you know that?”
Knight: “I have seen it in paintings and heard it sung in ballads.”
Death: “Yes, in fact I’m quite a good chess player.”
Knight: “But you can’t be better than I am.”
Death: “Why do you want to play chess with me?”
Knight: “I have my reasons.”
Death: “That is your privilege.”
Knight: “The condition is that I may live as long as I hold out against you. If I win you will release me. Is it agreed?”
The two choose chess pieces.
Knight: “You drew black!”
Death: “Very appropriate, don’t you think so?”
