Subotsky and Rosenberg had collaborated on film projects before. In fact, Rosenberg had submitted a pitch for a Frankenstein revival that wound up being given to Hammer Films which became Curse Of Frankenstein. They formed Amicus Productions shortly after. Rosenberg handled the money and funding while Subotsky had more of a hand in the creative process.
MOVIE GENRES
While Hammer Films focused mainly on horror projects, Amicus tried to other genres ranging from horror to sci-fi to thrillers. They may be most famous for making the two standalone Dr. Who movies, Dr. Who And The Daleks and Daleks Invasion Of Earth 2150 A.D. Both films starred Peter Cushing. We did more extensive coverage of these two films in a past episode of Examining The Doctor.
Over the years, many of the Amicus movies would be mistaken for Hammer Films productions due to many of the same cast being used (Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Michael Gough).
It’s a HUGE episode for news and reviews in this edition of Examining The Dead. A ton of news, a major Gruesome Twosome, and a fascinating Into The Crystal Ball talking Character Alignments.
WARNING: This is the only Mature Themed podcast we do here at Geekville Radio.
Syfy has released the first trailer for the long-awaited series Chucky. Chucky is of course the main antagonist in the Child’s Play franchise. While the recent feature film was a reboot, this series is a continuation of the original movies and will be run by creator Don Mancini.
COVID-19 has thrown Hollywood for a loop and the Horror genre is no different. “Crazy Train” Jonathan Bolick and Seth “Zandrax” Zillman discuss the delays in The Coroner’s Report. Then, in the Gruesome Twosome is a review of two classic B-Movies centered around evil cars: 1977’s The Car and 1987’s Maximum Overdrive. Finally, The Reverend Dan Wilson joins to talk The Chattanooga Film Festival.
This is a special episode of Examining The Dead devoted to the list of 31 Horror Movie trailers for Halloween. Crazy Train excluded any major hits such as Friday The 13th or Nightmare On Elm St. and focused on some of the lesser-known gems.
The Lesser Known Geek Hall Of Fame #6: Forrest J Ackerman
One of the things we emphasize with the Lesser Known Geek Hall Of Fame is that no franchise, hero, villain, etc. is ineligible except “A-Listers”. This also applies to real-life people as well as fictional characters.
This episode inducts the first real-life person into the Lesser Known Geek Hall Of Fame, Forrest J Ackerman. While the name may be familiar to people, how his name got known in the first place is something they may not know.
(3:35) Helstrom, the latest Marvel series, has begun filming. It is set for release sometime in 2020. Who is Helstrom and what could the series be like? With Marvel Studios taking over all TV projects, this could conceivably mean interaction with the rest of the MCU. Blade anybody?
Iconic actor Rutger Hauer passed away this week at the age of 75. His 50 year career saw him play a multitude of roles. From hero to villain, action to drama, and just about everything in between.
If you’re looking to watch some of his famous roles, we have assembled a list of them here. While this is by no means an exhaustive list, it is a good lineup of performances in several genres.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4gN0nWL6NI
Nighthawks (1981) – Arguably his breakout performance as the villainous Wulfgar opposite detectives played by Sylvester Stallone and Billy Dee Williams.
Blade Runner (1982) – The role he will likely be remembered most for, Roy Batty was the rebellious replicant hunted by Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford).
Ladyhawke (1985) – This medieval fantasy cult favorite saw Hauer play the heroic Navarre alongside then up and coming actors Matthew Broderick and Michelle Pfeiffer
The Hitcher (1986) – Another signature villain role as John Ryder, the serial killer who terrorizes C. Thomas Howell.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxvzbESnoVM
Wanted Dead Or Alive (1986) – Inspired by the 1950s Western that starred Steve McQueen (yes, that Steve McQueen). Hauer plays a bounty hunter tracking down a terrorist played by Gene Simmons (yes, THAT Gene Simmons).
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) – The original Kristy Swanson movie that begat the series had Rutger as the vampire leader, Lothos.
Merlin (1998) – This spin on the classic tale of King Arthur tells the story from Merlin’s point of view. Hauer portrays the tyrannical King Vortigern opposite Sam Neill’s title character.
The 10th Kingdom (2000) – A fairy tale fantasy mini-series that is set years after the time of Snow White. Hauer is the Queen’s Huntsman who follows the heroes through the magic mirror and into New York City.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4e24m-LYl4
Salem’s Lot (2004) – Hauer takes on another vampire role. This time as Kurt Barlow, one of the main antagonists in this remake of the Stephen King classic.
Sin City (2005) – The star-studded ensemble cast saw Hauer in the small but memorable role as Cardinal Rourke.
Batman Begins (2005) – The first in Christopher Nolan’s epic trilogy, Batman Begins had Rutger play Earle, the man who tried to usurp Wayne Enterprises from Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne.
Hobo With a Shotgun (2011) – Hauer reprises the title role he had in the mock trailer of the same name in Robert Rodriguez & Quentin Tarantino’s Grindhouse.
The Rite (2011) – Hauer plays the father of Colin O’Donoghue’s protagonist in this supernatural thriller that also stars Anthony Hopkins
Dracula 3D (2012) – From vampire to a vampire hunter. Hauer plays Van Helsing in Dario Argento’s take on the legendary vampire story.
In addition, Hauer was a fan-favorite to play Magneto in a then dream X-Men film. Wizard magazine published a fanboy casting in 1992, approximately eight years before an X-Men film became a reality.
To be fair, Wizard did accurately pick Patrick Stewart to play Charles Xavier in the same casting.
Fortunately for his fans, Hauer had several parts which he had already filmed for movies and shows that have yet to be released. His IMDB page shows five projects currently still set for release within the coming year.
We at Geekville Radio extend are deepest condolences to Rutger Hauer’s family and friends.
Independent film group Radical Talent produced this impressive fanfilm pitting slasher icons Michael Myers from Halloween and Jason Voorhees from Friday The 13th against each other in a Dream Battle. Or is it Nightmare Battle?
Michael vs. Jason square off in this Nightmare Battle
Star Wars icon Mark Hamill has added another high profile voice role to his resume. The actor made the announcement via a prerecorded appearance for WonderCon that he will be voicing Chucky in the theatrical Child’s Play reboot.
The announcement appeared on Hamill’s official Twitter shortly afterward.
The reboot opens June 21st in theaters, and will be directed by Lars Klevberg from a story by Kung Fury‘s Tyler Burton Smith. The series will bow this fall on Syfy.
Initial trailer for the Child’s Play theatrical reboot
