Icon vs. Icon

Fresh off the success of Steven Spielberg’s 1975 blockbuster ‘Jaws,’ many producers rushed low budget rip-offs to theaters in order to capitalize off the now famous ocean horror story.  It was this atmosphere that created some of film’s less than finer moments.  Audiences were pounded over the head with such fine cinema as ‘Mako: The Jaws of Death’ and, how can any of us forget, ‘Orca,’ the tale of a killer whale hell bent on revenging its deceased mate and unborn offspring.  It wasn’t until 1978 that audiences were given a film about killer fish that would carve its own niche and prove to have staying power.

You are cordially invited to celebrate the launch of this year’s holiday season with the rambunctious crew from the Satellite of Love, as Joel, Mike and their robot pals Gypsy, Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot embark on a painfully joyful (and joyfully painful) voyage through the magnificent madness of  the Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XIX limited-edition 4-DVD box set (featuring the highly collectible Gypsy figurine) from Shout! Factory, in association with Best Brains, Inc. on November 9, 2010!

This side-splitting collection of MST3K features the show’s never-before-released episodes Robot Monster, Bride of the Monster, Devil Doll and Devil Fish.  Those entrees come with a side of extras, including a new introduction by J. Elvis Weinstein, cult filmmaker Larry Blamire’s full-fledged geek-out on Robot Monster, new featurettes on Bride of the Monsterand Devil Doll, MST3K: Origins and Beyond from CONvergence 2009, original movie trailers, and four exclusive MST3Kmini-posters by artist Steve Vance. There might even be an Easter Egg…we’re just sayin’.  This limited-edition 4-DVD box set also includes a figurine of Gypsy, the perfect companion to the Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo figurines included in previous year-end Mystery Science Theater 3000 DVD box sets, all of which have become collector’s items.  A must-have for loyal fans and collectors, Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XIX 4-DVD box set is priced to own at $69.97.

MST3K: ROBOT MONSTER

The sinister alien Ro-Man has decimated the Earth’s population, leaving only eight survivors, including a professor and the family of young space enthusiast Johnny.

Its status as “one of the worst films ever made” easily makes Robot Monster an instant hit with the crew of the Satellite of Love! Join Joel, Servo and Crow as they explore their own fears of Ro-Man — errr … Ro-Tom – surrealism and, of course, the awful greatness (and the great awfulness) that is Robot Monster!

Also includes the shorts Radar Men From The Moon: Chapters 4 & 5!

Bonus Features

• Brand-new introduction by J. Elvis Weinstein
• Larry Blamire Geeks Out
• Original Robot Monster trailer

MST3K: BRIDE OF THE MONSTER

Horror cinema icons Bela Lugosi and Tor Johnson star in this unforgettable Ed Wood classic as the crazed Dr. Vornoff and his beastly assistant Lobo, who conduct heinous experiments on human victims in an effort to create a race of atomic super-beings that will conquer the world.

The film raises some intriguing questions: Do robots made of scrap parts aboard an orbiting satellite dream of electric sheep? Can Joel and the ’bots carry a tune? Who doesn’t love cold Tater Tots^® and olive loaf? These and other, equally imperative, questions will be answered — and more — in this “very special episode” of Mystery Science Theater 3000 that pays tribute to one of Ed Wood’s best bad movies ever! After all, no Ed Wood film would truly be complete without the biting yet loving riffs of your faithful Satellite of Love crew!

Also includes the short Hired!, Part 1!

Bonus Features

• Citizen Wood: Making ‘The Bride,’ Unmaking ‘The Legend.’
• Inventing the “Invention Exchange”
• Original Bride of The Monster trailer

MST3K: DEVIL DOLL

Well … hello Dolly!

Before a sold-out audience in London, “The Great Vorelli” performs with his ventriloquist dummy, Hugo. The doll walks on his own. It talks on his own. It even threatens the audience on his own. But is Hugo the real villain? Or could it be that his ventriloquist owner has lost his marbles?

While Pearl and Brain Guy show the Romans how to have a good time at the Lesser God Day celebration, Mike, Crow and Servo invite you to their own open-window frat party! Party it up with the S.O.L. crew, complete with special guests, devil dolls and their own British pub!

Bonus Features

• The Puppet Master: Richard Gordon on Devil Doll
• Original Devil Doll trailer

MST3K: DEVIL FISH

When Dr. Stella Dickens concludes the recent string of grisly deaths and demolished boats can’t be the result of any known marine creature, she sets out to capture the beast, a genetically created bio-weapon that must be kept secret . . . at any cost. One thing’s for sure, however: The fish are biting!

Beware the dolphins, after Mike and the crew of the Satellite of Love decide to mock their intelligence! Meanwhile, Pearl is forced to convince unexpected visitors that the castle’s actually a luxurious cruise liner! No one’s safe — least of all, Devil Fish – in this episode from Mystery Science Theater 3000’s ninth hysterical season!

Bonus Features

• MST3K: Origins and Beyond at CONvergence 2009
• Original Devil Fish trailer

The Mystery Science Theater 3000 series was created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Jim Mallon. After a year on KTMA TV in Minneapolis, its national broadcast life began in 1989 on the Comedy Channel (later to become Comedy Central), where it ran for seven seasons. The show’s final three seasons aired on the Sci-Fi Channel.  The premise of the series features a hapless man who is trapped by mad scientists on a satellite in space and forced to watch old B-movies of questionable worth. To keep sane, he’s built two robot sidekicks, and together they do a running commentary on the films, affectionately mocking their flaws with inspired wisecracks and acting as a demented movie theater peanut gallery. Series creator Hodgson originally played the stranded man, Joel Robinson.  When he left in 1993, series head writer Mike Nelson replaced him as the new B-movie victim Mike Nelson, and continued in the role for the rest of the show’s run.  The format proved to be popular and remarkably durable. During its 11-year run and 198 episodes (including one feature film), MST3K attained a loyal fan base and critical acclaim. The series won a Peabody Award in 1993, and was nominated for writing Emmys^® in 1994 and 1995.

Stay up all night with the films that put a new twist on the slasher genre. Along with Halloween (1978), Friday the 13^th(1980) and Prom Night (1980), Slumber Party Massacre (1982) helped define the slasher film ethos of the 1980s.  Put together by first-time director Amy Holden from a script, titled “Don’t Open the Door,” by feminist author Rita Mae Brown (Rubyfruit Jungle), the film was an immediate hit for Roger Corman’s New World Pictures, eventually spawning two sequels.

Here, for the first time, all three Slumber Party Massacres are brought together in one DVD set, due to drill its way into your heart on Oct. 5, 2010 from Shout! Factory, in association with New Horizons Picture Corporation. The 2-DVD set includes The SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE: Special Edition, SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE II, and SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE III, as well as such killer all-new bonus features as a three-part documentary, “Sleepless Nights: Revisiting The Slumber Party Massacres,” a photo and poster still gallery, and an essay on the Slumber Party phenomenon, “Close Your Eyes For A Second  …  And Sleep Forever.” A must have collection for all slasher fans and collectors of Roger Corman’s Cult Classics, own the complete set for $24.97 SRP.

Thanks in part to a brilliant marketing campaign pushing a feminist angle because the film was written, produced and directed by women, the story of a girls’ basketball team drilled to death at their celebratory slumber party became a staple in mom-and-pop corner video stores of the 1980s. Bulked in with the “best” of the early slashers, The Slumber Party Massacre (1982) had a secret weapon: a wicked little brain and a dark sense of humor layered between the three nude scenes and one very brief sex scene. The girls take on the masculine roles (playing sports, working as telephone repair women, basketball coaches, carpenters and always willing to fight back against the “Driller Killer”), while the somewhat effeminate boys made the stupid decisions typically played out by women in the subgenre. Additionally, the boys died more violently on screen than their counterparts.

In The Slumber Party Massacre, 18-year-old high schooler Trish (Michelle Michaels) decides to invite her high school girls’ basketball teammates over for a slumber party. What she doesn’t know is that the girls will get an uninvited guest — Russ Thorn,  an escaped mental patient and murderer of five people who’s weapon of choice is a portable power drill.

The only sane survivor of the first incident, Courtney (Crystal Bernard of “Wings” fame), dreams of the driller killer returning in the first sequel, Slumber Party Massacre II (1987). She can’t help shake the feeling that she and her friends will be viciously tormented by the killer. Her nightmare becomes reality when the killer returns, reincarnated as an evil rocker with a deadly guitar, who goes about slaying more teens.

The final, installment, Slumber Party Massacre III (1990), is a reimagining of the first film, but with more gore and violence. After a relaxing day at the beach, a group of teens decide to have a slumber party. Their boyfriends predictably show up to scare them, but there is something much scarier lurking in the shadows as the group starts getting attacked by an unknown killer with a fixation on drilling.

Disc 1

The SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE: Special Edition (1982)

Disc 2

SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE II (1987) and SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE III (1990)

Special Features:

• New anamorphic widescreen transfer (1.78:1) of “The Slumber Party Massacre” and “Slumber Party Massacre II”
• All-new three-part documentary: “Sleepless Nights: Revisiting The Slumber Party Massacres”
• Photo and poster still gallery
• Theatrical trailers

THE SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE

Starring Michelle Michaels, Robin Stille, Michael Villella,  Debra Deliso,  Andree Honore

Produced and directed by Amy Jones

Screenplay by Rita Mae Brown

Director of Photography: Steve Posey

Edited by Sean Foley

Music by Ralph Jones

Co-produced by Aaron Lipstadt

Rated R

SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE II

Starring Crystal Bernard, Patrick Lowe, Kimberly McArthur, Juliette Cummins, Heidi Kozak, Joel Hoffman, Scott Westmoreland. Featuring Atanas Ilitch as the Driller Killer.

Written and directed by Deborah Brock

Director of Photography: Thomas L. Callaway

Edited by William Flicker

Music by Richard Cox

Production design by John Eng

Special makeup effects by James Cummins

Produced by Deborah Brock and Don Daniel

Executive producer: Roger Corman

Rated R

SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE III

Starring Keely Christian,  Brittain Frye,  M.K. Harris, David Greenlee,  Brandi Burkett,  Hope Marie Carlton,  Maria Claire,  Maria Ford

Directed by Sally Mattison

Written and produced by Catherine Cyran

Director of photography: Jurgen Baum

Edited by Tim Amyx

Music by Jamie Sheriff

Produced by Roger Corman and Catherine Cyran

Rated R

Total running time: 241 minutes

Special features are not rated

- -

Shout! Factory will continue to present ROGER CORMAN’S CULT CLASSICS home entertainment releases on a monthly basis. Upcoming highlights include The Evil, Twice Dead, The Warrior and The Sorceress, Barbarian Queen, Not of This Earth, Terror Within,Streets, Angel in Red, Lady in Red, Crazy Mama, Big Bad Mama, among others.

Independent filmmaker-producer Roger Corman’s storied career ranks as one of Hollywood’s most amazing success stories. Having produced more than 350 films and directed 50 others, his influence on American film goes far beyond his own energetic, creative low-budget movies. He is arguably one of Hollywood’s most gifted and masterful filmmakers. In 2009 he was the recipient of an honorary Academy Award for his contribution to the medium of film.

Noted for his keen ability to spot young talent, Corman’s most lasting legacy will undoubtedly be the legion of producers, directors, writers and actors he has fostered, among them: Jack Nicholson, Francis Ford Coppola, Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, James Cameron, Ron Howard, Peter Fonda, Jonathan Demme, Gale Anne Hurd, Diane Ladd, Tommy Lee Jones, William Shatner, Sandra Bullock, Bruce Dern, Talia Shire, Charles Bronson, Joe Dante, Carl Franklin, Jonathan Kaplan, Bill Paxton, Dennis Hopper, Curtis Hanson, Peter Bogdanovich, John Sayles, David Carradine and Sally Kirkland.

Shout! Factory is a diversified entertainment company devoted to producing, uncovering and revitalizing the very best of pop culture. Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos have spent their careers sharing their music, television and film faves with discerning consumers the world over. Shout! Factory’s DVD offerings serve up classic, contemporary and cult TV series, riveting sports programs, live music, animation and documentaries in lavish packages crammed with extras. The company’s audio catalogue boasts GRAMMY^®-nominated boxed sets, new releases from storied artists, lovingly assembled album reissues and indispensable “best of” compilations. These riches are the result of a creative acquisitions mandate that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and commercial reinvention. With its fingers on the pulse of pop culture, Shout! Factory continues to impact the entertainment media landscape through acquisition of top quality programming for home entertainment releases. Shout! Factory is based in Santa Monica, California. For more on Shout! Factory, visit www.shoutfactory.com

This Fall, fans can experience the non-stop action and thrilling adventures of IRON MAN in a whole new way! On November 30, 2010, Shout! Factory, in association with Marvel Knights Animation, will debut IRON MAN – EXTREMIS on DVD for the first time. This is the latest release from the enormously successful IRON MAN series created by Marvel Knights Animation and distributed by Shout! Factory for home entertainment.

Adapting the critically acclaimed storyline by superstars Warren Ellis and Adi Granov, Tony Stark (AKA Iron Man) faces his greatest threat ever – a terrorist transformed into an unstoppable force with the powerful bio-engineered Extremis super-soldier serum! Now Tony Stark redefines Iron Man’s mission for the 21st century, setting the Armored Avenger in a new direction that will alter his life forever…if he can find a way to defeat a modern day nightmare!

Featuring heart-pumping animation and special effects, the collectible IRON MAN – EXTREMIS DVD features six can’t miss episodes from the multi-part series and a spectacular array of exciting bonus content – all collected in a unique replica of comic book-style packaging that bridges the comic book to DVD concept. A must have for fans of comic books, IRON MAN – EXTREMIS DVD is priced to own at $14.97.

Special DVD Bonus Features include:

• A Conversation With Adi Granov
• Behind-The-Scenes Look At Marvel Knights Animation
• Marvel Super Heroes™: What The —? Starring Iron Man
• Visual History Of Iron Man
• Exclusive Music Video
• Trailers
  …and More!

Direct from the pages of the critically acclaimed comic books, Marvel Knights Animation remains true to the legendary Marvel experience of sophisticated storytelling and dynamic artwork. Behind every image and every word lies the genius of Marvel’s celebrated creators like Joss Whedon, Brian Michael Bendis, Warren Ellis, John Cassaday and Adi Granov. Boasting groundbreaking graphics, sensational soundscapes and, of course, the explosiveness of the Marvel Universe, Marvel Knights Animation merges iconic Marvel comic book graphics and dynamic animation, utilizing some of the latest technology to provide incredible, cutting-edge, in-your-face storytelling. A wonderful hybrid that incorporates all of Marvel’s greatest talents, viewers can experience their favorite comics, as the spectacular visions of these authors and artists come alive in Marvel Knights Animation.

Just when you thought it was safe to take a shower again, Shout! Factory is set to pull back the shower curtain and reveal THE PSYCHO LEGACY, a 2-Disc Special Edition DVD set that explores the history, impact and mystique of Psycho and the films that it spawned. In addition to the 90-minute documentary feature by filmmaker Robert V. Galluzzo, the set boasts more than three hours of bonus material, including extended interviews, an hour panel discussion with Psycho star Anthony Perkins, Psycho on the Web, a tour of the Bates Motel, and much, much more. Due in stores nationwide October 19, 2010, just in time to celebrate Psycho’s 50th anniversary, THE PSYCHO LEGACY Special Edition will be available to own for $19.93 SRP.

In 1960 Alfred Hitchcock took a seemingly mild-mannered “boy-next-door” and turned him into a murderous madman obsessed with his dead mother, catapulting the horror genre into a new realm of possibility — laying the foundation for the “slasher film” genre — and forever changing the American public’s relationship with showers. Anthony Perkins’ chilling portrayal of Norman Bates became an iconic role that has crept into the filmmaking vernacular, creating the template for thepsychoanalytical thriller and the lone, crazed killer that has populated so many horror films during the last half century.

Hitchcock’s original Psycho gave birth to three sequels and one remake, and the series continues to affect popular culture 50 years later.

THE PSYCHO LEGACY, written and directed by Robert V. Galluzzo, follows the indelible filmmaking legacy left by thePsycho movies and unravels the screenwriting, casting and directing of all the movies, examining their undeniable longevity and success. Interweaving rare and never-before-seen interview footage with Anthony Perkins and dozens of interviews with the films’ cast, crew, writers and directors including Robert Loggia, Olivia Hussey, Henry Thomas, Diana Scarwid, Tom Holland, Hilton Green, Mick Garris, Richard Franklin,  as well as other writers and directors in the horror genre, including Stuart Gordon  (Re-Animator), Adam Green (Frozen),  Joe Lynch (Wrong Turn 2), Michael Gingold and Tony Timpone from Fangoria, and many more, THE PSYCHO LEGACY is the first documentary to unite and explore decades of Psycho movies in one place, revealing surprises and insights into what is considered the “grandfather of modern horror.”

Notes on the Psycho films:

Hitchcock’s Psycho was based on Robert Bloch’s 1959 novel, which in turn was loosely based on  the life of Wisconsin serial killer Ed Gein. The film starred Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin and Martin Balsam and featured a stirring and  unforgettable music score by Bernard Herrmann. Psycho was released August 10, 1960, and broke box office records around the world. The infamous shower scene features some 70-plus different camera angles yet runs just 45 seconds. After the film was released, Leigh refused to take showers; one of her homes didn’t even have a shower stall. When forced to take a shower for lack of a bath, she would make sure all the windows were locked and that the bathroom and shower doors were wide open. Other tidbits: Psycho took cinema into uncharted territory by being the first movie to show a toilet (which was banned by the Production Code), have the female lead parade around in a bra and slip, and have an unmarried couple lying on a bed during their lunch break.

Psycho tops the American Film Institute’s list of 100 Most Thrilling American Films  and is number 14 on their list of the top American films of all time.

Psycho II was released in 1983 and follows what happens when Norman Bates is released after 22 years of psychiatric care. It starred Perkins, Vera Miles, Meg Tilley,  Robert Loggia and Dennis Franz, and was directed by Richard Franklin. In Psycho III(1986) , Perkins stepped behind the camera in addition to starring as Bates; in this sequel, Mother begins killing again. Co-stars were Diana Scarwid, Jeff Fahey and Roberta Maxwell. And, finally, Psycho IV (1990) starred Perkins, Henry Thomas, Olivia Hussey and CCH Pounder in a prequel that takes viewers back to Bates’ childhood.

THE PSYCHO LEGACY BONUS FEATURES:

• Extended and deleted scenes
• Full panel discussion with Anthony Perkins
• The Psycho reunion panel
• A tour of the Bates Motel
• Revisiting Psycho II: Psycho II writer Tom Holland and The Psycho Legacy director Robert Galluzzo look through the original blueprints, newspaper clippings and articles and possessions left behind from Psycho II director Richard Franklin
• Shooting Psycho II: An interview with cinematographer Dean Cundey
• A visit with Psycho memorabilia collector Guy Thorpe
• Psycho on the Web
• The Hyaena Gallery Presents Serial-Killer-Inspired Art

What comes to mind when you hear the name Joe Dante? Does the ‘Jaws’ inspired ‘Piranha’ come to mind? How about ‘The Howling’ or ‘Gremlins’? Still not enough? Maybe you are more fanatical about ‘Innerspace’ or ‘The ‘Burbs’. That’s right, Joe Dante is responsible for directing some of the most memorable movies of the late ‘70s and ‘80s. While Dante is truly something special in the realm of cinema and has retained steady work since those glory days, he somehow managed to disappear off the industry’s radar for the past couple years. Well here’s the news you Joe Dante maniacs have been waiting for! The master of horror is back with a vengeance! The legendary director has been thrust onto the scene with a new DVD reissue of ‘Piranha’ and its big budget remake due to hit theaters on August 20th. While his past works and influence on modern cinema speak for themselves, the director also has a new trick up his sleeve. Dante is on the verge of unleashing a brand new tale of terror upon the masses this fall in 3D. Steve Johnson of Icon vs. Icon recently caught up with the director to discuss his influences, his memorable films, Shout! Factory’s upcoming DVD reissue of ‘Piranha’, Hollywood’s trend of remaking classic films, and his upcoming movie ‘The Hole 3D’.

First off, I want to give our readers a little background. When did you realize you wanted to pursue a career in the entertainment industry?

Well I don’t think it really ever dawned on me until after I made my first movie. When I was a kid I wanted to be a cartoonist. I spent most of my time at Saturday matinees. I ended up getting a job at a film magazine reviewing movies. Then I came out here to make trailers and I got a chance to direct a movie. It all sort of happened to me. When I look back on it, it’s the only career I ever could have had.

Who were your influences, be it other directors or otherwise?

Almost every movie I ever saw influenced me. I discovered later when I looked back at some of the movies that I had made, how many things I had stolen from other pictures that I wasn’t even aware of at the time. I had all of these images floating around in my head and they just would come out while I was working.

You are a director, writer, editor, and producer. Is there one aspect of film making that you prefer over the others?

I started as an editor. I still think that’s where the power is. You can ruin a movie or you can make a movie in the editing room. Obviously, you have to have the footage for it. If I hadn’t been an editor first, I don’t think I ever would have been able to direct my first couple of pictures as successfully as I did because I was aware of what I needed and what I didn’t need.

You’ve done work on motion pictures and television series. Which format do you prefer?

Well I think that for watching movies, the theatrical experience is unique. There’s nothing like it. As far as the content goes, with the advent of big screens at home and new sound systems, the difference between making movies for theaters and making movies for television has really diminished quite a bit. In the old days they used to say, “If you do a TV movie it has got to have a lot of closeups because the screens are small.” Now, of course, that isn’t true. I don’t think most people change their style one way or the other depending on which medium they are working in.

You are responsible for some of the most memorable films of the ‘80s (‘The Howling’, ‘Gremlins’, ‘Explorers’, ‘The ‘Burbs’, etc. …). Is there one of those films that sticks out as your favorite or that you have really fond memories of?

As far as fond memories of … I really enjoyed making ‘Innerspace’ because the cast was so much fun. It was fun to go to work every day. Some of the other movies were a little more difficult for various reasons. As far as on the set, I had the most fun on ‘Innerspace’, ‘Gremlins 2’, and ‘The ‘Burbs’.

Did you ever imagine that those films would become so popular and affect people the way they have?

No, you never think that. I’m here at the Shout! Factory booth doing a promo for the new DVD reissue of ‘Piranha’, which is my second movie. If you had told me in 1978 that anybody would be buying a Blu-Ray of what I was doing then I wouldn’t have believed it. When you are making the movies you don’t think about posterity, you just think about getting it done.

'Piranha' Is Now Available From Shout! Factory

Speaking of Shout! Factory’s reissue of ‘Piranha’. They are due to release the film on DVD and Blu-Ray on August 3rd. Looking back on it, do you have any fond memories of working on the film and would you have done anything different with it if you were given a chance?

I probably would have done everything differently if I had a chance! [laughs] The whole idea with that one was that it was an assignment picture. It was a movie that was available to do and Roger offered it to me. I thought it was a terrible idea for a movie, five years after ‘Jaws’ doing a low budget rip off. By the time we were done with it, I think we had obviously managed to change it into something that was a little more substantial. For some reason it’s managed to stay in the public consciousness.

What was it like working alongside Roger Corman on ‘Piranha’?

Roger initiated the project and worked with me on the script and on the cutting. We made the movie in Texas, so he wasn’t around. It was basically, as with all Corman films, beat the clock. You basically have to try to get as much footage in the can as possibly between sunlight and sunset. It means taking a lot of shortcuts and cutting a lot of corners. Usually the projects were very ambitious for the time and money that was being invested in them. You eventually wanted to make the best possible ‘Piranha’, ‘Women in Cages’, or ‘Teachers’ movies that you could make out of the material. [laughs]

Did Shout! Factory consult you when it came time to put the DVD together? If so, what input did you have?

They did. There had been a previous DVD and they wanted to know if I had anymore material. I actually managed to come up with some footage that I had cut out that was reinserted for network TV broadcast. When it was broadcast on NBC they cut out all of the piranhas. [laughs] They had to have something to fill up the space. Of course they did a Blu-Ray, which is a new transfer. It’s in the proper ratio and it looks as good as that movie could ever look.

Remaking films is the current rage in Hollywood right now. As a the director of a film that has been remade (‘Piranha’), what are your feelings on the trend?

As a guy who made his splash by making a ripoff of ‘Jaws’, I’m really not in the position to criticize anybody for remaking anything. Many of the movies that we think of as classics were remakes. ‘The Maltese Falcon’ was a remake. ‘The Wizard of Oz’ was a remake. There’s nothing wrong with remakes. If they improve on the original and are intelligent, I think they can be great. ‘Heaven Can Wait’ is a great remake of ‘Here Comes Mr. Jordan’. They are both good movies. I think it’s fine. I think the problem currently in Hollywood is that they’re remaking them only because the titles already exist and they have proven themselves. In this particular economic climate everybody is afraid to do new things, which is why I’m pleased to see that ‘Inception’ has been doing so well. It disproves the bromide that the studios can’t make money by doing new projects.

Do you intend on seeing the remake of ‘Piranha’ when it hits theaters?

Oh sure! Yeah! I was supposed to be in it, but I unfortunately couldn’t do it.

'The Howling' - When Werewolves Were Werewolves

You are responsible for one of the scariest werewolf movies (‘The Howling’) to ever hit the silver screen and are often looked upon as a master of horror. Have you always been a fan of horror films and what are your thoughts on being referred to as a master of horror?

I suppose it’s flattering, particularly the company that I am in. When I did that cable series a couple of years ago, we had some pretty good people there. It’s a little limiting in the sense that sometimes people don’t think of you for anything else. “Why would we want to give him a love story? He does horror pictures!” That’s a little limiting. It’s a genre that used to be considered junk and now it’s become the backbone of the industry, so I guess it’s OK.

Although you have directed films outside of the horror genre, you have become closely associated with the realm of horror. Do you see yourself continuing to work in the horror genre or do you want to pursue interests outside of the genre?

I think over the years I have not pursued as many things outside of the genre as I would have liked to because I’m much more bankable doing horror films. The trick with horror pictures is trying to find something new and interesting to do that hasn’t been done a hundred times. I get a lot of horror scripts and generally most of them aren’t so hot. They’re kind of all retreads of things or they’re just violence for violence sake. I think those kind of movies are going to age fast. I did do a picture last year called ‘The Hole in 3D’, which is a horror film. It’s more of a retro horror film, like the kind of things we were making in the ‘80s.

What can you tell us about ‘The Hole’ and were there any challenges to shooting the film in 3D?

I love 3D. I’m old enough to have seen it when it was new in the ‘50s. I think that when properly used, it’s a great storytelling tool. It’s a family style horror picture about a dysfunctional family. A mom and two kids move from the big city to kind of a boring podunk town. We don’t know exactly why they moved, but there seems to be some sinister reason. The kids discover a door in the floor that has locks on it. When they take off the locks, which you’re not supposed to do in these pictures, something comes out and it’s obviously not good. As a movie, it was a lot of fun to make because I really enjoy doing 3D. We won an award at The Venice Film Festival for best 3D film last year. It’s been playing in a couple places in Europe and I guess it is coming out here this fall.

Joe Dante's 'The Hole'

Is there any specific release date?

No. I finished it a while ago and I haven’t been talking to those guys. I just know vaguely that it’s supposed to come out at the end of the year.

The film has obviously made the rounds on the festival circuit. How has it been received?

Quite well! Surprisingly well! It did well in Toronto. They loved it in Venice. It opened quite well in Italy and it’s playing in Russia.

Do you have any other film projects that we should be on the look out for?

Not that’s going to be imminently out. I’ve got things that I am working on. Things I’m trying to get funded, which is a whole other story that you don’t want to hear about. Basically I try to keep busy with my website.

What do you consider the defining moment of your career so far?

The defining moment of my career came while I was making ‘The Twilight Zone’ movie. It was at Warner Brothers. I had never worked at a big studio. I was on an elevated set and we were looking down at the rest of the stage. A grip pointed to the corner and said, “You see that corner! Errol Flynn pissed in that corner!” I remember thinking, “You know! I have arrived!” [laughs]

That’s a good story! [laughs] What is the biggest misconception about yourself?

About me? Hmmm … That’s a stumper! I don’t know! [laughs]

What is the best piece of advice someone has given you along the way in your career?

Roger Corman once told me to sit down a lot. That was really good advice, except on his pictures there were no chairs. [laughs]

That being said, do you have any advice for someone who would like to pursue a career in the entertainment industry?

They have my sympathy because it’s much harder now than it was when I started. I would say this … If they’re directing, they should edit their own material so they know what mistakes they made and that they won’t make again.

Joe Dante

Is there anything else you want to add or let your fans know before we let you go?

Can I plug my website?

Absolutely! Plug away!

Do you know about it?

No. I’m not familiar. What can you tell us about it?

Well, this is an important day in your life. It’s www.trailersfromhell.com. It’s a site where we have almost 500 trailers, all narrated by contemporary filmmakers. They talk about what the movie meant to them, where they saw it, how they stole from it, whether they liked it or not. It’s everything from ‘Attack of the 50 Foot Woman’ to ‘Spartacus.’ The commentators include everybody from John Landis and Guillermo del Toro, to Eli Roth, Edgar Wright, me, and a lot of other people. It was basically created because I was concerned that the movies that I grew up with from the ‘40s, ‘50s, ‘60s, and even the ‘70s were getting kind of unknown. Kids today, in this world where we have so many things available, don’t know about these things and don’t know about these filmmakers. I was just basically trying to get it back into the public eye. It’s been working quite well.

Awesome! I’m going to check that out as soon as I get off the phone with you!

Cool! You’ll find Roger Corman talking about ‘Tales of Terror’!

The World Needs More 'Gremlins'

Real quick, what’s the status of ‘Gremlins 3’?

There were so many rumors I actually asked Warner Brothers last month if there was anything going on and they said no.

I’m sure you get that question 3,000 times a day.

[laughs]

Thanks for your time Joe. We wish you all the best. We’ll be on the lookout for ‘The Hole 3D’.

Thank you!

–

To get the latest on Joe Dante, be sure to visit his website, www.trailersfromhell.com. To see more on his upcoming flick ‘The Hole’, swing by the official website at www.theholein3d.com.

Trailer for The Hole 3D – Watch more horror

One of the most eagerly awaited inter-galactic science-fiction adventures, released by Roger Corman’s New World Pictures, will finally be made available for the first time to the home entertainment shelves as StarCrash, directed by Luigi Cozzi, will debut September 14, 2010 on 2-Disc Special Edition Blu-ray and DVD from Shout! Factory, in association with New Horizons Picture Corporation. An adventure like no other, the StarCrash 2-Disc Special Edition contains anamorphic widescreen presentation of the movie with DTS HD 5.1 surround sound (Blu-ray), a reversible cover featuring vintage art for original movie posters and a payload of bonus content including all-new interviews and commentaries with cast and crew, rare behind-the-scenes footage and much more!  A must-have for loyal fans of Roger Corman and Luigi Cozzi, science fiction enthusiasts and collectors, StarCrash 2-Disc Special Edition Blu-ray and DVD mark the latest installments from the popular ROGER CORMAN’S CULT CLASSICS home entertainment series from Shout! Factory.  Each Special Edition Blu-ray and DVD is sold separately. Blu-ray is priced to own at $26.97; and DVD is available at $19.93.

Produced in Italy in the wake of Star Wars’ phenomenal success, StarCrash (also known as The Adventures of Stella Star in overseas territories) became an international blockbuster in its own right. This 1979 film became one of New World Pictures’ biggest box-office hits. Critics might have laughed, by so did audiences, who grooved to its campy humor, wildly imaginative special effects (some of them quite good!) and non-stop adventure. Where Star Wars dared not go, StarCrashwent — at warp speed!

The lasting peace of the galaxy is threatened by the diabolical and relentless Count Zarth Arn (cult icon Joe Spinell, Rocky, The Godfather and The Godfather – Part II), who is determined to take the universe for himself and make each planet his plaything, each inhabitant his slave. There is no question that the Count is evil, given his propensity for cackling at every opportunity.

Can anyone save the universe from this megalomaniacal madman? Indeed there is, and she’s quite a beauty.

Brave, bikini-clad star warrior Stella Star (Caroline Munro, The Spy Who Loved Me, At the Earth’s Core) and her co-pilot Akton (child evangelist-turned-actor Marjoe Gortner, Food of the Gods, Mausoleum) are pressed into service to thwart the evil Zarth Arn’s plot. If they succeed, galactic peace will be achieved. If they fail, the universe will fall into decay and destruction at the hands of its sadistic new overlord.

Have no fear, because Stella Star is here!

The film’s zesty, star-studded cast also includes People’s Choice Award winner David Hasselhoff (Knight Rider, Baywatch) in one of his first big-screen roles, noted screen tough guy Robert Tessier (The Longest Yard, The Cannonball Run) and legendary two-time Emmy^® and Tony^® Award winner, and Academy Award^® nominee Christopher Plummer (The Last Station, Murder by Decree, The Sound of Music) as The Emperor.

StarCrash was written and directed by fan favorite Luigi Cozzi (AKA Lewis Coates), whose other cult masterworks includeAlien Contamination (an “homage” to Alien) and the unforgettable Lou Ferrigno vehicle Hercules (an “homage” to Conan the Barbarian). The film also boasts a rousing score by five-time Academy Award^® winner John Barry (Dances With Wolves, Out of Africa, 10 James Bond films).

Alas, StarCrash would prove to be the only big-screen Stella Star adventure … but as its worldwide legion of fans will attest, it was one to remember!

STARCRASH 2-DISC SPECIAL EDITION BLU-RAY and DVD BONUS CONTENT

New Anamorphic Widescreen Transfer (1.85:1) and DTS HD 5.1 Surround Sound (Blu-ray), Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound (DVD)

Disc One:

• Interview with writer/director Luigi Cozzi

• StarCrash: the music of John Barry, a detailed analysis of the score by Mars of Deadhouse Music

• 2 feature-length commentaries by StarCrash historian Stephen Romano:

Commentary 1: the history of StarCrash, the making of the film and its importance in 1970s fantastic cinema.

Commentary 2: StarCrash scene-by-scene: production trivia, anecdotes and critical analysis.

• Behind-the-scenes image gallery, featuring storyboards, art, and rare, never-before seen photos!

• Promotional art gallery, featuring photos, posters, lobby cards and early poster designs by Drew Struzan

• Fan art gallery, featuring an exclusive look at the all-new, sexy Stella Star art from fantasy illustrator Robin Greenville Evans

• Theatrical trailer with commentary by Eli Roth from Trailersfromhell.com and an all-new exclusive trailer commentary by filmmaker/editor Joe Dante!

• TV spots and radio Spots

DISC TWO

• Interview with actress Caroline Munro (60 min.)

• 17 Deleted and alternate scenes

• The complete, original StarCrash screenplay, illustrated with original storyboards and early, full-color concept art

• Exclusive 20-minute behind-the-scenes footage reel, with commentary

• The making of the special effects of StarCrash by Armando Valcauda with exclusive, never-before-seen special-effects footage

Shout! Factory will continue to present ROGER CORMAN’S CULT CLASSICS home entertainment releases on a monthly basis. Upcoming highlights include The Slumber Party Massacre collection, The Evil, Twice Dead, The Warrior and The Sorceress, Barbarian Queen, Not of This Earth, Terror Within, Streets, Angel in Red, Lady in Red, Crazy Mama, Big Bad Mama, among others.

Independent filmmaker-producer Roger Corman’s storied career ranks as one of Hollywood’s most amazing success stories. Having produced more than 350 films and directed 50 others, his influence on American film goes far beyond his own energetic, creative low-budget movies. He is arguably one of Hollywood’s most gifted and masterful filmmakers. In 2009 he was the recipient of an honorary Academy Award for his contribution to the medium of film.

Noted for his keen ability to spot young talent, Corman’s most lasting legacy will undoubtedly be the legion of producers, directors, writers and actors he has fostered, among them: Jack Nicholson, Francis Ford Coppola, Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, James Cameron, Ron Howard, Peter Fonda, Jonathan Demme, Gale Anne Hurd, Diane Ladd, Tommy Lee Jones, William Shatner, Sandra Bullock, Bruce Dern, Talia Shire, Charles Bronson, Joe Dante, Carl Franklin, Jonathan Kaplan, Bill Paxton, Dennis Hopper, Curtis Hanson, Peter Bogdanovich, John Sayles, David Carradine and Sally Kirkland.

Shout! Factory is a diversified entertainment company devoted to producing, uncovering and revitalizing the very best of pop culture. Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos have spent their careers sharing their music, television and film faves with discerning consumers the world over. Shout! Factory’s DVD offerings serve up classic, contemporary and cult TV series, riveting sports programs, live music, animation and documentaries in lavish packages crammed with extras. The company’s audio catalogue boasts GRAMMY^®-nominated boxed sets, new releases from storied artists, lovingly assembled album reissues and indispensable “best of” compilations. These riches are the result of a creative acquisitions mandate that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and commercial reinvention. With its fingers on the pulse of pop culture, Shout! Factory continues to impact the entertainment media landscape through acquisition of top quality programming for home entertainment releases. Shout! Factory is based in Santa Monica, California.

For more on Shout! Factory, visit www.shoutfactory.com

Brace yourself for twice the fun, twice the adrenaline rush, and twice the traction, as Shout! Factory, in association with New Horizons Picture Corporation, set to release a dynamic duo of Roger Corman classics on one double-feature collector’s edition DVD. August 3, 2010 will see the release of Deathsport/BattleTruck Collector’s Edition, which marks the first time Deathsportbeing presented in a widescreen format, as well as the first-ever DVD release of BattleTruck (released theatrically as Warlords of the 21^st Century). This double-barreled dose of high-octane excitement decisively marks the latest summer installment from fan favorite Roger Corman’s Cult Classics home entertainment series.

Deathsport/ BattleTruck Collector’s Edition boasts a stellar selection of new bonus content including all-new cast and crew interviews, commentaries, vintage trailers and more. A must-have for Roger Corman fans and collectors, own two of Roger Corman’s popular cult hits at an attractive price of $19.93 SRP.

The worldwide success of Death Race 2000 fueled Corman’s desire to make Deathsport, which also stars Emmy Award^® and four-time Golden Globe^® nominee David Carradine (Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and 2, TV’s Kung Fu). It was not a direct sequel but certainly a thematic follow-up.

Set 1,000 years in the future, following the Great Neutron Wars, the world is divided into desert wastes and isolated city-states. Lord Zirpola (David McLean, Kingdom of the Spiders) captures the notorious “Desert Ranger” Kaz Oshay (Carradine) and forces him to fight to the death in his game, Deathsport. Now Kaz must face his past and fight to save himself, his city and the future from the war that Lord Zirpola is about to wage.

Executive produced by Roger Corman, Deathsport is directed by Henry Suso and Allan Arkush. Co-starring in the film are beautiful B-movie starlet and 1970 Playboy Playmate of the Year Claudia Jennings, Jesse Vint (Forbidden World) and perennially popular big-screen bad guy Richard Lynch (Invasion USA, Bad Dreams, The Sword and the Sorcerer).

Inspired by the success of The Road Warrior, Corman acquired the award-winning New Zealand-made action blowout BattleTruck for distribution, rechristened it Warlords of the 21^st Century and released it to screens in 1982. The film earned an enthusiastic cult audience and has not been available on home video for more than 20 years until now.

After the Oil Wars have ravaged the Earth’s landscape, gasoline has become a precious commodity. On his marauding search to commandeer all of the oil in existence to fuel his massive, heavily-armored battle truck, Col. Straker (James Wainwright, The Survivors) ravages a peaceful commune. Riding to their rescue is a mysterious man on a motorcycle (Michael Beck, The Warriors, Megaforce), who becomes their only hope when he decides to bring the fight to Straker, aided and abetted by Straker’s runaway daughter, Corlie (Annie McEnroe, Beetlejuice, Wall Street). It’s a mechanized, motorized version of the story of David and Goliath, and only one can survive.

The action-packed Battletruck also stars Bruno Lawrence (Smash Palace, The Quiet Earth) and two-time Emmy^® nominee Bruno Lawrence(Up, Toy Story 1, 2 and 3, TV’s Cheers). Cinematographer Chris Menges would go on to win Academy Awards^® for The Killing Fields andThe Mission and become an acclaimed director in his own right.

For her performance as Corlie, McEnroe won the Clavell de Plata Award as Best Actress from the Sitges – Catalonian International Film Festival.

DEATHSPORT/ BATTLETRUCK DOUBLE-FEATURECOLLECTOR’S EDITION BONUS CONTENT: DEATHSPORT SPECIAL FEATURES

• New anamorphic widescreen presentation (1.78:1)
• Audio commentary with co-director Allan Arkush and editor Larry Bock
• Interviews with actor Jesse Vint
• Original theatrical trailers
• Still gallery
• Trailer and TV spots

BATTLETRUCK SPECIAL FEATURES

• Audio commentary with director Harley Cokliss
• Trailers

Shout! Factory will continue to present Roger Corman’s Cult Classics home entertainment releases on a monthly basis. Upcoming highlights include Starcrash,  Slumber Party Massacre: The Collection, The Evil, Twice Dead, Not of This Earth, Time Walker, Dead Space, among others. Independent filmmaker-producer Roger Corman’s storied career ranks as one of Hollywood’s most amazing success stories. Having produced more than 350 films and directed 50 others, his influence on American film goes far beyond his own energetic, creative low-budget movies. He is arguably one of Hollywood’s most gifted and masterful filmmakers. In 2009 he was the recipient of an honorary Academy Award for his contribution to the medium of film. Noted for his keen ability to spot young talent, Corman’s most lasting legacy will undoubtedly be the legion of producers, directors, writers and actors he has fostered, among them: Jack Nicholson, Francis Ford Coppola, Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, James Cameron, Ron Howard, Peter Fonda, Jonathan Demme, Gale Anne Hurd, Diane Ladd, Tommy Lee Jones, Sandra Bullock, Bruce Dern, Talia Shire, Charles Bronson, Joe Dante, Carl Franklin, Bill Paxton, Dennis Hopper, Peter Bogdanovich and Sally Kirkland. Shout! Factory is a diversified entertainment company devoted to producing, uncovering and revitalizing the very best of pop culture. Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Fooshave spent their careers sharing their music, television and film faves with discerning consumers the world over. Shout! Factory’s DVD offerings serve up classic, contemporary and cult TV series, riveting sports programs, live music, animation and documentaries in lavish packages crammed with extras. The company’s audio catalogue boasts GRAMMY^®-nominated boxed sets, new releases from storied artists, lovingly assembled album reissues and indispensable “best of” compilations. These riches are the result of a creative acquisitions mandate that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and commercial reinvention. With its fingers on the pulse of pop culture, Shout! Factory continues to impact the entertainment media landscape through acquisition of top quality programming for home entertainment releases. Shout! Factory is based inSanta Monica, California. For more on Shout! Factory, visit www.shoutfactory.com Academy Award^® and Oscar^® are a registered trademark and service mark of the Academy ofMotion Picture Arts and Sciences. Golden Globe^® is a registered trademark of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Emmy^® is a registered trademark of ATAS/NATAS.