Tuesday, March 31, 2009

The Sequel To JJ Abrams Star Trek Reboot Is Already In Spacedock

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Yahoo News

J.J. Abrams "Star Trek" reboot hasn't even hit theaters yet, and already Paramount has begun working on it's sequel. Reportedly the studio is so certain that the film will be a huge hit, that they are getting an early jump on the next installment of what they hope will be a continuing movie series.

Reportedly Paramount is keeping the same production team in place for the new film that was responsible this summers release. J.J Abrams is already on board for the project, which will be co-written by Damon Lindelof, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, all of whom had a hand in creating the first film.

"Obviously we discussed ideas, but we are waiting to see how audiences respond next month," Kurtzman told Variety. "With a franchise rebirth, the first movie has to be about origin. But with a second, you have the opportunity to explore incredibly exciting things. We'll be ambitious about what we'll do."

Paramount is hoping to have a script ready to go by Christmas of this year so that production can start at the beginning of 2010. "Star Trek 2" has already been penciled in as a summer of 2011 release.

This latest "Trek" news comes hot on the heals of the announcement that Bryan Fuller has been writing a script for a brand-new television series based on Abram's new films.

I find it really interesting that Paramount is counting so much on the new "Star Trek" becoming a "huge" hit at the box office this summer. To date none of the prior "Trek" movies have made 'big money'. The highest grossing movie in the series, to date, was the entry from 1986, "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home", which made just over $100,000,000. The last film in the series, "Star Trek: Nemesis" only managed to bring in just over $43,000,000. The rest of the "Star Trek" movies did decently at the box office, but nothing near the figures Paramount is expecting this time around.

It should be noted that the prior films had established casts from both the original "Star Trek" and "Star Trek: The Next Generation", plus a fan base for both programs to bank on. This time around the series is starting off "fresh."

Will fans of J.J. Abrams "Lost" all jump on board for "Star Trek"? ......Time will tell.

See Also: Star Trek Classic Captain Kirk Chair Replica / Star Trek Movie Enterprise Bridge Playset / EE Exclusive Star Trek Original Series Medical Tricorder / Is Star Trek Set To Return To Television? / Star Trek Movie Enterprise Vehicle / The First Lady Of Trek Passes - Majel Barrett-Roddenberry 1932-2008 / Star Trek's Big Bad Monster / Star Trek Retro Series 1 Kirk & Klingon Action Figure Set / The First Photos From Abrams Star Trek / Pegg Makes His Portrayal Of Scotty A Tribute To Doohan / Okay Trekkies Do You Think That You Can Outsmart 20Q? / Simon Pegg Reaches Out To Star Trek Fans / Actress Profile: Rachel Nichols / Shatner Beams Into The Los Angeles Comic Book & Sc Fi Convention / Sci Fi Acquires Ghost Whisperer, Star Trek TNG, Charmed And Mork & Mindy / Star Trek (1966-1969) / Interview - Chase Masterson

New Photos From Brett Kelley's The Scarab

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: Brett Kelly / Avery Guerra

As I have pointed out numerous times, director Brett Kelly is a movie making machine. To date he has been juggling up to four films at one time. The hyperactive film maker just finished up the remake of "Attack of the Giant Leeches" and is still filming the sci fi based "Iron Soldier", the adventure film "Pirates: Quest for Snake Island" and now the superhero driven "The Scarab."

Well Kelly has just revealed the nemesis for his movie adaptation of the rather obscure 1940s comic book hero, "The Scarab."

Okay, guess what a super-villain that fights a hero called "The Scarab" is called? Come on.....take a crack at it......take a wild guess......no, not Ra......try again.......Anubis.......no, wrong again!

I will just tell you......it's The Sphinx. You should have guessed it. Anyway, The Sphinx is being played by Jody Hauke, who also starred in Kelly's "Attack of the Giant Leeches" and two films about space men, go-go girls and Christian holidays.......don't ask.

Here is a new set of photos from "The Scarab", a couple of which show Hauke as The Sphinx:


Star Trek Classic Captain Kirk Chair Replica

Are You Worthy Of Taking The Captains Chair? $2,199.99

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The unbelievable chair measures 41-inches tall x 42-inches wide x 39-inches deep. It weighs about 215 pounds! The working swivel seat with wooden handles, leather seat cover, and armrest controls make this the perfect addition to any collection, display, home theater, or museum! Limited edition of 1,701 pieces worldwide.

Left-hand arm controls include:
Shuttle operation controls
Activation of viewscreen
Hailing frequencies

Right-hand controls include:
Red alert
Yellow alert
Jettison pod
Micro tape player
Intercom controls

Special Bonus! Every purchase also comes with an authentic miniature replica of the Life Size Captain's Chair with Captain James T. Kirk. Show it off in your office, club, work area, or family area where you display all your other Star Trek collectibles!

"Angel" Star Andy Hallett Dies

Above, David Boreanaz and Andy Hallett.

"Angel" Star Andy Hallett Dies

by Armand Vaquer

I generally don't watch television these days except for news programs. But during the past 15 years, the only two shows I made a point to watch were Buffy The Vampire Slayer and its spin-off, Angel.

Sad news has been announced. Actor/musician Andy Hallett, who played Lorne, the green-skinned night-clubbing demon on Angel passed away Sunday of heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 33.

Apparently, Hallett suffered from heart problems the past several years.

Hallett's character, Lorne, assisted the detective agency run by vampire Angel (David Boreanaz) whose mission was to root out demonic and other supernatural threats to the world. The Lorne character added much levity to the show.

Hallett appeared in about 70 episode of Angel. The show ran from 1999 to 2004 and was produced by Joss Whedon.

Lucy Lawless Joins The Cast Of Sam Raimi's Spartacus: Blood and Sand

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: WENN

Sam Raimi is hoping to recapture some of the small screen magic that he had with "Xena Warrior Princess" by casting Lucy Lawless in his latest series, "Spartacus: Blood and Sand." Indeed the New Zealand born actress will be donning the leather once again in another mid-evil series created by the man behind "Xena", "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys", and the "Spider-Man" movie series.

This time around, Lawless will portray will play Lucretia, a Roman slave owner, opposite fellow Aussie actor Andy Whitfield.

"Spartacus: Blood and Sand" will premiere on the Starz cable network in January of 2010.

It was rumored back in November that Lawless would be reprising her Xena role in either a new series or movie based on the series. It appears that the actress's quotes at the time may have been an attempt to hint at this new Sam Raimi production.....or maybe she was just wishful thinking? Regardless, Lucy Lawless fans can look forward to seeing the actress in a similar series to the one that made her famous.

For now, Xena will remain dead.

See Also: Lucy Lawless Is Ready To Resurrect Xena Warrior Princess / Marvel Movie News - Johansson Is The Black Widow - Movies Pushed Back To 2011 / Scarlett Johansson Takes On Xena Type Role / Xena Warrior Princess: Xena Kisses Joxer

The Trailer For Canawati's Haunted Movie Return To Babylon

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Alex Monty Canawati

Director Alex Monty Canawati was kind enough to send along two new images and a link to the trailer on Youtube, for his latest film "Return to Babylon." The film is an interesting look at the scandalous things that were going on behind the scenes during the golden era of silent films in Hollywood. "Babylon" stars the notoriously sexy Jennifer Tilly as the iconic Clara Bow in this silent movie about silent movies.

Oh, did I forget to mention that this film is 'haunted'?

Indeed Canawati insists that the production of "Return to Babylon" was haunted by the very same silent film stars that the modern day actors were portraying. Reportedly the cast, most notably, Jennifer Tilly, felt as if they weren't alone on the set.

When the film went into post-production, ghostly images were discovered on the film. Some times the apparitions would even manifest themselves over the actors faces creating horrifying images.

Now, many people contend that this is some sort of a hoax put on by Canawati as a publicity stunt to draw more attention to his film. However, the director, and his star actress, contend that this is not the case.

Canawati explains, "Jennifer Tilly was the first to sense these apparitions. Actual shooting took place in the estates where many of these silents stars lived. It was spooky."

Well, whether you believe that the film is haunted or not, "Return to Babylon" looks like a sexy journey back in time to an era when "acting scandalous" was just as important as "acting well" in Hollywood.

Here is the propaganda:

RETURN TO BABYLON is director Alex Monty Canawati's scary, sexy and often bitingly funny look at 1920's Hollywood and the scandals that rocked the silent-movie era. Hand-cranked and scored by piano true to form, Maria Conchita Alonso, Jennifer Tilly, Debi Mazar, Ione Skye and Tippi Hedren light up the screen in this saucy silent film that's screaming to be heard.

BABYLON is an episodic film, stringing together the lives of scandalous Clara Bow (Jennifer Tilly), fiery Mexican film star Lupe Verez (Maria Conchita Alonso) and husband Johnny 'Tarzan' Weissmuller, ill-fated Virginia Rappe (Ione Skye) and rapist-murderer Fatty Arbuckle, Gloria Swanson (Debi Mazar), Ramon Navarro (Phillip Bloch), Josephine Baker (Rolonda Watts), Rudolph Valentino (Alex Monty Canawati) and a host of others. Turner Classic Movie fans, rejoice!

The tragicomic biopic is sure to be a hit amongst paranormal enthusiasts as well. In the film, as well as here in the trailer, the star-studded cast will occasionally -- and mysteriously -- morph into unnerving and almost "Christ-like" characters in just single frames. The production was also allegedly haunted as actress Jennifer Tilly mentioned on the "Tonight Show" with Jay Leno.Watch the trailer!



See Also: Ghostly Images Appear In The Jennifer Tilly Film Return To Babylon

Monday, March 30, 2009

Is There Room Enough In This Galaxy For Another Plan 9 Remake?


Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: Christopher Kahler / Avery Guerra

To a lot of horror and sci fi movie fans the title "Plan 9 From Outer Space" holds a certain place in their hearts. The movie is considered by many to be one of the worst, if not the worst, science fiction films ever produced. Of course, many of us who are sci fi fanatics, can list some films that may indeed be bigger piles of dung, "Robot Monster" comes to mind at the moment. Regardless, the Ed Wood 'classic' seems like a very unlikely candidate for a remake, yet there are two, count em, two remakes in the works.

Way back in May of last year it was revealed that director John Johnson was making a 50th anniversary homage to the film. Well, now we have Christopher Kahler making his own "Plan 9" remake called, "Grave Robbers From Outer Space."

Kahler is taking on many different tasks for "Grave Robbers", including writer, director and possibly, actor as well. The director, however, still hasn't made up his mind if he wants to step in front of the camera or not, ".... (I)might have a cameo as one of the grave diggers, but I'm definitely not doing this so I can be 'the star' of it, like so many filmmakers tend to do. That just seems to be self serving and ridiculous."

The film maker has also decided to name of couple of the marquee characters that Ed Wood left nameless in his film, "The Bela (Lugosi) and Vampira characters are named Phineas and Mera since neither had names in the original 'Plan 9 From Outer Space'."

Kahler even wants to expand even further on the original story in areas that the original never touched on, for good reasons at the time, "Our version has a back story as to why someone as old as Bela in the original was married to sexy young Vampira. All of that got skipped over since he was dead by time 'Plan 9' started shooting and she refused to have any dialogue."

The director has already cast his female vampire lead. Kimberly Bendix (Photo Above) will be reprising the iconic role that Vampira made....well famous.

Kahler's cast also includes Dawn Oswald (as Paula Trent)(Photo Below #2), Leann Van Mol (as Tanna)(Photo Below #1), and Ron Blair (as Inspector Daniel Clay)(Photo Below #3). Also included in the cast is David "The Rock" Nelson, an ultra-low-budget film maker who fans either love or hate, depending on who you talk to. Anyway, he is a colorful individual, who is certain to make the production interesting to say the least.

I think that Ed Wood would pleased that two film makers are making a remake of "Plan 9 From Outer Space", although I would believe that even he would question the validity of the projects.

Maybe one "Plan 9" was all this universe needed?



The Triumphant Return Of Mazinger Z

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: Anime News Network / August Ragone

In April "Mazinger Z" will return in a big way! The famed giant robot franchise is returning both as a brand new animated series, and as a new manga series also.

In the June issue of Champion RED magazine, which hits newsstands April 18th, Go Nagai, will launch a brand-new manga series entitled, "Shin Mazinger Zero". Writer Yoshiaki Tabata and artist Yūki Yogo are combining forces on the new series, which reportedly is an "entirely new Mazinger legend." In other words, hopes to re-launch the series, which came to popularity in the early 1970s'.

Likewise, on April 4th, "Shin Mazinger Shōgeki! Z-Hen" will begin airing on Japanese television. Yasuhiro Imagawa is both directing and writing this new Mazinger series, which, despite rumors to the contrary, is not a remake of the original series. In fact the shows creators are very adamant about making sure everyone understands that "Shin Mazinger Shōgeki! Z-Hen" is not a remake, but a brand-new, unique, series.

Recently, several publications got quite a ear full from the shows production team, when they published the term, "remake" in articles about the series.

Go Nagai and his Dynamic Planning studio, along with Shinji Takeuchi, are designing the main characters, while Bandai's Tsuyoshi Nonaka is designing the Mazinger Z robot and the franchise's trademark enemies, the Kikaijū (mechanical monsters). Akira Miyagawa is reportedly composing the music, and BEEMEDIA and CODE are producing the animation.

It has been over a decade since Banpresto approached Go Nagai about creating an advanced version of his famous mecha, the Great Mazinger, for the later stages of their Super Robot Wars video game. The design Nagai came up with, Mazinkaiser, is arguably the most powerful mecha ever created. The robot proved to be so popular that it was eventually added to the Mazinger canon (storyline). In 1999 a seven episode OVA (Original Video Animation) anime series was produced to tell the origin of the mecha.

"Mazinger Z" aired here in America under the name "Tranzor Z" shortly after "Robotech" became popular. Many American children also got to play with a 3 foot tall Mazinger, which was released as part of Mattel’s Shogun Warrior line of toys in the late 1970s’.



See Also: Brand New Photos From Won Shin-yeon's Taekwon V / Mazinger Z Jumbo Grendizer 24-Inch Figure / Two Great New Video Clips Of Robot Taekwon V / Great Mazinger TOP Collection #5 Statue / Production Has Begun On The Live-Action Robot Taekwon V Movie / TOP Collection Mazinger Z Figure / Mazinkaiser (1999)(2001) OVA / Mazinkaiser Revoltech Action Figure

A Close Encounter With Bigfoot - Highway 180 - Arizona

Written By: Ken Hulsey

It is a slow news day, and a lot of readers have wanted me to post the story of my own personal encounter with Bigfoot, so here it is.

Way back in July of 1990 an ex-girlfriend and I were returning from a trip out to California, (I lived in New Mexico at the time) when we decided to stop by the Grand Canyon. My ex had never seen the canyon, so we decided to take the detour off I-40 and give it a look.

We spent a couple of hours along the rim of the canyon admiring the scenery. It was starting to get towards evening and the sun was beginning to set, so we decided to pack it in and start back on our long journey home. Being the typical male that I am, I pulled out my trusty road map to see if there was a shortcut back to the highway. I quickly discovered that Highway 180 cut through the mountains and led straight back to I-40 in Flagstaff. This route would save us a ton of time, so we headed out from the Grand Canyon towards our destination.

The trip started out normal enough. Just a typical drive through the mountains. There were few cars on the highway that evening, as I remember it, and the road was kinda curvy....winding through the mountains. By this time the sun had set and it was getting dark.

This is when it happened.

I remember coming around a curve in the highway and there was a long straight-away in front of us before the road turned again.

As we began to proceed down the straight section, we both noticed a very large animal walking down the right side of the road. Since I had just came out of a curve, the car wasn't moving very fast, and when I saw the animal, I slowed the car even further.

I remember my ex exclaiming, "Is that a bear?"

As we came closer to the animal, it became apparent quickly that what we were looking at was not a bear. There was a very large, hairy, mass walking away from us on two legs. I can still remember the arms swaying as it strolled naturally down the side of the road away from us.

As we got closer, about 50 yards or more as I remember it, the cars headlights shown past the creature. I was at that time that our companion on the highway became aware of our presence. It stopped, and I stopped.

I remember this vividly, the animal went to turn around to get a look at us. Now this was odd, because the animal had no neck, or not much of one, so it couldn't turn it's head to look at us, it had to turn its whole upper body.

That apparently wasn't good enough for the creature so it turned around completely to face us.

I remember my ex saying nervously, "What the hell is that?" I don't think that I answered her. I just sat there in amazement at what I was looking at, somehow trying to wrap my my mind around it.

What was there before us was this giant.....well ape. It was about seven to eight feet tall (about the same height as a road sign to my estimation), covered in brown fur, large....with very little definition. That is to say that it didn't have a typical human build. Kinda built like a 'brick-wall', like football lineman, large from head to toe.

Facially the animal looked a lot like a character from "Planet of the Apes." There were areas on the face that looked 'hairless', mostly around the eyes, nose and mouth. The eyes were like a cats, they reflected green in the light from the cars headlights. Overall looking very much like a 'great ape'.

The animal was covered in very 'shaggy' fur, possibly an inch or more in length. On the arms the hair was twice as long or so, than it was on the head and body. The color was mostly a chocolate brown color, but I remember there being lighter spots in some areas.

I had heard enough stories from my father, who was an avid hunter and owned a gun shop that catered to hunters, and seen enough TV to know exactly what we were confronted with, a Bigfoot.

The Bigfoot was very curious about us and our car. I could read it's facial expressions. I remember that I wasn't scared, the animal never acted in an aggressive manor.It just seemed to be as perplexed about my ex and I, as we were about it.

I remember the Bigfoot paused, and rubbed its tong across its front teeth, again in curiosity, like it was calculating it's next move.

It took one or two steps towards us and my ex went ballistic. Apparently she took the moves as a sign that it was going to attack us, I thought that it was just coming over to get a better look at us, anyway she pushed back into her seat and began screaming. The Bigfoot stopped its forward approach when she went off. Puzzled by the commotion, it stopped, then took two long strides into the timber, disappearing from site.

My girlfriend stopped her panic attack and we sat there silently looking at the spot where the creature once stood. I think we sat there for some time before I snapped out of my trance and decided to get out of there in case the Bigfoot came back.

I remember driving over onto the left hand side of the road, just in case the creature can charging out of the woods at us or something.

We looked into the woods as we drove past the spot where it had been, and saw nothing.

Amazingly after we had gotten back on I-40 in Flagstaff, we both acted as if nothing had happened.

In the days, and months, after our encounter, my girlfriend refused to talk about the incident. We, of course, broke up months later, and I haven't seen her since.

For years I kept the story about my run-in with Bigfoot to myself. I didn't want to be ridiculed, or called a liar, so I kept quite about it.

It wasn't until my wife April and I had been married for a few years that I shared the story with her. She was always perplexed at why I was so obsessive about TV shows and books about Bigfoot, so I told her my story. At first she had a hard time believing it, but she knows that I am an honest person, and she has seen how emotional I have been about it. She believes me now.

Wanting to help serious efforts to study the animal, I submitted my story to the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization in 2005 (You can read the report - HERE). I was interviewed not too long after that by Cliff Barackman about the encounter. Barackman, who has done extensive research in both Arizona and California, told me that my sighting was just one of several that had been reported in that same area, that same year.

Now I know some of you out there are not going to believe me, that's okay, I don't care if you do or don't. I know what I saw.

You never ever believe in these sort of things, until they are right in front of you. Seeing is definitely believing!

See Also: Soviet Scientists Still On The Trail Of Bigfoot / James Baack Is Conjuring Up A Bloody Bigfoot Movie In 3D / New Photos From Shawn Hunt's Bigfoot Horror The Shrieking / The Legend Of Boggy Creek (1972) / Has A Good Bigfoot DNA Sample Finally Been Found? / A Team Lead By A Russian Priest Search For Bigfoot In Siberia / Allyson Mitchell Believes The True Symbol Of Female Brains And Sexuality Is.....Sasquatch? / Does The RCMP Have A Bigfoot On Ice? / Sci Fi Orders Another Season Of Destination Truth / If Your looking For Ghosts Go To The Aokigahara Forest In Japan / Cryptozoological Figure Set / Southeastern Ohio Society For Bigfoot Investigation Holds Meatings To Discuss Sightings / Are Russian Female Bigfoot Looking For Human Mates? / Bigfoot Stalking Mormons In Houston / Nasa Photo Shows Human-like Figure On Mars / Another Knucklehead Comes Forward To Claim That He Created Pattersons Bigfoot / Recent Reports Lead To The Possibility Of A Large Bigfoot Population Near Houston BC / Monster Quest Is In Colorado Searching For Bigfoot / The Sci Fi Channel Travels Into The Unknown With Unexplained With George Noory This Month / Recent Bigfoot Sightings In BC Suggest Bear-Like Migration

Friday, March 27, 2009

Monsters vs Aliens (2009)(Dreamworks)

Source: Dreamworks

When California girl Susan Murphy (REESE WITHERSPOON) is unwittingly clobbered by a meteor full of outer space gunk on her wedding day, she mysteriously grows to 49-feet-11-inches tall. The military jumps into action and Susan is captured and put into a secret government compound. There, she is renamed Ginormica and held along with a ragtag group of Monsters: the brilliant but insect-headed Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D. (HUGH LAURIE); the macho half-ape, half-fish, The Missing Link (WILL ARNETT); the gelatinous and indestructible B.O.B. (SETH ROGEN); and the 350-foot grub called Insectosaurus. Their confinement is cut short, however, when a mysterious alien robot lands on Earth and begins storming the country. In a moment of desperation, The President (STEPHEN COLBERT) is persuaded to enlist the motley crew of Monsters to combat the alien robot and save the world from imminent destruction.

Other stars in this out-of-this-world ensemble include RAINN WILSON as Gallaxhar, the megalomaniac responsible for the alien robots and looking to replicate a new world in his own image; KIEFER SUTHERLAND as General W.R. Monger, an armed forces lifer who's finally found a use for his collection of detained Monsters...battling the alien invader; and PAUL RUDD as Derek Dietl, Susan's selfish fiancé, who has outgrown his current weatherman position and aspires to network news greatness.

For centuries, tales of monsters, creatures and otherworldly beings have delighted, entertained, terrified, and intrigued people of every culture throughout the world. The works of literary masters passed down through the ages eventually made their way to Hollywood and so was born the "creature feature" and, eventually, the science-fiction flick. In many a sci-fi movie or television series of the 1950s and '60s, the genesis of the tale often began with the interception of a strange signal beamed from a planet in another galaxy, usually underscored by the requisite spooky organ music. Aliens would then arrive, and either wallop or teach Earth's inhabitants a thing or two about getting along in the universe.

The tale of "Monsters vs. Aliens," however, originates from a few very earthbound sources-behind the walls of the Glendale, California campus of DreamWorks Animation with two veteran feature film directors named Rob Letterman and Conrad Vernon.

The mere mention of the word 'monster'-especially when paired with the word 'alien'-customarily lights up the eyes of any filmmaker (like Letterman and Vernon) who ever spent a Saturday afternoon planted in front of the television, watching a black-and-white cautionary tale (Don't mess with Mother Nature! Radioactive fallout renders creatures gigantic!) in the form of a 1950s 'B' movie.


Not only were Letterman and Vernon enormous fans of the films, they were also heavily influenced by the style of the poster art of the genre. The evolving style of "Monsters vs. Aliens" was influenced not only by 'B' movies from the '50s and their printed advertising, but also from the Mad magazines of the period, which boasted the likes of iconic and influential illustrators Jack Davis, Don Martin and Jack Rickard. (Savvy viewers will recognize the homage to these sources during the war room playback of archival footage of the pre-capture sprees of Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D., The Missing Link, B.O.B. and Insectosaurus.)

Letterman had just finished helming the Oscar®-nominated DreamWorks Animation hit "Shark Tale" when he scheduled a meeting with CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg to discuss his next project. "He asked me to take a look at a project that was in development about monsters," recalls Letterman. "I had always wanted to do a comedy, kind of like the film 'The Dirty Dozen.' Oddly enough, it turned out to be a way to do my 'Dirty Dozen' comedy, as the Monsters are a type of rogue team that goes up against aliens invading the Earth...and so I loved the idea."

For Vernon, the tale of the fantastical group's clash began some 6,000 miles away. The director offers, "I was in Cannes for 'Shrek 2,' and I was looking over an early draft of the project. I saw that it had an element of a 1950s 'B' movie, which I had never before seen in animation. I thought that was a really interesting concept to tackle and how great it would be if we could give this gang of misfit Monsters personalities, and satirize those kinds of films at the same time. I especially thought it would be fun, since we pay homage to different styles of filmmaking and different genres of film. I thought that would be pretty interesting to try and take on."

For Letterman, teaming up with fellow monster movie lover Vernon had great promise: "Conrad's really great, a talented director and storyboard artist and a voice talent as well...I mean, he's the voice of the Gingerbread Man [from the 'Shrek' movies].

It was a great advantage, because he could do all of the actors' voices-he impersonates every single person in the cast. So while we were developing the story, we could build the movie while we were waiting for our chance with the actors. That was just one wonderful side benefit. We really bounce off each other well."


Vernon was also more than comfortable with sharing the "Monsters vs. Aliens" director's chair: "From the beginning, we didn't try to delineate jobs, but rather to create a back-and-forth way of working. We were in constant contact, pitching ideas about scenes and characters to each other. Our goal all along was to create a cohesive and entertaining film, and we did that by keeping each other in the loop. That assured that we both stayed on the same page about every aspect of the film, and we weren't off separately making two very different projects. Always being clear about what film we were making-that kept it on track."

Meanwhile, a world away (well, in the alternate universe of the live-action world, anyway), a producer was being recruited to join the MvA-ers. Lisa Stewart-who has worked on such titles as "Almost Famous" and "Jerry Maguire"-took a meeting, and her life took an unexpected turn...

"When Jeffrey Katzenberg calls, you take the meeting," recalls Stewart. A talented and successful live-action film producer, Stewart had just wrapped production on a film and was looking forward to a break when she got the call to meet with Katzenberg and tour the studio's Glendale animation campus.

It was on that tour that Stewart's fate was sealed. "I saw this really great iconic image of Susan," explains Stewart. "She was sitting on the roof of a gas station. Her fiancé has just dumped her; she's taking stock of her life. It was such an evocative image. I thought to myself, 'This is a woman I want to know, I want to tell her story, I want to be a part of that world!'" The matter that she had never worked in animation did not intimidate Stewart in the least: "Great storytelling is great storytelling, and I had to see Susan's story through."

The fact that Susan's story arc appealed to Stewart comes as no surprise. Throughout her career, the producer has a track record of bringing to the screen strong female characters, and the casting of Reese Witherspoon cinched the deal. "I've known Reese for a number of years as a friend and, when I found out she had been cast as Susan, I thought it would finally be a great opportunity to work with her." Two co-producers also joined the gathering bunch, Jill Hopper Desmarchelier and Latifa Ouaou. Together, the pair can boast of more than 25 years of production experience at DreamWorks Animation, and that experience was put to good use by Stewart and the directors.


The choice of the actors lending their voices to the cast of "Monsters vs. Aliens" (MvA) was anything but spontaneous. Filmmakers put together their wish lists of names and some initial calls were made. But sometimes, being the right filmmakers in the right place at the right time proved serendipitous, and a certain leading lady heeded her own inner call to join the MvA crusade.

Director Letterman relates, "The first time Reese Witherspoon came in and we actually met her, Jeffrey brought her by the studio and gave her a tour-he was basically showing her all the movies going on to see what she would respond to. Conrad and I were waiting and she came in, and we gave her a basic pitch of the idea of the movie and explained to her that we really wanted to make the female lead the hero character to balance out the dudes in the film. When she heard that her eyes just lit up."

"Reese connected to the story and character of Susan," adds Vernon. "She e-mailed Jeffrey later that day and said she wanted to come onboard!"

For producer Stewart, a big draw to the project was similar to Witherspoon's: "I love the idea of this ordinary woman thrown into this extraordinary world. The monster characters are so funny and individual, and this idea of a small-town girl from Modesto, California suddenly becoming part of this outrageous crew-thrust into this situation in which she has to fight off an alien invasion-it was inventive and funny."

The Oscar®-winning actress explains, "I like that she is a regular girl who learns to value herself. She starts the movie where she thinks she has everything going for her in her life. She's about to be married. She's got this great guy. She's really ready to start a life that she thinks is the right life for her. In one twist of fate, she has to really face the fact that she never really wanted much from herself, never really learned to value what was great about her as an individual. I think that is a journey that a lot of people can relate to. Susan is a great character, and it's fun to see somebody become a superhero-to suddenly have that kind of super strength. Don't we all sort of dream about those things?"


Gallaxhar is the power-hungry alien commander bent on annihilating the Earth's population and replacing the inhabitants with countless clones of himself. He can and will fire a beam that decimates anything in its path.

Letterman asserts, "He's the ultimate megalomaniac, because he wants to take over the universe with copies of himself. We thought Rainn Wilson would be so perfect, as he could give a new take on that alien overlord villain thing. We really wanted Gallaxhar to be a unique villain."

Wilson himself discloses, "This has been an incredible process, because I've never done an animated film before. Early on, we were just playing around with the character and trying to find it. At first, the alien was much more comedic and we did a lot of funny voice stuff. And then they realized that no-especially in the second half of the movie-he's got to be a real threat; they wanted the voice to be much more menacing and evil. So we took the stuff that we had been playing with and focused it into a force of pure megalomaniacal evil. That's kind of where it came from."

Ask anyone who's ever participated in a team sport, and they'll tell you that a group is only as strong as its weakest member. When it came time to fill the ranks of the "Monsters vs. Aliens" filmmaking squad, directors Letterman and Vernon, producer Stewart and co-producers Hopper Desmarchelier and Ouaou gathered an all-star film crew, including such star players as: head of layout Damon O'Beirne ("Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas"); production designer David James ("Flushed Away"); film editors Joyce Arrastia ("Shrek the Third") and Eric Dapkewicz ("Flushed Away"); head of character animation David Burgess ("Bee Movie"); visual effects supervisor Ken Bielenberg ("Shrek the Third"); digital supervisor Mahesh Ramasubramanian ("Bee Movie"); and stereoscopic supervisor Phil Captain 3D McNally.

Production designer David James-whose job it is to help conceptualize, develop, shepherd and maintain the distinct look of the film, along with visual effects supervisor Ken Bielenberg-states perhaps what many in the crew felt about signing on to the project: "When I heard the title, I said, 'Yes, absolutely.' It's every kid's dream job. I was in a conversation with a guy a couple months ago who is an investment banker, and I was trying to explain to him what I did, and he stopped me halfway through and said, 'That's not a job, mate.' This one, in particular, is about as much fun as you can have and still get paid."

While live-action film editors customarily begin work after some of the film has been shot, Joyce Arrastia and Eric Dapkewicz were at the ready just as soon as activity on the title began, working in the storyboard phase to help shape the project, and both remained with it throughout production.

As with any animated film, story and designs evolve and change as the feature is honed and focused. What may begin as one thing, morphs into another. The high-concept comedy of "Monsters vs. Aliens" began design life a bit more, well, comic, but along the way the settings underwent an overall change and became more reality-based. Designer James explains, "Silly things are not quite as silly when they take place in silly environments. It's always very nice to have juxtaposition, so that the audience can actually feel the grandeur and scale of this place. We'll let the action and characters be the funniest thing. And let the sets and the environments blend into and from a real place."

Co-producer Latifa Ouaou also states, "Adding in the actors is one of the most enjoyable parts of the process. The way in which we make an animated film is pretty calculated, clearly, with a lot of planning. And so, when we finally get to the actors, they get to bring something else to the process-which gives us the opportunity to go back and play with it, improve it. So things that change represent a creative challenge for us, which is great."

Visual effects supervisor Bielenberg explains further: "I thought that this was going to be a big challenge, and it was. We had to have a very stylized shape language for certain aspects, like the characters, that are fairly stylized and pushed. Certain aspects of the environments are also pushed, so they're a little bit off-kilter. But the texturing and the lighting are very realistic, and so we had an interesting blend of characterization and stylization together with realism."

But a scientist with a cockroach head? A five-story woman? Again, James: "Now, that said, our characters are caricatures. And that informs the design of everything, from cars to plates, oven parts, curtains-everything is going to have a slightly different proportion so that the characters, whose proportions are different from natural proportions, don't feel out of place in their world."

"Monsters vs. Aliens" represents a first for the studio...the first film totally authored in the 3D format-and not just any 3D format. InTru(tm) 3D combines DreamWorks Animation's state-of-the-art, proprietary authoring tools with the latest Intel technology, allowing artists to tell a more compelling story and give filmgoers a more exciting, immersive 3D movie experience. The ongoing use of InTru(tm) 3D (from "Monsters vs. Aliens" forward) is not just something employed by DreamWorks, but rather a mature, enhanced medium that enables filmmakers a better way to tell their stories-in an entirely new and innovative manner.

Katzenberg reflects, "I think that the innovation of the new generation of 3D has the opportunity to change the movie experience in a way that literally has not happened since we went from black-and-white to color. When you say, '3D,' I know that people think of those cheesy old glasses and rinky-dink special effects of reaching out into the audience. That kind of moviemaking is a theme park attraction more than it is movies or storytelling. But, I think that what has happened now-and it's only in these last 18 months or two years-is a convergence of the tools that enable us to make and exhibit 3D films in such an innovative way that the resulting breathtaking experience will change the way people think of movies."

See Also: 3D Monsters And Aliens Invade The Super Bowl

The Creature From The Black Lagoon Musical

Written By: Ken Hulsey

Okay, I honestly let this one slip past me somehow. I just heard about this, so forgive me if this is old news to you, but it is new to me.

The folks over at Universal Studios are putting on a live stage show based on the 1954 monster classic, "Creature From The Black Lagoon." If that sounds like a bad idea, just wait, it's a musical.......no, I'm not kidding.

The "Broadway-like" production is reportedly going feature lively musical numbers, comedy and a romantic story.

I don't know whether laugh, cry or throw up? Maybe all three would be appropriate.

Wait.......were all of you hiding this from me? Were you trying to protect me? You had to know that I would find out eventually......

Sorry.....

Anyway, yes this one got past me. As I understand it, this was officially announced last June.

Here is the official propaganda on the "Creature From The Black Lagoon Musical":

Drawn from Universal’s crypt of classic monsters and updated with spectacular Broadway production values and special effects, “Creature from the Black Lagoon—The Musical,” will rise, live, on stage at Universal Studios Hollywood beginning spring, 2009.

With state-of-the-art stagecraft, acrobatic choreography and hilarious, toe-tapping music, the Creature will be brought to life in a story based on the original screenplay, updated to emphasize the element of romance and just a bit of comic relief. Original new music and dazzling production numbers will keep the attraction contemporary and lively.

Audiences will be immersed in the ominous environment of the deepest Amazon, enveloped by the exotic sounds and scents of the jungle. And from the production’s first moments, they’ll be thrust into an unexpectedly outrageous, strangely romantic, frequently melodic and often hilarious adventure as a monster classic is re-imagined for the 21st Century.

“Creature from the Black Lagoon—The Musical,” will be staged as an attraction within the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park. Admission will be included in the price of theme park tickets and annual passes.

You know I am going to see this. I love "Creature From The Black Lagoon" too much not to be curious.

I will also be buying up the merchandise to add to my collection.

Ben Chapman is probably rolling over in his grave......rest his soul.

Damn it!


This Is Not A Joke!......It's not April Fools Day yet........

See Also: King Kong, Godzilla And The Creature From The Black Lagoon At The Rose Parade / The Most Talked About Stories Of 2008 / The Top Ten Hottest Monsters Of 2008 / Life Magazine Discovers Rare Publicity Photos From Creature From The Black Lagoon - Update! / Life Magazine Discovers Rare Publicity Photos From Creature From The Black Lagoon / The Witch's Dungeon 40 Years Of Chills An Amazing Tribute To The Golden Age Of Horror / Creature From The Black Lagoon / The Creature No Longer Walks Among Us - Ben Chapman (1928 - 2008) / The Creature From The Black Lagoon Polystone Diorama / Universal Monsters Creature From The Black Lagoon Head Knocker / The Creature From The Black Lagoon Film Cell / 1:4 Scale Creature From The Black Lagoon Statue

King Kong And Godzilla Invade The London Subway

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Islington Tribune / The Stage

London commuters got quite a surprise yesterday, when both King Kong and Godzilla invaded two subway stations during rush hour. The reason for the two internationally famous monsters to take their battle into the Underground was a publicity stunt to promote the stage play, "Men of Monsters."

Indeed the two monsters (both men in suites) caused quite a stir. At first, subway security didn't know how to handle the situation, until they learned the whole thing was all in fun, then they joined in the frivolity.

Station supervisor Jan Dukes said: “I was trying to control the crowds and here was this gorilla cavorting about with his friend Godzilla. When we heard it was all part of a play all the staff wanted to have their picture taken with them. It was great fun.”

"Men of Monsters" is the creation of director James Blakey and playwright Matt Borgatti. Their play centers around two events, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the filming of King Kong vs Godzilla in Hollywood. The action goes back and forth from the tense "real-life" drama of a world on the brink of destruction, to a movie set where 'over-the-top' cliche actors in rubber suites are making a B monster movie.

I don't want to be the one to tell them that "King Kong vs Godzilla" was filmed in Japan, not in Hollywood...

Anyway, the play is supposed to be a comedy that points out the dichotomy of how life would be going on as 'normal', while the two super-powers were about to snuff out life on Earth.

It is unknown if King Kong and Godzilla will be traveling by subway again any time soon.

See Also: King Kong vs Godzilla (1962)(Toho) / G-FEST XVI To Host Kenji Sahara / Photo Of The Week - Godzilla Goes On A Date / New Wooden Godzilla Figures Cost More Than Most Cars / Rare Video - Haruo Nakajima Puts On The Godzilla Suite One Last Time For Magazine Shoot / Toho Is Renting Out Godzilla And MechaGodzilla Movie Costumes / Yumiko Shaku Looks For love At The Blood Bank / Godzilla To Add His Fire To Hot Atlanta / Godzilla Vs The Netherlands / You Can Do Anything But Lay Off Of My Kaiju Shoes / Haruo "Godzilla" Nakajima Turns 80 /King Kong, Godzilla And The Creature From The Black Lagoon At The Rose Parade / The Top Ten Hottest Monsters Of 2008 / Godzilla Rodan Ultraman And Mothra Invade The Miami Beach Art Scene / James Morrow Satirizes Hollywood, Secret Goverment Projects And Godzilla In Shambling Towards Hiroshima / Godzilla 3D Poster / Will Silent Night Be Replaced By Godzilla Christmas? / Rare Sci Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Items Go Up For Auction / Godzilla Godzooky Plush / Todd Tennant To Return To Godzilla 94 / Breaking News! Godzilla Spotted In Chiba.....Wait....Its A Tree! / A New Godzilla Board Game Is In The Early Development Stage / Mom! I Want A 1/100 Scale Radio Controled MechaGodzilla For Christmas! / G-FAN #85

"Famous Monsters" Trademark Injunction Won By Philip Kim

Above, a vintage issue of Famous Monsters of Filmland.

"Famous Monsters" Trademark Injunction Won By Philip Kim

by Armand Vaquer

The matter over the trademark rights of Famous Monsters of Filmland has taken a sudden and dramatic turn.

David Colton at the Classic Horror Film Board is reporting today that Philip Kim has won a federal injunction against Ray Ferry and Connie Bean over the Famous Monsters of Filmland trademark.

Colton reported:

In a major turning point in the seven-year legal struggle over ownership of Famous Monsters, a federal court Wednesday issued a strongly-worded injunction against Ray Ferry and Connie Bean, ordering them to end all use of the "Famous Monsters" trademark and to stop operating their websites.

Granting a request from Philip Kim, a producer who purchased the Famous Monsters trademark for $25,000 at a bankruptcy sale in 2007, Judge Gary Allen Feess of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, concluded:

"Defendants are hereby ENJOINED from operating the famousmonsters.com, famousmonsters.biz, and filmlandclassics.com websites, and from marketing, selling, or offering to sell any goods or services that contain, or are confusingly similar to, the 'Famous Monsters of Filmland' trademark, or any derivatives thereof, including 'Famous Monsters,' until the present litigation has been fully resolved.

"Defendants failure to comply with this Order may be grounds for contempt sanctions, including possible imprisonment. In addition, Defendants are cautioned that they are not to impose upon this Court any further baseless or frivolous arguments that are directly contradicted or undermined by the evidence in the record, including those that the Court has expressly rejected in this Order.''


This Famous Monsters battle has been an ongoing and sad state of affairs ever since Ferry revived Famous Monsters magazine that later led to a falling out with former Famous Monsters editor, the late Forrest J. Ackerman over tradmark issues. Ackerman won his trademark lawsuits.

Will this prevent future issues of Famous Monsters from seeing print? Right now the matter is in a state of flux. Ray Ferry and Connie Bean, don't plan to roll over without a fight.

I checked the Filmland Classics message board and found no comments from either Ray Ferry or Connie Bean. However, Colton quotes Connie Bean as saying:

"Right now we have no comment until we read it. Also, I caution you all to realize that we will have our day in court. We don't have to react to anything until we are served with it, so that is what we will do. I am assuming according to what I do know, that we move ahead with Shock and Freaky and go from there."

Apparently, neither Ferry or Bean have been served with the injunction at this writing.

It appears that this litigation will ultimately lead to a final resolution of the whole Famous Monsters trademark issue. The federal court seems to think that Kim has a strong case and will prevail.

To read the CHFB forum thread, go here.

The First Teaser Poster For Brian Pulido's The Graves

Source: Luke Fisher (Mischief Maker Studios)

THE GRAVES TEASER POSTER #1 (of 8)

Megan and Abby Graves are inseparable sisters. Megan is a self-assured ass kicker. Abby is a caustic, Hot Topic Goth afraid of her own shadow. They couldn't be less alike, but they share a life-long obsession with comics, pop culture and rock ‘n’ roll. Simply put, they are beautiful geeks.

In a few days, Megan will start a new job in New York. To send her off in style, the sisters go on a trip to uncharted Arizona in search of kitchy roadside attractions.

Instead, they’re lured to Skull City Mine, an abandoned mine town. But Skull City is anything but abandoned -- and there’s no way out.

The sisters are now prey, forced to unleash their most primitive instincts in a desperate fight for survival against unspeakable horrors -- both human and supernatural:

Caleb aka “Pig Man” (Bill Moseley) the twisted, wife-seeking serial killer, Reverend Abraham Stockton (Tony Todd), the insane leader of The Church of Devout Ascension, Deacon Luke (D. Randall Blythe), the church’s enforcer who is quite possibly a cannibal, Darlene Atwood (Amanda Wyss), the seemingly friendly waitress at Screamer’s diner who delivers tourists to their doom, Jonah Lee Atwood (Shane Stevens) - the ruthlessly efficient, reluctant killer and “Mama” Heinbecker (Barbara Glover) – the cold-hearted ticket taker who’s “handy” with knitting needles.

When Megan suffers a mortal wound, Abby must save her sister, but to do so, she must confront her fears and unlock the mystery of Skull City alone.

Can Abby survive Skull City’s threats? Can she rescue Megan or are the Graves doomed to a fate much worse than death?

Comic book “Horror Master” Brian Pulido (Lady Death, Evil Ernie) makes his feature debut with an intense, action-packed, mind-bender of a horror flick. The Graves is produced by Mischief Maker Studios and Brian & Dean Ronalds of Ronalds Brothers Productions. Francisca Pulido is the Production Designer and Adam Goldfine is the DP.

Photo by: www.DianaPrice.com

For more info:
visit www.TheGravesMovie.com.
http://www.juspanproductions.com
www.BrianPulido.com

See Also: Photos And Website Info For Brian Pulido's The Graves

Watchmen Movie Rorschach Action Figure

Take Him Home....Or Else He Will Kick You Ass! $17.99

Watchmen Movie Rorschach Action Figure

The wait for Watchmen is finally over!
But who's watching them?

Exquisitely sculpted and detailed action figures.

Watch the movie and collect all the characters! The wait for Watchmen is finally over! But who's watching them? These excellently detailed characters from the movie are 6 1/4 to 6 3/4-inch tall action figures that feature exquisite sculpting along with multiple points of articulation and presentation bases. Each comes packaged in a 4-color window box, ready to protect you and watch over your collection!

Rorschach-- the washed-up, masked vigilante-- is offered here. Add him to your ragtag group of superheroes and save the day!

A complex, multilayered mystery adventure, Watchmen is set in an 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society, and the "Doomsday Clock" (which charts the USA's tension with the Soviet Union) is permanently set at 5 minutes to midnight. When one of his former colleagues is murdered, the washed-up but no less determined, masked vigilante Rorschach sets out to uncover a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects with his former crime-fighting legion-- a ragtag group of retired superheroes, only one of whom has true powers-- Rorschach glimpses a wide-ranging and disturbing conspiracy with links to their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the future. Their mission is to watch over humanity… but who's watching the Watchmen?

See Also: Watchmen (2009)(Warner Bros/Paramount) / Watchmen - UK River Event - 4th March 2009 / Watchmen - From Panels To Frames / This Week Clips From Watchmen Will Be Popping Up All Over / Watchmen - World Premiere - Photo Gallery / Watchmen - Malin Akerman As Silk Spectre II / Watchmen - Rorschach's Transforming Mask / Exclusive Watchman Footage Available On iTunes / Wizard Magazine Announces Their Best Of 2008 Winners / Warner Bros - Comic Con Preview - Watchmen And More! / Warner Bros - Comic Con 2008 Sneak Previews

Land Of The Lost Cha-Ka Funko Force Bobble Head

Cha-Ka bongu Saleesa-taka! $10.99

Land of the Lost Cha-Ka Funko Force Bobble Head

The friendly Pakuni!
Prehistoric fun!

Great for any fan of the show!From the cult classic TV show, Land of the Lost, comes this friendly Pakuni by the name of Cha-Ka. Bobble head stands approximately 5-inches tall and features fully movable arms! The bobble head has Cha-Ka with a bone in his right hand.

See Also: Land Of The Lost Sleestak Funko Force Bobble Head / A New Promo Image For Land Of The Lost / The Land Of The Lost Movie Poster / Hold Onto Your Tenticles Sigmund And The Sea Monsters Is Coming To The Big Screen / The First Photo Of Enik From The New Land Of The Lost Movie / Surprise! The New Sleestaks Look Like The Old Ones! / Land of the Lost (TV 1974-1977) / The Land That Time Forgot (1975)

Cinema Of Fear 3 3/4-Inch Wave 1 Action Figures Set

Unleash Them On Your Friends! $26.99

Cinema of Fear 3 3/4-Inch Wave 1 Action Figures Set
The figures are smaller - the fear is larger than ever!
Multiple points of articulation!

Add to your collection!Fear comes to 1:18 scale! Mezco's newest scale format is now part of the Cinema of Fear collection. Reducing horror icons and keeping all the detail, they are half the size but twice the fun! Featuring up to 18 points of articulation and film accurate accessories, these 3 3/4-inch tall Cinema of Fear figures raise the bar for horror collectibles everywhere! This set of 3 individually packaged action figures includes (subject to change):1x Jason Voorhees (includes machete, removable mask, and display stand)1x Freddy Krueger (includes removable hat, garbage can lid, and display stand)1x Leatherface (includes chainsaw, mallet, and display stand)
Collect them all!

See Also: The Last House On The Left (2009)(Rogue Pictures) / Former Friday The 13th Star Attacked By Fan / Friday The 13th (2009)(Warner Bros) / Friday The 13th - The Many Faces Of Jason & The Art Of The Kill / Wizard World Has Big Things Brewing Deep In The Heart Of Texas / Warner Bros - Comic Con 2008 Sneak Previews

Thursday, March 26, 2009

The Land That Time Forgot Remake Begins Filming

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Dread Central / Bloody Disgusting

I'm honestly surprised that it has taken this long for someone to remake the 1975 Amicus classic, "The Land That Time Forgot." Well, it seems the The Asylum is ready begin production on just such a remake as early as next week. In typical style for the studio, which has made a name for itself copying other peoples movies, the info on this one has been under tight wraps for some time. Some information, however, has been leaked onto the net through various sources.

C. Thomas Howell will be both directing, and staring in "The Land That Time Forgot", alongside Christopher Showerman and Timothy Bottoms. The script for the film was reportedly written by Darren Dalton, who also wrote "The Day the Earth Stopped" for The Asylum.

It is unknown what, if any, changes Dalton has in mind for the story, which was originally written by Edgar Rice Burroughs for Blue Book Magazine in 1918.

The Asylum opted to remake "The Land That Time Forgot" instead of trying to produce one of their typical 'knock-offs' based on the upcoming movie "Land of the Lost."

It should be noted that Amicus ran into some trouble in developing the original "The Land That Time Forgot" film. The first script was initially rejected by the late Burroughs’s estate resulting in two rewrites.

Here is the synopsis from the 1975 film, "The Land That Time Forgot":

The survivors of a torpedoed allied cargo ship turn the tables on their attackers and seize control of their U-boat. The Germans manage to damage the ships compass and instead of steaming to a neutral port the group finds itself of the coast of the legendary island Caprona where time has stood still since prehistoric times. Forced to venture ashore in search of food, supplies and fuel the crew encounters a bevy of dinosaurs that intend on making sure no one escapes alive. As in all good adventure stories of this type just about everything and everyone the group encounters is set on doing them mortal harm and danger lies behind every turn. The groups focus is a simple a straight forward one. Keep from being eaten and figure out a way to get off the island before it consumed in a river of molten rock.

See Also: The Land That Time Forgot (1975) / The People That Time Forgot (1977)

The Trailer For Asylum's Dragonquest



Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Avery Guerra

I grant you that the films produced by the The Asylum have been a very mixed bag indeed. The company has heard their share of complaints from fans, who, in some instances, had every right to complain, about their cheap 'knock-offs' of "A" list fantasy films. Their upcoming releases "Transmorphers 2" (Transformers 2) and "The Terminators" (Terminator Salvation) are certain to add more fuel to this fire.

If one thing can be said for The Asylum, it is that they have been stepping up the production values of their 'clone' films. In fact the images that I have seen from "The Terminators" look pretty darn good.

I know what you are thinking. "Okay, so they are making 'good quality' rip-offs, so what?"

Well I just discovered something interesting in their list of upcoming releases, an original film. You shocked? I kinda was.

Indeed, their upcoming fantasy film, "Dragonquest" is an Asylum original......unless this is a copy of a film I don't know about? Anyway, from what I saw in the trailer, this looks like a pretty good fantasy film.

Here is the synopsis:

When an ancient warlord summons a mythological beast, a young hero must complete a series of quests to awaken the dragon that will defeat the monster.

Maybe....isn't that Eragon?.....sorry.

"Dragonquest" stars veteran television actor, Marc Singer, (you remember him from the "Planet of the Apes" TV series and "V" right?.......he was "The Beastmaster"..remember that?) so the film has a least one 'name' actor to bank on.

Then again, if Marc doesn't do it for ya, actress and model Jennifer Dorogi should. You don't see her in the trailer, but she should get some notice from the guys.

I'm not saying that "Dragonquest" will be next "Lord of the Rings" or anything like that. I'm just pointing out that this one may be worth a look.

Maybe we will start to see more titles like this one from The Asylum in the future?

See Also: Exclusive Images From Asylum's The Terminators / The Top Ten Hottest Monsters Of 2008 / New Photos From Next Weeks Big Monster Movie Release / Monster (2008)

Doctor Who - Planet Of The Dead

Source: BBC

Doctor Who – Planet Of The Dead
Unplaced
Day and time to be confirmed BBC ONE

www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho

When a London bus takes a detour to an alien world, the Doctor must join forces with the extraordinary Lady Christina, in this one-off seasonal special. But the mysterious planet holds terrifying secrets, hidden in the sand. And time is running out, as the deadly Swarm gets closer.

Planet Of The Dead features David Tennant as the Doctor, Michelle Ryan as Lady Christina and Lee Evans as Malcolm. It is written by Russell T Davies and Gareth Roberts.


See Also: Doctor Who 5-Inch Wave 4 Action Figure Case / Tonight's The Night Gives One Doctor Who Fan The Chance Of A Lifetime / Doctor Who Remote Control K-9 / Lindsay Duncan Joins The Doctor For The Second Special Of 2009 / Doctor Who Arrives In Dubai / A David Tennant Lookalike Warns About David Tennant Impostors / Dubai Bus Accident Leads To Doctor Who Re-Write / Sexy Michelle Ryan Joins The Doctor On The Planet Of The Dead / And The Eleventh Doctor Is.......Matt Smith / And The Eleventh Doctor Is........Wait For It! / Tannant Would Like To See The Doctor Sing And Dance / Doctor Who - The Next Doctor / Robert Carlyle Has A Date With A Stargate Not A Tardis / Robert Pattinson Has Possessed All The Teen Girls And Now He Wants To Be The Doctor / Freema Agyeman Talks About Doctor Who, Torchwood And Her Latest Series Survivors / 400 Fans Go Behind The Scenes Of Doctor Who And Torchwood / Beautiful New Artwork For A Proposed Doctor Who Comic Series / David Tennant Not Ruling Out Any Future Who Appearances / David Tennant Officially Announces That He Is Leaving Doctor Who / Actor Profile - David Tennant / A Special Preview Of The Doctor Who Christmas Special For Children In Need / Prince Charles Snubbed The Doctor / Fans Are Given A Rare Chance To Visit The Sets Of Doctor Who, Torchwood, And Sarah Jane / Russell T Davies Chimes In On Who Should Be Doctor Who / Billie Piper Still Undecided About Return To Doctor Who

Kaiju Big Battel - No Sleep Til Brooklyn

Source: Randy (Kaiju Big Battel)

Kaiju Big Battle returns to Brooklyn, Friday, April 3rd!

33 Monsters, 6 matches, 1 epic night KAIJU in 3D Calendar: Music, Performing Arts, and Unrivaled Live-Action Comedy Who: Kaiju Big Battel with musical guest Bryan Scary and the Shredding Tears

When: Friday, April 3rd, 2009. Doors at 8PM
Where: Warsaw in Greenpoint, 261 Driggs Ave., Brooklyn, NY

Experience the experience that is Kaiju Big Battel in 3D! The Spring thaw has arrived and that means the return of monster fighting to the large apple. On April 3rd find yourself watching 33 of the meanest monsters ever assembled in one place duke it out for your entertainment. Also see Earth defender extraordinaire Neo Teppen take on the space menace Uchuchu for galactic supremacy. The answers to questions like “Will Hero Intern 08 ever become more than an unpaid assistant?” and “Who will challenge the Furious Furries for tag-team dominance?” will be answered as well. Kaiju has even wrangled Bryan Scary and the Shredding Tears as the musical guest. All this plus many more surprised will be had on Friday April 3rd at the Warsaw in beautiful Brooklyn!

Visit Kaiju.com for more info!

See Also: Kaiju Big Battel - Its Not Just Grown Men Dressed Like Monsters Beating The Crap Out Of Each Other / What Every Good Rave Needs Is Hot Girls And Giant Monsters

Mission Statement

Monster Island News is dedicated to Sci Fi and Monster movie fans around the world. Inspired by the great pulp horror and monster movie magazines of the 1970s, like "Famous Monsters of Filmland" and "Starlog." MIN endeavors to continue the great lagacy they created. Monster Island News is for fans of Godzilla, Gamera, Ultraman, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, Frankenstein, The Wolfman, The Mummy, Dracula, King Kong and all the other monsters that have given us all nightmares for generations. Don't forget that we also love Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica and everything Doctor Who!

We here at Monster Island spend countless hours looking up info on all your favorite sci fi and monster movies both new and old to provide our readers with the best information accented with top quality photos. MIN is an all ages site. People will never have to worry about having younger readers exposed to nude photos, nude videos or other adult related material. That being said it should be pointed out that if someone we interview uses some colorful words in their response we will not censor it. It is important to preseve free speach, so do exercise some caution and take it with a grain of salt. We would not want to intentionally offend anyone.

Just remember Monster Island News was created for fans just like you. The kind of person who would stay up to midnight to watch Godzilla stomp a city flat, the kind of person who cried at the end of Return of the Jedi, the kind of person who wished they could seduce green slave girls like Captain Kirk, The kind of person who dreamed they could travel through time like The Doctor, and the kind of person who will always remain a child at heart. - Ken Hulsey (Founder of Monster Island News)