"The Man From Planet X" At 60

by Armand Vaquer

Without much (if any) fanfare, 2011 marked 60 years since The Man From Planet X was released.

The movie was directed by Edgar G. Ulmer (who directed the Karloff/Lugosi classic The Black Cat) at the old Hal Roach Studios in Culver City, California. The principal players were Robert Clarke, Margaret Field and William Schallert.

The Man From Planet X was released on March 9, 1951 in San Francisco. Its general release came on April 27, 1951.












William Schallert (right) plays the unscrupulous and ambitious scientist Dr. Mears in the movie.

The story involves an alien scout from the dying Planet X who lands in a Scottish moor. He was sent there to set up a wireless relay station in advance of an invasion from Planet X.

Below, William Schallert has a reunion with his "The Man From Planet X" co-star at the 2010 Monsterpalooza. Photo by Armand Vaquer.












The Man From Planet X is an effective little movie, considering its budget reportedly was $50,000.

A Gallery Of Great Monster Movie Posters - Seks Edition

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Movie Info From Wikipedia

You wouldn't believe the amount of positive feedback I have received since I started this series of features on classic movie posters last summer. Everyone seems to be in love with the articles so I have no intention of stopping them any time in the future.

You seem to love them and I love doing them so there you go.

Today I'm featuring six, because this is the sixth installment, posters from six of my favorite all-time movies. Why am I being so selfish this close to Christmas when everyone should be in a giving mood? Well, Friday is my birthday (thank you) so I'm going to make this one about me. I think I deserve it.

No, I'm not going to tell you how old I am. You don't need to know that. I'm old ... okay ... not prehistoric but not a young man anymore either...and don't say six because that's today's theme number. Granted sometimes my maturity level is that of a six-year-old but I am working on that.

Anyway enough about me, on with the show!

Verigo (Above)

Maybe not a monster or scifi movie but one of my favorites, if not my favorite, movies of all-time. Hitchcock was in love with San Francisco and quite honestly so am I. Jimmy Stewart is one of my favorite actors and Kim Novak is as an amazing an actress as she is stunning to look at.

To be very honest I'm not a big fan of the movie posters produced for this movie but this Japanese one is very cool and probably the best ever produced for this film!

Vertigo is a 1958 psychological thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring James Stewart, Kim Novak, and Barbara Bel Geddes. The screenplay was written by Alec Coppel and Samuel A. Taylor, based on the 1954 novel D'entre les morts by Boileau-Narcejac.

It is the story of a retired police detective suffering from acrophobia who is hired as a private investigator to follow the wife of an acquaintance to uncover the mystery of her peculiar behavior.

The Land That Time Forgot

I am a child of the seventies and dinosaurs were huge during that decade. The Land That Time Forgot was easily the best of the dinosaur related movies produced during that time period. I can watch this one over and over.

The poster is just amazing, dinosaurs, a German U-boat, a volcano, great stuff!

I have always wondered why they put a T-Rex underwater for this add? Didn't we learn from "Land of the Lost" that they hated water? Grumpy never swam!

The Land That Time Forgot is a 1975 fantasy/adventure film based upon the 1924 novel The Land That Time Forgot by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The screenplay was written by Michael Moorcock. The film was produced by Britain's Amicus Productions and directed by Kevin Connor. The cast included Doug McClure, John McEnery, Keith Barron, Susan Penhaligon, Anthony Ainley and character actor Declan Mulholland.

The Day The Earth Stood Still

God, I could really ramble on and on about this movie. Is it the greatest scifi movie of all-time? I really feel that it is because of it's simple and mature approach to the genre.

I know you could throw "Forbidden Planet" or "Star Wars" out there and you would have a valid argument. For me though it's all about "The Day The Earth Stood Still"!

This poster is rather unique looking, it's a French release and the vivid colors and composition really speak to me.

The Day the Earth Stood Still is a 1951 American science fiction film directed by Robert Wise and written by Edmund H. North based on the short story "Farewell to the Master" (1940) by Harry Bates. The film stars Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Sam Jaffe, and Hugh Marlowe. In the film, a humanoid alien visitor comes to Earth with a warning, accompanied by the powerful robot, "Gort".

Creature From The Black Lagoon

My affinity for the Creature (or Gill-Man) has been been documented at length here on this site so I really don't think that I need to go into it very much.

The Creature and Godzilla are the two monsters that I feel in love with way back in my youth.

I have been very blessed as an adult to have known the late Ben Chapman (The Creature on land), talked at some length with Julie Adams and recently met Ricou Browning (The Creature under water). All wonderful people!

This poster is rather unique as in the fact that it is rendered in black and white. Thank God they didn't add those horrible red lips to this image like all the rest!

Creature from the Black Lagoon is a 1954 monster horror film directed by Jack Arnold, and starring Richard Carlson, Julia Adams, Richard Denning, Antonio Moreno, and Whit Bissell. The eponymous creature was played by Ben Chapman on land and Ricou Browning in underwater scenes. The film was released in the United States on March 5, 1954.

Creature from the Black Lagoon was filmed and originally released in 3-D requiring polarized 3-D glasses, and subsequently reissued in the 1970s in the inferior anaglyph format (this version was released on home video by MCA Videocassette, Inc. in 1980). It was one of the first Universal films filmed in 3-D (the first was It Came from Outer Space, which was released a year before). It is considered a classic of the 1950s, and generated two sequels, Revenge of the Creature and The Creature Walks Among Us. Revenge of the Creature was also filmed and released in 3-D, in hopes of reviving the format.

Big Trouble From Little China

If you haven't done so already you should base your life on the teachings of Jack Burton:

"When some wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head up against the barroom wall, and he looks you crooked in the eye and he asks you if ya paid your dues, you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye, and you remember what ol' Jack Burton always says at a time like that: "Have ya paid your dues, Jack?" "Yessir, the check is in the mail."

Words to live by!

A fun poster for a fun film!

Big Trouble in Little China (also known as John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China) is a 1986 American martial arts comedy film directed by John Carpenter. It stars Kurt Russell as truck driver Jack Burton, who helps his friend Wang Chi (Dennis Dun) rescue Wang's green-eyed fiancee (Suzee Pai) from bandits in San Francisco's Chinatown. They go into the mysterious underworld beneath Chinatown, where they face an ancient sorcerer named Lo Pan (James Hong).

Although the film was originally envisioned as a Western set in the 1880s, screenwriter W. D. Richter was hired to rewrite the script extensively and modernize everything. The studio hired Carpenter to direct the film and rushed Big Trouble in Little China into production so that it would be released before a similarly themed Eddie Murphy film, The Golden Child, which was slated to come out around the same time. The project fulfilled Carpenter's long-standing desire to make a martial arts film.

Planet Of The Apes

Before there was "Star Wars" there was "Planet of the Apes" and this young lad had the tree house playset with all the action figures Mego.

Many fans don't remember just how big "Apes" was just before George Lucas' pop-culture Juggernaut took over everything entertainment related.

This baby is Italian a combines almost all of the key elements from many of the other "Apes" posters created around the globe.

Planet of the Apes is a 1968 American science fiction film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, based on the 1963 French novel La Planète des singes by Pierre Boulle. The film stars Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, James Whitmore, James Daly and Linda Harrison. It was the first in a series of five films made between 1968 and 1973, all produced by Arthur P. Jacobs and released by 20th Century Fox. The series was followed by a remake in 2001 and a reboot in 2011.

The film tells the story of an astronaut crew who crash-land on a strange planet in the distant future. Although the planet appears desolate at first, the surviving crew members stumble upon a society in which apes have evolved into creatures with human-like intelligence and speech. The apes have assumed the role of the dominant species and humans are mute creatures wearing animal skins.

The script was originally written by Rod Serling but had many rewrites before eventually being made. Directors J. Lee Thompson and Blake Edwards were approached, but the film's producer Arthur P. Jacobs, upon the advice of Charlton Heston, chose Franklin J. Schaffner to direct the film. Schaffner's changes included creating a more primitive ape society, instead of the more expensive idea of having futuristic buildings and advanced technology. Filming took place between May–August 1967, mostly in California and Arizona, with the opening scene shot at Lake Powell, Utah. The film's budget was approximately $5,800,000.

The Monstrous Movie Quote Of The Day: Jack Burton (Big Trouble In Little China 1986)

"Well, ya see, I'm not saying that I've been everywhere and I've done everything, but I do know it's a pretty amazing planet we live on here, and a man would have to be some kind of FOOL to think we're alone in THIS universe. "

- Jack Burton (Kurt Russell) (Big Trouble In Little China)(1986)











See Also: Celluloid Philosophers - Jack Burton / Big Trouble In Little China (1986)(20th Century Fox)

Los Angeles Comic Book and Science-Fiction Convention January 15, 2012

by Armand Vaquer



I will have a table at the Los Angeles Comic Book and Science-Fiction Convention Sunday, January 15, 2012 at the Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium Expo Center at 700 West 32nd St., Los Angeles, CA.

I will be selling The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan. The celebrity guests include actor Ron Ely (Doc Savage, Tarzan), actress Yancy Butler (Witchblade) and stars of the Adventures of Superboy.

From the show's website:

REGULAR ADMISSION is only $8.00, five years and under are free. Show Hours: 10:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M. Each attendee receives a Hand Stamp and Ticket which allows all day access to the Convention, so you can go to lunch and come back to continue shopping. EARLY ADMISSION is only $12.00 and shop early like the Dealers starting at 9:10 A.M. PREMIUM ADMISSION is $12.00 and you'll receive a UNDERWORLD AWAKENING MOVIE T-SHIRT AND FULL SIZE POSTER! In addition, the PREMIUM ADMISSION also includes EARLY ADMISSION! GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE (opens in theaters February 17) give-aways might be added, so check back closer to show date for updates.

For more information, go to http://www.comicbookscifi.com/index.html.

Remember: The Los Angeles Comic Book and Science-Fiction Convention Sunday, January 15, 2012! Mark your calendar!

It's Time Once Again For Godzilla Christmas

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: Inventors Spot / Whyismarko

It's the holiday season again and everyone is thinking about buying gifts, eggnog, Perry Como songs, snow, Christmas carols, setting up an enormous light display in front of their house, friends, family, and of course Godzilla. What the hell does Godzilla have to do with Christmas? Well my naive friend quite a lot as you will soon discover.

Over the past couple of decades a new Godzilla movie has been released each year just before Christmas much to the delight of monster movie maniacs around the globe. Of course when I say released I mean released in Japan. The connection with these films and the happiest of holidays has not been lost on the people who dwell in the land of the rising sun and every year it seems that the monster is primed to kick Santa to the curb for good.

A perfect example of this the Christmas tree at the Aqua City Odaiba shopping mall in Tokyo which is shaped like "the king of monsters". Not only is the thing shaped like Godzilla but it also has eyes that glow red and it shoots out steam from it's mouth!

How friggin cool is that!

Only the Japanese would come up with a 40ft Christmas tree that is shaped like Godzilla that breathes fire!

God, they really are years ahead of us aren't they? Our Kong tree that kidnaps a blond female shopper and climbs to the top of the food court is a decade away at best.

Now many of you may think that this is sacrilegious .... and it probably is, but for some reason some people like to replace the characters from the Bible with Japanese giant monsters in their nativity scenes. Why? Who knows? Yet every year pictures of Godzilla nativity scenes start popping up online just after thanksgiving. This image comes from a blogger's list of the 40 worst nativity scenes. Now is Godzilla Marry or Joseph? Is Ghidorah supposed to be the three wise men? Did they eat up all the sheep and oxen? That stable would have to be huge! More questions here than answers I'm afraid.

Merry Godzilla Christmas!

Hundreds flee in terror as the Godzilla Christmas tree attacks a Tokyo mall!

DANGER 5: THE DIAMOND GIRLS (Part Four)

If you loved "Planet of the Apes" then you will love today's episode of "Danger 5"!

After a quick round of Marconis at the Nassau airport bar, Danger 5 rendezvous with their Nazi liaison and embark on a road-trip to Göring's island getaway. However, Nassau roadways are a dangerous place and Danger 5 soon fall victim to the "Terror of the Streets" ...Italians.

Stay tuned for
the FINAL instalment
Of THE DIAMOND GIRLS:
PART 5

"Go To Hell Mario!"

DANGER 5: THE DIAMOND GIRLS (Part Three)
DANGER 5: THE DIAMOND GIRLS (PART TWO)
Danger 5: The Diamond Girls (Part One)
Can DANGER 5 Save The World From Nazi Dinosaurs?

FASTER, PUSSYCAT! KILL! KILL! - Did You Know?

Trivia Compiled By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: IMDB / Wikipedia

It is commonly known that what one person considers to be a great movie may not be so great to others. Many of us have guilty pleasures in the realm of cinema that make others scratch their heads and mutter "wtf"? Certain aspects of a film may speak to one person yet be totally lost on another. One man's treasure is another man's trash and so on.

Such a film is the 1965 Russ Meyer classic (?) "Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!" which to me is one of those afore mentioned type of films. Why do I like it so much? Well ... I can only surmise that it has something to so with cleavage and violence. It may also have something to do with it being a great "quote movie" like "Army of Darkness", "Big Trouble in Little China" and "Shaun of the Dead".

"I never try anything. I just do it. And I don't beat clocks, just people! Wanna try me?"

Then again there is only one name that you need to know, Tura Satana. If you don't know who that is you sure will never be able to forget her after watching "Faster, Pussycat!".

Did you know?

The film was shot in the extreme western parts of the Mojave Desert. However, some of the scenes appear to have been filmed farther east, near Baker, California. The last scenes in the film were made west of California City. The rail line running between Mojave and Trona, California is clearly evident.

Lead actress Tura Satana, legally owns her likeness and image. So, whenever Russ Meyer wanted to change the artwork or re-release the project, he had to get her permission and sometimes pay her all over again.

Russ Meyer named the movie like this because he claims that a movie has everything when it contains speed (faster), sex (pussycat) and violence(kill,kill).

In the beginning of the movie, when Billie detours to go to the lake, the front driver's side wheel cover is missing, and looks like some minor front end damage in the same area, which can be seen when she pulls up and stops next to the bush at the lake. Later on in the film, the wheel cover is present and there is no damage to the car.

When Billie and Rosie are fighting in the dirt after being in the lake, Billie's hair appears much shorter than it does in other scenes.

During the dinner scene, Billie is eating a leg and thigh of chicken but when the shot changes to behind the old man she's eating a cob of corn.

After Varla cuts the fence and gets back into her car, look at the rear side window. Crew member with hat is briefly visible in the reflection.

After Rosie and Varla take out The Old Man with the Porsche, the front license plate is shown hanging down. Later, when the Porsche is shown approaching The Vegetable, the license plate is back in place.

Gas Station Attendant: [staring down at Varla's cleavage as he pumps gas] Just passing through, huh? Boy, that motor's sure hot! You gals really must have been moving on these little machines. Yessir, the thrill of the open road. New places, new people, new sights of interest. Now that's what I believe in, seeing America first!
Varla: You won't find it down there, Columbus!

And now you know!

The Monstrous Movie Quote Of The Day: Barbarella (Barbarella 1968)

The Great Tyrant: Do you want to come and play with me? For someone like you I charge nothing. You're very pretty, Pretty-Pretty.
Barbarella: My name isn't pretty-pretty, it's Barbarella.

- The Great Tyrant (Anita Pallenberg) & Barbarella (Jane Fonda)(Barbarella)(1968)

Godzilla SH Monster Arts Spacegodzilla Action Figure

Source: Entertainment Earth

Godzilla SH Monster Arts Spacegodzilla Action Figure:

From the classic movie Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla and the expert craftsmanship of the renowned Godzilla model sculptor Sakai Yuji comes the third installment of the ultimate monster action figure series, S.H. Monster Arts. Space Godzilla is seen here in extreme detail and articulation. The space horn on head and crystals on shoulder have been faithfully replicated in clear parts for added realism. The Spacegodzilla figure measures approximately 6 1/2-inches tall and is rendered with high quality plastic materials and includes special Corona Beam effect parts. Ideal for displaying in battle scenes with other S.H. Monster Arts figures!

Order Yours From Entertainment Earth For $83.99 - HERE

Voltron Blazing Sword Comic Con 2011 Exclusive

Source: Entertainment Earth

Voltron Blazing Sword SDCC 2011 Exclusive Action Figure:

Voltron from the classic animated TV series!
Voltron- Defender of the Universe!
A San Diego Comic-Con 2011 exclusive!

Completely authentic to the original series, he's the most poseable Voltron figure yet with more than 22 points of articulation! Voltron comes complete with a translucent sword so you can "Form Blazing Sword!" Includes 2x "AA" batteries. Push the button on the packaging to hear Voltron's opening theme from the cartoon! Ages 13 and up.

Age: 13+
Batteries Included: Yes
Battery Type: 2 x AA

Order Yours For Only $34.99 From Entertainment Earth - HERE

Honda Estate vs. Toho: More Information

by Armand Vaquer


Here's a few more details (and confirmation that there is a legal action pending) from Godzilla historian Ed Godzisewski (right) that was posted at the Monster Zero message board:

Yes, there is a legal case ongoing in Japan. Has been for a while. I have heard about the case from Ryuji for a couple years. The family has preferred to just quietly pursue the case the way it should be done, in court. It all stems from the Japanese system that gives rights to writers (not directors).

The first ruling is due in February.

Looks like we won't have to wait too long.

Honda Estate vs. Toho: Delving Deeper

by Armand Vaquer

Above, the Godzilla statue at Toho Studios. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The story of the alleged lawsuit by the family of late director Ishiro Honda against Toho Co., Ltd. over the Godzilla copyright may have some legs after all.

Over on Facebook, some of us were mulling over the story.

It was asked by one participant: "Couldn't we have somebody in Japan verify if a Complaint has actually been filed? Those are a matter of public record·"

Noted Godzilla historian August Ragone replied that he had looked into it and he is currently "writing up something about this now [for his blog]."

Once he does, I'll post a link to his blog post. This should be interesting!

It appears we may be on the verge of learning something about Japanese copyright law.

DANGER 5: THE DIAMOND GIRLS (Part Three)

It's Monday again so you know what the means, a brand-new episode of "Danger 5"!

Danger 5 have scored themselves a free trip to the Bahamas, but it turns out this holiday package has hidden fees. Looks like Danger 5 will have to make a down payment in bullets.


Stay tuned for:
PART 4

... and everyone knows that you can shoot someone through the phone ... duh!

DANGER 5: THE DIAMOND GIRLS (PART TWO)
Danger 5: The Diamond Girls (Part One)
Can DANGER 5 Save The World From Nazi Dinosaurs?

A Special Preview Of THE DARK KNIGHT RISES On IMAX Screens Dec 16th

Source: Warner Bros

Warner Bros. Pictures' "The Dark Knight Rises"—the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy—is one of the most anticipated films of 2012, but moviegoers won't have to wait until next year to see the six-minute opening sequence of the film. The film's prologue will be unveiled exclusively in select 70mm IMAX® theatres worldwide. The announcement was made today by Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, and Veronika Kwan-Rubinek, President of International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

The Prologue will be released in North America on December 16, and in the UK on December 21, 2011. Additional international dates vary by territory and will be announced soon.

In making the 2008 blockbuster "The Dark Knight," Nolan was the first to use IMAX® cameras in a major motion picture release, and, as now, audiences were given an advance look at that film's prologue months prior to the Summer 2008 opening. Nolan employed the extremely high-resolution cameras even more extensively on "The Dark Knight Rises"—including the film's prologue—to achieve unprecedented crispness and clarity and a truly immersive experience for the moviegoers.

Christopher Nolan stated, "Our experience on 'The Dark Knight' shooting and projecting IMAX 15 perf 65mm/70mm film was inspiring. The immersive quality of the image goes beyond any other filmmaking tool available, and in revisiting Gotham, we were determined to shoot even more of the movie in this unique format. Giving the fans an early look at an IMAX sequence is a great way to draw attention to what I believe will be an incredible way to experience our story when it comes out next summer."

Following is a list of the theatres in North America in which the Prologue of "The Dark Knight Rises" will be revealed on December 16th:

Austin, TX - IMAX Theater Austin - Austin
Boston, MA - Jordan's IMAX - Natick
Boston, MA - IMAX 3D Theatre in Reading - Reading
Calgary, AB - Scotiabank Theatre Chinook 16 + IMAX - Calgary
Chantilly, VA - Washington, DC - Udvar-Hazy Center IMAX - Chantilly
Chicago, IL - Navy Pier IMAX Theatre - Chicago
Des Moines, IA - SCI IMAX Dome Theater - Des Moines
Detroit, MI - Henry Ford IMAX - Dearborn
Edmonton, AB - Scotiabank Theatre Edmonton + IMAX - Edmonton
Harrisburg, PA - The Whitaker Center for Science & the Arts IMAX - Harrisburg
Houston, TX - Houston Marq*e Stadium 22 + IMAX - Houston
Indianapolis - White River IMAX - Indianapolis
Los Angeles, CA - Irvine Spectrum 20 + IMAX - Irvine
Los Angeles, CA - RAVE 18 + IMAX - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA - Ontario Palace Stadium 22 + IMAX - Ontario
Los Angeles, CA - Citywalk Stadium 19 with IMAX - Universal City
Madison, WI- Star 18 Fitchburg with IMAX - Fitchburg
Miami, FL - AutoNation IMAX - Fort Lauderdale
Minneapolis, MN - Great Clips IMAX - Apple Valley
Montreal, QC - Cinema Banque Scotia Montreal + IMAX - Montreal
Nashville, TN - Opry Mills Stadium 20 + IMAX - Nashville
New York, NY - Lincoln Square 13 with IMAX - New York
New York, NY - Palisades IMAX - West Nyack
Omaha, NE - Star Cinema 16 with IMAX - Council Bluffs
Orlando, FL - Pointe Orlando Stadium 20 + IMAX - Orlando
Ottawa, ON - Silvercity Gloucester + IMAX - Gloucester-Ottawa
Palm Springs(Los Angeles) - Desert IMAX Theatre - Cathedral City
Philadelphia, PA - IMAX & the Tropicana - Atlantic City
Philadelphia, PA - Tuttleman IMAX - Franklin Institute - Philadelphia
Phoenix, AZ - Arizona Mills 25 with IMAX - Tempe
Providence, RI - Providence Place 16 with IMAX - Providence
Quebec City, QC - IMAX Le Theatre At Quebec - Quebec City
Sacramento, CA - Esquire IMAX - Sacramento
San Antonio, TX - IMAX at RiverCenter - San Antonio
San Francisco, CA - Metreon 16 with IMAX & ETX - San Francisco
Seattle, WA - Boeing IMAX - Pacific Science Center - Seattle
Tampa, FL - Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI)- Tampa
Toronto, ON - Coliseum 12 Mississauga + IMAX - Mississauga
Toronto, ON - Scotiabank Theatre Toronto + IMAX - Toronto
Toronto, ON - Colossus 18 Woodbridge + IMAX - Woodbridge-Vaughan
Vancouver, BC - Colossus Langley + IMAX - Langley
Vancouver, BC - Silvercity Riverport 18 + IMAX - Richmond

Below is a list of the theatres in the UK in which the Prologue of "The Dark Knight Rises" will be revealed on December 21st:

UK - BFI London - London
UK - National Media Museum IMAX Bradford - Bradford
UK - Glasgow Science Centre IMAX Cinema - Glasgow
UK - Odeon Manchester IMAX @ The Printworks - Manchester

Opening on July 20, 2012, "The Dark Knight Rises" features an international all-star cast, led by Oscar® winner Christian Bale ("The Fighter") in the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. The film also stars Anne Hathaway, as Selina Kyle; Tom Hardy, as Bane; Oscar® winner Marion Cotillard ("La Vie en Rose"), as Miranda Tate; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as John Blake. Reprising their roles from both "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight," Oscar® winner Michael Caine ("The Cider House Rules") plays Alfred; Gary Oldman is Commissioner Gordon; and Oscar® winner Morgan Freeman ("Million Dollar Baby") plays Lucius Fox.

Nolan directed "The Dark Knight Rises" from a screenplay by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan, story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer. The film is produced by Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Charles Roven, who previously teamed on "Batman Begins" and the record-breaking blockbuster "The Dark Knight." Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan, Kevin De La Noy and Thomas Tull are the executive producers, with Jordan Goldberg serving as co-producer. "The Dark Knight Rises" is based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Batman created by Bob Kane.

"The Dark Knight Rises" will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. The prologue has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA for "some violence." www.thedarkknightrises.com

Steven Moffat Talks Doctor Who Christmas Special: The Doctor, The Widow And The Wardrobe

Source: BBC

Steven Moffat introduces this year's Doctor Who Christmas Special:

"The Doctor at Christmas - it always just feels so right. When I was a kid, Santa and the Doctor somehow lived in the same place in my head - two generous madmen that I loved so much. So now that the Doctor is a regular feature of Christmas the world is just that bit more right.

"This time we're in England in the 1940s, and recently widowed Madge Arwell hasn't told her children, Lily and Cyril, that their father has died flying his bomber home over the channel, because she doesn't want Christmas to become the day that broke their hearts.

"But when they're evacuated to a draughty old house in Dorset for the holidays, and meet a mysterious young caretaker in a bow tie, events take an unexpected turn. What could be inside that big blue parcel under the tree?

"Soon the Arwells find themselves in a battle for survival in a magical new land. As ever, at this time of year, the Doctor is trying to make things right, and as always it doesn't go according to plan. But maybe he's reckoned without the power of a determined mother.

"This Christmas, it might just be the lonely Time Lord who's shown the way home."

Honda Estate vs. Toho Ramifications?

by Armand Vaquer

Above, yours truly with the Godzilla statue at Toho Studios.

The story of the alleged copyright lawsuit against Toho by the heirs of Ishiro Honda over the Godzilla character may have some big ramifications if 1.) the story is true or, 2.), they actually win.

The story does not sound Japanese to me. Maybe in America, perhaps (i.e., Bela Lugosi Jr.'s legal actions over his father's image and The Three Stooges).

If the story is true and Honda's heirs prevail and win the Godzilla copyright from Toho, could we see Noriaki Yuasa's estate taking similar action against Kadokawa Pictures (the successor company to Daiei) over the Showa Gamera and Shusuke Kaneko over the Heisei Gamera? Who knows what (or who) may come out of the woodwork?

It will be interesting to see how this plays out, if true.

A Gallery Of Great Monster Movie Posters - Pentagonal Edition

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Movie Info From Wikipedia

It's that time once again ladies and gentlemen, time to take a look at a fine collection of monster movie posters selected by yours truly. Since this is the fifth installment of this feature that I started a few months back I decided to go a little cerebral this time around. In other words I decided to make all of you think for change. Hope you don't mind?

As a author and webmaster of a fine Internet destination it is my job to both educate and entertain, and that's exactly what I intend to do today.

Don't freak out it will be fun!

Since this is the fifth (or pentagonal) edition (ah-ha see!) I have selected five posters (and the sum of them will be five). Four of these posters share one element in common. The fifth one does not. See if you can figure out what that fifth poster has, or doesn't have, in common with the others?

Once you get it, post a response or tell all your friends how damn cool and smart you are!

Now some trivia about the number five:

"Five is the second Sierpinski number of the first kind, and can be written as S2=(22)+1"

Forbidden Planet (Above)

One of the greatest science fiction films of all time with an equally great poster to boot!

Forbidden Planet is a 1956 science fiction film directed by Fred M. Wilcox, with a screenplay by Cyril Hume. It stars Leslie Nielsen, Walter Pidgeon, and Anne Francis. The characters and its setting have been compared to those in William Shakespeare's The Tempest, and its plot contains certain story analogs. Forbidden Planet was the first science fiction film that was set entirely on another planet in deep space, away from the planet Earth. It is considered one of the great science fiction films of the 1950s, a precursor of what was to come for the science fiction film genre in the decades that followed.

- And it has Anne Francis too!

Tobor The Great

Big bad robot does big bad things!

Tobor the Great is a 1954 science fiction film, written by Carl Dudley & Philip MacDonald, and directed by Lee Sholem. It stars Charles Drake, Karin Booth, and Billy Chapin.

Dr. Ralph Harrison, a member of the new government-appointed Civil Interplanetary Flight Commission, resigns in protest against the inhumane treatment being inflicted upon spaceship pilots. His colleague Professor Nordstrom develops an alternative robot spaceman, "Tobor" (the reverse anagram of "robot"), which is stolen by enemy agents. Only the scientists' psychic link with the robot can save it from being reprogrammed for evil purposes.

"While polynomial equations of degree 4 and below can be solved with radicals, equations of degree 5 and higher cannot generally be so solved. This is the Abel–Ruffini theorem. This is related to the fact that the symmetric group Sn is a solvable group for n ≤ 4 and not solvable for n ≥ 5."

Invasion Of The Saucer-Men

Damn big-headed space reptiles always coming to Earth to destroy our cities and run off with our dames! Great poster ... and ... and ... um ... Is that woman not wearing any underwear? Doesn't look like it! How did they get that past the censors?

Invasion of the Saucer Men (also known as Invasion of the Hell Creatures, working title - Spacemen Saturday Night) is a 1957 sci-fi comedy film starring Steven Terrell and Gloria Castillo and personally produced by James H. Nicholson for his American International Pictures (AIP). The screenplay by Robert J Gurney Jr and Al Martin was based on the 1955 short story "The Cosmic Frame" by Paul W. Fairman. The film was released as a double feature with I Was a Teenage Werewolf.

"Five is also the number of Platonic solids"

Still worked up about that underwear thing ...

The Monolith Monsters

Filmed here locally at "Dead Man's Point" in Lucerne Valley. A great place to go rock climbing. Bring the kids!

The Monolith Monsters (1957) is a science fiction film directed by John Sherwood and starring Grant Williams and Lola Albright. It is based on a story by Jack Arnold and Robert M. Fresco with screenplay by Fresco and Normal Jolley.

"A polygon with five sides is a pentagon. Figurate numbers representing pentagons (including five) are called pentagonal numbers. Five is also a square pyramidal number."

The Amazing Colossal Man


Hey you give us bald guys a dose of high-level radiation and we go nuts chugging beers, grabbing girls and running around in the desert in our underwear.

Okay we don't need the radiation ...

The Amazing Colossal Man is a 1957 black-and-white science fiction film, directed by Bert I. Gordon and starring Glenn Langan. The film revolves around a 60 foot mutant man produced as the result of an atomic accident.

"Five is the only prime number to end in the digit 5, because all other numbers written with a 5 in the ones-place under the decimal system are multiples of five. As a consequence of this, 5 is in base 10 a 1-automorphic number."

So do you feel any smarter? Were you entertained?

I am so smart ... S-M-R-T!

No really she has no panties on! Go look for yourself! It's like Jessica Rabbit in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit".

The Monstrous Movie Quote Of The Day: Gigantis The Fire Monster (1959)

- "Horrors in the world of science are part of nature's plan."


- Gigantis the Fire Monster (1959)













"Kobayashi... we beat Godzilla for you!"

Ishiro Honda Family Suing For Godzilla Copyright

by Armand Vaquer

Above, yours truly with Toho's (or is it Honda's?) copyrighted Godzilla character.

It has been reported that the family of Godzilla director Ishiro Honda is suing Toho Co., Ltd. for the copyright to the Godzilla character.

According to this article in Ridersrangersandrambles.com:

In a past case, the copyright for Godzilla was supposed to belong to the Honda estate, but Toho insists on having at least the merchandising rights to the character.

Personally, I don't see how Ishiro Honda or his family has any claim to the rights to the character as Honda was a staff director of Toho, unless there is some codicil in his contract with the movie studio giving him some rights. Then again, there may be something in Japanese law or case law that provides this.

To read the full article (with links to Japanese sites), go here.

Holiday DVD And Blu-ray Gift Ideas For The Monster Movie Fan In Your Home

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Amazon.com

Yes we are well into the holiday gift buying season and as it happens every year we are all running around like fury little idiots trying to find the right gifts for the right people. It can be quite a daunting task, so much so that you may be tempted just to buy everyone a bag of cookies and be done with it. Then again ... who do I give the chocolate chip ones to and who gets the peanut butter? Argh it can be maddening!

Well if you have a monster movie buff or just a movie buff in general on your holiday shopping list, and if your reading MIN that's a safe bet, hopefully I can be of some assistance.

I have taken the time to compile a selection of DVD and Blu-ray titles that will make any monster movie nut pop a yule log come Christmas morning.

TCM Greatest Classic Film Collection: Hammer Horror (Horror of Dracula / Dracula Has Risen from the Grave / The Curse of Frankenstein / Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed)

Hey with this one you get four, count em, four great Hammer horror films in one package. What a value!

Order on DVD From Amazon.com for $9.99

Godzilla Vs Megalon (DVD and Blu-ray)

For about a decade Godzilla fans have been going ape-shit crazy waiting for this title to come to DVD!

Here's the plot:

The undersea kingdom of Seatroplis is threatened when Japan begins atomic testing near Tokyo. The angry Seatopians send their secret weapon, Megalon, to destroy Tokyo and eliminate the human race. But earth gets once last chance when the sleeping Godzilla is rudely awakened! It becomes a titanic tag team of apocalyptic dimensions as Godzilla and robot superhero Jet Jaguar fight Megalon and Gigan in an all-out rubber-suit rumble to determine Earth s fate.

Order this film on Blu-ray from Amazon,com $24.99

Order this film on DVD from Amazon.com $14.99

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (Two-Disc Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)

Speaking of going ape-shit crazy, Rise of the Planet of the Apes was this past summers best movie!

Here's the plot:

Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a revolution; an action-packed epic featuring stunning visual effects and creatures unlike anything ever seen before. At the story's heart is Caesar (Andy Serkis), a chimpanzee who gains human-like intelligence and emotions from an experimental drug. Raised like a child by the drug's creator (James Franco), Caesar ultimately finds himself taken from the humans he loves and imprisoned. Seeking justice, Caesar assembles a simian army and escapes -- putting man and primate on a collision course that could change the planet forever.

Order this DVD/Blu-ray combo from Amazon.com $24.99

Green Slime (Remastered Edition)

Another film that sci fi and monster movie fans have been waiting for. This one is so bad that it's good!

The plot:

After a perilous mission to a huge asteroid, a crew returns to its space station, unaware a bit of ooze from the asteroid clings to a crewman's uniform. The green goop grows - into murderous, tentacled monsters. And as station members fight to live, gunk from the monsters' wounds turns into more monsters! That's the story. Now enjoy as our heroes fight to preserve Earth and, unintentionally, our own senses of humor with a movie that Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times called "one of the funniest made-in-Japan sci-fi monster movies ever." Kinji Fukasaku, whose later work was championed by Quentin Tarantino, directs. The world would be a far more bleak and joyless place without marvels like The Green Slime.

Order this film on DVD from Amazon.com $15.99

Godzilla (The Criterion Collection)

It's about time this amazing film got the Criterion treatment! This is a must-have item for any movie fan!

The skinny:

Ishiro Honda’s Godzilla is the roaring granddaddy of all monster movies. It’s also a remarkably humane and melancholy drama made in Japan at a time when the country was still reeling from nuclear attack and H-bomb testing. Its rampaging radioactive beast, the poignant embodiment of an entire population’s fears, became a beloved international icon of destruction, spawning more than twenty sequels and spinoffs. This first thrilling, tactile spectacle continues to be a cult phenomenon; here, we present the original, 1954 Japanese version, along with Godzilla: King of the Monsters!, the 1956 American reworking starring Raymond Burr (Rear Window).

Order this film on Blu-ray from Amazon.com $27.99

Order this film on DVD from Amazon.com $19.99

Paul (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost have done it again! This was another great film that may have slipped under some people's radar. Trust me, you will pee yourself from laughing!

The propaganda:

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead) reunite as sci-fi geeks taking a pilgrimage to America's UFO heartland. There they meet a smart-ass alien, Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen), who takes them on an insane road trip. As they struggle to return Paul home, the little green man might just take the outcasts from misfits to intergalactic heroes.

Order this DVD/Blu-ray combo From Amazon.com $12.99

Order this film on DVD from Amazon.com $10.49

Kingdom Of The Spiders [Special Edition]

William Shatner covered in tarantulas, do I have to say more?

The crawling facts:

William Shatner stars as veterinarian Rack Hansen in this cult classic about an Arizona town infested with a horde of arachnids that turn on the humans whose insecticides have depleted their natural food supply.

After livestock belonging to rancher Walter Colby fall victim to a spider attack, entomologist Diane Ashley (Tiffany Bolling) arrives and tries to help Rack deal with the crisis: but with the big county fair fast approaching, Mayor Connors refuses to let them quarantine the ranch. Soon the remaining residents of the town must barricade themselves at Emma Washburns lodge in an effort to save themselves from the eight-legged invaders in the ultimate man vs. spider showdown.

Order this movie on DVD from Amazon.com $15.99

SHAUN OF THE DEAD - Did You Know?

Trivia Compiled By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: IMDB / Wikipedia

I'm certain that I am not alone when I say that the movie "Shaun of the Dead" is one of the greatest comedies of all time. The collaboration between director Edgar Wright and actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost is a perfect parody of zombie movies that serves as a spot on social commentary as well.

Who are the real zombies in the film?

Anyway the movie is one of my all-time favorites and I felt that is was about time that we took a closer look at this modern classic!

Did You Know?

In some markets, the film was released as Zombies Party.

Many of the Zombie extras are fans of the TV series Spaced, which also starred Simon Pegg and Nick Frost and was also directed by Edgar Wright. They were recruited through the Spaced Out fan web site to be in the film.

The phrase "fried gold" originated behind the scenes of Simon Pegg, Jessica Hynes and Edgar Wright's sitcom Spaced and was mentioned several times on the DVD commentaries for that series. It makes several fan-pleasing appearances in the film.

Frequent references are made to Big Al's claim that dogs can't look up. This is a reference to the commentary to the second series of Spaced in which Simon Pegg (Shaun) and Edgar Wright talk about Nick Frost (Ed)'s claim that the difficulty in shooting a scene with a dog was due to the fact that dogs can't look up.

When Shaun, Liz, David, Dianne, Barbara and Ed run into the alternative 'gang' as they make their way to the Winchester, there are quite a few comedy partnerships brought together again. Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes - Tim and Daisy from Spaced. Lucy Davis and Martin Freeman - Dawn and Tim from The Office. Dylan Moran and Tamsin Greig - Bernard and Fran from Black Books. Julia Deakin and Nick Frost are, of course, in Spaced too, as Marsha and Mike respectively.

The zombie that Shaun (Simon Pegg) and Ed (Nick Frost) find in their garden is Mary, the checkout girl from the film's credit montage. A short story detailing her transformation into one of the undead was featured in issue 1384 of the classic British sci-fi comic 2000AD. The issue went on sale 7 April 2004. The strip was called "There's Something About Mary" and was written by Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright (the film's co-writers) with art by Frazer Irving.

Shaun (Simon Pegg) complains that Ed (Nick Frost) isn't his boyfriend, then says, "Thanks, babe." In season one of Spaced, a conversation begins in a similar manner between the two actors ("All right, babe?"). This was, however, a total mistake. The writers used the same joke again, forgetting they had used it in Spaced.

Because of the timing and the indisputable similarity of the names, the distributors were forced to hold the film back until two weeks after Dawn of the Dead was released in the UK.

When Shaun and the group are running out of Liz's flat they are all carrying weapons of some kind, but only Shaun actually hits any zombies. This was because only the cricket bat that Shaun was carrying was a padded fake, all the other items were real and would have hurt the extras playing zombies if they had been hit with them.

John and Bernie run the Winchester. These are the real names of the landlord and landlady who used to run Simon Pegg's local pub, the Shepherds in Highgate. John used to make toasted sandwiches for regulars, hence the reference to "the Breville out back." Pegg and Nick Frost were regular attendees of the Shepherd's Thursday night quiz, hence the line "we do the quiz" when Shaun is knocking on the Winchester's door. Chris Martin of Coldplay, who plays a zombie in the film, also used to attend quiz night.

At one point, a zombie can be glimpsed wearing a yellow cycling helmet and lycra shorts. He's played by comedian Michael Smiley, who made appearances in Spaced as a bicycle courier named Tyres.

Night of the Living Dead director George A. Romero was given a private viewing of the film near his home in Florida. During the scene in which Ed (Nick Frost) yells into the phone, "We're coming to get you, Barbara," Romero was oblivious to the fact it was a direct lift from his film Night of the Living Dead and only found out later after a phone conversation with director Edgar Wright.

According to writer-director Edgar Wright in the DVD commentary, when Ed attempts to cheer Shaun up at the Winchester with plans of binge drinking, he is actually summarizing the events of the next day (Z-day) entirely in drinking references. "Bloody Mary" - Checkout Girl, "Bite at the king's head" - Phillip, "Couple" - David and Di, "Little Princess" - Liz, "Stagger back" - impersonate zombies, "Bar For Shots" - firing rifle.

The garden scenes were originally a lot longer, featuring a hanged man zombie and a woman being eaten by her own dog (The dog was intended to be played by Spaced's Colin).

Shaun tells Liz that he's going to take her to "the place that does all the fish". When he opens the phone book you can see that the restaurant is literally called 'The Place That Does All the Fish'.

The film was inspired by the Spaced episode "Art", written by Pegg (along with his writing partner and co-star Jessica Stevenson) and directed by Wright, in which the character of Tim (Pegg), under the influence of amphetamine and the PlayStation video game Resident Evil 2, hallucinates that he's fighting off a zombie invasion. Having discovered a mutual appreciation for Romero's Dead trilogy, they decided to write their own zombie movie. Spaced was to be a big influence on the making of Shaun, as it was directed by Wright in a similar style, and featured many of the same cast and crew in minor and major roles (as well as Pegg, Wright and Stevenson, Nick Frost — who played Mike in Spaced — has a starring role in Shaun as Ed, and Peter Serafinowicz and Julia Deakin, who played Duane Benzie and Marsha in Spaced, respectively — appeared in Shaun as Pete and Yvonne's mum, respectively).

The scenes filmed in and around "The Winchester Pub" were shot at The Duke Of Albany in Monson Road New Cross, a three-storey Victorian pub popular with supporters of Millwall F.C. which was converted into luxury flats in 2007.

And now you know!