All You Can Eat Spaghetti Westerns!

The Film Forum, New York City's premier repertory cinema is unleashing a month-long Spaghetti Western festival starting on June 1st!  Check out the amazing schedule of films and special guests!  http://www.filmforum.org/more/spaghettischedule

If the film line up doesn't persuade you, maybe Franco Nero will!

Bava and Franco go blu!

The good folks at blu-ray.com bring us some good news!  Without a doubt, Redemption, along with Blue Underground (and their Argento/Fulci gems), is bringing the best of Euro-Horror to BD!  http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=8803

While Mario shrugs and doesn't seem overly excited, his movies should suit blu-ray beautifully!

Beware!  Jess Franco goes HD!

Jack is Back... Big Time!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4YtAbUU5jk8

It's been too long a wait but Jackie Chan has taken back the directorial reigns and shows the Hollywood hacks how it's done!  CHINESE ZODIAC opens 12-12-12!

Bloody Zorn! The Knights Templars Are Avenged!

After creating a massive maelstrom of music inspired by Aleister Crowley and occult themes, among other things, composer/saxophonist John Zorn brings us TEMPLARS: IN SACRED BLOOD featuring the infamous Moonchild line-up.  Here's a description:


Over a year in the making, the 6th CD in the Moonchild legacy is a testament-tribute to the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon, the legendary crusading Warrior-Monks whose 200-year rise to power ended abruptly in 1307 under accusations of heresy. With lyrics opening a new world of possibilities, the music exudes a powerful emotional intensity. Patton's versatility is at its peak, and he sings everything from Gregorian Chants and atonal melodies to hardcore screams and passionate whispers. The evocative organ of John Medeski adds a deeply religious tone to the drama, and the Dunn-Baron rhythm section is at its raging best!


Track listing:


1  Templi Secretum 5:33
2  Evocation of Baphomet 5:26
3  Murder of the Magicians 4:14
4  Prophetic Souls 6:20
5  Libera Me 3:20
6  A Second Sanctuary 5:06
7  Recordatio 3:53
8  Secret Ceremony 9:15

Streets 5/22!  On Zorn's Tzadik label.

A teaser for new 007!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJ4dAY3DW4c&feature=share

This looks promising as do most 007 trailers.  Bond sort of raised the bar for the art of trailer-making in the 60's and though this official teaser is actually a bit restrained but the action really kicks in during the last few seconds.  Here's hoping that SKYFALL will be a sizeable improvement over the last and pretty forgettable 007 outing.  I hope Craig at least makes an attempt to lighten up a little and let's us see that Bond actually enjoys his work occasionally.

Ernie Chan R.I.P.

Filipino artist extraordinaire, Ernie Chan (real name: Ernie Chua) has passed away at age 71.  He made great contributions to the Marvel and DC universes (BATMAN, THE HULK, etc.) but is best remembered here at VC for his monumental CONAN and KULL work (often along side the great John Buscema), especially in SAVAGE SWORD and the newspaper strips.  http://www.erniechan.com/

Fellow Filipino artist Tony DeZuniga also passed a week ago at age 79.  DeZuniga is best known as co-creator of JONAH HEX.  Both artists were part of a wave of awesome talent pool that hailed from the Philippines in the 70's.

New Digital-only Bruce Lee Book!

The single best reason in the world to buy a kindle or any digital book device is this ebook only release of  THE BRUCE LEE CHRONICLES: AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE MAKING OF 'WAY OF THE DRAGON' by Steve Kerridge.  Just quicking glancing through this massive, epic work is astounding!  Finally, not since John Little's Bruce publications, is a super in-depth, photo-feast of facts, interviews and detailed information about the production of Lee's directorial debut!  I was blown away by the hundreds of black-and-white and color photos I've never seen published before!  There is an intro by daughter Shannon, who spends too much of her time on issuing limited edition t-shirts when we should have more of these serious, scholarly types of work!  Get it now at this ridiculously cheap price on Amazon!

http://www.amazon.com/The-Bruce-Lee-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B0069L5Y8C/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1336842825&sr=1-4

There's actually a part II in the works!

Luciana Paluzzi at Chiller Theatre!

Former Bond girl Luciana Paluzzi was a guest at the recent Chiller Theatre convention in New Jersey.  Aside from THUNDERBALL (1965), she is perhaps best remembered by genre fans for her appearance in THE GREEN SLIME (1968).  She's worked with a gamut of directors from Terence Young and Fritz Lang to Jess Franco!

The Bond Girls (Maryam D'Abo and Luciana) panel at Chiller hosted by Louis Paul with drop-in guest Olivia D'Abo!

You've seen the movie, read the book!

Making its U.S. debut, the 1954 movie-tie-in novelization of THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON sees print from Dream Haven publishers!  Written by John Russell Fearn under the pseudonym of Vargo Statten, the book was only released in the U.K. at the time of the film's release.  Fearn was a British scribe who also wrote sci-fi, westerns and crime pulps.  There is a thorough detailed overview and introduction by gill man fan numero uno, David J. Schow.  I picked up my copy at the recent Chiller Theatre convention and had it signed by cover artist Bob Eggleton!

The original edition fetches big bucks!