Munchkin Dubs Auntie Em's Voice In "Wizard Of Oz" (MGM, 1939) (video)

"Little person" Mickey Carroll (1919-2009) played multiple roles as Munchkins in 1939's "The Wizard of Oz"...

...including the town crier character...

...and the second fiddler from the left as Dorothy sets off on the yellow brick road.

He also dubbed some of the Munchkins' voices.

During the tornado sequence, the director didn't think Clara Blandick was shouting loud enough for Dorothy, so...

...he got Mickey to dub in Auntie Em's voice for the scene.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

Munchkin Dubs Auntie Em's Voice In "Wizard Of Oz" (MGM, 1939) (video)

Jackie Chan's "BLEEDING STEEL" - Now Playing In Theaters, On Demand, on iTunes and Amazon! See Trailer Here!

Jackie Chan in
"BLEEDING STEEL"
LIONSGATE PREMIERE 

In an action-packed drama reminiscent of ‘80s techno-sci-fi thrillers, Jackie Chan stars as Lin, a police inspector in modern Hong Kong. While tracking down a deranged, mecha-enhanced villain, Lin discovers that a geneticist’s lost bio-chemical invention has been surgically implanted into his missing daughter.

With the help of a young hacker, Lin connects the dots between the device that haunts his daughter, his enemy’s sinister army, and a strange cultural phenomenon called “Bleeding Steel.”

WATCH THE TRAILER:

BLEEDING STEEL is an action thriller featuring memorable battle sequences with martial arts legend Jackie Chan. The film will be released in theaters and on demand by Lionsgate Premiere on July 6th, 2018.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LionsgatePremiere/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lgpremiere?lang=en
Hashtag: #BleedingSteel

Genre:     Action Thriller
Rating:  R for violence and some language
U.S. Release Date:   July 6th, 2018 (In Theaters and On Demand)
Run Time:   TBC

Cast:  Jackie Chan, Show Lo, Nana Ou-yang, Erica Xia-hou, Callan Mulvey, and Tess Haubrich
Written and Directed by: Leo Zhang
Screenplay by:  Erica Xia-hou and Cui Siwei
Executive Producer: Murray Lipnik

Jackie Chan's "BLEEDING STEEL" - Now Playing In Theaters, On Demand, on iTunes and Amazon! See Trailer Here!

Tor Johnson Trusted With Dialogue In "Plan 9 From Outer Space"! (1959) (video)

Swedish wrestler-turned-actor Tor Johnson was not known for his dialogue skills.

In fact, he was rarely given any dialogue besides "AAA! AAA!"

But in "Plan 9 From Outer Space", director Ed Wood needed to establish him as a police inspector...

...before killing him off and turning him into a zombie.

Hence, we get Tor squeezed into a suit and hat, and engaging in the following deathless exchange...


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

Tor Johnson Trusted With Dialogue In "Plan 9 From Outer Space"! (1959) (video)

Una O'Connor Meets Hopalong Cassidy In "The Unexpected Guest" (1947) (video)

Eccentric British character actress Una O'Connor...

...was best known for her endearingly oddball performances in two James Whale classics, "The Invisible Man" (1933) and "Bride of Frankenstein" (1935).

But in 1947 she met Hopalong Cassidy (William Boyd) in one of his rare forays into chiller territory, "The Unexpected Guest."

It was quite a change seeing the quintessentially British actress as an Old West frontier woman.
 
But, as usual, her character was superstitious and prone to fits of hysteria.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

Una O'Connor Meets Hopalong Cassidy In "The Unexpected Guest" (1947) (video)

Footprint Blooper in "The Invisible Man" (Universal, 1933) (video)

In order to remain invisible, Jack Griffin (Claude Rains) must run around stark naked at all times...

...even when the weather outside is frightful.

But in a climactic scene, the footprints he leaves in the snow...

...are clearly those of a man wearing shoes.

(spoilers)

I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

Footprint Blooper in "The Invisible Man" (Universal, 1933) (video)

Fake Bullet Bounces Off Creature's Butt in "Revenge of the Creature" (1955) (video)

Watch a fake bullet bounce off the Creature's scaly posterior...

...in "Revenge of the Creature" (Universal-International Pictures, 1955)!


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

Fake Bullet Bounces Off Creature's Butt in "Revenge of the Creature" (1955) (video)

What Renfield Really Wants in "DRACULA" (1931, English/Spanish) (video)

In both the English language version of "Dracula" (1931) and its Spanish counterpart...

...Renfield's insane laughter causes a hapless sanitarium nurse to faint dead away.

As the deranged fly eater slowly advances on her prone body...

...we fear his intentions.

The English version leaves the rest to our imaginations.

But in the Spanish version...


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

What Renfield Really Wants in "DRACULA" (1931, English/Spanish) (video)

Bunny Breckinridge in "Plan 9 From Outer Space" (1959) (video)

John Cabell "Bunny" Breckinridge (1903-1996)…

...was an independently wealthy Shakespearean actor and drag queen with a highly unorthodox lifestyle.

In 1959, he was cast by his friend Edward D. Wood, Jr...

...as alien leader "The Ruler" in Wood's film "Plan 9 From Outer Space."

(He would later be portrayed by Bill Murray in the Tim Burton film "Ed Wood.")


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

Bunny Breckinridge in "Plan 9 From Outer Space" (1959) (video)

Samuel Goldwyn Films' Sci-fi Horror "Cold Skin" This September 7th -- See Pics and Trailer Here!

Samuel Goldwyn Films Presents Xavier Gens’ Sci-fi Horror Cold Skin for Audiences this September 7th!

Culver City, CA (Friday, June 29th) - Samuel Goldwyn Films is set to release Xavier Gens’ (The Divide, 2011) Cold Skin, this September. The film was acquired by Samuel Goldwyn Films earlier this year, for distribution throughout North America.

Influenced by H.P. Lovecraft’s work on The Shadow Over Innsmouth, Cold Skin centrally stars: Ray Stevenson (“Black Sails”) David Oakes (“The Living and the Dead”) and Aura Garrido (The Body).

This fantasy feature will be available on several platforms: Digital, On-demand and in theatres - in just a few weeks. And now, the film’s exciting theatrical trailer and official film poster are available here.

The film’s story begins with a reclusive lighthouse keeper (Stevenson). When a weather observer (Oakes) lands on the isolated island, he is forced to confront the island’s original natives. Together, these two men must work together as a nightmare emerges every night, from the nearby shoreline.

Cold Skin was developed from Albert Sánchez Piñol’s 2007 novel. Writer Jesus Como (28 Weeks Later) and Eron Sheean have developed the screenplay. Now, fans of fantasy and horror can see more of their work and of Cold Skin as the film nears its September 7th release date.

This title’s North American trailer and poster provide a closer look at what lays in wait for the isolated characters within Cold Skin!

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:

The official synopsis: On a remote island in the Antarctic circle, a young man finds himself trapped in a battle for his life against nightly invasions of unknown creatures that emerge from the ocean.

Director: Xavier Gens. Writers: Albert Sánchez Piñol, Jesus Olo and Eron Sheean.

Cast: Ray Stevenson, David Oakes, & Aura Garrido.

Samuel Goldwyn Films
Samuel Goldwyn Films is a major, independently owned and operated motion-picture company that develops, produces and distributes innovative feature films and documentaries.

Samuel Goldwyn Films' Sci-fi Horror "Cold Skin" This September 7th -- See Pics and Trailer Here!

"FRANKENSTEIN" (1931) Electrical Sound FX Used In "THE CREATURE WALKS AMONG US" (1956) (video)

One of the last of the classic Universal monster movies...

...uses a 25-year-old sound effect from one of the first ones.

When the Creature smashes through an electric gate during his rampage...

...the crackling electrical sound effects are straight out of 1931's FRANKENSTEIN. 


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

"FRANKENSTEIN" (1931) Electrical Sound FX Used In "THE CREATURE WALKS AMONG US" (1956) (video)

What If Curly Joe Was In The Final Three Stooges Short? (video)

What If Curly Joe Was In The Final 3 Stooges Short?

The last ten minutes or so of the 1959 Three Stooges feature "Have Rocket, Will Travel" plays just like one of their old short comedies.

What if it was? What if Curly Joe's debut had been in their final short subject instead of in a feature film?

Here's what it might have looked like...


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

What If Curly Joe Was In The Final Three Stooges Short? (video)

Cringey Wire Effect in "Revenge of the Creature" (1955) (video)

Cringey Wire Effect in "Revenge of the Creature" (1955)

Two teenagers discover an unconscious Lori Nelson lying on the beach, and...

...the wire effect that follows is not all that convincing.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

Cringey Wire Effect in "Revenge of the Creature" (1955) (video)

Quentin Tarantino's "ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD" -- First Photo From Set

Quentin Tarantino's "ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD" -- First Photo From Set 

August 9, 2019

Quentin Tarantino's ninth feature film is a story that takes place in Los Angeles in 1969, at the height of hippy Hollywood.

The two lead characters are Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio, right), former star of a western TV series, and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt, left).

Both are struggling to make it in a Hollywood they don't recognize anymore. But Rick has a very famous next-door neighbor...Sharon Tate.

Written and Directed by:
Quentin Tarantino

Produced by:
David Heyman
Quentin Tarantino
Shannon McIntosh

Executive Producer:
Georgia Kacandes

Cast:                             
Leonardo DiCaprio
Brad Pitt

Photo Credit: Andrew Cooper; © 2018 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Quentin Tarantino's "ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD" -- First Photo From Set

The Three Coolest-Ever Scenes From "Bonanza"! (video)

Three Coolest-Ever Scenes From "Bonanza"!

(as chosen by me)

I've watched season one of "Bonanza" several times, and for me, these are the three moments that really stand out.

#3: "A Rose For Lotta" (Episode 1, 1959)
#2: "A Rose For Lotta" (Episode 1, 1959)
#1: "Enter Mark Twain" (Episode 5, 1959)


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

The Three Coolest-Ever Scenes From "Bonanza"! (video)

Leading OTT Channel, AsianCrush, Will Premiere the Classic, Epic Anime Series "THE TWELVE KINGDOMS" on 6/29

LEADING OTT CHANNEL, ASIANCRUSH, WILL PREMIERE THE CLASSIC, EPIC ANIME SERIES, THE TWELVE KINGDOMS, ON JUNE 29

New and Classic Anime Programming Ramps Up on
Digital Media Rights' AsianCrush and Genre OTT Channel,
Midnight Pulp, with New Releases from Top Japanese Studios
Such as NHK, King Records and KBC Japan

New York, NY (June 27, 2018) -- This June, voyage to a distant, fantastical kingdom with the classic anime epic, THE TWELVE KINGDOMS, which will premiere on AsianCrush, one of the leading OTT channels featuring Asian programming. Currently the sole service to be streaming the popular fantasy series, all 45 complete episodes will be available on June 29, 2018 across all of AsianCrush's platforms. The announcement was made by David Chu, President of AsianCrush parent company, Digital Media Rights, a pioneer in digital distribution.

Adapted from a series of fantasy novels written by Fuyumi Ono and influenced by Chinese mythology, THE TWELVE KINGDOMS follows the incredible adventures of Yoko Nakajima, an unhappy high school student who suddenly discovers that she's the rightful heir to a mysterious kingdom. Once transported to this other world with two of her classmates, their status as "kaikyaki" (people who come from Earth) make them hunted fugitives, so they set off on a journey of danger, magic and political intrigue. The Studio Pierrot production originally aired on Japan's NHK in 2002-3.

THE TWELVE KINGDOMS is the newest addition to AsianCrush's classic '80s ,'90s, and early aughts anime library containing other fan-favorite series and feature-length films (released with both English subtitles and English dubbed versions) including JIN-ROH, URUSEI YATSURA 2: BEAUTIFUL DREAMER, ARCADIA OF MY YOUTH, BLACK JACK: THE MOVIE and FIST OF THE NORTH STAR: THE MOVIE, CARDCAPTOR SAKURA: THE MOVIE and STREET FIGHTER II. Sister OTT channel Midnight Pulp, a highly-curated premiere destination for genre fare, also carries much of the same anime.

"The acquisition and premiere of 'The Twelve Kingdoms' marks a new commitment to anime across our AsianCrush and Midnight Pulp OTT channels," says Chu. "We have strong relationships with prominent Japanese animation studios such as NHK, King Records, and KBC Japan, as well as American home video distributor Discotek Media, and we're looking forward to bringing our dedicated viewers the very best of the anime genre in the coming months."

Both AsianCrush and Midnight Pulp, available on the web, iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast and additional platforms, feature thousands of streaming titles, with new titles programmed each week. The OTT channels are available to consumers on a hybrid model, and they can choose to view the channel for free or with a premium subscription. Registered users can watch videos for free with commercials while premium subscribers can access the entire selection of titles without commercials, in addition to early releases, director's cuts and bonus features. Premium subscription pricing starts at $4.99 a month for each channel.

About Digital Media Rights
Based in New York, Digital Media Rights (DMR) is a privately-held digital media and advertising company founded in 2010 by industry veterans Michael Hong and David Chu. As a pioneer in digital distribution, they've revolutionized the industry while evolving to specialize in three distinct areas: Digital Distribution, the DMR Advertising Network and OTT Digital Networks.

DMR is one of the largest content aggregators and distributors in the world with a catalog containing over 7,500 premium titles from 250+ partners across leading television networks, studios, producers and sales agents. Their broad distribution footprint includes direct distribution deals with many leading platforms including Amazon Instant Video, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Netflix, Cable VOD, iTunes, Google Play, FandangoNow, Hoopla, Kanopy, and Vudu.

The DMR Advertising Network provides video and display ads via direct sales and programmatic across desktop, mobile, and connected TV. Connecting media buying agencies to relevant audiences across a range of publishers with premium content, the DMR Advertising Network reaches over 500 million impressions per month globally across all screens, while optimizing ad revenue through direct relationships with advertising agencies, networks, DSP's SSP's and other demand partners.

DMR is also an OTT channel publisher and developer with a suite of five owned and operated over-the-top (OTT) channels that have become leading destinations for their respective genres: AsianCrush (pan-Asian), Midnight Pulp (horror/thriller), Yuyu (general entertainment), Cocoro (kids/family) and KMTV (K-Pop). DMR's OTT channels are available across multiple platforms and devices such as web, iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and many leading Smart TVs.

Visit www.digitalmediarights.com for more information.

Leading OTT Channel, AsianCrush, Will Premiere the Classic, Epic Anime Series "THE TWELVE KINGDOMS" on 6/29

ESCAPE PLAN 2: HADES -- DVD Review by Porfle

I used to rent straight-to-video action flicks on VHS and sometimes be pleasantly surprised if they turned out to be better than I expected.  ESCAPE PLAN 2: HADES (Lionsgate, 2018) is like a throwback to those days, overcoming its relatively modest budget to score quite nicely on a sheer entertainment level.

Director Steven C. Miller, whose career I've sort of followed through THE AGGRESSION SCALE, SILENT NIGHT, and going all the way back to AUTOMATON TRANSFUSION, has scored the services of action stars Sylvester Stallone and Dave Bautista (AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR, BLADE RUNNER 2049, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY) to head the well-chosen cast of his and writer Miles Chapman's semi-original, semi-derivative futuristic prison thriller.

Stallone plays Breslin, an ace security expert who gets people out of inescapable prisons.  This time, two from his own team, Shu (Xiaoming Huang) and Luke (Jessie Metcalf), find themselves in a super-advanced cage (it's run by computers, has force fields instead of bars and a robot doctor, and can change its architectural layout on a daily basis) for people who have sensitive information desired by their captors.

In this case, Shu's cousin Yusheng (Chenying Tang) has secrets locked in his brain that could change the face of modern warfare in cataclysmic ways, and certain people will do anything to get at them.
Naturally, Breslin finds out about this and puts the rest of his team to work devising a plan to get them out.  These include Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson (RIGHTEOUS KILL, 13) as genius computer hacker Hush, and Jaime King ("Goldie" of SIN CITY) as an equally proficient expert in whatever it is she's an expert at.

The film opens right in the middle of the action as Breslin's team is foiling a hostage situation while wasting some terrorists, during which one of their number fouls up big time and is ejected from the group.  (This will not work out well.)  Here we get to see how Miller directs action, which is to rely heavily on handheld camera and lots of quick shots and rapid-fire editing.

While this takes some getting used to, it's not nearly as much of a problem as trying to make heads or tails of the early action scenes in QUANTUM OF SOLACE or any number of modestly budgeted action potboilers of the past few decades.

And the set design stretches the budget beautifully--that prison is an eye-pleasing wonder of colorful geometric shapes against black backgrounds, with CGI used sparingly and tastefully for virtual reality elements, force fields, digital readouts, etc.

Fight scenes are plentiful from the gitgo, mainly involving Xiaoming Huang in battles against other inmates staged by the prison's head honcho, The Zookeeper (Titus Welliver).  Stallone and Bautista finally come to the fore by around the third act, instead of lurking in the background, when their characters find themselves in the futuristic prison and go into action while discovering the stunning secrets behind the place.

The DVD from Lionsgate is in 2.40:1 widescreen with English Dolby 5.1 sound and English/Spanish subtitles.  Extras consist of three substantial making-of featurettes, cast and crew interviews. and a trailer gallery.

The story is just complicated enough to stimulate our brains while our baser drives are stoked by the almost-constant action.  Stallone, fortunately, seems to have settled quite comfortably into "old guy who's still a badass" mode, and while everything around him in ESCAPE PLAN 2: HADES is shiny and new, it's great to have him being his old familiar self and taking care of business old-school.

Official Site: www.escapeplan2.movie
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EscapePlanMovie
Twitter: twitter.com/EscapePlanMovie
Instagram: www.instagram.com/escapeplanmovie
Hashtag: #EscapePlan2

ESCAPE PLAN 2: HADES -- DVD Review by Porfle

Phantom Support Rods During Kong vs. T-Rex Fight in KING KONG (1933)(video)

The fight between King Kong and the T-Rex is a terrific action sequence...

...as well as being some of the finest stop-motion animation ever put on film.

What many people never noticed (at least, not until the DVD release allowed them to study each frame)…

...are the support rods for the models which are visible in some frames.

When viewed normally, they're hardly noticeable.

But once you're aware of them, they're a reminder of the animators' artistic efforts.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

Phantom Support Rods During Kong vs. T-Rex Fight in KING KONG (1933)(video)

Most Messed-Up Three Stooges Comedy Ever? ("Cuckoo On a Choo Choo", 1953) (video)

"Cuckoo On a Choo Choo" takes place entirely in a stolen railroad car. 

It pokes fun at both "On the Waterfront" and "Harvey."  [NOTE: Instead of "On the Waterfront", I really meant "A Streetcar Named Desire."]

Larry does a bad Brando imitation.  Moe plays a spurned suitor. Shemp is a drunk who sees a giant canary.

Larry and two sisters are trying to marry Shemp off to the older sister (Victoria Horne) so that Larry can marry the younger one (Patricia Wright).

That's as close as it gets to having a plot.

Many fans would consider "Cuckoo On a Choo Choo" to be the Three Stooges' nuttiest and/or most nonsensical comedy short.

Others have chosen it as the Stooges' worst comedy ever.

At any rate, it was one of Larry's favorites.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

Most Messed-Up Three Stooges Comedy Ever? ("Cuckoo On a Choo Choo", 1953) (video)

The Four Universal DRACULAS (1931-1948) (video)

Bela Lugosi was the definitive Count Dracula in Universal's 1931 classic "Dracula."

The concurrently filmed Spanish version starred Carlos Villarías in the title role.

In 1943's "Son of Dracula", the Count (or his son--fans are still undecided) was played by Lon Chaney, Jr.

John Carradine took over the role in the 1944  monster rally "House of Frankenstein."

Carradine continued as the Count in the 1945 follow-up "House of Dracula."

And in 1948, Bela Lugosi was finally allowed to assume the role once again in the monster comedy "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein."


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

The Four Universal DRACULAS (1931-1948) (video)

REALLY Bad Special Effect in "THE CYCLOPS" (1957)(video)

Bert I. Gordon's "The Cyclops" is a fun monster flick that does its best with a low budget.

But one special effect has to be seen to be believed.

That's the one where the Cyclops grabs Gloria Talbott...

...and picks her up, background and all.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

REALLY Bad Special Effect in "THE CYCLOPS" (1957)(video)