- Published on
I can't be one of the last red-blooded American males truly intrigued by matters of High Strangeness, can I?
From the Roswell Incident to tales of Bigfoot and beyond, I've always been fascinated with truths that lie just beyond our collective ability to understand our universe. This isn't to say that I believe, that I believe in all of them, or that I've made up my mind to disbeliever; rather, it's just an honest observation of the simple fact that I don't think we always have the facts, figures, and ability to grasp how fragile our grip on the cosmos is. As some might say, "the more we learn, the less we know" seems to be an appropriate diagnosis for where we are as a people; and until we commit serious effort into legitimately defining any unexplained phenomenon (not merely debunking it) the truth will continue to slip further and further from our grasp.
Here. Let me put it another way: I'm as skeptical of what we know as I am of what we don't know.
So with that in mind, I'm always thrilled at the opportunity to examine one of these topics, and I'll be doing that just tomorrow when I review 1975's The UFO Incident.
For those who've never heard of it, it's a 1975 telefilm that covers the story of Betty and Barney Hill, a married couple who found themselves (allegedly) abducted by aliens back in September, 1961. As you might imagine, experiments were performed, lost time occurred, and their version of events were only recovered via deep hypnosis. Any and all of the tropes commonly attached to the alien abduction phenomenon (with a few small exceptions) practically originate from this event, one of the very first of its kind with any official record. I've not only long been aware of their story (it's been covered in a few books I've read) but also I've heard plenty about this telefilm ... so as you can imagine I'm pretty damn jazzed to finally have put my hands on a copy.
As this one is available for purchase today, I wanted to give it a plug for interested folks. I'll throw in a link or two below as well for you to check out.
Amazon.com: Link for purchase
Wikipedia.org: The Betty And Barney Hill Story
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
From the Roswell Incident to tales of Bigfoot and beyond, I've always been fascinated with truths that lie just beyond our collective ability to understand our universe. This isn't to say that I believe, that I believe in all of them, or that I've made up my mind to disbeliever; rather, it's just an honest observation of the simple fact that I don't think we always have the facts, figures, and ability to grasp how fragile our grip on the cosmos is. As some might say, "the more we learn, the less we know" seems to be an appropriate diagnosis for where we are as a people; and until we commit serious effort into legitimately defining any unexplained phenomenon (not merely debunking it) the truth will continue to slip further and further from our grasp.
Here. Let me put it another way: I'm as skeptical of what we know as I am of what we don't know.
So with that in mind, I'm always thrilled at the opportunity to examine one of these topics, and I'll be doing that just tomorrow when I review 1975's The UFO Incident.
For those who've never heard of it, it's a 1975 telefilm that covers the story of Betty and Barney Hill, a married couple who found themselves (allegedly) abducted by aliens back in September, 1961. As you might imagine, experiments were performed, lost time occurred, and their version of events were only recovered via deep hypnosis. Any and all of the tropes commonly attached to the alien abduction phenomenon (with a few small exceptions) practically originate from this event, one of the very first of its kind with any official record. I've not only long been aware of their story (it's been covered in a few books I've read) but also I've heard plenty about this telefilm ... so as you can imagine I'm pretty damn jazzed to finally have put my hands on a copy.
As this one is available for purchase today, I wanted to give it a plug for interested folks. I'll throw in a link or two below as well for you to check out.
Amazon.com: Link for purchase
Wikipedia.org: The Betty And Barney Hill Story
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
- Published on
Oh, Walt Disney, you’ve certainly made Obi-Wan Kenobi a difficult series to love universally.
For example, you ramped up a relatively simple kidnapping story relatively slowly, instead choosing to focus on Ben’s ‘salad days’ on Tatooine. Granted, you needed a bit of time to introduce a few new faces to the ongoing saga in that galaxy far, far away; but christening fandom as racists when they didn’t embrace your flatly-defined new villain Reva (Moses Ingram) didn’t exactly earn a vote of confidence from audiences, either.
Then, you reduced a brave and noble Jedi Master – such as Kenobi was – to the point wherein our hero needed a ten-year-old Princess Leia to rescue him (emotionally) as opposed to vice versa (the whole premise behind this limited series). While there’s nothing wrong with the warrior having grown a bit old and gray in the ten years since we’d last seen him, perhaps your writers went a bit too far? Slowing him down with age comes naturally, but when the Force is his ally? I’d think he would’ve retained a bit punch than you granted him in those early episodes.
Episode 5 – which was big on action but a bit bereft of logic – gave Kenobi a brief return-to-form: with nearly everyone audiences have been encouraged to care about painted into a corner on Jabiim, the former general took charge of the dire straits, rallied the troops, and staged a counter offensive to the Empire’s attack on the spaceport. Most of the action was deliciously staged with the ragtag group of folks likely on the way to becoming members of the Rebel Alliance exchanging blaster fire with the galaxy’s worst shots ever (Stormtroopers), and even the newly appointed Grand Inquisitor Reva and the dark lord of the Sith himself – Darth Vader – stepping into the spectacle.
But … I have questions …
Would Vader really have placed Reva in charge of a ground offensive? I believe I’m on record as not being all that enamored with these ‘Inquisitors’ to begin with (not in this show, per se, but in the entire Star Wars universe), but have we ever seen that they were trained to lead troops into combat? It seems to me that these Inquisitors are the type to show up after the action has secured the Jedi survivors so that they can do what they do once things are under control. While they may’ve been trained to face-off against Force users, I’m at a loss to know anything further about their role with the Imperial military, and those scenes felt a bit off to me.
Also – while we’re on that topic – if all it took was Reva marching up to the sealed blast door, pulling out her lightsaber, and slashing the lock away, then what was the need for all of those cannon blasts? Mind you, there were no rebel troops posted outside the door, protecting it, securing the grounds against Imperial oppression … so why not just have her do what she did instead of wasting all of that precious time (and effects budget) on efforts that bore no fruit? Again, it felt like an obvious attempt to deliver some visual eye candy to viewers, and I’ve found moments like those cheapen the story inside of enhancing it.
And – as long as I’m now on the topic of Reva – what’s with the sudden downplaying of massive bodily injuries being inflicted by those lightsabers? The movies pretty much established that it’s a lethal weapon – Qui-Gon received a fatal blow from Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace when that blade impaled him through the belly – but this miniseries has not one victim (the original Grand Inquisitor) but a second (Reva) surviving the same move. Are these instruments for good somehow metaphysically and existentially weakened by the fall of the Republic?
For example, you ramped up a relatively simple kidnapping story relatively slowly, instead choosing to focus on Ben’s ‘salad days’ on Tatooine. Granted, you needed a bit of time to introduce a few new faces to the ongoing saga in that galaxy far, far away; but christening fandom as racists when they didn’t embrace your flatly-defined new villain Reva (Moses Ingram) didn’t exactly earn a vote of confidence from audiences, either.
Then, you reduced a brave and noble Jedi Master – such as Kenobi was – to the point wherein our hero needed a ten-year-old Princess Leia to rescue him (emotionally) as opposed to vice versa (the whole premise behind this limited series). While there’s nothing wrong with the warrior having grown a bit old and gray in the ten years since we’d last seen him, perhaps your writers went a bit too far? Slowing him down with age comes naturally, but when the Force is his ally? I’d think he would’ve retained a bit punch than you granted him in those early episodes.
Episode 5 – which was big on action but a bit bereft of logic – gave Kenobi a brief return-to-form: with nearly everyone audiences have been encouraged to care about painted into a corner on Jabiim, the former general took charge of the dire straits, rallied the troops, and staged a counter offensive to the Empire’s attack on the spaceport. Most of the action was deliciously staged with the ragtag group of folks likely on the way to becoming members of the Rebel Alliance exchanging blaster fire with the galaxy’s worst shots ever (Stormtroopers), and even the newly appointed Grand Inquisitor Reva and the dark lord of the Sith himself – Darth Vader – stepping into the spectacle.
But … I have questions …
Would Vader really have placed Reva in charge of a ground offensive? I believe I’m on record as not being all that enamored with these ‘Inquisitors’ to begin with (not in this show, per se, but in the entire Star Wars universe), but have we ever seen that they were trained to lead troops into combat? It seems to me that these Inquisitors are the type to show up after the action has secured the Jedi survivors so that they can do what they do once things are under control. While they may’ve been trained to face-off against Force users, I’m at a loss to know anything further about their role with the Imperial military, and those scenes felt a bit off to me.
Also – while we’re on that topic – if all it took was Reva marching up to the sealed blast door, pulling out her lightsaber, and slashing the lock away, then what was the need for all of those cannon blasts? Mind you, there were no rebel troops posted outside the door, protecting it, securing the grounds against Imperial oppression … so why not just have her do what she did instead of wasting all of that precious time (and effects budget) on efforts that bore no fruit? Again, it felt like an obvious attempt to deliver some visual eye candy to viewers, and I’ve found moments like those cheapen the story inside of enhancing it.
And – as long as I’m now on the topic of Reva – what’s with the sudden downplaying of massive bodily injuries being inflicted by those lightsabers? The movies pretty much established that it’s a lethal weapon – Qui-Gon received a fatal blow from Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace when that blade impaled him through the belly – but this miniseries has not one victim (the original Grand Inquisitor) but a second (Reva) surviving the same move. Are these instruments for good somehow metaphysically and existentially weakened by the fall of the Republic?
Lastly, how in the name of all that is Holy in the universe did the ten-year-old Princess Leia suddenly gain the knowledge of a spaceport laborer? When they needed to come up with a way for these people to ultimately get out of their predicament, who was it on the writing staff who really thought giving the youngest among us the know-how to work alongside the galaxy’s best mechanics? Sorry, folks, but this was just plain damn silly – if not damnably stupid writing. It would’ve made more sense to have her toy droid Lola put things back the way they were – especially since the robot messed them up in the first place – but I don’t wanna beat a dead horse … erm … dead Bantha.
I could go on – Kenobi’s back-and-forth between the action was a bit distracting (first, he’s surrendering, then it’s some massive misdirection, etc.) – but I think you get the point. Visually, yes, the hour was fabulous; but I thought its structure reeked of amateurish screenwriting.
For the record, I’ve always been one to agree that fandom can be guilty of overthinking some elements of the movies and series.
I might disagree with why we do it – I honestly think it’s part-and-parcel of loving something as dearly as we do a franchise – but, inevitably, I’d agree that it does get in the way of our enjoying some of the lesser moments of any tale. Expressing such fondness isn’t always easy, and I think the way we’re all wired has us trying to examine little things to make sense of the bigger ones.
That’s why I think it was very touching that, finally, Obi-Wan Kenobi delivered a bit of what I’d call “fan service” by opening this important hour with a terrific flashback: the Jedi Master and his fateful padawan, Anakin Skywalker, engaged in a training bout back in their happier days on Coruscant. Not only did the hour start this way, but this battle’s development and denouement were used to frame the progress of the episode. Kenobi delivered Anakin a very telling lesson involving why the student failed, and their exchange related visually to how each man approached fighting a battle. This was storytelling done right … and it was the episode’s only reward.
Reva’s reveal – one that I think even much in fandom had predicated since the first episode – was handled very well (honestly, I think it’s one of the highpoints of the entire series, which is why unlike others I’ve been slow to criticize her as a character); it had the kind of nuance viewers appreciate, and maybe it’ll even have some of her detractors changing their tune. Now, we can care about her and her journey. We can feel for her. We can – if we choose – cry for her.
We couldn’t do that before because we knew so little about her except what was written (and written poorly), and I think that the Mouse House’s attempts to paint all of us as racists in those early exchanges reflect a sad state of the union for corporate America: if they (the audience) don’t like it, hurl the cheapest, laziest, most offensive insult at them to shut them up, and press onward. I’ll not forgive the company any time soon – nor sirs Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen for jumping on that Disney-sponsored bandwagon – and you know what? That’s ok. That’s my right. Disney be damned.
But Episode 5 finally did right by the character, and I’ll celebrate that seven days a week and twice on Sunday. Yes, it’s sad that it took them five episodes to do right by her, but they finally got us to a place wherein we can all agree on something … and that’s progress.
-- EZ
I could go on – Kenobi’s back-and-forth between the action was a bit distracting (first, he’s surrendering, then it’s some massive misdirection, etc.) – but I think you get the point. Visually, yes, the hour was fabulous; but I thought its structure reeked of amateurish screenwriting.
For the record, I’ve always been one to agree that fandom can be guilty of overthinking some elements of the movies and series.
I might disagree with why we do it – I honestly think it’s part-and-parcel of loving something as dearly as we do a franchise – but, inevitably, I’d agree that it does get in the way of our enjoying some of the lesser moments of any tale. Expressing such fondness isn’t always easy, and I think the way we’re all wired has us trying to examine little things to make sense of the bigger ones.
That’s why I think it was very touching that, finally, Obi-Wan Kenobi delivered a bit of what I’d call “fan service” by opening this important hour with a terrific flashback: the Jedi Master and his fateful padawan, Anakin Skywalker, engaged in a training bout back in their happier days on Coruscant. Not only did the hour start this way, but this battle’s development and denouement were used to frame the progress of the episode. Kenobi delivered Anakin a very telling lesson involving why the student failed, and their exchange related visually to how each man approached fighting a battle. This was storytelling done right … and it was the episode’s only reward.
Reva’s reveal – one that I think even much in fandom had predicated since the first episode – was handled very well (honestly, I think it’s one of the highpoints of the entire series, which is why unlike others I’ve been slow to criticize her as a character); it had the kind of nuance viewers appreciate, and maybe it’ll even have some of her detractors changing their tune. Now, we can care about her and her journey. We can feel for her. We can – if we choose – cry for her.
We couldn’t do that before because we knew so little about her except what was written (and written poorly), and I think that the Mouse House’s attempts to paint all of us as racists in those early exchanges reflect a sad state of the union for corporate America: if they (the audience) don’t like it, hurl the cheapest, laziest, most offensive insult at them to shut them up, and press onward. I’ll not forgive the company any time soon – nor sirs Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen for jumping on that Disney-sponsored bandwagon – and you know what? That’s ok. That’s my right. Disney be damned.
But Episode 5 finally did right by the character, and I’ll celebrate that seven days a week and twice on Sunday. Yes, it’s sad that it took them five episodes to do right by her, but they finally got us to a place wherein we can all agree on something … and that’s progress.
-- EZ
- Published on
As much as I love a good werewolf movie, I’m honestly surprised personally on how long it’s taken me to watch The Howling (1981).
It’s one of those films I’ve read a lot about – heard even more about than I’ve read – but it just never quite fell onto my radar. My suspicion is that because it came out at a time when An American Werewolf In London (also 1981) had set the bar really, really, really high that the Joe Dante film just kinda/sorta slipped past without a second glance. Though I’d enjoyed snippets of it in documentaries and whatnot over the years, what I saw just never quite intrigued me enough to set everything aside and digest it properly.
That’s remedied now, my friends, and I’ve devoured the movie in a single sitting just recently. It was on pay cable, I DVR’d it (no special features, so I’m really coming at it entirely from my own perspective), and I do have a little something something to say about it. Are you surprised? Don’t be.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com citation:
“After a bizarre and near deadly encounter with a serial killer, a television newswoman in sent to a remote mountain resort whose residents may not be what they seem.”
In all fairness, The Howling is and isn’t a werewolf movie.
This Joe Dante-directed flick has been a cult favorite of many over the years, and I don’t think it ever really had the kind of break-out success afforded other Dante inspirations. There could be a lot of reasons for that, but I’d suggest it comes up just a bit short mostly because it both embraces and ignores the traditions of the monster movie in enough curious ways that purists struggle with its ‘fluency over principle’ while, instead, praising its practical effects work and performances, both which are worth the price of admission alone.
As I’ve recently written, the best monster movies abide by a set of unspoken rules. I won’t trouble you with the particulars, but I will say that the most adored monster movies never stray from the central premise that the monster itself is a tortured and misunderstood figure who deserves our pity because, alas, he or she or it (or they or fae or whatever the going pronouns are today) never asked to be reduced to such a lowly creature. The Howling completely negates that fundamental core, instead choosing to ‘world build’ a society wherein lycanthropes exist as a growing subset of civilization, to the point wherein they now have their very own resorts, it would seem!
The always fabulous Dee Wallace stars as Karen White, a local market television newswoman who’ll stop at nothing to break the big stories of her California home. Though the script only loosely suggests she’s been hot-on-the-trail of a local serial killer in its set-up, it becomes clear very early that something ain’t quite right when the deceased murderer’s body completely vanishes from the city morgue. In the meantime, Karen’s emotional struggles in breaking the story hit a boiling point, and kindly ol’ social scientist Dr. George Waggner recommends some “time away” at his private retreat (where they’re supposedly doing good things in treating stress).
It’s one of those films I’ve read a lot about – heard even more about than I’ve read – but it just never quite fell onto my radar. My suspicion is that because it came out at a time when An American Werewolf In London (also 1981) had set the bar really, really, really high that the Joe Dante film just kinda/sorta slipped past without a second glance. Though I’d enjoyed snippets of it in documentaries and whatnot over the years, what I saw just never quite intrigued me enough to set everything aside and digest it properly.
That’s remedied now, my friends, and I’ve devoured the movie in a single sitting just recently. It was on pay cable, I DVR’d it (no special features, so I’m really coming at it entirely from my own perspective), and I do have a little something something to say about it. Are you surprised? Don’t be.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com citation:
“After a bizarre and near deadly encounter with a serial killer, a television newswoman in sent to a remote mountain resort whose residents may not be what they seem.”
In all fairness, The Howling is and isn’t a werewolf movie.
This Joe Dante-directed flick has been a cult favorite of many over the years, and I don’t think it ever really had the kind of break-out success afforded other Dante inspirations. There could be a lot of reasons for that, but I’d suggest it comes up just a bit short mostly because it both embraces and ignores the traditions of the monster movie in enough curious ways that purists struggle with its ‘fluency over principle’ while, instead, praising its practical effects work and performances, both which are worth the price of admission alone.
As I’ve recently written, the best monster movies abide by a set of unspoken rules. I won’t trouble you with the particulars, but I will say that the most adored monster movies never stray from the central premise that the monster itself is a tortured and misunderstood figure who deserves our pity because, alas, he or she or it (or they or fae or whatever the going pronouns are today) never asked to be reduced to such a lowly creature. The Howling completely negates that fundamental core, instead choosing to ‘world build’ a society wherein lycanthropes exist as a growing subset of civilization, to the point wherein they now have their very own resorts, it would seem!
The always fabulous Dee Wallace stars as Karen White, a local market television newswoman who’ll stop at nothing to break the big stories of her California home. Though the script only loosely suggests she’s been hot-on-the-trail of a local serial killer in its set-up, it becomes clear very early that something ain’t quite right when the deceased murderer’s body completely vanishes from the city morgue. In the meantime, Karen’s emotional struggles in breaking the story hit a boiling point, and kindly ol’ social scientist Dr. George Waggner recommends some “time away” at his private retreat (where they’re supposedly doing good things in treating stress).
As the film develops, we learn that the retreat is actually a front for a growing cult of werewolves who are curiously engaged in reshaping society to … well … it isn’t all that clear … which hints at the overall problem I had with so much of The Howling’s script, attributed to John Sayles and Terence H. Winkless (adapted from the Gary Brandner novel). Essentially, these creatures are wolves in name only as it would seem they don’t follow the traditional method of transforming into said monsters by the light of the silvery moon. They can, in fact, transform apparently whenever and wherever they want, opening the door to a whole lot of bloody activity whenever and wherever the script desires. It’s a curious way of transcending the traditions, true, but I found it a bit distracting.
As I suggested above, what truly works in The Howling are its players and practical effects. Wallace is always fetching, and she handles the lead here capably through some typical Horror melodrama up until the big climax. Though actor Christopher Stone is, largely, sidelined through the second half as our lead’s love interest, he makes decent use of the time given to him; and his transformation into one of the members of this macabre cult makes the most narrative sense. Belinda Balaski – a name that deserves more celebration for her time in this picture than she’s received – turns in solid work as Karen’s workplace confidant whose investigative work initially cast suspicious light on Dr. Waggner’s compound only to then find herself trapped in all of the terrifying theatrics. And the perennially fresh-faced Dennis Dugan makes a nice turn as another news station employee eventually hell bent on uncovering the truth behind just how widespread this monstrous affair has grown.
And about those practical effects?
Though I’d argue that the werewolf transformation sequences do pale in comparison to those that made so much of An American Werewolf In London as groundbreaking as it was at the time, they’re a very, very, very close second place. From what I’ve read, effects work was evolving in the early 1980’s, but these craftsmen were definitely raising the bar on what had come before – especially in the field of lycanthropy flicks – and The Howling deserves to be mentioned alongside that John Landis effort. Much like Superman: The Movie made audiences believe a man could fly, these features made them believe the switch from one lifeform to another was not only possible but – more importantly – would be horrifically painful, sweaty, and plausible. Even the Academy Of Science Fiction, Fantasy, And Horror Films agreed as much as they nominated The Howling for the Saturn Awards in those related technical categories. Yes, the effects are that good.
Though the script is plagued by some rather mundane drama and predictability at times, the narrative does tap into one of the era’s growing trends: various ‘healers’ and soothsayers were actively mining the marketplace to sell their various psychological ‘cure-alls’ to anyone with a disposable income. Culturally, we were starting to look inward at what ailed us, and The Howling’s Dr. Waggner was clearly inspired by these stewards who thought psychology needed to be introduced at each and every personal crossroads. Dare I say that Waggner’s hidden desire to – ahem – drain us dry (of blood!) was as brilliant and prescient back then as it remains today?
The Howling (1981) was produced by AVCO Embassy Pictures. The film is currently available on home video via several releases.
Recommended.
The Howling (1981) is far from perfect – it needed more bite and less bark – but it does offer up those rare perfect moments, many of which are linked to the actors, actresses, and artisans who made it a sight to behold both for its day as well as its place in film history. Dee Wallace has never looked lovelier, werewolves have rarely looked deadlier, and mankind’s curious investment in flash-in-the-pan social reform (via groupthink and psychology-related seminars) has never been quite as insidious as is depicted here. Still, it’s following is far more cult than mainstream (from what I can see), and that’s a surprise: it’s a property ripe for a remake … or maybe a continuation? Stranger things have happened.
-- EZ
As I suggested above, what truly works in The Howling are its players and practical effects. Wallace is always fetching, and she handles the lead here capably through some typical Horror melodrama up until the big climax. Though actor Christopher Stone is, largely, sidelined through the second half as our lead’s love interest, he makes decent use of the time given to him; and his transformation into one of the members of this macabre cult makes the most narrative sense. Belinda Balaski – a name that deserves more celebration for her time in this picture than she’s received – turns in solid work as Karen’s workplace confidant whose investigative work initially cast suspicious light on Dr. Waggner’s compound only to then find herself trapped in all of the terrifying theatrics. And the perennially fresh-faced Dennis Dugan makes a nice turn as another news station employee eventually hell bent on uncovering the truth behind just how widespread this monstrous affair has grown.
And about those practical effects?
Though I’d argue that the werewolf transformation sequences do pale in comparison to those that made so much of An American Werewolf In London as groundbreaking as it was at the time, they’re a very, very, very close second place. From what I’ve read, effects work was evolving in the early 1980’s, but these craftsmen were definitely raising the bar on what had come before – especially in the field of lycanthropy flicks – and The Howling deserves to be mentioned alongside that John Landis effort. Much like Superman: The Movie made audiences believe a man could fly, these features made them believe the switch from one lifeform to another was not only possible but – more importantly – would be horrifically painful, sweaty, and plausible. Even the Academy Of Science Fiction, Fantasy, And Horror Films agreed as much as they nominated The Howling for the Saturn Awards in those related technical categories. Yes, the effects are that good.
Though the script is plagued by some rather mundane drama and predictability at times, the narrative does tap into one of the era’s growing trends: various ‘healers’ and soothsayers were actively mining the marketplace to sell their various psychological ‘cure-alls’ to anyone with a disposable income. Culturally, we were starting to look inward at what ailed us, and The Howling’s Dr. Waggner was clearly inspired by these stewards who thought psychology needed to be introduced at each and every personal crossroads. Dare I say that Waggner’s hidden desire to – ahem – drain us dry (of blood!) was as brilliant and prescient back then as it remains today?
The Howling (1981) was produced by AVCO Embassy Pictures. The film is currently available on home video via several releases.
Recommended.
The Howling (1981) is far from perfect – it needed more bite and less bark – but it does offer up those rare perfect moments, many of which are linked to the actors, actresses, and artisans who made it a sight to behold both for its day as well as its place in film history. Dee Wallace has never looked lovelier, werewolves have rarely looked deadlier, and mankind’s curious investment in flash-in-the-pan social reform (via groupthink and psychology-related seminars) has never been quite as insidious as is depicted here. Still, it’s following is far more cult than mainstream (from what I can see), and that’s a surprise: it’s a property ripe for a remake … or maybe a continuation? Stranger things have happened.
-- EZ
- Published on
Sigh.
Honestly, folks, I do very, very, very little promotional support work, both for myself and the website as a whole, but I am thinking about changing it up a little bit.
For one reason: Science Fiction and Fantasy is my passion, and I do think it deserves to be celebrated vastly more than it gets in the mainstream. When movies like Jurassic World: Dominion can be so fundamentally 'plain Jane' and yet still manages to put butts in the seats for your local silver screen outlets I think that says -- definitively -- that folks love the genre, too. The fact that it doesn't draw more attention from centrists is just plain silly, in my book, so I'll try to right the ship as time permits.
In any event, I was scanning the list of marketplace releases for today, and I wanted to pass along a little something something that I found over on Bluray.com: it would look like 1992's Universal Soldier is getting a special 4K Blu-ray Steelbook release today available only at your local Best Buy store (or via BestBuy.com, of course).
This is another one of those SciFi/Fantasy films that I have a decided love/hate relationship with. I absolutely love the premise, but I think this film was so gloriously tepid that I have a hard time embracing it. Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren just do average work here -- perhaps a set of different actors or maybe a recasting of one or the other would've worked better -- but the managed to start a franchise out on legs strong enough (and split-kicked enough) to produce a handful of sequels ... so there's something to be said about that.
These Steelbooks are great collectible items, too, so maybe this is the kind of item you might wanna pick up for that special someone? The silly season (aka we say "Christmas" at SciFiHistory.Net) isn't all that far around the corner, so this might be the perfect stocking stuffer. Pick it up today, stick it in the closet hiding place, and pull it out, wrap it, and gift it closer to time. Just make sure that the recipient has the necessary 4K Blu-ray player to support it. I do, and I love all of the films I've watched on mine.
In any event, I'll place a few links below for interested parties. You know what to do about that.
BestBuy.com: link
Universal Soldier 4K Blu-ray Steelbook Exclusive: link
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
Honestly, folks, I do very, very, very little promotional support work, both for myself and the website as a whole, but I am thinking about changing it up a little bit.
For one reason: Science Fiction and Fantasy is my passion, and I do think it deserves to be celebrated vastly more than it gets in the mainstream. When movies like Jurassic World: Dominion can be so fundamentally 'plain Jane' and yet still manages to put butts in the seats for your local silver screen outlets I think that says -- definitively -- that folks love the genre, too. The fact that it doesn't draw more attention from centrists is just plain silly, in my book, so I'll try to right the ship as time permits.
In any event, I was scanning the list of marketplace releases for today, and I wanted to pass along a little something something that I found over on Bluray.com: it would look like 1992's Universal Soldier is getting a special 4K Blu-ray Steelbook release today available only at your local Best Buy store (or via BestBuy.com, of course).
This is another one of those SciFi/Fantasy films that I have a decided love/hate relationship with. I absolutely love the premise, but I think this film was so gloriously tepid that I have a hard time embracing it. Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren just do average work here -- perhaps a set of different actors or maybe a recasting of one or the other would've worked better -- but the managed to start a franchise out on legs strong enough (and split-kicked enough) to produce a handful of sequels ... so there's something to be said about that.
These Steelbooks are great collectible items, too, so maybe this is the kind of item you might wanna pick up for that special someone? The silly season (aka we say "Christmas" at SciFiHistory.Net) isn't all that far around the corner, so this might be the perfect stocking stuffer. Pick it up today, stick it in the closet hiding place, and pull it out, wrap it, and gift it closer to time. Just make sure that the recipient has the necessary 4K Blu-ray player to support it. I do, and I love all of the films I've watched on mine.
In any event, I'll place a few links below for interested parties. You know what to do about that.
BestBuy.com: link
Universal Soldier 4K Blu-ray Steelbook Exclusive: link
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
- Published on
2022's The Cellar is a good film. It ain't great, folks. It's good.
What I thought it did uniquely well was create a sense of dread around the fairly ordinary setting: this old house -- despite having some very weird markings above its doors and windows and whatnot -- has a fabulous old basement. Having grown up in a house that also had this fabulously creepy basement, I can tell you that -- as a young'un -- I experienced more than my fair share of frights in those deathly hallowed halls. It was the kind of place you never wanted to be caught down in when the lights went out, and it was the stuff of legend for any good number of movies.
The Cellar makes great use of its location. Though I found its ending more than a bit unsatisfying, it's hard to fault those ghostly interiors in any way: much like the haunts of my youth, the one depicted here was easily acceptable as the foyer to a dark underworld awaiting those inhabitants.
From what I know, the film drops onto shelves today for those who prefer picking up physical media (I'm still hooked on it, though I make exceptions from time-to-time); and I'll put a few good links below for interested parties to check out. You know what to do.
My review of The Cellar (2022): link
Amazon.com: link for purchase
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
What I thought it did uniquely well was create a sense of dread around the fairly ordinary setting: this old house -- despite having some very weird markings above its doors and windows and whatnot -- has a fabulous old basement. Having grown up in a house that also had this fabulously creepy basement, I can tell you that -- as a young'un -- I experienced more than my fair share of frights in those deathly hallowed halls. It was the kind of place you never wanted to be caught down in when the lights went out, and it was the stuff of legend for any good number of movies.
The Cellar makes great use of its location. Though I found its ending more than a bit unsatisfying, it's hard to fault those ghostly interiors in any way: much like the haunts of my youth, the one depicted here was easily acceptable as the foyer to a dark underworld awaiting those inhabitants.
From what I know, the film drops onto shelves today for those who prefer picking up physical media (I'm still hooked on it, though I make exceptions from time-to-time); and I'll put a few good links below for interested parties to check out. You know what to do.
My review of The Cellar (2022): link
Amazon.com: link for purchase
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
- Published on
Wouldn’t you know it?
I’m on vacation, and the BnB I’m staying at has a Hulu account. I don’t have one – generally speaking, I’m not a fan of paywalls, though I have broken down on a few fronts – so imagine my surprise when I was afforded this opportunity to watch an episode or two of The Orville: New Horizons as a bonus perk? I’ve always intended to put up some episode reviews for the popular Seth MacFarlane program – bought the first two seasons on DVD intending to do so – but how about stumbling into the chance to start with Season 03’s premiere installment?
Sigh.
I’ve mentioned in this space that I’m not a big fan of Seth’s trademark humor. It isn’t awful; I just find the vast majority of it a bit easy, occasionally a bit lazy, and every now and then a bit uninspired. While it isn’t always predictable, it possesses elements some might see coming more than a mile down the road. Think what you will, but my position is cheap comedy doesn’t do Science Fiction or Fantasy any favors.
Thankfully, Seth and friends have largely dialed it back so far as The Orville is concerned. There’s a barb here and there, but much of it in this episode is far more casual and less structured than what’s come before. Heck, even a few of the asides pass so quickly some viewers might not even notice them. I could argue that – since they’re no longer the focus of attention – then why bother with them? Sticking with the ‘MacFarlane signature appeal’ only for the sake of maintaining that connection to his other properties is a benign way of throwing a creator a bone (as they say); but I – for one (and I realize I’m alone) – am glad it’s been mildly refocused.
However, “Electric Sheep” – the first episode of this new season – still felt clunky, much of which is owed to its curious design.
For the bulk of the hour-plus, the ship sits in dry dock, undergoing a full refit now that it’s been moved to Hulu (and, yes, also accounting for the huge conflict that the program dealt with with the Kaylon). As a result, there are sequences and scenes crafted around this construction, essentially tying the show even closer to Star Trek: The Next Generation’s famed ‘technobabble’ than ever before. Yes, yes, yes: I realize these are small bits that some believe help ‘set the mood’ of a show that’s grounded in SciFi … my point is that they don’t feel organic. They feel staged. As a consequence, staged bits slow down the narrative, and I’d question whether or not that’s the best use of any show’s time, especially The Orville, whose morality plays don’t embrace the hard scifi subjects that TNG did (thus far).
Also, what does it truly say about a show when its best special effects stuff is part and parcel of a dream sequence?
I’m on vacation, and the BnB I’m staying at has a Hulu account. I don’t have one – generally speaking, I’m not a fan of paywalls, though I have broken down on a few fronts – so imagine my surprise when I was afforded this opportunity to watch an episode or two of The Orville: New Horizons as a bonus perk? I’ve always intended to put up some episode reviews for the popular Seth MacFarlane program – bought the first two seasons on DVD intending to do so – but how about stumbling into the chance to start with Season 03’s premiere installment?
Sigh.
I’ve mentioned in this space that I’m not a big fan of Seth’s trademark humor. It isn’t awful; I just find the vast majority of it a bit easy, occasionally a bit lazy, and every now and then a bit uninspired. While it isn’t always predictable, it possesses elements some might see coming more than a mile down the road. Think what you will, but my position is cheap comedy doesn’t do Science Fiction or Fantasy any favors.
Thankfully, Seth and friends have largely dialed it back so far as The Orville is concerned. There’s a barb here and there, but much of it in this episode is far more casual and less structured than what’s come before. Heck, even a few of the asides pass so quickly some viewers might not even notice them. I could argue that – since they’re no longer the focus of attention – then why bother with them? Sticking with the ‘MacFarlane signature appeal’ only for the sake of maintaining that connection to his other properties is a benign way of throwing a creator a bone (as they say); but I – for one (and I realize I’m alone) – am glad it’s been mildly refocused.
However, “Electric Sheep” – the first episode of this new season – still felt clunky, much of which is owed to its curious design.
For the bulk of the hour-plus, the ship sits in dry dock, undergoing a full refit now that it’s been moved to Hulu (and, yes, also accounting for the huge conflict that the program dealt with with the Kaylon). As a result, there are sequences and scenes crafted around this construction, essentially tying the show even closer to Star Trek: The Next Generation’s famed ‘technobabble’ than ever before. Yes, yes, yes: I realize these are small bits that some believe help ‘set the mood’ of a show that’s grounded in SciFi … my point is that they don’t feel organic. They feel staged. As a consequence, staged bits slow down the narrative, and I’d question whether or not that’s the best use of any show’s time, especially The Orville, whose morality plays don’t embrace the hard scifi subjects that TNG did (thus far).
Also, what does it truly say about a show when its best special effects stuff is part and parcel of a dream sequence?
In an attempt to hype the show for this Hulu move as well as the thankless delay COVID placed on all of Hollywood production, MacFarlane released this massive five-minute effects’ sequence a few months back: it featured one of the program’s secondary characters – Dr. Finn’s children – running about the ship as it was being destroyed in a massive attack. It was dynamic. It was thrilled. It was the stuff that, naturally, encourages folks to tune in and find out what happens next! Well … sigh … it was all a dream. Granted, unlike the standing around talking about the ship rebuild scenes which added very little to the main plot, this ‘preview’ tied in to the hour’s main thrust … so I guess we need to be thankful for small favors.
In any event, much like The Orville episodes on Fox, this adventure was another cerebral exercise for morality purists: it deals chiefly with suicide as the ship finds itself in the precarious situation of having to say goodbye to one of its finest characters (and its most Trek derivative), Isaac. In a move to increase ship’s efficiency, the android electronically fries his brain, thus killing himself as a way to push the crew past their obvious reservations about serving alongside a member of a race responsible for killing so many who served in the Planetary Union.
As the episode’s primary story, this doesn’t truly allow for much action. As I’ve implied, this presents a moral quandary – along with the clear emotional tie-ins – and it requires a wealth of talking amongst the characters to explore this ‘strange new predicament.’ The chief catalyst for much of the moral quandary involves an all-new cast member – actress Anne Winters enlists in the role of Ensign Charly Burke, who I’m (ahem) affectionately going to refer to as ‘Ensign Snotty.’ (Yes, you can infer from that I didn’t much care for her.) Her personal experience in the Kaylon massacre has left her with an understandable grudge against Isaac … and, lo and behold, it’s also her personal skill set that makes her the only person in all of the galaxy who can bring the fallen crewmate back from the dead.
While others might find that particularly intriguing, I thought it was a bit too formulaic for these dire circumstances. It’s the kind of thing that’s been done before elsewhere (in Science Fiction and Fantasy). MacFarlane’s script tries hard to give it some kind of greater dramatic weight, but substantive moments delivered from an unlikeable character don’t always ring authentically, not in the moment. It’s a sequence that’ll likely be followed up upon in a later episode, so as a standalone instant I didn’t make too much of it. I suspect we’ll see more of Ensign Snotty, and then we’ll be able to gauge whether or not she’s taken steps forward as a new addition to the team.
Otherwise, “Electric Sheep” still felt uneven.
Many of show’s characters are sidelined into small moments, and even a few barely capture seconds of screen time. Bortus – a staple for so many of the show’s better episodes – is reduced to a mere bridge officer, and here’s hoping the player gets some exposure in the next hour. Also, there’s a surplus of time around the show’s addition of a new fighter-craft, giving The Orville more of a ‘Star Wars’ trait than was ever a ‘Star Trek’ one. Also, this new ship – the Pteradon – doesn’t even figure into the episode’s main plot in any substantive way, giving its sequences a feeling of gratuitousness that The Orville has never had in the past.
Is this the ‘New Horizons’ hinted at in the program’s title?
If it is, then maybe it’s better behind a paywall where gamers and their friends come together.
Though I’ve never been The Orville’s biggest fan, I appreciated the earnestness put into legitimate storytelling, ignoring the temptation to the ‘flash and sizzle’ that all too easily takes over visually in favor of spinning real yarn. “Electric Sheep” felt like it was more of an appeal to “electric sheep” – a term I’ve heard applied to those who live in online games as opposed to reality – and I’m not sure that’s the connotation intended.
Only time will tell.
-- EZ
In any event, much like The Orville episodes on Fox, this adventure was another cerebral exercise for morality purists: it deals chiefly with suicide as the ship finds itself in the precarious situation of having to say goodbye to one of its finest characters (and its most Trek derivative), Isaac. In a move to increase ship’s efficiency, the android electronically fries his brain, thus killing himself as a way to push the crew past their obvious reservations about serving alongside a member of a race responsible for killing so many who served in the Planetary Union.
As the episode’s primary story, this doesn’t truly allow for much action. As I’ve implied, this presents a moral quandary – along with the clear emotional tie-ins – and it requires a wealth of talking amongst the characters to explore this ‘strange new predicament.’ The chief catalyst for much of the moral quandary involves an all-new cast member – actress Anne Winters enlists in the role of Ensign Charly Burke, who I’m (ahem) affectionately going to refer to as ‘Ensign Snotty.’ (Yes, you can infer from that I didn’t much care for her.) Her personal experience in the Kaylon massacre has left her with an understandable grudge against Isaac … and, lo and behold, it’s also her personal skill set that makes her the only person in all of the galaxy who can bring the fallen crewmate back from the dead.
While others might find that particularly intriguing, I thought it was a bit too formulaic for these dire circumstances. It’s the kind of thing that’s been done before elsewhere (in Science Fiction and Fantasy). MacFarlane’s script tries hard to give it some kind of greater dramatic weight, but substantive moments delivered from an unlikeable character don’t always ring authentically, not in the moment. It’s a sequence that’ll likely be followed up upon in a later episode, so as a standalone instant I didn’t make too much of it. I suspect we’ll see more of Ensign Snotty, and then we’ll be able to gauge whether or not she’s taken steps forward as a new addition to the team.
Otherwise, “Electric Sheep” still felt uneven.
Many of show’s characters are sidelined into small moments, and even a few barely capture seconds of screen time. Bortus – a staple for so many of the show’s better episodes – is reduced to a mere bridge officer, and here’s hoping the player gets some exposure in the next hour. Also, there’s a surplus of time around the show’s addition of a new fighter-craft, giving The Orville more of a ‘Star Wars’ trait than was ever a ‘Star Trek’ one. Also, this new ship – the Pteradon – doesn’t even figure into the episode’s main plot in any substantive way, giving its sequences a feeling of gratuitousness that The Orville has never had in the past.
Is this the ‘New Horizons’ hinted at in the program’s title?
If it is, then maybe it’s better behind a paywall where gamers and their friends come together.
Though I’ve never been The Orville’s biggest fan, I appreciated the earnestness put into legitimate storytelling, ignoring the temptation to the ‘flash and sizzle’ that all too easily takes over visually in favor of spinning real yarn. “Electric Sheep” felt like it was more of an appeal to “electric sheep” – a term I’ve heard applied to those who live in online games as opposed to reality – and I’m not sure that’s the connotation intended.
Only time will tell.
-- EZ
- Published on
Good morning and Happy Wednesday, peeps!
I just wanted to pop by with a quick procedural announcement, that being that I'm on vacation!
All this really means is that I'm working with very, very, very limited internet access. I'm at a fairly secluded location with somewhat limited WiFi connectability, so you won't receive much info over the next few days. Even an Imperious Leader such as myself needs some time-off, you see, but I'll still try to do my part -- when the technology cooperates -- to get some stuff up and running as to announcements and the like. I did just post a review of The Orville's season premiere (on Hulu), and -- as the web is presently cooperating -- this feverish post. Also, I've always found it a bit difficult working exclusively from my laptop -- without the advent of a big-ass monitor -- so these old eyes will do the best they can.
In the meantime, keep up the good work!
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
I just wanted to pop by with a quick procedural announcement, that being that I'm on vacation!
All this really means is that I'm working with very, very, very limited internet access. I'm at a fairly secluded location with somewhat limited WiFi connectability, so you won't receive much info over the next few days. Even an Imperious Leader such as myself needs some time-off, you see, but I'll still try to do my part -- when the technology cooperates -- to get some stuff up and running as to announcements and the like. I did just post a review of The Orville's season premiere (on Hulu), and -- as the web is presently cooperating -- this feverish post. Also, I've always found it a bit difficult working exclusively from my laptop -- without the advent of a big-ass monitor -- so these old eyes will do the best they can.
In the meantime, keep up the good work!
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
- Published on
Yes, yes, and yes, folks! Yes, I did see that trailer for DC Comics' theatrical interpretation of Black Adam that dropped ... what was it? Last week? I think it was.
But thanks for asking and alerting me! It's always good to know folks are keeping an eye out for me; that way, I don't have to worry constantly about seeing things myself as I can just wait for a regular reader to drop me a line. Honestly, it's much appreciated.
Hmm. Black Adam, however, is a character that I never much cared for in comics. Granted, I haven't read all that much with him -- once I discover I'm not interested in said superhero, then I'm far less inclined to pick up something featuring him for a read, that's just the way I roll -- but I've seen enough to know he wasn't in my wheelhouse, as they say. Of course, theatrical versions do tinker with the players and some of their backstories, so perhaps this version will grow on me.
Also, unlike so many others I'm just not a big fan of 'The Rock.' I've seen him in a good handful of movies that I found entertaining, but -- to be honest -- I dont think he's been in anything ever that I'd watch twice ... and that's one of the barometers I personally have to let me know whether or not I'm attached to something in any great way. In some ways, he does like so many others and just plays the same basic character over and over again; such limitations just doesn't draw me in to the talent, and I do tune out.
Still, it is a DC property, and as I grew up being far more enamored with DC stuff than Marvel, I'll definitely see this one when it drops on the silver screen. While it 'feels' a bit too much like a Marvel flick, I'll reserve judgment until I actually see it.
Trailer is below. You folks know what to do.
But thanks for asking and alerting me! It's always good to know folks are keeping an eye out for me; that way, I don't have to worry constantly about seeing things myself as I can just wait for a regular reader to drop me a line. Honestly, it's much appreciated.
Hmm. Black Adam, however, is a character that I never much cared for in comics. Granted, I haven't read all that much with him -- once I discover I'm not interested in said superhero, then I'm far less inclined to pick up something featuring him for a read, that's just the way I roll -- but I've seen enough to know he wasn't in my wheelhouse, as they say. Of course, theatrical versions do tinker with the players and some of their backstories, so perhaps this version will grow on me.
Also, unlike so many others I'm just not a big fan of 'The Rock.' I've seen him in a good handful of movies that I found entertaining, but -- to be honest -- I dont think he's been in anything ever that I'd watch twice ... and that's one of the barometers I personally have to let me know whether or not I'm attached to something in any great way. In some ways, he does like so many others and just plays the same basic character over and over again; such limitations just doesn't draw me in to the talent, and I do tune out.
Still, it is a DC property, and as I grew up being far more enamored with DC stuff than Marvel, I'll definitely see this one when it drops on the silver screen. While it 'feels' a bit too much like a Marvel flick, I'll reserve judgment until I actually see it.
Trailer is below. You folks know what to do.
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
-- EZ
- Published on
Ay carumba, we should all be so lucky as to be gifted with an incredible ninety-one years on the Big Blue Marble. And if we do, let's hope each of us can leave behind a legacy as rich as Philip Baker Hall's.
As is often the case, his isn't exactly a name well known in our popular genre circles, but he certainly dipped his toes in here worthy of the mention. One of his earliest guest roles was aboard an episode of TV's Man From Atlantis in 1977; the popular Patrick Duffy program was a short-lived staple while it ran on the Boob Tube. Then, in 1978, Hall made a visit to Terror Out Of The Sky, a telefilm sequel to The Savage Bees. In 1981, there was another telefilm -- This House Possessed -- that saw the man filling out another bit-style part in a Horror property.
1987 came and went, and Hall was cast with a good part in the TV adaptation of The Spirit. Unless I miss my guess, I believe that was originally intended as the pilot film for a TV series; but no series ever materialized. IMDB.com even reports that a write-in campaign had to be staged in order to get the telefilm aired, so I'm guessing it might be all a bit undercooked.
1989 ... well, who you gonna call? Ghostbusters II -- written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis -- cast the man as New York City's police commissioner (shown above). For what it's worth, the singular voice of authority was exactly the kind of work Hall was best suited for, and I think he returned to it time and time again throughout his over five decades in the business.
Any other genre work?
He enjoyed some screen time aboard M.A.N.T.I.S., Roswell (1994), 3rd Rock From The Sun, Millennium, The Truman Show (1998), Lost Souls (2000), Night Visions, The Amityville Horror (2005), and the short-lived Second Chance.
Prayers are extended to the family and friends of Philip Baker Hall.
-- EZ
As is often the case, his isn't exactly a name well known in our popular genre circles, but he certainly dipped his toes in here worthy of the mention. One of his earliest guest roles was aboard an episode of TV's Man From Atlantis in 1977; the popular Patrick Duffy program was a short-lived staple while it ran on the Boob Tube. Then, in 1978, Hall made a visit to Terror Out Of The Sky, a telefilm sequel to The Savage Bees. In 1981, there was another telefilm -- This House Possessed -- that saw the man filling out another bit-style part in a Horror property.
1987 came and went, and Hall was cast with a good part in the TV adaptation of The Spirit. Unless I miss my guess, I believe that was originally intended as the pilot film for a TV series; but no series ever materialized. IMDB.com even reports that a write-in campaign had to be staged in order to get the telefilm aired, so I'm guessing it might be all a bit undercooked.
1989 ... well, who you gonna call? Ghostbusters II -- written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis -- cast the man as New York City's police commissioner (shown above). For what it's worth, the singular voice of authority was exactly the kind of work Hall was best suited for, and I think he returned to it time and time again throughout his over five decades in the business.
Any other genre work?
He enjoyed some screen time aboard M.A.N.T.I.S., Roswell (1994), 3rd Rock From The Sun, Millennium, The Truman Show (1998), Lost Souls (2000), Night Visions, The Amityville Horror (2005), and the short-lived Second Chance.
Prayers are extended to the family and friends of Philip Baker Hall.
-- EZ
- Published on
Think what you will, but genre fans have long been fascinated by high strangeness and other things that go bump in the night.
Topics like aliens, vampires, ghosts, and werewolves have always been a part and parcel of what fuels so many excellent genre projects ... but did you know that evidence exists that quite literally grounds them in reality? This isn't to say nor suggest that -- ahem -- these things could be real; but because we've culturally never undertaken the kind of critical examination of facts known, eyewitness testimony, and established science, which among us can authentically deny a phenomenon's time in the limelight? How can any of us say with any degree of certainty what is and what isn't?
The truth is that we can't, and one of the hardest working documentarians working these days to uncover what truths are still out there is Seth Breedlove. A rundown of his IMDB.com page (here) shows that he's long been interested in such matters, and I, for one, applaud his efforts to ignore the usual hyperbole associated to mainstream outlets and instead put in the sweet, blood, and effort to bring such subjects up for frank discussions on film. For far too long, our society has laughed at these things or christened them taboo for any number of reasons; and Breedlove continues to impress by pressing onward when the opportunity presents itself.
This morning, I received some press information regarding his forthcoming expose: American Werewolves is set to drop across a variety of platforms this July. I'm happy to copy and paste the details below so that interested parties understand that SciFiHistory.Net -- though a blog ostensibly committed to factoids in genre properties -- stand by the man's efforts to promote a conversation into such high strangeness. It's about time these talks take place, and what better way to start with a proven leader in the field?
Topics like aliens, vampires, ghosts, and werewolves have always been a part and parcel of what fuels so many excellent genre projects ... but did you know that evidence exists that quite literally grounds them in reality? This isn't to say nor suggest that -- ahem -- these things could be real; but because we've culturally never undertaken the kind of critical examination of facts known, eyewitness testimony, and established science, which among us can authentically deny a phenomenon's time in the limelight? How can any of us say with any degree of certainty what is and what isn't?
The truth is that we can't, and one of the hardest working documentarians working these days to uncover what truths are still out there is Seth Breedlove. A rundown of his IMDB.com page (here) shows that he's long been interested in such matters, and I, for one, applaud his efforts to ignore the usual hyperbole associated to mainstream outlets and instead put in the sweet, blood, and effort to bring such subjects up for frank discussions on film. For far too long, our society has laughed at these things or christened them taboo for any number of reasons; and Breedlove continues to impress by pressing onward when the opportunity presents itself.
This morning, I received some press information regarding his forthcoming expose: American Werewolves is set to drop across a variety of platforms this July. I'm happy to copy and paste the details below so that interested parties understand that SciFiHistory.Net -- though a blog ostensibly committed to factoids in genre properties -- stand by the man's efforts to promote a conversation into such high strangeness. It's about time these talks take place, and what better way to start with a proven leader in the field?
New Documentary Goes Beyond the Myths
Into Eyewitness Testimony of Werewolf Sightings
American Werewolves Available on Cable VOD and Digital HD
From 1091 Pictures Beginning July 5
Into Eyewitness Testimony of Werewolf Sightings
American Werewolves Available on Cable VOD and Digital HD
From 1091 Pictures Beginning July 5
Wadsworth, OH--Small Town Monsters continues asking questions with their latest documentary, American Werewolves. Seth Breedlove's newest project poses the question: do real werewolves exist? Breedlove presents a witness-focused study into the "dogman" phenomenon that pervades through American folklore.
American Werewolves debuts on major streaming platforms on July 5th, from 1091 Pictures, including iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu and FandangoNOW. This horrifying new entry into the Small Town Monsters canon is directed by Seth Breedlove and produced by Heather Moser.
Thousands of people go missing in the United States each year, and American Werewolves and Seth Breedlove allow witnesses and a few brave investigators to present their theory that perhaps real werewolves are behind some of these disturbing disappearances.
American Werewolves aims to explore this oft-overlooked aspect of American folklore. However, where previous Small Town Monsters productions delved into similar subject matter by presenting the details of the phenomena through a panel of experts, authors, folklorists and investigators, American Werewolves leaves the storytelling to the witnesses.
Comprised of around a dozen witness accounts, the film takes on the strange topic by giving those who have experienced it the space to directly present their encounters to the audience. Encounters discussed within the film range from brief run-ins on rural country lanes to horrifying, face-to-face confrontations that are the very fuel of nightmares. One witness even claims to have discovered the grisly, shredded remains of a werewolf victim.
Each year dozens of encounters with upright canids are reported in North America. These beings often behave in alarming ways with many reports of a beast that is aggressive, ghastly, and disturbing. While many theorize that the Dogman is some sort of unidentified species of animal, others believe that this creature is something else.
Of the many possible terrifying ends to these encounters, the most shocking are the ones which possibly resulted in death. A woman jogging on a country road in rural Ohio goes missing. A man hiking into the mountains of Alaska turns up mutilated beyond recognition, his face mangled by something that seems to defy the natural predatory animals of the region. Thousands of people go missing in the United States each year, and the latest film from Small Town Monsters and director Seth Breedlove allows witnesses and a few brave investigators to present their theory that perhaps a real werewolf is behind some of these disturbing disappearances.
American Werewolves debuts on major streaming platforms on July 5th, from 1091 Pictures, including iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu and FandangoNOW. This horrifying new entry into the Small Town Monsters canon is directed by Seth Breedlove and produced by Heather Moser.
Thousands of people go missing in the United States each year, and American Werewolves and Seth Breedlove allow witnesses and a few brave investigators to present their theory that perhaps real werewolves are behind some of these disturbing disappearances.
American Werewolves aims to explore this oft-overlooked aspect of American folklore. However, where previous Small Town Monsters productions delved into similar subject matter by presenting the details of the phenomena through a panel of experts, authors, folklorists and investigators, American Werewolves leaves the storytelling to the witnesses.
Comprised of around a dozen witness accounts, the film takes on the strange topic by giving those who have experienced it the space to directly present their encounters to the audience. Encounters discussed within the film range from brief run-ins on rural country lanes to horrifying, face-to-face confrontations that are the very fuel of nightmares. One witness even claims to have discovered the grisly, shredded remains of a werewolf victim.
Each year dozens of encounters with upright canids are reported in North America. These beings often behave in alarming ways with many reports of a beast that is aggressive, ghastly, and disturbing. While many theorize that the Dogman is some sort of unidentified species of animal, others believe that this creature is something else.
Of the many possible terrifying ends to these encounters, the most shocking are the ones which possibly resulted in death. A woman jogging on a country road in rural Ohio goes missing. A man hiking into the mountains of Alaska turns up mutilated beyond recognition, his face mangled by something that seems to defy the natural predatory animals of the region. Thousands of people go missing in the United States each year, and the latest film from Small Town Monsters and director Seth Breedlove allows witnesses and a few brave investigators to present their theory that perhaps a real werewolf is behind some of these disturbing disappearances.