Scifi/horror superstar Ron Perlman explains how he nearly died four times during the filming of Alien: Resurrection and shares his theory as to why audiences are so drawn to the spectacle of horror. If you missed this video during AMC FearFest, check it out now.
Six's on-air adventures in AMC's The Prisoner might have come to an end, but the story of The Village is still unfolding in Chapter Two of AMCtv.com's online graphic novel. Writer M. Scott Veach's story finds its hero Rebecca Meadows arriving at a mysterious hospital. Could it be the Clinic from the miniseries? And will this doctor help her find her missing sister? Mitchell Breitweiser (Captain America: The Chosen) and Cliff Richards' noirish artwork creates an eerie mood, as the mystery deepens. Does The Village have a new prisoner? Read the latest installment then check back next week for more.
Click here to see Chapter Two of The Prisoner's online graphic novel.
The Twilight Saga: New Moon hits the ground running, secure in the knowledge that Twi-hard fans are in the house and don't need to be brought up to speed.
It's moody high school senior Bella Swan's (Kristen Stewart) 18th birthday, and she's in a funk. Where other girls would be kicking up their heels at having achieved legal majority, Bella is torturing herself with dreams in which she's a withered old hag, standing hand in hand with her preternaturally beautiful boyfriend, Edward (Robert Pattinson). After all, she's a now officially a whole year older than he is. In Bella's defense, a morbid preoccupation with aging comes with dating a 109-year-old vampire who's forever 17, the age at which Edward died and was reborn into undeath.
I've decided I can completely ignore everything my parents ever taught me. Why should I bother with their boring advice when Hollywood gives me all I need to know? Stupid horror teens imparted many lessons about life, as did those ever-so-reliable monster hunters with their timeless wisdom. But for the more esoteric subtleties, you really must sample the tidbits of insight offered by the ultimate icon of horror movies -- the vampire.
Blood Is Thicker than Water
Every family has an idiot. If you can't think of anyone in your family who's an idiot, then guess what? That's right: It's you, because every family has an idiot. And yet that idiot is still family, so you have to go to bat for them, even if they get mixed up with the wrong people. And yeah, that includes the wrong undead people -- just ask poor Seth Gecko in From Dusk Till Dawn. His brother Richard takes him into the mouth of Hell, and Seth goes to bat for him. You can't always save your idiot relative, but dammit, you gotta try, because blood is thicker than water (and apparently much tastier).
Continue reading "Scott Sigler - Everything I Need to Know I Learned From Vampire Movies" »
I don't hide the fact that I'm a big fan of the oft-maligned slasher film. Sure, they're awfully formulaic, especially the old school slashers. But that's part of the fun. The killers always have some big story, usually involving a holiday prank gone awry and a subsequent stay at a mental hospital. When they get their killin' on, they sport some neat outfit (sometimes with a sweet mask) and almost always adopt a signature weapon.
In the interests of horror and science, I thought I'd break down a few of these slasher-flick psychos for easy reference. Oh, and just so you're prepared, some of these dudes (and dudettes) have quite the convoluted history, in some cases laid out over the course of decades and countless sequels, prequels, reboots, remakes and reimaginings... you try untangling Michael Myers' story. My solution was to go back to the beginning and explore their earliest origins, leaving the remakes at the side of the road for now.
Continue reading "Stacie Ponder - The North American Field Guide to Slasher Flick Psychos" »
If you're a movie fan prone to frequenting blogs such as this one -- or if there's a woman of pretty much any age, shape or size in your life -- chances are you already know more about teen heartthrob Robert Pattinson than you care to admit. His relationship with Kristen Stewart. His "shyness." His smell! And so on. And if the tsunami of online buzz is any indicator, the upcoming sequel to his star-marking hit New Moon won't put a damper on things.
So what are people saying as we move into the final stretch of waiting-for-New-Moon mania? Admit it, you're Twi-curious....
Continue reading "Web Stalker - New Moon Mania... Not Just for Tweens Any More" »
Some vampires are sexy because they're so unabashedly wicked -- bad boys (and girls) don't come badder than pallid immortals who live by the blood of humans. But others get their erotic zing from soulful torment: Imagine the agony of eternal life when all you want is to fall in love and grow old with someone, each moment made more precious by the knowledge that it will someday end. Ooooh, dreamy. From Twilight's Edward Cullen to Interview with the Vampire's tortured Louis de Pointe du Lac, these emo vamps are simply irresitible.
Edward Cullen (Twilight series, ongoing )
Born in 1901, Edward Anthony Masen was dying of Spanish Influenza when his mother begged vampire Carlisle Cullen to save her son. Frozen at the age of 17, Edward (Robert Pattinson) refuses to drink human blood and endures decades of loneliness rather than risk breaking his vow. But he falls in love with Bella Swan, and is torn between pursuing their relationship or protecting her -- from himself and his fellow vampires -- by breaking her heart.
Continue reading "Sharp Fangs, Big Hearts - The Ten Sexiest Emo Vampires" »
Ever heard of a little thing called triskaidekaphobia? That's the fear of the number 13, and it's got legs. Not superstitious, you say? Well, sophisticated 14th-floor dwellers: If your elevator buttons skip from 12 to 14, you live on the 13th floor. Bet you'll be careful with those mirrors and keep an eye on black cats from now on. In the meantime, peruse this list of movies that feature the number 13 -- perhaps you'll learn something useful.
13 Tzameti (2005):
An impoverished Georgian immigrant blunders his way into an underground suicide tournament organized for the benefit of wealthy, jaded gamblers in this bleak psychological chiller. "13" is the protagonist's number and "tzameti means 13 in Georgian, so the movie's U.S. title is actually "13 13." That's a whole lotta bad luck.
Continue reading "How Many Scary Movies Does It Take to Show That 13 Is an Unlucky Number? (Nine)" »
There are few things more fun than a Top Ten list. We do them all the time here at AMCtv, and hell, for awhile Top Tens and countdowns made up 95 percent of the programming on VH1. I've done several such lists myself, for things like The Top Ten High School Horror and Top Ten Sorority Horror Movies.
So when I had the idea to do a list for mythological monsters, it seemed like a winner. Except for one thing -- those pesky words "Top" and "Ten." "Top," you see, insinuates a certain minimal level of quality; it says you are looking at the best movies a genre has to offer. "Ten" indicates you have that many worth examining. Sadly, in no way, shape or form can I apply either word to this list of mythological monster movies. Yes, there are ten but only six are worth discussing and even those are pretty bad.
What should have been riveting icons of terror is now fodder for wasted-budget flicks trying to cash in on nothing but a known name. (I wouldn't call them "low" budget, per se; some had decent budgets, but the money was spent in unfathomable ways.) Read at your own risk: It's not pretty.
The Movie: QContinue reading "Scott Sigler - Ten Mythological Creature Features So Bad They're Bad" »
I'm an only child. Growing up, I often wondered what it would be like to have siblings. Would we get along or would we hate each other? But my pining for a sister or brother never extended to a desire to be a twin... especially an identical twin. I'm probably a little too "I'm my own person!" for my own good; just meeting someone with my first name is enough to get me sizing up the "competition" (what, this weirdness shocks you?).
And twins, man! Horror movies have once again informed my world view, which is this: If you've got identical twins, then one -- if not both -- is bound to be evil. Don't believe me? And here's the scientific... well, err, the cinematic proof.
Basket Case
You can't blame Belial for being angry... he got the serious short end of the conjoined twin stick. His brother Duane may be socially inept, but otherwise he's an average young man. Belial, on the other hand, is dwarfed and monstrously deformed. But brothers are brothers, and these brothers are with each other to the end: Duane totes Belial around in a basket as the two seek vengeance on the doctors who separated them against their will. Basket Case features puppets, stop-motion animation and New York City in its seedy heyday, all courtesy of the twisted mind of writer/director Frank Henenlotter. A cult classic before it was even made!
Continue reading "Stacie Ponder - Double Your Trouble With Big Screen Evil Twins" »
Scott Sigler shares the heart-warming life lessons conveyed by vampire flicks.
How well do you know your movie slashers -- not just the superstars, but the rank and file who never quite make it to the top of their bloody field? Stacie Ponder parses their habits and achievements.
Buzz about New Moon and its glittering young stars has been lighting up the Web for months, and it's as hot as ever. Sara Cardace takes the temperature of the blogosphere.
