Sad news for classic horror fans: Ben Chapman, who played the titular Creature From the Black Lagoon, has passed away. The 82-year-old retired actor and stunt-man was admitted to the hospital on February 12th, and died peacefully in the company of his wife and son yesterday morning.

After 1954's Black Lagoon, the "Gill Man" became a horror icon right up there with Boris Karloff's Frankenstein and Bela Legosi's Count Dracula. Like Karloff, Chapman found a way to bring depth and life to his character despite being buried beneath costume special effects. His film career may have been short-lived, but Chapman's devoted fanbase and niche in Hollywood history speak for themselves.

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The horror community has been abuzz with the news that New Line Cinema and Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes would be remaking the classic A Nightmare on Elm Street. But unbeknownst to most, another remake of Nightmare is not only on the way, it's showing this Thursday at the Alamo Drafthouse Ritz in Austin, TX. Just over five minutes long, it was produced for next to nothing. Check it out here.

The Alamo Drafthouse has been one of the leaders in interactive cinema over the last few years, sponsoring numerous quickie DIY filmmaking contests, but their latest may prove to be their most amibitious. Called Rewind Kindly (inspired by the premise of Michel Gondry's, Be Kind Rewind), it allows contestants to rework their favorite films in short form. Numerous classic (and several not-so-classic) films, from Gone With the Wind to The Beastmaster (a personal favorite -- the remake, not the original), have gone the remake route for a chance to win a Dell AMD-powered workstation grand prize.

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Some stories flow with a grace that translates cleanly into song -- and this isn't one of them. Nevertheless, Troma's The Toxic Avenger will soon be mucking about on stage with showstopping numbers arranged by Bon Jovi's David Bryan, according to Icons of Fright's interview with the Tromatizer himself, Lloyd Kaufman.

Fans have staged the film before, "but this is the real Toxic Avenger: The Musical with a real professional producing team, and hopefully something will happen with it," says Kaufman, who co-directed the cult classic in 1985. Producers plan to test run the Toxic musical -- in Newark, where the original movie was filmed -- before trying to float it across the river to New York. Check out the rest of the interview for more on the musical, the Toxic remake rumors, and more.

Of all the toys and action figures that made their debut at Manhattan's Toy Fair this week, none is fuglier than the Cloverfield monster. In fact, it's one of the few offerings revealed at the Fair likely to give adults an honest shock. Wake up in the middle of the night and walk into the living to encounter this gaping maw and you'll probably jump up to the ceiling -- Sylvester the Cat-style. Figures.com took this close-up photo of the expensive ($99) Hasbro toy. Despite the glare, you get the idea.

Also for sale is The Exorcist doll that looks as if Linda Blair is imitating U.S. gymnast Nastia Luikin. Not scary. Far better is Uncle Creepy from the mid-'60s Warren magazine, Creepy.