|
Tag Archives: Dracula
James Burrell on July 11, 2011 |
Category: Cryptic Collectibles
 As I reported here back in May, the good people at Titan Merchandise in England were getting ready to release a set of collectible busts this fall based on classic Hammer Horror characters. The set is comprised of three offerings: Christopher Lee in his signature role as the bloodthirsty Count Dracula (as seen in 1958′s Horror of Dracula), Peter Cushing as his adversary, the heroic Professor Van Helsing (from the same movie) and horror goddess Ingrid Pitt as the lovely, lethal Countess Elisabeth Nádasdy from the 1971 film, Countess Dracula.
Well, I’ve since been provided with some updated images of these fantastic collectibles and I thought I’d post them here for you to have a look.
Read More »
April Snellings on June 22, 2011 |
Category: Cinemacabre, Daddy's Little Monster
 For most of us, our love of horror begins with one word: monsters. From Universal’s classic pantheon to the rubber-suited mayhem of Godzilla and company, the creature feature was our gateway drug. It was no different for Emma, when she first fell in love with Hellboy and his monstrous universe. Till now, we’ve been looking at films to determine if they’re suitable viewing for your monster kid in training. This time, though, there’s no grey area – this is mandatory viewing for the young horror-junkie, if they haven’t seen it already. Of course, we’re talking about Fred Dekker’s cult classic, The Monster Squad, the first in our series of no-brainer recommendations.
Read More »
James Burrell on May 27, 2011 |
Category: Cryptic Collectibles
 This week marks the birthdays of three men who made a profound impact on my life growing up: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee and Vincent Price. What’s remarkable about this is that there is just one day difference between the birthdays of these three masters of the macabre: Cushing’s birthday was yesterday, May 26; while Lee and Price’s are today, May 27. And while it’s been nearly 20 years since Vincent Price and Peter Cushing have left us, Sir Christopher Lee is – at 89 years of age – still going strong and seemingly more in demand than ever for film roles.
So, to pay tribute to these legendary titans of terror, I thought I would showcase some pieces here of my collection of Lee, Cushing and Price and memorabilia.
Read More »
James Burrell on May 12, 2011 |
Category: Cryptic Collectibles
 Anyone who knows me knows just how much of a Hammer Horror fanatic I am. I’ve spent most of my life watching the colourful cinematic exploits of Christopher Lee’s Dracula and Mummy, Peter Cushing’s Baron Frankenstein and Professor Van Helsing, Oliver Reed’s Werewolf and so on. So you can imagine how I felt when Rue Morgue editor Dave Alexander passed me on some pics yesterday of some fangtastic upcoming new Hammer Horror collectibles, courtesy of Titan Merchandise of England.
Read More »
James Burrell on April 10, 2011 |
Category: Cryptic Collectibles
 Recently, while doing research for an article, I pulled out a few volumes from my collection of vintage children’s horror books and glanced through them. Dating back to the 1970s and early ’80s, many of these books helped fuel my fascination in movie monsters and horror films – an interest which has of course, survived to this day. Some of them I’ve owned since childhood; others I later picked up at book fairs, library sales and used book stores. Not having seen some of them in years, I was surprised at the flood of memories that came rushing back to me when I opened up the (in many cases) well-worn covers. With that, I thought it’d be nice to showcase a few favourites from my collection. And if you’re of a certain age, you might even remember reading or owning one or two of these yourself. Enjoy!
Read More »
James Burrell on March 14, 2011 |
Category: Cryptic Collectibles
 Last September I did an article in this space on a popular set of vintage children’s horror books from the 1970s and ’80s titled simply enough, Monster Series. A long-time staple at elementary school libraries, the books (which sported deep orange coloured spines and back covers) were published by a company named Crestwood House. As a young horror fan growing up at that time, the series was certainly a big influence on me, and as I’ve since learned, many others as well. Receiving some great responses for the piece, I felt a follow-up instalment would be a nice idea. So, without further delay, here’s a further look at the spooktacular Crestwood House Monster Series!
Read More »
Lyle Blackburn on January 4, 2011 |
Category: Monstro Bizarro
 Who says there are no more strange furry creatures to be discovered out there? How about the Tube-Nosed or Split-Nostril Bats? Sure, they aren’t “giant” or “monsters,” but they are still significant discoveries in modern times. Perhaps they also provide a glimmer of hope that a few larger, hairy beasts may yet be lurking in remote areas.
Here’s a few creepy critters that have been discovered recently…
Read More »
Sean Plummer on December 16, 2010 |
Category: News and Events
Titan Books’ “The Art of Hammer” by Marcus Hearn is currently in stores, and we can’t think of a better Christmas present for your favourite fiend (besides perhaps a subscription to Rue Morgue. Hint hint).
Hearn, the author of “Hammer Glamour,” has gathered together the most macabre poster art around the world from Hammer Studios’ long cinematic legacy, including Dracula, The Curse of the Werewolf, One Million Years B.C. and The Plague of the Zombies. My interview with Hearn appears in the current December issue (RM #107), and as a pre-Xmas bonus to entice you to read the full story, here are a couple of extra quotes from my interview with Mr. Hearn
Read More »
Lyle Blackburn on October 17, 2010 |
Category: Monstro Bizarro
 A new species of fish has the distinguished honor of being named after the king of bloodsuckers, Dracula! Though these miniature aquatic monsters don’t feed on the blood of virgin fish, they do sport a set of spooky fangs which earned them the official scientific title Danionella dracula.
Read More »
James Burrell on October 10, 2010 |
Category: Cryptic Collectibles
 For Rue Morgue’s 13th Anniversary Halloween Issue, I was given the opportunity to write about a great new documentary that looks at the highly beloved line of Aurora monster model kits of the 1960s and ’70s and the huge impact they had on “monster kids” who built them. The program, The Aurora Monsters – The Model Craze That Gripped The World (now available on DVD) is a delight to watch and will have fans of vintage monsters collectibles drooling at the many images of gorgeous and colorful box artwork of James Bama, not to mention never-before-seen pics of prototypes for unreleased figures like The Metaluna Mutant (from the sci-fi classic This Island Earth) and kits from the controversial Madame Toussaud’s Chambers of Horrors and Monsters Scenes lines.
Read More »
James Burrell on September 20, 2010 |
Category: Cryptic Collectibles
 Following up with the literary theme of Dave Alexander’s previous posting is my look at a set of highly beloved children’s books that many readers may recognize from their youth, and of which may even be responsible for setting them on the path to becoming lifelong horror fanatics: Crestwood House’s Monster Series!
Read More »
James Burrell on July 25, 2010 |
Category: Cryptic Collectibles
 Hello, boys and ghouls and welcome to the very first installment of Cryptic Collectibles! In this space, I hope to make you shudder with delight as I showcase examples of cool horror and monster collectibles – both vintage and recent releases. There’s certainly been no shortage of terrifically terrifying toys and creeptastic cinematic memorabilia produced throughout the years and it’s my wish to provide a platform – a virtual display case, if you will – to show off some fiendishly frightful figures, malevolent model kits, bloodcurdling books, petrifying poster art, chilling comics and more.
Read More »
Sean Plummer on June 9, 2010 |
Category: News and Events
Japanese video game maker Konami’s latest iteration of the classic Castlevania game, Castlevania Puzzle: Encore of the Night, will be available soon for the iPhone and iPod Touch.
Read More »
Sean Plummer on June 8, 2010 |
Category: News and Events
The women of Hammer films have a lasting legacy thanks to their buxom beauty and fearsome fabulousness. As part of my feature on the Women of Hammer (RM #100), I got the chance to interview horror icon Ingrid Pitt by email. Here, the star of Hammer’s Vampire Lovers (1970) and Countess Dracula (1971) discusses her working relationship with Hammer (both old and new regimes), whether or not she felt exploited by the studio, and her relationship with horror great Peter Cushing.
Hammer often chose beautiful women to promote their films. Did you feel like you were chosen to work with them based on your looks, and, if so, how did that make you feel at the time? How do you feel about it now?
Of course I was chosen for my looks. They weren’t interested in my brain. If I applied for a job as a tutor at a University they would be looking for a brain. Somehow I don’t think I would get the job. That doesn’t mean that the applicants for tutor have to be dogs.
Read More »
|
|
