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By Paul Vaughn, on January 24th, 2012
 The Alamo Drafthouse Westlakes presents one of Dario Argent’s most reknowned films, DEEP RED–aka PROFONDO ROSSO, aka THE HATCHET MURDERS, for two special screenings tonight only.
The 1975 movie follows musician Marcus Daly (Hemmings) as he witnesses the death of a psychic and finds himself in over his head in the course of his investigation. DEEP RED is wire taut and packed with gutsy suspense, as Argento displays striking camera work, a memorable style and shockingly elaborate gore. According to Meredith Borders of Badass Digest, this film is one of the most beautifully directed horror flicks of all time.
Show times are at 7:00 and 9:45 PM and, as you might expect, this movie is rated R. The Alamo Drafthouse Westlakes is at 1255 SW Loop 410, San Antonio, TX 78227. Call (210) 677-8500 for more information.
EXPLOISION is the Drafthouse’s new monthly beginner’s-level series of explosive exploitation and horror classics curated by Zack Carlson and Lars Nilsen, programmers and hosts of the legendary weekly Alamo series Terror Tuesday and Weird Wednesday, respectively, and lovers of depraved, disreputable, and disemboweled cinema.
By Paul Vaughn, on January 19th, 2012  Legendary filmmaker Lloyd Kaufman, president and co-founder of Troma Films, will be hosting the screening of one of his latest films, Father’s Day! Kaufman will introduce the film and stick around afterward for a Q&A!
Here is the low-down about Father’s Day according to the Drafthouse web site:
FATHER’S DAY is about the urban legend known as “The Father’s Day Killer,” which began some years after the demise of serial rapist/murderer Chris Fuchman. Since the 1970s, the use of contraceptives has tripled in North America alone—and a generation of fathers fell asleep with the covers pulled tight, buttocks clenched. The story has become a fire-side cautionary ritual in camping trips, often used by fathers to warn their sons of the dangers of unplanned pregnancy. That deep seeded fear of penetration, violation and eventually death waned as the murder and rape of fathers continued to decline all over the world. Unfortunately, those numbers didn’t remain low, and it would seem that the legend is not yet complete…
Ahab, a man obsessed with exacting a brutal violent revenge on the man who murdered his dad, joins John, an eager priest, and Twink, a hot-headed street hustler, on an epic quest to find and defeat this mythical monster known as Chris Fuchman, AKA…The Father’s Day Killer!
Showtime is 7:00 PM on Thursday, January 19, 2012 at the Alamo Drafthouse Westlakes.
Don’t miss this opportunity to see this genius of schlock in person and get to watch a bloody, bad-ass movie!
Kaufman will be selling plenty of sweet Troma merch and will also sign anything fans bring to the show!
By Scott A. Cupp, on January 19th, 2012 FORGOTTEN BOOK: THE COACHMAN RAT by David Henry Wilson, 1989
This is the 84th in my series of Forgotten Books.
 I must confess that I have had this book for more than 20 years and never quite got around to reading it though I had heard great things about it. Seems that is frequently the case when you have thousands of books and your “To Be Read” stack fills more than one bookcase.
But I am glad that I finally got around to this one. I was looking for something to read for this week’s column and this one literally fell off the shelf and landed at my feet. And, since my forgotten film this week featured a character named Mouse, it is only fitting that the forgotten book should feature a rat.
This is a retelling of multiple fairy tales, the most prominent being that of Cinderella. Robert, our hero, is a rat roaming around an unnamed town who finds himself fascinated by Man and his traps. He learns how to avoid the traps until he is ready to study them. He finds himself at the home of Amadea, a beautiful young serving girl and he decides she would not hurt him and allows himself to be trapped.
That evening, she is visited by the “Woman of Light” who turns him into a coachman while six white mice become horses and a pumpkin is turned into a golden coach. He is given intelligence and finds himself talking with the footmen while Amadea is dancing and enjoying the party. Suddenly the clock strikes midnight and he finds himself changing back into a rat, the coach becomes a pumpkin and the horses return to their mousey forms.
The pumpkin is smashed and the white mice are killed, but Robert manages to escape. He returns home but finds that his family no longer accepts him. He thinks like a man and he speaks like a man. He eventually makes his way back to Amadea’s house but she is no longer there. He hears her step-sisters talking about how if they had only cut off their toes the slipper might have fit and they would be with the prince rather than her.
Continue reading FORGOTTEN BOOK: THE COACHMAN RAT by David Henry Wilson, 1989 »
By Scott A. Cupp, on January 18th, 2012  The Division Heads of Lone Star Con 3, the World Science Fiction Convention set for 2013 here in San Antonio, will be meeting this coming Saturday, January 21. They have arranged for a Meet-and-Greet with interested local fans at the Marriott Rivercenter at 5 PM to discuss a variety of issues.
If you are interested, please stop by and see them. After the Meet-and-Greet, interested parties will break up and go to dinner.
We look forward to seeing you!
By Paul Vaughn, on January 18th, 2012  Tonight is Doctor Who Appreciation Night at the Alamo Drafthouse Westlakes and get ready for a great one. Hitting the big screen is the two-part episode Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead featuring David Tennant in the role of the 10th incarnation of the Doctor.
Showtime is 7:30 PM on Wednesday, January 18, 2012. Arrive early for the pre-show activities and to reserve a seat. Dragon’s Lair will be at the Drafthouse selling a loads of Doctor Who merchandise. Last time I was at the Lair I saw the new Lego-like UK Doctor Who Minifigs from Character Builder. Admission is free, but you will need to get a ticket from the box office to secure your spot.
Alamo Drafthouse Westlakes is at 1255 SW Loop 410, San Antonio, Texas.
In this tale, The Doctor and Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) enter an abandoned library, but not just any old library – it’s the greatest in the universe. The one that was sealed off a century before, without any explanation – unless you include the cryptic warning “Count the shadows”. With the shadows on the move again, the Doctor and Donna must uncover the terrible truth behind the Nodes and the Data Ghost to reveal the library’s secret. This is also our first introduction to Professor River Song (Alex Kingston).
Originally broadcast in mid-2008, these episodes were nominated for a Hugo Award.
Doctor Who Appreciation Night is sponsored by Doctor Who Fans Unite.
By Scott A. Cupp, on January 17th, 2012  Forgotten Films: Ladyhawke (1985)
This is the 50th in my series of Forgotten Obscure or Neglected Films
I am not sure how forgotten this film is these days. I certainly have never forgotten it but when I mentioned it to a few folks the other day, they were like “Oh, yeah! I sorta remember that one.” And that convinced me I was on the right track.
While far from perfect, this remains a pretty fine fantasy film. It is set in some medieval land where Phillipe “Mouse” Gaston (Matthew Broderick) is a thief and pickpocket who has escaped from the dungeons of Aquila, something no one has ever done. As he is fleeing the country, he encounters a roaming knight, Captain Etienne Navarre, formerly of Aquila’s guard. He rides a huge horse and swings a mean sword. He is accompanied by a hawk on which he dotes. Phillipe is rescued from the pursuing guards by Etienne and rides with him. At night, Phillipe stays indoors while Etienne remains outside. On one of the nights, Phillipe meets a beautiful young woman, Isabeau d’Anjou (Michelle Pfeiffer). He speaks to her and in the morning she is gone. One night as he is out, he encounters a giant wolf from which he barely escapes.
Phillipe and Etienne make their way to the home of a drunken priest, Father Imperius (Leo McKern). Here Phillipe hears the tale of the knight and his love, Etienne and Isabeau, and the Bishop (John Wood) who loved Isabeau and of the priest who mistakenly betrayed the true love and the curse laid upon them. Etienne is cursed to be a wolf at night and Isabeau remains a hawk during daylight. Always together and always apart.
Continue reading FORGOTTEN FILM: LADYHAWKE (1985) »
By Scott A. Cupp, on January 12th, 2012 FORGOTTEN BOOK: ABADAZAD: THE ROAD TO INCONCEIVABLE by J. M. DeMatteis and Mike Ploog, 2006
This is the 83rd in my series of Forgotten Books.
 I first became aware of JM DeMatteis and Mike Ploog through their work in comics. DeMatteis was a writer of most DC and Marvel titles. I became aware of Mike Ploog through his excellent art on MONSTER OF FRANKENSTEIN and WEREWOLF BY NIGHT. Of the two, I followed Ploog’s career more closely and generally bought anything he illustrated.
So when I found this title at the bookstore a few weeks ago, it was a foregone conclusion that I was buying it and its sequel without hesitation.
As I was doing the final research on this review, I discovered that this title had its origin in a CrossGen comic entitled ABADAZAD, which I totally missed which was not hard. I will have to hunt those up now.
This was fun little book about a young woman named Kate who is nine when we first meet her and 14 later in the tale. She lives in Brooklyn with her mother Frantic Frances and her brother Matt. Their father Herbert has abandoned them and they are trying to get by. Matt and Kate have a special bond that really connects them. They have a love of the books of Franklin O. Davies featuring the land of Abadazad. The first book LITTLE MARTHA IN ABADAZAD is a particular favorite and Kate reads it aloud to Matt every day.
Then one day Matt disappears at a street fair. He is riding a ride and suddenly he is not. This upsets Kate badly and she begins to have attitude and school issues. She maintains a diary/memoir to help preserve her sanity.
Continue reading FORGOTTEN BOOK: ABADAZAD: THE ROAD TO INCONCEIVABLE by J. M. DeMatteis and Mike Ploog, 2006 »
By Scott A. Cupp, on January 10th, 2012 Forgotten Films: The Man From Planet X (1951)
This is the 49th in my series of Forgotten Obscure or Neglected Films
 A B movie classic this week directed by Edgar G. Ulmer, a fairly good director known for bringing films in on time and on budget. Kind of a good Ed Wood. Ulmer directed “Detour” in 1945 one of the best American film noir classics.
The film is pretty basic. A new planet, christened Planet X for some reason, is hurtling through the solar system and is going to pass close to the Earth. Our hero, newspaperman John Lawrence (Robert Clarke) has been informed of this by his old wartime friend Professor Elliot (Raymond Bond). The professor has gone to a remote Scottish village which will be the closest point on Earth when Planet X passes by. Lawrence is there to get the scoop, though no other scientist or news service seems to know about any of this. In the village he meets up again with the professor’s daughter Enid (Margaret Field, mother of Sally Field), who has grown up into a much more interesting person than a gangly 12 year old. Also present is Dr. Mears (versatile actor William Schallert in his third credited role, though eighth overall), a not so friendly face from the past. There is bad blood here and Lawrence indicates that Mears had committed some sort of crime during the war for which he served six months in prison. Lawrence confirms that it should have been 20 years.
A spaceship has landed nearby and Enid, the Professor and Lawrence encounter the titular character, a shortish man with a big helmet and a squashed in face. The little man has some trouble with his breathing apparatus and Lawrence helps him out. They bring the alien back to the professor’s lab. Attempts to communicate prove unproductive.
Mears is fascinated by some lightweight high tensile material and sees large dollar signs for whoever controls the formula. Mears devises a plan to speak to the alien through mathematics which is described as a universal language.
When people next check in, Mears, the Professor and the alien are missing as are local townspeople. The alien has learned to “speak” and has enslaved various folks to follow his orders. Scotland Yard gets involved and the navy. Things get blown up. The Earth is saved.
Continue reading FORGOTTEN FILM: THE MAN FROM PLANET X (1951) »
By Scott A. Cupp, on January 5th, 2012 FORGOTTEN BOOK: DICKSON! by Gordon R. Dickson, 1984
This is the 82nd in my series of Forgotten Books.
 Gordon R. Dickson was one of the first SF writers that I read. I recall quite fondly the early Dorsai books SOLDIER ASK NOT! and THE TACTICS OF MISTAKE. Somehow over the years I got away from reading his work. I attempted THE DRAGON AND THE GEORGE and for whatever reason, it just did not appeal to me. I know this puts me in the minority. And I never really returned to the Dorsai books, having lost any desire to read military fiction. And, yes, I know there is more to them than that.
At the recent Reno WorldCon I found myself over at the NESFA Press table. I tend to like their books a lot. I purchased several items, enough to get a freebie off of a small shelf. What I picked out was DICKSON! This was the volume prepared for the 1984 WorldCon where Gordon R. Dickson was the Guest of Honor. Several World Cons have worked with NESFA to produce similar volumes over the years. When the North American Science Fiction convention was held in Austin in 1985 with Jack Vance as the Guest of Honor, a similar type volume was produced then.
Anyway, I had seen this book over the years and always wanted it but somehow never felt totally compelled to purchase it, so when the opportunity presented itself this year, I got it. I am glad I did.
The volume contains an introductory essay by Dickson’s longtime friend and occasional collaborator, Poul Anderson. This is followed by an essay on the CHILDE CYCLE to date (which is pre-THE FINAL ENCYCLOPEDIA, though that volume was turned in and scheduled for publication) and five pieces of short fiction from various pulps and anthologies.
The initial essay did not do much for me because of my unfamiliarity with the CHILD CYCLE since my readings were roughly 40 years ago and mostly forgotten. But, the stories … they were fun.
The first one is “The Law Twister Shorty” which is a study in alien civilization, of the type Dickson is pretty good at. Imagine contrary ten foot tall giant hillbillies wanting to fight rather than negotiate but who have to at least attempt to respect some aspects of civilization. “Shorty” is a term used to describe a non-member of the Dilbian race (they are the contrary giant hillbillies). A Dilbian woman has kidnapped three off-world tourists and adopted them, against their will. It is up to Malcolm O’Keefe to become the Law Bender and settle thee case which seems impossible without getting his head torn off, which does seem highly possible and probable. It’s a nice good twisty story.
Continue reading Forgotten Book: DICKSON! by Gordon R. Dickson, 1984 »
By Scott A. Cupp, on January 3rd, 2012  Forgotten Films: Webb Wilder, Private Eye in “The Saucer’s Reign” (1984)
This is the 48th in my series of Forgotten Obscure or Neglected Films
A short short this week with a science fiction connection. My friend Mike Madonna provided me with a copy of this film more than 20 years ago. I watched it at that time and was not particularly impressed. But, today I was contemplating what film to watch and talk about and this one leaped into my hands.
Webb Wilder is a country/rock musician of some repute. I saw him at Farm Aid in 1992 and immediately went out and bought his CD “Doo Dad” which is quite fun. It features a pretty wonderful version of “I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night”. The original recording by The Electric Prunes is my all time favorite rock and roll psychedelic single, so the fact that I love his version speaks well of it. I also got the albums “Hybrid Vigor” and “Town and Country”, both of which are quite fun. “Town and Country” is a cover album featuring some of the band’s favorite songs done their way, including “Talk Talk” (originally done by The Music Machine) and the “Goldfinger” theme done by Shirley Bassey and John Barry. Wonderfully eclectic stuff.
“The Saucer’s Reign” is the first of several short films featuring WW as the Private Eye/Security Guard at JC Penney. The film was written and directed by Stephen Mims who did several of the Webb Wilder films including HORROR HAYRIDE and CORN FLICKS.
Done in a film noir voiceover and grainy black and white film, WW receives a mysterious offer in the mail to come investigate the disappearance of Pristene Suggs (played by Pristene Suggs). Her husband Hiwayne Suggs (Roger Brinegar) believes she has been kidnapped by aliens. And, since he told someone on a party line, everyone seems to want to weigh in on it. The news media is everywhere and Webb must still investigate. The investigation leads him to various eccentric figures and trailer trash before he is able to solve the mystery. At 12 minutes, it is just about the proper length for the story.
Continue reading Forgotten Films: Webb Wilder, Private Eye in “The Saucer’s Reign” (1984) »
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Mission Control
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JOHN PICACIO is a World Fantasy Award-winning and Hugo
Award-nominated illustrator of science fiction, fantasy, and horror literature.
On
The Front |
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SANFORD ALLEN is a musician and author with more than
two dozen horror and dark fantasy stories published.
Sanford Allen | Boxcar
Satan |
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PAUL VAUGHN is a graphic artist,
web designer, writer, consultant and all around techno-geek.
The Mac
Guy | Dingus Design |
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SCOTT A. CUPP is a writer whose work has been nominated for the World Fantasy Award.
Scott A. Cupp |
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The Alamo Drafthouse Westlakes presents one of Dario Argent’s most reknowned films, DEEP RED–aka PROFONDO ROSSO, aka THE HATCHET MURDERS, for two special screenings tonight only.
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