As we move closer to Chinese New Year, I thought we’d focus on the classic Chinese horror movie, The Seventh Curse or Yuan Zhen-Xia yu Wei Si-Li (it’s Chinese title). This film stars a few people that are pretty much household names (well at least to Hong Kong cinema fans like us here at Mutantville). It stars Maggie Cheung which you will remember from Police Story, Police Story 2 and Supercop with Jackie Chan. It also stars Chow Yun Fat who has stared in many films such as Confucius, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Bulletproof Monk, The Replacement Killers, God of Killers, etc… The movie also stars Ken Boyle, Siu-hou Chin, Yuen Chor, Joyce Godenzi and Shu-yuan Hsu. The Seventh Curse was directed by Ngai Kai Lam. The screenplay was written by Jing Wong, who has 156 writing credits on IMDB including Legend of the Red Dragon with Jet Li, God of Gamblers with Chow Yun Fat, City Hunter with Jackie Chan, Last Hero in China which is another Jet Li film which he also directed with Yuen Woo-ping (How cool is that?). This film was released in 1986.
More after the leap… Continue Reading…
The Eye or Gin gwai (original title) 2002 movie poster
As Chinese New Year approaches on January 23, 2012, I thought I’d explore a few Chinese Horror movie classics. The Eye or Gin Gwai (original title) was released in 2002. The movie was directed by Oxide Pang Chun and Danny Pang. They are also known as the Pang Brothers. They also wrote the film along with Jojo Hui. The Eye stars Angelica Lee, Lawrence Chou, Jinda Duangtoy, Yut Lai So, Candy Lo and Edmund Chen.
Scarecrow At Midnight (2011) one sheet from Mutantville Productions.
Welcome to a special edition of Streeborama as we are going to discuss the lost art of horror movie one sheets! I expect this to be an ongoing series here at Streeborama. I want to discuss the good poster art of the past, what made it work and what makes modern poster art so terrible.
Whether you’re a filmmaker or just a fan – we are all extremely familiar with one sheets – or posters as they are referred to in the common vernacular. I remember being twelve years old with a green apple lollipop in my hand wandering the aisles of the local mom and pops video store and being enthralled by the sights and horrors peering at me from the cover of the VHS boxes lining the shelves. I was never allowed to watch the movies but they intrigued me nonetheless. They often featured a mix of blood, skulls and beautiful women but it was always in a way that implied that something sinsiter was at work behind it all.
This was a time when poster art was REAL art. They were conceived by artists with an actual goal of creating something eye catching to draw a potential viewer in. Poster art was exciting, mysterious, inspirational and most all of – intriguing.
In 1980, “Christmas Evil” which is also known as “You Better Watch Out” was released. It’s about a boy that loves Christmas and is scarred emotionally. He is a toy maker that snaps and goes on a Christmas killing spree.
Evil Christmas stars Brandon Maggart, Jeffrey DeMunn, Dianne Hull, Andy Fenwick, Brian Neville and many others. It was written and directed by Lewis Jackson. Many people put this as number 1 on their list of Christmas horror movies! What do you think?
Harry Stadling (Brandon Maggart) is obsessed with Christmas! In fact he wants to “be” the authentic Santa Claus, with a real suit, sleigh and reindeer. Ever since he learned the “truth” about Santa, he’s tried to make Christmas a reality. Growing up …
Tis the season…for BLOOD and Christmas! Ok, more Christmas and not so much blood. This week we move into the Christmas season and so we’ll focus Silent Night Deadly Night.
Silent Night Deadly Night was directed by Charles E. Seller Jr. and released in 1984. It stars Lilyan Chauvin, Gilmer McCormick, Toni Nero, Robert Brian Wilson, H.E.D. Redford and of course, Linnea Quigley. It’s about a teenager that is tormented (as opposed to a normal teenager) that dresses as Santa and kills people.
In the 80s, Silent Night Deadly Night was very controversial because of the Santa Claus clad killer. The PTA fought to remove this film from theaters because of this. I guess they didn’t want kids thinking of children to be scared of Santa not to mention some people may not think of Christmas as the horror movie season. The film created serious controversy. The commercial with an axe wielding Santa was protested then removed after a week. Siskel and Ebert did not care for it and bashed it on their show (which I found the video of…Check below). Apparently it offended a lot of people.
Watch the trailer, the Siskel and Ebert review, and more after the leap! Continue Reading…
The Mutantville Mothership has been in full effect for the month of October. We’ve been busy reviewing movies, finishing post production on G.H.O.S.T., screening movies for festivals and more as we prepare for the craziest weekend of the year – Halloween. With the Myers House NC Halloween Bash on the horizon – we are ready to launch our exclusive interview with John Carpenter this coming Friday – October 28th.
Antarctica – 1982. And so begins the prequel story to John Carpenter’s 1982 classic The Thing. The Thing (2011) tells the story of a Norwegian Outpost that discovers an alien spacecraft and the subsequent “Thing” of the title. Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays Kate Lloyd a graduate student drafted by the Norwegian scientists to aid in the reclamation of the alien life form that they discover.
It’s not long before the Norwegians have the Thing carved out of the ice and thawing in their basement like a giant banana Popsicle. After that all hell proceeds to breaking loose for the remainder of the running time of the movie.
The creature FX by Tom Woodruff Jr. and Alec Gillis feature an amazing blend of practical make-up and the latest in CGI techniques. The result is dazzling as The Thing continues to mutate and change and sprout vestigial pseudopods throughout the entire movie much to the delight of Kaiju and monster movie lovers everywhere.
This week on Classics Corner we are talking about House on Haunted Hill. This film is directed by William Castle and stars Vincent Price, Carol Ohmont, Richard Long, Alan Marshal, Caolyn Craig, Elisha Cook Jr., Julie Mitchum, Leona Anderson and Howard Hoffman. Many people will remember the remake of this film in 1999. I like the older one better personally. The original has a few “scarey” scenes that I laughed out loud at when I saw them…but technology is a little different now days.
House on Haunted Hill is the story of millionaire Fredrick Loren and his wife Annabelle. He invites 5 people to a “haunted” house party. He offers to pay them $10,000 each if they can stay until the next morning. It’s interesting because he arms each guests with a .45 caliber handgun for protection. Everyone knows a .45 will stop a ghost in it’s tracks. That’s the set up. I could tell more…but I don’t want to spoil the fun for anyone!
After the jump, watch some videos, read some reviews and learn the meaning of life! Continue Reading…
When I was a young lad, I never watched horror movies. Looking back I had seen some horror movies, I just wasn’t aware they were horror movies and no I’m not talking about that Britney Spears movie Crossroads (not to be confused with the movie with Ralph Machio and Steve Vai). I’m talking about movies like Jaws. I even saw Jaws 3D in the theater. Continue Reading…
Posted 4 months, 3 weeks ago at 12:28 am. 2 comments
Since the big horror box office release this week is the remake of Tom Holland’s 1985 classic vamp film Fright Night, we thought we would honor the occasion by sharing an original vampire film – 30 Days of Night. If you are not interested in remakes – then check out this modern classic from the mind of writer Steve Niles (Mystery Society, Criminal Macabre, Remains). 30 Days of Night tells the story of a small town in Alaska that is plunged into thirty days of night for winter and invaded by vampires who have come to feast.
Welcome to Mutantville Productions MVP Blog. Join Streebo, Brento, Geo & the rest of the Mutantville Players as they set sail on the high seas of guerrilla filmmaking in their ongoing quest to bring you the finest in genre entertainment.
or Gin Gwai (original title) was released in 2002. The movie was directed by Oxide Pang Chun and Danny Pang. They are also known as the Pang Brothers. They also wrote the film along with Jojo Hui. The Eye stars Angelica Lee, Lawrence Chou, Jinda Duangtoy, Yut Lai So, Candy Lo and Edmund Chen. 
” which is also known as “You Better Watch Out” was released. It’s about a boy that loves Christmas and is scarred emotionally. He is a toy maker that snaps and goes on a Christmas killing spree.
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. This film is directed by William Castle and stars Vincent Price, Carol Ohmont, Richard Long, Alan Marshal, Caolyn Craig, Elisha Cook Jr., Julie Mitchum, Leona Anderson and Howard Hoffman. Many people will remember the remake of this film in 1999. I like the older one better personally. The original has a few “scarey” scenes that I laughed out loud at when I saw them…but technology is a little different now days.
