The Ford Brothers, the British director, writer and producer team behind the acclaimed THE DEAD 2: INDIA, the first-ever International production of a zombie film shot in India, have revealed new artwork ahead of their arrival in Cannes.
The film, represented by Jinga Films, will be screening on Thursday, ahead of a planned Zombie invasion of the famed croisette on Sunday, in celebration of the genre. The film opens in the States, courtesy of Anchor Bay, this fall.
Filmed in five weeks, in locations across India, including Rajasthan, Delhi and Mumbai, THE DEAD 2: INDIA is a Ford Brothers Film by Latitude Films, in association with Road Trip Pictures and stars Joseph Millson, Meenu, Anand Goyal, Sandip Datta Gupta & Poonam Mathur. It is written and directed by Howard J Ford & Jon Ford and produced by Howard J Ford. Executive Producer is Amir Moallemi, Special & Visual Effects by Dan Rickard, Special Make-Up Effects by Stuart Browne & Max Van De Banks. Director of Photography is Jon Ford and Music is by Imran Ahmad
Wednesday 14 May 2014
Wednesday 7 May 2014
HorrorShow.TV recruits Scott Weinberg and adds 70 titles to its growing portfolio.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7X0xUi8pCms3x4VzVoes8SaxTUj-iRsTD6uJcd86fZ0FjrdaGsUH3fkjsDx7-Dk-4R1K87KJNoGR7hkPZqFxXNr4YRXr7wpqauisr9xgA4SoOrPrP_wePTe3n5HyfJOnhLE-3-jXf54/s320/HorrorShowTV-logo-751057.jpg)
Award-nominated VOD destination TheHorrorShow.TV has cranked up its editorial content by hiring renowned horror critic Scott Weinberg to the new TheHorrorShow.TV blog where his reviews of new and upcoming horror films will be accompanied by news, previews and updates on a wide variety of new and retro horror films, including those available to stream and/or download via TheHorrorShow.TV
TheHorrorShow.TV's David Hughes said today: "There are so many great horror films in the works right now and it takes someone as plugged in as Scott to sort the gold from the garbage. Scott will join us doing what he does best: writing knowledgeable, informed and well-written reviews of all the latest horror films, including many of the titles showing at TheHorrorShow.TV"
The burgeoning company, created in 2013, is also adding over seventy more titles, bringing its total to 160. These include:
Birth of the Living Dead (12th May). A documentary that shows how George A. Romero gathered an unlikely team of Pittsburghers to shoot his seminal film: 'Night of the Living Dead'. Directed by Rob Kuhns and featuring Larry Fessenden, Mark Harris and S. William Hinzman
The Pit, aka Jug Face (9th June). Larry Fessenden pops up again, this time as a nasty hillibilly, in this 2013 supernatural shocker written and directed by Chad Crawford, involving incestuous teenagers and a nasty creature in a pit.
Mr Jones (21st June). A disturbing, Lynch-esque twist on the found footage sub-genre, which marks the promising feature film debut of Karl Mueller. Be prepared for a nightmare world of mayhem, madness and mind-bending terror.
TheHorrorShow.TV is the first UK-based video-on-demand streaming service specialising in horror and fantasy films. Run by David Hughes and filmmaker and entrepreneur Jack Bowyer, the pay-as-you platform offers top-flight features, popular classics, cult favourites and edgy underground titles to stream or download via computers/ laptops and Android and iOS-based smartphones and tablets Fans can also select short films from the 99p "Short Stack" feature – one of many more innovative and interactive features planned to roll out in 2014/2015.
http://www.thehorrorshow.tv
Labels:
HorrorShow.TV
Friday 2 May 2014
Interview with William F. Nolan By David Kempf
William F. Nolan is a living legend. He is the author of hunrdreds of stories of science fiction and horror. Although perhaps best known for writing the novel "Logan's Run" with George Clayton Johnson, Nolan has had an extremely prolific writing career. He has had a long association with the movie industry. He co-wrote the screenplay for the horror movie "Burnt Offerings," a 1976 film starring Bette Davis and Karen Black.
Interview with William F. Nolan
By David Kempf
Tell us why you became so interested in science fiction and horror.
As a boy, in high school back in Kansas City, I discovered the science fiction work of H. G. Wells: The Time Machine, War of the Worlds, and Island of Dr. Moreau and so on. Those are the works that got me interested in science fiction.
My interest in horror began in the same period when I read Algernon Blackwood’s The Willows. From then on, I was hooked.
Do you prefer writing short stories or novels?
I’ve written only one horror novel, Hell Tracks, and have no real intention of writing more.
However, I have written several other novels, embracing science fiction, and even a Western. Since I have had more than 200 short stories published, it’s obvious that I prefer the short form.
A novel is like a trip through the woods in which one can follow various paths and then return to the central road. With a short story, you enter the woods at one end and go straight through. For me, I like the direct effect of a short over the convoluted approach of a novel to tell the story.
Tell us about your earliest inspirations.
Beyond Wells and Blackwood, I grew up reading Ray Bradbury and the Westerns of Max Brand. I have the largest collection of Max Brand in the world, and my Bradbury collection of some 40 plus years is now housed at the Bowling Green State University Department of Popular Culture. They acquired my collection in 1981.
How did you and George Clayton Johnson come up with the concept for Logan’s Run?
I came up with a concept when I was asked by Charles Beaumont to give a talk at his UCLA class on writing in the mid-1960’s. The topic was the difference between social fiction and science fiction. So I took the social concept of “life begins at forty” and turned it around. What if life ends at forty? In my talk I pointed out that in social fiction, a man might turn forty and then run off with a showgirl, have a mid-life crisis… but in science fiction, he has to face some real threat, technologically or in a future society that demands euthanasia at forty.
Later, I discussed the concept with George Clayton Johnson and we decided that it would have more impact if the age was lowered to 21. George wanted to immediately create a screenplay, but I felt strongly that it should be a novel first. George acquiesced, and we rented a motel room to remove distractions and for three weeks we took turns at the typewriter. The rest is history.
Do you see that novel as more of a critique of religion or tyrannical government?
Actually, it’s a critique of both, but only sub-textually. On the surface, it’s a hunt-an-kill action adventure.
Were you satisfied with the movie version?
In a word: no. MGM totally ignored the subtext in favor of clichéd action. The old man played by Peter Ustanov was an unnecessary contrivance. He kills the picture in mid-stride. Who cares about the names of all those cats? The picture slows to a halt.
However, it’s a good popcorn movie and many people love it.
Why is the remake taking so long?
Good question. I wish I had the answer. Thus far, it’s had twelve scriptwriters and four directors and each time, the deal has fallen through. Why don’t they just shoot the book?
I just hope I live long enough to see it!
Was the movie Burnt Offerings as scary as you envisioned it when you wrote the screenplay?
Initially, I was disappointed by the critical response. Through the years, however, it has emerged as a cult classic. Was it scary enough? I would hope so. I think Dan Curtis did a great job of bringing my screenplay to life.
In the book How to Write Tales of Horror, Fantasy and Science Fiction, you point out the importance of grabbing the reader’s attention. You said to do it in the first sentence or two of the story. That’s because of the competition books face with movies and TV (and the internet and video games). Do you think it’s more important than ever to have a grabbing first sentence that involves the reader from the start?
Absolutely! In our hurry-up world, the writer must grab the reader’s attention immediately.
When I served as managing editor for the short-lived Gamma magazine, I would not spend a lot of time reading submissions. I would open the envelope, slide the manuscript out enough to read just the beginning, and if it didn’t impress me in the first paragraph, I’d just slide it back into the envelope and send it back.
Who do you consider to be the most influential writer of your generation?
Well, Ray Bradbury of course.
I once told Ray that he had probably influenced more writers of his generation and subsequent generations than any other writer of the 20th century – maybe rivaled only by Ernest Hemmingway.
What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment as a writer so far?
Logan’s Run is my calling card and my greatest commercial accomplishment. Personally, I feel that my greatest artistic accomplishment is spread out over my 200 short stories.
Name some of your favorite horror books.
Bradbury’s Dark Carnival, Golding’s Lord of the Flies, and, most certainly, Thomas Harris’s Silence of the Lambs.
Name some of your favorite horror films.
In know I’m old-fashioned, but I really love the classics: the original Frankenstein with Karloff as the monster, and Dracula with Lugosi as the dark count.
Later films that really impressed me, include Alien and David Cronenberg’s The Fly. Truly horrific.
Why do you think horror movies and books remain popular?
People love to be scared. They want to sit in a theater or on their couch, safe from vampires, werewolves, zombies and ghouls, while still enjoying the thrills.
What are your thoughts regarding the rise of electronic publishing?
Honestly, I love the feel of a real book. I love to hold it, the way it smells, and to be able to sit and enjoy it anywhere I want without having to worry about a battery. However, I realize that my opinion is becoming ever less popular, and I do welcome the new opportunities for readership that the electronic frontier provides.
Do you think the growing trend of self-publishing is a good or bad thing?
It’s both. Good because it gets a lot more out there for people to read, bad because many of them are subpar, poorly written, and don’t really deserve publication in any form.
What are your latest projects?
I’m working on several short stories. I also have a new Logan novel in the works with Jason V Brock. Also, Jason and I plan to edit several new anthologies together.
What advice can you give to new writers seeking publication?
My advice is this: put your butt in the chair, lower your hands over the keys, and type, type, type! If you keep writing, you will gain the experience needed to make quality. Or at least, eventually, you’ll write something half-decent.
And you must read widely: Cheever, Capote, Bester, Hemmingway, Faulkner, Fitzgerald, Thurber, Hammet, Chandler, and S. J. Perlman, for a start. Aspiring writers should read outside their comfort zone, not just the leaders of their field, but everything of quality. Never limit yourself to one genre.
Please in your own words write a paragraph about yourself & your work.
Although I am best known for coauthoring the novel Logan's Run, with George Clayton Johnson, I have written literally hundreds of pieces, from poetry to nonfiction, to prose, for many publications, such as Sports Illustrated, Rogue, Playboy, Dark Discoveries, Nameless[disambiguation needed], and others. I had a long career in the movie industry, primarily working for Dan Curtis, and co-wrote the screenplay for the 1976 horror film Burnt Offerings which starred Karen Black and Bette Davis.
I have been a prolific editor of collections (by others), and anthologies, most recently co-editing two anthologies with my friend, filmmaker, and writer Jason V Brock: "The Bleeding Edge" (2009), with stories from fellow writers Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, George Clayton Johnson, John Shirley, Dan O'Bannon, and several others, and "The Devil's Coattails" (2012), which featured Ramsey Campbell, S. T. Joshi, Richard Selzer, Earl Hamner, Jr., and so on. I also teamed up with Bluewater Productions for a comic book series, "Logan's Run: Last Day", released in 2010, and comics based on two other properties: "Tales from William F. Nolan's Dark Universe" (featuring stories adapted by me and Brock), and "Sam Space" (both out in 2013).
I twice won the Edgar Allan Poe Award from the Mystery Writers of America. I was voted a Living Legend in Dark Fantasy by the International Horror Guild in 2002, and in 2006 I was bestowed the honorary title of Author Emeritus by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. In 2010, I received the Lifetime Achievement Bram Stoker Award from the Horror Writers Association (HWA). In 2013 I was a recipient, along with Brian W. Aldiss, of the World Fantasy Convention Award in Brighton, England.
WEBSITE:
http://www.williamfnolan.com
Nolan has written for such magazines as Playboy, Sports Illustrated, Rogue and Dark Discoveries. He has also enjoyed great writing success with nonfiction, prose and poetry.
Nolan has won the Edgar Allan Poe Award twice and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Horror Writer's Association. In 2002 he was voted a Living Legend in Dark Fantasy by the International Horror Guild.
As a lifelong fan of Nolan's amazing work, it was an honor to have the opportunity to interview him. Nolan spoke about his many past achievements as well as his current and future projects.
I would like to acknowledge Jason V. Brock and Ray Garton for their help in contacting William F. Nolan for this interview.
Interview with William F. Nolan
By David Kempf
Tell us why you became so interested in science fiction and horror.
As a boy, in high school back in Kansas City, I discovered the science fiction work of H. G. Wells: The Time Machine, War of the Worlds, and Island of Dr. Moreau and so on. Those are the works that got me interested in science fiction.
My interest in horror began in the same period when I read Algernon Blackwood’s The Willows. From then on, I was hooked.
Do you prefer writing short stories or novels?
I’ve written only one horror novel, Hell Tracks, and have no real intention of writing more.
However, I have written several other novels, embracing science fiction, and even a Western. Since I have had more than 200 short stories published, it’s obvious that I prefer the short form.
A novel is like a trip through the woods in which one can follow various paths and then return to the central road. With a short story, you enter the woods at one end and go straight through. For me, I like the direct effect of a short over the convoluted approach of a novel to tell the story.
Tell us about your earliest inspirations.
Beyond Wells and Blackwood, I grew up reading Ray Bradbury and the Westerns of Max Brand. I have the largest collection of Max Brand in the world, and my Bradbury collection of some 40 plus years is now housed at the Bowling Green State University Department of Popular Culture. They acquired my collection in 1981.
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/makeandtell.user/9149/20140502163715963_L.jpg)
I came up with a concept when I was asked by Charles Beaumont to give a talk at his UCLA class on writing in the mid-1960’s. The topic was the difference between social fiction and science fiction. So I took the social concept of “life begins at forty” and turned it around. What if life ends at forty? In my talk I pointed out that in social fiction, a man might turn forty and then run off with a showgirl, have a mid-life crisis… but in science fiction, he has to face some real threat, technologically or in a future society that demands euthanasia at forty.
Later, I discussed the concept with George Clayton Johnson and we decided that it would have more impact if the age was lowered to 21. George wanted to immediately create a screenplay, but I felt strongly that it should be a novel first. George acquiesced, and we rented a motel room to remove distractions and for three weeks we took turns at the typewriter. The rest is history.
Do you see that novel as more of a critique of religion or tyrannical government?
Actually, it’s a critique of both, but only sub-textually. On the surface, it’s a hunt-an-kill action adventure.
Were you satisfied with the movie version?
In a word: no. MGM totally ignored the subtext in favor of clichéd action. The old man played by Peter Ustanov was an unnecessary contrivance. He kills the picture in mid-stride. Who cares about the names of all those cats? The picture slows to a halt.
However, it’s a good popcorn movie and many people love it.
Why is the remake taking so long?
Good question. I wish I had the answer. Thus far, it’s had twelve scriptwriters and four directors and each time, the deal has fallen through. Why don’t they just shoot the book?
I just hope I live long enough to see it!
Was the movie Burnt Offerings as scary as you envisioned it when you wrote the screenplay?
Initially, I was disappointed by the critical response. Through the years, however, it has emerged as a cult classic. Was it scary enough? I would hope so. I think Dan Curtis did a great job of bringing my screenplay to life.
In the book How to Write Tales of Horror, Fantasy and Science Fiction, you point out the importance of grabbing the reader’s attention. You said to do it in the first sentence or two of the story. That’s because of the competition books face with movies and TV (and the internet and video games). Do you think it’s more important than ever to have a grabbing first sentence that involves the reader from the start?
Absolutely! In our hurry-up world, the writer must grab the reader’s attention immediately.
When I served as managing editor for the short-lived Gamma magazine, I would not spend a lot of time reading submissions. I would open the envelope, slide the manuscript out enough to read just the beginning, and if it didn’t impress me in the first paragraph, I’d just slide it back into the envelope and send it back.
Who do you consider to be the most influential writer of your generation?
Well, Ray Bradbury of course.
I once told Ray that he had probably influenced more writers of his generation and subsequent generations than any other writer of the 20th century – maybe rivaled only by Ernest Hemmingway.
What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment as a writer so far?
Logan’s Run is my calling card and my greatest commercial accomplishment. Personally, I feel that my greatest artistic accomplishment is spread out over my 200 short stories.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNI3Vay2EAAoWWUJbfpjAmbjxQqQz5DSlQ53wn4M3-T3GKoqTeSsh93PuJ2ZRww0TePTOlsrvapBYN-RkrvBPTErpMHTE22xZLxxqQoF8Sp-o9xfJyTbf5duxiWgeGC9_4POKh1NOLbtY/s1600/2.jpg)
Bradbury’s Dark Carnival, Golding’s Lord of the Flies, and, most certainly, Thomas Harris’s Silence of the Lambs.
Name some of your favorite horror films.
In know I’m old-fashioned, but I really love the classics: the original Frankenstein with Karloff as the monster, and Dracula with Lugosi as the dark count.
Later films that really impressed me, include Alien and David Cronenberg’s The Fly. Truly horrific.
Why do you think horror movies and books remain popular?
People love to be scared. They want to sit in a theater or on their couch, safe from vampires, werewolves, zombies and ghouls, while still enjoying the thrills.
What are your thoughts regarding the rise of electronic publishing?
Honestly, I love the feel of a real book. I love to hold it, the way it smells, and to be able to sit and enjoy it anywhere I want without having to worry about a battery. However, I realize that my opinion is becoming ever less popular, and I do welcome the new opportunities for readership that the electronic frontier provides.
Do you think the growing trend of self-publishing is a good or bad thing?
It’s both. Good because it gets a lot more out there for people to read, bad because many of them are subpar, poorly written, and don’t really deserve publication in any form.
What are your latest projects?
I’m working on several short stories. I also have a new Logan novel in the works with Jason V Brock. Also, Jason and I plan to edit several new anthologies together.
What advice can you give to new writers seeking publication?
My advice is this: put your butt in the chair, lower your hands over the keys, and type, type, type! If you keep writing, you will gain the experience needed to make quality. Or at least, eventually, you’ll write something half-decent.
And you must read widely: Cheever, Capote, Bester, Hemmingway, Faulkner, Fitzgerald, Thurber, Hammet, Chandler, and S. J. Perlman, for a start. Aspiring writers should read outside their comfort zone, not just the leaders of their field, but everything of quality. Never limit yourself to one genre.
Please in your own words write a paragraph about yourself & your work.
Although I am best known for coauthoring the novel Logan's Run, with George Clayton Johnson, I have written literally hundreds of pieces, from poetry to nonfiction, to prose, for many publications, such as Sports Illustrated, Rogue, Playboy, Dark Discoveries, Nameless[disambiguation needed], and others. I had a long career in the movie industry, primarily working for Dan Curtis, and co-wrote the screenplay for the 1976 horror film Burnt Offerings which starred Karen Black and Bette Davis.
I have been a prolific editor of collections (by others), and anthologies, most recently co-editing two anthologies with my friend, filmmaker, and writer Jason V Brock: "The Bleeding Edge" (2009), with stories from fellow writers Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, George Clayton Johnson, John Shirley, Dan O'Bannon, and several others, and "The Devil's Coattails" (2012), which featured Ramsey Campbell, S. T. Joshi, Richard Selzer, Earl Hamner, Jr., and so on. I also teamed up with Bluewater Productions for a comic book series, "Logan's Run: Last Day", released in 2010, and comics based on two other properties: "Tales from William F. Nolan's Dark Universe" (featuring stories adapted by me and Brock), and "Sam Space" (both out in 2013).
I twice won the Edgar Allan Poe Award from the Mystery Writers of America. I was voted a Living Legend in Dark Fantasy by the International Horror Guild in 2002, and in 2006 I was bestowed the honorary title of Author Emeritus by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. In 2010, I received the Lifetime Achievement Bram Stoker Award from the Horror Writers Association (HWA). In 2013 I was a recipient, along with Brian W. Aldiss, of the World Fantasy Convention Award in Brighton, England.
WEBSITE:
http://www.williamfnolan.com
Labels:
William F. Nolan
Tuesday 22 April 2014
Film news: Mother’s Day receives UK TV premiere on Horror Channel
Horror Channel’s film highlights for May include the UK TV premiere of Darren Lynn Bousman’s 2010 hostage horror MOTHER’S DAY. starring Rebecca De Mornay. Hot on the heels of the I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE remake, this was another timely and terrifying reimagining of a classic grindhouse title.
MOTHER’S DAY heads up a ‘Trapped and Tortured’ season – a collection of hostage horror films, which also include the network premieres of Roland Joffe’s CAPTIVITY, and Sean Bryne’s THE LOVED ONES. Other titles in the season are WOLF CREEK and INHUMAN RESOURSES.
Plus there is a UK TV network premiere for Antoine Thomas’ creepy HIDDEN (AKA HIDDEN 3D)
Sat 31 May @ 22:50 – MOTHER’S DAY (2010) “UK TV Premiere
Fleeing a botched bank robbery, three distressed and injured brothers head for home. Except they’ve forgotten their mother’s home was recently sold to a yuppie couple, now celebrating their housewarming. Taking the partygoers hostage in the basement the brothers begin their casual humiliation and torture until mama (played by Rebecca De Mornay) arrives. Only then do the guests realise she’s the family’s most dangerous member. THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE star delights and intimidates in a delicious performance of wicked bloodlust and wanton cruelty. Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, it also stars Jaime King, Shawn Ashmore, Deborah Ann Woll and Patrick Flueger
Sat 3rd May @ 22:50 – CAPTIVITY (2007) *Network Premiere
With a screenplay by Larry Cohen, this New York based horror, sees top-model Jennifer Tree drugged in a night-club and kidnapped. She awakes in a basement cell and is submitted to psychological and physical tortures by her twisted abductor. She meets Gary in the next cell, and when they manage to escape from their imprisonment, Jennifer discovers the truth about her sick kidnapper. Stars Elisha Cuthbert and Daniel Gillies,
Sat 17 May @ 22:50 – THE LOVED ONES (2009) *Network Premiere
Director Sean Byrne’s hilariously dark and supremely confident mash-up of MISERY, SAW and CARRIE sees cute young Brent picked out by classmate Lola to attend her gore-soaked private prom. Kidnapped by her devoted father who will do absolutely anything Lola requests, Brent soon finds himself in the company of the deadliest pair since Burke and Hare. Byrne’s stylish twist on teen horror provides superior scream shocks.
Fri 9 May @ 22:55 – HIDDEN (2011) * UK TV Premiere
Scientist Susan Carter (Dawn Ford) dies whilst researching the rehabilitation of addicts using an experimental drug in her rehab centre. Her son, Brian Carter (Sean Clement) and five friends travel to the rehab centre, which he has now inherited. They discover that the centre is formerly an ancient monastery and as they are murdered, one by one, the ghastly truth about the true inhabitants is revealed.
TV: Sky 319 / Virgin 149 / Freesat 138
www.horrorchannel.co.uk | twitter.com/horror_channel
Labels:
Horror Channel
Wednesday 16 April 2014
Nucleus Films are back with their 4th eye-popping collection of Grindhouse Trailer Classics
Just when you thought you'd seen everything... here comes another 55 insane trailers to whip you into a frenzy in this collection of sick, depraved and hysterically brilliant movie previews from the golden age of Grindhouse Cinema.
Following the successful and critically-acclaimed release of Grindhouse Trailer Classic 1, 2 & 3, Nucleus Films will once again take you on trip back to the “gory days” of cult and exploitation cinema with their latest unseen compilation of audacious theatrical trailers from the sleazy cinematic sub-genre known as “grindhouse”.
All of the trailers in this collection have been sourced from ultra-rare 35mm prints, many of which haven't been seen since they first unspooled into the grimy 42nd Street flea pits of yesteryear. The mind-warping action embraces Kung-Fu kicks, satanism, psychos, groovy chicks, cavorting college co-eds, super dudes, bikers from hell, disasters, euro thrillers, swinging couples, killer cats and a glimpse into the end of the world.
GRINDHOUSE TRAILER CLASSICS 4 is produced by Marc Morris & Jake West, Nucleus Films. RRP: £8.99 Cert: 18 Running Time: 111 mins
List of trailers:
01: Little Cigars (Chris Christenberry, 1973)
02: Women for Sale (Ernst Hofbauer, 1969)
03. Curtains (Richard Ciupka, 1983)
04. Dirty O'Neil: The Love Life of a Cop (Leon Capetanos & Lewis Teague, 1974)
05. Willie Dynamite (Gilbert Moses, 1974)
06. Deathmaster, The (Ray Danton, 1973)
07. Mama's Dirty Girls (John Hayes, 1974)
08. Hammer of God (Wang You, 1970) - aka The Chinese Boxer
09. Swingin' Models (Ralf Gregan as Ilja Von Anutroff, 1972)
10. Strange Shadows in an Empty Room (Alberto De Martino as Martin Herbert, 1976)
11. RoomMates, The (Arthur Marks, 1973)
12. Too Hot to Handle (Don Schain, 1976)
13. Hitchhikers, The (Ferd & Beverly Sebastian, 1971)
14. Fly Me (Cirio Santiago, 1973)
15. Blood of Dracula's Castle (Al Adamson, 1969)
16. Erika's Hot Summer (Gary Graver, 1970)
17. Catastrophe (Larry Savadove, 1978)
18. Devil's Wedding Night (Luigi Batzella as Paolo Solvay, 1973)
19. Crazy Joe (Carlo Lizzani, 1974)
20. Frankenstein's Bloody Terror (Enrique López Eguiluz, 1968)
21. Born to Kill (aka Cockfighter) (Monte Hellman, 1974)
22. Las Vegas Lady (Noel Nosseck, 1974)
23. Poor Albert & Little Annie (Paul Leder, 1972)
24. Late Great Planet Earth (Robert Amram, 1979)
25. All the Loving Couples (Mack Bing, 1969)
26. Sinful Dwarf (Vidal Raski, 1973)
27. Mark of the Devil Part 2 (Adrian Hoven, 1972)
28. Dogs (Adrian Hoven, 1976)
29. Night of a Thousand Cats (René Cardona Jr., 1972)
30. Cheering Section (Harry Kerwin, 1977)
31. Hells Chosen Few (David L. Hewitt, 1967)
32. Mansion of the Doomed (Michael Pataki, 1975)
33. Pyx, The (Harvey Hart, 1973)
34. Sweet Body of Deborah, The (Romolo Girolami as Romolo Guerrieri, 1967)
35. Trouble Man (Ivan Dixon, 1972)
36. Sacred Knives of Vengeance (Yuen Chor, 1972)
37. Sister-In-law, The (Joseph Ruben, 1974)
38. Smash-Up Alley 43 The Story of the Petty Family (Edward J. Lakso, 1972)
39. Black Veil for Lisa, A (Massimo Dallamano, 1968)
40. Five Man Army, The (Don Taylor, 1969) - script by Dario Argento
41. Nightmare Honeymoon (Elliot Silverstein, 1973)
42. Severed Arm, The (Thomas S. Alderman, 1973)
43. Sweet Jesus, Preacherman (Henning Schellerup, 1973)
44. Terror in the Wax Museum (Georg Fenady, 1973)
45. Bamboo Gods and Iron Men (Cesar Gallardo, 1974)
46. Hit Man, The (George Armitage, 1972)
47. Daring Dobermans, The (Byron Chudnow, 1973)
48. Hot Box, The (Joe Viola, 1972)
49. Inside Amy (Ronald Víctor García, 1975)
50. Lady Kung Fu (Huang Feng, 1972)
51. Dirty Dan's Women (Joy N. Houck Jr., 1972)
52. They're Coming to Get You (Sergio Martino, 1972)
53. Delinquent Schoolgirls (Gregory Corarito, 1194)
54. Incoming Freshmen (Eric Lewald & Glenn Morgan, 1979)
55. Man with Bogart's Face, The (Robert Day, 1980)
Thursday 10 April 2014
Interview with Eric S. Brown By David Kempf
Eric S. Brown is the author of numerous books including the Bigfoot War series, the "A Pack of Wolves" series, War of the Worlds Plus Blood Guts and Zombies, Season of Rot, and far too many more to list here. He has also done novelizations of films like Boggy Creek: The Legend is True and The Bloody Rage of Bigfoot. He lives in North Carolina with his family where he continues to write tales of blazing guns, the hungry dead, and the things that lurk in the woods. We want to thank Eric for taking the time out of his busy schedule to talk to Masters of Horror U.K. And we want to congratulate him on the Bigfoot Wars movie based upon his book.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Xzmhrtj3oEMlTJkV7872YjUVK_YOdfvYGg2-GTe1qkChtuTBdmKjjvJ7hviM6KQho-9hKzT7vz9CoNVjmISkVWOfdqqdteT4LUSm47VGUCrLojhbh8Hllvi3gbXzk1DH__AJAAUj7MQ/s1600/1.jpg)
Interview with Eric S. Brown By David Kempf
Tell us why you became so interested in the Bigfoot legend?
ESB: I had written zombie fiction for years and had a lot of success with books like Season of Rot (Permuted Press) and War of the Worlds Plus Blood Guts and Zombies (Simon and Schuster). Truth be told, I had become burnt out on zombies back then and wanted to do a new kind of apocalypse book. Having grown up in rural North Carolina, Bigfoot had terrified me as a child and as a horror fan, I had always wanted to see a Bigfoot book/film that featured more than just one or two monsters. I was under contract to do three zombie books for a publisher at that point so I pitched them the concept of the “Sasquatch Apocalypse” instead. Surprisingly, they decided to take a chance on it. The original Bigfoot War book was so insanely successful for a small press book that it not only became a series with nine books to date but it also recently became a feature film from Origin Releasing (staring C. Thomas Howell and Judd Nelson) that is set for a 2014 release.
How did you become interested horror?
ESB: I pretty much came out of the womb a comic book geek. As I, literally, went to the comic shop every day of the week (except Sunday because they were closed), I discovered Fangoria and was reading it too by the time I started school. That really freaked my teachers out as you can imagine. I started watching horror films not long thereafter. Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead, from the very first time I saw them, cemented my lifelong relationship with the horror genre. I fell in love with the apocalypse and have been in love with it ever since.
How many Bigfoot books have you written and which one are you most proud of?
ESB: A lot. I am most proud of the original Bigfoot War book because it was a rather unique concept at the time it came out. That said, Planet Sasquatch: Retaliation, one of the later Bigfoot War books in the series, was the most fun to write. It blends my love of Military SF with Bigfoot horror as an entire battlegroup of Colonial Marines find themselves engaged against a planet full killer Sasquatch.
How does writing about Bigfoot compare to creating zombie and werewolf characters in your other books?
ESB: My werewolves are actually heroes. My “A Pack of Wolves” trilogy features them as Old West gunfighters and mercs who just happen to be werewolves as well. Those books are like a little bit of the X-men, The Young Guns, and Dog Soldiers all tossed together to make for a very different horror read. My zombies are all over the place from traditional ones like those in War of the World Plus Blood Guts and Zombies to the fast movers of my end of the world collection Snarlers to the intelligent, cunning flesh eaters featured in Season of Rot and its sequel books Ragnarok Island and Undead Down Under. Bigfoot, for me, is always the same. He/They are massive, powerful, truly scary monsters that you never, ever want to come up against.
Tell us about how the film adaptation of your Bigfoot books is coming along.
ESB: The Bigfoot War film was shot in the fall of 2013. C. Thomas Howell, Judd Nelson, Holt Boggs, and too many others to name breathed life into my book. It's in post-production now according to Origin Releasing and should be out sometime in 2014. Needless to say, I am greatly looking forward to it.
Tell us about your earliest inspirations.
ESB: Really the main inspiration for my whole career as a writer comes from my favorite author David Drake. I learned to write from reading his Hammer's Slammers series. Even today, every time I got back and read his early horror from before he was the king of Military SF, I learn something. I have a massive collection of his work including numerous personally signed to me books. This year I even tracked down a copy of Dave's first ever published story in a hardcover anthology and got him to sign it for me. There are really no words to express how awesome it is to grow up to have your childhood hero not only talk with you as a peer but also blurbed your first ever Military SF novel's cover. That novel is called Homeworld for those interested and my agent is shopping around its sequel (The Hand of God) as I type this.
Do you see a conflict between writing horror fiction and your own religious beliefs?
ESB: It's true, I am a Christian. For me, there is not really a conflict however. My work doesn't have curse words flying all over the place, the Lord's name in vain, or over the top sex scenes anymore but it's still packed with gore, action, and fun. I put fun above all else. If you're looking to escape into some intense survival horror and lose yourself in the apocalypse for a while then odds are you will enjoy my work.
What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment as a writer so far?
ESB: That's a tough one. Having Simon and Schuster come to me and asked for the reprints to War of the Worlds Plus Blood Guts and Zombies was huge. I actually had to get an agent to handle the deal as I didn't have one at that time. But then selling the film rights to Bigfoot War was huge too. Personally though, my childhood hero David Drake signing off on Homeworld as a good book with a blurb of praise for its cover might be the greatest thing to happen to me yet as a writer.
Name some of your favorite horror books.
ESB: I don't actually read a lot of horror these days. I am more of a Military SF/Comic book geek. As a kid though, the works of H.P. Lovecraft, The Keep by F. Paul Wilson, and Dead in the West by Joe R. Lansdale were likely my favorites.
Name some of your favorite horror films.
ESB: Now that's an easy one. Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead (both versions) are way up there for me. I am also a fan of films like Dog Soldiers, Phantasm, and C.H.U.D. I'd love to see a well done, over the top, modern remake of C.H.U.D. Someday.
Why do you think horror movies and books remain popular?
ESB: Folks like to be scared. That's the simple answer. One could also add that apocalytic fiction in terms of zombies and such is a great escape from the real apocalytic type news that's on TV every evening. Zombies are much more fun and more easier to deal with.
What are your latest projects?
ESB: Currently, I just finished a Yeti book (in conjunction with Great Lake Films) and am at work on a new zombie novella that I aim to be my best since The Weaponer was released. Great Old Ones' Publishing is also in the process of re-releasing my World War II zombie apocalypse/superhero novel- World War of the Dead.
What advice can you give to new writers seeking publication?
ESB: Write something everyday even if you end up throwing it away. Don't let friends, writers' groups, etc read it. Send it to folks who can actually publish it when you're done. And above all, if you really want to be a writer, don't give up. Writing is a long, hard road and determination is as important as talent and luck.
Please in your own words write a paragraph about yourself & your work.
ESB: I am a lifelong comic book geek. I can talk your ears off about The Flash, Wonder Woman, The Fantastic Four, The Micronauts, or just about any other comic book you're willing to listen to me rave about. I actually own an eighteen inch Gipsy Danger figure from Pacific Rim and love that movie. I love Star Trek and science. My library is full of Military SF and horror books. As to my work, I put fun first and foremost in everything I do. If I don't have fun writing it, odds are you won't have fun reading it. I strive for high octane action mixed with gore and “never see it coming” twists.
Bigfoot War: Movie Edition Paperback
http://www.amazon.com/Bigfoot-War-Eric-S-Brown/dp/1925047458
Other Books by Eric S. Brown
http://www.amazon.com/Eric-S.-Brown/e/B004G6XP7E/
Other Links
http://www.horror-movies.ca/2014/03/official-teaser-trailer-poster-bigfoot-wars/
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Xzmhrtj3oEMlTJkV7872YjUVK_YOdfvYGg2-GTe1qkChtuTBdmKjjvJ7hviM6KQho-9hKzT7vz9CoNVjmISkVWOfdqqdteT4LUSm47VGUCrLojhbh8Hllvi3gbXzk1DH__AJAAUj7MQ/s1600/1.jpg)
Interview with Eric S. Brown By David Kempf
Tell us why you became so interested in the Bigfoot legend?
ESB: I had written zombie fiction for years and had a lot of success with books like Season of Rot (Permuted Press) and War of the Worlds Plus Blood Guts and Zombies (Simon and Schuster). Truth be told, I had become burnt out on zombies back then and wanted to do a new kind of apocalypse book. Having grown up in rural North Carolina, Bigfoot had terrified me as a child and as a horror fan, I had always wanted to see a Bigfoot book/film that featured more than just one or two monsters. I was under contract to do three zombie books for a publisher at that point so I pitched them the concept of the “Sasquatch Apocalypse” instead. Surprisingly, they decided to take a chance on it. The original Bigfoot War book was so insanely successful for a small press book that it not only became a series with nine books to date but it also recently became a feature film from Origin Releasing (staring C. Thomas Howell and Judd Nelson) that is set for a 2014 release.
How did you become interested horror?
ESB: I pretty much came out of the womb a comic book geek. As I, literally, went to the comic shop every day of the week (except Sunday because they were closed), I discovered Fangoria and was reading it too by the time I started school. That really freaked my teachers out as you can imagine. I started watching horror films not long thereafter. Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead, from the very first time I saw them, cemented my lifelong relationship with the horror genre. I fell in love with the apocalypse and have been in love with it ever since.
How many Bigfoot books have you written and which one are you most proud of?
ESB: A lot. I am most proud of the original Bigfoot War book because it was a rather unique concept at the time it came out. That said, Planet Sasquatch: Retaliation, one of the later Bigfoot War books in the series, was the most fun to write. It blends my love of Military SF with Bigfoot horror as an entire battlegroup of Colonial Marines find themselves engaged against a planet full killer Sasquatch.
How does writing about Bigfoot compare to creating zombie and werewolf characters in your other books?
ESB: My werewolves are actually heroes. My “A Pack of Wolves” trilogy features them as Old West gunfighters and mercs who just happen to be werewolves as well. Those books are like a little bit of the X-men, The Young Guns, and Dog Soldiers all tossed together to make for a very different horror read. My zombies are all over the place from traditional ones like those in War of the World Plus Blood Guts and Zombies to the fast movers of my end of the world collection Snarlers to the intelligent, cunning flesh eaters featured in Season of Rot and its sequel books Ragnarok Island and Undead Down Under. Bigfoot, for me, is always the same. He/They are massive, powerful, truly scary monsters that you never, ever want to come up against.
Tell us about how the film adaptation of your Bigfoot books is coming along.
ESB: The Bigfoot War film was shot in the fall of 2013. C. Thomas Howell, Judd Nelson, Holt Boggs, and too many others to name breathed life into my book. It's in post-production now according to Origin Releasing and should be out sometime in 2014. Needless to say, I am greatly looking forward to it.
Tell us about your earliest inspirations.
ESB: Really the main inspiration for my whole career as a writer comes from my favorite author David Drake. I learned to write from reading his Hammer's Slammers series. Even today, every time I got back and read his early horror from before he was the king of Military SF, I learn something. I have a massive collection of his work including numerous personally signed to me books. This year I even tracked down a copy of Dave's first ever published story in a hardcover anthology and got him to sign it for me. There are really no words to express how awesome it is to grow up to have your childhood hero not only talk with you as a peer but also blurbed your first ever Military SF novel's cover. That novel is called Homeworld for those interested and my agent is shopping around its sequel (The Hand of God) as I type this.
Do you see a conflict between writing horror fiction and your own religious beliefs?
ESB: It's true, I am a Christian. For me, there is not really a conflict however. My work doesn't have curse words flying all over the place, the Lord's name in vain, or over the top sex scenes anymore but it's still packed with gore, action, and fun. I put fun above all else. If you're looking to escape into some intense survival horror and lose yourself in the apocalypse for a while then odds are you will enjoy my work.
What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment as a writer so far?
ESB: That's a tough one. Having Simon and Schuster come to me and asked for the reprints to War of the Worlds Plus Blood Guts and Zombies was huge. I actually had to get an agent to handle the deal as I didn't have one at that time. But then selling the film rights to Bigfoot War was huge too. Personally though, my childhood hero David Drake signing off on Homeworld as a good book with a blurb of praise for its cover might be the greatest thing to happen to me yet as a writer.
Name some of your favorite horror books.
ESB: I don't actually read a lot of horror these days. I am more of a Military SF/Comic book geek. As a kid though, the works of H.P. Lovecraft, The Keep by F. Paul Wilson, and Dead in the West by Joe R. Lansdale were likely my favorites.
Name some of your favorite horror films.
ESB: Now that's an easy one. Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead (both versions) are way up there for me. I am also a fan of films like Dog Soldiers, Phantasm, and C.H.U.D. I'd love to see a well done, over the top, modern remake of C.H.U.D. Someday.
Why do you think horror movies and books remain popular?
ESB: Folks like to be scared. That's the simple answer. One could also add that apocalytic fiction in terms of zombies and such is a great escape from the real apocalytic type news that's on TV every evening. Zombies are much more fun and more easier to deal with.
What are your latest projects?
ESB: Currently, I just finished a Yeti book (in conjunction with Great Lake Films) and am at work on a new zombie novella that I aim to be my best since The Weaponer was released. Great Old Ones' Publishing is also in the process of re-releasing my World War II zombie apocalypse/superhero novel- World War of the Dead.
What advice can you give to new writers seeking publication?
ESB: Write something everyday even if you end up throwing it away. Don't let friends, writers' groups, etc read it. Send it to folks who can actually publish it when you're done. And above all, if you really want to be a writer, don't give up. Writing is a long, hard road and determination is as important as talent and luck.
Please in your own words write a paragraph about yourself & your work.
ESB: I am a lifelong comic book geek. I can talk your ears off about The Flash, Wonder Woman, The Fantastic Four, The Micronauts, or just about any other comic book you're willing to listen to me rave about. I actually own an eighteen inch Gipsy Danger figure from Pacific Rim and love that movie. I love Star Trek and science. My library is full of Military SF and horror books. As to my work, I put fun first and foremost in everything I do. If I don't have fun writing it, odds are you won't have fun reading it. I strive for high octane action mixed with gore and “never see it coming” twists.
Bigfoot War: Movie Edition Paperback
http://www.amazon.com/Bigfoot-War-Eric-S-Brown/dp/1925047458
Other Books by Eric S. Brown
http://www.amazon.com/Eric-S.-Brown/e/B004G6XP7E/
Other Links
http://www.horror-movies.ca/2014/03/official-teaser-trailer-poster-bigfoot-wars/
Labels:
Eric S. Brown
Wednesday 9 April 2014
Full Movie (USA Only) - The Phantom Speaks (1945) - From The Paramount Vault
The killer is dead, but definitely not gone…
The spirit of an executed murderer enters the body of a physician, and forces him to do its bidding--namely, murder.
Labels:
The Phantom Speaks
Tuesday 25 March 2014
TV News: Pan’s Labyrinth receives Horror Channel premiere
Sat 19 April @ 21:00 – PAN’S LABYRINTH (2006) *Network Premiere
Set in 1944, at the end of the Spanish Civil War, Carmen (Ariadna Gil) moves with her young daughter Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) into the country after remarrying brutal Captain Vidal (Sergi Lopez). Finding her harsh new life hard to bear, Ofelia seeks refuge in a mysterious maze next to the house. There a magical faun (Hellboy’s Doug Jones) reveals she is the long lost princess of an enchanted kingdom and to discover the truth about herself she must accomplish three perilous tasks nothing has prepared her to face. These mirror her soul-destroying existence helping her cope with the perversions of innocence Fascism represents in this ravishingly presented pitch-black fable for adults.
TV: Sky 319 / Virgin 149 / Freesat 138
Labels:
Pan’s Labyrinth
Thursday 20 March 2014
TV News: Tom Baker welcomes Doctor Who on Horror Channel - #WHOonHorror
Tom Baker says he’s thrilled that the classic Doctor Who series is to be screened on the Horror Channel.
“Horror is my very favourite genre,” he said today, “so I am thrilled the classic Doctor Who series have been picked up by the Horror Channel.
There was clearly a darker edge to my storylines, which I think brought a new dimension to the series. I remember hearing of the series scaring children – I wonder how the audience will react to the series today, all grown up.
He added: “The Horror of Fang Rock’ is one of my favourite stories so I’m looking forward to that one!"
Horror Channel has completed a deal with BBC Worldwide to broadcast 30 stories from the Classic series which ran 1963 to 1989 featuring the first seven Doctors, starting with William Hartnell and concluding with Sylvester McCoy.
Launching on Fri 18 April (Good Friday) the season begins with the very first story ‘An Unearthly Child’, and then leads into a special WHO ON HORROR weekend - a classic marathon featuring one story from each of the Doctors across the Easter weekend. There will then be weekday double-bills in daytime and evening slots with stories shown in chronological order starting on Easter Mon 21 April.
www.horrorchannel.co.uk | twitter.com/horror_channel | #WHOonHorror
“Horror is my very favourite genre,” he said today, “so I am thrilled the classic Doctor Who series have been picked up by the Horror Channel.
There was clearly a darker edge to my storylines, which I think brought a new dimension to the series. I remember hearing of the series scaring children – I wonder how the audience will react to the series today, all grown up.
He added: “The Horror of Fang Rock’ is one of my favourite stories so I’m looking forward to that one!"
Horror Channel has completed a deal with BBC Worldwide to broadcast 30 stories from the Classic series which ran 1963 to 1989 featuring the first seven Doctors, starting with William Hartnell and concluding with Sylvester McCoy.
Launching on Fri 18 April (Good Friday) the season begins with the very first story ‘An Unearthly Child’, and then leads into a special WHO ON HORROR weekend - a classic marathon featuring one story from each of the Doctors across the Easter weekend. There will then be weekday double-bills in daytime and evening slots with stories shown in chronological order starting on Easter Mon 21 April.
www.horrorchannel.co.uk | twitter.com/horror_channel | #WHOonHorror
Labels:
Doctor Who
Monday 3 March 2014
Interview with Leslie S. Klinger by David Kempf
Bio: Leslie S. Klinger is considered to be one of the world’s foremost authorities on those twin icons of the Victorian era, Sherlock Holmes and Dracula. He is the editor of the three-volume collection of the short stories and novels, The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes, published by W. W. Norton in 2004 and 2005, winner of the Edgar Award for Best Critical/Biographical Work and nominated for every other major award in the mystery genre. He is also the editor of The New Annotated Dracula (W.W. Norton 2008), which possesses a similar in-depth examination of Bram Stoker’s haunting classic and its historical context. When I was a student at Millersville University, I won an award for my paper on Dracula at The Student Research Conference. Years later, I never dreamed there could be such a definitive addition of the text of what is arguably the world's greatest horror novel. Leslie Klinger has given this to the world. We thank him for that and Masters of Horror U.K. thanks him for the time he took for this interview.
Interview by David Kempf
Tell us why you became so interested in Sherlock Holmes and Dracula.
When I was in law school, I received a gift of “The Annotated Sherlock Holmes” by William S. Baring-Gould. I was hooked! I was fascinated by the footnotes—by the discovery that there was a community of scholars interested in the Victorian age and Holmes in particular. Earlier, in college, I had read “Dracula” and loved it, but it didn’t really connect until I read Leonard Wolf’s “Annotated Dracula” in the 1970’s. These two editors showed me how much depth there was to be plumbed in these classic works.
How did you become interested in the scholarly side of gothic horror literature?
I always fantasized that someday, I might be the one who would update Baring-Gould’s work. I began to play around with it in the mid-1990’s, and after a year or two, I was mesmerized by the wealth of material to be explored. The 19th century is now so remote from us that it requires explanation. Detective and horror fiction of that time accurately mirrors the age, and so it is worth studying in detail.
Are you satisfied with the amount of literary academic research you have done?
There’s never enough time to do as much research as one would like. “Research rapture” is a common ailment of scholars. At some point, you have to stop the research and begin the communicating. Satisfied? Never!
Have you ever written any original short stories or fiction novels of your own?
I have one short story (Sherlockian) published; I tried my hand at a novel (hard-core s-f meets Victorian flavor), but it needs a lot of editing to be marketable. Fiction is hard work!
Tell us about your earliest inspirations.
Baring-Gould and Wolf have already been mentioned. Another important influence is my “day job”—as a lawyer, I’m always marshalling the “evidence” to buttress my analysis of the “facts.” My best training for being a lawyer was my degree in English literature (which taught me to look for underlying themes and to write about them). My best training for being an annotator was my law degree, which taught me to observe very carefully and examine every aspect of the material.
What is it like to be a technical advisor on both Sherlock Holmes movies?
.As a technical advisor, you win some and lose some. Sometimes, the purity of the text needs to yield to what’s entertaining and, of course, to the producer’s vision of the film. I had plenty of victories, where I was able to convince the producers to hew closer to the original material, and the losses were all in the interest of enthralling the audience! One of my biggest thrills was to be allowed to write Holmes’s epitaph (for “Game of Shadows”): “He played the game for the game’s own sake.” It’s right there on the screen!
Were you disappointed in Holmes surviving what should have been a last fatal encounter with Processor Moriarty in the sequel?
It was no spoiler to discover that Holmes survived; anyone who had read “The Adventure of the Empty House” knew that. I thought that the film should have left Holmes’s survival ambiguous (though readers knew he was alive), rather than make it explicit, but this was an artistic judgment that was ultimately up to the producer and director. Holmes never died and so will never die!
Do you consider yourself a mentor to other artists or academics?
Tell us about your daily (or nightly) working routine.
I lecture frequently on Holmes and Dracula, to readers and writers alike. My mentoring efforts have been primarily to share my legal knowledge with other creators—to educate them about contracts and copyrights. My principal mantra as a teacher is “Find what you’re passionate about and write about it!”
What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment as a writer so far?
I was deeply honored to receive the Edgar® for my New Annotated Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Short Stories. I always explain, however, that I stood on the shoulders of Baring-Gould’s work. I had three great advantages over Baring-Gould: (1) The Internet and its amazing depth of Victorian works (in GoogleBooks and elsewhere); (2) the Ronald B. De Waal bibliography of all things Sherlock Holmes (over 25,000 entries), published after Baring-Gould’s death; and (c) I got to start with the work of Baring-Gould! I spent 37 years reading about Holmes, and it was an incredible opportunity to be allowed to distill that reading into 3,000 footnotes! I’m immensely proud of every one of my books. A great highlight of my writing career was the amazing opportunity to study the manuscript of Dracula, owned by Paul Allen and seen (by 2007) by only one other scholar, who wrote nothing about it.
Name some of your favorite horror books.
Obviously, Dracula, Frankenstein, the work of H. G. Wells, the work of E. A. Poe, and especially the work of Kafka and E.T.A. Hoffmann.
Name some of your favorite horror films.
Dracula: Dead and Loving It; Young Frankenstein. Seriously, the scariest movie I ever saw? John Frankenheimer’s Seconds, starring Rock Hudson.
Why do you think horror movies and books remain popular?
Reading and seeing horror stories gives us a chance to practice dealing with the horrors of daily life and exercise our control. With books and films, we can always shut the covers, close our eyes. We’d like to do that in real life too—that’s why films and books are so appealing!
Why do you think Shelley’s Frankenstein and Stoker’s Dracula have influenced society and writers so much?
The answer is obvious: Science fiction and horror fiction would not exist without those predecessors. They created the molds for virtually everything that followed. The mad scientist, science gone wrong, the invasion of the unknown, the plight of the innocent unaware of the strengths of their enemies—all of these are tropes from those brilliant books.
How did you feel when you won the Edgar Award?
I knew that the Sherlockian community would embrace the New Annotated Sherlock Holmes, but it was a shock and delight to learn that the mystery genre in general respected the material and my work. When I walked up on the stage to accept the award, all I could think was, “My god! That’s Lawrence Bloch handing me the award!” I was and still am deeply deeply honored to be part of the tradition of winners of the Edgars®.
What are your latest projects?
Neil Gaiman and I are finishing up Annotated Sandman (vols. 3 and 4 will be out soon); New Annotated H. P. Lovecraft will be out from Liveright in October 2014, and there’s proofing the galleys to be done. Laurie R. King and I are finishing up In the Company of Sherlock Holmes, another anthology of amazing stories by major writers not normally associated with Holmes. And I’ve just started working on my next book for Liveright, The New Annotated Frankenstein, to be published in Oct. 2017, just in time for the 200th anniversary of the book.
What advice can you give to new writers seeking publication?
Figure out what you’re passionate about and stick to it. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t write. All they can really tell you is that they don’t like your writing or they don’t want to publish it. If you’re doing your best—really, your best—then stick to it.
Please in your own words write a paragraph about yourself & your work.
I’m a lawyer by day who found that he was passionate about writing. The skills came from the day job, but the passion came from my outside interests. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have a totally supportive wife and family, and I’m lucky enough to have the economic freedom to write about what I care about, not what will sell well. Of course, publishers always want books that the public will buy, and that’s not so bad. I keep wondering whether I’ll live long enough to write all the books that I want to write—probably not, but I have no problem that when the Reaper comes a-calling, I’ll be saying, “Wait, I just need a little more time to finish my next few books!”
You can check out Leslie's website at
http://lesliesklinger.com
Interview by David Kempf
Tell us why you became so interested in Sherlock Holmes and Dracula.
When I was in law school, I received a gift of “The Annotated Sherlock Holmes” by William S. Baring-Gould. I was hooked! I was fascinated by the footnotes—by the discovery that there was a community of scholars interested in the Victorian age and Holmes in particular. Earlier, in college, I had read “Dracula” and loved it, but it didn’t really connect until I read Leonard Wolf’s “Annotated Dracula” in the 1970’s. These two editors showed me how much depth there was to be plumbed in these classic works.
How did you become interested in the scholarly side of gothic horror literature?
I always fantasized that someday, I might be the one who would update Baring-Gould’s work. I began to play around with it in the mid-1990’s, and after a year or two, I was mesmerized by the wealth of material to be explored. The 19th century is now so remote from us that it requires explanation. Detective and horror fiction of that time accurately mirrors the age, and so it is worth studying in detail.
Are you satisfied with the amount of literary academic research you have done?
There’s never enough time to do as much research as one would like. “Research rapture” is a common ailment of scholars. At some point, you have to stop the research and begin the communicating. Satisfied? Never!
Have you ever written any original short stories or fiction novels of your own?
I have one short story (Sherlockian) published; I tried my hand at a novel (hard-core s-f meets Victorian flavor), but it needs a lot of editing to be marketable. Fiction is hard work!
Tell us about your earliest inspirations.
Baring-Gould and Wolf have already been mentioned. Another important influence is my “day job”—as a lawyer, I’m always marshalling the “evidence” to buttress my analysis of the “facts.” My best training for being a lawyer was my degree in English literature (which taught me to look for underlying themes and to write about them). My best training for being an annotator was my law degree, which taught me to observe very carefully and examine every aspect of the material.
What is it like to be a technical advisor on both Sherlock Holmes movies?
.As a technical advisor, you win some and lose some. Sometimes, the purity of the text needs to yield to what’s entertaining and, of course, to the producer’s vision of the film. I had plenty of victories, where I was able to convince the producers to hew closer to the original material, and the losses were all in the interest of enthralling the audience! One of my biggest thrills was to be allowed to write Holmes’s epitaph (for “Game of Shadows”): “He played the game for the game’s own sake.” It’s right there on the screen!
Were you disappointed in Holmes surviving what should have been a last fatal encounter with Processor Moriarty in the sequel?
It was no spoiler to discover that Holmes survived; anyone who had read “The Adventure of the Empty House” knew that. I thought that the film should have left Holmes’s survival ambiguous (though readers knew he was alive), rather than make it explicit, but this was an artistic judgment that was ultimately up to the producer and director. Holmes never died and so will never die!
Do you consider yourself a mentor to other artists or academics?
Tell us about your daily (or nightly) working routine.
I lecture frequently on Holmes and Dracula, to readers and writers alike. My mentoring efforts have been primarily to share my legal knowledge with other creators—to educate them about contracts and copyrights. My principal mantra as a teacher is “Find what you’re passionate about and write about it!”
What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment as a writer so far?
I was deeply honored to receive the Edgar® for my New Annotated Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Short Stories. I always explain, however, that I stood on the shoulders of Baring-Gould’s work. I had three great advantages over Baring-Gould: (1) The Internet and its amazing depth of Victorian works (in GoogleBooks and elsewhere); (2) the Ronald B. De Waal bibliography of all things Sherlock Holmes (over 25,000 entries), published after Baring-Gould’s death; and (c) I got to start with the work of Baring-Gould! I spent 37 years reading about Holmes, and it was an incredible opportunity to be allowed to distill that reading into 3,000 footnotes! I’m immensely proud of every one of my books. A great highlight of my writing career was the amazing opportunity to study the manuscript of Dracula, owned by Paul Allen and seen (by 2007) by only one other scholar, who wrote nothing about it.
Name some of your favorite horror books.
Obviously, Dracula, Frankenstein, the work of H. G. Wells, the work of E. A. Poe, and especially the work of Kafka and E.T.A. Hoffmann.
Name some of your favorite horror films.
Dracula: Dead and Loving It; Young Frankenstein. Seriously, the scariest movie I ever saw? John Frankenheimer’s Seconds, starring Rock Hudson.
Why do you think horror movies and books remain popular?
Reading and seeing horror stories gives us a chance to practice dealing with the horrors of daily life and exercise our control. With books and films, we can always shut the covers, close our eyes. We’d like to do that in real life too—that’s why films and books are so appealing!
Why do you think Shelley’s Frankenstein and Stoker’s Dracula have influenced society and writers so much?
The answer is obvious: Science fiction and horror fiction would not exist without those predecessors. They created the molds for virtually everything that followed. The mad scientist, science gone wrong, the invasion of the unknown, the plight of the innocent unaware of the strengths of their enemies—all of these are tropes from those brilliant books.
How did you feel when you won the Edgar Award?
I knew that the Sherlockian community would embrace the New Annotated Sherlock Holmes, but it was a shock and delight to learn that the mystery genre in general respected the material and my work. When I walked up on the stage to accept the award, all I could think was, “My god! That’s Lawrence Bloch handing me the award!” I was and still am deeply deeply honored to be part of the tradition of winners of the Edgars®.
What are your latest projects?
Neil Gaiman and I are finishing up Annotated Sandman (vols. 3 and 4 will be out soon); New Annotated H. P. Lovecraft will be out from Liveright in October 2014, and there’s proofing the galleys to be done. Laurie R. King and I are finishing up In the Company of Sherlock Holmes, another anthology of amazing stories by major writers not normally associated with Holmes. And I’ve just started working on my next book for Liveright, The New Annotated Frankenstein, to be published in Oct. 2017, just in time for the 200th anniversary of the book.
What advice can you give to new writers seeking publication?
Figure out what you’re passionate about and stick to it. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t write. All they can really tell you is that they don’t like your writing or they don’t want to publish it. If you’re doing your best—really, your best—then stick to it.
Please in your own words write a paragraph about yourself & your work.
I’m a lawyer by day who found that he was passionate about writing. The skills came from the day job, but the passion came from my outside interests. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have a totally supportive wife and family, and I’m lucky enough to have the economic freedom to write about what I care about, not what will sell well. Of course, publishers always want books that the public will buy, and that’s not so bad. I keep wondering whether I’ll live long enough to write all the books that I want to write—probably not, but I have no problem that when the Reaper comes a-calling, I’ll be saying, “Wait, I just need a little more time to finish my next few books!”
You can check out Leslie's website at
http://lesliesklinger.com
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Leslie S Klinger
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