Newsom, Ted

100 Years of Horror

"What frightens me is not so much the obvious monster. What frightens me is the unknown, the fear that my mind is not in control, that there is something out there that nobody knows about." So says Roger Corman, king of the B picture, helping to set the tone for this richly detailed survey of the horror film. Introduced and hosted by veteran horror actor Christopher Lee, and written and directed by Ted Newsom (the director of Ed Wood--Look Back in Angora), this documentary is clearly a labor of love. There is on view a "blood feast" of film clips and sometimes priceless interviews with filmmakers. As our host, Christopher Lee offers up funny anecdotes about his days at Hammer Studios; you might be interested in knowing why being The Mummy was a literal pain. Exploitation film director Herschell G. Lewis is hilarious on why you shouldn't worry about opening gory films in Peoria, and how the censor board was stymied by the bloodiest of films. And John Carpenter tells how Suspiria director Dario Argento worked from his dreams like Luis Bunuel. Notably missing is any mention of Stephen King, Brian De Palma, or Sam Raimi. Raimi alone could have been the focus of a whole section devoted to the influence of H.P. Lovecraft on modern horror films. Also, the filmmakers seem less interested in the sections on science fiction for some reason, despite critics' estimates that half of all science fiction films fall clearly in the horror genre. Nevertheless, the interviews and film clips make this disc worth the price of admission. --Jim Gay

Horror is a genre that commands loyalty and devotion from its millions of fans across the globe and this documentary pays warm testimony to the films that go bump in the night. An eclectic array of stars are on hand to wax lyrical about their favorite horror moments including Robert De Niro and Charlton Heston while Christopher Lee hosts.System Requirements:Running Time: 676 MinutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. Rating: NR UPC: 025493528091 Manufacturer No: PIP-DV5280

100 Years of Horror

100 YEARS OF HORROR is the first show of its kind ever produced; chronicling the history of movie horror from the earliest experimental chillers through the unforgettable "golden age of movie monsters," and on through today's terrifying fright films.

Hosted by Christopher Lee, the screen's legendary King of Horror, the show features appearances by Robert De Niro, Jamie Lee Curtis, Hugh Hefner, Charlton Heston, Kenneth Branagh, Joe Dante, and many more. Also featured are fascinating interviews with Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr., Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, and Claude Rains. Included as a special bonus are never-before-seen interviews with the friends and families of the legendary names of horror such as Bela Lugosi, Jr.; Boris Karloff's daughter, Sarah Karloff; Claude Rains' daughter, Jessica Rains, and more.

"100 Years of Horor" also highlights rare and chilling scenes from current films such as Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, Halloween, Poltergeist, and The Haunting, to classics like Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, The Mummy, Phantom Of The Opera, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Creature From The Black Lagoon, and The Body Snatchers. Also included are rare photographs from private collections, home movies from the sets of horror classics, as well as outtakes, screen tests, previously "lost" films, and other exciting surprises. Each episode offers unique production sidelights and insights to make 100 YEARS OF HORROR the most interesting and informative horror chronology ever assembled.

This show was produced, written and directed by Ted Newsom, creator of Cinemax's ED WOOD: LOOK BACK IN ANGORA and the BBC's FLESH AND BLOOD-THE HAMMER HERITAGE OF HORROR.

"What frightens me is not so much the obvious monster. What frightens me is the unknown, the fear that my mind is not in control, that there is something out there that nobody knows about." So says Roger Corman, king of the B picture, helping to set the tone for this richly detailed survey of the horror film. Introduced and hosted by veteran horror actor Christopher Lee, and written and directed by Ted Newsom (the director of Ed Wood--Look Back in Angora), this documentary is clearly a labor of love. There is on view a "blood feast" of film clips and sometimes priceless interviews with filmmakers. As our host, Christopher Lee offers up funny anecdotes about his days at Hammer Studios; you might be interested in knowing why being The Mummy was a literal pain. Exploitation film director Herschell G. Lewis is hilarious on why you shouldn't worry about opening gory films in Peoria, and how the censor board was stymied by the bloodiest of films. And John Carpenter tells how Suspiria director Dario Argento worked from his dreams like Luis Bunuel. Notably missing is any mention of Stephen King, Brian De Palma, or Sam Raimi. Raimi alone could have been the focus of a whole section devoted to the influence of H.P. Lovecraft on modern horror films. Also, the filmmakers seem less interested in the sections on science fiction for some reason, despite critics' estimates that half of all science fiction films fall clearly in the horror genre. Nevertheless, the interviews and film clips make this disc worth the price of admission. --Jim Gay

Evil Spawn

Bobbie Bresee stars as fading movie queen Lynn Roman in this low budget sci-fi/horror film from director Kenneth J. Hall (PUPPETMASTER). Finding herself turned down again and again for roles she could have easily landed just a few years earlier, Lynn is

We Remember Marilyn

"A sex symbol becomes a thing," says Marilyn Monroe, her voice being approximated by Trudi Jo Marie Keck, who also doubles as the editor of We Remember Marilyn, a historical appreciation of the life of the much-vaunted sex goddess. "I always thought symbols were things you clashed together," she continues to muse. "But if I'm going to be a symbol of anything, I'd rather it be sex than some other things there are symbols for. I know how they'll remember me: 'Here lies Marilyn Monroe, 34-24-36.' But, anyway, they'll remember me." And remember her they do, in this concoction written and directed by Ted Newsom (Ed Wood--Look Back in Angora). Newsom doesn't bother to cite the source for the above words ascribed to Ms. Monroe so it's hard to say where they came from, but they pointedly set the tone for any discussion of sex-symbol iconography. The quote is by turns sad and funny--funny because of the lack of self-awareness evinced in the words. And how better to sum up a career that moved between celebrity and the highest seats of power on a vehicle of sex, and ended early and abruptly. Film clips, photos (where Marilyn the icon truly shone), and a rich array of stock footage form the backdrop for the proceedings. At one point, the voice of director John Huston enriches the soundtrack. --Jim Gay

Now for the first time ever, a pure entertainment show of MARILYN MONROE. You'll see film clips of Marilyn in over twenty-five of her most important films. Watch Norma Jean transform from a cuddly young teenager to the most recognizable face and body in the world. From bit parts in LOVE HAPPY and ALL ABOUT EVE to spectacular starring roles such as: THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS, SOME LIKE IT HOT, THE MISFITS, GENTLEMAN PREFER BLONDES, BUS STOP, HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE, RIVER OF NO RETURN, SEVEN YEAR ITCH, LADIES OF THE CHORUS, NIAGARA, etc. plus - many rare photos and a new "MARILYN" song written especially for this show.

And, as a bonus, you'll see Marilyn's original screen test for ASPHALT JUNGLE, plus numerous T.V. appearances and very rare color homemovies. WE REMEMBER MARILYN is truly a visual feast.

Elvis: The Complete Story

Through photos, stock footage, and film trailer clips, Elvis: The Complete Story offers a chronological survey of the life and movie career of "The King." This is a pretty well-traveled road--so well-traveled that this disc would be more aptly titled Elvis for Beginners. There are all the usual landmarks, especially his relationship with his mother, the oppressive influence of his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, the drug use, the Memphis Mafia. One major highlight is Elvis's appearance on The Frank Sinatra Show, in which the two perform a duet. The disc gets additional credibility from interviews with some of Elvis's costars, including Mary Ann Mobley, Francine York, Sue Ann Langdon, Gary Lockwood, and Julie Parrish. About half of the narration is presented in "the words of Elvis Presley," though the source of these words is never identified. Still, the actor impersonating the voice of Elvis does a good job with what could have easily turned into silliness. After all, the film would not be "complete" without at least one Elvis impersonator (and this one has two). If this whets your appetite for more Elvis, you'll want to turn to the real thing--Elvis: That's the Way It Is. --Jim Gay

Evil Spawn

A Century of Science Fiction

Aimed more at newcomers to science fiction than aficionados, A Century of Science Fiction nevertheless provides a thrilling survey of filmed SF, from the early silent days to the modern age of computer-generated spectacle. As the program's host, veteran horror actor Christopher Lee has been inserted optically into the screen à la Max Headroom, leading us through a variety of science fiction themes, usefully grouped into such categories as "Aliens" and "Robots & Computers." Along the way there are engaging interviews with the likes of Vincent Price on The Fly and Ray Bradbury on Fahrenheit 451. The film's real strength is the wealth of clips from little-seen features, such as Larry Cohen's God Told Me To, the silent 1916 version of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and Brian Donlevy in The Creeping Unknown. All of this goes a long way toward making up for the narration, which sometimes gets its facts wrong. For example, Alien does not owe its story to The Thing, as they would have us believe, but to It! The Terror from Beyond Space and its antecedent, A.E. Van Vogt's classic story, "The Black Destroyer." Likewise, Total Recall was adapted not from a Philip K. Dick novel, but from his acclaimed short story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale." Also, Christopher Lee's recitation is pitted with long Shatnerian pauses, making the words "Independence" and "Day" sound like they belong to entirely different sentences. More often than not, we're in Mystery Science Theater 3000 territory here. In other words, devotees of that show might find this disc to be a useful training ground, or home game, for honing their heckling skills. --Jim Gay

Hosted by internationally acclaimed star, Christopher Lee, A CENTURY OF SCI-FI features the best of science fiction and fantasy from a century of Cinema.

This program traces the roots of science fiction movies from the marvelous trick films like "A TRIP TO THE MOON" to mega-hits such as "INDEPENDANCE DAY," "THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL," "THE TERMINATOR," "THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU," and many more.

A CENTURY OF SCI-FI is a two-hour, star-studded special, which introduces the twenty-six half hour series, featuring spectacular film clips, fabulous behind-the-scences footage, and interviews with sci-fi and movie greats like ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, KEVIN COSTNER, WILLIAM SHATNER, LEONARD NIMOY, JEAN-CLAUDE VAN DAMME, VINCENT PRICE, VAL KILMER, EDDIE MURPHY, RAY BRADBURY, RAQUEL WELCH, WILL SMITH, BURT LANCASTER, SHARON STONE, CHARLIE SHEEN, SYLVESTOR STALLONE, SIGOURNEY WEAVER, CHARLTON HESTON, and many more.

Join us on an inter-galatic journey through SCI-FI Cinema at its greatest!

We Remember Marilyn

"A sex symbol becomes a thing," says Marilyn Monroe, her voice being approximated by Trudi Jo Marie Keck, who also doubles as the editor of We Remember Marilyn, a historical appreciation of the life of the much-vaunted sex goddess. "I always thought symbols were things you clashed together," she continues to muse. "But if I'm going to be a symbol of anything, I'd rather it be sex than some other things there are symbols for. I know how they'll remember me: 'Here lies Marilyn Monroe, 34-24-36.' But, anyway, they'll remember me." And remember her they do, in this concoction written and directed by Ted Newsom (Ed Wood--Look Back in Angora). Newsom doesn't bother to cite the source for the above words ascribed to Ms. Monroe so it's hard to say where they came from, but they pointedly set the tone for any discussion of sex-symbol iconography. The quote is by turns sad and funny--funny because of the lack of self-awareness evinced in the words. And how better to sum up a career that moved between celebrity and the highest seats of power on a vehicle of sex, and ended early and abruptly. Film clips, photos (where Marilyn the icon truly shone), and a rich array of stock footage form the backdrop for the proceedings. At one point, the voice of director John Huston enriches the soundtrack. --Jim Gay

Elvis: The Complete Story

Through photos, stock footage, and film trailer clips, Elvis: The Complete Story offers a chronological survey of the life and movie career of "The King." This is a pretty well-traveled road--so well-traveled that this video would be more aptly titled Elvis for Beginners. There are all the usual landmarks, especially his relationship with his mother, the oppressive influence of his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, the drug use, the Memphis Mafia. One major highlight is Elvis's appearance on The Frank Sinatra Show, in which the two perform a duet. The video gets additional credibility from interviews with some of Elvis's costars, including Mary Ann Mobley, Francine York, Sue Ann Langdon, Gary Lockwood, and Julie Parrish. About half of the narration is presented in "the words of Elvis Presley," though the source of these words is never identified. Still, the actor impersonating the voice of Elvis does a good job with what could have easily turned into silliness. After all, the film would not be "complete" without at least one Elvis impersonator (and this one has two). If this whets your appetite for more Elvis, you'll want to turn to the real thing--Elvis: That's the Way It Is. --Jim Gay