News
[R.I.P.] Al Matthews, Sgt. Apone from ‘Aliens,’ Has Died at 75
Sad news today, as we’ve learned that Aliens star Al Matthews has passed away at the age of 75. Matthews, who memorably played the cigar-smoking Sgt. Apone in James Cameron’s 1986 sequel, was found dead in his home in Spain over the weekend.
Al Matthews, born in November 1942, was actually a military sergeant in real life; according to his IMDb bio, “while on combat duty during the Vietnam War, Matthews became the first black Marine to be meritoriously promoted to the rank of Sergeant.” In his six years in the Marine Corps, Matthews was awarded two purple hearts and 13 combat awards.
In addition to Aliens, Matthews played similar true-to-life roles in other notable films, including Superman III, The Fifth Element, and Tomorrow Never Dies.
News
One of Clive Barker’s Final Convention Appearances Will Be at New Jersey’s Monster Mania in August
We told you earlier this month that horror legend Clive Barker is leaving the convention scene behind to focus entirely on his writing, with various upcoming projects in the works.
A series of final appearances from Barker will begin at Days of the Dead Chicago this month, and we’ve learned Barker will also be coming to Monster Mania in New Jersey.
Clive Barker will be signing at Monster Mania 59 in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, which runs from August 2 – August 4, 2024. Stay tuned for more info from the convention.
Barker’s official statement earlier this month explained, “… it’s time to focus entirely on writing. I’m not stopping public events because I’ve lost delight in meeting you all over the years. I’m as passionate as ever about sharing my imagination with readers and moviegoers around the world. In the very room where I’m writing these words, I have the manuscripts for a very large number of projects (Thirty-one of them), some very close to completion, others still telling themselves. There are some wild projects in this collection of works, whether close to finished or done. There are also stories that you all knew I would be finishing.”
“Abarat IV and V are amongst the books at my feet,” he continued. “So is the Third and final book of The Art and the sequel to The Thief of Always. There are also return visits to characters and mythologies you may have thought I would never return to.
“I hope I am still able to surprise you in the decades ahead.”