There are certain subgenres that are products of their time and are no longer seen because they’re now considered to be antiquated or impractical. Horror films that rely on animals — real animals — are increasingly problematic. This is even a greater liability when the creature in question is something that’s as temperamental as a monkey.

Johannes Roberts (47 Meters Down, The Strangers: Prey at Night, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City) ambitiously revives the killer chimp subgenre with his latest film, Primate. Primate chronicles the domestic horrors that break out when a privileged family’s pet monkey, Ben, shifts from pet to predator. Primate acts as a stark reminder that animals like chimpanzees, while often cute, are wild animals that are not meant to be pets. 

Roberts’ film scratches the surface of something that’s been uniquely unpacked across different horror movies that hold up a mirror to mankind’s relationship with nature. While films like King Kong and Planet of the Apes all meet these qualifications, the following movies focus on smaller simian scares.

Link

Richard Franklin’s Link is a gonzo masterpiece that’s the type of movie that just feels impossible to make, even in a post-Primate world. There are so many moments in Link, a movie that basically brings the whole “See No Evil, Speak No Evil, Hear No Evil” parable to life through mad science, that genuinely feel impossible. So much of the film’s novelty involves watching this trio of well-trained apes carry out tasks while tension builds. 

Each chimp, Voodoo, Imp, and Link, develops a distinct personality as the titular Link stands out as the black sheep. These apes are often at odds with each other, but it’s also genuinely terrifying when they team up, work together, and overpower individuals. This highlights how any alleged “superiority” that humans feel over monkeys becomes irrelevant when they’re cornered by three rabid creatures who each possess eight times the strength of an average man.

Link is an effective horror villain who does a lot of the heavy lifting here. However, none of these simian shenanigans ever feel too silly because of the beautiful cinematography and art design. Additionally, Jerry Goldsmith’s carnival-esque score is perfectly eerie and reflects how both ape and man are constantly performing on a stage and forced to jump through some degree of hoops. Link’s music is such a strong recurring motif.

Link becomes an impressive tonal tightrope walk that shifts between Dunston Checks In level hijinks, where monkeys are putting phones in the microwave, and Primal Force-style carnage, where apes are tearing humans to shreds. Link is a stunning examination of humanity and culpability that doesn’t just repeatedly equate humans and apes, but has people dependent upon them for survival. One of the most extreme examples of this involves an ape punching out a rottweiler that’s attacking one of the lead characters.

In another scene, a different monkey lifts a car off the ground like a superhero so that his aggressor is trapped. Another memorable and unnerving sequence involves voyeuristic behavior from one of the more aggressive chimps, Link. Link watches Jane (Elisabeth Shue) attempt to take a bath, only to feel too uncomfortable to carry out the action while this simian invades her privacy. It’s a scene that’s absurd on several levels, albeit a moment that reflects the inherent power in these carnal creatures and that they do call the shots. A woman is absolutely the weaker prey in such a situation, even if the monkey doesn’t understand what they’re doing.

Link is definitely the must-watch film on this list and a great entry point into Franklin’s filmography. Link also continues the trend of killer monkey movies that posit the idea that humans are superior to apes and that it’s a fundamental mistake to treat them like equals. It’s a curious perspective that’s echoed in Primate. It also makes Link’s final line, “He’s a baby. He wouldn’t hurt anyone,” especially evocative and telling.

Shakma

There’s a lot of common ground that’s shared between various killer monkey movies. Shakma, however, strives for something different and is endlessly authentic, even if its random nature makes the film feel like it’s been constructed by an A.I. algorithm. The basic setup involves a baboon that’s been injected with an experimental drug that’s designed to inhibit the creature’s rage, only for it to have the opposite effect.

This berserker baboon (the same baboon “actor” from The Fly, at that) that’s born out of a science experiment gone wrong is par for the course in this type of horror movie. Where Shakma establishes its personality is with its “Dungeons & Dragons from Hell” angle. A bunch of university research students decide to host an elaborate LARPing session in the very same research facility where Shakma has been let loose.

Shakma mixes the group’s high fantasy setup with the clinical, grotesque violence that’s wrought from the titular baboon. The film oscillates between the energy of an Amblin movie and a David Cronenberg film. Shakma is the perfectly deranged movie to watch between the Stranger Things finale and Primate.

Primal Rage

1988’s Primal Rage, not to be confused with 2018’s direct-to-TV Bigfoot movie of the same name, is a horror/sci-fi spectacle from Italian director Vittorio Rambaldi (son of the special effects legend, Carlo Rambaldi). Primal Rage is the best worst movie you’ve never heard of, and it deserves to be mandatory viewing, not just after a screening of Primate, but every Halloween season.

Primal Rage doesn’t attempt to reinvent the wheel. A break-in at a research lab leads to a rabid baboon bite that prompts a full-on outbreak that spreads at the local Florida college’s Halloween party. Primal Rage’s secret weapon is that it never takes itself too seriously, which perhaps makes it easier to believe that the film’s script was originally about people turning into tigers.

This overlooked cult classic gives the audience exactly what they want, with its over-the-top physical effects and gore, ridiculous lo-fi costumes that go so much harder than what’s necessary, and a soundtrack that bleeds the ’80s. It’s hard to watch Primal Rage with a bunch of friends and not have a great, dumb time. The scares may not be as palpable as they are in Primate, but the deaths still deliver.

There are plenty of moments in Primal Rage where it feels more like Meatballs or some bawdy sex comedy. There’s still a darkness that repeatedly reveals itself. The film’s monkey mayhem is contained to the movie’s introduction, but the “rage virus“ that infects and carries across the campus still taps into an animalistic quality for the rest of the picture. It’s perhaps the ultimate example of blurring the lines between man and monkey as the former literally starts to become the latter.

Phenomena

Phenomena, also known as Creepers in some markets, is one of Dario Argento’s most interesting ’80s offerings. Argento takes his typical giallo influences and combines them with the burgeoning psychic sci-fi horror trend that was taking over the decade in films like Carrie and Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood. In Phenomena, a young socialite at an all-girls boarding school, Jennifer Corvino (played by Jennifer Connelly in one of her very first roles), uses her psychic powers to stop a serial killer. 

Jennifer’s powers allow her to communicate with insects, which is decidedly different from the telekinetic fare that filled up the ’80s. This also leads to an absolutely disgusting scene in which Connelly’s Corvino is submerged in maggots. One wonders how a chimpanzee who is handy with a blade works into Phenomena, but that’s what makes its use of a monkey all the more impressive. 

Inga the chimp is a savior, not a sinner, as Argento wryly subverts several genre norms. It’s hard to imagine that Phenomena’s Inga wasn’t on Jordan Peele’s mind when constructing Nope’s Gordy sequence. Phenomena is the best psychic serial killer giallo monkey movie you’ll ever see.

Monkey Shines

George A. Romero’s Monkey Shines is by no means a good movie, but it’s absolutely a great movie. So much of this film is built upon the popsicle stick foundation of broad sci-fi lunacy rather than any hard science. At the same time, Monkey Shines embraces this madness, and its chaotic storytelling is in many ways a testament to Romero’s hubris in the late ’80s. Monkey Shines was notably Romero’s first studio film, and, much like John Carpenter, it’s easy to see how this skin doesn’t feel natural on the filmmaker.

Monkey Shines is notable for arguably popularizing the absurd “helper monkey” trope that persisted through the ’90s. The movie examines an athlete, Allan Mann (Jason Beghe), who suffers a terrible accident and becomes paralyzed as a quadriplegic. A capuchin helper monkey is suggested to lighten Allan’s load, but because this is a Romero Film, of course, the monkey has been subjected to extreme experiments and brain injections.

Audiences need to suspend a lot of disbelief for Monkey Shines to work, but the idea of Allan sharing a telepathic link with his monkey, Ella, is at least something original. Allan is confined to a chair, but Ella becomes a living embodiment of his rage and id, who can actually get revenge on those who have wronged him. 

Monkey Shines is a wild ride, but absolutely worth it. It’s another movie that attempts to equate man and monkey before tearing them apart, only the schism present is forced upon Ella by man and not some natural disaster like rabies, as it is in Primate. Monkey Shines doesn’t disappoint with its chimp hijinks, but Beghe progressively chewing the scenery as he loses it is more entertaining than any monkey.

Other Dumb Monkey Fun: The Lawnmower man (Director’s Cut), Primal Force (1999), Congo.

Primate is in theaters now.

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Monkey Shines will be released on 4K Ulltra HD + Blu-ray on June 3.

The 1988 sci-fi horror film has been newly restored in 4K from the original negative with Dolby Vision.

Romero wrote the scripted, based on Michael Stewart‘s 1983 novel of the same name. Jason Beghe, Kate McNeil, John Pankow, Joyce Van Patten, Christine Forrest, Stephen Root, Stanley Tucci, and Janine Turner star.

Disc 1 – 4K UHD: 

• 4K Restoration From The Original Negative (new)
• Presented In Dolby Vision (HDR-10 Compatible)
• Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 & 2.0 Stereo
• Audio Commentary With Film Critic Eric Vespe And Author Daniel Kraus (new)
• Audio Commentary With Director And Writer George A. Romero

Disc 2 – Blu-ray:

• 4K Restoration From The Original Negative (new)
• Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 & 2.0 Stereo
• Audio Commentary With Film Critic Eric Vespe And Author Daniel Kraus (new)
• Audio Commentary With Director And Writer George A. Romero
• “An Experiment in Fear: The Making of Monkey Shines”
• Alternate Ending
• Deleted Scenes
• Behind the Scenes Footage
• “The Making of Monkey Shines”
• Vintage Interviews
• TV Spot
• Theatrical Trailers
• Still Gallery

Allan Mann (Jason Beghe) is a bitter and vengeful man ever since an accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. He’s fed up with himself and everyone around him until he’s given Ella, a monkey trained to meet his every need. But when Ella begins anticipating Allan’s thoughts, strange and deadly things start happening. As she stalks and wreaks havoc on Allan’s fair-weather girlfriend, incompetent doctor and meddling mother, Allan realizes he must stop the cunning maniacal creature before she fully takes over his mind!

Lord of Illusions will be released on 4K Ulltra HD on June 10.

The 121-minute director’s cut of the 1995 horror noir has been newly scanned in 4K from the original camera negative with Dolby Vision.

Based on Barker’s own 1985 short story “The Last Illusion,” it stars Scott Bakula, Kevin J. O’Connor, Famke Janssen, and Daniel von Bargen.

Special Features:

• 4K Scan From The Original Camera Negative Of Clive Barker’s Director’s Cut (new)
• Presented In Dolby Vision (HDR-10 Compatible)
• Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround & 2.0 Stereo
• Audio Commentary With Director Clive Barker
• “Flesh Is A Trap: Scoring Lord Of Illusions” – An Interview With Composer Simon Boswell (new)
• “Drawing Boards” – An Interview With Storyboard Artist Martin Mercer
• “A Gathering Of Magic” Vintage Featurette
• Original Behind-The-Scenes Footage
• Deleted Scenes
• Photo Gallery
• A Note From Clive Barker
• Theatrical Trailer

Harry D’Amour (Scott Bakula) is a private detective on a seemingly routine investigation in Los Angeles. But Harry gets more than he bargained for when he encounters an enigmatic performer (Kevin J. O’Connor) whose amazing illusions captivate the world … but are they really just illusions? Harry isn’t so sure as he is thrust into a nightmare of murder and deception from the dark beyond.

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I also immediately assumed Monkey Shines was based on a King story—a natural assumption. What hasn’t King written at this point, after all? In reality, of course, Perkins/King’s The Monkey has absolutely nothing to do with Romero’s Monkey Shines. But while the two properties aren’t officially connected apart from their similar imagery – oddly enough, Perkins had to redesign the toy monkey from King’s story due to a Disney copyright! – they do have a few things in common. Both Monkey Shines and The Monkey feature bat-shit crazy stories full of dark humor, both helmed by fearless directors. So, if The Monkey’s release in theaters this week gives you a reason to revisit Monkey Shines? It’s (Os)good a reason as any!

George A. Romero’s Monkey Shines began as a novel written not by King, but by novelist Michael Stewart. The rights eventually landed in the hands of Orion Pictures, who wisely hired Romero to direct, specifically because of the Dawn of the Dead director’s ability to seamlessly inject dark humor into tragic horror stories.

This is immediately apparent in Monkey Shines as we meet our hero, Allan (Jason Beghe), and experience the harsh dismantling of his life. He’s a handsome, happy guy with a beautiful woman in his bed, out for a run with a backpack full of bricks. The world seems beautiful—where the sun is shining and passerby cyclists toss out high-fives instead of blocking traffic when you’re late for work. That is, until the moment a dog jumps out and scares Allan face-first into a moving truck.

Allan then wakes up to the harsh reality that he is paralyzed from the neck down. His girlfriend leaves him for the “genius” doctor who’d supposedly fixed him (Stanley Tucci). His nurse often quotes the Bible but is only a set of wings away from being a spawn of Satan herself. His mother is an overbearing guilt machine with a smile, and his best friend, Geoffrey (John Pankow), is like a depressing ’90s “HBO Special” version of Re-Animator’s Herbert West. It’s a positive for the audience, because Geoffrey feels like he came directly from a Frank Henenlotter set. But it’s terrible for Allan, who even attempts to suffocate himself to death in some dry-leaning plastic.

And we haven’t even gotten to the monkey yet!

Allan’s maladjusted scientist friend decides that to truly reap the benefits of his “smart” injections, his prize test monkey, Ella, needs to get out of the lab. So, he employs Melanie (Kate McNeil), a gorgeous monkey specialist, to work with the animal as it becomes an aide for Allan. He also hopes it will help Allan kick his depression. It works all too well—Allan and Ella become best friends, filling a hole in his heart. But when he learns that his girlfriend-stealing doctor may be responsible for his paralysis, the lab injections somehow bond a telepathic relationship between him and his monkey. As a result, Ella begins using Allan’s buried resentment and anger along with its own jealousy to murder anything and everyone around him.

I’m always surprised that Monkey Shines isn’t considered alongside Romero’s most praised projects. Then again, I feel the same way about another tragic Romero tale in 2000’s Bruiser. Perhaps people were too attached to Romero’s penchant for zombie classics. Whatever the reason, Monkey Shines faltered badly at the box office and feels, unfortunately, forgotten—even in the horror world. It’s the kind of movie that you wonder, if released today, could it have gained traction with the right marketing department? Like The Monkey has with NEON? It’s also possible that many rented Monkey Shines on a VHS whim expecting a slasher flick with a monkey gimmick. When in reality, it’s far more akin to something like Brian De Palma’s Raising Cain.

While the telepathic storyline is admittedly pretty silly, Monkey Shines remains a story told earnestly. It’s a movie full of impressive filmmaking moments, shockingly great acting, and maybe one of the best animal performances ever put to screen. Ella (Boo in real life) had a nuanced character arc that Romero and company handled like a symphony. Alongside the help of Tom Savini’s puppets, clever camera work, and DP James A. Contner (Cruising), there are almost no shots of monkey action that feel unnatural or unbelievable—an unfathomable feat when you consider the script. Though there are some janky edits due to a 240-page script that ended up with 40% to 50% cut out post-filming, Monkey Shines is a mostly seamless experience. I don’t want to think about how much CGI would tarnish this kind of film today.

Likely tracing back to his DIY roots despite working with one of the biggest budgets of his career, Romero and crew masterfully scale surreal moments that could have easily been over the top back to their base fears: A scene where Ella simply slams a cutting apparatus repeatedly against a shelf as dumbass Geoffrey reaches his hand towards her creates the type of dread a real life dismemberment would conjure. Another, when sweet Melanie is knocked unconscious and Ella attempts to light her hair on fire with a match, builds tension until we’re relieved that her hair is too wet to catch fire. That tension is only followed by Ella attempting to puncture Melanie’s unconscious face with a deadly syringe.

All this suspense is heightened by the fact that we’re experiencing it through Allan, who is forced to watch all this, unable to move his body. Finally, he manages to get Ella close enough so that he can bite his neck. Allan is then forced to brutally kill the monkey as if he were a rabid dog, frantically ripping his head back and forth with the monkey’s neck in his mouth. It gets wild, but the entire film is impressively held together by Jason Beghe’s performance. He’s the kind of guy it’s extremely easy to root for—whether it’s to get the girl, or stop a monkey from murdering his entire life. It’s a tough performance both physically and emotionally, and he never falters.

Romero’s original ending for the film featured that son of a bitch, Dean Burbage (one of Stephen Root’s first-ever film roles), carrying on the darkness of Geoffrey’s work. It was a darker ending that Romero relinquished due to bad test audience reactions and studio pressure. He did not, however, approve of the part of the theatrical ending where a dream sequence provides an Alien-esque jump scare where the monkey pops out of a bloody torso. A perfect example of the dichotomy between the expectation and imagery of Monkey Shines and the story at its heart. All this would lead to Romero happily returning to independent film for a while.

On its eye-grabbing surface, Monkey Shines promises horror in its most base form. This scary object/animal is about to royally fuck things up… and it does. But within that construction, it’s also a story about overcoming grief, how we treat others in their worst moments, and the results of burying our anger towards those who’ve hurt us.

And yeah, a scary monkey that will cut your throat with a shaving knife.

The post George A. Romero’s ‘Monkey Shines’ Deserves a Rewatch While You Wait for ‘The Monkey’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

“Night of the Creeps, the simultaneously frightening and hilarious 80s horror classic, will be released in a Dual Format (Blu-ray & DVD) edition as part of the Eureka Classics range from 8 October 2018. Presented with a Limited Edition O-Card slipcase and booklet, this deluxe edition features the original director’s cut and a host of special features.

Next up, from writer / director George A. Romero, the man who unleashed Night of the Living Dead, comes Monkey Shines, a terrific psychological thriller that delivers a disturbing message about messing with Mother Nature. Starring Jason Beghe and Janine Turner, this riveting tale is a white-knuckle triumph that doesn’t let up! Presented on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK in a Dual Format (Blu-ray & DVD) edition with an array of special features, and a limited edition O-card slipcase. Monkey Shines will be unleashed to the world on the 8 October 2018.

Last, but not least, although on this occasion many might disagree, a celebration of one of the greatest ‘bad movies’ ever made, Troll: The Complete Collection. Embraced by a generation of “bad” movie fans, Troll 2 has become one of the most iconic cult films of its generation, and to this day regularly plays to sold-out theatres of adoring fans. Presented here alongside the first (and entirely unrelated) film, Troll, as well as Best Worst Movie, the definitive documentary on the film’s unexpected resurgence as a cult favourite. Troll: The Complete Collection is a celebration of one of the most unusual success stories in movie history, and is set to be released on Blu-ray as part of the Eureka Classics range from 8 October 2018. Featuring a Limited Edition O-Card Slipcase, with artwork designed by Devon Whitehead, and a collector’s booklet featuring rare content.”

All three Blu-rays will be released in the UK on October 8. You can find full release information, including rundowns of each of their bonus content packages, on Eureka’s FB page.

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We entered this week with the incredibly devastating news that George A. Romero, independent film pioneer, master of horror and creator of the modern day zombie, had passed away at the age of 77. In the wake of the news, most horror fans have spent the week celebrating the life and legacy of Romero, revisiting the immortal body of work he leaves behind.

Of course, Romero is most known for his zombie movies, but he also directed a handful of other notable films throughout his career. Romero’s first studio film was Monkey Shines, released after his original zombie trilogy was completed, in 1988.

Infamously, Romero’s experience on the film was bad enough to send him running back to the indie scene, but his adaptation of Michael Stewart’s novel nevertheless turned out to be a late ’80s gem. After all, Romero in his prime was a force to be reckoned with – even with lots of studio interference.

Monkey Shines tells the story of Allan Mann (Jason Beghe), an athlete who is left quadriplegic after an accident at the start of the film. In an effort to make life easier on him, Mann takes in an experimental monkey named Ella, who at first appears to be a godsend. Of course, however, Ella soon goes on a warpath, leaving several bodies in her wake.

From what I gather, it was the studio that forced Romero to end the film on a happy note, with Mann surviving and Ella being killed off. But even if Romero wasn’t sold on the idea himself, I’ve gotta say: the ending to Monkey Shines is absolutely perfect, giving Mann a badass hero moment after being tormented throughout the film.

“I’m gonna take you apart. I’m gonna rip your fuckin’ eyes out. I’m gonna tear you open and chew out your fuckin’ heart,” Mann promises Ella a bit earlier in the film; and he makes pretty damn good on that promise when he later lures Ella onto his lap and, well, takes a bite out of her. He thrashes Ella around wildly in his mouth, ending her reign of terror the only way his body allows.

Somehow, despite Ella being a murderous little shit, you feel bad for her in those final moments. A testament to Romero’s ability to humanize even the most inhuman of monsters – one of the very things that made his zombie movies so essential.

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As I alternate between feeling numb and shedding tears, I wish us to focus on the legacy Romero has left behind. I’ve already shared a lot of love when I wrote about my excitement for Road of the Dead, but there aren’t enough words in the world to express the gratitude I have for the films he’s made. As I write this, I’m watching Day of the Dead with commentary from Tom Savini, actress Lori Cardille, production designer Cletus Anderson, and the mastermind himself, George Romero. Even after years of working in the zombie business, you can still hear what a passionate and jovial man Romero was. He lived doing what he loved.

Personally, Romero was a huge inspiration to me as an aspiring writer/director. The way he presented conventional B-movie plotlines with all the gore and thrills one expects from a Saturday matinee, yet used them to tell a socially conscious story, has always filtered its way into my own work. In fact, the very first screenplay I ever wrote as a teenager was Suburb of the Living Dead. I haven’t read it in many years, and I’m sure it’s pretty terrible. Nonetheless, it was a full blown homage to the entire Dead trilogy. It was a love letter to the years of amazing cinema we’d been gifted from the Master of Horror.

My love for Romero and his undead hordes started at an extremely young age. While I’m sure I’ve shared a version of this story before, it bears repeating at this time. I was probably around eight or nine. My mother had begun renting classic films from the library in an attempt to fill my ferocious appetite for horror cinema. The classic Universal Monsters were always on heavy rotation. One day, she brought home Night of the Living Dead. I was instantly struck by the label on the VHS. It stated the movie was rated “NC-17”. Being a good little Christian boy (oh, how times have changed), I pointed this out to my mother. I was afraid the contents of this tape were much too extreme for my innocent eyes. She brushed off my concerns, stating it was “just an old black and white movie.” 

Off I went to my bedroom and plugged the cassette into my VCR. I loved every second of it. The opening scene with cries of “They’re coming to get you, Barbara,” struck me right away as something iconic. While at the time, I had no idea of who Romero was or any knowledge of the trilogy of films that followed Night, I knew I was witnessing something special. As the tension rose throughout the runtime, I squirmed and hid my head under my pillow. When Barbara gets pulled through the broken window and becomes just another meal for the living dead, my jaw dropped. Suddenly, it became clear to me that horror could be truly dangerous. The good guys don’t always win.

For those who’ve somehow avoided seeing this film all these years, stop reading now! It’s a public domain title, so you can find numerous sites streaming it for free. You owe it to yourself to witness the birth of zombies as we know them today. Back to young-me glued to the television, I wasn’t prepared for how the ending played out. After barricading himself in the basement and surviving the incursion of zombies upon the house, our lead, Ben, hears the calvary rallying outside. As a viewer, you’re relieved. It appears he’s being rescued. As he pokes his head around the corner of a windowframe, a redneck outside mistakes him for one of the dead. “Hit him in the head. Right between the eyes.”  Just like that, a bullet is fired and Ben is put down. “That’s another one for the fire.”

Witnessing these final moments of Night of the Living Dead as a child were earth shattering. I sat in front of my TV, frozen in shock. I didn’t move to stop the film as the credits began to roll. When the tape reached the end and cut off by itself, I jumped up from my room. I ran crying to my parents in the living room, “They killed him! They killed him!” They had no clue what I was speaking of and didn’t seem terribly concerned to understand. I was alone to try and work through would I had just seen. I was distraught, but I finally settled on the realization that horror could be a powerful tool. It can stir emotions from a viewer that they might not be prepared to deal with. It forces us to face our mortality. We all die, but did you live your life trying to do what is right? It’s a heady takeaway for a nine year old, but I was hungry for more.

It wasn’t long after this viewing that I discovered Dawn of the Dead and the legacy of George A. Romero. I’ve loved almost every single entry into his filmography. Bruiser is a woefully underrated revenge tale. Monkey Shines is filled with insane moments and weaves a twisted story of love and dependence….with a monkey! Few directors would touch such a subject, let alone manage to deliver it with such panache. Romero’s skill eschews the seemingly inherent campiness of it all. He quickly rose to the top of my list of favorite directors, and his style has always seeped into the DNA of my own work.

The outpouring of love for Romero across the horrorverse tonight has been deeply touching. In fact, when news broke, you guys actually crashed our servers as you piled on to share your own thoughts and condolences. He will be missed by us all. We may never known just what else he had in store for our beloved genre or, more specifically, the sub-genre he helped create, but we will always have his body of work to inspire us, frighten us, and keep us questioning just how close we are to becoming the monsters we fear. With great sadness I say, “RIP, Romero.”

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But there are some that don’t get revisited as often as others. For any filmmaker who has made more than three films, there will always be a black sheep in the family. A film that is not as beloved, is lesser known, or simply never achieved the critical or cult status of their other works.

While we want to recognize the greatest work these pantheon filmmakers have created, it’s sometimes fun and illuminating to look at the black sheep in the family, to see what went wrong, to look at it through the lens of the filmmaker’s otherwise stellar career, and sometimes just to decide if we feel the black sheep status is unjustly applied or understandably forgotten. So who are the first five filmmakers, and what are those black sheep films?

The Filmmaker: Wes Craven

The Body of Work:
A college professor whose career began when he was 33, he didn’t waste any time in creating a huge impact with Last House on the Left, one of the most notorious horror/revenge films of all time. He followed it with The Hills Have Eyes a few years later, and joined the ranks of horror icon history when he created Freddy Krueger in A Nightmare on Elm Street. He revisited his own creation in 1994, helping give birth to meta-horror with New Nightmare, and codified the new subgenre by directing every entry in the successful Scream franchise.

The Black Sheep Nominees:
Because it isn’t a horror film, we shouldn’t include Music of the Heart, a drama starring Meryl Streep as an inner-city violin teacher. The same goes for his early-era porn film, The Fireworks Woman (yes, that’s real). There is no lack of opinions from Craven fans about certain films like Swamp Thing, The Serpent and the Rainbow, Shocker, Deadly Friend, and Vampire in Brooklyn; they’re not forgotten films as much as third rails of the Craven filmography that might kill you if you step on them in the wrong company. Deadly Blessing and The People Under the Stairs have earned legitimate cult status to varying degrees, so what does that leave?

Maybe his black sheep is in his television work. Chiller, Stranger in Our House, Invitation to Hell, and Night Visions are all films Craven made for television in the years between Last House on the Left and returning for New Nightmare. But they’re early films that had spotty home releases, often in quickie discs that plastered his more famous horror titles across the top in an effort to peddle the films to unsuspecting viewers. If rarity and weirdness were the only criteria for a TV black sheep, we might as well nominate the “Casebusters” episode of Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color. No, the true black sheep of Craven’s family is…

The Black Sheep Winner:
…My Soul to Take.

A film that isn’t truly terrible enough to gain laughable cult status, and nowhere near good enough to stand as a strong example of his work, the 2010 film had a lot going against it. A post-conversion to 3-D to cash in on a fad, poor box office performance, worse reviews; even things that had been boons in Craven’s other films, like a cast of up-and-coming teen actors, a central whodunit mystery, and a sprinkling of Catholic themes and imagery, were largely uninspired and fell flat.

The Verdict:
Understandably Forgotten.

The Filmmaker: John Carpenter

The Body of Work:

Do I need to waste your time with this? He redefined indie horror success with Halloween, reinvented a classic terror with The Thing, turned weather into a villain with The Fog, amalgamated Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft with In the Mouth of Madness, and made us afraid of nice cars, vats of green goo, and sunglasses (Christine, Prince of Darkness, and They Live, respectively).

The Black Sheep Nominees:
Because John Carpenter is such a singular filmmaker, his movies tend to run hit and miss, but even the misses have their loyal supporters. Body Bags is a guilty pleasure for many (possibly because of his fun on-screen performance); Someone’s Watching Me is a surprisingly assured early TV film, though it is missing Carpenter’s signature score; and Vampires is a mediocre film elevated by a couple of unbelievably committed performances.

There is certainly an argument to be made for The Ward as deserving of the Black Sheep award. The only reason it escapes that designation is because it is (as of this writing) the last feature film that John Carpenter has made. We all fear it is possible that it will be the last film he makes, if the number of cigarettes Carpenter lights during every commentary track is any accurate measure of how long he will remain with us; and like Jimmy Stewart’s career ending with an uninspired voice-over in An American Tail: Fievel Goes West, we live in fear of it being the anticlimactic end to a fantastic run. No, the film that takes the award is…

The Black Sheep Winner:
…Village of the Damned.

If rumors are to be believed, it was a film John Carpenter didn’t even particularly want to make. Legend goes that he directed the remake of the intellectual property in order to get a crack at one that he liked even more: The Day the Earth Stood Still. When Village of the Damned did poorly at the box office, the film he really wanted to make magically never materialized.

The lackluster performances from Christopher Reeve and Kirstie Alley matched Carpenter’s general level of disinterest, and although a few of the child performances show promise, the tension in the film’s pacing and plot dry up a few minutes after the intriguing opening premise. Add to that a nomination for Worst Remake at the Golden Raspberrry Awards and the fact that 1995 was the last year for Christopher Reeve before an accident confined him to a wheelchair, and it’s understandable why this film has been allowed to vanish quietly.

The Verdict:
Understandably Forgotten.

The Filmmaker: George A. Romero

The Body of Work:
Just add your choice of words to the beginning of the phrase “of the Dead.” Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, Land of the Dead, Diary of the Dead, and Survival of the Dead. He may have made some films about things that were living, too.

Oh, and Creepshow. A high-water mark in anthology horror and a loving tribute to the morbid comics everyone’s parents blamed for their disturbed children.

The Black Sheep Nominees:
This is a difficult list to create. Aside from certain entries in the Dead series, many horror fans consider movies like Martin and Monkey Shines some of his most interesting and accomplished work, thanks to committed performances and offbeat stories not found in mainstream horror fare.

Two Evil Eyes is nowhere near the brilliant anthology film that Creepshow was, but it dodges Black Sheep status because Romero and Argento working together on a film is valuable for sheer curiosity. Knightriders and There’s Always Vanilla escape judgement because they’re not horror films, and Season of the Witch (or Hungry Wives or Jack’s Wife) was so ahead of its time thematically that I believe its most appreciative audience is actually still finding it. No, Romero’s Black Sheep award goes to…

The Black Sheep Winner:
…Bruiser.

What an unusual film. A frumpy nothing of a man who is marginalized at his job, humiliated by his wife, and is spending a lot of time fantasizing about suicide and worse. After being unable to paint a blank white mask to express himself, he wakes up the next morning to find the mask now covering his own face. He is erased, unreal, nothing. And with that comes the luxury of casting of societal norms. Watch out world, Henry Creedlow is pissed off.

Weird, uneven, and overly symbolic… but still, there’s something scrappy about this obtuse and completely uncommercial film. With an interesting lead character portrayed by “That Guy” Jason Flemyng, and over-the-top performance from Peter Stormare (including a cameo from his penis), and an appearance from punk band The Misfits, I understand why people have forgotten it, but… I just can’t.

The Verdict:
Unjustly Applied.

The Filmmaker: David Cronenberg

The Body of Work:
‘Body’ is the right word to describe his work. Since he started altering physiology back in Shivers, Cronenberg has made a critically well-received and moderately profitable career off of the slow changing of the human body: Rabid, The Brood, The Fly. Even his more popular and less horror-driven films, like Eastern Promises and the play adaptation M. Butterfly, deal with the rigorous physical changes that his protagonists put themselves through.

The Black Sheep Nominees:
Because he came out of the gate so strongly in the horror arena, there are few misses in his work. Sure, we have some questions about why Cronenberg made a 1979 car racing exploitation film called Fast Company, but it’s not horror, so we let it go.

Somehow, the less commercial Cronenberg’s films are, the more cult famous they seem to be. Videodrome, Naked Lunch, and Crash are extremely weird and idiosyncratic, and they have garnered him some of his most die-hard fans. His emotionally reserved and coldly calculating films like Dead Ringers and The Dead Zone have found crossover love from even non-horror fans due to their performances and meticulous direction. In this case, the award for David Cronenberg’s most under-remembered film is…

The Black Sheep Winner:
…Spider.

And frankly, it makes no sense. Unlike Eastern Promises and A History of Violence, Spider was somehow not nominated for an Academy Award for Ralph Fiennes’ stunning, complex performance as a mentally ill man trying to slowly work his way back into society. This film almost didn’t make the list because it barely registers as a horror film, but some of the subject matter, the frankness of content, and the truly disturbing nature of the story allow for a certain leeway (not to mention that the film is fantastic and criminally underrated).

The Verdict:
Unjustly Applied.

The Filmmaker: Tobe Hooper

The Body of Work:
The most unusual of the filmmakers on the list, Tobe Hooper exploded out of the gate with his first feature film, the notorious and surprisingly beautiful artsploitation film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. His subsequent output was a varied as it was interesting: a TV adaptation of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot; a darkly comedic sequel in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2; the box-office super-success Poltergeist that was (rumored to be) mostly directed by Hooper’s producer, Steven Spielberg; and the “definitely directed by Hooper” one-two punch of Lifeforce and Invaders from Mars.

The Black Sheep Nominees:
The rest of Hooper’s career is a mixed bag that is equal parts candy, nails, hot air, and sawdust. He worked with Robert Englund twice in a row with Night Terrors and The Mangler, which is enough to keep them from relative obscurity. His most recent feature, Djinn, is a mildly interesting story that has a very interesting premise; the same can be said for his remake of Toolbox Murders, where he injected a supernatural thread that livened up the proceedings. He even directed one segment of the aforementioned Body Bags, which is possibly the best sequence in the film.

The Black Sheep could be the 2005 film Mortuary, or the 1990 Spontaneous Combustion, both of which barely reached my radar when they were released initially and haven’t done anything to work themselves back into my thoughts since. But the last mention in this article should be a high note, so let’s end with a Black Sheep award for Tobe Hooper’s work on…

The Black Sheep Winner:
…Eaten Alive.

So much of what worked in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre returned in this film because so many of the people who made it returned for this one. Wayne Bell was back to create weird sounds that were sort of a musical score; Marilyn Burns was back on the screen, and Kim Henkel helped commit more disturbing words and actions to paper.

The film isn’t quite as beautiful as The Texas Chain Saw Massacre due to the absence of cinematographer Daniel Pearl (who went on to win many awards in the world of music videos), but the sleazy grindhouse charm is still present and accounted for.  Add to that the first pairing of Hooper with Robert Englund and an appearance from a young lady who would grow into one of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and we have a film with multiple reasons to be remembered that doesn’t get remembered enough.

The Verdict:
Unjustly Applied.

The post The Outliers: Horror’s Greatest Directors and Their Black Sheep Films, Volume One appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Some solid releases this week, particularly from outside the US. Zavvi has a handful of new steelbooks in the UK and NSM has three awesome mediabooks with a variety of covers in Germany. Lots to choose from to spice up your collection.

US Releases

Howard the Duck (Universal, Region A)

Synopsis:
A sarcastic humanoid duck is pulled from his homeworld to Earth where he must stop an alien invader.

*batteries not included (Universal, Region A)

Synopsis:
Apartment block tenants seek the aid of alien mechanical life-forms to save their building from demolition.

The Vikings (Kino Lorber, Region A)

Synopsis:
Hollywood legends Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, Ernest Borgnine and Janet Leigh dazzle in this epic chronicle of brutal rivalry and bloodthirsty ambition. Roaring through the 9th century with powerful performances and “brilliant visual drama” (Cue), THE VIKINGS is a riveting “spectacle of have-at-’em action” (Los Angeles Examiner)! Bitter hatred divides two brothers. Prince Einar (Douglas) is the son and heir of a savage Viking chieftain. Prince Eric (Curtis) is his unknowing half-brother, the bastard offspring of Einar’s father and an English queen. When the Vikings kidnap a princess (Leigh), her beauty inflames the desires of both men, forcing a bloody duel that decides their fate… and the future of the English throne.

Species II (Scream Factory, Region A)

Synopsis:
Mykelti Williamson and Justin Lazard are a pair of astronauts who make the first successful manned mission to Mars. Lazard’s character gets infected by an alien and slowly begins to mutate.

Species III / Species: The Awakening (Scream Factory, Region A)

Species III
Sara (Sunny Mabrey), the daughter of Eve (Natasha Henstridge), begins her mission to mate with humans, while a specialist military team hunt her down to kill her before its too late.

Species: The Awakening
When brilliant college professor Miranda Hollander suffers a mysterious blackout, and awakens amid the bloody aftermath of a mass slaughter, she turns to her uncle for answers. But when he reveals the shocking truth – that she’s only half human, a clone from a hybrid of human and alien DNA, they must flee to Mexico to locate the scientist who created her. Soon they find themselves locked in battle with a horde of rampaging, unstoppable hybrids… and time is running out before Miranda will inevitably surrender to the killer instinct that lurks inside her own body!

The Forbidden Room (Kino Lorber, Region A)

Synopsis:
A never-before-seen woodsman mysteriously appears aboard a submarine that’s been trapped deep under water for months with an unstable cargo. As the terrified crew make their way through the corridors of the doomed vessel, they find themselves on a voyage into the origins of their darkest fears.

Victoria (Kino Lorber, Region A)

Synopsis:
A movie shot in a single take about Victoria, a runaway party girl, who’s asked by three friendly men to join them as they hit the town. Their wild night of partying turns into a bank robbery.

When Eight Bells Toll (Kino Lorber, Region A)

Synopsis:
Anthony Hopkins is Philip Calvert, in this movie based on the novel by Alistair MacLean. Calvert is a naval secret-service agent who is assigned to find out why millions of pounds of gold bullion are being stolen under the noses of the British government. Calvert begins his investigations in the bleak Scottish Highlands. Posing as marine biologists, Calvert and his partner Hunslett find something fishy and hostile among the Scottish inhabitants. They also suspect that the rich and smooth Greek tycoon Sir Arthur Skouras who lays anchor off the coast in his luxury yacht, may be the culprit behind the pirating of the gold bullion.

Psycho-Pass 2 (FUNimation Entertainment, Region A)

Synopsis:
Having learned the true nature of the Sybil System, Akane Tsunemori chose to obey the system, believing in both humanity and the legal order. She’s part of a new police section and spends her everyday life facing down criminals. Unbeknownst to Akane, however, a monster who will shake the system to its core is about to appear before her.

UK Releases

Rambo (Zavvi Steelbook, Region B)

Synopsis:
When a group of missionary aid workers in Myanmar disappear into the vast green inferno, vigilante Vietnam War veteran John Rambo leaves his job as a Salween River boatman behind to accompany a group of mercenaries on a daring rescue mission. It’s been twenty years since Rambo helped mujahedeen rebels fend off Soviet invaders in Afghanistan, and these days the former soldier lives a simple life in northern Thailand. But it’s time now for Rambo to take up arms once more and mete out his own, unique, brand of justice.

Tucker & Dale vs Evil (Zavvi Steelbook, Region B)

Synopsis:
Tucker & Dale are on vacation at their dilapidated mountain cabin when they are attacked by a group of preppy college kids.

Doctor Who: The Complete Ninth Series (Amazon Exclusive Steelbook, Region B)

Synopsis:
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS. Along with a series of companions, he faces a variety of foes while working to save civilizations, help people and right wrongs.

Black Widow (Signal One Entertainment, Region B)

Synopsis:
A federal investigator tracks down a gold digging woman who moves from husband to husband, kills them and collects the inheritance.

Ultraviolet (Zavvi Steelbook, Region B)

Synopsis:
Milla Jovovich (Resident Evil), Cameron Bright (X-Men 3), Nick Chinlund (The Legend of Zorro) and William Fichtner (The Longest Yard) star in this story of a woman caught in a futuristic civil war between the government and a subculture of disease modified humans in whom speed, strength and intelligence are magnified. In the film, she must fend off the human government to protect a young boy who has been marked for death.

The Last Witch Hunter (Zavvi Steelbook, Region B)

Synopsis:
The last remaining witch hunter battles against an uprising of witches in modern day New York.

Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (Paramount, Region B)

Synopsis:
Three scouts who, on the eve of their last campout, discover the true meaning of friendship when they attempt to save their town from a zombie outbreak.

Germany Releases

Hatchet for the Honeymoon (Wicked-Vision, Region B)

Synopsis:
A bridal design shop owner kills various young brides-to-be in an attempt to unlock a repressed childhood trauma that’s causing him to commit murder.

Monkey Shines (NSM, Region B)

Synopsis:
A recent quadriplegic loses all hope for living until he meets Ella, a monkey trained to fill all his needs.

Avenging Force (NSM, Region B)

Synopsis:
Retired military operative and martial arts expert Matt Hunter battles the Pentangle, a racist and deadly brotherhood with extreme right-wing political views and survivalist instincts. Unofficial prequel to 1985’s “Invasion U.S.A.” with Dudikoff taking over the lead role (previously played by Chuck Norris).

Death Warrant (NSM, Region B)

Synopsis:
The Canadian policeman Louis Burke is assigned in a jail to investigate in some murders of prisoners and jailors.

The post New to Blu – Week of 3/8/2016 appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Making their Blu-ray debuts on November 18th, 2014, each release also boasts brand new bonus features including all new audio commentaries with George A. Romero, new retrospective featurettes with cast and crew, behind the scenes footage, deleted scenes and much more! In addition, fans who order their copies from ShoutFactory.com will have their order shipped three weeks early!

Monkey Shines: Allan Mann (Jason Beghe) is a bitter, angry and vengeful man ever since an accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. He’s fed up with himself and everyone around him. All that changes when he’s given Ella, a monkey trained to meet his every need. But when Ella begins anticipating Allan’s thoughts, strange and deadly things start happening. And as she stalks and wreaks havoc on Allan’s fair-weather girlfriend (Janine Turner), incompetent doctor and meddling mother, Allan realizes he must stop the cunning maniacal creature…before she fully takes over his mind!

Monkey Shines stars Jason Beghe (Chicago Hope), Janine Turner (Northern Exposure), Stanley Tucci (The Devil Wears Prada), Kate McNeil (The House on Sorority Row).

Monkey Shines extras will include:

NEW Audio Commentary with Writer/Director George A. Romero
NEW An Experiment In Fear – The Making of Monkey Shines – An all-new retrospective with Writer/Director George A. Romero, actors Jason Beghe, John Pankow and Kate McNeil, Executive Producer Peter Grunwald, Special Make-Up Effects Creator Tom Savini, Special Make-Up Effects Assistants Greg Nicotero and Everett Burrell and Editor Pasquale Buba (49 minutes)
Alternate Ending
Deleted Scenes
Behind-the-Scenes Footage
Vintage Making of Monkey Shines plus additional interview clips
Theatrical Trailers & TV Spot
Still Gallery

The Dark Half: Based on the best-selling book by Stephen King, The Dark Half tells the story of horror writer Thad Beaumont (Timothy Hutton), who hopes to distance himself from his murder novels and from George Stark, the name he has used to anonymously author them. To achieve this, he cooks up a murder of his own: a publicity stunt that should lay Stark to rest forever. But when the people around him are found gruesomely slain – and his own fingerprints dot the crime scenes – Beaumont is dumbfounded until he learns that Stark has taken on life of his own…and begun a gruesome quest for vengeance!

The Dark Half stars Timothy Hutton (Leverage, Ordinary People), Amy Madigan (Field of Dreams), Michael Rooker (The Walking Dead) and Julie Harris (The Haunting).

The Dark Half extras will include:

NEW Audio Commentary with Writer/Director George A. Romero
NEW The Sparrows Are Flying Again!: The Making of The Dark Half – An all-new retrospective with Writer/Director George A. Romero, Producer Declan Baldwin, Actors Michael Rooker, Robert Joy, Rutanya Alda and John Amplas, Composer Christopher Young, Special Make-Up Effects Creators John Vulich and Everett Burrell, Visual Effects Supervisor Kevin Kutchaver, Second Unit Director Tom Dubensky and Editor Pasquale Buba (36 Minutes)
Deleted Scenes
Animated Storyboards for the original ending
Behind-the-Scenes Footage – Special Effects and On the Set
Vintage Making of The Dark Half plus additional interview clips
Theatrical Trailer and TV Spot
Still Gallery

The post George A. Romero’s ‘Monkey Shines’ and ‘The Dark Half’ Get Blu Treatment! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Romero would of course go on to expand his zombie universe in Dawn Of The Dead, Day Of The Dead, Land Of The Dead, Diary Of The Dead and Survival Of The Dead. Even though these films run the gamut from “masterpiece” to “skippable” they’re all unified by his urge to use zombies as a vehicle to discuss larger social issues. Without Romero, horror would have a lot less subtext.

Of course he hasn’t only done zombie movies! His filmography also contains Monkey Shines, Creepshow, The Dark Half, Martin, Knightriders and The Crazies (which is sort of zombie-esque I guess).

Wish George A. Romero a happy birthday and do yourself a favor and check out one of his lesser known works today!

The post [This Day In Horror] George A. Romero Was Born! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.