Melding together genres seldom works. It’s a delicate balancing act; tone is key, and when either (or both) are off the whole thing can come crashing down. By 1991, HBO was already offering up original programming and decided to create a whole new sub genre – horror noir. The result was Cast a Deadly Spell, a very entertaining and perfectly concocted mixture of 1940s detective story and supernatural terror. And when the balance is right, like it is here, the results are sublime.
Originally airing on HBO on Saturday, September 7th, CaDS was met with critical acclaim as a riotous mashup of Bogart and the Dark Arts, treating audiences to a unique blend of murder and magic.
Let’s open up our sacred book of incantations, TV Guide, and see what we’re in for:
Cast A Deadly Spell (HBO, Sept. 7th)
L.A., 1948. Private eye Harry Philip Lovecraft is hired...
Originally airing on HBO on Saturday, September 7th, CaDS was met with critical acclaim as a riotous mashup of Bogart and the Dark Arts, treating audiences to a unique blend of murder and magic.
Let’s open up our sacred book of incantations, TV Guide, and see what we’re in for:
Cast A Deadly Spell (HBO, Sept. 7th)
L.A., 1948. Private eye Harry Philip Lovecraft is hired...
- 3/12/2017
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
Sonny Boy is not a “feel-good” movie. I’ll just go ahead and get that out of the way right now. It’s actually kind of a drag. That’s not to say that it isn’t a well-made and effective movie, because it is, but man, was that movie hard to watch. In the interest of full-disclosure, this was my first time viewing this horribly mean, morally reprehensible little movie, featuring David Carradine in drag. I spoke with Jimmy Terror prior to watching, and he had basically the same issue as I did. It’s a good-ass movie, but it makes you feel like shit. Similar in that regard to movies like Last House on the Left, or Last House on Dead End Street, there is obviously talent behind, and in front of the camera, with a unique, albeit gut-wrenching screenplay, and excellent performances from most involved.
So what...
So what...
- 2/2/2016
- by Shawn Savage
- The Liberal Dead
January’s home entertainment releases end on a quiet note as there are only a handful of genre-related Blu-ray and DVDs making their way home this Tuesday. Scream Factory has a double dose of horror coming our way on January with Jack’s Back (featuring James Spader) and Sonny Boy (starring the legendary David Carradine), and Wild Eye Releasing is serving up two indie horror flicks on DVD as well, Serial Kaller and Survival Knife.
Jack’s Back (Scream Factory, Blu/DVD Combo)
One hundred years ago, Jack the Ripper slashed his way through London’s red light district. Now, a modern-day maniac is honoring the event by mutilating L.A. ’s ladies of the evening. Has Jack the Ripper been reborn? The police are stumped and the prostitutes of L.A. are scared. The only person with a chance of solving the murders has a problem of his...
Jack’s Back (Scream Factory, Blu/DVD Combo)
One hundred years ago, Jack the Ripper slashed his way through London’s red light district. Now, a modern-day maniac is honoring the event by mutilating L.A. ’s ladies of the evening. Has Jack the Ripper been reborn? The police are stumped and the prostitutes of L.A. are scared. The only person with a chance of solving the murders has a problem of his...
- 1/26/2016
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
A couple played by Paul L. Smith and David Carradine use cruel and unusual parenting methods in Sonny Boy. Ahead of the film's January 26th home media debut from Scream Factory, we've been provided with three Blu-ray copies to give away.
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Prize Details: (3) Winners will receive (1) Blu-ray copy of Sonny Boy.
How to Enter: For a chance to win, email contest@dailydead.com with the subject "Sonny Boy Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.
Entry Details: The contest will end at 12:01am Est on January 29th. This contest is only open to those who are eighteen years of age or older that live in the United States. Only one entry per household will be accepted.
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From the press release: A wickedly off-beat tale of family love gone berserk, the provocative cult classic Sonny Boy makes its home entertainment debut on January 26th,...
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Prize Details: (3) Winners will receive (1) Blu-ray copy of Sonny Boy.
How to Enter: For a chance to win, email contest@dailydead.com with the subject "Sonny Boy Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.
Entry Details: The contest will end at 12:01am Est on January 29th. This contest is only open to those who are eighteen years of age or older that live in the United States. Only one entry per household will be accepted.
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From the press release: A wickedly off-beat tale of family love gone berserk, the provocative cult classic Sonny Boy makes its home entertainment debut on January 26th,...
- 1/23/2016
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
A couple played by Paul L. Smith and David Carradine use cruel and unusual parenting methods in Sonny Boy. Ahead of the film's January 26th home media debut from Scream Factory, we have Blu-ray clips and a trailer from Robert Martin Carroll's 1989 horror film.
From the press release: A wickedly off-beat tale of family love gone berserk, the provocative cult classic Sonny Boy makes its home entertainment debut on January 26th, 2016 from Scream Factory. Featuring a shattering, unforgettable performance from David Carradine (Kill Bill) and powerful supporting turns from Paul L. Smith (Midnight Express, Crimewave) and Brad Dourif (Child’s Play, The Exorcist III), Sonny Boy features the unrated cut and comes loaded with bonus features, including a new audio commentary with director Robert Martin Carroll, new audio commentary with writer Graeme Whifler, a digital file of the first draft of the script, and the original theatrical trailer.
From the press release: A wickedly off-beat tale of family love gone berserk, the provocative cult classic Sonny Boy makes its home entertainment debut on January 26th, 2016 from Scream Factory. Featuring a shattering, unforgettable performance from David Carradine (Kill Bill) and powerful supporting turns from Paul L. Smith (Midnight Express, Crimewave) and Brad Dourif (Child’s Play, The Exorcist III), Sonny Boy features the unrated cut and comes loaded with bonus features, including a new audio commentary with director Robert Martin Carroll, new audio commentary with writer Graeme Whifler, a digital file of the first draft of the script, and the original theatrical trailer.
- 1/21/2016
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Shout Factory unveils a neglected cult item with its recuperation of Sonny Boy, a tawdry late 1980s obscurity with some awesome Wtf grotesqueries. Although its creators, both then and now, insist on the narrative’s notable subtexts as an allegory on child abuse and toxic familial allegiance, the film is never quite elevated beyond its grindhouse elements. Notably, David Carradine stars as a redneck transvestite (whose gender identity remains undefined) as the caring part of a vicious hillbilly couple who raise a kidnapped orphan to kill and rob members of the local rural community. Its lurid set-up should definitely interest cineastes who can appreciate a bit of tastelessness in their exploitation films, but Robert Martin Carroll’s provocative directorial debut devolves into a surreal fairy tale with an undernourished finale.
In 1970 New Mexico, small time criminal Weasel (Brad Dourif) murders two tourists staying in an isolated motel, not realizing there...
In 1970 New Mexico, small time criminal Weasel (Brad Dourif) murders two tourists staying in an isolated motel, not realizing there...
- 1/19/2016
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
A couple played by Paul L. Smith and David Carradine use cruel and unusual parenting methods on their kidnapped kid in Robert Martin Carroll's Sonny Boy. Ahead of the film's January 26th home media debut from Scream Factory, we have release details and a look at the Blu-ray's cover art.
Press Release: A wickedly off-beat tale of family love gone berserk, the provocative cult classic Sonny Boy makes its home entertainment debut on January 26th 2016 from Scream Factory. Featuring a shattering, unforgettable performance from David Carradine (Kill Bill) and powerful supporting turns from Paul L. Smith (Midnight Express, Crimewave) and Brad Dourif (Child’s Play, The Exorcist III), Sonny Boy features the unrated cut and comes loaded with bonus features, including a new audio commentary with director Robert Martin Carroll, new audio commentary with writer Graeme Whifler, a digital file of the first draft of the script, and the original theatrical trailer.
Press Release: A wickedly off-beat tale of family love gone berserk, the provocative cult classic Sonny Boy makes its home entertainment debut on January 26th 2016 from Scream Factory. Featuring a shattering, unforgettable performance from David Carradine (Kill Bill) and powerful supporting turns from Paul L. Smith (Midnight Express, Crimewave) and Brad Dourif (Child’s Play, The Exorcist III), Sonny Boy features the unrated cut and comes loaded with bonus features, including a new audio commentary with director Robert Martin Carroll, new audio commentary with writer Graeme Whifler, a digital file of the first draft of the script, and the original theatrical trailer.
- 12/1/2015
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
With Halloween right around the corner, the folks at Scream Factory already have their sights set on the new year with January Blu-ray release dates set for Wes Craven's The Serpent and the Rainbow, William Friedkin's The Guardian, and more.
Scream Factory will release The Serpent and the Rainbow Collector's Edition Blu-ray (originally scheduled to come out this past summer) on January 26th. The company has also slated The Guardian Blu-ray for a January 19th debut and set a January 26th release date for the James Spader-starring Jack's Back Blu-ray / DVD.
Also coming out on Blu-ray in January from the diligent distributor is 1989's Sonny Boy (January 26th) and a double feature of The House Where Evil Dwells and Ghost Warrior (January 5th).
Due out next spring is the Blu-ray debut of 2000's Cherry Falls. Official details and a look at the...
Scream Factory will release The Serpent and the Rainbow Collector's Edition Blu-ray (originally scheduled to come out this past summer) on January 26th. The company has also slated The Guardian Blu-ray for a January 19th debut and set a January 26th release date for the James Spader-starring Jack's Back Blu-ray / DVD.
Also coming out on Blu-ray in January from the diligent distributor is 1989's Sonny Boy (January 26th) and a double feature of The House Where Evil Dwells and Ghost Warrior (January 5th).
Due out next spring is the Blu-ray debut of 2000's Cherry Falls. Official details and a look at the...
- 10/15/2015
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Horror fanatics are still buzzing like chainsaws over the Academy Awards’ genre montage. Anywhere there could be a conversation about it online, there was one. Many were upset over the Twilight ‘tweens’ participation, as if their mere presence sent a message about the state of scary in Hollyweird, USA.
A few seemed happy, though, to just get a glimpse of their beloved Evil Dead and Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 if only for a few seconds. But many called the selections generic and thoughtless, demanding the likes of Demons and TerrorVision instead (well, maybe not TerrorVision; that was just me).
How about Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer? Re-Animator? It’s Alive? Tombs of the Blind Dead? Coffin Joe? No list is perfect, but with a bit more care and a phone call to any one of us, the Oscars could have elevated that section into a real scream. Or maybe they...
A few seemed happy, though, to just get a glimpse of their beloved Evil Dead and Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 if only for a few seconds. But many called the selections generic and thoughtless, demanding the likes of Demons and TerrorVision instead (well, maybe not TerrorVision; that was just me).
How about Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer? Re-Animator? It’s Alive? Tombs of the Blind Dead? Coffin Joe? No list is perfect, but with a bit more care and a phone call to any one of us, the Oscars could have elevated that section into a real scream. Or maybe they...
- 3/9/2010
- by Heather Buckley
- DreadCentral.com
It’s that time of year again, kids. Dread Central’s 2010 Horror at the Oscars coverage. Horror was indeed present this year and in black-tie. While Roger Corman and Lauren Bacall were honored a few months back at the Governor’s Award Ceremony, it was an unexpected delight to see Corman, recipient of the lifetime achievement Oscar, enjoy a standing ovation on national television.
I was, however, very disappointed that neither of them were allowed to speak. Roger Corman’s contributions to modern cinema are too vast for him to just stand up and wave. James Cameron was one of many Corman acolytes present, and his nomination speaks to Corman’s tremendous legacy. On the Terminator DVD Cameron mentions, "I trained at the Roger Corman Film School.” Jonathan Demme, Martin Scorsese, and Francis Ford Coppola, among many others, were also former students.
The terror continued with a spoof of Paranormal Activity...
I was, however, very disappointed that neither of them were allowed to speak. Roger Corman’s contributions to modern cinema are too vast for him to just stand up and wave. James Cameron was one of many Corman acolytes present, and his nomination speaks to Corman’s tremendous legacy. On the Terminator DVD Cameron mentions, "I trained at the Roger Corman Film School.” Jonathan Demme, Martin Scorsese, and Francis Ford Coppola, among many others, were also former students.
The terror continued with a spoof of Paranormal Activity...
- 3/8/2010
- by Heather Buckley
- DreadCentral.com
The Associated Press has reported that actor David Carradine was found dead this morning in his hotel room in Bangkok, an apparent suicide. Carradine, who was in the Thai city to shoot a movie, was 72.
The actor was discovered by a hotel maid hanged with a curtain cord, and a preliminary police investigation found no signs of foul play. Further details are being withheld out of consideration for his family. Carradine’s long career ranged from the art house to the grindhouse and everything in between, with horror credits including Larry Cohen’s Q, Gary Graver’s Trick Or Treats, Robert Martin Carroll’s Sonny Boy, Anthony Hickox’s Sundown: The Vampire In Retreat (pictured) and Waxwork II: Lost In Time, Fred Olen Ray’s Evil Toons, Ethan Wiley’s Children Of The Corn V: Fields Of Terror, Mitch Marcus’ Knocking On Death’S Door, Mark Lambert Bristol’s The Monster Hunter,...
The actor was discovered by a hotel maid hanged with a curtain cord, and a preliminary police investigation found no signs of foul play. Further details are being withheld out of consideration for his family. Carradine’s long career ranged from the art house to the grindhouse and everything in between, with horror credits including Larry Cohen’s Q, Gary Graver’s Trick Or Treats, Robert Martin Carroll’s Sonny Boy, Anthony Hickox’s Sundown: The Vampire In Retreat (pictured) and Waxwork II: Lost In Time, Fred Olen Ray’s Evil Toons, Ethan Wiley’s Children Of The Corn V: Fields Of Terror, Mitch Marcus’ Knocking On Death’S Door, Mark Lambert Bristol’s The Monster Hunter,...
- 6/4/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (Michael Gingold)
- Fangoria
Pieces was the first “No One Under 17 Admitted” movie I ever saw back in my burgeoning horror-lovin’ youth without an older friend to help me through the doors. The additional sign over the box office reading “If You’re Not 17, You’re Not Getting In!” seemed to pose an additional challenge to my friend and I—neither one of us close to that magic age—but we paid our admissions and made it inside easily.
Then the box-office guy called out, “Hold on, you two!” and we were sure we were busted. It turned out, though, that he just wanted to be sure we had our tickets; we acknowledged that we did, he told us thanks and we scurried up the escalator before he could think again about it. So happy were we to have broached the domain of the age-forbidden that we each bought a huge tub of popcorn...
Then the box-office guy called out, “Hold on, you two!” and we were sure we were busted. It turned out, though, that he just wanted to be sure we had our tickets; we acknowledged that we did, he told us thanks and we scurried up the escalator before he could think again about it. So happy were we to have broached the domain of the age-forbidden that we each bought a huge tub of popcorn...
- 10/22/2008
- Fangoria
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